A few years ago, I was taking a walk through my neighborhood. There are about fourteen hundred homes in our neighborhood, so lots of miles to walk. Just a week before, a tornado had dipped into our city leaving behind widespread damage. It was amazing to see the many blocked roads where whole trees and broken limbs had fallen.

As I walked past one house, I noticed that a Bradford pear tree had split in half. The trunk was pretty much intact, but the top part where all the branches were was a mess. Many of the limbs were on the ground. I thought to myself, “They might as well get someone to remove that tree. It is damaged and will never come back to life.”

For several years following the tornado, I continued to walk in the neighborhood. On most occasions, I passed that ugly tree, wishing the homeowners would have it removed. Then, an amazing thing happened as I walked this year. That Bradford pear is now perfectly shaped, and its limbs are full. It is as if the storm never came. The tree looks perfect with the exception of a scar where a limb had once been. The scar covered the broken place; the place of the wound was now healed and the tree flourished again.

The Bradford pear had been broken but was now whole.

Most of us have encountered storms of life, and some of them have left deep wounds. Wounds of abuse. Wounds of deep rejection. Wounds of monetary loss. Wounds of betrayal. Wounds of church hurt. Wounds of assault. Wounds of loss. Wounds of abandonment by the ones we thought we could trust. Wounds of – I could go on and on. Tornadoes come and they are very damaging.

The owners of the broken Bradford pear tree did not give up on it just because it was broken. The Bradford pear did not give up on itself. It continued to drink from the earth and lift its arms to the sunny sky. Faithfully, day after day, the tree hung in there, and now it is one of the healthiest looking trees in the neighborhood. It is beautiful.

Has your life been hit by a tornado? Does your life seem broken and beyond repair? Your brokenness may feel unmendable right now. I have been there. Let me encourage you today – there is a God who spends his days mending broken things. Maybe your brokenness is too deep to put into words. You cannot see past today, and you do not want to face tomorrow. You cannot imagine a way out. The lid has rolled over the opening, and no sunlight peeks through the cracks.

Dear friend, the broken parts of your story don’t make you a broken person. You are still the whole, loved, purpose-filled person God created you to be. The storms that you have endured are not lost on God. Our scars can become powerful testaments of the God who is at work.

Do not give up! Your owner, God, is not giving up on you. Please do not give up on yourself. Our brokenness does not stop the unlimited power of God from working in our behalf. Keep drinking deeply from the fountain of God. Lift those heavy hands towards heaven in surrender. Give God time to restore the broken places. He is working amid the wounds of our stories. One day you will look in the mirror and see the healing power of God.

“‘For I will restore health to you, and I will heal your wounds,’ says the Lord.” – Jeremiah 30:17. “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds [curing their pains and their sorrows].” – Psalm 147:3. (AMP)

As a teenager in my local church, there were times I would lead the singing in the worship service. Today, we call it worship leading, but back in the day, it was leading the singing. That was in the sixties, so the time of worship choruses like we sing today were not on the scene. It was good old hymns. While I love much of today’s modern music, I do miss the richness of some of those hymns.

In my spirit today, the hymn “I Love To Tell The Story” began to bubble up. I found myself singing it and loving every word.

I love to tell the story
  Of unseen things above,
Of Jesus and His glory,
  Of Jesus and His love.
I love to tell the story,
  Because I know ’tis true;
It satisfies my longings
  As nothing else can do.

I love to tell the story,
’Twill be my theme in glory
To tell the old, old story
  of Jesus and His love

Do you love to tell the story? I do.

I love to tell the story of the things Jesus has done in my life. I love to tell the story of Jesus finding a messed up little girl who lived in the deep south. After so much abuse, poverty, and dysfunction, Jesus found me, and over time He has healed me and set my feet on a solid rock. I love to tell the story!

I love to tell the story of the work of Jesus in my life. When I felt called to stand before people to share the Word of God, I explained to God how it would never work. I was too shy. I was too insecure. Oh, how I love to tell the story of Jesus empowering me to stand before many groups, both large and small, and share the powerful word of God. I love to tell the story!

