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OUR ANCHOR

There is nothing magical about changing the calendar to a new year. We are now on the starting line of new hopes and dreams. Everyone makes new years resolutions. A few months in, we can’t remember what we had told ourselves we were going to do and make excuses why we had not achieved those we can remember. We get busy-life happens-our focus is off our resolutions and we realize that our resolutions are not as easy as we had hoped. Did we make resolutions that we really did not have hope, that we would actually attain?

In Hebrews 6:19, we are told that “…hope is an anchor of the soul. Both sure and steadfast, which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” This verse tells me that my hope should only be in Jesus. He gave His life for us on the cross, shedding His blood so that we have the hope of heaven. This anchor is not in the sand. It is not in earthly goals. It is sure-will not cause us to sink. Jesus is “behind the veil” which means Jesus is with God, in the dwelling place of God. That is the only hope that is secure.

The only hope for our future is living our lives for the Lord and one day we will go to live with Him in heaven, if we have served Him through obedience. We can’t have hope in this world and the people who live here. At times this world lets us down, even when we are doing good. We get tired and want to quit. But God tells us to “…let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.”  We don’t have to see the results of our good deeds. We don’t have to be recognized by this world. This world’s recognition is not the important thing. Doing good deeds, recognized or not, brings us even closer to our eternal home of heaven.

What if we feel like we don’t know what to do and we don’t know how to reach our goal, our purpose, for our lives? Romans 15:13 says “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” God is never too early or too late. He is always right on time. We need to live our lives with the hope and assurance that God has a plan, a purpose, for our lives. We just need to continue doing good and maybe in that happening, God is working through that trial or through that other person that we are praying for, to accomplish that hope in our lives. God tells us that we need to have joy and peace in believing that whatever our future holds, we know who holds that future. Our hope comes through searching the scriptures and filling ourselves up with the Holy Spirit by putting those scriptures into action. We have to hold onto our faith and the hope that God is going to provide us with the “instruments” we need to have, so we can accomplish that hope we have, if it is according to His will. Maybe it is not the time in our lives that is best for us to accomplish a plan we have for our future.

A few years ago, my daughter and son in law, wanted to foster children. They took the courses. Fixed their home to welcome a child in. They got the call that there was a fifteen-year-old girl that needed placement in a home. She came and seemed to “fit” in well. My daughter felt like they were helping her along her journey. But then something happened, that my daughter and son-in-law realized she was not going to be able to stay with them. A few months later, my daughter found out she was pregnant. This season in their lives, was not in the plans God have for them. There will come a day they will foster. They have giving hearts. But it will be the right timing in God’s plans for them.

Jeremiah 29:11 says “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you says the Lord, thought of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

When a person feels hopeless, they don’t have anything to hold onto when the trials come into their lives. Maybe that is why having a new year’s resolution is so important to them. They need a visible tangible happening. But then what happens when their resolution is not fulfilled or forgotten? They have nothing. When we believe in God’s goals for us and hope for them, then we can be assured of a good year ahead. May not be what we have in our earthly vision but God has a better vision-future for us. That is where and by whom we have our hope. The assurance that God is always there for us and we can have a firm hope in Him.

Sure, make goals for yourself for this new year! But don’t just put your hope in that goal. If it is a goal that is to be accomplished, be sure that it is in God’s will not your own. We cannot see what God is doing for our good. Maybe you are to be a part of hope for someone else! Maybe your unseen goal is to minister to someone-pray for someone-find a silver lining of hope for someone else-be there with your shoulder to cry on. During the hard times, I have had so many people who helped me through that and reminded me of the hope I have in God’s goodness. But many of those people have gone to be with the Lord or have moved away. What if I am to be that person now, to give others hope?

Don’t be hard on yourself if you have forgotten or have not fulfilled your goal for 2022 already. God has a plan for you that is so much more important than these earthly goals and hopes we promise ourselves on January 1 of each year. Remember, we need to put our hope in God’s goodness not in ourselves to fulfill those goals-that hope!

Have you already forgotten or have chosen not to continue, what you promised on January 1? That is ok! Just don’t forget obedience and our promised hope, should be in God. He will help you find your hope for your future! He is our anchor!

Proverbs 3:5-6  “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

Till next time!

                                      Keela

COUNTING DOWN THE DAYS

What does the phrase, counting down the days mean to you? I have heard that phrase several times lately, especially coming to the end of another year. People cannot wait till this year is over, hoping that 2022 will be rid of this covid and hope of better days. They hope that their finances will improve-they will find a job-the cancer will be gone-the mental and physical pain will be better-their addiction will be controlled-an upcoming wedding-a new baby will be born-retirement is coming. After having my total knee replacement surgery, I am counting down the days that I can maneuver around without this crazy walker and the painful exercises will be done.  I am, also, counting down the days till December 19^th. My daughter and family get here on that day! I have not seen them since last Thanksgiving and that is way too long. My little ones grow up way too fast for me to not see them but once a year. I usually, until covid, have gone twice a year, in the spring and in the fall. But I am hoping, counting down the days till next year, that I can get back on that schedule.

