Good morning church and happy Saturday.
I hope that you had a good week and that you are managing to stay healthy.
This morning, as I sit here in the dark, I am reflecting on a couple of things. Yesterday was Marcus’ official last day of high school. As a parent, that is one of the milestones you have on the calendar. I think we all want our children to successfully complete high school and then see how they begin operating as young adults. It’s one of those times where there is a transition, one chapter of life closes and another begins. It is a time of celebration. Like many students, his graduation ceremony would have been next week. Time will tell if it happens “live” or “virtual” in July. On that, each family is different. Some have made it seem like their life will be ruined or irreparably damaged in some way if they don’t get the whole graduation experience. Others, don’t seem to care either way. With all things, I think we make the best of whatever life throws our way and not get hung up on some preconceived ideal we have in our mind or stole from someone else on social media. Reflect on the accomplishments that have been made and trust that they are prepared to move forward in their educational and/or vocational pursuits.
The other thing I am reflecting on in that tomorrow is Mother’s Day. For those of you that have lost your mother, you know that it can be a day filled with mixed emotions. Of course, you want to reflect back on your mother and the wonderful times that you had. However, it can be a day where you sense the loss once again. It has now been several years since my mother passed away, but I still miss her. It would be great to go visit mom and dad this weekend but that is no longer possible. Maybe, with Marcus finishing high school, is has caused me to reflect back on that time in my life. As most of you know, I was a bit of a trouble maker in high school. I caused my parents a lot of stress and some sorrow during that time. Fortunately, by God’s grace, I got saved later on and was able to redeem that time. Many years after that, God gave me the opportunity to minister to each of them while their health was declining. One of the greatest privileges I have had is to share Christ at each of their funerals. Quite remarkable for a kid that caused enough problems to get kicked out of school one year. That is always a reminder to me of how incredibly gracious our God is. Amen and amen. I will rejoice in that mom and dad both were trusting Christ for their salvation. Nevertheless, I will miss them both tomorrow.
One thing that is interesting about this life is that we are often dealing with several things at once. We can be rejoicing about one thing and be melancholy about another. Never forget that it is God that gave us a wide range of emotions. He created us that way. It is also comforting to know that we have a God that loves us and is with us. He Himself said He would never leave us nor forsake us. It is an encouragement to know that He will be with us always. In good times, bad times, and every time in between, He is our constant.
1There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
(Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, NIV)
You are loved,
Larry
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