 | Ever since I can remember, my father, who died this year at 92, planted a garden. He prepared the soil and sowed the seed. Then came the weeding and watering ( I used to help him with that part) and before long, -- beans and beets, carrots and tomatoes! Dad didn't use poisonous pesticides on his garden because he cared about the long term results of his land use and he loved birds and wanted to protect the soil and the underground water supply. His mission was living simply, growing the vegetables he used and protecting the earth and that's so necessary. I have a spiritual mission as well. Jesus talked about gardening but he didn't stop there. Jesus' analogy compared gardening to sharing "God's Word". In fact Jesus said the Word was like "good seed" sown in the earth. What you "sow" is what your harvest will be.....depending of course, on the condition of the "soil" (the heart in the analogy). We cannot change other people but we can love them in God's way and help when we can and share God's truth with love and extend forgiveness and ask for it when we need to. Share inklings of God in your everyday conversation, Share it in note cards and letters. Send a postcard to a kid who is struggling. My cousin just celebrated 50 years of marriage in church with a renewal of vows. What a celebration and a reminder of what life can be. Increased spiritual vigor and genuine fellowship can be result.
I love the Wycliffe Bible translators organization because their mission is to meet the deepest need of people by translating the Word of God into their native unwritten languages . They don't force their culture on anyone but they translate a book. People who have the Bible in their "heart language" can apply it to their life circumstances with clarity and understanding. They are better prepared to negotiate with the modern world. Their churches are more indigenous and they better avoid manipulation from people who have selfish interests at heart and best of all they find eternal life with God now and forever. What about our own culture in our post modern era? We have the Bible, but Christians in America haven't seemed to be very good at applying it recently to their life circumstances. They don't seem to use the Bible as they once did. For one thing we are traveling too fast and not making time for God. We have often been carried away by values of materialism and success that has become greed and over work rather than being thankful for what we have and spending time with the Lord. Would we be more blessed if we learned to make do with "enough"and were more faithful to our families? What if we supported third world children or missions or a search for alternative energy with our abundance. What if our children and nieces and nephews who live in this fast paced society and hear their faith denigrated in the world would see it at work in our lives? What if we were "seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and trusting that all things would be added to us as well"? We might have the time to share with them in honest meaningful relevant ways so that they would know that we struggle too and yet God can be trusted. Let's live so that the children see God's "Light" shine in us. I know some who do. That means resisting the "god's" of power, sensuality and selfishness and living our lives in God's peace and love. We won't do it perfectly. God never said we would be perfect but we can humbly go in the right direction, confess our sins when we fail and find God there to pick us up and restore us again.
Resume
My testimony
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� Princeton, New Jersey
