I’ve always enjoyed make-over shows. Whether it be a kitchen or a person – I love before and after photos. In my business I could walk into a home & immediately know how to improve it. I would always caution the homeowner to use the grocery-store approach – keep the ideas you want and don’t buy the others. I also knew that my home tended to be eclectic and not so put together. That’s alright because I was not selling my home. Today we heard from a mature couple who have been married for over 50 years and have been serving and training missionaries for even longer. They shared their story and each season looked a bit different – like a make-over. That is how God works – there is no real before and after but a series of changes over time. There is a before belief and after belief but you know what I mean. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Watch over your heart with all diligence. For from it flow the springs of life”. Luke 6:45, “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart”. We are always changing. One week we focus on health and walk and eat better. The next week it is pizza and potato-chips and we’re too busy to exercise. We are still the same people and loved by God. We are on a journey to Heaven. If you do not believe in the afterlife I assure you that nature is part of a bigger reality. I was reminded by Keith, today, that this little window I have on earth is a training for my 1,000th birthday. We can’t get too worked up about today. I know that sometimes I am just surviving and I am too religious but I am always in a place of hope and open to God’s plan. You may recognize these words…
“I love you Lord and I lift my voice, To worship You, oh my soul rejoice, Take joy my King in what you hear, May it be a sweet, sweet sound in your ear”. If you can put a tune to this, the song came out of Keith and Marion’s early leadership in Germany having settled there after New Zealand. If I don’t have the story quite right I apologize as the internet attributes this to a California writer. I think of some leaders as pioneers but the apostles were pioneers and every generation has pioneers. Thomas Edison, Steve Jobs, Billy Graham, me, you, all have time to do some things and also get where God wants us. Psalm 105:4, “Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face continually”. Did I apologize for being too religious? I sincerely mean that but I am not sorry if something here makes sense to you deep down in your heart. In summary, Listen to God. He takes us as we are and says walk with Me.