I love to tell the story of my teenage son who was facing cancer. We had just moved to a new city and within a few months, we would be battling cancer. After surgery and months of therapy, our son was well, or so we thought. After new scans, a new tumor showed up in the very same spot where the original tumor was. The doctor said, “We will need to do surgery again and treat it more aggressively.”  We took it to the Lord in prayer. I love to tell the story that Bryan went back for that second surgery, and the doctor was amazed that the tumor was benign. Bryan never had another cancer cell in his body. I love to tell the story of the great healer!

I love to tell the story of our pastor friends who desperately needed a new sanctuary but did not have the hundreds of thousands of dollars needed. They did not let that stop them from telling the story of Jesus and His love. Each week, they would conduct an outreach to the homeless. Each week, they fed the homeless, clothed the homeless, and told the story of the redemptive power of Jesus Christ. One of the homeless men grasped the story of Jesus and His love. That man gave His life to Jesus Christ. He was transformed. A few weeks later the man showed up at the church for worship. He looked like a different person. After the service, he asked the pastor if he could speak with him. As they conversed, the man told the story of how Jesus had changed his life. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a check for one million dollars. No one knew that the man was very wealthy, but life had dealt him blows that caused him to wind up on skid row. Someone told him the story of Jesus and His love. That changed his life and provided the money needed for the new building. I love to tell the story of Jehovah Jireh, the great provider!

Friend, I could go on and on with this blog because I love to tell the story of Jesus and His love. How about you? Do you love to tell the story?

We hear so many sad stories in the news and elsewhere. People need a good news story. Has Jesus saved you, healed you, provided for you, opened doors for you, changed circumstances for you, or made a way? Tell the story!

“We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.” 1 John 1:3.

As I sat down on Sunday afternoon to write this week’s blog, my mind seemed empty. “Lord, I have nothing. Please give me an idea.”  As I sat for a few minutes staring at a blank screen, my mind began to wander trying to think of something.

A few minutes later a sweet voice came from over my shoulder. It was my grandson Tucker who is visiting for a few days. Tucker is thirteen and lives in North Carolina. Each summer we bring him to Alabama for a week, so we can spend time with him and let him get to know the extended Benton clan.

As I heard the voice over my shoulder, I saw a broad-smiled Tucker. He asked what I was doing, and I explained that I write a weekly blog as part of the ministry to which I am called. He wanted to know more about what a blog is. I explained that I needed to come up with a fresh idea each week, and that sometimes it is easy, and sometimes it is not!

After explaining to Tucker that I like to use real life stories that can have a spiritual application, he said, “I have an idea.”  At this point, I could use an idea from anywhere. Tucker said, “It took me a long time to get to your house. It was a long trip, but it was worth it, because once I am here, I get to spend time with people I love. So, the time in the car was worth it.”

Well, Hallelujah, Tucker Bryan Benton! The journey seems long, but the reward is so worth it. Tucker was content on the journey.

Tucker accepted the journey he was on and knew that the journey would take him to fresh joys, deepening relationships, and new adventures. Unless Tucker stayed on the journey, he would have missed the blessings that came his way. Tucker learned to be content on the journey.

The apostle Paul understood that life is a trip, and the destination is heaven. On the journey, Paul encountered times on top of the mountain, and times shackled in the dungeon. Yet, Paul offered this advice, “Learn to be content.”

“Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” – Philippians 4:11-13 (NLT)

Philippians teaches us that God wants us to embrace where we are in life right now. Live the life we have right now. Learn to be content. And here is the crucial part, these things can only be accomplished by walking with Jesus who gives us the strength to do this wherever we find ourselves in life’s journey.

Sometimes I have had barely enough money to make ends meet. Sometimes, I have been blessed with a surplus. Sometimes, I have so much joy up on the hilltop. “I am queen of the hill.” I have been in the deepest of valleys, especially the valley of grief. My husband has been the pastor of small congregations where we did almost everything. My husband has also been the pastor of larger churches where we were blessed with staff members who could help with the ministry. I have lived in a literal shack with no bathroom. I have also lived in a home with three bathrooms. Life has all kinds of changes, some unexpected.

Being content does not mean we cannot desire that things be different. We can be content being single and still desire to be married. We can be content in our jobs and still desire different ones. We can be content in whatever season we are and still desire something to be different, something to turn around.

