What's Your Story (Part 1)

Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them. Romans 12:6 CEB

Perhaps it is not a prudent idea to ask someone my age, “What’s Your Story?” because when you ask someone in their late 80’s that question, the answer is going to be really long. There’s no need to brace yourself for a list of bragging situations. Rather, it will be a long list of living situations and of learning and relying on guidance from the Holy Spirit’s urging me to use my gifts and then pulling me through the situation.

I’ve always loved to write and in fact I started by writing a byline (a column) that ran in my high school newspaper way back in the 1950’s while I was a student. I have loved being a Sunday School teacher, a Women’s Exercise leader, and cradle roll monitor here at Eastridge. Reading the bible in search of answers to unusual questions, and baking bread with ancient grains was kind of a passion for a while.  Sharing bread with friends is sacred to me. All these things have been part of my faith journey.  

This past year, our EPW (Eastridge Presbyterian Women) bible study taught us to seek joy in our faith journey and I started thinking that my faith journey has not only been a long one, but it has been divided into 5 parts with each part providing its own kind of joy. 

FIRST, as a child and student in Sunday school, I loved the stories and the songs and the fellowship with the other children. 

SECOND, in my 20’s, I was a Sunday school teacher and bible school teacher (kindergarten and 4th grade) and a crafts leader. I really didn’t think I wanted to be a Sunday school teacher but with Reverend Huxtable’s urging I decided to try it and it was with Tom’s good mentoring that I learned how to read and love the Bible. I’ve always loved exercise so I also led a women’s exercise class here at Eastridge in the 1970s. I’m not sure we lost any weight but we really had a good time trying.   

During the years I worked outside the home, I took a hiatus from teaching, but I enjoyed reading about different topics from the Bible. I always wanted to know things I’m sure no one else ever cared about like, “How did all those Israelites know to bring and wave palms on Palm Sunday?”  “What happened to Aaron’s rod of flowering almond?”  “Why was finding the baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes a special message for the shepherds?” I’ve had many more such questions. As I said, probably nothing of interest to most Christians.

THIRD, I really loved reading about the plants of the OT which started me reading about the ancient grains such as barley, rye, and Kamut. 

FOURTH, this led me to years of baking bread including some of these grains. Then I shared bread along with biblical bread stories. Did you know that the word “bread” is mentioned more than 400 times in the KJV version of the Bible? Soon, I began calling those who received my bread and stories, my “bread friends.”

FIFTH, and presently I still write devotionals for the Eastridge page, and at Pastor Thomas’ request I share bread with fellow Eastridge members through the Care Giving Group here at our church.

I, for one, have found real joy in my faith journey through all these years and the stories are many. Some could tell of success, some could tell of heartbreak and sadness, some could tell of the hardship of the loss of a spouse, some could tell of failure and humility, but the stories I’ve learned to love the most are the ones that have humbled me and have become humorous as I look back.

As a writer for the Eastridge devotional page, I started writing for the Advent and Lenten booklets back in the year 2000. I plan to share a few of my amazing faith journey stories separately during this summer series entitled, “What’s Your Story?” I did warn you that Octogenarians have a really long story! Perhaps my story is best heard in small doses. At the time the stories were happening, I didn’t see them as using my Spirit given gifts but hindsight shows me how not only the gifts but the use of the gifts was spirit driven.

Prayer: Our Father in Heaven, we praise You for the gifts we’ve received through the Holy Spirit and We thank You for all that You do to love us throughout our faith journey on earth. Also, we thank you for uplifting us with our successes and teaching us with our humbling experiences while showing us always that Your love never fails us. In Jesus's holy name we pray. Amen 

Judy Welch                                                                                                                                                                    

Words from Second Corinthians

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17
 

Love

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

The 13th chapter of 1st Corinthians in the New Testament is often referred to as the “Love Chapter.” It is regularly used at weddings, intended as a description of the love between the bride and groom.  

But here’s a different way to think of this scripture. I recently attended a meeting where a pastor used this chapter as part of a meditation. He asked us to substitute our individual names for the word “love.” Try it. Read the above passage and put in your own name each time the scripture uses “love” or “it.” 

How did it feel to say that you are patient and kind? Can you honestly say that you do not dishonor others? Are you not easily angered? Do you rejoice with the truth?

If we substitute God’s name in the passage, we are reminded that God is patient and kind, and He always protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres. Whether we substitute our own name or God’s name in these verses, the meaning is clear - we are called to love one another as God loves us.                 

Prayer: Dearest Lord, thank you for sharing your love with us and for showing us how to share our love with others. Forgive us when we are envious, boastful, or proud. Help us to work toward becoming more like your son, Jesus Christ, in making our names synonymous with love.

Robin Hadfield (reprinted from 2018)

Words from Isaiah

For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, "In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength." Isaiah 30:15 

Reconnection

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. James 4:8

The Lord is near to the broken-hearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18

And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. Matthew 28:20

Sometimes life is busy. It’s messy. We can’t seem to get ahead of the calendar, and we’re being pulled in different directions for children’s activities, grandchildren’s activities, work, volunteer opportunities, meetings. We forget to pray. We don’t have a spare minute to read a devotion or the Bible. Sometimes events that shake us up tend to help us reconnect with God (we call out “help” more often than “thank you”), although it shouldn’t be that way.

I was thinking of my Dad recently, in how he was happy to have someone from his childhood as a new resident in the assisted living facility where he lives. Now, they get a chance to reconnect during dinner and afterwards, reminiscing about the “old days”.

It can be that way for us as well. When we realize if we just slow down and take some time out of our day for prayer or meditation, contemplation of a text (Bible or other spiritual reading), we can enjoy that boost of spiritual connection and sense that all is right in the world again when we reconnect with God. We open ourselves up to the peace that only God can give when we reconnect with Him.

Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to understand that we are not too busy to take time for you. Amen.

Donna Gustafson (photo depicting a peaceful scene by Donna. Click on photo to view larger.)

Words from Psalm 18

He also brought me out into a broad place: He delivered me because He delighted in me. Psalm 18:19 

God is Love

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is Love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 1 John 4:16