Thursday, April 28, 2016

Passing On...

               A few days ago our family and friends gathered to celebrate the life of a remarkable woman, my Aunt Alvena, who was married to my dad’s brother.  Even though she was 94, her death came unexpectedly because she was still living independently in the country, driving her car to and from town, and enjoying life in general.  So when I heard the news of her death, I was deeply saddened but thankful that she had led a long and meaningful life.
               With the passing of Aunt Alvena came the realization that our faithful, strong, hard-working older generation was leaving us.  In fact, only three aunts remain in that older generation on my side of the family. Soon, my generation will be the “older” one, and that was a humbling thought.  Perhaps my daughter Haley expressed it best when through our tears, she said she felt like “a stranger… that everyone in that generation we looked up to was leaving us.”  We had depended on their strength, their security, their love and their faith to lean on and embrace. Now they were gone.
               On the drive home I silently reminisced as well as reflected on the day’s events.  I couldn’t help but be drawn to an appreciation of what my grandparents, my parents, my aunts and uncles and other extended family members had taught me. Theirs was a life filled with commitment, dedication, loyalty, and a strong work ethic. BUT one aspect of their lives stood out above the rest…their reliance upon God.  Their testimonies of God were not a rip-roaring, showy outburst of words but a quiet, steady dependence upon “the Man upstairs” as my dad referred to Him at times. They shared their faith and trust in God through their everyday life encounters as well as in their service to the church. Many were Sunday school teachers, leaders in church business affairs, Bible study leaders and participants, Ladies Aide ministries, and choir members. This service was part of their lives, no questions asked.
   Of course, laughter and joyful celebrations occurred along with hardships and overwhelming challenges, but they persevered and endured whatever life tossed them. They were a responsible Christian generation, and whether they realized it or not, they were shaping my generation to pass on to the next generation how they had lived. As Ecclesiastes 1:4 states, “One generation passes away, and another generation comes; but the earth abides forever.”
               Now, it’s my generation’s turn, duty, and responsibility to “pass on” the values of leading a Christian life:  to be faithful to our commitment to God and His Son, to persevere when life’s pressures overrun us, to be bold in our Christian witness, and to place our trust in the hope we have through our Savior Jesus Christ that someday all generations of believers will be together forever.  Finally, my hope is that my generation will be admired and respected as much as what we admired and respected those family and friends before us.  Praise be to God, the Father of all generations.

“Give ear, O my people, to my law; incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old,
Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.
We will not hide them from their children,
Telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD,
And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done."  Psalm 78:1-4

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

An Overlooked Battle

I find it quite exciting when the Holy Spirit reveals Scripture to me in a new light. One such enlightenment took place several years ago when I was leading Beth Moore’s women’s study on David, entitled A Heart Like His.  It was a short and often overlooked incident that took place during the life of David.  However, this story didn’t mention David but his dearest and most loyal friend, Jonathan.
               From I Samuel 14: 1-14 we learned that the Israelites were once again facing battle with the Philistines. Without informing his father, King Saul, Jonathan and his armor-bearer decided to fight the Philistine garrison alone.  As they approached the enemy, Jonathan placed his faith and trust in the LORD. “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the LORD will work for us.  For nothing restrains the LORD from saving by many or by few.” (verse 6)  Without hesitation Jonathan’s armor-bearer followed. His reply was, “Do all that is in your heart. Go then; here I am with you, according to your heart.” (verse 7)  Now, that’s what I call loyalty, obedience and trust.  As it turned out, Jonathan and his armor-bearer destroyed the Philistine garrison as the LORD led.
               In Beth Moore’s study, she showed through this story and other Bible references how Jonathan compared to Jesus in the sense that both were leaders and positioned themselves ahead of their armor-bearers, who represented today’s Christians.  In other words, our God goes before us through the daily challenges and storms of life. We, as Christians, should respond with faith and obedience recognizing God’s presence, like Jonathan and his armor-bearer.
               I found this particular story comforting when both my daughter and my son took overseas mission trips while in college. As my daughter departed for China and later, when my son left for Egypt one summer and for India the next, I prayed for God to go before them to prepare the way as well as to keep them safe. As a result, both experienced unforgettable encounters and returned home stronger and closer to God, our Father.  God had indeed led the way for both of them, and they had responded with faith, obedience and courage.
               Ever since this passage was re-introduced to me, I have referred to it often in my spiritual walk.  Whenever a new and often unexpected situation presents itself in my life, I am drawn to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, remembering who leads the way, now and into the future.


“And the LORD, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.” Deuteronomy 31:8