Thankful for Little People

How can it be possible that in just a little over a month this little guy will turn 6?  And how is it possible that within a few weeks he and his parents will be homeowners just 20 miles away from me?  How is it possible?  God's grace!

Over the time since Oliver has been around, I have had a certain sadness that would come over me when I thought of how much I had missed.  He was so far away and I got to see him at best twice a year.  I missed first steps, first birthday, first Christmas, first words, so many firsts. And to be truthful, I felt a pang of jealousy when I would see my friends who lived near their grand kids be able to spend so much time with them.

And then the news came that my daughter, son-in-law and Oliver would be moving to south central PA!  For the last 10 months I have enjoyed being able to see them and to experience some new firsts.  First Easter, first Halloween, first fireman's carnival, first overnight with gramma, and soon our first Thanksgiving!  And to top that off, if all goes well I will be able to help them move into their first home in early 2020!  How is it possible?  God's grace!

God's grace has seen me though so much.  He continues to see me through the wearisome times of life.  Times like when you have those aches and pains that weren't there just 5 years ago, or when you have relational conflicts that were not of your making, or when you lose someone who was so very precious to your heart.  And He has seen me though the joyful times of life as well.  Times like the marriage of my son and my daughter-in-law, the marriage of my daughter and my son-in-law and the birth of my wonderful grandson, Oliver.  He truly is the crown of the "aged".  (BTW I kind of wish it said later middle-aged....)

So this Thanksgiving, like many before, grace is what I am thankful for.  I do not deserve it.  I could never purchase it.  I can only grasp a hold of it and cherish it.  I can only pause throughout my days and say "thank you, Father" for all of the blessings, love and grace you shower me with.  May my heart continue to look into the future with a thankful heart knowing how great Your faithfulness has been in the past. 

Hand Me that Towel!

Ever look in that sink and wonder - where did all those dishes come from?  Or that pile of laundry that wasn't there the last time you looked?  Or that lawn that just keeps on growing?  The list goes on and on.  And there have been times over my adult life where I have grumbled at the sight of any one of these things.

Our natural tendency is to want to do those things which are fun or at least have some significance; not those things that end up on the never ending trail.  But someone must do them, right?

And how often do we go ahead and do these things and then silently (or maybe not!) complain that no one cares, no one appreciates?  We may even find ourselves not doing them at all while we wait for someone else to pick up the slack.

Jesus set the example that we are meant to follow.  Here He was the Master and He bent down low and washed the feet of His followers.  Peter did not want Jesus to do this and in fact rebuked Him for the effort.  Jesus basically said "If you don't let Me do this - you are not mine." And Peter in only Peter's way said "then wash all of me!"

We must fight our natural bent to want to be in the limelight.  We want to be recognized for our service, for our efforts, for our attention to the never ending jobs that fill our days.  But, Jesus wants us to do those things with the same posture He did.  He wants us to serve without attention.  He wants us to serve because we are His servants.  How can we do less than the Master?

It is a privilege to be able to care for our loved ones, friends and neighbors.  But, how hard it is to serve those that we find difficult to love, or those that are very different from us.  Yet, Jesus washed all the disciples feet.  All of them - including the one who would later betray Him.  What must have gone through Judas' mind as Jesus lovingly bathed his feet and wiped them dry?  Did he have a momentary twinge of regret for what he was about to do?  And Jesus?  He knew.  Yet, He continued.  No question - just served.

There is much to do.  The laborers are few and the harvest is plentiful.  Only as we are willing to set aside our own need for gratification will we be able to minister in the way that Jesus did.  Hand me a towel!  I want to serve.

A Day to Remember

Today we pause to give thanks for the men and women who have served our country in the military.  For several hundred years there have been individuals who put themselves in harms way so that we could enjoy the freedom that we have.  Many paid the ultimate price and laid down their lives for ours.  How can you ever really say thank you enough?

So often I have thought about the lack of creature comforts that our soldiers have experienced.  Or the separation from their loved ones.  Or the fear of death or injury.  Some of them enlisted to do this job, some were drafted.  Some made the military a career while others mustered out as soon as they could.  Each and every one took an oath when they joined up.  They stood and recited the following: "I, (Name), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of  the United States and the orders of the officers appointed."

Some of these young men and women were just kids when they joined up.  They often were caught up in the excitement and romance of war.  And then reality hit.  Thousands of miles from home caught up in a conflict that they did not even understand they bravely obeyed those orders.  Many returned home with lifetime injuries that were physical, emotional or mental. Each one chose to lay down their life for their friend. You and me.

As I think of our Veterans I think about Jesus. I think of how He left the glory of heaven to come to this troubled earth.  He often lacked creature comforts.  He left His family home to wander the Galilean countryside.  He faced injury and death. And He willingly obeyed the will of His Father and laid down His life for His friends.  You and me.  How great a salvation!  How great a Savior!

So today, I thank our Veterans.  I thank the many who sacrificed so much that I might be able to write this blog entry without fear of being imprisoned.  I can speak freely of my faith and I can appreciate the freedom of choice that we all have.  We are indeed a country blessed by the lives of these faithful individuals.  May God richly bless the current military forces and also those who have served in the past.  And may God give comfort to the loved ones who have lost their precious sons or daughters in the pursuit of this freedom.

Why Affliction?

2019 may well go down as the year of affliction for many of my dear friends and family.  In fact, I have one friend who is counting down the days until we can say goodbye to this year.  When I ponder all of it - I think the common question is, why?

Why is it that we see those we love and care about struggling with family issues, health issues, financial issues and personal issues when they seemingly are such faithful stewards of the Savior they love? Why is it that they are burdened with these constraints that changed the very texture of their lives?  Why are they impacted so severely by the actions of others?  Why God, Why?

In the book of James, the brother of Jesus wrote that we are to count it all joy when we have trials of various kinds because those trials that test our faith produce steadfastness. But, how do we do that?  How can we be joyful in our trials?

David, in the Psalms demonstrated what I believe to be the answer to this.  David definitely knew about affliction.  He was chased into the mountains to avoid being captured by the king he served, he was ridiculed by his own children, he suffered the loss of his child due to his own sin and on and on it went. And as he poured out his heart to the Father, he recognized that it was good for him to be afflicted because he learned God's statutes in the process.

How do we learn the statues?  We learn by reading the Word and allowing its truths to permeate our heart.  We learn by being obedient even when it is hard.  We learn when we give praise even in the sorrow.  We learn when we share our victories and our struggles with those we come in contact with.  All of this will bring us joy - if only we are willing.

None of us know what the next day will bring.  Certainly none of my friends and family expected the adversity that came in 2019 when the calendar page turned last December 31st. I am praying that each one will someday be able to say with David, that it was good to be afflicted.  And I am praying that I too will remember this as I walk into the future.