A Norvell Note

Vol. 16 No. 14 | April 8, 2013

This article is about perspective.

From where I sit the sun is shining and spring is blooming all around. Bradford Pear trees are as white as snow. Cherry blossoms are beautiful. The grass in my lawn is growing and green and could use a mowing. The weeds could use a killing. The neighborhood is calm. From where I sit it is a beautiful peaceful spring afternoon.

Not far from here a family is grieving due to a house fire and loss of life. A little further away a family is grieving the loss of three people due to an apparent murder/suicide. Others are grieving the loss of a loved one in a car accident. From where they sit life is quite different.

From where I sat this morning the worship was rich and full and alive. God was being praised. Our assembly consisted of people from different races, from different spiritual backgrounds, and from different social and financial segments of our community. Worshippers were openly expressing their love and adoration for the One who has given us life and hope and a reason to live. We were free to assemble and free to worship with all our hearts.

In other parts of the world some were forbidden to assemble for worship. In some places what went on in the assembly was dictated and followed a very strict pattern of what is appropriate. Some worshipped with only people of similar backgrounds, and tastes, and beliefs. Some people worshipped in secret because of their fear of punishment. Some people worshipped in large assemblies and some worshipped where two or three were gathered.

From where I sit friends frequently gather to enjoy an evening of fellowship, food, and spiritual conversation. We regularly share meals with friends and family in our home and in restaurants. We laugh. We talk. We cry. We share. We support. We encourage. We share our stories.

Others are alone. They cannot remember they actually sat across the table from another human being. They cannot remember the last time they actually had a conversation with another human being. They cannot remember the last time they felt loved.

From where I sit I see God as a loving, caring, compassionate father who always wants what is best for me and is constantly sharing His creation and vast world of blessings with me. I see God as loving me unconditionally. I see God as drawing me to His side so that He can nurture me, comfort me, console me, and protect me.

Others see God as uncaring, cold, harsh and caring very little about what goes on in our world. Others see God as intent on making life miserable. Others see God as waiting for them to make a mistake so He can angrily correct them and condemn them to hell.

From where I sit I imagine God looking at us from where He sits with gentle loving eyes knowing that although we all may see things differently, think differently, act differently, and react to life differently, we are all still His children. From where I sit I imagine God reaching out to each one of us with open arms inviting us to bring our fears, our tears, our pains, and our suffering to Him. I imagine seeing Him life on this earth comes to an end as He welcomes home where once and for all we will enjoy eternal rest.

I like what I see from where I sit.

Tom

© Copyright 2013 Tom Norvell. All rights reserved.

 

Vol. 16 No. 13 | April 1, 2013

Father, on this day help me to allow the wisdom You have given me so that I will make, not only the right choices, but choices that demonstrate spiritual wisdom and choices that will produce spiritual fruit.

Father, on this day help me to surrender my will to Your will so that Your will is done in my life as it is in Heaven.

Father, on this day help me to allow Your Spirit to guide me resist temptation.

Father, on this day help me to seek Your Kingdom first and trust that You will provide for my all needs.

Father, on this day help me to trust that You will give me the strength to do all the things that I need to do today.

Father, on this day help me to know that You are aware of everything that is going on in the world and realize that You did not ask, and are not asking me to fix the wrongs nor to take credit for any of the rights.

Father, on this day help me to receive all the gifts You will make available to me with a grateful heart.

Father, on this day help me to keep Your teachings on love, compassion, kindness, and gentleness in the forefront of my mind as interact with people.

Father, on this day help me to rejoice with those who rejoice.

Father, on this day help me to mourn with those who mourn.

Father, on this day help me to receive any attacks that may be aimed toward me without retaliation.

Father, on this day help me to ignore comments and criticisms that are spoken to harm and discourage me.

Father, on this day help me to reject the lies that the prince of the darkness whispers in my ear or tries to plant in my mind.

Father, on this day help me to sense Your constant and abiding presence in every circumstance.

Father, on this day help me to speak when I need to speak.

Father, on this day help me to be silent when I need to be silent.

Father, on this day help me to simply listen to those who need to be heard without comment or instruction or correction or judgment.

Father, on this day help me to forgive anyone who has harmed me.

