Please Send Flowers

Just this past week a family friend, a man we always called our uncle, died after suffering a long battle with a debilitating bone disease. A few days leading up to his passing the family all began to post funny stories and memories of how he made their lives much richer. It was a very uplifting and enjoyable thing to see.

It got me thinking about the funeral. I won't be able to attend but I am sure there will be heaps of flowers present at the service because he was loved by so many. Those flowers will decorate the occasion and make the grave look beautiful. Each card will come with a note, a sentiment of love and sorrow. Then the flowers will fade away and be forgotten. Don't misunderstand me, I am not against sending flowers for a funeral. I want you to think about this though. Why don't we send flowers (so to speak) while the person is alive? Why don't we send notes of encouragement to the people that have affected our lives as a way of encouragement? Why can't we send a text, shoot an email, tweet, or heaven forbid pick up the phone and actually call the person?

Years ago I heard a sermon preached on this subject and it really hit home with me. I started telling people how much I appreciate the influence they have had in my life through the years. It is not always mushy and dramatic. It is not often very overt and public. But the people that have influenced me the most know what impact they have had.

I have had a few people come to me and say something similar about what I mean to them. It has a profound impact on me. It makes me want to invest my life even more in others. It serves as a motivation for me to be always ready to encourage and edify others.

Now these folks could have waited until my funeral to speak out and tell others what I had done for them, but it would not have blessed me.

My wife is crafty. Or should I have said she is a crafter? She spends hours every week making beautiful cards for birthdays, anniversaries, or just cards of encouragement. She makes and sends close to 200 cards a year to our church family, our missionaries, as well as family and friends. She knows the importance of encouragement.

Who has impacted you? What have they meant to you? Why not send your "flowers" on ahead where they can do the most good?

Post Holiday Blahs

Well the holiday has come and gone. All the decorations are put away. The gifts have been exchanged, opened, enjoyed, and the wrapping paper is in the trash. That highly anticipated thrill has peaked and diminished.

Now what?

Now we have to wait for another year to enjoy this fabulous holiday once more. After all, Valentine's Day only comes round once a year.

What? You thought I was speaking of another holiday?

Why do we wait for Valentine's Day to come around before we demonstrate our love for our mate? Why does it take a holiday (man made by the way) for us to fork over foot rubs, flowers, candy, or some other nicety? Every day should be Valentine's Day in a truly good relationship.

If you think about it, there are real benefits from celebrating this national holiday. Why not enjoy those benefits all the time? Why wait for a whole year to enjoy?

Let's start a new tradition. Why not set aside a day a month to do something special for your spouse? Pick a day (preferably close tom payday) to do something for your mate that says, "Hey, I love you." See if you don't improve your relationship right away. You don't need to spend a lot of money. You don't need to make complicated plans or take complicated trips. Just do something that lets your spouse know that you are thinking about them in a special way. Do this for one year and evaluate the results. If I am wrong I will send you a box of candy! (With prepaid postage of course! What, do you think I am made of money?)

Mercy!

I have been studying the life of Joseph in preparation for preaching a new series. There are many things we can learn from his story. I am so thankful that God has chosen to show us the truth about Bible characters. We see the good along with the bad. They are real to us because we can relate with their inconsistent actions. Yet because of God's mercy we see they were blessed and protected by the hand of the Almighty. I surmise that if God can do it for these guys He can do it for me too.

We know from Joseph's story that he was highly favored of God, given special dreams and revelations, and was elevated to one of the highest positions of authority in one of the world's most powerful nations. And yet, he came out of a dysfunctional family, was boastful about the gifts of God, and may have even antagonized his brothers with boastful claims. Generally speaking a good man? Yes. Perfect? Far from it.

I can't help but recall the verse in Psalm 103:10 - "He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities."

If God chose to deal with us directly "after our sins" we would all be destined for a Christless eternity in hell. Thats what we deserve for our sins. Romans 6:23 - "The wages of sin is death."

God chose to deal with our sins through Jesus' atoning death on the cross at Calvary. Isaiah 53:6 - "The LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." Therefore the remaining part of Romans 6:23 says, "But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Wow, what a blessed thought. God deals with us in mercy!

Joseph's story is one that portrays great mercy. His brothers sold him into slavery and would have killed him had God not intervened. They intended great evil against him but God in his mercy saved Joseph and eventually used Joseph to save the lives of his brothers and their families.

I am so thankful that God deals with me in mercy and not according to my sins.