We have much to learn & much to share...

I hear it is easier to ask for forgiveness than it is to get permission. So I will brag on a special lady from the church today and seek her forgiveness later. This particular person is always serving somewhere. Whether she’s making snacks for Genesis Kidz, preparing the coffee bar area for a Sunday, helping out at VBS, cooking for a summer youth camp or with a Wednesday night kitchen crew, giving time to the local community outreach, or working with her husband in a disaster cleanup effort, Cheryl is always busy pitching in to make the lives of others better.

Cheryl treats people like one of her own. She’s kind and has a good sense of humor, as she will not only tease but can take a joke as well. But of all her attributes and offerings to our local body and the surrounding community, she may be unaware of one of her greatest gifts. It is the gift of sharing her story. Because whether Cheryl realizes it or not, wisdom is imbedded in the different stories that she shares. And friends, wisdom is valuable!

Last week I was in the church kitchen warming up my lunch when Cheryl came in to check on something in the pantry. In those brief few minutes of dialogue I learned a little bit more about her and her background. It was clear that she’s spent some time reflecting on her childhood. She's learned from it. And without her meaning to, she aided me in gathering from it as well. We’ve had other similar interactions. I often hear her speak as a parent, as well as from her role as grandma. One conversation in particular has stuck with me for a couple months now. A while back we were discussing how different this culture is from the one in which she grew up in. We were talking about how everything today seems to be disposable. And while much of this is convenient and just part of our technological advancements, some of the residual affects have been damaging.

Stewardship has suffered. Nothing seems to be worth the time and energy that is necessary. “I’ll enjoy this until it breaks, then I’ll get a new one.” “I’ll give this relationship a go until it requires work and then I’ll move on to the next.” Why should one devote himself to something, why make a serious investment, if in the end, he can always get another one?

I’ve contemplated that informal interaction off and on for a while now. What’s cool is that Cheryl has no idea (perhaps until today), that I’ve had this on my mind. She wasn’t trying to teach me anything. She was just talking – just sharing what she knew – what she had experienced – what she has observed… And it made an impression.

So in hopes of bringing focus, let me say that my boasting is not solely on Cheryl. While I do brag on her and her servant heart, here is the reason why: it is not because she greets me with a smile and treats me like family, not because I’m pandering for some of her homemade fresh baked banana nut bread (though I would gladly accept a loaf if offered) or because she lets me sample food anytime I come in the kitchen, but because she is representative of a blessing the Lord has given to us all – the wisdom of the generations that have lived longer than us. How amazing is it that God would love us so well that He would send us direction and encouragement through folks like Cheryl.

The generations before us have learned a thing or two through their life experiences and have much to offer. Question: Are we listening? If you know Cheryl, you might just let her know how much you appreciate her. If this blog reminds you of another that the Lord has blessed you with, let them know how grateful you are for them and then spoil yourself by taking a seat and listening up. You might even grab a pen and paper to take down some notes.

Perhaps though, you are one from an older generation and you’re not currently pouring into others. Might I encourage you to do so? Your successes and failures – the lessons you’ve learned have much to offer us. There are couples that need to hear of your ups and downs – in marriage, with finances, in faith and life. Knowing our struggles are not necessarily unique to this time and place could be very beneficial. There are parents that desperately want to raise children that cling to the hope of the gospel but are overwhelmed to a point that it is a struggle to even know where to start. Perhaps you would have some insight… There are new adult believers that could use some godly mentorship. There are single parents burning the wick at both ends just trying to make ends meet. They need to know that someone is aware of their burden and truly cares for them – someone is praying with them – fighting for them.

If you think this is my way of nudging you to be an expert to everyone that is younger than you, you’ve not heard me correctly. I think there are plenty of others attempting to wear those shoes and for some reason, it just isn’t all that attractive. There’s something about a know-it-all that just isn’t very inviting. I’m encouraging you to make yourself available. Sometimes you can make an impact by simply staying involved in the work of the Church (notice I’m not just talking NBC “church”). We retire from a lot of things as life progresses along – our athletic careers, vocational occupations, various hobbies and the like… However, we never graduate, retire, or surpass the necessity of the gospel and its call on our lives.

As we consider God’s gracious gift of eternal life, we can do nothing but desire to give back. In light of what we have been given through Christ’s death and resurrection, the only reasonable response is worship and faithful service – until we can no longer do so. This is not to repay God, for in a million years we know that we could never do that. We do it out of gratitude in hopes that the next generation might taste the sweetness of the Savior and savor the life of fullness that has been accomplished through the cross.

God has made each of His people and their stories unique and special for the purpose of mutually encouraging, growing and strengthening the body. May we submit our gifts and experiences, our agedness and our youth, our listening ears and intentional engagements to make Him known in this world and bring glory to His name.