Set Your Sights On Things Above
We so quickly get our eyes off God. Let's get back into
perspective.
perspective.
10/19/2013
Pass It OnGod knew that my last post would be something I'd have to live out myself in the week to come. This last week our family went through something stressful that we've never had to go through before. My aunt, my mother's only sister, was diagnosed with an aggressive lung cancer. We got the call telling us about the diagnosis last Friday, the 11th. My husband and I jumped in the car that night, and drove five hours up to Fremont, CA where we slept in the parking lot of the hospital until close to visiting hours. Walking in that room, my aunt was obviously trying to draw breath, but still able to talk to me. We visited for that hour or so I was there alone, both of us knowing it might be the last time. She and I had talked many times before about her belief in Jesus as her savior, and I was confident that she knew Christ, but I asked anyway. I needed to hear it, and she nodded her head so eagerly I know she didn't mind my question. The doctors came, told us that there was slight hope, and we'd have to watch, do procedures over the weekend, and see if she improved. After briefly doing better on Sunday, she declined and by Monday afternoon she was being given comfort care. As a family, we sat by her bedside for four days - most of us nearly nonstop. Some sang, some checked the monitors constantly, some fidgeted with the blankets and were always trying to make sure she was covered, others wanted to drill the doctors with questions, getting as much information as possible. All of us coped in different ways. Finally early Wednesday morning she drew in one final breath. She went home to be with God, finally out of pain, able to breathe freely, and to sing like the angels. We wish she were here - but really, she wishes we were there with her. She loves her life in heaven. So my post now is about passing on a legacy. Passing something along to others to share with others and so on. My aunt grew roses, and I have determined I'm going to try to grow my own bushes from cuttings off her rosebushes. I've got at least twenty started from cuttings I got this last week. At this point I feel like they're my new 'babies'. These are just a few of the new 'babies' in the household now. If they do well, you'll see more pictures of their journey to big time. My dream is to eventually give these out as started rosebushes to her two daughters, her granddaughter, her sister (my mom), and her various nieces and nephews. One thing that was reiterated to me through this time was that we pass on more than just material possessions to our children and grandchildren. We pass on behaviors, attitudes, habits, both good and bad.
We pass on the wisdom we learn from God, we pass on the heritage of loving our family. Do your children know you love God? Do your children know some of the things that God teaches you in your devotions? My aunt might have had faults - who doesn't - but she left some lessons to learn. She gave to a fault - to the point where she was sometimes taken advantage of, but she wasn't bitter - at least in her later years. She spoke her mind - and was still growing in that area. She and I spoke awhile back about adding loving to speaking the truth. She told me God had been teaching her that just because something is true, it doesn't mean it has to be said out loud. She was willing to speak her mind, but also willing to admit she might still need to learn a thing or two. She wasn't too proud to admit that. My aunt had her problems, she had her faults, some might even look at her past and judge her, maybe even harshly. But God saw her heart. He knew she struggled, but He also saw her turning to Him for help. He saw her wanting to do what was right, and He saw her asking Him for forgiveness when she failed. She is the epitome of 'Better is the end of a thing than the beginning." Let her lessons be passed down to the rest of our family. And remember, whatever God gives you, pass it on. God teaches us for a two-fold purpose - to improve US, and to improve OTHERS around us, through us, after us. Pass it on.
10/7/2013
Through the Looking GlassMy daughter was at work today and had an interesting experience. She was parked outside the apartment complex where she was babysitting, getting ready to leave. Her truck had a minor mechanical issue - which to me means call out the national guard because I have no idea how to fix those - but to my daughter it was really no big deal. She could fix it, it would just take a couple seconds. In the meantime, someone else drove up behind her, and pulled halfway to the curb, obviously with the intent of taking her parking space as she was vacating it. Now remember, this was basic public parking along the street's sidewalk - not the parking lot for the building. So the following was in no way caused by my daughter being in the wrong spot - because she wasn't. And it's not like there weren't other spaces around them open, because there were. The guy in the truck behind her was obviously not happy, and was gesturing to her to move, even as she was getting out of her truck to fix her minor little issue. She told the guy, it's having a problem I have to fix. My daughter had to get out, tighten the connection to the battery, and then get back in to the truck to see if it would start. She had to do this four times before it would start. Remember, she's allowed to be in this parking space. It's a public road. There were at least two car spaces ahead of her...at least one car space behind her. At first the guy was alright with her dilemma (how nice of him), but as she kept having to go back and forth his impatience grew. The guy simply thought of her as being in his way. Eventually he decided he may as well just park behind her, and in the meantime flipped her off. I mean really? A young girl in front of an apartment, having mechanical issues, and he flips her off for being in his way? Of course, just as he shuts his truck off after having parked, my daughter's truck started and she drove off. How much time had passed? Maybe two or three minutes? The guy's patience wore out in just two or three minutes - five tops if you allow for my daughter not having a good judgment of time passage. I grant that maybe he'd had a really bad day. It was Monday after all. I grant that he may be going through some things that none of the rest of us can even imagine going through. Who knows? But really? Has society gotten to the point where a lady can be in distress and the guy around her flips her off for being stuck in his way? Maybe the question should be asked of us all.... Where are we in this society? We might not flip someone off when they get in our way, but do we help them? Do we sit by and watch while someone is having a 'minor mechanical error'? Do we inconvenience ourselves to make someone's life easier? Do we go out of our way to help a friend? Do we go out of our way to help an enemy? Life is full of stress, and stress distorts - like a face shoved up against a glass door. Like this picture: You have to work hard to see the real person in that picture. She's there, but could you pick her out of a police line-up just going on this picture? No, I'd say you probably couldn't.
Stress in our lives smashes our face up against glass. It distorts if we let it. Giving in to it makes us do things that we never thought we would have done. I dare say that if that guy had a daughter he'd expect other people to treat her with more kindness than he treated my daughter. I dare say that at some point he'll be embarrassed over his behavior today, maybe even remorseful. Do I really know it's stress that made this guy act like that? No. Maybe he's just a mean person. I don't know. But we can take a lesson from it. We don't have to let our faces smash up against a glass. We don't have to give in to things that distort us. We can take a step back and let God take over. We can live our life in kindness. Be as nice as you know how - in every way you know - to everyone you know. |
AuthorI'm Sherry Chamblee, aspiring author of Christian fiction, mom of six, wife to a cool dude, and caregiver to his granny. Besides that, I am just little old me - it's just a phrase, I'm not really old, honest. Check out my new release!
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December 2019
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