Month: October 2021

SAVED “SHIPS”

If you have been reading my blogs for very long, you know I love lighthouses. They tower high above the ocean and sea to warn ships of the hidden dangers under the water and the rocky shores. They bring brilliant light searching to save a weary traveler.

I was watching a movie the other night, (yes, it was a Hallmark movie of course) and the main character made a statement that got me to thinking. He said he “wondered how many ships had been saved by the particular lighthouse that he was going to fix and bring back to life.” Little did he know that by fixing up that lighthouse, he was going to save his own daughter from the raging water because of the light which shone brightly, that he had just fixed, to help find her in the darkness.

Years ago, when my husband had to go to Mayo clinic in Florida, we went and saw several lighthouses. It thrills my heart to actually stand at the base of them and look up to it towering above me, standing so majestically. They are so much bigger in life, standing by them, than seeing them on the television.

In the movie, the main character also said “the lighthouse is a simple tower that exists putting a cross between disaster and salvation.” Wow! What a statement! I want to focus on that sentence. God is like that lighthouse. He gives everyone the same chance to not sink under the fury of life, by shining His light for all to see. The life happenings will still be there and we might get beaten up by the roaring “sea of life.” But God is ever sending His light out to us. We just have to reach out, look above and hold on.

I will give you a few verses to think about that I have been holding onto.

In Nehemiah 9:12, the writer is talking about when God parted the waters for the Israelites to pass through and which destroyed Pharoah’s army.  “…You led them by day with a cloudy pillar, and by night with a pillar of fire to give them light on the road which they should travel.” The Israelites were running for their lives! If I was one of them, I would be so scared. Wouldn’t you? They were still going through the trial but God protected them with His lights, one for day and one for night. Having a wall of fire and light, God protected His people.

Psalm 27:1 reads, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall, I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?”  Light is a deliverance from darkness. The word salvation combined with the word light means” saving light.” Our humanness gives us much to be afraid of on this earth. I am getting ready in a few days, to have a total knee replacement. Am I afraid? Absolutely!! Fear is gripping my heart. My head at 5 o’clock this morning was thinking all kinds of fearful things. What if I don’t wake up from the surgery? My daughter and family are coming for two weeks at Christmas time. I want to be with them so badly. If I don’t wake up, I won’t get to hold them close to my heart. But God said” Whom” or what, “shall, I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life.” God has reassured me that if I do not wake up, that I will go to live with Him eternally. Because God is our light, ever searching, ever trying to help us by leading us to Him through His marvelous light.

In Matthew 5:14-16, verse “…Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Jesus was telling the believers that they needed to not hide themselves from the world, but let their lights not be hidden-stand tall and let others see that you are a child of God. Even though the world tries to put out our lights, just like a lighthouse, we need to rise up above that trial and be a beacon of light for others to see. In turn, they will want to shine brightly because of our light.

John 8:12 reads “Then, Jesus spoke to them again, saying ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” As the sun is the physical light for our world, so Jesus is the spiritual light of the world. Jesus exposes sin and gives sight for all to see His brilliant light!

It seems that I am always asking God to help me out of the dark trials of this life. Instead, I should be inviting God into that darkness. To help me-pull me up to His light. I need to not let the swirling waters, the swirling darkness pull me into it, but rather let God’s light save me. Search for that peace that only God can give. Just like a boat on the scary, dark, stormy night, I need to hold onto that light, that is searching, waiting for me to cling to it. The lighthouse pulls sailors to it to help them, to save their ships and themselves. Sometimes I forget, that I cannot be saved by my own power, but rather from the power of God’s light. God’s light will shine and help me maneuver through and from this world’s darkness.

There have been many, many ships that have been saved by the magnificent lighthouses throughout the land. Those captains of those ships had to stop looking down, around himself at that dark, scary sea and look up and search out for those lighthouses. The light from those lighthouses, just like God’s light, are ever searching-ever seeking those who are lost in the darkness.

The beautiful lighthouses are not in use as much as they were before. Technology has taken over. Through the years, they have saved so many. Those saved ships will find peace once again. Our Lord and Savior, has saved many “ships.” I am so thankful for His light, because He has and will continue to reach out to us. We just have to look towards His saving light!

God is like that simple lighthouse which towers above us. He gave of His life on the cross, just two simple pieces of wood hammered together, to save us from disaster and give us salvation! I am so thankful for the beauty of the lighthouses. But even more important, I am so thankful for God’s light ever seeking-ever trying to save our “ships.” How about you?

Till next time!

                                         Keela

(Just a side note. Please lift me and the doctors up in prayer on October 26th. On October 26^th, 2009, my husband died during a surgery, on that exact day, twelve years ago. God is not miraculously going to fix my knee. But I am looking up to Him to keep me safe and whatever happens, I know He is my God and I am His child.)

AGE

What is age? Is it a number of years? Is it a trial that causes us to age because of stress or worrying? Is it a period in history? Is it something in the future or is it now? If a person is younger, aging seems a long way off. But if you are in your forty, fifty or sixties, you realize it is coming soon. What if you are over sixty, you realize that you are a part of the aged. I know there have many struggles I have gone through, that have caused me to feel old because of the stress and worry. When I start to look back in my life, by looking at pictures or just contemplating my past history, I realize that there are so many things and people who have influenced my life. At my age, sixtyish, I realize that those who have influenced my life are getting aged and passing away.

I remember when we were planning my grandmothers 100^th birthday party, that I was talking to her about it and thinking how exciting it will be to celebrate. I told her that we could invite all of her friends. I remember that she said, “they have all passed away.” I felt all of a sudden how sad that was, but true. Unfortunately, she passed away two months before her hundredth birthday.

