KEY SA #6: A WAVE FROM AN OLD WOMAN

Driving on for a while the following morning, I discover another "pull over" rest stop and climb out to stretch my weary legs.  Looking over this railing, I spot another pleasant sight, though completely different from the one I saw the previous day.  Yesterday, I enjoyed watching children in all stages of life, from conception and on.

Today I see the other end of the spectrum . . . the elderly . . . mixing and mingling, or sitting in peaceful solitude.   I spot one old woman whose skin is covered with deep wrinkled crevices  . . . who walks with a hunched over back, hanging onto a cane for support.  As though sensing my stare, she stops to smile and give me a wave.  As I wave back, I feel an almost tangible connection made between our souls that is not hindered by age barriers.  Her spirit is whole and complete, yet she lives in a body that is obviously wearing out.   We both have the similar emotions, wants and needs as that of any other woman . . . of any age.   Sometimes when I look in my mirror I get surprised because the face that stares back appears older than I feel.  When she looks in the mirror of her mind, does she see a young maiden with her whole life ahead of her? Or does she merely see a body that is slowing fading away?

What must it be like to have a whole lifetime of experiences wrapped up in a failing body? What is her story?  How many emotions has she encountered in her time of existence on this Earth?  Perhaps she has experienced the entire range of feelings.  Did she give birth to many children?  Or "mother" nieces and nephews?  Did she loose a loved one?  Or several loved ones?  

Who takes care of her?  Who listens to her?  Who visits her? 

Is she treated with dignity and respect?  Does she find the opportunity to pass on to others wisdom she has struggled and suffered for years to attain?  Are her prayers more fervent than mine since she has known so much of life that I have yet to discover?  Does anyone take the time to learn from her vast range of life-history?  Okay, I know I'm past sixty . . . just barely . . . :)  but I don't feel old at all yet.  I hope I never do!  My body still works quite well and my mind . . . well, that's another subject!  :)  But I'm not elderly and I hope and pray that when I reach that stage of life, God will still use me to extend His love and goodness to others, to share things that I have learned . . . often the hard way . . . on this journey through Life so that others can benefit from my own experiences.  "O God, You have taught me from my youth; and to this day I declare Your wondrous works.  Now also when I am old and gray-headed, O God, do not forsake me, until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come."  Psalm 71:17-18

How important is one elderly woman in the everyday kaleidoscope of youth, activity, busy-ness and progress?  I sense that The Master considers her of extreme importance.  

And so must I.

The old woman turns as a thin, kindly-looking man approaches her.  He takes one hand and they look up at each other, smile with their eyes as only two souls who mated for life can, turn and walk slowly away.

I wipe a tear from my eye.

copyright 2012 linda ruth stai--author and inspirational speaker

KEY RB#6: LETTER FROM A BABY

"Life does not begin at birth.  Birth is only a change in the place of residence."  (Unknown author)

Traveling onward along the deeper road in The Land of Abundant Living, I now spot a sign which reads "Detour."  I sigh.  Will I ever reach my destination?  But then, isn't the journey part of the destination?  So I rewind my mind and turn on the "eager" switch, wondering what wisdom this new road will reveal to me.  It doesn't take long to find out.

The view changes as I approach a "pull off"rest area where I can get a tremendous look at the whole scene in the grasslands beneath me.  I park my dependable lavender vehicle and hop out to pier over the railing.

What a happy sight!  The entire landscape is filled with children . . . most of whom are at play.  Mothers carry their babies and some toddlers.  The sounds of childish laughter delight my senses and flood my heart with joy.   I do so love children, especially my two wonderful grandsons.  And now we are anticipating the birth of their little sister which will bring even more joy to our family.

I watch as the children interact or entertain themselves.  They are of all nationalities, skin color, sizes and . . . oh, my!  Some of them are so tiny.  I squint my eyes and lean partially over the railing for a closer look. How can such small children be alive?  Their mothers caress them tenderly in their arms.  No, wait!  Some hold their babies in their arms, but other babies seem to be attached to their mother's tummies.  Impossible!  But of course!

