Look Back and See How Far You’ve Come

I know we're told to NOT keep looking in the rearview mirror at the past, but this time it’s okay -- looking back at how far we've come. We’ve acquired abilities we never thought possible. We dreamed of driving a car and the day came when we passed the test and now we’ve been driving for years. We dreamed of one day getting married and having children. That day came and now we’ve raised or are raising our children and, quite frankly, doing a pretty good job at it. We dreamed of the day when we’d have a job that paid us well for our hard work. We put that dreaming to work as we earned a college degree or learned a skill or gained on-the-job, hands-on training and experience that opened up even more doors for us.

Think way back to where you started. Maybe it was that newspaper route that taught you the discipline of getting up early and the responsibility to be on time and throw it in the right place on the driveway. Maybe it was that waitress job that taught you patience, diligence and kindness. Maybe those school sports gave you the start you needed to be the team player with sportsmanship and comradery that you have with your fellow employees today.

We can all look back and see how far we’ve come. Who we are is a result of all we have learned, put into practice, and we became quite astute at it because we believed in hard work. I heard it said that “Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, and sacrifice”. We applied those principles and look how far we'ved come.

Think about Jesus Christ – the skills, the abilities, and the leadership qualities he had when he showed up on the scene at age 30. He must have acquired His skills from the training in His family's business and heading it up after His dad passed away. Think about His childhood, youth, and manhood, when He studied the Scriptures. As a little child He was daily at His mother’s knee taught from the scrolls of the prophets. And since He gained knowledge as we may gain it, His power, both mental and spiritual, is a testimony to the value of the Bible as a means of education Here is what was said of Him: “And He grew in wisdom, stature and favor with God and Man.” Luke 2:52.

If we keep working at that creative idea – we’ll land right where God planned for us to be. Like our Lord Jesus Christ -- diligently pursuing who God destined us to be, we'll hear those words, too: “And he/she grew in wisdom, stature and favor with God and man.” Now, whenever you find yourself doubting how far you can go, just remember how far you've already come.

#TBT – Grateful for Praying Matriarchs

I don’t see as many Throwback Thursday photos as I once did, so I’m reviving it today. Just a few days before celebrating Mother’s Day, I wanted to pay tribute to my praying matriarchs: on the left, my mother-in-law, Lydia Wuerch (still with us and doing so well at 96) and on the right, my angel Mom, Edna Wheat. These two women were my mentors and the greatest influences I could have ever had as Godly women and mothers. Best friends, they were also visionaries. They KNEW that their two kids were meant for each other.

Last week, after I asked a radiology technician if he had a family, he shared: “Oh yes. I’m married with three children. Our marriage was arranged.” I quickly injected “Mine, too! I’ll tell you about mine after you tell me about yours!” He went on. “My parents wanted me to marry this girl I had never met. I told them that I didn’t want an arranged marriage. But, I honored them and flew to her country to meet her. We met. Our love was immediate. We married the next day. She is the love of my life. My parents prayed about it and I prayed about it and I know God gave her to me.”

My "praying" grandmother introduced me to my future husband at age 12. She was the go-between saying “Ronnie Wuerch likes you” and back to him, “Donna Sue likes you”. Between her, my mother, my husband’s mother AND God, our marriage was arranged. I owe so much of who I am to those three powerful, praying women of God. They literally prayed us together -- and those prayers kept us together. We watched their example as they went through tough times, and came through them because of their unwavering faith. They impressed upon us that tough times don't last, but tough people who believe in commitment, keeping their promises and vows -- that they'll be honored for keeping them. How I thank them for their unwavering support and relentless prayers for us. They not only talked the talk -- they walked the walk in their own lives.

I honor these precious matriarchs and all they've stood for, lived for and set the example for us to follow. By their example, I've learned that praying for our children, sharing our years of wisdom-learned with them is part of God’s plan in “Training them up in the ways they should go and when they’re old, they’ll not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6).

On this #TBT, I must honor the greatest Mother of all -- our Lord’s most blessed-among-women Mother Mary. Just think about the great responsibility she had for raising the Son of God. Her greatest example was “She pondered. She treasured these things in her heart.” I know we mamas do a lot of that, and it wouldn’t hurt at all to amp up the pondering and treasuring instead of speaking our mind so much. I’m quite sure Mary had the same instincts of motherhood that we have – doting, imagining her Son's future, wanting Him to flourish. Luke 2:52 says “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” I imagine that if Jesus were here with us in the flesh today, He would probably talk about His Mama and what she meant to Him. He might say something like this: “It was my Mom’s wisdom, influence, support, and love that molded me into the Man of God I was destined to be! She encouraged me and instilled in me there wasn’t anything I couldn’t accomplish and do. Her unconditional love inspired me to love unconditionally. She always believed in me. She always prayed for me.”

