What is the legacy that you want to leave? When people walk by your tombstone, what will people read or remember about you? My grandfather recently passed away and after attending his funeral, I have been questioning the legacy that I want to leave. Death can be sudden and is according to God's divine plan. Sometimes, as humans, we become too caught up in the material culture that surrounds us that we forget our true calling in life. In Exodus 9:16, the Lord clearly explains the legacy we should leave, "I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." The name of the Lord is the legacy awaiting us, if we so chose.
We all experience doubts in our faith that often strengthen our relationship with God. Sometimes, we question our position in a situation. However, worry is unnecessary because God has raised us up for this very purpose, whatever it may be. That purpose can range from attending school and being a beacon of light for fellow students or praying over your meal while out in a public restaurant. God has an absolute plan "for every activity under the heavens" (Ecclesiastes 3:1). As a competitive swimmer, I realize that every stroke I take is a blessing and I am incredibly grateful for my ability in this sport. Although I may win an award or swim an incredible race, it all means nothing without God and He deserves all the glory. After I pass away, my accolades will have absolutely no importance. However, my faith in God and His Son will give me eternal life in heaven. I may never become an Olympic swimmer or be a worldwide icon, but I know that my treasures are in heaven. When people remember Lauren Blakey, I do not want them to remember that I was a swimmer or even a part of Ghana Rock. Instead, I desire God's name to be at the forefront of their lips.
~Lauren Blakey
Monday, February 18, 2013
Sunday, February 10, 2013
God's Timing
Hello all,
So, recently I received a huge thrill. I’ve been tutoring this kid who is a freshman at my school for a few months now. He’s a bright young fellow, but quite controlled by his mother to perform well, which I think affects him in a terribly negative way. Last semester he got a D in world history. This was it, the final straw, for his mother. So, she called the school, and I was paired with him as a tutor. We worked through the end of last semester, pulling low D’s to high D’s and high D’s to low C’s. Progress was slower than molasses. He passed, but it was a discouragingly close pass.
Early this semester, we started working again. He was doing a bit better. Two weeks in and he had made a high C. Then we were working on his next test. This test was filled with 1000 names of figures and events. It was a complicated business, but he worked harder than he ever had before. The weekend after the test, I received a text from his teacher: “He got a 94 on the History Test. Good work.” I was actually at play practice, and I might have told everyone I saw. He received an A.
So, this taught me something about God. There was a time when I felt like my student’s progress was much too slow, like we weren’t getting anywhere. We had worked for more than a month and he still only got a D in the semester. But, frankly, God doesn’t work like that. God doesn’t operate on our expectations. And even when we commit to Him for months, years, or even decades at a time, He will still let us fail. Sanctification isn’t a one step process. You don’t bring a tutor in to get the fix in one week. Even if that was my expectation. Even if I thought that maybe even I could help get him to success that quickly.
But, though God’s timing is often slow, it is so often perfect. He will always give us precisely what we need. When my kid received a 94, I knew that there was success. It’s like when God finally gives us a peek of that glory, of that wonderful purity that he has to offer. Change is not immediate, but invest and it will come.
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”- Matthew 7:7.
…maybe not immediately, but certainly within God’s time frame. And this year on the team this is what we are hoping and praying for. We pray that God will give us a bigger success than ever before. But, the fact is, it is always His timing. We must be diligent and watchful but also faithful. For He will appear, and His timing will be brilliant.
-Andrew Rikard
So, recently I received a huge thrill. I’ve been tutoring this kid who is a freshman at my school for a few months now. He’s a bright young fellow, but quite controlled by his mother to perform well, which I think affects him in a terribly negative way. Last semester he got a D in world history. This was it, the final straw, for his mother. So, she called the school, and I was paired with him as a tutor. We worked through the end of last semester, pulling low D’s to high D’s and high D’s to low C’s. Progress was slower than molasses. He passed, but it was a discouragingly close pass.
Early this semester, we started working again. He was doing a bit better. Two weeks in and he had made a high C. Then we were working on his next test. This test was filled with 1000 names of figures and events. It was a complicated business, but he worked harder than he ever had before. The weekend after the test, I received a text from his teacher: “He got a 94 on the History Test. Good work.” I was actually at play practice, and I might have told everyone I saw. He received an A.
So, this taught me something about God. There was a time when I felt like my student’s progress was much too slow, like we weren’t getting anywhere. We had worked for more than a month and he still only got a D in the semester. But, frankly, God doesn’t work like that. God doesn’t operate on our expectations. And even when we commit to Him for months, years, or even decades at a time, He will still let us fail. Sanctification isn’t a one step process. You don’t bring a tutor in to get the fix in one week. Even if that was my expectation. Even if I thought that maybe even I could help get him to success that quickly.
But, though God’s timing is often slow, it is so often perfect. He will always give us precisely what we need. When my kid received a 94, I knew that there was success. It’s like when God finally gives us a peek of that glory, of that wonderful purity that he has to offer. Change is not immediate, but invest and it will come.
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”- Matthew 7:7.
…maybe not immediately, but certainly within God’s time frame. And this year on the team this is what we are hoping and praying for. We pray that God will give us a bigger success than ever before. But, the fact is, it is always His timing. We must be diligent and watchful but also faithful. For He will appear, and His timing will be brilliant.
-Andrew Rikard
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