Father, on this day help me to release any ill will toward another human being that I may be holding on to.

Father, on this day help me to express my gratitude to every person who does a good deed to me or around me.

Father, on this day help me to look for opportunities to do good and ask for nothing in return.

Father, on this day help me to hear Your voice above all other voices that I will hear, and to heed what you say.

Father, on this day help me to think not only of my own interests but also the interests of others.

Father, on this day help me to think on things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy.

Father, on this day help me to let Your gentleness be evident to all so they will know that You are near.

Father, on this day help me to overlook little and insignificant things that people do that annoy me…remembering that I do little and insignificant things probably annoy them as well.

Father, on this day help me to be a person that people enjoy spending time with.

Father, on this day help me to be the husband, the father, the father-in-law, the grandfather, the brother, the friend, the teacher, the preacher, the counselor, the writer that You created and gifted me to be.

Father, on this day help me to follow You in such a way that when others see me they will see You.

Father, on this day when I fail to do any one or all of these things to remember that You still love me, to ask for Your forgiveness, to accept Your forgiveness, and to know that if I wake up tomorrow You will give me the opportunity to start over and hopefully do better than I did today.

Tom

© Copyright 2013 Tom Norvell. All rights reserved.

Vol. 16 No. 12 | March 25, 2013

Have you noticed that much of life is made of events or happenings or opportunities or things that might fall into a classification of a very little thing, but not really? You may have another way of describing them, but you know the kinds of things I am referring to.

On the negative side it may be that hangnail that, no matter how hard you try, you cannot clip. It’s a little thing, but not really.

It may be that person at work who gets on your nerves. You come into the office what a great attitude and within minutes after a short interaction your day is ruined. It’s a little thing, but not really.

It may be that conversation that you seem to have over and over again with your boss or your spouse or your children. You have had the same conversation a hundred times. Nothing ever changes. You talk about changes, but nothing ever does. It’s a little thing, but not really.

Maybe it is that sound in your car. It is a rattle. Or it is a squeak. You cannot pinpoint where it is coming from. Everything else is quiet and smooth, except for that noise. It’s a little thing, but not really.

It could be that bump on the side of your face. Not a big bump. It turns an odd shade of red. It is a little tender. Finally you go to the doctor and he says, “We better have it checked out.” It appears to be a little thing, but maybe it’s not really.

It may be that cough that just will not go away. You have taken some over-the-counter cough medicine. That helps for a few minutes but it starts up again when you lay down. You call the nurse and she say, “You better come in. It sounds like a little thing. But maybe it’s not.”

Maybe it is that thing that your husband does, or does not do, that hurts you, or disappoints you, or makes you question whether or not he really loves you. He says he does. But if he does would he not take your feelings into consideration? Why does he keep doing that? Why is he not listening to me? You try to ignore it. Everything else seems to be going well. Do I really want to stir things up? It’s such a little thing, but maybe not.

On the positive side there are many little things that can make a profound difference in how you approach the day.

The person in the drive-thru at Starbucks pays for your coffee. It’s a little thing, but not really.

The person coming through your checkout line compliments you on your nice smile. It’s a little thing, but not really.

$2.26 provides a meal at the Nashville Rescue Mission. It’s a little thing, but not really.

You stand before an audience and say, “I do.” These are two little words that change lives forever. It’s a little thing, but not really.

The note you received in the mail from the friend you have not seen in a long time. It’s a little thing, but not really.

You led a prayer at church. You could not remember what you were trying to say and had a long awkward pause. You stumbled all over yourself. And you felt like you did a horrible job. But one of the older men came to you and said, “You did a great job! Thank you for your prayer.” It’s a little thing, but not really.

You walked into the new church for the first time. You are all alone in a new city and in a new church. A young couple saw and came toward you, introduced themselves, and asked if you would like sit with them. They introduced you to several members, invited you to their class, and took you home for lunch. It’s a little thing, but not really.

Jesus talked about offering a cup of cold water in His name. He told stories of stopping to help a stranger. He rebuked His disciples when they tried to stop little children when they ran to Him. They seem like little things, but not really.

The challenge: be the person who does the things that make life more positive; don’t be the person who does the little things that can turn a day wrong. Do that thing that we would call a little thing, but not really.

