Learning to live this temporal life through the lens of eternity..."For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known." 1 Corinthians 13:12
A Sweet & Bitter Providence by John Piper is a book I've been working my way through...along with a couple of others...smile...
Too many good books...so little time!
This morning as I was reading, the following paragraphs reduced me to tears.
"At one level, the message of the book of Ruth is that the life of the godly is not a straight line to glory, but they do get there. The life of the godly is not an Interstate through Nebraska but a state road through the Blue Ridge Mountains of Tennessee. There are rock slides and precipices and dark mists and bears and slippery curves and hairpin turns that make you go backward in order to go forward. But all along this hazardous, twisted road that doesn't let you see very far ahead, there are frequent signs that say, 'The best is yet to come.'
Taken as a whole, the story of Ruth is one of those signs. It was written to give us encouragement and hope that all the perplexing turns of our lives are going somewhere good. They do not lead off a cliff. In all the setbacks of our lives as believers, God is plotting for our joy...
Life is not a straight line leading from one blessing to the next and then finally to heaven. Life is a winding and troubled road. Switchback after switchback. And the point of biblical stories like Joseph and Job and Esther and Ruth is to help us feel in our bones (not just know in our heads) that God is for us in all these strange turns. God is not just showing up after the trouble and cleaning it up. He is plotting the course and managing the far-reaching purposes for our good and for the glory of Jesus Christ."
Why the tears, you ask?
In part, because of how God has "plotted" my own life and the life of my family...which lifts my heart and soul to exuberant and unabashed praise, while simultaneously causing my hand to cover my mouth in awe that the One, True, Holy God would condescend to be mindful of me...of us.
In part, because of how God is continuing to "plot" my own life and the life of my family, as well as precious friends' lives, with the "switchbacks" that will serve to expose our hearts, unmask our idols, and reveal our sin, in order that we might enjoy and glorify Him, which is why He created and saved us!
"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal." 2 Corinthians 4: 16-18
"Grandchildren are the crown of the aged..." Proverbs 17:6
This is the only way I'm okay with being called "aged" right now.
God said it...and I'm not gonna argue with God.
If having grandchildren is the determining factor
between "youth" and "aged"...I'm good with that.
I'm also good with a crown not made of gold
filled with pearls, sapphires and diamonds...
But one made of skin, poopie diapers, spit up and drool
filled with a soul.
The chief end of gems is temporal and fleeting.
The chief end of souls is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.
As Bethany and Peter dedicated their son, Hudson,
our grandson and "crown", to the Lord last Sunday...
I felt an intense longing and desire for God to save Hudson,
as well as an urgency to pray for Bethany and Peter as they raise him.
I remembered when Sweet Husband and I stood on a platform
dedicating our sweet baby Bethany to the Lord...
...and for a split-second felt regret nipping at my mind's heels,
for all the pride, selfishness, and worldliness that had crept in,
resulting in heartache and destruction...
the inevitable results of sin...always.
Then as fast as my pity-party began...it was over...
as I looked on the platform and saw Bethany, Peter and Hudson.
Bethany with her head bowed in prayer.
Peter holding Hudson and kissing his sweet head.
Hudson looking up smiling...as if he saw God smiling at him.
The Holy Spirit whispered and reminded me
what I was gazing at were evidences of God's sovereign grace.
This moment and every moment past and to come
are not, never have been and never will be...about me.
They are living testimonies to our Sovereign God
who is fashioning all of his creation after his perfect will.
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined usfor adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making knownto us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth." (Ephesians 1: 3-10)
May Bethany and Peter run this race called parenthood
with their eyes fixed on their Savior, Jesus Christ...believing that "he who began this good work will be faithful to complete it at the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:6)
May Hudson, one day, join with the great multitude and shout,
"Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" (Revelation 7:10)
May Sweet Husband and I not wear our crown as if he was our own.
May we lay our crown at the feet of Jesus...
for he alone is "worthy to receive glory, honor and power." (Revelation 4:11)
Fifty years of marriage is practically unheard of these days.
Marriage has become as "disposable" as other conveniences in our culture...
disposable diapers, disposable cameras, disposable razors,
disposable underwear (it's real...look it up).
It seems that we've become quite adept at
"working hard" to make our lives easier.
