My mother used to send me recorded messages on cassette tapes instead of letters. It was so much nicer to hear her voice than read letters and I really looked forward to receiving them. I would happily listen to them over and over again and envision her radiant smile as she told me all that was going on in her life. She suddenly and unexpectedly died over three decades ago at the young age of 52, but for some reason I woke up this morning nearly in tears as I reminisced about her and her tape cassette letters that meant so much to me.
In the last one I received prior to her unexpected death, she was lamenting the fact that my brother Jim was calling her most every day, (sometimes two or three times a day), and singing the blues and relating his tortured slant on life to her in excruciating detail. In his incessant quest for sympathy from her, he recounted virtually every bad thing that was going on in his day (after day – after day).
My mother was one of those people who was always full of life; she was an eternal optimist and could literally light up a room with her glowing radiant smile. I sometimes think that is why God took her to be with Him at such a young age. Who wouldn’t want to be around such a lovely inspiring person? She laughingly told me that Jim made her so depressed sometimes that she felt like going out and hanging herself.
I smiled as I listened because I had received some of those calls myself.
My father is 90 now and is in an assisted living facility. I try to call him several times a week, but to be honest sometimes I dread making those calls because he seems to be in the same mode as my brother Jim. Like many folks who have reached that age (and have Parkinson’s), he does not feel good much of the time, and his aged and weakened body prevents him from doing the things that he likes to do. Combine that with the fact that he has outlived two wives, (representing upwards of 65 years of marriage), and practically all of his friends and is now more alone than at any time in his life and he is pretty unhappy.
Our conversations leave me feeling that he is bored, down, depressed, glum, despondent, dejected, low, gloomy, and miserable, but other than that he’s good. It is depressing to listen to him week after week, and sometimes when he’s really depressed I can relate to my mother wanting to go out and hang herself. I try to cheer him up, but his negativity is often near overwhelming. I would give anything if I knew what to say to cheer him up.
Yesterday I met with some of the people who are putting on a fundraiser for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, (FCA), at Honey Lake Plantation on February 23rd, (which by the way if you haven’t already signed up for it, please do so; it’s a tremendous cause and a great time will be had by all). They were all smiles as they walked around our Gathering Hall and were oohing and ahhing over the plantation grounds and church in anticipation of their big Christian fellowship event highlighted by Coach Mark Richt of the mighty Georgia Bulldogs giving his testimony.
The day before that group of folks was here I met with the regional director of the Young Life organization, (the stellar and premier Christian evangelical outreach organization and outlet for adolescents). He is an excited young man who loves the Lord and his exuberance in all that is happening in that organization in leading these youngsters to the Lord is contagious. It was refreshing to speak with him about all that God is doing in Young Life and in his own “young life”.
In a week or so the Director of the Christian Sportsman Fellowship is coming to Honey Lake and to be sure he is similarly enthused with their organization of Christian hunters and fishermen dedicated to the Lord and I look forward to meeting with him and hopefully putting on an event for that fine organization at Honey Lake as well.
Currently I’m working towards bringing spiritual retreats and Christian outreach organizations of every flavor at every opportunity to Honey Lake. We have a unique setting that is very special to God. It is peaceful, calm, serene, quiet, beautiful, and is fertile ground for communing with Almighty God. One need only go for a walk through the miles of forest, or inside our magnificent church with its gorgeous stained glass windows, pine floors, and awe inspiring view of Honey Lake to understand that God surely has His hand on this place. I would like nothing better than to see other Christian brothers and sisters walking the grounds virtually every day of the week.
I was thinking of those in this life who are miserable and those who are happy and querying what the difference might be. I think it boils down to keeping our eyes on Jesus versus on ourselves and this tragic fallen world. We can wallow in self pity at all of the problems, sickness, and trials and tribulations that we endure in a perpetual state of depression, or we can take a look around at what God has done and bask in His glory as we pursue the work He has set before us.
There is a tremendous need for Christian influence in virtually every area of our lives. I suggest that we focus on that instead of our own problems. In my research in trying to bring spiritual events and organizations to Honey Lake I’ve found that that there are organizations for practically any type of person with most any interest; thus opportunity to join one that appeals to you abounds.
Christian ministry is available for athletes, sportsmen, adolescents, the aged, prisoners, alcoholics, the poor and homeless, drug addicts, teachers of everything from basic reading and writing skills to balancing a check book, war veterans, foreign countries, the handicapped, young, old, middle aged… whatever… practically anything one can imagine. If you can’t find something you like, then start a Christian ministry of your own.
Tremendous satisfaction can be derived from helping others and witnessing be it in a nursing home, a school, around a campfire or on a trail ride.
Helping others helps us!
If you are down and depressed today I suggest that you take your eyes off yourself and look to Jesus. If you want to feel good, do something for someone else today. It may sound corny, but it works.
I love the verse below. I suggest that you do as I’ve done – read it and then re-read it, and really spend some time thinking about what the Spirit of God is saying here. I hope and pray that God will open your eyes and heart to its meaning and you will understand what I have grown to understand about this verse.
Though I sometimes tire of attempting to comfort others, it is after all a gift and blessing of God to do so and therefore we should be honored to take up that cross…Grin and bear it because grinners have more fun.
2 Cor. 1:4
He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.