Sit Down, Take Your Shoes Off, Sit a Spell... - Penny Owens
What I wish is that we could sit down, face to face, maybe with a cup of coffee or a glass of iced tea and just talk. I would love to hear your thoughts, maybe share a few stories, ask a few questions, and just learn from each other. The written article format is so one sided. It lends no possibility of interaction. I love a good read, I just love conversation with a live, in front of me person much better. So, as you are reading this “article” pretend you have your iced tea or coffee and we are sitting on the front porch swing on a beautiful breezy summer day just chatting. Also remember that the chances of me being older...much older than you exist. Therefore, I may just sound a little motherly. I will not say anything new or dynamic, just a few things that are so necessary to lead a contended and successful Christian life. Here we go.
It will come to pass. Years ago, some sweet friends and mentors kept reminding us of this Bible principle…it will come to pass. We were young, so young, and my husband was facing a six-month Navy cruise away from me and our new baby girl. I was devastated and afraid. I could not imagine six months without seeing my husband. Back then there were no video calls, no forms of instant communication. We would write to each other almost daily, but the letters took so long to come and go. He had to stand in a line for hours at the base just to be able to call home, and that only happened rarely. Yet all that loneliness and separation, finally did “come to pass”. He came home!
As I have grown older, when circumstances seem too hard to survive or there seems to be no answer to a problem, God has taught me to take a deep, long breath and wait on Him. Whatever it is we are facing, whatever it is that we are going through…it will come to pass. When we trust the Lord in every situation, He makes whatever we are going through bearable, not always comfortable, but bearable. We can become a testimony of God’s grace and strength in adversity. Ezekiel 33:33 And when this cometh to pass, (lo, it will come,) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them.
God is always good. God is good all the time. God is good when we face serious personal illness, loss of a spouse, watching our child be seriously ill, loosing a child in death, loss of any loved one in death, financial ruin, prodigal children, disappointments in life, loss of friendship, strained relationships, divorce, whatever sadness or hardship we face, no matter what, God is good and He knows what is best. I almost tremble at the thought of this because I have some great burdens I want resolved. But, the most important thing is not the fulfilling of my need, or resolution of my trial. The most important thing is that I face it in such a way that He knows I trust Him and I bring God the glory through it. We may not see the good in our story until eternity, but we must know and believe that no matter what, God is good!
Cut people a lot of slack. Why? Because they need it just like we do. God says in Psalms 86:15, But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth. People are our most important business because they are the most important thing to God’s heart. I have been humbled many times by the knowledge that the pain I feel because of other’s actions towards me is the same feeling of pain I give to God when I hurt or disappoint Him. When we genuinely love people, we will work hard to show the same compassion, grace, mercy, and longsuffering that Jesus showed toward us. Be kind Wow! Have you ever seen an age where people are so thoughtless, selfish, uncaring, rude, and down right mean to others? Sadly, we Christians have not exempted ourselves from these faults. We criticize, demean, post critical memes, and name call, all in the veneer of being “on the right side”. It is heartbreaking. It is sinful. Ephesians 4:29-32 29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. 30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. The Proverbs 31 woman practiced “the law of kindness” (Proverbs 31:26), we should, too.
God’s Word is profitable. It is our convictor. It is our hope. It is our strength. It is life. It is breath. It is comfort. It is peace. It is healing. It is full of promise. There. Is. Nothing. Like. The. Word. Of. God! Read it! Believe it! Share it! 2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: These things are so basic. No flashy revelations, no new truths, just good ol’ God sense. Let us practice it. Thanks for reading…come on back any time. I really would love to chat more about the Lord with you.