The light in my foggy brain clicks on again.  In the Land of Abundant Living, I am somehow permitted to see even the tiny ones still in their mother's wombs.  My eyes catch the minutest of the babies in all stages of development, from conception and on.  How sweet!  There's one tiny one sucking his thumb.  And over there are two incredibly small sisters with their tiny arms wrapped around each other, fast asleep.   Then another one . . . a little boy who is jumping and kicking.  Oh, my, his mommy holds her tummy with one hand and beckons an older child to her side.  Must be the baby's sister.  She runs excitedly to pat her mom's tummy and smiles up at her.

This precious scene has stirred my heart, but I must move on.  Nightfall is approaching and I do want to reach a guest house before darkness falls.  As I turn, a small white envelope on the ground catches my eye.  Curiously, I pick it up.  It is addressed to "Grown-Up Friend."  That must mean me!  I am a grown-up and definitely consider myself a friend to children.

I tear open the envelope and pull out a fragile piece of stationery with flowing waves of pinks and blues forming a pastel background.  The note is written with small but perfect lettering.  I read:

Dear Grown-up Friend,

Have you ever received a letter from a baby before?  I know it's unusual, but I am determined to share my thoughts and feelings with you.  You see, I am a lot like you.  I have two arms and two legs, ten fingers and ten toes, a mind eager to learn and similar desires for health and happiness.  My needs are simple but urgent.  I need someone to take care of me, to love, encourage and support me until I am able to care for myself.

But I will not only take from you.  I can also give.  I am capable of showing much affection to those who are dear to me.  As the years go by, I will often be stubborn and demand my own way.  Please remember that I am trying to find my own identity and discover my limits.

I have a tremendous potential for acquiring knowledge.  When I am grown, I will be able to use this knowledge along with my creative abilities to enrich mankind and improve the life style for many.

But first . . . I have to be born.

                     Please give me that chance.

With love, A Little Person      "For You have formed my inward parts; You have covered me in my mother's womb.  

I will praise You,  for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works."  Psalm 139:13-14      

Copyright 2012 Linda Ruth Stai-author and inspirational speaker

FOLLOW ME ON WORD PRESS!

Greetings friends,
Thank you so much for following my blog at blogger.com!  I have appreciated your faithfulness and enjoyed your comments!
I am excited about making the switch to Word Press where you can continue to read my blog and also check out my speaking info and book store all in one place.
So please go to http://www.lindaruthstai.com and click on "blog."  Then you may go to the box on the right side and sign up to follow me at my new site.
You can also google "lindaruthstai" to find my new Abundant Living web site on Word Press.
After a few weeks, I plan to close blogger and hope to still "visit" with you at the new site!
Have a wonderful "God-blessed" Day!
Linda Ruth Stai

KEY #RB5: LAW OR LOVE?

Thinking back to last week's tour in the Land of Abundant Living, do you recall that I said I'd discuss the Law further this week?

What sort of thoughts come to the forefront of your mind when you hear the word "Law?"  Please mentally list three words.  Here are mine:  obey, punishment, justice.

I have a high respect for the law of my country and the men and women who enforce it.  Not that I wouldn't like to see some changes made, but my intention is to work within the framework and structure in place to being about those changes.  I grew up living next door to a deputy sheriff.  He and his wife were terrific neighbors and friends whom I highly respected.  And it was comforting to know that the Law lived right next door to us in case we had trouble and needed help!

Last week, I talked about how the Love of Christ sets me free from false guilt.  And the week before how the Love of God working through the blood of Christ sets me free from real guilt.  So how do I reconcile the Law with Love?  There is an easy answer for that.  Yes, a simple answer that even a child can understand.  Everyone is guilty of sin of wrongdoing.  Someone has to pay for that sin. God loves us so much that He was willing to give His very own, precious Son to suffer and die on the cross to pay for that sin in our place. If we accept that payment for ourselves, God will adopt us as His child and will take care of us in this life and in the next!  Period.

