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Reading Your Word

God Speaks To You

Now that I’m walking alone, there are times, and I mean a lot of times, when I feel, and am, alone. I am by myself most of the time. I don’t mind it most of the time, but there are times when I would rather be with people than going the distance by myself. I need people. We need people.

People need people. We all do. Some people need others more than I do, but I do need people. In fact, God has put inside of us a real, deep, inner need to be touched and rejuvenated by others. People who make our lives better, who make us tick, who pick us up when we need it, who speak life to us, who help us, who we help, who speak the truth to us, and we speak the truth to…and so on…

God made us this way. He made us to wonder, to love, to feel , to care, to help, to carry on here and there. Those times you’ve been alone for a while, are the times you realize how much you need people. Sure, there are those almost imperceptible times when you try to make it completely on your own, but you quickly discover that you can’t possibly do it ALL alone. We just aren’t made that way.

People Matter to Us

People matter. It’s true. There are many, many people that we don’t know that influence our life. Think about it. All the people involved behind the food we purchase at the store. From farm, to packaging, to driving it to the store, to purchasing, to buying the food: People work. We not only thank God for the food’ but we thank Him for all the hand, machinery, and marketing that it represents. The medical field has its many, many workers, doctors, nurses, support people, and the many, many people who clean, help, and care for the facility and its people.

And so, throughout history, people have supported and grown the fields in which they serve. I have a book that I am writing that takes place in 1992. Our world has changed dramatically since those days. Our iphones and latest computers have literally changed the world. But we still need people. Yes, we still matter. We do things differently, and purchase what we need differently (according to what we value and care about), but we have a lot of power, regardless.

Of course, the how, and when, and what, are rapidly changing. It gets a little crazy at times. Yet, it takes but a blink to realize how the past has opened doors to the future. A couple of weeks ago I spent some time reading a book written by my Great Uncle Don Swihart about his and my Grandma Swihart Weigold’s and the family’s early days. He wrote a book that detailed their upbringing until he was married to Aunt Wanda. Wow! They really went through it.

I Matter, You Matter, Others Matter as Well

A woman I have known since 1993 is now in a care home. She needs me to visit her. She needs the people in the church to visit her. She needs her family to visit her. Although her life has changed, she still needs us. Now that I am facing the last hurrah, I am thinking about the things that matter the most. Some of what I used to believe mattered the most, really, and truly, matters very little. God matters. Loving others matters. Helping wherever you can matters. Helping others means helping in whatever way you can. Even emotionally. Even spiritually. Even financially. Even physically (do you need some weeding done right now).

One thing we can always do is pray. Not only pray for our needs but pray for other’s needs. We can give thanks to God. There is real and lasting joy when we seek to give praise with thanks to God. Praise Him for this day. Praise Him for your health. Praise Him that you have food to eat. Praise Him for your friends and relatives. Thank Him that you have clothes to wear. Thank Him that you have a roof over your head. Thank Him for answering you prayers. Thank Him for meeting you needs. Thank Him for caring about you…

Life gets harder as we get older. It’s true. But God works through us. He always does. Our life seems rather rough at times, but God is there all the time. He is our best friend. That’s another WOW. He helps us, He keeps us. He loves us. He ministers to us. He is patient with us. He pulls us along. He pushes us when we need a push. He helps us. He maintains us. He is our everything.

Thank you God for being our amazing Father.

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At Times A Little Positive Comment Helps

There are times we need a little uplift.

The day was full of errands, a little of this and a little of that. So, I’m entering a busy intersection and will have to stop at a lengthy red light. I sigh an inescapable groan to myself, there he is again. The same young man is on the same island. I will be parked next to him for a few minutes. He knows how to do it well, panhandling with a smile . . . and with a Chihuahua in his arms that has a cute red neckerchief. I’m second in the row and have the car’s windows down due to my car’s AC being out.

He’s got a great smile and curly black hair to his shoulders, black beard and is dressed casual-messy. He chats with me a little and I mention his pet. I’m sure he notices I’m not offering any cash but continues to converse with me until a pickup truck pulls up behind me. He smiles at me, then as he starts to leave, he says to me, “Stay beautiful,” and down the line he goes.

He is friendlier than most, and I find myself smiling at the words he just said to me, “Stay beautiful.” I like them, of course they make me feel beautiful like I’m not in my sixties (then) and in a car that is hotter than the blazes and makes me perspire. The words are like “Take care.” But they seem better to me. I have been down in the dumps and those two words lift my spirits.

God uses people like that to cheer us up. The cashier that says, “Thank you, Miss” when you usually hear, “Thank you, Ma’am’” makes my day brighter. It’s so simple, really. The difference between Miss and Ma’am. Words and smiles, greetings and good cheer, even from a panhandler, can improve our outlook and make the day sing. “Stay beautiful, ya’ here.”

If we each would take the challenge to make the day brighter for the people we meet then we have made their day better. We look up and smile. We help carry their packages and it matters. There are a bazillion ways we can make the day better around us. The nice thing is when we help others, we make our day better. Some people do it naturally, it is part of their nature. Then others, like me, have to work at it. I tend to be way too serious. But I can smile, I can help, I can make the day go better for someone else and for myself, if I choose to. In fact, I will!

HAVE A GREAT DAY!