[Faith-talk] Good Night Message for Monday, November 5 2012

[Paul]

Hello and good evening to my fellow North Americans once again, and good day to the rest of you in other parts of the world.  In this country tomorrow, we'll be going to our respective polling places to cast our ballots for President, U.S. Senator and representative in Congress unless, of course, we've voted by absentee ballot or took advantage of the early voting opportunity.  As for the undersigned, he will be voting at his local polling place tomorrow, as it is within walking distance of his home, and he needs the exercise.  All that I'll say about this is that God's will be done in all elections and even on state ballot questions.  In four states, Minnesota, Maryland, Maine and Washington, the issue of same-sex marriage will probably be hot topics of conversation.  As a Christian, I'm voting against that measure.  But enough of that for now.

A topic of conversation on several email lists that I'm a part of was, and probably still will be, what one can do to serve the Lord and others in one's church.  Well, Ruth O'Neil addresses this topic in her article simply entitled "Mentoring," rendered as follows:

Have you ever felt there was nothing left to do at at your church because all the jobs were taken? We had friends who left our church because they did not feel they were being ministered to in church or Sunday school. The husband said that he had no friends who would call or invite him to do anything, and he envied those who did. He felt he needed the mentoring of an older man.

While some of that may have been true, it also may have been true that it was time for him to mentor someone younger or at least someone younger in Christ.

The Bible is very clear on this aspect of the church. Titus 2:4 says that older women should "teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children." We read later in v6, "Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded." The older people in the church are to teach the younger. How else will they learn? This is an aspect of the church that really seems to be lacking today. Older people sit together, and younger people sit together. There seems to be no mixing of the generations.

One of the most enjoyable fellowships I had the opportunity to be a part of occurred when our ladies group invited one of the older women of our church to come speak to us. Even though it was only one night and very casual, I learned a lot and thoroughly enjoyed listening to her life lessons. Many of those stories about her life seemed to come right out of my own life. It seemed that her stories were a part of my life at that time.

My husband also has enjoyed times with older Christian men and going through Bible studies together with them. There is much to be learned if we all only would take time to listen and then to share what we have learned with others.

Now, I am somewhere in the middle. I still enjoy the wisdom and maturity of older women, but I also can be of help to those who are younger and less experienced.

This is definitely a time when I can both give and take. Not one person can only give of themselves, and not one person can only take of another.

Next time you think there is nothing you can do, think about just spending time with someone who is not in your age group. Mentoring is one of God's commands, and it also may be one of the greatest experiences of your life.

Well folks, there you have it.  Now I know that being blind poses some challenges, but in my opinion they are more attitudinal than anything else.  Your church leaders can at least gamble on your particular talents and abilities, and I can guarantee that this kind of gambling would pay handsome rewards, both to the local church and to the person doing the ministering at the same time, if only leaders would give some of you a chance.  Hey, that's a better gamble than the use of hard-earned money, right?

And now may the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob just keep us safe, individually and collectively, throughout this night or day and especially in these last days in which we live.  Your Christian brother and friend, Paul