Can you remember as a youngster when you started gaining some independence and the advise everyone had for you about how to do things and all the do’s and don’ts of the world? They had a tendency to echo in our mind as we went about the world finding guidance and truth in our elder’s instructions. I guess the one instruction that had a lot to do with keeping me on the straight and narrow was my fathers advise about people watching and reporting the things I might be doing. He stressed the fact that I probably don’t know everyone he knows, so if I didn’t want something getting back to him, maybe I shouldn’t do it to begin with. I think that fits everywhere in life, don’t you?
The pencil maker took the finished pencil aside and said, “Before I put you into the box and send you out into the world there are five things you must know. Always remember them and you will become the best pencil you can be. One. You will be able to do great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in someone’s hand. Two. You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but you’ll need it to become a better pencil. Three. You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make. Four. The most important part of you will always be inside. Five. On every surface you are used on, you must leave your mark. No matter what the condition, you must continue to write.” The pencil understood, promised to remember and went into the box with purpose in its heart. Now place yourself in the position of the pencil and think of perhaps the instructions given by God before your birth, always to remember them, never forget and you will become the best person you can. “One. You will be able to do great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in My hands and allow others to access you for the many gifts you possess. Two. You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but you’ll need it to become a better person. Three. You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make. Four. The most important part of you will be what’s on the inside. Five. On every surface you walk, you must leave your mark. No matter the situation you must continue to do your duties.” By understanding and remembering, let us proceed with our life on this earth having a meaningful purpose in our heart.
[Proverbs; Chapters 1-9] Reading these nine chapters you’ll discover the ultimate father/son talk of all times. Solomon has recorded for us the advice given to him by his father David. I can’t help but feel that if every father relayed this same advise to their son, how much different a world we would be living in today. Where did David get such wisdom himself? I have to believe it came from God, and God has seen to it that this wisdom has been recorded and safely kept, passed along through the generations. Well, I guess it’s no secret not every father has taught his son and not every son has adhered to God’s Word. Even Solomon himself went out into the world and tried everything with the words of his father echoing in his ears. But Solomon and the other writers of Proverbs have recorded much eye opening advise for anyone who desires to be wise. Our youth need to be instructed in the ways of the Lord. It must be what God desires for why else would this recorded wisdom from God’s people have survived for thousands of years? As Christians we hold the truth and are instructed to plant the seeds of the fear of God into men for, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, and life eternal.
Saturday, January 22, 2005
Saturday, January 15, 2005
Hands
Isn’t it amazing how the smallest of things can bring us to our knees? Not long ago I was bragging to someone that my allergies seem to be waning as the years pass and then this last blast from the north brought along my crippler, cedar pollen. You can’t see it. You can’t taste it. But over the years believe it or not it’s brought on three asthmatic attacks requiring emergency health care. Abolishing live holiday greenery in the house cured that problem. That was many years ago but to this day cedar pollen still brings tears to my itching eyes and sneezing fits that use up all the tissues in the house. Allergy OTC medicines generally curb the allergic reactions but also have the effect of making me feel lighter than air. Oh well, the season doesn’t seem to last as long or be as severe as in my younger days and that’s fine with me. I really don’t mind having to put up with the allergy as long as I’ve got some pills to take. I look at it this way. I’m happy to still be reacting to something. Whoa, did I say that? It sounds like an old man’s philosophy.
