Hope-Full Living

My old friend can be quite direct. “Pray about this, because it sounds to me like God is trying to teach you something!” It’s not unusual for her to rebuke me. She has insisted, at times, that I changed the subject to avoid a challenge. She has claimed I over-reacted to criticism. She has often clarified facts by pointing out discrepancies in my story. Because through 60 years of friendship, she k...

Solomon prayed these words when the Ark came to the Temple. God forgives our sins and teaches us the good way. Jesus is the Way! We have walked with Jesus for a while now. Many times, we have strayed from him and the way he has prepared for us. More than once, he brought us back to the good way; the way of grace, mercy, peace, and faithfulness. You are a forgiven child of God whose feet are on the...

I enjoy being a “morning person.” I’ll get up when it’s dark, and sometimes I feel a sense of loneliness in the dark. I always appreciate how the sun’s rays disperses the darkness and signals a new day. I feel a sense of joy when the sun rises! Psalm 30:5 echoes this theme, “Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” We may feel alone and sad in the dark as sinners, but God...

Listening is essential to learning. Infants hear and see everything. As a result, they learn quickly. As we age, however, many adults develop selective hearing and excessive lecturing. Not so, God. If we call him for help, he will hear us (Psalm 18:6). One day, a normally cheerful colleague, was sad. “Let’s get coffee and talk,” I said. “My wife,” he began, “was diagnosed with cancer.” Known for f...

In our hurry-up world we often tell ourselves, “I cannot add one more thing to my already busy schedule.” The biblical narrative of Mary and Martha serves to inform our priorities. Martha busied herself being a gracious hostess, while Mary chose instead to sit at the feet of Jesus. Martha’s choice was well-meaning, as she worked graciously to serve a special guest. However, Mary prioritized time s...

Old Testament believers held God’s Law to be his testimony. Yet God provided a picture of the Gospel, long before Jesus, in the Ark of the Covenant. God covered the Ten Commandments (Law) with the Mercy Seat of grace. Today, we believers joyfully know that Jesus came to be our Savior. “And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son” (1 John 5:11). The Good Ne...

Using 21st century calculations, Abraham was older when, loosely translated, God said to him, “Take up your tent and GO! Tell the family of your plans, pack up the tents, organize the workers, the livestock, the camels, don’t dawdle, GO!” Abram’s story of faith, courage, and obedience is for all ages. We may be getting older, but the message for us is to keep on GOing and GOing. When God gives us...

The window washer’s squeegee glides across the window, erasing away dirt, grime, and water spots and leaving behind a crystal-clear view. The psalmist tells us that God removes our sin completely — as far as east is from west. He doesn’t just cover our sins or push them aside temporarily; he removes them entirely by Jesus’ cleansing blood and creates in us a clean heart by his Spirit. Like a power...

Have you ever wondered if you might outlive your usefulness in God’s Kingdom? My friend lamented over her advancing age. Being unable to perform the service jobs she’d enjoyed in the past, she now felt useless. God had been so good to her, she wanted to continue to serve and share his blessings with others. I was able to give her an answer after I happened to stand behind her in the store checkout...

The chairman of our congregation’s building committee sat in our family room and asked the question: “Will you lead the fund-raising effort?” I looked at my husband for his response, but he answered, “He’s not asking me; he’s asking you.” Me? I was shocked, honored, and scared to death. Me — raise over a million dollars for remodeling and expansion? What if I failed? Moses experienced the same rea...

I love the “alls” in this verse. God can make all grace abound, so that we experience all sufficiency in all things at all times. The Psalmist conveys the same idea in different words; “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1). Paul carries the thought further in the above verse from Corinthians. Believing that our needs are fully met, we freely serve others with our time and talent...

Many of us believe that because we are old, we cannot do anything useful. How misguided is this attitude? Old and unable to do some things? Certainly. But useless? NO! One of the strongest weapons we seniors have is PRAYER. We can certainly be strong and energetic prayer warriors. We can pray for family, friends, pastors, and strangers. We can also talk to others about how God’s hand sustains us i...

There are so many ways in our ageless Christian walk to serve the purposes of God. We can guide, listen, admonish, and comfort. There’s so much work that needs to be done in the kingdom. Where to start? The good news — you’re already serving God’s purpose! Psychologists tell us that, at any given time, unknown to us, there are five or more people who are quietly trying to emulate some part of us....