There is another counting down of the days that we should do. When God will come to bring judgement to us all and we can go to heaven to be with Him forever. I admit I am not wanting that to happen until I see my grandbabies. But, as I prayed before I went under anesthesia with my surgery, that if it was God’s will and I passed away during it, that God would take me home. (I will admit, though that I said, but I really want to see my babies one more time. Well, evidently, I made it!) We have a precious older soul at church that is definitely counting down the days. He has wanted to leave this painful earth and go to be with his Lord for so long. He does not understand why God has not taken him yet. He is definitely counting down the days, looking forward to that day with fervor.

We count down the days to be able to go home to heaven with our Lord but do we really want that time to come? Are we ready for that to come? Do you have that hope of heaven if you pass away today, maybe within the next second? If the answer to that is no, then it is time to stop counting down the days and actually become a child of God, so you can shine your light to others so they will see your love for the Lord and they want that too. None of us know when it will be our last breath.

The Bible is just full of verses about this subject. I will only quote one series of verses here to make you think about time and that we should be counting down the days till we leave this earth and go to live with our Father. We need to be prepared. God has promised us this eternal life with Him, if we are obedient and live our lives for Him. When God promises something will happen, you can be sure that it will!

2 Peter 3:8-13 “But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?  Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”

Am I looking forward to happenings in the future? Of course! That is our human need to see the future in a positive way. But I also, without fear, need to look forward to the day the Lord comes to take me to heaven. We are not assured another second. But we are assured of heaven, “a new heavens and a new earth”, if we shine our lights to others and serve the Lord. God wants us to come to live with Him when we die. He is so patient with us. But we make choices that will determine our future after we die.

I always count down the days till New Years Eve. Right at midnight, we are into another year. We make promises to ourselves, that we will lose weight-stop drinking or smoking-stop the events that are standing in our way towards the Lord-we will read the Bible more-go to church more-talk about Him more-anything that we had been amiss the year before. This year, when midnight hits and all the fireworks are going off, we need to look at whatever has been amiss this last year and make changes, better choices.

This is the last blog of 2021 that I will write. I wish there was something profound that I can say to help you as the reader realize, that God is giving us time. He is patiently waiting for us to turn away from the world. We do not know how many days we have on this earth but we do know that when we die, we are going to a place ruled by the devil or ruled by the one and only King. Make better choices. Make changes in your life. Don’t just say you will but really mean it, so that you can be counting down the days when we are just barely a memory, a breath on this earth. God is waiting for you and me! He is waiting for us to fulfill our God given purpose.

Counting Down the Days. I had not thought of them in the context of waiting to go live with the Lord. You just can’t cross out the days on a calendar until your death. But rather fill those days with work for the Lord-being an example, shining your light!

I was counting down the days till my surgery. I was so glad to finally get it over with. I have been babying this knee about twenty years and using a walker for the last six months. It was time. I will be so thankful when my days on this earth are numbered that I will be Counting Down the Days till the Lord calls me home!

I am sure next time I write, that I will share adventures that my grandkids and I will have enjoyed. Am I counting down the days till I see that car door swinging open and I hear “Nana! Nana!”  Absolutely!! As a grandparent, there is nothing better!

Thank you for all the prayers, calls and emails I have gotten wishing me luck with my surgery. It is over and now I am in the process of the grueling exercises and therapy. I am determined to feel better and come “out the other side” of this recovery.

Fill this next year and the years to come, holding onto God’s promises of a new life one day.

I am Counting Down the Days. Are you?

Have a happy holiday season and enjoy its beauty. See you next year!

Till next time!

                       Keela

POSTPONED

I do not like that word anymore! The words meaning is to “hold back for another time.” That is what the lady said when I answered the phone at work. It was three p.m. the day before I was to have my knee surgery. I had taken a covid test just the day before. She started our conversation by saying she had some bad news for me. I thought “oh no, I have covid.” But thankfully, that was not the news. She said there were some changes made to the insurance, I have, that the hospital did not know about. I asked if there was something I could do to solve the problem. She said no, that she was the liaison between the insurance and the hospital. She said that I could fill out some paperwork saying that I would pay for the surgery if the insurance did not approve it. She said she would not recommend that because the surgery was around $40,000! Well, since I had not become a millionaire overnight, I had to make the decision to go ahead and postpone my surgery. There was so much preparation I had to do for that date for my surgery. Covid test day before-had to go to hospital for EKG, chest x-ray and bloodwork-got my hair done-got my house good and clean-paid bills that were due-posted my blog-stopped taking my arthritis medication a week before (ouch)-got medication that I had to take night before-even more important, I had got my mind ready to go under anesthesia and get it over with!

Me and my walker went to the back and I burst into tears. Have you ever gotten ready for some plans and then all of a sudden, someone bursts your bubble of positivity? I was not angry because what good would that do anyway, but just felt like my world was not what I had envisioned for the next month of recovery and rehab. My son and granddaughter, had made arrangements with their work to be off to help me. I had made arrangements with my work too. My plan all along has been to retire at the end of the year. After surgery, I had to be off for a month and then I was coming back to work for three weeks and then retire. Work had already hired two new receptionists. Everything was in place.