So why do we make it so complicated?  Because of our feelings and our self-centeredness.  Our feelings of uncertainty, fear and selfishness often conflict with the truth.  So to bring my feelings into alignment with the truth, I remind myself that my Law is God's Love.  Jesus is not only my Savior but my Lord.  Jesus is my King!  He is the One who deserves my total allegiance.  He is the One I must focus on honoring and obeying.

And because of my self-centeredness, I want to put myself above the Law!  When I am confronted with the enemy's accusations (see last week's blog), and I instinctively question my thoughts or actions, the eyes of my mind need to turn to the One whom I serve and honor.  It is because of my allegiance to my Lord that I choose to obey the Law of the Land. When I choose to obey my Lord Jesus, everything else falls into place.  When I decide to obey the highest Law of God, doing the right thing will be automatic.  If I try to push Him off the throne of my heart so I can occupy it, even for a moment in time, I will fail . . . fall into sin.  When I keep my eyes on Him, I succeed.  Maybe not in the ways that I wish success for my own purposes, but in the ways that will succeed for Eternity . . . for lasting purposes that go far beyond my own desires . . . goals that are so much more important than my own petty wishes.  And one day, those purposes will result in the Eternal Law of the Land of Heaven and I will find myself totally in line with them and grateful that I made the decision to abide by the Law of my Lord, the Law of Love,  in this temporary world.

Copyright 2012 Linda Ruth Stai, Author and Inspirational Speaker

KEY #RB4: GUILTY OR NOT?

I feel so much better now that I have passed by the garbage truck.  What a relief to get rid of that load of ugly, contaminated sin!  The view is amazing from here.  One thing I love about the Land of Abundant Living is that the seasons change frequently and I can pass from a gorgeous summer day with sparkling, diamond crusted lake waters into a brisk autumn scene with golden and raspberry toned trees within a matter of minutes.  Reminds me of Minnesota weather!  :o)

But what is this?  Oh, oh, the next roadblock!  A police car is pulling in behind me.  I feel my foot lift slightly off the accelerator.  But why on earth am I instinctively reacting like that?  I am one of those rare citizens who still observe speeding laws as a regular practice.  I have never gotten a speeding ticket and never expect to, unless it is some sort of a misunderstanding.  So why do I automatically lift my foot at the sight of a police vehicle?

Guilt.  But not real guilt.  The symbol of the Law causes me to consider any possible wrongdoing.  (More on that topic next week)  Do you ever have feelings of guilt even though you know in your head that you have done nothing wrong?  It happens to me every day. Part of the reason is that I set such high standards for myself that I am unable to attain.  I want to be the perfect wife, mother, grandmother, friend, housekeeper, cook, writer, Bible study leader, gardener (Yes, really, it doesn't show at all, but the desire is there!).  Etc. . . . And I inwardly scold myself when I can't reach my goals.

Then there are the questions from the enemy:  "Why didn't you make that phone call you intended to make to the new person at church?"  "Why didn't you write that letter or send that card?"

And his accusations:  ""You cut your Bible reading short today!"  (I love to spend time in God's Word, but interruptions happen!)  "You should have spoken up when you had the chance; coward!"  "You didn't check facebook again!"

The confusion:  Why do churches have conflict and division?  Why can't we all seem to share 'the mind of Christ?'  How can people who genuinely love God differ so greatly in their opinions?

The realization:  I can't figure everything out and I can't measure up!  No matter how hard I try, I fall short!

The cure:  Hang onto Jesus!  Trust Him; trust His wisdom and His love.  At times when I 'm with my precious grandsons, I just sit and watch them (but not for long, or they want Grandma to do something with them!) and my heart almost explodes with love for them!  Then I remind myself that God loves me even more than I love my grandsons . . . or my children . . . and I can rest in that perfect love.

God, give me a calm peaceful spirit that can rest in You no matter how how incompetent I feel.  Don't let me give into false guilt because I am only one person and cannot do all that I want to do.  Help me to find the time to accomplish all that You intend for me to do this day, and be able to let the rest go.  Your plans are all that matter!  I want to deal with the real guilt in my life and let You wash it away with the blood of Jesus Christ.  I don't need to deal with false guilt that wears me down and hinders my productivity.

