SCRIP-BITS

Proverbs 2:33.    But whoso hearkenth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.
 
Oh Friends, sorry that this Bit is so late, but the vicissitudes of life, along with the requirements those sudden changes bring, have caused me to be swinging like a yo-yo these past two weeks. This morning I had to get up early and take family to the airport, then I had to go to church, since I had not gone for the previous two weeks. By then I was burnt to a crisp and wouldn’t have written a good Bit, so I went back to bed. But thankfully, the hoopla and the rigmarole are finally finished. We buried my mother Molly yesterday. It was well attended, although I expected more people to show up. However, modern day life is so fast paced and complicated that many people had made prior arrangements on which they could not renege. But they all sent their condolences and good wishes, for which my family and I are extremely grateful. Molls had a good send off. Everybody was pleased. Amazingly I didn’t have even one complaint. Wonders surely never cease nuh! (smile) And Friends, I have nothing but the utmost praise and thanks for Highland Funeral Home, and Highland Hills Cemetery for the kind, pleasant and professional manner in which they treated me. I certainly could not have gotten through the ordeal of funeral arrangements without their generous and ever-ready support. A friend had guided me to them, and from the first moment I walked in, I felt comfortable, so I never went elsewhere. I would recommend them highly to anyone in this area needing to make funeral arrangements. Now they aren’t dirt cheap, and you get what you pay for, but they are truly helpful in all aspects of the funeral planning. I’m sure that my going there was a blessing from the Lord. Unfortunately, though the funeral arrangements were hectic, that was the easy part. The hard part, settling the affairs of the estate, with all the legal ramifications, plus getting rid of all her stuff, is now about to begin. But at least I don’t have to get that all together in a hurry, so now I’ll have more time to concentrate, and won’t be writing Bits at two-thirty in the afternoon. (smile) And I’m sure that just as the Lord led me through the funeral arrangements without too many problems, He’ll lead me through the legal stuff satisfactorily too. Ah mih people, the things that our God puts us through eh! Many times it’s not easy, but I’ve learned from hard experience, especially this past year, that the Good Book is indeed a fountain of solid, indisputable truth. He puts us through hardship to grow and mature our faith, but in all the hardship, He also provides the wherewithal for us to bear and then overcome it. What a wonderful God we serve and worship my brethren! Through it all, He never leaves us. He’s always there watching over us, just in case we stumble, to be ready to catch us before we fall. And Friends, if you truly surrender your life to Him, and believe what He says in His Word, then despite all the heartache, pain, sorrow and confusion in your life, there will also be an overwhelming sense of peace and calm. I can personally testify to that, because from my knee operation last December, through my prostate cancer surgery earlier this year, and now my mother’s sudden, unexpected passing, I’ve been filled with a peace and calm that certainly surprised me. I’ve never been this peaceful and calm in my entire life. Now don’t think that it will all be clear sailing, for it won’t be. But through all the pain and sorrow, you will be able to bear up admirably. You will still have to cry out to the Lord for help and strength, and He will give them to you, but deep down you will feel a blessed assurance that this too will pass, and things will get better. And they will too, but the problem though is how long- how long before it gets better and how long the better will last? That’s because the Lord is always trying and testing us to build our faith and bring us more into character with His wonderful Son Jesus. My recent life is a good example. I’d never have thought that I would have knee surgery, then cancer problems, then death problems, one right after the other.  But it’s also a fact that the more mature we become in the faith, the harder the tests get too. It’s just like growing up and going to school; as we get older the schoolwork becomes harder because our abilities improve. The same goes for the process of Christian maturity. After a while we stop drinking milk, and start eating meat, but likewise, in time, the meat becomes progressively harder and tougher to chew and swallow. But the Lord in His infinite wisdom and LOVING-kindness, always lends a hand. I repeat, He ALWAYS lends a hand, ALWAYS helps those who put their trust and faith in Him. So Friends, why don’t you fully surrender your lives to Him today, so that He can help you on this rough and rugged journey that is our earthly life? It’s the wisest decision you can ever make. For as our Bit so rightly says: ‘But whoso hearkenth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet (secure, at ease) from fear of evil.’ Much LOVE!…when you put you trust in God…your life will never be the same…it will improve a hundredfold…