May 12, 2018

What Is Your Story?

One generation commends Your works to another; they tell of Your mighty acts.

– Psalm 145:4

I was the youngest person at the table. One had reached 93. Two were in their 80s. Another was almost there. The nearest one to my age could retire. We were quite the group.

The stories came fast, fueled by laughter. “I didn’t know that,” was a common refrain. “That’s amazing,” was another.

We are a ragtag bunch taking up a corner table in a busy, local restaurant. The owner, once only a son, was busy taking orders and sharing smiles and comments. He’d already sent his own son home with items his wife had requested. It’s a family business, open six days a week.

The hustle and bustle are bittersweet. He’d lost his Dad years before to a cancer he couldn’t seem to beat. My own Dad had been one of the volunteer drivers who took the man to his cancer treatments so his family could keep the business running. It’s what you do in a small community.

One of those at our table taught me in the third grade. Her late husband graduated from high school with my Mother. We are bonded, this dear woman and I. There is a history there that has gelled over shared interests and a love of stories. Some people brighten your day just by being there. She is one of them.

Our faith runs deep. Everyone at the table has suffered deep loss, betrayal, heartache. We have also embraced love, caring, laughter. And a deep, unending joy that can only come from Christ.

There is something that changes in a soul when you travel through rough waters and emerge on the other side. There is a depth you never expected that goes along with the scars you once thought would never heal. You learn what it means to be surrounded by people of faith. You understand the significance of being prayed for and of having people carry you when you don’t have the strength to carry yourself.

Our roots go deep. I wonder sometimes if other people see that as we burst once again into laughter. We are not a quiet bunch of folks. We fill our moments with talk, with stories, with a history that others might not readily see. Our faith is the foundation on which we stand. Praises to God, mingle with our chatter.

It is those stories, those praises, that will one day be left behind. Our days on this earth are numbered. We’re just traveling through, bound for a place we can only imagine. What will people remember about you? Will they know your story? Will they understand your faith?

God instructs us to tell of His mighty works from generation to generation. We are to share our faith, our stories, with those coming behind us. Don’t wait until the end to tell your stories and don’t wait until it’s too late to make time to listen. You might end up learning something from a life you never could have imagined.

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Life Brings Changes

“Don’t be ridiculous!” Saul replied. “There is no way you can go against this Philistine. You are only a boy, and he has been in the army since he was a boy!” -- 1 Samuel 17:33

One of the most difficult parts of aging is coming to terms with things you are no longer able to do. It’s difficult to accept help you do not want. It’s difficult to admit that life is changing in a way you’d rather not face.

It happens to all of us. We spend our childhood and youth learning to be independent. Then we spend our later years learning to be dependent yet again. It can be a sad journey. Or it can be a remarkable journey. I am reminded that when God closes one door, He always opens another.

Several years ago I attended a church function that included a potluck lunch. One dear woman brought two or three dishes. It’s what she had always done, though one dish was plenty and no one would have said a word had she brought nothing. This woman is in her 90s. She’s done so long and so much for so many people. Yet she couldn’t seem to let go of doing what she’d done all her life.

That particular day she rested her head on the table. She was too weak to enjoy the program. She’d overdone it that morning cooking food. I sat down and spoke with her, being kind but firm. I didn’t say anything her children hadn’t already told her. It’s just that sometimes it’s easier to hear from someone else.

She’s a widow now. And she still attends many functions. She no longer takes food and someone drives her to and from whatever is taking place. We’re all thrilled to have her with us. She’s such an inspiration. And I think she’s finally come to understand that the blessing of her presence is all we really want from her. As I told her that day, “You’ve done so much for so many people, let us do for you now. It’s our time and our privilege.”

I’m not trying to say it’s easy. It’s not. I sure wish I could physically do the things I did even 10 years ago. I can’t. It’s frustrating. But I’ve also learned to ask for help. Most of the time anyway. I’ve found that it sometimes makes other people feel needed and useful when they know that you truly need what they can give.

I’m not a child anymore, pretending to be an adult. Nor am I yet an elderly person valued for my wisdom. I’m a worker who focuses on getting things done. And sometimes that means taking over tasks that someone else can no longer do. It’s not a burden. It’s being useful and needed. It’s how God planned our lives to be.

So look around and see where you’re at in life. Do what you can, where you can. And when it’s time to let go of a task you can no longer do, let it go graciously. Let someone else step up. And if you’re that person who’s stepping up, be kind and gentle. Value the task you’ve been given because one day, you too will be called to step aside for

Thursday, October 14, 2010

All Generations Know Him

"Who has done this and carried it through, calling forth the generations from the beginning?" -- Isaiah 41:4

Woe is us. Nobody has ever experienced problems like this generation. We are overwhelmed. Our children are in danger. I could go on and on. Yes, we've got different problems than those who went before us. And those who come after us will have still another set of issues to face. Isn't it wonderful that our God was with our great-grandparents and will be with all the generations to come?

We each have a set of unique problems. We worry about crime and fitting too many activities into our schedule. In another part of the world, someone is worried about food to eat today. It's all a matter of perspective. Ours tends to be centered on the person we see in the mirror each day.

And, sure, our forefathers didn't have internet bullying or high-pressure jobs. Some of them worked from sun up to sun down trying to grow enough food to eat. Some toiled in factories for 12 to 14 hours per day or more. Some worked day after day for landowners, knowing they could never own their own land or better their position in life.

We think our children are in danger but children have always faced danger. One hundred years ago or more, children faced diseases we don't have today. So many babies never survived infancy. Other children never got an education. Some children supported their families. Of course, today that's still true is some parts of the world.

Who knows what the future will bring? Only God. And He'll be right there with those traveling through those future times. I am so grateful that the very God who guides my path, who listens to my concerns and gives me strength, is the same God who was there for my Grandmother. He is the God who is there for all of us, past, present or future. It really puts things in perspective.

We spend so much time worrying about what we can't change. We focus on the negative instead of looking at all the good around us. We try to control what may or may not happen, never really acknowledging the fact that we aren't in control. God is. He has a plan. And while we have free choice, it's still His plan in His world.

He wants what is good for us. He wants us to have a wonderful life spent serving Him and furthering His kingdom. Yeah. You read that right. Sure, He wants us to be happy and content. But mostly I think He wants us to know Him and to bring others to know Him as well. That above all else.

We don't know what the future holds for any of us -- but God does. He was there at the beginning when He created this world and the people who inhabit it. And He'll be there at the end, when Jesus rides His white horse forth in a blaze of glory and light. He'll love us and guide us through this journey right up to victory and an eternity with Him.