Life Lessons

 This week I attended a funeral of a dear gentleman who has been a testimony to us all in our church for many years. He and his sweet wife are such blessings and witnesses of faith to so many. He had been suffering for quite some time and his dear wife was his faithful, patient caretaker for many years. They have been through much together. Their patience with one another taught me so much. Their love for one another is a rare example of what marriage and genuine love is supposed to be. The way she cared for him, even when it was very difficult, was an example of sacrificial love in a world of people who mainly focus on themselves. Even in her grief, she was such an example of faith and strength. Their love and faith have taught me some valuable lessons.

God has been pressing something into my heart in recent years, maybe it is my own age that is contributing to this, but listening to this man’s life story this week at his funeral helped confirm what I have already been learning, and that is: to spend time with those who are older and spiritually wiser than I am. Yesterday, as I listened to the family members and pastor recount this gentleman’s life, it inspired me to live a better life myself. As I sat there listening and reflecting on all that he had done to make a difference in other’s lives, I quietly asked God to help me to use my hours and days more wisely, and to spend more time learning from those who are wiser than me. There are so many precious folks in our church who have lived way more life and faith experiences than me and they have so much to offer. Please do not hear me saying that all older people are wiser or that younger folks are less wise, but, I do believe that there is a generation gap that needs to be bridged and that those who choose to ignore relationships with the older generation are missing so many blessings and so much knowledge.

When I looked around at the funeral that I attended, I noticed only a few younger people (less than a handful), which grieved my heart. There was so much to gain from this dear gentleman’s life story. Like I said, his life was a testimony of faith and service. He was not perfect, because no human is, but he left an incredible legacy. Our pastor clearly communicated the Gospel message to those who attended as well. Though it was a sad day for his widow and family, and for those of us who loved him and will miss him, it was also a day of celebration of his life and his passing into eternity with our Lord Jesus. What a huge lesson for us all.

The next time you have a chance to be with someone who is older and wiser than you, please do not waste this opportunity. So many of the elderly sit in church by themselves, or wait in a nursing home for just one visitor. There are opportunities all of the time to sit and visit with someone who can pour blessings and wisdom into our lives. Take advantage of these opportunities. If you pass someone in the hallway or in the grocery store, make eye contact, smile and say hello. It may just save a life. It will certainly bless them, and besides, it is just common courtesy and respect. You never know how you might make a difference. Rake a yard, sit with someone at church, help your parents out, join a Bible study where there are different aged people or help someone unload their groceries. Be the one to start a conversation with an older person. They have so much to share with you and it will bless you richly. (And them!)

I’m so thankful for the people in my life who have shared their life experiences, wisdom, prayer, knowledge and hope with me. They are all gifts and blessings. They have taught me much and I look forward to learning much more from them while I still have the opportunity to do so. I only pray that I can be that kind of blessing to others. I pray that I can share what God pours into me with others. I pray that the generational gap will be bridged and that we will all do life together regardless of our ages. We NEED each other! This life is not easy, and no good comes from trying to walk it alone. Grab someone by the hand and do it together!! Young and old! God bless you and thanks for reading.

Proverbs 1:5 (ESV) “Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance…”

The Crevices of Our Minds and that Spray Foam Insulation

Do you remember that little children’s song about being careful with what your little eyes see? Recently, I was talking with a dear friend of mine about how Satan loves to get into our heads and try to tempt us into believing certain lies and deceptions. It is so easy to let our minds wander to places of fear, worry, of being overwhelmed, of feeling rejected, or many other places of negativity. As we often do when we talk, we shared with each other about feeling heavy hearted, fearful, and disconnected with others around us, even when in a crowded room full of people. We talked about life, about so many that we love who are suffering so greatly, whether physically, emotionally, or even from great and difficult persecution because of their faith.  It would have been really easy for both of us to finish the conversation feeling totally sad, overwhelmed and defeated…just where Satan would have wanted us to be, but, thankfully, oh so thankfully, we often do something else when we talk to one another, we point each other back to Jesus and the Word of God.

As the two of us continued chatting, a very vivid picture came to my mind. I described it to her and I said out loud, “that sounds like a blog post to me!” She agreed. So, here it is. As you read this, I pray that you will feel both encouraged and challenged to fill your minds with the better things, the things of God and His Word.

As we talked about filling our minds with the better things the picture that came to mind was an image of an empty space being filled up with that insulation that builders use that expands as they spray it into the crevices in attics. It’s a foam type stuff that fills every crack in order to keep out the cold, and hold in the heat. This picture made me think about our human minds. After all, the battle often takes place in our minds, right? So, it makes sense, just like the insulation, that if we fill all of the crevices of our minds with the better things - the Word of God, then there will be no room for the deceptions of Satan to take over, or to take root in our thought processes, which can often lead us to sin. I keep picturing that insulation expanding in those attic crevices and then a picture of God’s Word filling the crevices of our minds, pushing out all of the lies that the world and Satan try to fill us with.

I can tell you that for me personally, I have to dive into the Scriptures daily. I have to saturate my mind and heart with God’s Word. My heart longs to know Him more, and to obey His commands. His ways are so perfect and wonderful. He knows us better than anyone. He created us and knows every hair on our heads. He knows our thoughts before we even think them, and therefore, knowing and following His ways are best for us. There are so many worldly things trying to push into our minds and hearts. We cannot let them in. We must fill our minds with the better things. We must fill our minds with the insulation of God’s holy Word.

So, I pray that this mental picture will encourage you to fill up your minds with the pure Word of God, so that in turn, the ugly, negative lies of this world will be pushed out and replaced with the better things, the most beautiful and wonderful things of God.

Some of my favorite ways to study God’s Word: Bible Study Fellowship International (a weekly in-depth study of the Scriptures – find a class near you here: https://www.bsfinternational.org/locate-a-class1); choose a few really good devotion books and dig deeper into the Scriptures using them (Jesus Calling, Streams in the Desert, Unto these Hills, My Utmost for His Highest, Praying God’s Word…); Scripture Writing (a scheduled process where you write out the Scriptures daily and read through them many times a day); a Bible reading plan (I love the 90 Day Bible); find a Bible study group at your local church or visit a Christian bookstore and ask for help finding a quality Bible study that digs deeply into the Word of God. May God richly bless you spiritually as you seek Him in His Word in this New Year!

“Show me Your ways, LORD; teach me Your paths. Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long.” Psalm 25:4-5 (NIV)

“O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water.” Psalm 63:1 (NASB)

“Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face continually.” 1 Chronicles 16:11 (NASB)

“You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13 (NASB)