THE NEW EWE

"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'"

Luke 15:4-6

August 7, 2024

LIFE IN THE FOLD

Time flies! It's amazing how quickly the weeks, months and years go by! I think the older I get, the quicker they seem to pass.

I have a brother-in-law who is in his mid-70's. The past couple years he has dealt with several health issues. He's had both knees replaced, rotator cuff surgery on one of his shoulders, and more recently has been dealing with Afib. He recently commented that he knew that one day he'd get old; he just hadn't expected it to happen this fast.

His son, who is now in his 50's, told me that we get older a whole lot faster than we plan to.

When you're young, you don't realize just how quickly time passes by. I remember when my dad and step mom, uncles and aunts were in their 50's and 60's and I thought they were old. Now that I'm 59, I realize that they weren't really quite so old after all!

I have a nephew who is 35 and his wife is 28. A while back she posted something on social media about them being an old couple. I thought, "Oh my!! You have absolutely no idea!! Just wait a few years and you'll look back and see just how young you truly were!"

I, also, thought that she must think that Jon and I are ancient. And she does think that my sister (her mother-in-law) and I are old. There have been times when we've been out together at a concert or play and she will text us around 10:00 or so, checking to see if we are okay. What's funny, is that when she does that we are generally with other people who are younger than us. One time we were with Jon.... another time we were with my nephew and his friend.

Time changes your perspective on age, the older you get.

A few years ago, my sister, Janie, and I drove to California to a church conference that she was interpreting (sign language) for. I was so excited, because our oldest cousins live in that area and we were going to be able to meet up with them for lunch. Their mom was the oldest of ten siblings and my mom was third from the youngest; so they were more the ages of my mom and her two younger brothers.

They were all in their 80's at that time and were some of the most active, spry, joyful seniors I've ever had hung out with. They all had a wonderful sense of humor and knew how to enjoy life. You would never have guessed that they were as old as they were. They talked about cruises and trips they took, different activities that they were involved in, and things that they did for fun. Since that time, two of them have passed away. But I was so impressed with the fact that they knew how to enjoy life to the fullest. Even though they had endured hardships throughout their life, they chose joy.

Choosing joy doesn't mean that you don't suffer or cry or have heartaches and pain at times. It doesn't mean that you ignore those situations when you hurt or when your body is sick or in pain. You don't pretend that all is well, when it isn't. But you choose to look to Jesus for strength and help and draw peace and joy from your relationship with Him.

I know that I have quoted this passage of scripture from time to time, but there is so much truth in it! Ecclesiastes chapter three talks about that there is a time and season for everything. That's true! We've all experienced that during our lifetime. There's a time when babies are born and begin their journey through life on earth. But at that same time, there is a time to die; and there are people whose life journey ends. Probably every minute of every day someplace on earth, both are happening: births and deaths.

I've heard this said in different ways, but the message is the same: We each have a date and time that we were born, and we have a date and time that we die. There is a dash in the middle between those two dates, which represents the time we spend on earth. The date of our birth and death really isn't that important and people will forget those dates. What they will remember is how we lived during that dash between the two dates.

My mama's dash was only for 48 years; my dad's was for 78 years. None of us know how long that time will be. But what we can and must do is make that time count for something! It may be something big and important where a lot of people know your name and your deeds will be written about in books. But it may be something small that few people know about, but it impacted their lives and will never be forgotten.

I never knew my Grandpa Parton; which all of his kids and grandkids called him Poppy. He passed away when I was about a year old. But what I have heard from all the family who knew him is the same type of stories and memories. They all talk about how much he liked to laugh.... what a great storyteller he was.... family gathering at his home and sitting around outside listening to him tell stories, which he made up. To the world, that may not seem as if it's much; but to his family, he was important and they cherish those memories of him. He's been gone since 1966, but his legacy has been passed down from one generation to another, and he is still remembered and talked about by family who knew him; as well as by grandchildren and great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren who never knew him.

I believe that how we spend our time will make the most difference in how we live our life and the impact we make on others.

I've come to the conclusion that Satan likes to try and make us believe that we are unimportant. He wants us to feel like failures or as if we don't matter or that what everyone else does is so much more valuable than what we do. He's a liar!!

I've struggled with that type of thinking from time to time; but have finally come to this conclusion about my own life: I've spent my life trying to do what pleases God, and it doesn't really matter if it measures up to what other people are doing or how great or wonderful they seem to be; or even if they approve of what I'm doing or not doing. What matters is that I'm doing what I need to be doing and am living my "dash" years in a manner that is pleasing to God.