Or perhaps we've become accustomed to
hardly working...even in relationships...
especially in marriage.
Thankfully, my precious parents took very seriously
the vows they made to each other before God
on September 24, 1960... almost 50 years ago.
When they said, "...forsaking all others, I promise to be faithful,
in sickness or in health, for richer or poorer, 'til death do us part,"
they meant those words...and they've fought to honor them.
Yes. Fought.
Fought sin...and sometimes fought each other.
Thanks be to God, they have not given up!
One thing I never doubted in my growing up years
was Dad's love for my mother and Mom's love for my father.
It wasn't always pretty...but it was always sure.
Dad has always been my mom's biggest fan.
Mom has always been my dad's biggest fan.
Neither was their own biggest fan...
Perhaps that's why they're one of the few couples today
who are blessed to celebrate 50 years of marriage.
If you asked them how they made it to 50 years
they would probably answer...
"Only by the grace of God."
You see, the vows they promised to each other
were first and foremost a covenant in the eyes of God.
And while there have been days that they
have wanted to throw in the proverbial towel...
they have remained firmly committed to their covenant with God,
trusting him for grace to "bear all things, believe all things,
hope all things and endure all things."
Their example has served me well in my own marriage...
and I am wholeheartedly thankful!
Sweet husband and I, my brother and sister-in-law, and our children
were blessed to be able to celebrate Mom and Dad's 50 years
with a reception this past weekend.
Amazingly we were able to keep it a surprise,
not telling Mom and Dad anything about it until
my brother invited everyone during church that morning
to join us in honoring them.
Of course, we had covert operatives within their church
who had helped us for weeks to spread the word.
It was friendship at its best! (Thanks Jean and Ruby!!)
There really are no adequate words to express
my love for my parents and
my gratitude for their example and love for each other...
other than to say,
"My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior." (Luke 1: 46-47)
For it is directly from the hand of God that all blessings flow...
He receives all the glory and we, by his grace, all the joy!
Enjoy some photos from the reception...
Here's my precious father...
"Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel
of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates both day and night." (Psalm 1: 1-2)
Here is my beautiful mother...
"Strength and dignity are her clothing,
and she laughs at the time to come.
She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
'Many women have done excellently,
but you surpass them all.'
Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain
but a woman who fears the LORD
is to be praised."
(Proverbs 31: 25, 28-30)
Mom and Dad cutting the cake...
...and feeding each other.
I love the delight in my mom's eyes...
still...after 50 years!
(it's in Dad's, too...you just can't see it because of the angle)
Then they shared some punch...
isn't this GREAT!?!
We placed pictures of Mom and Dad on each table.
Here is a photo from their wedding and
my mom's bride's book.
I'm so thankful that it survived their house fire 10 years ago!
From left to right:
DeLeith and Trey Gossett (my brother)
Dad and Mom
Me and Sweet Husband
Dad and Mom and their grandchildren
Left to right:
Chris and Grant (my nephews), Dad,
Tori (my niece), Mom, Drew (our youngest son)
Peter and Bethany (our daughter), Hudson,
Loren and Jake (our son);
so sad Meggie and Josh (our oldest son) are missing!
My brother, Trey, with the "cake of shame".
He's probably saying, "There is nothing wrong with this cake!"
You see...
When he and DeLeith were transporting the real cake to
the reception, the top layer fell off. They returned to
the store to get it fixed or get another one made.
The cake pictured was purchased in the event the bakery
couldn't prepare another "real cake" on such short notice.
Trey and Sweet Husband wanted to put this cake
out on the hors d'oeuvres table. DeLeith and I
told them it would not fit in the scheme of things...
thus, it was dubbed the "cake of shame"... for it remained in the kitchen. Awwww...
Here's the real cake.
The bakery did an excellent job rectifying
a disastrous situation.
We were very, very thankful!
(...and yes, that thankfulness was communicated
to the manager)
There were so many friends...
who stopped by...
(these are the husbands of the covert operatives)
to offer congratulations to Mom...
and Dad...
and to enjoy some good fellowship with each other.
This became the "cousins' corner".
They enjoyed visiting with the crowd...
but, most of all with each other.
Hudson was a great sport in the room full of grandmothers!
