The Older The Wiser

 

My grandma used to say, "when your going through something hard, always remember that someone has it much worse." 

That's so true. This situation we're in makes me think of others who have or have had it much worse than me. 

Things I think about are things like, people that are unjustly in prison, war torn countries where when they walk out the door they're in fear for them and their loved ones lives, people that went through the holocaust, prisoners of war, fighting in combat, refugees that were/are fleeing for their lives, parents that don't know where their child is because they were abducted, people in 3rd world countries that would give anything to be where we're at, even now, because they go through much harder things on a daily basis. The list goes on and on.

There's always so much to be thankful for and so good to see things half full instead of half empty. 

An elderly client of mine (in her 80's) told me that suffering makes you a better person. It gives you more empathy she says. She's been through an incredible amount of heartache in her life, as most people do when they are up in age. She always said, "I dont know what I would do without the Lord. He has helped me through so much". She also said that time makes things a lot easier. 

I went to see my parents yesterday (in their backyard w/ social distance 😊) and I was bouncing some things off my Mom that people were arguing about on social media. I wanted to know her thoughts.

She briefly gave me her thoughts but bounced back to her calm demeanor and said that she doesn't want to spend her days stressed out about what's going on. She said there's only so much she could control and that she's just enjoying time to relax, spending more time reading the bible, reading etc.... And she said if something did happen to her during this time she would rather spend her days being happy and being loving towards others instead of stressed out, debating and arguing.

Elderly people have a much more balanced perspective in life. 

Thinking about these 3 conversations I had with my grandma, Mom, and elderly client, it brings me peace. 

I like to hear people that have been through a lot yet have peace and calmness through hard times. They have this peace and calmness because they've been through hard times before.

Its neat how we can get in a situation and God will bring what someone said to mind from a long time ago. At the time it was said sometimes it doesn't impact us as much as it does much later. When we can relate a little better.

Trying to stay thankful and to just continue to hang on to the Lord in all things.

Because another thing is, who likes to be around someone who is complaining, ungrateful, and negative. It's the most grating thing to be around. 

I dont want to be that way 😬.

I was also thinking it would be a neat to talk to our parents, grandparents, great grandparents, or an elderly person, and ask them what kind of hard things they've been through. Whether it be about the great depression,  war times, or just whatever. How did they feel? What encouraged them through it? What did they do to help them get through it? etc... 

I feel like so many times we can listen to their stories of the past, but many times we can't relate to what they've been through. But when we go through tough times ourselves their insight is golden, we make a connection with them, and we can better understand and empathize with them ❤

Finishing Well

Lord I'm thankful for your lessons, even though it's hard,
I know your making sure, that it's self I discard.
Your always showing me, how to die to self,
and to not hold on to here, but to seek eternal wealth.(Matthew 6-19-21)
Everything I see, will come and go,
it's how I lived my life, is what I know I'll have to show.
How I spend my life, everyday, is the story I'll have to bring,
on judgment day. (2 Corinthians 5:6-10)
Will you be disappointed, or will you be proud,
will you be ashamed of me, when you come down on the cloud. (Luke 9:26)
I know by faith in you, and by turning from my sins,
that when I die, eternal life with you begins. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
But on this earth, before I leave,
I want to try really hard, not to make you grieve.
Nothing in my life, I want allowed,
that would cause you displeasure, that would make you not proud.
I know I'm sealed, for the day of redemption, (Ephesians 4:30-32)
but please lead me not, into temptation. (Matthew 26:41)
Will you help my faith, and have my worries eased, (Mark 9:23-24,Matthew 6:25, 1 Peter 5:7)
because if I shrink back, I know you won't be pleased. (Hebrews 10:38)
Whatever was my profit, I now consider loss, (Philippians 3:7-8)
all I want is you, and to take up my cross. (Luke 9:23-25)
I need your help, from now until my death,
will you help me finish well, till I take my last breath. (Jude 1:24-25)

2 Corinthians 5:6-10
[6] Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: [7] (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) [8] We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. [9] Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. [10] For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

Undercover Boss

Last night I was watching "Undercover Boss" and a CEO of a company was going undercover working in a few of his fast food chain stores. Watching him work in the stores doing manual labor and working with customers, it was clear that this kind of work wasn't a good fit for him.

