Category Archives: Life Lessons

Life Lessons

Tracking.

Leave a comment

     Tracking ? We are now being expected to keep a track of everywhere we’ve been, the date and the time, what shop we’ve been into and how much we spent there, and on what! What next? We shouldn’t be surprised as these things have been predicted in the Bible for a couple of thousand years, but we could never see before how it would be possible. This is the stuff  that science fiction wrote about, and we all knew that is what it was…fiction. But is it? Not any more.

   Now there is the technology out there that is not only possible, but which we are being advised to put on our phones. See how easy it is, we are told. Merely having to swipe our phone under the scanner as we enter a shop, and all our transactions will be recorded. Short of our thoughts and intentions.

   But wait, as the advertisements say, there’s more! Soon, this will not merely be an advised action, but a compulsory one, one that will prevent us from buying or selling anything  without it going through our data base! Is that a scary thought, or just a sensible and easy course of action like using a credit card is today?

    Listen to this and see what it sounds like….  “woe, woe, O great city, for in a single hour your doom has come ! The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn for her because no-one buys their cargo any longer …..in a single hour such great wealth has been destroyed! All who make their living from the sea ….were shouting with weeping and mourning, woe, woe, O great city in which all who had ships in the sea got rich from her wealth, because in a single hour she has been destroyed!”  (this is found in the Bible in Revelation 18:10-20). We can see this happening under our very eyes with markets around the world closing down, and people losing their incomes.

   Never in living memory has a disease travelled so quickly or so far as the covid-19 has! Or with such far reaching effects which we have not yet seen the end of, only the beginning! Businesses have been closed down, factories are shutting as there are no more markets for their goods, refineries are closing down because there is no more call for their fuel with air lines stopping and  the world wide shut down. People are becoming unemployed more and more as these things happen.

    We may get on top of the covid-19 virus, but we haven’t seen the end of its effects  yet, and who knows whether it will not come back in an even more virulent form? Let’s take heed to the invitation that is given by Jesus Christ Himself….Come to Me, all you who are heavy laden (or afraid) and I will give you rest (peace of mind) Matthew 11:28.

Life Lessons

Opinions versus Facts.

Leave a comment

     We all have opinions about things….very strong opinions in some cases. But we have to make sure that our opinions are based on facts, and not just on our feelings! I’ve noticed that some journalists reporting on the radio, keep passing their opinions on certain news items….we aren’t interested in what they think or feel, we want to know the news! Facts, not opinions!

      Opinions can very easily become convictions, and if they aren’t based on the truth, and  are wrong, then all our talk is worth nothing.  People aren’t prepared to die for an opinion, but they WILL die for a conviction….we see this continually today in the people who become suicide bombers to promote their beliefs.

    So it is with all the talk about the current corona virus. There is so much being published and said about it, that one hardly knows what is fact and what is merely another’s  opinion. Such a thing of this magnitude has not been within living memory, nor has the speed with which it has travelled been seen before. We really have no idea whether it is under control yet or not. As we progress into level three of the control effort, we all want the time to go quickly as we are not used to restrictions such as have been in place for the last month. What seemed painless to begin with has quickly palled….doing puzzles and having unlimited time for reading has turned to boredom when the books have got filled and  finished.  

    But let’s remember the blessings that have come with it, and concentrate on the positive side of it all, turning this time into a time of learning new skills and practicing patience. We need to look at the wider picture than at just our own annoyances, and ask ourselves if maybe God isn’t wanting to teach us to look upwards to Him for the answers instead of merely listening to other’s opinions and what is passed off on the news as facts!

Life Lessons

Lock Down!

Leave a comment

              

   At first it didn’t seem real! Lock down? Impossible! But as the days wore on, it became apparent that perhaps it was the only way to halt the spread of the deadly virus that was sweeping the world. Looking back, we wonder if it would have worked more efficiently if it had come into force a few weeks earlier! But it is, what it is, and now we have been shut down completely, and at what a cost to the whole country remains to be seen. We’ve heard it said that life as we have known it, will never return. Time alone will tell that story.

   There are some pluses. For instance, we see whole families out walking together up and down our road. Then again, we see neighbours who we’ve never met before as they go past our garden fence. Life on the whole has slowed down. There are no dead lines to meet; no meetings to attend; nothing that simply HAS to be done! There is time to get the garden back into order, and time to catch up on all those jobs that get pushed into the background waiting until “there is time”.

