Tuesday, June 1, 2010

To Whom It May Concern

My daily Bible reading has taken me well into The Epistles, letters from faithful evangelists and servants of God to other followers of Christ, including followers in the 21st century.  That's the part that grips me.  Have you ever felt as though you were in on the ground floor of something really big?  Have you ever thought to yourself, "You know, this could really be something?"  Do you think these authors ever got that "Whoa!" kind of feeling?  These authors, after all, wound up in the Bible!  Hand selected by God to be the voice -- His Voice -- to the masses.  I'm sure they were awestruck, but not by their own actions.

These were letters, simple words of encouragement, admonition in some cases, to fellow believers.  They were written from prison, during times of persecution, with the passion one has for faithful loved ones or those with whom we have experienced great disappointment.  Did these authors, for a minute, think to themselves, "Gee, when folks read this, and I really make it big..." or, "I wonder whether I'll be before or after that wordy Paul when they put these all together?"  No, these men had a heart for God, a love for Jesus Christ and their fellow men; God spoke through them, and down it went, onto the page, and into history; here we are centuries later, drawn to Christ, inspired, convicted and comforted by the words of a few simple "letter writers."

Are my words to others so sweet, so divinely inspired that I want them preserved for all humanity?  When I speak to others about My Lord, am I saying what I want to say, or what I am led to say?  When I back away from my desk to survey my work, is it pride or faith that guides my hand to the "Publish" icon?  When, day after day, my mailbox is void of complimentary letters from the Sulzbergers (NYT) or Harlan Cobens or Francine Rivers, am I mindful of God's plan and purpose or my own self-serving agenda?

God has moved mountains with mustard seeds, felled giants with stones; God has used simple letters to reach through time and space to bring others to His throne.  God can use each of us, daily -- driving to our jobs, washing our children's socks, filling our shopping carts, mowing our lawns, phoning our mothers -- to sow a legacy of Christlike behavior that will serve generations to come if, in all things, we are obedient and surrendered to Him.  When was the last time you really believed saying 'hello' was the start of something big?

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Remember

My mom was the youngest of seven children.  Her stories of life as a little girl are like fairy tales to me.  I dream of being surrounded by so much family and so little technology, able to run freely with little thought of predators, drug addiction or MRSA.  Who hasn't, at least at one time, longed for "the simple life."  However, when my mother speaks of her youth, she can never just "gloss over" my uncles' service in World War II -- a difficult and nervous time for anyone who endured it.  All but one of her brothers served, and thankfully, each one returned.

I never had the opportunity to really ask any of them about their experiences; my last remaining uncle in fact, has never and my mother says, would never speak of it.  Their stories are told through the few pictures my mother has, and some of the trinkets they brought back for her.  I can't help but get goose bumps when I go through those things; I handle them as if they were the Dead Sea Scrolls or the Declaration of Independence.  They are so much of who I am as a daughter and woman -- that spirit of courage, loyalty and love.  They seem to have a life of their own, and as I hold them I can almost feel my roots reaching deeper into the soil of this country.  My uncles made a difference.  My uncles' service, and the service of all those other uncles, grandfathers, neighbors and friends gave something to us all.

This Memorial Day be sure to thank a vet.

"All gave some; some gave all."