My uncle passed away about a year ago. One of the last times, I was able to be with him, he was telling me how useless he felt at times. He had such an amazing knowledge of the bible and lived his life by God’s word. He had taught many bible classes-preached many a sermon-was an elder of the church, he attended, for many years-he was a mentor for so many who became Christians and turned their lives around to serve God. I asked him what he meant? He had stepped down from being an elder several years ago. He said the church, he was attending, did not use him to preach, lead singing anymore, or teach a bible class. He felt that need, that longing of the heart, to continue those activities. I remember when he told me that, I felt how sad. Here was a man who had been a Christian for many, many years, who the congregation there was not utilizing as a source of wisdom! Job 12:12-13 reads, “Wisdom is with aged men, and with length of days understanding. With Him are wisdom and strength. He has counsel and understanding.” Psalm 92:14-15 reads, “They shall still bear fruit in old age, they shall be fresh and flourishing to declare that the Lord is upright, He is my rock and there is no unrighteousness in Him.” The congregation certainly lost so much by not using him in their services.

The bible has so many verses about the reality of being aged. Let’s look at a few and what I see in them.

Psalm 71:9 and 17-18 “Do not cast me off in the time of old age, do not forsake me when my strength fails.” and “O God, You have taught me from my youth and to this day I declare Your wondrous works. Now also when I am old and gray-headed, O God, do not forsake me. Until I declare Your strength to this generation. Your power to everyone who is to come.”

The Psalmist in these verses, is asking God to not forget him in his old age. Verse 9, makes me think of all the elderly who, because of the pandemic, have been confined to their home. I had an elderly friend who said she had not been to church for so long that she felt like the members had forgotten who she was. I thought about that from my perspective. That means some of the elderly, in my congregation, had not received a card, been taken meals, or called on the telephone or sent texts. We have several new families at church. Have I been talking about our elderly who cannot come to church or those who have been battling illness, so they can reach out to these members in love and learn so much from them?

Psalm 78:1-4 talking to the Israelites, “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 saying of old, which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, telling in the generation to come, the praises of the Lord, and His strength and His wonderful works that He has done.”

When I read these verses, I thought of my grandson, Austin. He seems to always listen to me about family members. I try to make my grandparents and those loved ones, who have gone before me, real in my grandchildren’s minds. There are so many stories that they need to know about. When a person does one of those ancestry searches, we reveal those of old, who helped carve us into who we are today. Am I sharing my faith? Am I teaching my grandkids the truly important things in life are not things, but living their lives for God?

Ecclesiastes 12:1-5 “Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, before the difficult days come, and the years draw near when you say, I have no pleasure in them, While the sun and the light, the moon and the stars, are not darkened and the clouds do not return after the rain. In the day when the keepers in the house tremble, and the strong men bow down. When the grinders cease because they are few. And those that look through the windows grow dim. When the doors are shut in the streets, and the sound of grinding is low. When one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of music are brought low, also they are afraid of height, and of terrors in the way, when the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper is a burden, and desire fails, for man goes to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets.”

These verses I laugh at because I can identify with so many things listed. Think about your elderly family members. Vision has gotten worse-hearing is going and we have to talk loud for them to hear-teeth have to be replaced, with dentures-they get up early-cannot pick up and carry heavy items-they are lonely and sometimes depressed. This is a natural progression of aging. Even those who are young, and feel indispensable, will one day succumb to the aging process.

1 Timothy 5:8 “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”

This verse helps me to remember that I have the God given, command to take care of my dad. (My mother passed away several years ago.) I have the command to take care of those of my family that are at the age when they cannot take care of themselves like they use to. It is hard for me, at times, to realize that my dad cannot do what he used to. Of course, I see the aging process in him, but he is my dad. He has always been my hero-the one I have reached out to for help. But I need to get past that thinking and realize that he needs me now. He will always be my hero, even though the aging process is grabbing hold of him. I believe my kids, will take care of me when that time comes.  (My kids are reading this and are saying, you are already there, mom!)

Let’s realize that now is the time that we need to reach out to and take care of, our family members and our church family members. At church, during the announcements, you hear the list of elderly or sick, and do not know who they are, now is the time to take care of that. Ask another member who can give you a good history about them. Call them. Take them a meal. You don’t have to go into their home, because of covid, to drop off a meal-flowers-activity books or puzzles. Ask someone to go with you.  Send them a card. Take that first step. Think about how you would feel if you were confined at home because of illness or age. Thinking about that will help your heart know what to do for them. Do something! Depression and loneliness fill the heart of those elderly and constantly sick. We say, ‘it seems like the day is too short. We have so much to take care of and do’. Take time out of your busy lives. You will be rewarded by using your time to help them. Give of your time!

If you are young reading this, remember to visit and call or text, and check on your grandparents or parents. It is hard having a mate or houseful of children, and then one day you are all alone because they have gone on with their lives and they seem to push you out. It seems that you have become so less important.

Do you have a parent, older friend or grandparent? Give them a call-email-text-send a card. Just do something! We are never assured of tomorrow. One night, many years ago, I realized I had not talked to my great aunt in a while. I started to call her and something got in the way that I forgot to call. By the time I remembered, it was too late to call her. She passed away the next day. That has hurt my heart for many years that I did not reach out to her that night. We all have regrets. The best way to not hold onto those regrets, is to learn from them and do better every day.

Remember, just because someone becomes elderly, does not mean that he is not knowledgeable-that they can be pushed to the side like my uncle was. Make an effort today, after reading this blog, to step up and reach out to an elderly person. Become their friend! When you do that, your heart will be so much richer for doing so! 

Age! An important thing to start thinking about and to start giving of your time to reach out to the aged. You will become a part of that crowd one day too.

Till next time!

                                  Keela