Paul said that he learned to be content. Contentment is not necessarily a natural thing. A contented spirit is not bound by circumstances. Because contentment works from the inside out it is insulated from the ever-changing circumstances outside of us.

So many of us, including me, have spent enough time living in a world of discontentment. According to the Apostle Paul, we can learn to be content amid circumstances that are not those we would have chosen. Our part is to make a choice to be content, God’s part to enable us to walk it out by His power. I want to live a life of contentment. How about you? Join me in a commitment to learn to walk in contentment even in a world where so many live in discontentment.

Finally, the night arrived. It was fall festival night at our church, and we expected a large crowd. People began to arrive early, and the children were so excited. So much time and energy had been put into making this a night to remember, especially for the children.

There were some really creative people in our church, and they produced fabulous ideas. One of the “fun” things to do was to go through the maze that had been prepared. The cardboard maze went through two rooms and a hallway. One had to crawl through the many twists and turns.

As others went through the maze, I watched. It was not so challenging to watch others go through it, and I encouraged them along the way. It seemed they made an A+ as they made the journey. They had such joy through the twists and turns. While standing in the light before entering the maze, I was all smiles. At the end of the maze, as I exited there was light and laughter. But the in-between was total darkness. TOTAL DARKNESS.

As I began my journey through the maze, I thought this would be a breeze. About ten feet into the darkness, I felt fear grip me. It was so dark, and I could not see my way. I did not know when the next wall would come. I did not know when the next left or right turn would come. The only choice I had was to keep moving, knowing that this would not last forever. It only lasted five minutes but felt like hours as I pressed through the darkness, the twists, the turns, and the walls. I knew that what I was experiencing at the moment, would not last forever. That truth helped me maneuver all the darkness and every twist, turn, and wall.

We all have times when we feel we are in a dark maze, and we wonder what twist or turn is next. Or we have hit a wall, and the darkness seems to hold us captive. The Truth is always with us, and He will bring us out of the maze of darkness.

We want our spiritual life to be an upward journey of growing closer and closer to God and becoming more like Christ. That is certainly my desire. In reality, our growth does not progress in a straight upward line. Nor does our experience of intimacy with Christ. Our journey goes up and down, forward, and backward.

I always want God to remove the darkness that seems to engulf me at times. After more than fifty years of walking with God, I have learned that my greatest need is not to get out of my dark moments, but my greatest need in darkness is the presence of God. And that I have! If you have placed your faith in Jesus, you have the presence of Jesus with you even in dark times.

If you find yourself in a dark place today, remember that Jesus, the lover of your soul, is right next to you. Jesus Christ will not leave you for a moment. He is unafraid of that which scares you most. He sees every step of the journey, even when you cannot. Trust Him to guide you through the maze. He will give you “a-maze-ing” grace and lead you out of the darkness.

^“In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”- John 1:4,5

Let’s pray.

Father, when the darkness settles in around me, I ask you to remind me of Your closeness. Jesus, You are the Truth, the Light, the Way. Shine Your truth clearly and unmistakably when I am unsure of the way. Strengthen my trust when the unknown feels overwhelming. Remind me that You are able to free me from any danger or bind the fiercest enemy that comes against me. Your purpose will prevail. In the strong Name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

“You have taken account of my wanderings; Put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not recorded in Your book? – Psalm 56:8 AMP

One of the most powerful images in Scripture is found in Psalm 56:8. It is a wonderful verse that begs to be underlined: “You have collected all my tears in your bottle.”

Yesterday, as we gathered with family for a Father’s Day celebration, I watched four of my grandchildren running around. I saw thirteen-year-old Joseph run by with a smile, and that made my heart smile. Joseph is our grandson who is on the autism spectrum, and years ago a gathering with many people having conversations would have been difficult for Joseph. I looked at his mother and said, “The Bible speaks of God gathering our tears in a bottle. Mine must be quite large from the prayers for our grandchildren.”

Gaylon and I pray for our children and grandchildren every day and have done so for many years. There have been many tears.

There are all kinds of tears. There are the tears a child has when growing up in an abusive environment. There are the tears of parents as they see their daughter at the matrimonial altar. There are the tears of a mother who sees her child going through cancer treatments. There are the tears when a mother and father lay eyes on their first child or grandparents holding the first grandchild. There are the tears that stain the death certificate as a young wife sends them to the various places needed. There are the tears on the faces of grown men after winning a national championship. Yes, there are all kinds of tears.