   The disadvantages are mostly in our minds. The children cry that they are “bored”! What is that, but simply a matter of attitude? We had a snippet come through the email box the other day that reminded us that the virus can’t take away our enjoyment of a brilliant sunrise;  it can’t take away a smile; it can’t stop an encouraging word, nor can it stop a phone call or email!  

    If we know the Lord, we realise that this thing is all part of God’s wider plan….the only trouble is that we can’t see the big picture yet! So let’s take heart and look upward, waiting for Him to work everything out, knowing that it will be for the best, even if we don’t particularly like the outcome.

Life Lessons

What Next?

Leave a comment

What Next?

Well, our preacher this morning said that we are living in unprecedented times……that simply means that we are living in a time such as has never been seen before! In case you are wondering, no, we weren’t at church, we were listening to him live streaming on the computer while we sat at home on our own!

   Perhaps there have been other times when there were world wide plagues, but it has never been so easy to keep track of how and where it has spread to,  as it is these days with all the TV coverage. I noticed yesterday on one of the maps they put up, that Africa hasn’t got as much of it as Europe and the Asian continent have. In the large cities, it would be very difficult to keep one’s distance, and for anyone who has travelled to the large cities and been on the underground trains where they literally shove you in with their foot or arm so they can shut the doors, it is impossible!!! So it is easy to see how the virus can spread so fast. I also seem to remember hearing that the virus doesn’t like the heat so perhaps that is another reason why Africa is relatively clear.

   Anyway, all our plans have been put on hold in this time of isolation as I guess all of yours have been. But at least we can still communicate by phone and emails…I think we’ve never had so many calls for a long time as we have since this isolation time began….people must be looking for something to do, so they ring up and have a talk!  Perhaps it just shows us that we have been too busy rushing here and rushing there to do that in the past!!

    I was thinking that as we have no control over the circumstances that overtake us at times such as this isolation time we are having now, but we certainly DO have control over how we are going to take it! Are we going to pout and complain about our plans put on hold, or are we going to take it cheerfully and look at all the blessings we DO have. Never have we had so much spare time to  put into all those little jobs we have promised to do when there is time! Nor have we had as much time to get the garden fully weeded and in tip top order as we have now. The only trouble is that we can’t show it off to our friends!!

   So let’s count our blessings rather than our problems, and be thankful that we are keeping well enough to get on top of all those jobs that have been put on the back burner for so long.

   Let’s remember to keep a cheerful attitude and that giving praise to our Father in Heaven will ensure that we will keep on top of all the annoyances that come our way! O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our  salvation. Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.   Psalm 95: 1-2

Life Lessons

One Step at a Time!

Leave a comment

    Many years ago we had a good friend who had come to know the Lord from a dark background. The difference in his life was noticeable to all who had known him previously. He now had a perpetual smile on his face, and went around singing all the hymns he knew. It was always a joy to meet him and to hear what he had been discovering as he read his Bible every day. He was growing in his Christian life noticeably from day to day.

     But there were things we learned from him too. His infectious grin was always heartwarming. He was always very careful where he put his Bible down. Never would he put it on the floor beside his feet when he was sitting down. To him, this was an insult to Almighty God. As far as he was concerned there were plenty of other places to put it, rather than on the floor. This was one thing we never forgot.

    One day he came to us very concerned. “I feel so ignorant of the Word”, he said, “How can I remember and learn it better than I do? I was never very good at school,” he went on, “What can I do about it?” “Well, you know what a sieve is like?”, we asked. “Yes,” he said, “And that is just what I feel like, not able to hold anything at all!” “Ah,” we said, “But the point is that the water going through all the time keeps it clean. In the same way, the Water of the Word keeps you clean as you read it, even if you don’t remember much later.” His face broke into a big beaming smile. “Oh, I see it now”, he said, “It’s just a matter of keeping on keeping on!”

   Another time he was still worrying about his lack of knowledge. “What should I do about it?” he asked. “Well, the Lord knows all about it and how you feel so inadequate,” we said, “But the main thing is to be obedient to the little bit you DO know, and then tomorrow or maybe the next day, He will show you the next step that you should do!” “Oh, that’s great!” he said, “I’ll do it that way then!” “It’s just a case of one step at a time…..as we do that one, then we will see the next step to take!”

