"That Day"

Yesterday I found myself re-examining some old photos of Piper and a good friend of hers that I had taken during our college years together.  They were both having a great time, posing for mostly silly pictures of the two of them following what looked to be an engagement party held at my parent’s house.

Both of the girls are dressed in typical 1970’s attire.  Her friend Andrea in a colorful full-length dress with sandals and Piper in a mini-skirt and relatively tall (for her) black pumps.  Much to my chagrin, she did not care for shoes with too tall a heel as they were uncomfortable for her… but as far as I was concerned…pain aside… they looked gorgeous on her!

I allowed my mind to drift a little as I looked at the pictures, thinking about the care-free, fun times that we had back then.  I even heard myself talking about my desire to go back to those simpler days.  But then I had to laugh as I realized that they were “simpler days” only because we were young and had absolutely no responsibilities but to enjoy life and be a blessing to each other! 

Once we were married, both working secular jobs and forging ahead with our fledgling ministry at church, the responsibilities began to increase in our lives… but you know?  That was also a fun and enjoyable time in our lives… and looking back today… I think that I can honestly make that positive comment for just about every chapter in our lives.  Sure, there were difficult times.  Periods when finances weren’t as fluid as other times, family trials and work pressures, but through it all we (like most of you), learned life lessons, kept advancing forward and kept maturing in our faith as well as in our inter-personal relationship with each other and our growing family.

I Corinthians 13:11 caught my attention this morning in regard to my thoughts concerning the desire to go back to a simpler time in life and the mental gymnastics that followed.  In his discussion on the ACT of LOVE, Paul gave a personal testimony of his life in order to press a point saying,

“When I was a child, I spoke about childish matters, for I saw things like a child and reasoned like a child. But the day came when I matured, and I set aside my childish ways.”  (The Passion Translation) 

This verse immediately gives the reader a picture of an individual growing from childhood into adulthood… sort of like Piper and I did a few years after the picture that I was looking at was taken… although I do have a picture of the two of us taken three years later and I think Piper looked even younger than in her teen years!

But while Paul is using the example of a person’s physical and mental growth in this verse, he is specifically applying it to an individual’s personal growth in their Christian maturity… and the phrase that particularly caught my attention was when he wrote,

“But the day came when I matured, and I set aside my childish ways.”

Robertson’s Word Pictures describes this phrase as a “perfect active indicative” meaning that it is a decision or an action that Paul did himself and not someone else for him.  John Wesley translated it as “of my own accord, willingly, without trouble.”  In other words, there comes a time when each of us have to decide that we are going to live our lives in accordance with the truth of God’s Word… in a mature, adult manner.

Many of the commentaries that I looked at defined this as a one-time, once-and-for-all declaration from which we will never retreat.  I tend to think though, in the reality of the circumstances of our daily lives, that the once-and-for-all status of that determination is more of a standard to reach for and grow toward than “Say it and it is automatically a done deal in one’s life!”  And I firmly believe that God in His grace toward us… completely understands this and is there to help us throughout the various situations we encounter during our lives on this earth!

When I first looked at the above-mentioned photos of my young fiancée… to be perfectly honest… I wanted to cry and wallow around in self-pity at the pain I have felt at the early loss of her from my life… and I did entertain those feelings for a short period of time, but quickly pulled myself together and began to thank God for all the growth and personal progress I have made since her passing and of the exciting adventures that I believe are still ahead for me.

For some of us… “that day” that Paul talks about, comes around many times throughout our lives and we have to make the right determination and then move on, by exercising our faith in the level of maturity that we have attained at that time.  I saw many examples of seemingly mature Christian individuals who fell back unto childish ways when it came to the manner in which they personally interacted with us and coped with Piper’s deteriorating mental and physical condition… but I also experienced more who did not – Praise the Lord!

It was easy for me to respond in as high a level of Christian maturity as I could, when Piper needed me the most.  I had a lot of training and education behind me, lots of practical experience… but most importantly… BECAUSE I HAD TO!  SHE NEEDED ME AND I NEEDED TO MAN-UP and do whatever it took to minister to all her needs!

On the other hand, though… there were other situations in life when I didn’t respond in a very mature level of faith and man-up to the needs of the situation.  I am not proud of those times… but I learned through them and when a similar situation arose again… I was more able to answer the call of “That Day” and make the decision to respond to and act throughout the situation in a manner more appropriate to a mature level of my Christian faith.

When is the last time that you were faced with a “That Day” decision to man-up (or women-up) and act in a manner that was characteristic of the mature level of your Christian Faith?  I like myself and trust myself a lot more when I take the high road and act as an adult in my faith… How About You?

I hope that you are having a terrific week!  Ours started out warm, got cold, damp and windy and now the temperatures are on the rise again! 

Hallelujah!  Have a terrific Thursday, and as you do… keep EXPECTING God’s best in all that you do… in an adult and mature manner of faith!