“It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23 KJV)
Two members of a local church’s women’s group went over to visit with an elderly woman at her long-lived in home, realizing that her health conditions would not allow her to attend church as regular as she used to do for years too many to mention. The visiting sisters in the Lord did noy just come to talk, but they came ready to work. They asked if there was anything they could do while they were there. It took some convincing, but the elderly woman finally conceded and admitted there we a couple of household chores that they could help her get done. One was the dusting of the top of a few furnishings, aged pieces of furniture that had been onlookers for decades of visitors coming and going. The elderly woman could no longer reach the top of these commodities that had become in animate companions, but wisely she did not try to stand on a chair to do the dusting herself. The other chore was to take the glasses out of the kitchen cabinet and put in some new lining paper. The member of the women’s group who took on the latter task carefully removed all the glassware and sat them in a safe place. As this unselfish sister carefully removed them as if handling valuable heirlooms, she noticed that these were not just any kind of glasses. For the most part, they were name brand named and costly glassware. There was fine British glassware that was recognized worldwide. There was some high quality, French made, sandblasted, crystal glassware too. There was some stunning American glassware in the elderly’ woman collection! What a collection indeed! Now while most of the glassware was expensive and would not be excluded from any top list of drinking glasses, there were also two old jars that were used for storing food in days past. These were not reproduction items, but they were the real deal. Just looking at them would cause one to think of the estimated price that the antiques roadshow expert would assign to these jars.
After laying down the shelf liner, the sister starts to put the glasses back on the shelf. She is doing so under the watchful eye of the elderly woman and when she sees her helper putting the storage jars in first, setting them against the back wall of the shelf as to hide them, the elderly woman speaks up in a kind tone, but her rate of speed was very high, “No honey! Wait and put those in last. They go in the front baby!” The helping sister seemed to be posing, not moving. Her face adorned with a puzzled look. She pauses momentarily, but she could not manager biting her tongue. She responds to the elderly woman, “Don’t you want these valuable glasses to be in the front?” The elderly woman says, “No honey! Put those in front!” She goes on to explain why, “These glasses are remnants of days past. My late husband, and me used them all the time during some hard times, the likes your generation has never experienced.” She takes a brief break to catch her breath without breaking eye contact with here helper and she adds, “I don’t keep them to just hold on to my memories of my departed loved one who is now with the Lord, but I keep them to remind me of all the times the Lord saw us through; those poor as you can get times; those times when you were overjoyed when you had more than tap water to put in the jars to drink; those times when it was tough, but not to tough for the Lord to bring us through.” The helping sister from the church shakes here head as to indicate she fully understands and begins to complete here chore. However, the elderly woman is not through yet. She goes on to say, “Sugar, those glasses do not just remind me of how the Lord blessed us way back when, but they let me know that the Lord, have mercy, He is still blessing me every day, every time I go to the cabinet!” She is not done yet! She asks the same question three times, without a pause in between, “Isn’t God good?” Chore time became church time! The task of putting up the glasses was replaced by a brief putting up praise service!
As you go through your house this morning, look around and see what causes you to focus on how the Lord has moved in your life and how He is blessing you right now! Oh, I know you have something that tells the story of the goodness of the Lord in your life! And when you find it, praise Him out loud for He is worthy to be praised! Great is His faithfulness! Read the words below from Eddie James song, “Great Is Thy Faithfulness.” Shout, “O Glory!” Enjoy today! Worship tomorrow! Be blessed!
As I look back over my life, I can see how Your love has guided me. Even though I’ve done wrong, you never left me alone, but you forgave me, and You kept on blessing. This I recall to my mind. Therefore, I have hope. It’s because of Your mercy that we are not consumed. Because Thy compassions fail not, they are new every morning. Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!”
Still committed to the climb,
Mark L. King