The years I've spent babysitting my niece and nephew's kids and the memories I've created with them will last. Being there in the mornings to get them on the bus, taking them to Dollar Tree, having meals with them and letting them choose the food, being at their birthday parties.... generally being involved in their lives.... will be something they will remember. It will be something their parents will remember.

The years I've spent helping out Jon's parents matter. After his dad passed away, the time I've spent with his mom taking her to appointments and picking up groceries and prescriptions, helping her with her finances and paying her bills, visiting her.... those things are important and are ways I can help in order to make her life easier.

Picking up our elderly neighbor's mail every day may seem piddly and unimportant. But it's something Jon and I can do to bless that family, so they don't have to come and do it. Keeping an eye on her house and occasionally helping with yard work gives her and her kids peace of mind.

I've made lap quilts for people and given as gifts. I pray over each quilt as I make it. Even the few that I've made for payment, I pray over those quilts, too. Hopefully, those quilts will be something tangible that will outlast my life and be a reminder of the love and time that went into making them.

My point is this: life is fleeting. Time goes by more quickly than we plan on or think it will. But we can each make a difference in the life of someone. Even if it's just one person or a handful of people, we never know the impact that may have on future generations.

JON'S PERSPECTIVE:

There are a lot of ways to leave an impact behind. Long ago (many geologists estimate 50,000 years ago), a huge impact was made in Arizona, leaving a crater about 3/4 mile across. And that's one of the smaller meteor impact craters. It's interesting, and huge, but not the kind of impact I want to leave behind.

We don't have kids to leave behind, but honestly, that is usually only a small portion of how a person affects the world. Each person has many friends, co-workers, colleagues, and extended family throughout their lives. Far more than just their own kids. We just don't think as much about the impact we leave behind with them.

I know many people have had big impacts on my life. I've had pastors, teachers & professors, friends, aunts & uncles, as well as siblings, in-laws, parents, and grand-parents who have all impacted my life. Almost all of them have had good impacts on me.

On average, each person influences as many people who have influenced them. So, if you aren't sure who you may have influenced, try listing people who have had big influences on you. For each of them, you have probably influenced someone else.

ON THE MENEWE:

Chicken and Avocado Salad

Cut up chicken to make 3 cups of chopped or shredded chicken (the recipe calls for it to be cut into fairly large chunks -- but it's your preference).

Dice the avocado into medium-sized chunks. Put in bowl and mix with 1 tablespoon of the lime juice; season with salt, to taste.

Thinly slice the green onion and finely chop the cilantro.

Mix 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise and 2 tablespoons of lime juice together to make the dressing. You may want to add the lime juice in a little at a time, until it's to your liking.

Put the chicken into a large bowl. Add the sliced green onion and dressing; toss until all the chicken is coated with dressing.

Add the avocado and cilantro; gently combine with the chicken. Season with more salt, if needed.

Serve right away or chill for a while before serving. This could be served inside pita bread, on a croissant, inside crisp lettuce cups, or eaten as a salad.

This will keep in the fridge overnight, but the avocado is best when it's freshly made. If you are storing leftover, place plastic wrap over the top and gently press down onto the top of the leftover chicken mixture to completely cover; place a lid over the top of the bowl to seal it close. This will help keep the avocado from turning brown overnight.

THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER:

My great-niece just had her 6^th birthday. One of the things that she got for her birthday was a kids makeup kit..... which is something she had asked for. The day after her party, I stayed with her and her siblings for a few hours. She really wanted to put makeup on me. I thought, "Why not?! It will wash off!" She had so much fun choosing colors and putting makeup on my face. Oh my! She put bright blue and green eye shadow all around my eyes -- top and bottom -- and even got some on the side of my nose. She used pink and blue glitter lipstick on me. She had some different colors of blush. She chose a blue sparkle and had it all over both cheeks. After she finished, she told me that I looked so pretty. She was so proud! The finishing touch was using one of her doll combs to fix my hair. Not long after she finished, I needed to go pick up lunch for the kids. I told her maybe I should wash a little of the makeup off. She asked, "Why?! You look so pretty!" I waited until I got out to the car, then wiped most of it off. But it took a good long while to get that blue glitter off my face. Even after washing and cleaning my face, I still had glitter on my face and neck. But hey -- it was fine! It made her so happy and made for a fun memory!

THOUGHT TO PONDER:

We didn't know we were creating memories.

We were just having fun. - Winnie the Pooh

OUR HEARTFELT THANKS TO YOU:

We love you!

Loretta & Jon

http://www.graysheep.org