Life and living has a way of hardening the heart limiting its reaction to things that used to make it swell up. But, every now and then a movie, story, song or a friend touches your heart making you take another look at life. Thanks to Jen & Mike for this story, one I think we can all relate to. Picture an old man staring at his open hands and telling you his life’s history. “Stop and think for a moment about the hands you have and how well they’ve served you over the years”, he begins. “These hands though wrinkled, shriveled and weak have been the tools I’ve used all my life to reach out, to grab and to embrace life. They braced and caught my fall when as a toddler I crashed to the floor. They put food in my mouth and clothes on my back. My mother taught me to fold them in prayer. They tied my shoes and pulled on my boots. They held my rifle and wiped my tears as I went off to war. They wrote letters home. They’ve been dirty, scraped, raw, swollen, sticky, wet, cold, bent and broken. Decorated with a wedding band they show the world I’m married and love someone very special. They were uneasy and clumsy the first time I held my newborn son. They dried the tears of my children and caressed the love of my life. They’ve held children, consoled friends and neighbors, yet were strong enough to lift a heavy plow off my best friends foot. They’ve been shook in fists of anger when I didn’t understand. They’ve covered my face, combed my hair, washed and cleansed the rest of my body. Nothing else works that well anymore, but they still help me up, lay me down and continue to be folded in prayer. These hands are the mark of where I’ve been and the ruggedness of my life. One day God will reach out, take me by the hands, not caring much where they’ve been, and take me home where these hands will touch the face of Jesus making all the trials of life worth living, for His love.”
[Romans 12] Does your spiritual and prayer life bring you to your knees? The thought of Jesus with His out stretched arms and His nail pierced hands dripping blood to the ground as He gave His life for the sins of the world ought to bring you to your knees in thanks, often. My hands will never go where the hands of my Lord went. Or will they? My Lord was a loving servant to others even to the point of sacrificing them to God to redeem the sins of mankind. Paul says our hands should be given also, but as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. This is your spiritual act of worship. It is love.
Life and living has a way of hardening the heart limiting its reaction to things that used to make it swell up. But, every now and then a movie, story, song or a friend touches your heart making you take another look at life. Thanks to Jen & Mike for this story, one I think we can all relate to. Picture an old man staring at his open hands and telling you his life’s history. “Stop and think for a moment about the hands you have and how well they’ve served you over the years”, he begins. “These hands though wrinkled, shriveled and weak have been the tools I’ve used all my life to reach out, to grab and to embrace life. They braced and caught my fall when as a toddler I crashed to the floor. They put food in my mouth and clothes on my back. My mother taught me to fold them in prayer. They tied my shoes and pulled on my boots. They held my rifle and wiped my tears as I went off to war. They wrote letters home. They’ve been dirty, scraped, raw, swollen, sticky, wet, cold, bent and broken. Decorated with a wedding band they show the world I’m married and love someone very special. They were uneasy and clumsy the first time I held my newborn son. They dried the tears of my children and caressed the love of my life. They’ve held children, consoled friends and neighbors, yet were strong enough to lift a heavy plow off my best friends foot. They’ve been shook in fists of anger when I didn’t understand. They’ve covered my face, combed my hair, washed and cleansed the rest of my body. Nothing else works that well anymore, but they still help me up, lay me down and continue to be folded in prayer. These hands are the mark of where I’ve been and the ruggedness of my life. One day God will reach out, take me by the hands, not caring much where they’ve been, and take me home where these hands will touch the face of Jesus making all the trials of life worth living, for His love.”
[Romans 12] Does your spiritual and prayer life bring you to your knees? The thought of Jesus with His out stretched arms and His nail pierced hands dripping blood to the ground as He gave His life for the sins of the world ought to bring you to your knees in thanks, often. My hands will never go where the hands of my Lord went. Or will they? My Lord was a loving servant to others even to the point of sacrificing them to God to redeem the sins of mankind. Paul says our hands should be given also, but as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. This is your spiritual act of worship. It is love.
Saturday, January 08, 2005
Start Visiting More
This may seem sort of ridiculous to you, but I have a problem visiting in hospitals and nursing centers. I don’t know what it is; maybe the smells or maybe it was a bad experience at birth or something. Regardless, I’ve decided to get over it by placing it at the top of my resolution list, promising myself to keep it before me until I get over it. I’m looking at this little problem as a hindrance in my three year old career change. Somehow I’ve got to find the time to devote either to actual physical visiting or at least a few minutes on the telephone with folks who have found themselves out of touch due to illness or aging. I think I have something to offer and I may have to force myself to deliver right at first, but it’s also something I want to do so I’ve got to get started.