Tom

© Copyright 2013 Tom Norvell. All rights reserved.

Vol. 16 No. 11 | March 18, 2013

We were driving home from a nice meal and evening with some dear friends. We had driven about ten minutes when I began to realize I was thirsty. I wished I had a drink of water. We drove a little further and I thought about how much I wanted a drink of water. We drove a little further and I began to feel almost parched and had thoughts of stopping for something to drink. Then, I realized I had almost half of a bottle of water sitting right beside me in the drink holder. I had forgotten that I had not finished it on the way up. With two or three gulps the water was gone and my thirst was quenched.

I felt so foolish. I longed for water. I wished for water. I wanted a drink. I was really thirsty. The water I wanted was right there beside me. All I had to do was to reach for it, drink it, and get refreshed.

My failure to remember that I had the solution to my thirst right beside me is not so different from how we ignore and forget about the life giving water our Lord makes available to us.

To the Samaritan woman of John 4 Jesus said, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” Eventually she asked for it and received it.

To the curious followers seeking a savior in John 7 Jesus offered, “Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”

To the young disciples in Matthew 5 Jesus promised, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
 for they will be filled.”

We have a tendency to spend a significant amount of time wishing we had what God has promised we can have. We expend an awful lot of energy longing for and dreaming about what God has already given us. We waste too many opportunities to be blessed and refreshed and revived and restored by ignoring the Spirit of the living God who is always with us and already in us.

Why? Why do we miss the life giving living water of the Spirit of God? Why do we not reach out to the Comforter who has come to dwell within us?

We forget. We get caught up in living life our way. We become comfortable with the status quo. We settle for good enough.

We ignore. We know there is a better way. We understand that the source of refreshment is ours for the taking, but we prefer to pretend that we are lacking.

We choose. We choose to go it alone. We choose to do without. We choose to not use what God has made available.

Are you thirsty? There is water. Are you hungry? There is food. Are you weary? There is rest. Reach for it. Open the bottle. Drink. Be refreshed.

Tom

© Copyright 2013 Tom Norvell. All rights reserved.

 

Vol. 16 No. 10 | March 11, 2013

As I write I am sitting on our deck on a beautiful spring morning. The air has a warmth and freshness that we have not felt in months. The sky is a beautiful blue with a few thin white clouds scattered around. The grass is beginning to turn green. It is early enough in the spring that the mowers and blowers are not yet running. So the only sounds I hear are the birds singing, the blowing sounds of jets flying overhead, the faint sound of automobiles passing on a nearby street, and an occasional muffled conversation between neighbors as we begin to emerge from winter caves. It is a very nice morning.

There is one more sound that piques my interest. At first I could not locate it. It is not a loud noise, but a distinct one. I have heard it before. I remember it from late last fall when I was recouping from an illness and spent quite a lot of time on this deck. What was that sound? Then, I located it. It is a small bird perched on a branch next to a window of our neighbor’s house.

The bird apparently sees his (I do not know if it is a he or a she, so assume it is a he since most would say a female would not make this mistake) reflection in the window and is confused about whether it is real. He sits on the branch, looks at the window and then tries to fly through it. Since I do not speak or think bird I do not know what he is thinking. Does he think it is open space with another branch to land on? Does he think, “That is one beautiful chick and I want to meet her?” (Let’s not get into gender identification issues here. Remember I am speculating.) Does he think, “Hey dude, let’s be friends”? Obviously I do not know what this little bird is thinking.

What I do know is that this little bird is confused and is wearing himself out trying to get through this window or get to the bird he sees in the reflection. For several minutes he beats his beak and body against the window, then he flies away. Maybe he goes to a mentor bird and asks for advice. Then, he returns to once again to battle the image in the window.

The bird reminds me of me. There are times when what I see in the reflection is not what really is. There are times when I beat myself up about what I see when I look in the mirror and there are times when I think much too highly of myself.

Sometimes when I see my reflection in the mirror I see a man who seems to have his act together. At first glance that guy in the mirror seems to be a pretty good guy. He loves God. He loves his wife and children. He has always worked hard to provide for his family. He loves his church family and does his best to serve the Lord with his gifts and tries to use his blessings to encourage other people. But, when I look closer I realize that he is a sinner, and that because of his sin he has fallen far short of the glory of God (Romans 3:22-24). I realize that he is dead in his sins (Ephesians 2:1-3; Colossians 2:12-14). And I realize he is a slave to sin (John 8:33-35).

