Our “in-between times”
“Once upon a time” “And they all lived happily ever after.” Remember those beginnings and endings in old story books? What about the “in-between times” when down-to-earth living happens?
We’ve all had ho-hum days, but also ones fraught with drama and trauma! Haven’t you?
While God planned the beginning and only He knows the ending, we have had the privilege of doing the living! Mountain top experiences? Special defining moments? Yes plenty, thank you, Lord. But the everyday mundane in-between times? Maybe, just maybe, they are/were the most significant life-forming times.
Newspaper obituaries often tell life stories in glowing terms, listing the deceased’s many accomplishments. Occasionally you read a candid straightforward obituary.
I liked one about 96-year-old Edna. At 15, she married a coal miner and went on to give birth to eight children. One was a special needs son she cared for as you would tend to a baby–for 25 years. She never joined a club. But she raised her gardens, did massive canning, and helped other families with their gardens. At 91 she was inducted into the Sure-Jell Hall of Fame. It was the first time she had ever gotten an award. She died in her sleep. Edna left behind jars and jars of jelly. And the recipe!
When my friend Billy, a pharmacist for 39 years, died after a 13-year battle with cancer, his children wrote his obituary. It started out: “Billy loved vanilla ice cream. He was real and he loved real people. He could spot a phony a mile away. He was disarmingly truthful…He loved God and his church family…We his family do not mourn his passing because we are in full knowledge that Billy is with his beloved Father in heaven.” After other details, the obit ended: “In lieu of flowers, please send fried chicken.” And folks did bring fried chicken.
So, what is the “take-away” of our life? What will others remember? Thankfully, we have the Bible, the greatest book, to help us navigate through all our days.
Prayer: Lord, thank You for all our years on earth and for sustaining us through them. Amen.
Scripture: I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning. Isaiah 46:9b-10a NKJV
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