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February 2025Rest for the Soul

When our son invited his dad to spend the afternoon together, I wondered what I’d do with a whole beautiful, sunny afternoon to myselfIt didn’t take me long to decide it was the perfect day for the river.

The park along the Fraser River and under the Mission Bridge is a special place to me. It’s where Donna and I went when we needed a break. And, though she’s no longer here, it continues to be a peaceful place of solitude—a place with precious memories—a place to talk with God about future adventures.

When I arrived at the river, I enjoyed my coffee and lunch, went for a walk, read a book, and talked with God. He knew my soul needed quiet rest away from people and demands. When I finally pulled myself away to drive home, my soul felt refreshed. And, yes, I wished the time didn’t have to end.

When did you last feel God draw your tired (and possibly confused) soul into His arms to assure you of His enduring love, strength, and refreshment?

God assures us of quiet because of His enduring love for us, just as Zephaniah delivered God’s words of assurance to Israel when he said, “The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing” (Zephaniah 3:17 ESV).

God assures us of help in trouble because He is our refuge and strength.

He calls us to “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (Psalm 46:10 ESV).

God assures us of rest for our souls because He knows the way ahead. Unfortunately, we don’t always listen. God told Jeremiah to tell the people of Jerusalem, “Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your sounds” (Jeremiah 6:16 NLT). But they didn’t want to listen. The rest of the verse says, “Out you reply, ‘No, that’s not the road we want!'”

Hmm, how many times have we said something similar? “No, God. That’s not the way I want to go. I got this one.” And in the process, we sacrifice the rest our soul needs to carry on.

God offers each of us an open invitation to come away and enjoy rest for our soul. Is it time?

January 2025Age Doesn’t Matter

Last week, I met for coffee with a special young woman whom I’ve known since her high school days with my granddaughter. What a delight to exchange big, bear hugs and talk about God’s hand in our lives. She’s now finished her Master’s degree, working as a marriage and family counsellor, and getting married in the spring. 

Decades separate us in age, but we have a bond because of the connection we formed way back when and because we are sisters in the Lord. A couple hours flew by before we had to get to our next activities. But we committed to get together again.

Regardless of age differences, we’re meant to share in one another’s lives. We’re meant to connect, encourage, and challenge one another—across generations. Titus 2 comes to mind—”older women must train the younger women…” 

Three things I see here.

  1. Titus 2 does not specific ages. In reality, we’re all older than someone. We all have a responsibility to the “younger.”
  2. Whether we call it training, teaching, mentoring, or…, the passage does not suggest it must be in a formal setting. In reality, we all mentor every day, whether or not we realize it—chatting over coffee, how we fulfill our responsibilities, and even how we play—we are mentoring.
  3. This is not a passage speaking only to women.

This is all about being an example. A sobering thought. And a good place to ask ourselves: What kind of example am I living before my children, grandchildren (oh, yes, and great grands), friends, colleagues, or acquaintances?

We make a difference in how we live. How we act and talk. The question is: What kind of difference are we making?