Sometimes when I see my reflection in the mirror I see a man who seems to have nothing together. All I can see is the sins the man has committed. All I can see is his guilt. All I can see is his shame. He is a sinner. He is guilty. He is ashamed. But, when I look closer I realize that he has been rescued from his sin (Romans 5:6-8). I realize that he has been blessed through forgiveness (Psalm 32:1-3). I realize that he has gained redemption through the forgiveness of his sins (Ephesians 1:6-8). I realize that because of Jesus his sins have been forgiven (1 John 2:11-13).

The bird has left his perch. At least temporarily he seems to have learned the truth about the image reflected in the window. This man has also gained a better understanding of who he is: He is a sinner who deserves to be punished, but he has been forgiven and redeemed by the blood of Jesus shed on the cross. For now I realize that I am nothing without God. For now I am grateful to be loved by the living God.

Tom

© Copyright 2013 Tom Norvell. All rights reserved.

 

 

Vol. 16 No. 09 | March 4, 2013

The week leading up to and including my 60th birthday was filled with sharing memories, eating my favorite foods, receiving cards, gifts, and messages from friends and family, and some times of deep reflection on where I have been and where I am going. The time has been well spent and the good wishes have been appreciated. (By the way, it was March 1 for those who need to know and forgot to send a gift. It is not too late. I am still accepting.)

One question that has been asked numerous times is: “Well, how does it feel to be 60?” My typical answer has been: “A lot like 59.” Physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually in reality it is no different. And yet it is. Six decades. Sounds like a long time, seems like a long time, yet it also seems very brief. As one Facebook friend stated, “It seems like I just wished you a happy birthday.”

Part of the reason this birthday seems different is that in my mind 60 years implies some level of wisdom. From my perspective I have always looked at men and women who were 60 and above with at least some degree of respect. My reasoning being if they have lived this long they surely have learned something, so I can learn something from them. Obviously that is not always true. Some appear to have lived their sixty-plus years and managed to bypass the accumulation of wisdom.

So, as the day approached and passed I continued to look for that wisdom that I could pass along to those coming behind me (and maybe even some of those who are ahead of me), that would make their journey easier and more enjoyable.

The insight came during a commercial break of a recorded program of the one called the greatest golfer of all time, and is narrated by another of golf’s greatest. You can see the commercial by going to this link: Swing Your Swing.

Swing your swing. That is it. Arnold Palmer and Dick’s Sporting Goods said it well.

Swing your swing. Live your life. Live the life you have been given. Not the life you wish you had. Or the life you think you should live. Live the life you have been given. Use your talents. Do what you were created to do.

Long before the commercial, the company, golf and any of the great golfers, God used his servant Paul to live the message of being who you were created to be, then offer these instructions on how to function well within the body:

But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.(1 Corinthians 12:18, NIV)Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. (1 Corinthians 12:27, NIV)

So, my bit of wisdom to you is this: Swing your swing. Be you. God created you to be you. Learn from other people. Glean from the experience and wisdom of those who have gone before you. But be you.

If you are a teacher, teach the way you teach. If you are a singer, sing with your voice and your music. If you are an athlete, play your game your way. If you are a preacher, preach the message God is giving you and share the message the way God has equipped you to share it.

Although God has placed, and will place, very gifted and talented people in your life and along your path do not try to be them. Some of those you respected may even try to push you into their mold, or shape you into someone they admire and respect. Resist the pressure. Swing your swing. Play your way. Live your life. Use your talents. Develop your gifts. Follow God your way. Swing your swing.

Tom

© Copyright 2013 Tom Norvell. All rights reserved.

 

Vol. 16 No. 08 | February 25, 2013

I suspect there are some reading these words might take exception to the title: We Do Not Lose Heart. You do not mean to lose heart. You do not want to lose heart. You know that you should not lose heart. But, you are. You are losing heart…or at least you feel like you may be losing heart.

