Life Defining Experiences

This morning when I rolled out of bed I found myself merrily singing that old children’s song:

“This is the day, this is the day

 That the Lord has made, that the Lord has made.

 We will rejoice, we will rejoice,

 And be glad in it, and be glad in it…”

 

That realization caused me to laugh because, to be honest with you, I was not really feeling too chipper when I first got up!  My lower back was a little sore as I have been trying to exercise regularly with this diet that I am on and I was just plain old tired!  I quickly forget that discomfort though, when I got on the scale and noticed that I’d lost another pound!  That makes a loss of 30 lbs – Yeah!

Anyway… As I sang and waltzed into the kitchen, I stopped to open the vertical blinds on the slider and once more caught the bright morning sun magnifying its presence in the reflected red light that shined through the nectar in the bird feeder!  It was almost as though the Lord was beckoning me to “Come!”  To come into the presence of His glory and grace!  I was so charged that I had to grab my camera, disturb the dog sleeping on the Lazyboy chair in the living room and step outside to capture the moment!

When I finally made it to my study, I looked up the word “come” as used in Revelation 22:17 in Thayer’s Greek Definitions.  It was defined as “to come into being, to come forth,” and the usage that really caught my attention: “to find your place or influence.”

As I meditated on that, I suddenly and unexpectedly heard the phrase: “Life Defining Experiences.”  And when I let my mind go free along that path, I thought that when you go through a life defining experience like my wife and I have over the last four years, you really find out who you are, what you’re made of, what or who you trust in and who is with you and who is not!  That type of experience forces you to define yourself.

With that, I picked up my mechanical pencil and began to furiously write in my notebook!  As I wrote I remembered Paul’s words about putting aside childish things and I turned to I Corinthian 13:11 where he wrote, “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, thought like a child, and reasoned like a child.  When I became an adult, I no longer used childish ways.” (God’s Word ©)  The Good News Bible says “Now that I am an adult, I have no more use for childish ways.”

That translation brought it home to me!  I clearly remember the defining moment a couple of years back when I fully realized that I had the responsibility to grow up and get serious about my wife’s healing.  I realized that I was tired of playing religious games or having to continually deal with childish interactions with some of our relatives.  I had reached the point where I had to step up and step out of where I was, in order for us to move forward.

Some near to us have chosen to disregard or try and ignore those life defining experience questions that they are facing by distancing themselves from us.  I laugh and at the same time feel a tug of sadness when they make comments that demonstrate the expanding bridge between us.  But yet, I am assured that we have chosen the right path.  I am excited about the future that the Lord is telling us to “come” into.  We are not filled with empty hope, but are overflowing with the expectations of the truth of God’s Word working in, through and for us!

I was over taken with joy and thanksgiving this morning as I once again began to sing that old children’s song to my wife as I greeted her at her bedside exclaiming that:

“This is the day, this is the day

 That the Lord has made, that the Lord has made.

 We will rejoice, we will rejoice,

 And be glad in it, and be glad in it…”

… and she began to hum along with me!  Then as I read to her from Deuteronomy 11: 9&21 saying “It is well with you and your days are being multiplied and prolonged as the days of heaven upon the earth” she smiled and purposely stated “Ah Ha!”  Now I challenge you to try and tell me that the Word isn’t working in her perfecting the healing and the cure that He has touched her with!  Isn’t God good!

So, let me ask you.  How do you deal with the life defining experiences in your life?  Do you face them head on and choose to boldly look at the good, the bad and the ugly that you are faced to deal with?  Do you choose to find your foundation in the truth of God and His Word? It is interesting that Paul concluded his thoughts about putting aside childish ways with the life defining statement concerning our abiding in faith, hope and love, declaring that “the greatest of these is love!”  (I Corinthians 13:13 Moffatt)  Are there areas in your life that you need to grow up in?  Have a great weekend.  Stay in tune to His Word and keep asking yourself… “What or Whom am I expecting today?”