A compassionate nurse in a health clinic somewhere in our great country wrote the following story: “It was a busy early morning, and only 8:30 when an elderly gentleman, I guessed in his 80’s, arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He stated he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00. I took his vital signs and asked him to have a seat, knowing it would probably be over an hour before a doctor would get to see him. I noticed him getting restless as he kept looking at his watch and decided since I wasn’t busy with another patient I would evaluate his wound then see if perhaps I could help him. On exam I found it to be well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, then got the needed supplies to remove the sutures and redress the wound. While tending to the thumb we began to engage in conversation. I inquired as to his other appointment that it must be important for him to be there on time. He told me he needed to be at the nursing home to have breakfast with his wife. I inquired about her health and he told me she was a victim of Alzheimer Disease and had been there for many years already. As we talked, and I finished dressing his thumb, he told me he starts every day having breakfast with his wife. I asked if she would get worried if he was a few minutes late. He replied she no longer knew who he was, that she hadn’t recognized him for over five years now. I was surprised and asked him, ‘And you still go every morning, even though she doesn’t know who you are?’ He smiled as he took my hand in his and patted it, ‘She doesn’t know me, but I still know who she is.’ I had to hold back the tears as he left, I had goose bumps on my arms and thought, ‘That’s the kind of love I want in my life.”
[Romans 5: 6-8] True love is neither physical, nor romantic. True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be. (v8) “God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” How much does God love us? He came to visit man even though mankind was dying in sin. God put on flesh, we know him as Jesus. He was born like everyone else. He spilled his milk; he fell down a lot while learning to walk. He sneezed and coughed with a common cold, and had to blow his nose now and again. He went to school and stood beside his earthly father learning a trade. He knew the feeling of pain from a hammer on the thumb and the loss of a friend due to death. He knows what it’s like to be rejected, falsely accused and beaten into submission. He was spat upon and cursed. How much does God love us? He took upon himself the sins of the world and died on a cross at the hands of men, so that we might live. Would it hurt you to visit often the one who was willing to die for you?
A compassionate nurse in a health clinic somewhere in our great country wrote the following story: “It was a busy early morning, and only 8:30 when an elderly gentleman, I guessed in his 80’s, arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He stated he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00. I took his vital signs and asked him to have a seat, knowing it would probably be over an hour before a doctor would get to see him. I noticed him getting restless as he kept looking at his watch and decided since I wasn’t busy with another patient I would evaluate his wound then see if perhaps I could help him. On exam I found it to be well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, then got the needed supplies to remove the sutures and redress the wound. While tending to the thumb we began to engage in conversation. I inquired as to his other appointment that it must be important for him to be there on time. He told me he needed to be at the nursing home to have breakfast with his wife. I inquired about her health and he told me she was a victim of Alzheimer Disease and had been there for many years already. As we talked, and I finished dressing his thumb, he told me he starts every day having breakfast with his wife. I asked if she would get worried if he was a few minutes late. He replied she no longer knew who he was, that she hadn’t recognized him for over five years now. I was surprised and asked him, ‘And you still go every morning, even though she doesn’t know who you are?’ He smiled as he took my hand in his and patted it, ‘She doesn’t know me, but I still know who she is.’ I had to hold back the tears as he left, I had goose bumps on my arms and thought, ‘That’s the kind of love I want in my life.”
[Romans 5: 6-8] True love is neither physical, nor romantic. True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be. (v8) “God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” How much does God love us? He came to visit man even though mankind was dying in sin. God put on flesh, we know him as Jesus. He was born like everyone else. He spilled his milk; he fell down a lot while learning to walk. He sneezed and coughed with a common cold, and had to blow his nose now and again. He went to school and stood beside his earthly father learning a trade. He knew the feeling of pain from a hammer on the thumb and the loss of a friend due to death. He knows what it’s like to be rejected, falsely accused and beaten into submission. He was spat upon and cursed. How much does God love us? He took upon himself the sins of the world and died on a cross at the hands of men, so that we might live. Would it hurt you to visit often the one who was willing to die for you?
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