And it got me to thinking that if I didn't know he was a CEO of the company, it would be easy to make a judgment about him. This job seemed to highlight his weaknesses instead of his strengths. But his strengths show in his job as a CEO.

This also made me think about each one of us. If people just judged me based on my social skills and small talk in social situations I would appear completely boring and inadequate as a human being with nothing to offer. But I know that God has given us all strengths as well as weaknesses.

We all have something to offer. Sometimes we just have to get to know a person to see where their strengths are. We were all created with purpose and we all play a very important part in this life!

We are many parts and we all are needed!!

1 Corinthians chapter 12

Water Skiing

I remember I went to the Colorado River To Go water skiing. I couldn't get up on the water ski and I couldn't figure out why and neither could anyone else. But then one of the guys saw that I was trying to get up on the skis with my own strength. I kept trying to pull up on my own. He told me I was bending my elbows and trying to pull up on my own. He told me to keep my arms straight out and let the boat pull me up. I realized that's what I do in life some times. Trying to do things in My own strength when it's so much easier to let God do it for me. Let God "pull me up" and then ill "ski" just fine.

Little Me

It's so amazing to me that the Creator of the universe will speak to us! Not only through His word, but also to us in a very personal way. This is a poem thanking the Lord on how He communicates to me through repeated words and repeated themes in my life. I pray you will hear Him communicate to you too. There's just nothing like it!

Lord I'm so thankful,
when You speak to little me,
Your words bring me comfort,
when with my eyes I cannot see.

Your guidance is so opposite,
of what I usually feel,
but I know You can be trusted,
You've proven to me Your real.

I'm so glad for Your words,
and I'm so thankful that You are kind,
and I'm glad You always confirm to me,
that I am not losing my mind.

You are so loyal, even when I'm not,
I'm glad You don't give up on me,
even when I think you ought.

Your words keep on coming,
even at times when I disobey,
but You always know how to put me,
back on track when I'm starting to stray.

Your commitment is so unfathomable,
it totally blows my mind,
nothing else can match it,
you are definitely one of a kind.

I know You work together,
always for the good,
please help me to always trust You,
as a child of Yours should.

Lord I'm just so thankful,
that You speak to little me,
and that You've chosen to give me words,
that sustain me when I cannot see.

{2 Timothy 2:11-13} This is a faithful saying:
For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him. If we endure, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He can't deny Himself.

Come Away With Me

Come away with me, just you and I,
it's a place where you can feel safe, safe if you want to cry.

I know for so many people, you have to be strong,
but you have to spend time with me, or you won't last very long.

I know life can be hard, and you get tired of the fight,
but when you come away with me, your load will be light.

When you don't sit at my feet, and go on with your day,
strength will leave you, and you will go the wrong way.

I am the shepherd, the shepherd of your soul,
don't leave the flock, or life will take a toll.

I will go back to get you, you will always be my sheep,
My love for you is eternal, My love for you is deep.

I am also your groom , and you are my bride,
come let us walk, together side by side.

I know you altogether, I know you through and through,
and you can count on me, on always loving you.

What Is Beauty?

I was at Walmart this morning getting my oil changed. While I was waiting, I was flipping through a couple of "US" magazines, just out of curiosity. It made me really sad looking closely at celebrities lives, beyond the glamour and glitz. Because beyond that, you see a lot of instability, short lived relationships, and a lot of broken lives. It really made me sad. And I thought, 'So many people look up to this kind of life.' And then I thought, 'Why?' I asked the Lord if He would help me write a poem out of what I was feeling. And this is what I wrote:


Flipping through the pages, was just aching my soul,
because the majority of the people,
are making outer beauty their goal.
If you dig a little deeper, and take a look at their lives,
there's a growing epidemic,
that's destroying their lives.
Glamour is their idol, and it's destroying their soul,
somehow they think,
it's going to make them feel whole.
Beauty's not in glamour, and it's definitely not in fame,
the only thing that's attractive,
is what brings glory to God's name.
I'm closing this magazine, and sticking tightly to my source,
of relying on God's word,
which keeps my family on course.

Proverbs 31:10-31 (The wife of noble character)