Isaiah 25:7-8
At that time he will remove the cloud
of gloom, the pall of death that hangs over the earth; he will swallow
up death forever. The Lord God will wipe away all tears and take away
forever all insults and mockery against his land and people. The Lord
has spoken—he will surely do it!
The
Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by
permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois
60188. All rights reserved.
I brought home all of my
mother’s photo albums, and two LARGE containers of loose photos. I’ve
been sorting through these pictures…and scanning several. A lot of them
are not labeled, so I’ve shared some on Facebook…in hopes that friends
and acquaintances in my area will recognize someone and help me put
names with faces. Many of these photos are from the 1940-1950 era, and
some from the 1960-70 time period. Feedback is incredibly positive.
People LOVE to look at old photos and reminisce about “the good ole
days.” I joked lately that these photos are “the best thing on
Facebook” right now!
All you have to do is listen to the nightly
news to hear about people trading insults, mocking one another…or
someone seeking revenge against a person who has “done him/her wrong.”
As a friend jokingly said recently, we’ve learned to “ask forgiveness
instead of permission.” And we have made a habit of justifying our
actions to suit our personal agendas.
I admit, I am frequently
dismayed these days by reports of how we are treating one another. I
have all but stopped listening to nightly news…and I skim the newspaper
each day for accounts that interest me. I slide right on past horrific
“news stories” on my Facebook wall. It’s not that I want to live in a
bubble and pretend these things don’t happen. But I simply feel I
cannot become bogged down in the misery and disgust of some of these
“human” behaviors and actions.
Is this naïve and apathetic on my
part? I don’t think so. I prefer to dwell on positive stories…to spend
my time encouraging others and offering them hope and joy. I would
rather share a happy photo from 40 years ago than to look at pictures of
brutalized puppies or “the people of Walmart.” I would rather read
comments and recollections about my great-grandmother and her
contemporaries than to hear about the latest round of name-calling
between politicians.
I would rather spend my time thinking about
how God pours out His grace and mercy on each of us…and how He will
honor every promise He has made to “wipe away all tears and take away forever all insults and mockery against his land and people.”
I would rather share the Good News of Jesus with others - and assure
them that He will make a way where none seems evident - than to wallow
in the pit of frustration and anger over anything for even a second.
I
don’t think this is immature or disingenuous on my part. I believe God
has promised to set all things right…and He is counting on us to
demonstrate faith in His promise to others. And we can start by living
more positively…by stepping away from participation in much of the
ugliness that is perpetuated in every arena of life – from the
disgruntled parents on the little league fields to the bickering of
politicians to the “Christians” who want to refuse the rights of
ordinary citizens to do everything from voting to using a bathroom or
sitting at a lunch counter.
Someday, God is going to wipe away
every tear and settle every dispute in the lives of each of us. This may
happen when He calls us to Heaven…or we may still be around for the
return of Jesus. Either way, it WILL happen! Meanwhile, we have work
to do as His disciples…and we need to get busy! There is no time to
waste on pettiness and disillusionment about things beyond our control.
We either trust God to handle these for us…or we don’t. Which way are
you leaning these days?
©2016 Debbie Robus
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