Seeing Richard in church every Sunday, but never in between, brought me to begin inviting him to various church activities. He always sat in the pew right behind me, so I asked him to participate in senior group, midweek Bible class, greeting for worship services, etc., but to no avail. Finally, he agreed to help us with our Friendship Class (for the mentally and developmentally challenged). Befor...

Why give? Why should anyone share assets? Why not keep it all? God does tell us to give. Scripture has many verses that exhort readers to give. Look at Malachi 3:10, Matthew 22:21, or 1 and 2 Corinthians. But here’s a better reason: my giving can make a positive difference in another’s life. My gift, even if it’s a small gift, when added with other gifts, can accomplish great things. My gift can m...

Wonder Woman, Diana Prince, and the late Diana, Princess of Wales, plagiarized my first name, but removed one “n” to protect my identity (Untrue, but funny!). Even though I can’t deflect bullets, and am not of royal standing at Windsor Castle, I cherish what Margie taught me. Margie is an exemplary wife and mother (+ 73 foster children) who has become a mentor to me. Seven decades of time spent in...

“It feels like spring,” she said. “It must be time for Lent again.” “Lent” comes from an old English word for spring. For most people, spring is a time to focus on spring flowers and outdoor activities. For those of us who observe the 40 days of Lent for the renewing of our faith, this is a season for us to focus — not on crocuses, but on the cross of Christ. We celebrate the blessings our Lord se...

As Lent begins, we often think of putting on sackcloth and ashes. Yet, that’s only part of repentance. Ash Wednesday not only points us to our inadequacy without the blood of Christ’s cross, but it also reminds us that his resurrection is near and that we are also baptized into Christ! Easter’s arrival and your Baptism mean that something new is always happening in you. God washes you by Jesus’ bl...

Snow, untrodden, a blanket of white, silent. Stillness. Of the many things I’ve learned about myself as I age, I know that I value solitude. In it I hear God (Psalm 46:10). God first loved us (1 John 4:10), gave us his Son, and sent the Holy Spirit which prompts us to seek him. We can find him anywhere if we listen: our places of worship, our pastors, our brothers and sisters in Christ, our walks...

Once we had a neighbor whose Christmas tree glowed right into April. Although considered crazy then, today, this trend is growing, with red and green shining into spring. Why? Perhaps some feel the holiday passes too quickly. Others find enjoyment using one tree for each holiday. We do that in life too, don’t we? As we age, changes seem to accelerate, and we long for what’s been. Yet wouldn’t you...

Career, marriage, raising a family, illness, and relational struggles. All of us have learned lessons from our life experiences. We’ve prayed, developed patience, and made mistakes. We have seen God work and answer prayer. We’ve also lived with disappointments. Today’s scripture speaks of older women teaching the younger women. We have been given the responsibility and grand privilege of sharing l...

The hindsight that aging provides has several rewards. One of them that I have discovered is the gratitude I feel for all God has done for me. This includes the experiences and gifts that he has given me. I have also appreciated his grace, forgiveness, and patience. The people he has placed in my life have positively influenced me. I still have my health, despite some limits. Another reward is a d...

How can we, as Christians, “Prepare for God’s arrival!” (Isaiah 40:3-5)? John the Baptist was preparing the way for Jesus. You and I can help to prepare the way also. Those of us who have been on this earthly journey for a while and love the Lord have a heavenly responsibility. We can show how to love and build each other up in the faith. Show by actions, equipping others to mentor, encourage, hel...

Most of us of a certain age believe that we are, hopefully, mature. We may think that we are all grown up, but the truth of the matter is that we are not there yet. All of us have some growing up to do as we strive for maturity in Christ. If someone is not behaving in an age-appropriate way, we may say, “Grow up!” As brothers and sisters in Christ we say those words to one another, not in rebuke,...

Jesus wept. (John 11:35) The famous Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, upon hearing of a congregant’s death, drove to her house to “sit shiva,” (observe a time of mourning). When the mourners heard that the famous Rabbi would be there, there was hopeful excitement. Rabbi Heschel arrived, and for an hour, sat in silence. At the end of the hour, he left. Those present said that his presence in that hour...