Relieved again!  

Oh, no, the police car has his siren on.  I need to pull over.  Beads of sweat break out on my forehead.  He's approaching my car.  What did I do wrong???

"Yes, officer?"

"I just wanted to stop you and thank you, Ma'am for obeying the laws of our Land.  Have a pleasant day!"

Whew.

Copyrighted 2012 Linda Ruth Stai, Author and Inspirational Speaker

KEY #RB3: DUMP THAT TRASH!

Can this be?  A garbage truck is the first Roadblock along my deeper pathway into the Land of Abundant Living?  I suppose there would necessarily be garbage even here in the Land, but why does the truck have to take up the whole roadway?  It  is even parked sideways, stretching completely across the road!  I have no option but to bring my stylish lavender vehicle to a stop and wait it out.

NOTE:  I apologize for the late blog this week!  We are in the process of transferring to word press and are running into some glitches.  Thanks for bearing with me . . . hope to get back on schedule soon!

Tapping my fingers against the steering wheel with nervous impatience, I remind myself that as soon as the garbage men finish their work, I'll be moving on to greater discoveries in wisdom and insight that were promised me at the beginning of this journey.  Not much insight is revealed by staring at the side of a garbage truck. . .

Then I remember an incident that occurred about twenty years ago.   In fact the situation is becoming quite clear in my mind.  It happened when my husband and I were celebrating our tenth anniversary in Hawaii . . . "It was a dream come true, one whole week in Hawaii with my husband!  Gary and I had left our three children in the care of delighted grandparents while we hopped on a plane to celebrate our tenth anniversary in a style to which we were not accustomed!

The climate was perfect, 75-80 degrees and continuously sunny, a true tropical paradise.  Our hotel was situated on the ocean shore.  The view from our balcony displayed a panoramic scene of mountain grandeur adorned with lush greenery and crested peaks.  The heady scent of tropical flowers hung in the air. 

I felt like I'd stepped into a painting.  

Reclining on the balcony inthe stillness of the morning snuggled in my white terry cloth robe, I sipped a cup of steaming herb tea.  Soft breezes caressed my hair.  The only sound was the melodic chirping of birds as they lifted their silver-toned voices in a harmony of praise.

It was the perfect setting for my quiet time with God.  I sighed contentedly, reached for my Bible and began to read.

Suddenly, a loud, clamoring noise creashed into my serenity.  Gancing up, I watched a huge, ungainly garbage truck rumble down the street and come to a stop directly in front of my hotel.

Two men leaped out of the cab, grabbed nearby trash cans and began the repulsive job of dumping refuge. 

Screeching gears rose to a crescendo as the hungry, gaping mouth of the vehicle opened to receive its meal.  The chorus of birds was silenced by the bellowing atrocity.  Stale oders replaced the scents of fragrant blossoms.  An abundance of putrid waste forced a mood of stark reality into the immaculate setting.  Grating noises reverbrated across the jagged edges of my nerves.  'Why do they have to do that now?' I inwardly groaned, irritated that the racket would spoil my quiet time with God.

Then it hit me.

Just as the unwelcome intrusion of the noisy garbage truck defaced the perfect scene in front of me, so the rotten core of my sin often marred the perfect picture of my fellowship with God.

In fact, wasn't I out here on the balcony for the same purpose that the garbage truck had made its appearance?  To dump my own trash?  To dump my trash load of sin at the feet of my heavenly Father so He could dispose of it properly under the blood of Jesus?

I bowed my head and began to confess my sins.

The garbage men finished their repugnant chore and guided the cumbersome vehicle farther down the street. 

Peace was restored, in the beauty of the splendor set before me.

And also restored in my heart."  

HOPE TO SEE YOU AGAIN NEXT WEEK AS WE TRAVEL ON TOGETHER!      c 2012 linda ruth stai