    We moved away from the district shortly after that and heard of him periodically. But always, he was still going on for his Lord and rejoicing in Him until the day of his death some years later. We still smile as we remember our good friend and the things that he taught us as we interacted with him.

Life Lessons

How to Get Peace!

Leave a comment

If only we could have instant peace in times of trouble! Instead, our stomach muscles tighten, and our blood pressure goes up. We get a panicky feeling and our mind reels as we wonder what to do.

    When the initial shock has worn off, then our mind starts to go around in circles. Peace seems further away than ever. But there is one way to settle one’s mind, and that is to concentrate on the blessings we still have. It could always have been worse, and we are not the only ones to suffer. If we count our blessings and concentrate on  what we have rather than on what we don’t have makes all the difference. To be able to thank God that things are no worse lifts our spirits out of ourselves and we reach a higher plane than just feeling sorry for ourselves!

   One lady in our group said the other day that she is making it a habit to always think of ten blessings that are waiting for her each  new day. The first one she said was to thank God for the blessing of being able to hear. To wake up each morning and be able to hear the birds chirping was one of the first blessings she thought of every morning.

    This really challenged me as I thought of how we had been complaining about the interminable cooing of the doves around our house. We thought it was such a monotonous sound, always the same tones with no variation at all. But what if we couldn’t hear them at all? That WOULD be a matter of concern! So I started to listen with a fresh vision of thankfulness rather than one of complaining.

   There are so many other things that we can be thankful for too….so let’s cultivate the habit of thankfulness, rather than one of complaints!!

Life Lessons

Near Enough!

Leave a comment

    We were working on a project together, and I was thinking it  was time we were finished. “Well, that’s near enough”, I said as I put my gear down. My brother looked at it, and said, “Near enough is not good enough, Gwenyth, you’ll have to spend a bit more time on it!” Those words have stuck with me for over forty years, and whenever I am tempted to think “Near enough”, they come back to haunt me.

   King Solomon was one who chose what was good, but it was not the best. He felt his own inadequacies, and asked for wisdom to govern wisely and well. But he forgot all about his own weaknesses and used human wisdom when it came to himself. He was near enough, but it was not good enough.

    How often we do this ourselves! We can give others good, sound advice, but when we are faced with the same problems in our own life, our advice goes out the window!

   As we face new problems along life’s way, we must make sure that we ask God for fresh wisdom in each challenge. Solomon felt he had to make political alliances with the neighbouring kings by marrying their princesses, but in doing so he was going directly against one of God’s cardinal rules about not marrying into an ungodly line. As a result, he ended up taking not only the girl into his house, but also her heathen idols, and thus fell away from the Lord his God. His “near enough” became his “not good enough”, and he became a bitter disillusioned old man in later life.

    We can be so thankful that our Lord Jesus Christ didn’t think He had gone “near enough” after leaving the Garden of Gethsemane, but instead He went all the way to the cross to pay for our salvation. He was prepared to put aside His will for His Father’s perfect will…. “not My will, but Yours be done”, He said.

    “Near enough” was nowhere near “good enough” to save us from our sins!

Life Lessons

Choices, Choices!

Leave a comment

    “Enter through the narrow gate, because the gate is wide and the way is spacious that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. But the gate is narrow and the way is difficult that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

    As I read these verses from Matthew 7:13-14, it made me realise that every person is confronted with the gates of choices in their life. One gate is wide and the way looks easy with crowds of people going along in a downward direction, while the other gate is small, with a narrow path beyond leading upwards and not many people going that way. But what a difference the end result is! One leads to destruction and the other one leads to life.

    Our Lord tells people to seek to enter the narrow gate leading to life but this gate is too narrow to allow any baggage through. There is no room for the suitcase of possessions or the bag of good works. There is not even space to squeeze through with the backpack of pride, to say nothing of towing in the trolley of sinful ways and habits! All these have to be left on the outside of the narrow gate….there is only room for the under clothing of contrition and a broken spirit with confession of our need. All our good deeds and self righteousness are nothing more than filthy rags in God’s sight!

Once through the gate, the Lord provides clothes of righteousness and a robe of salvation. He gives us new songs to sing, and peace of mind with a light and joyful heart to travel the path. When trials and difficulties come (and they will) He is there to help and to take us by the hand, telling us that His grace is more than enough to see us through. There really is no option as to which choice is the better one of the two….let’s make sure we all find this way that leads to unending life with the Maker of the Universe.