Then, there are the tears shed in prayer – often years of prayer. Psalm 56 lets us know that God sees every tear that falls down our cheeks as we pray for those things that burden our hearts.

Have you ever been so burdened that you thought the tears would never stop? There you were with just you, God, a hurting heart, and buckets of tears. I want you to envision that heaven collects every one of those tearful prayers. They are precious to God.

When I think God is taking too long, or I wish God would relieve the pain of the situation, I try to remember that God heard every prayer and saw every tear. Whether literally or figuratively, God has a big apothecary jar with my name on it. He has seen every painful tear I have shed. Then, one day, it is as if he uncorks the bottle, pours out the collected tears, and they become showers of blessings in my life or the lives of my family.

The seasons of burden can be long and hard. I refuse to stop sending prayers and tears to heaven. I believe that one day those tears will change the lives of my children and my grandchildren. What is happening in my life is not unseen by heaven. My situations are in His hands, and my tears are in His bottle. Even after I die, they will still affect the generations behind me. In God’s time, He will uncork the bottle and rain down on the generations behind me.

The Psalmist wrote, “You have taken account of my wanderings; Put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not recorded in Your book?” Psalm 56:8 AMP. It was possibly a rhetorical question at the end, but one to remind us that God sees every tear and every sorrow. For me, knowing that the Creator of the universe cares about my pain makes it more bearable.

God sees. God cares. God upholds. God blesses even the generations I have not yet seen because of the tears shed in the prayer closet.

After removing all the Christmas décor from our home and packing it away for another year, I sighed with relief. Christmas decorating has become a big event, requiring a lot of time, and in some cases, a lot of money. The Christmas season consumes much energy.

As we came closer to Resurrection Day (Easter), I noticed few, if any, decorations were up. I decided to look for a few things to commemorate the glorious, life-changing event of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I went to a few stores and found little, except for bunnies, chicks, eggs, and candy. I mulled this over and over in my head. Why do we celebrate the baby over the top, but not much fanfare over the powerful resurrection that brought victory for us all? I asked for the opinion of a few people, and no one really had an answer.

This past Sunday was Pentecost Sunday. It is a day largely ignored by much of the Christian church, and to be frank, it shows. While we make much out of the birth of Jesus, and there is much said about the resurrection, little is said about Pentecost. Let me emphatically say, one cannot over-emphasize the importance of the birth, life, and resurrection of Jesus. Our Christian walk is based on those things. Pentecost deserves the same close attention and emphasis in the Church.

What Is Pentecost?

Pentecost is a Church celebration that occurs fifty days after Resurrection Day. Pentecost commemorates the birth of the Church and the arrival of the Holy Spirit, who baptizes the disciples.

Pentecost Is Extraordinarily Important.

Jesus thought it was essential. “However, I am telling you nothing but the truth when I say it is profitable (good, expedient, advantageous) for you that I go away. Because if I do not go away, the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener) will not come to you [into close fellowship with you]; but if I go away, I will send Him to you [to be in close fellowship with you].” – John 16:7 AMP

Jesus told His followers it was better for them if He were to go away. Think about that. Jesus is the One who healed the sick, fed the multitudes, cast out demons, calmed the storm, made the blind see and the lame walk, and even raised the dead. And Jesus said it was good if He went away?

I imagine those followers scratched their heads or made a facial expression showing their reaction at what Jesus said. They had to be wondering, “How is it possible that Jesus not being around is a good thing?”

Jesus answered that question. He said if He did not go away, the Holy Spirit would not come, but if He went away, He would send the Holy Spirit to us. Gaining the Holy Spirit was so good for us that it was worth Jesus leaving Earth in physical form to ensure it happened. Pentecost is extraordinarily important!

Pentecost is not the beginning of the work of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God was at work throughout the whole Bible, beginning in the first chapter of Genesis. In scripture, we find that the Spirit would “come upon” individuals at special times for special reasons to accomplish a task or work God had for them.

At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was given to believers in a different fashion. Instead of the Holy Spirit coming upon someone, the Holy Spirit came to dwell within someone. Instead of the Spirit being at work for a specific time and function, now, the Holy Spirit would be as “rivers of living water flowing from your innermost being.”  This would be life-transforming for those who believed in Jesus Christ as the Savior.

