Begin With The End

The weather was unusually mild for August in Oklahoma.

I paused from my work in the flower garden and gazed over the fruit of my labor.

Quietly I say out loud, "This is the day that I waited years for."

All sorts of bees and butterflies flitted tirelessly from flower to flower.

Garden phlox and hyssop sweetened the breeze that was gently waving the flags on a nearby pole.

Occasionally a car sped down the old highway, yet, it was a peaceful morning.

Today was the first day of school for many, including my grandson. I whispered God's covenant blessings over him and his school. Funny how it doesn't seem that long ago that I was nudging three little boys of my own out the door.

Back then, we were living in a rental house. A half dozen potted plants were the closest thing I could get to having a flower bed. Our income was meager, but we made the most of every moment together as a family. We had what mattered, and we did our best to instill the importance of family to our sons. We taught them to respect and love each other. They were allowed to disagree but never allowed to fight. They were always told, "Other people will come and go in your life, but your brother will always be your best friend."

Most of all, we taught them to put God first. How? By living what we said, we believed. They saw my husband and me reading our Bibles.

We had family prayer times. Going to church was never an option. It's what we did every Wednesday night and two services on Sunday morning.

Guess what? It didn't kill them; they didn't resent us for taking them. The conversation over Sunday dinner was always, "What did you learn today?"

Our meal was roast beef and potatoes, not "roasted Pastor."

"Look here, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit." How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it's here a little while, then it's gone. What you ought to say is, "If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that."

James 4:13-15

I've arrived at that stage in my life where I spend quite a bit of time reflecting...

"What have I done with my time on this planet?"

"Have I made a difference in anyone's life?"

"What will my husband, children, and grandchildren say about me when I'm gone?"

"What will I be known for?"

We didn't live in our dream home when our sons were young. We didn't drive brand new cars or take annual trips to Disney World.

But we gave them something worth more...We gave them time.

More importantly, we gave them Jesus Christ.

Today our sons are grown with families of their own. We have witnessed the Lord provide beautiful homes that we could only dream of giving them.

God is faithful. His timing may be different than ours. Yet, He has proven over and over again that He has our best interest in mind.

Every night, for years, I would lay my head down on my pillow and softly say, "Thank you, Lord, we're one-day closer..."

Someday finally came a few years ago...

We have a beautiful home for our family to gather together.

I have several gardens of any type of flower I choose to plant.

For this, I am grateful beyond description.

But I am most thankful for the lessons learned in the waiting.

You see, my friends, if I had gotten everything that my heart desired immediately, I would have failed to focus on what mattered most...eternity.

"All your children will be taught by the Lord, and great will be their peace." Isaiah 54:13

I pull my garden gloves back on and kneel down among the zinnias.

"Thank you, Father," I whisper, my sons know You...I have all I will ever need.