You have dreams that seem to be fading. You think about opportunities that have passed by, or never came. You see obstacles that are too big and too powerful to overcome. You are faced with problems that seem to have no solution. You feel the pressure, you are perplexed, you feel you are being attacked on every side and from the most surprising people, and are afraid that if you are knocked down one more time you make not be able to get back up. You feel weak, tired, and defeated.

What are you going to do? What can you do?

Start here. Read what Paul wrote,

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.” (2 Corinthians 4:7-12, NIV84)

Does that sound like you? At least the “hard pressed, perplexed, in despair, persecuted, abandoned, and struck down” parts sounds familiar. The other things? Not so much right now.

Read what he wrote at the end of the chapter,

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18, NIV84)

Feel any better? Does it help to know you are not alone in your struggles? Do you find any comfort in hearing that others have experienced the same difficulties? Maybe? Maybe not? I know. I have been there.

Before you quit take a deep breath. Before you slump off into depression and hopelessness because you still cannot figure out how to fix all the stuff that is wrong in your world read this third paragraph that fits between the other two. This is where Paul reveals the reason he does not lose heart.

He wrote,

“It is written: ‘I believed; therefore I have spoken.’ With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:13-15, NIV84)

Did you see it? It is right there in the middle of the paragraph. One sentence:“…because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence.”

That is the secret. That is the key. That is what can keep us from losing heart. Look up. Look at Jesus. Rely on the fact that He will raise us up. Our struggles show that the Gospel is at work in us. Our difficulties will be turned into His glory. There is a lot we cannot see if we stay focused only on what we can see. This is temporary stuff. We are about the eternal.

I pray that through our faith in Jesus Christ who will raise us up we will not lose heart.

Tom

© Copyright 2013 Tom Norvell. All rights reserved.

Vol. 16 No. 07

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30, NIV84)

It has been a long full week. Pressures at work have been even more intense than usual. Deadlines are getting closer. Conversations are getting more strained. Because of the pressures at work your home life is suffering. It is time to rest.

The weekend was great! Traveled for hours for a time of spiritual refreshment. The schedule was full. The emotions were all over the place. You were refreshed, revived and restored. And your energy was depleted. It is time to rest.

Your vacation was the vacation of your dreams. You did everything you had dreamed of doing. You went everywhere you had ever hoped to go. You saw things up close that you had only seen in photographs. Now it is over. Now it is time to rest.

You have not had a day away from the children in weeks. You and your husband have not had a real date in months. You are tired. You are frazzled. You are on the brink. It is time to rest.

You have studied for the test for months. You have not taken a break in days. You keep thinking once you get beyond the test you take some time off, but it seems like an eternity away. It is time to rest.

We push. We shove. We put stress on ourselves. We feel pressure from others. We deal with it. We don’t deal with it. We ignore it. We try to pretend that it does not exist. It does.

We talk about rest. We think about rest. We talk about how must we need to rest. We talk about how difficult it is to find time to rest. We talk about the consequences of not taking time to rest.

Jesus’ words are an invitation that we need to heed. The words are more than just nice sounding words. The words are a promise that that there is a better way. The words promise that with God’s help life can be lived at a different pace, a better pace, an easier pace, and a healthier pace.

The words are good words and wise words. But unless we hear and heed the words they will always be just words. Jesus invites us to rest. Jesus is inviting you to rest. Is it time for rest for your soul?

Tom

A Norvell Note © Copyright 2013. Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved.

 

Vol. 16 No. 06 | February 11, 2013

“The National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning for your area.” Those were the words from the computerized voice awakening me from a peaceful sleep at about 2:30 a.m. I listened. Checked the time. Got up to see what was happening. As I stepped out onto the front porch there was an eerie quiet with only the sound of storm warning horns in the distance. Although not usually unnerved by weather events, this one seemed different so I turned on the television tuned to the local station to see their weather screen lit up with severe storms moving across the area. Within in minutes the forecaster pinpointed an area not far to the east of us and issued this statement: “If you live in this area it is time for you to get to your safe place.”

Sure enough the morning light revealed significant damage had been done by a number of tornados that had moved through the area and touched down in a number of places. Along with one life lost, trees were twisted and tossed like toothpicks. The roofs of homes and businesses were torn off and tossed aside.