Yes, the Church was birthed that day, but much more happened. Those who were filled with the Holy Spirit were empowered and emboldened. The effect was holiness of heart and life, and power to boldly do Christian service.

The impact of the Holy Spirit dwelling within a person is that the person has a resource which enables them to live a transformed life exhibiting the character of Jesus. In addition, we are empowered to walk through a murky world, bringing changes as Jesus did when walking the earth. Pentecost turned the timid, frightened, unconfident followers of Jesus into the Church, the Body of Christ, impacting the world for the glory of God.

As believers, we need a fresh baptism of the Holy Spirit in our lives. He is our leader, encourager, comforter, and teacher. He gives us boldness and strength to live in this world, and to share the Gospel. A guy named Peter had denied even knowing Jesus, and later in the book of Acts, we see him empowered and emboldened to preach to thousands, and to be used by the Holy Spirit to bring miracles into the lives of others.

There are a lot of complaints and much concern about how dark our world has become. It is time to celebrate Pentecost in our lives. Today, ask Holy Spirit to give you that same boldness…just be prepared because Scripture says if you ask you will receive.

Do you want to be empowered by God?  Lay your hand on your chest right now, and pray, “Come, Holy Spirit, I need You.”

“Without the Spirit of God, we can do nothing. We are as ships without wind. We are useless.” – Charles Spurgeon. Trying to do the Lord’s work in your own strength is the most confusing, exhausting, and tedious of all work. But when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, then the ministry of Jesus just flows out of you.” – Corrie Ten Boom. “The Holy Spirit’s main ministry is not to give thrills but to create in us Christlike character.” – J.I. Packer

Have you ever noticed how hard it is for political leaders to admit they were wrong? It seems as if they feel like they can never budge from their original position, and if they do, it is quite subtle. “I misspoke.” “I used poor judgment.”  There seems to be a need to be seen as right.

When Gaylon and I first entered the ministry together more than fifty years ago, I was ill-prepared. I feel sorry for the congregants who were around me! Thank God they were saved enough not to spank my young behind! I was clueless about what I was doing. Thank God there is hope after immaturity!

As a young parent, I made so many mistakes. I had been raised in a home with a screaming, demanding, controlling father. It truly was a case if he said to jump, your only response was, “How high?” I look back at my young years of parenting…thank God there is hope after immaturity!

As a wife, oh boy … this one is awful! Let’s just say, thank God there is hope after immaturity!

What brought about change in these areas? It was when I began to cultivate a teachable spirit. Because I was gifted for ministry, I thought that was equal to maturity. I did not need anyone to teach me how to be in the ministry. We were successful! I did not need anyone to teach me about being a wife and a parent. My family was in a much better environment than I had in my childhood.

I will not get into the specifics, but there came a point that one of my kids said something to their father about me. I realized that I had a lot to learn. There came a point when my husband’s secretary said something corrective to me, and I realized that I was stubborn and had a lot to learn. There came a point in listening to teaching on marriage, that I realized I had a lot to learn.

I began to cultivate a teachable spirit. A teachable spirit is one in which we learn both knowledge and wisdom, and a willingness to apply that which we have learned.

There is a passage of scripture that explains the concept of being teachable. “That very night the believers sent Paul and Silas to Berea. When they arrived there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth. As a result, many Jews believed, as did many of the prominent Greek women and men.” Acts 17:10-12 NLT

When one of the greatest teachers of all time, the Apostle Paul, spoke to them, the Bereans listened to what Paul had to say. Their response was not, “Wow! He is a great speaker.” Or “I totally disagree with him because I have been taught a different way.” The Bible says that they listened and then searched the scriptures for themselves. They wanted truth. When they saw that the teaching lined up with the scriptures, many had changed lives. They applied to their lives the truth they had learned. They were teachable.

The Bible tells us that the Bereans searched the scriptures day after day. It was not a one-time, quick look. It was intentional, extended study. They were hungry for the truth, and when they found the truth, it changed their lives. They had a teachable spirit.

