Did you ever stumble onto an author you like and end up reading several of his books in a row? That happened to me recently with Rohinton Mistry. I’ve discovered that he writes delightful stories showcasing family dynamics; the two tales I’ve read (so far!) were set in Bombay, India.
Before Rohinton Mistry I didn’t know anything about India. Well, because of Mother Teresa I knew there was poverty, and I knew English was spoken there, too. But Mistry’s books Family Matters and A Fine Line opened my eyes to the Indian mix of religions and the working out of Indian politics and the realities of poverty in India. I might not pick up a book about these things, but since they were part of the lives of families I got to know and care about, I learned about them in spite of myself!
Visiting Bombay was good for me. It is easy to get short-sighted, focusing so much on the near view that all else is blocked out. In these tough economic times focus tends to be on needs, but maybe that makes me lose sight of blessings. The visits to India help me with that.
Mistry’s books were not only thought-provoking and entertaining; they reminded me that I am rich. Life’s important, universal wealth is connection with others. Relationship determines what life becomes. I am privileged to know the God of the universe. I have a wonderful family. I have friends who pray for me. I have friends who debate life issues with me.
Seeing Bombay made me realize that I am rich in another sense, too. Even when it is hard to make ends meet, I am surrounded with basic things that make life easier and better. One example: in both public restrooms and at home, toilet paper is a given. I use paper towels and fluffy terrycloth towels regularly. Even though on a budget, I go to beautiful, well-stocked grocery stores -- every week.
I have a place to live and a car to drive. I have a computer that works. I have a TV at home. I have a phone. I can map quest or GPS my way to new places. I have a local library full of books -- a library that is clean and open and free.
Sidewalks line the streets near my house. And when I drive, there are lines on the road to guide me, and traffic lights that always work. On highways there are grooves along the road to remind me when I am getting too close to the edge.
Many things in my world show a basic concern for life and display an underling belief that it is worth protecting. I am so grateful to be living in a place that wants to value life. I am grateful for opportunities to learn. I am grateful for work to do. I am grateful for love coming into and going out of my life.
A glimpse of another world allowed me to see my own more clearly. I am literally surrounded by spiritual blessings and physical riches – it’s astounding! My thankfulness to God has grown, just in time for Thanksgiving.
Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. James 1:16-18
Last night I went to a viewing. I wasn’t close to the deceased gentleman; he had been to my house once with his daughter, and we’d chatted when our paths crossed.But his daughter and son-in-law are wonderful people, friends from our church.
Remembering how we were buoyed by the presence of friends at my mother-in-laws recent funeral, my son, daughter-in-law, husband and I went to the viewing together. After meeting up in the parking lot, we went in, hugged friends, hung up our coats, and signed the guest book. Upon entering the viewing area we were greeted by photos. Stands and tables and books of photos.
How interesting to see a life in pictures, to see the paint-brush strokes of time through the years, to perceive joys swelling as the years pile up. Pride in children and delight in grandchildren was shining from the photos of our friend’s father. Each print was a tile in the mosaic of a family-committed life.
The display included a few cherished mementos, too. Two of them struck me as indicative of both this dear man and of his generation. One was a congratulatory letter from the governor of Pennsylvania, sent in celebration of the gentleman and his wife’s 50th wedding anniversary. The other was his induction paper into the US Army, a signed agreement from 1943, in which he said he’d stay until victory was obtained.
It is an amazing thing to sign up “for the duration.” In the photos from his Army days the man who had lived 86 years, 7 months, and 18 days was young and handsome. He had so many good things ahead of him, which he knew in a general sense, but he was willing to risk them for a big cause. Along with a generation of fellow-soldiers, he did obtain victory.
All this got me to thinking about spiritual warfare, about the family of God, and about signing up for the duration. Though our spiritual battle may seem to be taking a long time, victory is certain and is coming. 2 Peter 3: 1-7 tells us to stir up our minds and to remember God’s predictions and commandments, all the while realizing that others will refuse to believe them.
Those who do not believe will spread their propaganda, saying God’s predictions and commandments are worthless because things remain the same, have always been as they are now. But they are overlooking both the fact of the past flood and of the future fire. 2 Peter 3, verse 10, says that the day of the Lord will come as a thief: even though we know the statistics on robbery, and we prepare by locking and lighting, we are still “shocked,” not ready, when we’re burgled.
The coming victory will involve fire—the heavens will be burned up and dissolved, the earth exposed. The question is, “Since these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of The Day of God?”
As the lives of others move into eternity we must face the fact that things in our own lives will not always be as they are today. "The duration" of our own spiritual warfare will come to a close, too. God is moving the world along on his schedule, determined by his goodness. Victory is on the horizon; God will do what He has both pictured for us and promised to us. We will soon experience his promise of New Heavens and New Earth in which righteousness dwells. Here's to V-day!
Some people love to travel and some people don’t. I, for instance, love a good road trip. But my granddaughter does not.
She’s only two, and she may grow into road trips, may see them turn from boring to fun – maybe when it’s her turn to drive? But for now, getting serenely from point A to point B with my granddaughter in the car works best with some planning ahead. So my daughter prepares special activities for travel.
There are stickers, books, songs, puzzles and snacks. These occupations are chosen for their challenge and benefit, as well as their adaptability to travel. The car provides a wonderful opportunity to match shapes, find colors, create stories, learn songs, and discover snack-able fruits and veggies.
On a trip earlier this month I got to sit beside my granddaughter, which meant I was the one presenting her with choices. It was so much fun to share her choosing of activities, to review and discover and learn together. And it was those hours together on our trip that came to mind as I was reading Ephesians 2:10 the other day.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. I glimpsed myself as a child on the road-trip of life with God as my loving, insightful parent. I am not self-made; I am choosing any good that I do from selections God prepared for me before the trip began.
As we travel, what is my Father’s goal in the choices he gives me? In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit (2:22). We are going home. Really home, to our family home in heaven where I and the entire family will be united with our Father. That’s what makes the trip worth the travel.
For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:5-8
Ah, harvest time. A time to enjoy what has grown over summer, a time to gather in bounty before winter comes. And a season to examine the cornucopia of our spiritual lives.
What does growth in Christ look like? Peter says that saving faith is the beginning. The bounty of a Christian life grows from that faith.
First we grow virtue, which means we begin to be honest, wanting truth in every relationship, in every interaction, in everything. When we are honest, we realize that we don’t know God well, that our religious backgrounds and present earnestness do not begin to do him justice. Longing to know God better, we add knowledge, we learn about God through study of his word; we block off time and spend it with him, talking with him through our life’s troubles.
Knowing him even a little, we want to be different than we are, want to be more like him. Time with God makes us see ourselves clearly, realize what urges need to be controlled. God’s Spirit inspires and enables self-control.
The arduous work of self-control teaches steadfastness—you have to stay with self-control a long time to see results. Steadfastness enables godliness, the character of focusing on others long-term. Brotherly affection comes first—empathetic, caring concern for the situations and circumstances of others; love comes last. Love meaning we actually give up ourselves, putting aside our preferences and our needs, to the honor of God and the benefit of others.
It is these qualities that will keep us from petty lives, from small Christianity, from preferring entertainment to battle. Though the fruit of the Spirit is singular, its flavor has many nuances. The weeds of sin that choke growth must be avoided. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law (Galatians 5:22 & 23). May your harvest be bountiful.