(As I write this, storms are beginning to move again through our area with similar concerns, and thousands in the Northeast are without power due to the latest snow storm, and thousands more are still without power or homeless because of another storm 100 days ago.)

When I hear the exhortation from the weather person to, “Get to your safe place!” I am reminded of other times in my life when I have received similar encouragement. Like when the nurse said, “You need to get to our office NOW!” And when the doctor said, “You need to have the surgery as soon as possible.” And another said, “You need to go to bed and stay for a while.” There is wisdom in hearing and heeding the warnings from doctors, nurses, and weather forecasters when they tell you get to your safe place.

There is even greater wisdom in knowing that we have a spiritual safe place where we can always go when the storm is raging, or when life is calm. God is our safe place. Consider these words from Scripture:

2 Samuel 22:2-4 (NIV84)
He said: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation.
He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior—
from violent men you save me.
I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
and I am saved from my enemies.Psalm 18:1-3 (NIV84)
I love you, O Lord, my strength.
The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.
He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
and I am saved from my enemies.

Psalm 62:6-8 (NIV84)
He alone is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
My salvation and my honor depend on God;
he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge. Selah

Psalm 91:1-3 (NIV84)
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence.

Psalm 144:1-3 (NIV84)
Praise be to the Lord my Rock,
who trains my hands for war,
my fingers for battle.
He is my loving God and my fortress,
my stronghold and my deliverer,
my shield, in whom I take refuge,
who subdues peoples under me.
O Lord, what is man that you care for him,
the son of man that you think of him?

Do you have a safe place? When the storms of life are raging, He is a safe place. When the weather is really bad the forecasters may say, “Do not hesitate. Now is the time to get to your safe place.” In life, the urgency is even greater. “Do not hesitate. Go to your safe place now.” He is there. You will be safe.

Tom

© Copyright 2013 Tom Norvell. All rights reserved.

 

Vol. 16 No. 05 | February 4, 2013

When weare added to the body of Christ we become recipients of certain and immediate blessings. Kingdom life is the best life. One such blessing is the immediate formation of relationships with other members of the Body. In a section from Paul’s letter to the Romans consisting mostly of instructions on how to develop and

maintain those relationships we find these words: “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” (Romans 12:15, NIV84)

If you have been in the Body for any length of time there is a strong possibility that you have enjoyed not only being the giver of this blessing, but also being the recipient of the blessing.

As members of God’s body we rejoice with those who rejoice.

When a friend’s son graduates from high school we rejoice with them.

When a friend’s daughter is crowned homecoming queen we rejoice with them.

When a friend gets a promotion we rejoice with them even when we really hoped we would get that promotion.

When a brother wins an award we rejoice with them.

When a sister is recognized for her hard work and contributions to her profession we rejoice with her.

When our son and his wife have a child our brothers and sisters rejoice with us.

When our daughter gets married our brothers and sisters rejoice with us.

When a new sister is added to the body we rejoice with her.

When our friends celebrate another wedding anniversary we
rejoice with them.

When a friend goes home to be with the Lord we rejoice with them.

As members of God’s body we mourn with those who mourn.

When a friend loses his job we mourn with them.

When a friend has an automobile accident we mourn with them.

When a sister has a miscarriage we mourn with her.

When a brother gets so depressed that he wants to end his life we mourn with him.

When a friend tells us his wife has moved out we mourn with him.

When a friend shares that she has learned that her husband has had an affair we mourn with her.

When a couple we have loved for decades inform us that they are getting a divorce we mourn with them.

When a friend confesses an addiction we mourn with them.

When a friend reveals they were abused as a child we mourn with them.

When a friend admits they cannot let go of the hatred we mourn with them.

When a friend who has walked beside you in faith for years tells you he is struggling to hang on we mourn with them.

When God created us He knew there would be times when we would need someone to hear the cries of our heart and the fears of our soul, so He designed His living Body to meet those needs. When God created us He knew there would be times when our hearts would be filled with so much joy that we could not contain, so He designed His living Body so that together we can share the joy of our salvation.

Let us rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. And let us always remember how blessed we are that have those who rejoice with us when we rejoice and mourn with us when we mourn.

Tom

© Copyright 2013 Tom Norvell. All rights reserved.