Many years into ministry and marriage, I set out to learn as much as I could. I read. Attended conferences. Hung out with strong women of God. Listened to the Holy Spirit’s conviction leading to a rebuilding in many areas of my life. God sent an amazing number of teachers, mentors, and friends along the way. All of them became teachers to me. Yes, ALL. Some taught me how to be a strong woman of God. Some taught me about being a parent. As I watched some, I was taught what not to be.

The key to growth is staying teachable. Many have gone to church their whole life, they believe in God, they even serve in ministry. Yet they are stuck in the same patterns and attitudes. This was me for many years. We might be good moral Christians according to the standards of the world, but God wants us to daily yield and to keep our hearts surrendered.

We must not only hear the word of God, but we must let it fall on good teachable soil and to take root. Then we will bear lasting fruit that changes us and others around us.

Stay teachable.

 “Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future.” (Proverbs 19:20).  “A poor yet wise youth is better than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to receive instruction.” (Ecclesiastes 4:13). “Whoever disregards discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored.” (Proverbs 13:18). 

What is the most unfair thing that has happened to you in life? A spouse dying at a young age? Infertility? Passed over for a job promotion? Assaulted or robbed? No money to pay bills? Whew! There is a lot of unfairness in life.

As I was recently chatting with a friend I had not seen in a while, we began to talk about life. Our conversation drifted to my childhood. She already knew my story, but we talked about how unfair it is what some children are forced to endure while growing up. We continued chatting about what was currently going on in our lives, and she had tears well up in her eyes. Both of us had difficulties we were facing. She said, “Barbara Benton, you should not have to face anything else in your life. It is just not fair.”

We ended our conversation by stating our faith in God, and that we trusted Him whether life was fair or not.

There was a time in my life that I spent a lot of time and energy on being the “fair” police. When “that’s not fair” circumstances arose in my life or in the lives of those I loved, I made sure that everyone, including God, knew that what was happening simply was not fair.

The writer of Ecclesiastes said this about life, “The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all.” – Ecclesiastes 9:11.

The book of Ecclesiastes offers a wise perspective. Life does not work out fairly all the time even when we live a life devoted to God and choosing wisdom. Life is unpredictable, and our existence on the earth is a blip of time. We must keep an eternal perspective because this life is temporary and fleeting.

Unfairness in life does not mean that God is not in control.

The fact is that it was not fair that Jesus suffered a cruel death on the cross. I must remind myself that God was still in control when His Son was treated unfairly. He was in control when the flesh on the back of Jesus was torn apart by a cat of nine tails. God was in control when Jesus stumbled carrying a heavy cross to Golgotha. God saw the unfairness, but God was going to bring great victory from that unfairness.

God is doing the same for us. While we might not see unfairness corrected in this life, when we get to Heaven, we will see that God was always working in our lives. I love how one paraphrase stated Psalm 37:5. “Give God the right to direct your life, and as you trust him along the way, you’ll find he pulled it off perfectly!”

Life is hard. Life is unfair. God is still good, and He is working on the big picture. One day, we will see that He pulled it off perfectly! I choose faith when life is unfair.

Gaylon and I just returned from a trip to North Carolina to celebrate the life of a friend who has gone to his heavenly reward. I know he is rejoicing. For the decades we knew our friend Wayne, he always had a praise for his Lord and Savior, and he was busy sharing the love of God.

As we drove home yesterday, we were tired. The trip included the celebration of life, a little side trip to visit my sister who I rarely get to see, and a trip through Morganton to see our grandson Tucker and his family.

In four days, we drove almost fifteen hundred miles. As we neared home, I was thinking how glad I would be to step out of my car and into my home to rest. I began to sing the old hymn.

When I’ve gone the last mile of the way,
I will rest at the close of the day,
And I know there are joys that await me
When I’ve gone the last mile of the way.

We are all going to walk the last mile of the way some day. Our time on earth will be over, and our time in eternity will begin.

While in North Carolina, we saw many friends – friends that had no white hair when we met them, and now they have many or all white hairs on their heads. As I chatted with them, it was such a joy to know that they were still serving God faithfully. Life had not been without hardships, but they were still serving God. In a world that is often dark and filled with “acceptable” sin, they were still faithfully serving God. Some were walking a little slower, but they were still serving God. I chatted with one couple who had lost a child and two grandchildren, and they were still serving God. Some had their spouses forsake them and walk away, but they were still serving God.

