GOODBYE

by Barbara Chadwick

What a lovely thing it is to go for a visit, bask in the love of family, enjoy the fellowship of old friends, see new things and meet new people.

But there always comes a time to say goodbye. We will leave beautiful Sitka by the sea and return to our Colorado mountain home tomorrow.

Also, I want to say goodbye to our readers. This has been a meaningful journey for me but this will be the last blog for Reflections For Life. Thank you for reading these many weeks.

There are many words of goodbye in scripture. I have chosen three to share with you.

We have this beautiful benediction in the book of Numbers:

The LORD bless you and keep you;

 the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you;

 the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.  Numbers 6:24-26

The apostle Paul ends his letter to the Thessalonians with these words:

Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.

And finally the comforting words of Jesus as He was preparing the disciples for His departure:

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.  John 14:27

GROWTH

by Barbara Chadwick

“Salvation is the miracle of a moment. Growth is the labor of a lifetime.”
(Posted on the marquee at the First Baptist Church, Sitka, Alaska)

Genesis tells this story of Jacob.  (Genesis 27:5-29 and 28:10-22

Jacob stole Esau’s blessing and Esau vowed to kill him so Jacob fled.  On the way he had a dream: There was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven… and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it…The Lord stood above it and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring…Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you…

Then Jacob made a vow saying, “If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God…And of all that You give me I will give a full tenth to You.”

See how selfish and cynical he is?  IF God will be with me – IF God will give me bread to eat – IF God will give me clothing to wear – THEN the LORD shall be my God!

Well, as Kenneth says, he hadn’t had much experience with God yet. But let’s follow him a little.

Jacob goes to his uncle Laban, works seven years for Rachel and Laban gives Leah to him. He works seven more years for Rachel. Fourteen years the man worked for these two wives and in addition six years for his flock. Then we see that, the man increased greatly and had large flocks, female servants and male servants, and camels and donkeys.  (Genesis 30:43)  Then the Lord said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.” (Genesis 31:3)

Jacob leaves, sneaking away in the night from Laban with wives, servants and animals.  Laban catches up and accuses him. They have it out and finally made a covenant,  Then  Laban said to Jacob, “See this heap and the pillar, which I have set between you and me. This heap is a witness, and the pillar is a witness, that I will not pass over this heap to you and you will not pass over this heap and this pillar to me to do harm.” (Genesis 31:51-54)

Well, trouble follows this man. He was going to travel through the country of his brother, Esau. He was afraid. He sent messengers ahead with gifts and this message: “I have sojourned with Laban and stayed until now. I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, male servants, and female servants. I have sent to tell my lord, in order that I may find favor in your sight.” (Genesis 32:3-5)

The night before he was to meet his brother he divided his camp into two camps so that if Esau attacked one camp then the other camp could escape. Then he prayed:

“O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O Lord…I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps…”  (Genesis 32:9-10)

The selfishness and cynicism apparent when he first encounters God, changes to thankfulness and trust through the growth he experiences.

“Growth is the labor of a lifetime!” 

EVIDENCE

by Barbara Chadwick

Tomorrow I will play the piano at a memorial service for a woman who was a member of the church here. Her daughter came from out of state to settle her mother’s affairs.

As this daughter spoke I was reminded of my own mother’s death and after the funeral going through her things choosing some to keep and some to give away. Going through the clothes, the books, the drawers and boxes we found evidence of the faith she kept to the end. It was not just words or church attendance for her. It was a life lived in determination to honor Christ. There was her Bible beside her chair, devotional books on a shelf nearby, the hymnal on the organ, Christian DVD’s and the memories. Growing up I heard the words, “Thank you, Nancy” over and over:

“Thank you for the meal you brought after the funeral.”

“Thank you for the dress you made for my daughter’s first day at school.”

“Thank you for the time you took to listen to my heartache.”

“Thank you for filling in for me at the store last week when I was sick.”

“Thank you for keeping my daughter while I had to work.”

“Thank you for cleaning my house when I was not able to do it.”

“Thank you for the groceries. It kept us going.”

I never thought of living out my Christian life as a race but there are several scriptures that make that comparison:

1Corinthians 9:24, 25-27,  Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it… Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

The writer of Hebrews says in chapter 12:1-2,  Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith

At the end of the Apostle Paul’s life he said,  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. I Timothy 4:7

There is always evidence. We watched a Detective movie tonight and saw that as they found the evidence they were able to piece together what happened. Just so in a life.

In 2014 let us put evidence - in our homes, cars and our very lives – of running with endurance and determination through the days, weeks and months. Let us finish the race and keep the faith.