And those are the words I say about my grandmother and my two moms. And those are the desires I have for being that mother and grandmother to my beloveds.

(FYI -- the family photo is from Mother's Day, 1968, and is left to right: My grandmother (the arranger), my mom, my husband's grandparents, my mother and father-in-law, me, Ron and Ryan)

You've Come a Long Way, Baby!

Have you thought about how far you’ve come in life? You’ve acquired abilities you never thought possible. You dreamed of driving a car and the day came when you earned your driver’s license and now you’ve been driving for years. You dreamed of one day getting married and having children. That day came and now you’re raising your children and, quite frankly, you’re doing a great job at it. You dreamed of the day when you’d have a job that paid you well for your hard work. You put that dreaming to work as you earned a college degree or you learned a skill or you gained on-the-job, hands-on experience that opened up even more doors for your next position.

Think back to where you started. Maybe it was that newspaper route that taught you the discipline of getting up early and the responsibility to be on time and throw it just in the right place on the driveway. Maybe it was that waitress job that taught you patience and diligence? Maybe those school sports gave you the start you needed to be the team player with sportsmanship and comradery that you have with your friends and fellow employees today.

Thomas Edison said "I never did anything worth doing by accident, nor did any of my inventions come by accident, they came by work." He was known for an unfailing work ethic. He never shirked from mundane tasks because he always found there was something he could learn even while working in a telegraph office.

Think about Jesus Christ – the skills, the abilities, and the leadership qualities He had when He showed up on the scene at age 30. He must have acquired so many of His characteristics from the training He received from his dad and mom while working in the family carpentry business and from the tough times when his dad, Joseph, passed away and He had to step up and help earn income for He and His mother. Also, think about His childhood, youth, and manhood, when He studied the Scriptures. As a little child He was daily at His mother’s knee taught from the scrolls of the prophets. Here is what was said of Him: “And He grew in wisdom, stature and favor with God and Man.” Luke 2:52.

Like Edison, if we keep working at that "thing", that invention, that creative idea or project – we’ll land right where God planned for us. Like our Lord Jesus Christ, if we keep diligently pursuing God and becoming who He destined us to be, we'll also hear those words “And he/she grew in wisdom, stature and favor with God and man.” I don't know about you, but I see my life's timeline and I see God's Master Plan that landed me right where I am here today. He's been with me all the way. I can assure you “I’ve come a long way, Baby!" How about you? We're still here so we're not done with choosing to continue to grow, learn and finish strong!”

Mary, Did You Know?

Day 345 of Photo Inspirations -- Mary, Did You Know?
This photo inspiration and this song bring Mary right to where we are.  It helps us to know she was one of us.  She was a woman with real emotions, real challenges, and real love for her baby boy.    In 1984 Mark Lowery wrote the lyrics to, “Mary Did You Know?” in response to his Pastor’s request to write the script for their church's Christmas production.  Not until twelve years later, did Buddy Greene put the script to music.  When Mark was asked to write the script, little did he realize what that little "seed" would bring about in an abundant harvest.    That script was one of those Jeremiah 29:11 moments “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  Mark had no idea of the anointing of the Holy Spirit that was on him for that significant moment in time.

"Mary, Did You Know?"  is one of my all-time favorite Christmas songs for so many reasons.  It momentarily shows Mary more than the lovely woman in blue and white clothing, radiant face, and a halo affixed perfectly above her head.  She really was one of us.  Like us, she held her baby, she cared for him, she thought about his future -- just like we do.

And, what do you think?  DID MARY KNOW -- that He was her Creator, that He would walk on water, that He would heal the blind man, that He would raise the dead?  Did she know that when she kissed her little baby boy that she was kissing the face of God?

We'll ask her that question one day, but one thing's for sure, she was the vessel God chose to bear His Son, and I believe she was chosen because He knew she would be the role model, the caregiver, the teacher/trainer, the spiritual director, and the guardian that caused her son to “grow in wisdom and stature with God and man" (Luke 2:52).    I believe she recognized that her boy's talents and abilities would "take Him places" and that He would do great and mighty things, because she was "tight with God"  and she held His promises close to her heart.

The question for us is "Do we believe as Mary did?" What God's Word says about Jesus is true.  And her example for being that role model, caregiver, teacher/trainer, spiritual director and guardian, is one we should follow in raising our children and grandchildren to "grow in wisdom and stature and favor with God and man".

I love this beautiful song, and this amazing rendition by Pentonix.  I share it as a gift for you to realize that Mary's faith and reality is our faith and reality, too. "This little child that Mary delivered, delivered her and us!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifCWN5pJGIE