Finally, we turned onto the last road that would take us home. As we got on the final road, we went over the last hill, and I knew I was almost home, and I began to sing the song a little louder. I knew home awaited me. We literally got out of the car and said, “Thank You, Lord, for keeping us as we traveled. It is great to be home.”

Gaylon and I are at the age now, where we find ourselves closer to the last mile of the way in life’s journey. God has been good to us, and He has kept us. Life has brought us many joys, and life has brought us many trials. I am so aware that home is just over the hill, and then I shall stand face-to-face with my Lord, and I can say to Him, “Thank You for keeping us as we traveled. It is great to be home.”

Heaven is real. My Savior is real. Eternity is real.

^“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus, we shall always be with the Lord.” – 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

Amazing to me is that we actually have people who make a living by being an “influencer.”  An influencer can persuade other people, for example their followers on social media, to do, buy, or use the same things they do. They get paid or are given free products in exchange for doing this. They work nonstop trying to get more followers and to get well known, and they are crushed when they lose followers on social media. Influencing is a big deal.

Though we might not be affected by social media influencers, we all have people who influence us. Over the years, I’ve had many influencers in my life, but not the social media kind. I am talking about the kind who have taken an active role in my healing process and my spiritual growth process. I am so grateful for those who have influenced my life, but do you know who my greatest influencer is? ME! I am my greatest influencer because no one talks to me about me more than me. Read that again: no one talks to me about me more than me.

Though mostly in my head, I have carried on conversations with me for decades. Truth be told, we have conversation with ourselves from the moment we arise in the morning until we go back to bed at night.

Within seconds of getting up today, I started rehearsing what was going to happen at my cardiologist visit. Would I weigh too much? How about my blood pressure? Would he be pleased with my EKG?

Other times, my mind, for unknown reasons, will talk to me about the environment in which I grew up – how poor we were, how unaccepted we were by so many, how mistreated we were. A regular conversation is the one where I discuss with me how I still cannot believe that our son Bryan died. I have had way too many conversations about the mistakes I made as a wife, parent, and pastor’s wife.

The point is that we are constantly carrying on conversations with ourselves, and those conversations are highly influential in what we say, what we do, and what we decide.

The most important conversation I have with myself is the conversation concerning what I believe about God.

What do you regularly tell yourself about God and your circumstances? Do you tell yourself that God is nowhere in the vicinity? Do you speak doubt and defeat to yourself?  “Well, I’ll never get out of this mess.” “I can never get ahead.” “There is no hope for me in this situation.”  Or do you remind yourself that God is with you and speak words of encouragement, faith, and trust to yourself?

In the book of First Samuel, David found himself in a horrible, heart-rending, sorrowful situation. His city had been burned, and his family was taken captive. David became an influencer to himself.

^“And David was greatly distressed; for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.” – 1 Samuel 30:6.

How wholesome, faith-driven, and Christ-centered is the conversation that you have with yourself every day? Do you remind yourself, “I am a child of God, and He is a good, good father!” Do you tell yourself to run to God in moments when you want to run from him?

Thank God for friends, pastors, teachers, loved ones, and all those who influence us in good ways, but no one (say it out loud, NO ONE) is more influential in your life than you are, because no one talks to you more than you do.

Give yourself wise counsel as a child of God. Write down and even memorize some faith-filled, encouraging scriptures and be an influencer when life comes at you fast.

I am my greatest influencer! Here are some of the conversations I have with myself.

“I am being strengthened with all power according to His might. I have great endurance and patience (Colossians 1:11 NIV). God loads me daily with benefits. He is my salvation (Psalm 68:19).”

“I will not fear for You are with me; I will not be dismayed, for You are my God. You will strengthen me and help me, You will uphold me with Your righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10.) Every word of God is pure; You are my shield because I put my trust in You. (Proverbs 30:5.)”

I am confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in me will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6). God works in me both to will and to do His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13).

“The Holy Spirit is teaching me all things and bringing all things to my remembrance. (John 14:26); Today I will have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:16) God will instruct me and teach me in the way that I should go. He is now guiding me with His eye, and I have understanding. (Psalms 32:8,9)”