Sunday provided me with a wonderful reminder of God's eternal love.
The church I attend has two young people who will graduate from high school this year.
On Sunday, we recognized them and congratulated them on reaching this milestone in their lives.
During the portion of the service designed for children, I could not help but think how one day they too will reach this milestone.
Later that afternoon, a group of us met at one of the local nursing homes and sang hymns for the residents.
As I looked upon these wonderful senior citizens, I remembered a job I had as a young man and one of my responsibilities was to make deliveries to this very same home.
How long ago that seemed.
I then recalled our two graduates which made me think of my own graduation.
This took me back farther into my past.
I then recalled the children from the morning's service which made me think of my own childhood.
This took me even farther back.
After the hymns, we visited with the residents.
I took my turn as well.
I cannot begin to describe the joy I experienced as I walked up to each resident in turn.
There is a special moment that occurs when a person so advanced in years realizes that you are going to spend time with them.
Their face lights up in a very special way when they realize that you have chosen to enter their world and you take their hand in yours and a connection is made.
Experience has taught me to follow their lead in conversation and simply talk about whatever it is that they want to talk about.
What matters most is that you have chosen to enter their world and have given them two very precious resources.
You have given them your love and your time.
As we rush about in our daily lives, we often take these commodities for granted.
They do not.
As we departed, I thought about how things come full circle.
When I was a child, my world was very small.
My world then expanded to that which I know today.
If I live long enough, my world will shrink to the point where I too will be glad whenever someone cares enough to enter it.
Even if it is only for a few brief minutes.
Through it all, one thought outshines everything.
Regardless of where we are in our earthly journey God's love for us never diminishes.
Psalm 115:13 (NET) - He will bless His followers, both young and old.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, June 6, 2014.
I’ll be back here on Friday, June 13, 2014
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Thursday, May 8, 2014
When I Grow Up
When you were a child, what job did you most want to have when you grew up?
When I was a child, the race for space was in full swing so I dreamed of becoming an astronaut.
That, of course, did not happen.
I posed that question to my friends and I was surprised at the variety of answers I received.
One wanted to be a baseball player.
Another wanted to be an archaeologist.
Other occupations that made up the list I gathered were artist, nurse, teacher, actress, radio disc jockey and forest ranger.
I suppose by now the list has grown even longer.
I was really surprised by the wide variety of answers I received.
Most of the people I asked did not get the job they dreamed of doing.
Fortunately for some students, two of the teachers did.
Although I never became an astronaut, I do have a job that I enjoy and have had it for a long time.
I have not had to go to a job interview in a good many years, but one of the questions I remember potential employers usually asking was, "Where do you see yourself in five years?"
I suppose they were trying to somehow gauge the amount of ambition I had by analyzing my answer to this question.
But, to be honest, there is not a single one among us that really knows the answer to that question.
That would require a degree of omniscience that human beings simply do not have.
Fortunately, God knows us better than we know ourselves.
He knows what he has planned for us.
He will even equip us to fulfill that plan.
He will do so even if that plan is one we would not have chosen for ourselves.
Jeremiah 29:11 (NET) - 'For I know what I have planned for you,' says the LORD. 'I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give you a future filled with hope.'
Bear in mind that prosperity does not necessarily mean financial prosperity as today's definition of the word currently implies.
Some of the most faithful people I knew were anything but financially prosperous.
By the way, if you are one of the few who actually got that job you dreamed of, I congratulate you.
Whether you did or not, make sure you thank Him for the one you have and do it to the best of your ability to bring Him glory.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, May 16, 2014.
I’ll be back here on Friday, May 23, 2014
When I was a child, the race for space was in full swing so I dreamed of becoming an astronaut.
That, of course, did not happen.
I posed that question to my friends and I was surprised at the variety of answers I received.
One wanted to be a baseball player.
Another wanted to be an archaeologist.
Other occupations that made up the list I gathered were artist, nurse, teacher, actress, radio disc jockey and forest ranger.
I suppose by now the list has grown even longer.
I was really surprised by the wide variety of answers I received.
Most of the people I asked did not get the job they dreamed of doing.
Fortunately for some students, two of the teachers did.
Although I never became an astronaut, I do have a job that I enjoy and have had it for a long time.
I have not had to go to a job interview in a good many years, but one of the questions I remember potential employers usually asking was, "Where do you see yourself in five years?"
I suppose they were trying to somehow gauge the amount of ambition I had by analyzing my answer to this question.
But, to be honest, there is not a single one among us that really knows the answer to that question.
That would require a degree of omniscience that human beings simply do not have.
Fortunately, God knows us better than we know ourselves.
He knows what he has planned for us.
He will even equip us to fulfill that plan.
He will do so even if that plan is one we would not have chosen for ourselves.
Jeremiah 29:11 (NET) - 'For I know what I have planned for you,' says the LORD. 'I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give you a future filled with hope.'
Bear in mind that prosperity does not necessarily mean financial prosperity as today's definition of the word currently implies.
Some of the most faithful people I knew were anything but financially prosperous.
By the way, if you are one of the few who actually got that job you dreamed of, I congratulate you.
Whether you did or not, make sure you thank Him for the one you have and do it to the best of your ability to bring Him glory.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, May 16, 2014.
I’ll be back here on Friday, May 23, 2014
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