Proverbs 31

 This may not be a surprise to anyone else, but I've been thinking about Proverbs 31 lately, and what the real meaning is.  And you know, it finally dawned on me what I think the true meaning is.  

But first, if you go back to the very start of the chapter, you will see that the words come not from a man, but in fact, from a woman, and a mother.  There is speculation that King Lemuel is, in fact, King Solomon, which would make the wise mother Bathsheba, just to put it all into context. 

Anyway, she is teaching her son how to be a good husband, and a good leader.  I have never realized that before.  It is funny how you read/perceive things the way you expect them to be.  But when you read with open eyes, sometimes the obvious isn't as obvious as you thought.

Indiscretions...

Disclaimer:  This has nothing to do with my current church setting, so don't get the wrong idea!  It is something I have pondered for a very long time, and I'm just sharing thoughts about my own journey to truth in love.

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One of the most disappointing things that can happen in a faith setting is when someone who should be absolutely trustworthy turns out not to be.  That is magnified when the truth is something few people know, and can't be shared outside of that small group, while the offender appears not to be held accountable for anything they say or do.  It feels like the person who broke the trust gets off scot free, while those who know of the indiscretion suffer.  How do you let go of that anger and that pain, caused by someone who appears unrepentant?  That question has been on my mind the last few hours.  It is a relevant question, because those people are all around us, whether we know it or not.

Your gonna be okay...

The end of all our breath 

Is the beginning of new life 

Your gonna be all right.

Lauren Daigle and Ellie Holcomb

I am not normally a Lauren Daigle fan, although her voice is absolutely amazing.  But there is something about this song of hers that catches me every time I hear it.  She speaks to the deepest longing inside the soul to know, for sure, that we will be all right, not just in this life, but in the next one.  

Faith falters sometimes, and it is difficult not to question or wonder why we have to feel the pain of life.  Job losses, illness, grief, or something on a greater scale, such as Hurricane Helene's destruction, whatever you are experiencing, it is normal to wonder about the why.  It is one of those human experiences that everyone can relate to, because we all question ourselves, our lives, our difficulties.

In this song, Lauren has captured the final answer.  As we read in John 14:3:

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.

It is normal to cling to the life we know.  But if Jesus has gone ahead to prepare a place, and will meet us at heaven's door, there is no reason to fear.  On the contrary, it is the beginning of an unknown that can only be better than this flawed and damaged world.

My life sure has its share of struggles and fears, as everyone's does.  It is good to be reminded that this is not the end.  A better tomorrow awaits, whether we are here or there.

Amazing Grace

 I recently had the opportunity to watch, up close, a supurb salesman at work in a donation generating setting. He approached people with open and friendly body language, engaged them by looking them in the eyes, held them captive with his message, and before they knew it they were enveloped in his mission, doing the opposite of what they intended when they first laid eyes on him.  But not only that, and this is the real kicker for me, they were happy about doing it. It is a true gift to be able to make people feel good about themselves for doing something they had no intention of doing three minutes earlier.  It definitely is not a skill I have been blessed with, and frankly, I don't think I would want it.  That kind of power over other people is frightening, and I don't think it would be good for me.

Candy Corn....

 

No matter how prepared you think you are, some things in life are always too soon. Such is the case when you lose someone you love. I have always said that grief is the cost of love, but it is worth the price. But make no mistake - the price is a high one, and you shouldn't kid yourself otherwise, even when you are aging and losing people who have lived long and well.

Choose The Joy...

Life is constantly changing. People tell you that when you are young until you don’t listen any more, because you don’t see it while its happening. But then, out of nowhere, you are 60 and wondering what happened. I am there. I feel 35, but my grandchildren are older than my children were when I was that age. That old saying, the spirit is willing but the body is weak? Welcome to my world. I am now the one who can’t make it to midnight on any night, so forget about New Year's Eve. And I’m okay with that.

The biggest change, though, is when you are suddenly caring for your mom, the person who cared for you for all the years you needed her. The reversal of roles, caring for your caretaker, is a tricky one. If you are lucky (I am) your caretaker accepts the change graciously and willingly. And the whole thing is fun, if not necessarily easy on either side.