James 5:9-11
Friends, don’t complain about each other. A far greater complaint could be lodged against you, you know. The Judge is standing just around the corner.
Take the old prophets as your mentors. They put up with anything, went through everything, and never once quit, all the time honoring God. What a gift life is to those who stay the course! You’ve heard, of course, of Job’s staying power, and you know how God brought it all together for him at the end. That’s because God cares, cares right down to the last detail.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Last week, my dad’s first cousin passed away in Texas. A graveside funeral was held in Arkansas, just outside my hometown in a family cemetery. I saw cousins I had not seen in a long, long time – some for more than four decades. And I was reminded of my grandparents, aunts and uncles… the parents of my dad and his cousin and others. These were hard-working people who faced many challenges and adversities.
Some of my uncles were “characters” who probably drove my aunts crazy. But to a woman, I remember my aunts as gracious, generous, loving women who always had a smile for me – and room at their table for one more. When I hear my grandmother talk about all that she has experienced in 100 years, I marvel at her strength. I know that most of it comes from her deeply rooted faith in God. She will tell you that He has seen her through more than her fair share of trials and tribulations. And she is living proof that God never gives us more than we can handle – nor does He leave us to fend for ourselves.
For all of my grandmother’s good qualities, she was always one to “tell it like it is” – and I am afraid I inherited a hefty dose of this trait. I will admit that I have to work very hard at not being so frank - or being critical of others… even if I believe that what I am saying is the truth. None of us is perfect. And truly, nobody knows what is in another person’s heart… his/her motives… what the “back-story” is for their actions and behaviors. Most of the time, we simply don’t have all the facts. And even if we did… judgment is not OUR responsibility. To judge others is to say that we know better than God.
In talking with another of my dad’s cousins, I told her that my grandmother and I used to talk on the phone several times a week… if not daily. I shared with my cousin that my grandmother and I have a close relationship – I have always been able to talk to her about virtually anything. Now, she is lucky if she can get out one or two words… and talking on the phone is out of the question. I commented that I probably miss our conversations even more than I realize. But I have her legacy… her example of faith and courage, love and generosity. For all of her sauciness, my grandmother has treated others very well in her lifetime… and her reputation is one of a Godly woman who stayed the course, emulated Jesus in her service to others, and trusted God to meet her needs. “The LORD will take care of me,” was not just a catch-phrase… it has been her standard.
In all honesty, I have never heard my grandmother say, “I quit.” When one door closed, she figured out a way to open a window – with God’s help. In recent months when her body has failed her, she has expressed a desire to die… not because she is done, but because she is ready for heaven and the next chapter.
I pray that you have a mentor in your life to share with you how God cares about you down to the last detail. I pray that you are kind to others, generous, tolerant, and slow to criticize. Remember that “The LORD will take care of you” – no matter what happens. When you are discouraged, stop and think of those who have demonstrated this so well… and take a page from their book.
©2012 Debbie Robus
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