If you read my last blog, you saw that the original date to go into surgery, had been the twelfth anniversary of when my husband passed away when he went into heart surgery. No “voodoo” about it, but it was making my kids and me, a bit nervous. My sweet dad said ‘that meant my husband would be looking after me.’ The doctors nurse, who sets up the surgery appointments, called me back within fifteen minutes and set surgery up for November 16^th. A new goal! A new vision of my near future!

When I went to the back crying, the girls back there were trying to help me because I do not act like that at work normally. Did I need a drink, what was going on? One lady, pulled up a chair in front of me, and started reminding me of things. Things that I had told her through the sixteen years of me working there. Reminding me of my belief, that everything happens for a reason. God is still by my side. This too shall pass. Just take a deep breath and just breath.

 I believe that God did not think it was the right time for my surgery. Maybe, I would have passed away during surgery and my kids would always have the reality that both their parents had passed away on the same day. Maybe, I would have gotten an infection on that particular day. So many maybes. But you know what? I don’t have to know. I just have to keep my faith in God and the hope of an eternal home one day.

There are so many examples in the bible, that show us that God has control of the timing in peoples lives. I will list just a couple here.

The book of Ruth. We are studying this book in our Wednesday bible class. The story of Ruth and Naomi is priceless. Ruth had been married to one of Naomi’s sons, who ended up dying. Naomi’s husband died also. In those days, women did not go to a paying job like we do today or have life insurance from their husband. They depended on their husbands to provide for them. They were experiencing a famine, so they both went to the land of Judah. There was food there and that was where Naomi was from. Long story short, Ruth ‘happens’ to glean in a field of the man she was to end up marrying, Boaz. All of the things that happen before this led to a particular ending. In fact, at the very end of the book, it shows a genealogy. Ruth 4:21 reads “…Boaz begot Obed, Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David.” Who was a descendant of David? Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Read the book of Esther. This book tells us of a young woman who had parents who were deceased and ended up in the care of her uncle. She “ends up” being chosen to become one of the wives of the king. She did not reveal that she was a Jew. King Ahasuerus had made a declaration that all of the Jews were to be annihilated-young and old-women and children. Esther’s uncle tells his niece of the plan of the king. She decides to go before the king, which at that time in history, could mean her being killed without a formal request from the king. In Esther 4:13-14 reads, “and Mordecai told them to answer Esther; ‘Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” 

Both of these women, were important in God’s plan. Read both of these books. All of the things that happened before in their lives, were not without pain, without heartache. Esther ended up saving the Jews at that time, because she ended up in the kings’ favor! Ruth ended up becoming one of the reasons that her lineage led to Jesus being born!

There are so many other examples. Read about Joseph, in Genesis. He had been thrown in a pit and sold by his brothers because they were jealous of him. He ended up a slave, in prison, forgotten and then became a successful man because of his values and willingness to be patient. He says “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God?” and “God meant it for good in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” Even though Joseph had gone through so many bad happenings,he realized that God had been with him the entire time to lead up to him fulfilling God’s will. What about Jesus? Jesus went through so much pain and humiliation. Everything that had happened to Him happened at the right timing. The right timing of who was in power at the time of Jesus crucifixion. In history, when He was going to be crucified, the way they did the punishment for crimes was to be hung on a cross. Ended up that hanging on a tree, had been prophesied years before. Have you ever read Ecclesiastes 3? “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven…”  

Do we have the power over our choices? Yes, absolutely! I am not saying that we do not. I am just saying that the events throughout history, have happened to lead up to God’s will for our good. Jeremiah 29:11 says “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

God has a purpose for you and for me. We can choose to obey God and live our lives in His service or choose to take the dark pathway instead of reaching for His light.

Things of previous history, may have been postponed for another time, but maybe God had a reason for that. Was my surgery postponed because of what may have happened? Or maybe because I was meant to touch someone’s life in these next few weeks. Or maybe I needed to learn to have more patience.  I have found out in my life when rough times come my way, I end of learning from it.

So, whatever the reason, even if there is a reason, why my surgery was postponed, I need to remember that God only wants the good for me and my life. He is on the throne. God is God. My plans may not have happened like I wanted, but I must trust in Him. He has given His only Son to die for you and me. He loves us and wants the best for us in His time.

When your plans are changed and not going the way you want them to go, we need to remember, maybe God has plans that we cannot see, for something in our future. Maybe we need to go through this trial and postponements, to help guide our future.

Wow, I never thought about the word postponed before. But I don’t think I like that word anymore!

Till next time!

                                                     Keela

(As of today, my surgery is a go, on November 16^th. On my way home the other day from work, I was thinking ‘Oh, no, what if my surgeon gets sick or the hospital burns down!’ Ha! Isn’t it funny the things we can get our minds thinking about and worried about? No matter what, I know God has me in the palm of His hand.)

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