Birthdays and Home Life

Today is Beanne's birthday. I no longer remember how old she would be, only that it is today. Beanne and her husband Dick were family friends. Dick escorted me down the aisle when Jim and I got married. But they live only in my memories now. Beanne was funny; she once gave me a book about growing old and being able to laugh. I found it - "It Takes A Long Time To Become Young" by Garson Kanin. Maybe I should read it again.

Today is also Moriah's birhday. She is 18. Oh to be that young again. What would I do? I don't know. I'm not sure I would want to start over, unless of course I could take all I have learned with me and proceed onward.

I receive the Home Life magazine through church and in thumbing through the October issue this morning settled on the article, "The Relief of Imperfection" by Joan Webb.

It hit home.

Webb says "You are not in charge of the universe; you are in charge of yourself."

Right. I am in charge of only me. You would have thought by now I would know that. Obviously, that is far from so. For many years I have tried to help family and friends. Even before I became a believer. Tried to come up with ideas, plans of action, to improve another's lot. Why oh why would I do that. I can't do anything.

I have even tried to help my husband.

Such futility. God is in charge. Not me. I need to remind myself of this daily if not more frequently.

In Matthew 16:23b Jesus says, "You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, and not from God's."

That is true. We have only a human point of view to see from and that in itself, is pretty darn imperfect. We are created by God - We are not God.

Webb also says, "A truly loving (yet admittedly) difficult action would be to let those we care about experience the consequences of their decisions. Then God can step in at the point of their felt need."

Does this apply also to those who do not know God?

"We cannot always know God's agenda for another's spiritual maturity or how God purposes to show His power," Webb says.

We are to follow the Lord, obey His commands, but not assume we are on a higher plain than He.

I may think this or that may help another, but instead of pursuing along those lines, I should first pray and ask God's direction. Then I should wait (and be still, quiet) until I hear from God. Waiting, whether for yourself or another, is so very hard to do.

God's lead is perfect. We are so very imperfect. He often points that out, and if we're alert to Him, we hear ... and learn.