The grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of our God endures forever.
Isaiah 40:8
I'm feeling pensive this morning as I reflect on the past several days. It has been another eventful week (which they all seem to be, anymore).
We have truly reached the place with our unpacking that this place looks like our home now. All those many many storage boxes from our basement in The Brown Bungalow have been so drastically reduced into two walk-in closets, and wonder of wonders, neither of them are packed full! I can close the door and forget all about them if I choose.
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| just a sampling of the boxes stored at The Brown Bungalow over the past 4 years |
Great lessons have been learned these past three months about stuff.
Another big event this week was the price estimate and resulting installation of a system to keep leaves and other debris out of our gutters. The system is the best in the industry (and the price reflected that), but after we got over the shock of that, we know we have made a wise investment in this house. The Brown Bungalow, located in a semi-arid climate and surrounded with tons of landscaping rock, had hardly any trees on the property so debris in the gutters was not much of a concern. Our current home, which I've named "Magnolia Castle", is nestled into a jungle (almost) where one afternoon downpour of rain could clog everything up seriously.
Earlier in the week we made an afternoon trip down south to deliver some empty plastic bins to Surfer Girl and family. She teaches Jazzercise and Pound Fit classes. We got to sit in on her Pound Fit class for kids.
If you don't know what that is, you hold a drum stick (like for drummers, not chicken) in each hand and tap them on the floor or against each other (the sticks) while bending and stretching to loud music. It's a good workout and making that tapping sound with the drumsticks is very satisfying (especially if you have some anger or aggression pent up).
Then there was our trip to the beach (see my previous post), a delight in every respect for both of us.
But I start heading for home plate with this post on life-and-death matters that also took place in my week. On Wednesday afternoon another great nephew was born into our family. We all welcome him with joy, both those close-at-hand, and those of us living hundreds of miles away.
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| new baby boy's quilt with a nautical theme |
Here is the sobering part of my blog post. The day after the joyful birth, a cousin of mine on the opposite side of the country slipped into eternity. I didn't even know he was ill. He and I were not close but we had a pleasant relationship between the two of us. I last spoke to him about six months ago and it was sometime after that when his health began a serious downhill slide that escalated rapidly.
When one dies the time spent on each is examined, looking for answers, for truth, for life lessons. At any rate, I do that. I have no reason at all to believe this dear one was prepared to face the Almighty as he released his last breath into the hospital room.
Beloved and I have prayed for his salvation for many years and the cards I sent for his birthday and Christmas always had a Christian message. Never was I given an open door of receptivity to speak more about it.
And yet, as his health declined God gave him the gift of time to contemplate eternity. We know we were asking according to God's will when we prayed for the salvation of this cousin. I feel certain the Holy Spirit was dealing with him in the waning days of his life, but until I reach the other side, I will not know the outcome.
None of us knows when our earthly end will come. We may have some warning, or none at all. In reality, we all have warning. It's called NOW.
Now is the day of salvation, as scripture says in II Corinthians 6:2,
... now is the time of God's favor,
now is the day of salvation.
Now is the time to seek the Lord for forgiveness and to accept what Jesus has done for us as our only 'ticket' into Heaven. We cannot do it any other way.
Jesus answered,
"I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me."
John 14:6
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