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Change of Address(es)

 

The past few months have been an absolute blur. Not only did I experience a change of address, but so did my mom. And I couldn’t begin to tell you how many emotions I experienced in the process…and still am! Sandwiched in between my husband and I finding the right place to spend our next chapter and letting go of the place we’ve called home for the past twenty-five years was the death of my mom. Though her passing was not completely unexpected, I quickly found out there is simply no way to prepare for such an event. Loss is loss, no matter the age, and the loss of a mother is like no other.

A Forever Home

The truth is that I haven’t lost my mom. I know where she is.  She’s just not here with me any longer. That’s the hard part! John 3:16 promises eternal life for all those who place their faith in Jesus. Read these words of comfort, hope, and assurance Jesus gave His disciples shortly before He was crucified:

 

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”

‭‭ John‬ ‭14‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus was about to leave the disciples, but it was ultimately for their good. He left to prepare their eternal home and promised to return for them. Their job was to trust Him fully.

Because my mom did just that, I can find comfort amid the heartache, knowing she is now dwelling with God for eternity.

For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.
‭‭ 2 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The Perfect Home

By faith in Jesus, we need not fear a change of address. In fact, the mere thought should bring a smile to our face.

He will wipe all tears from their eyes, and there will be no more death, suffering, crying, or pain. These things of the past are gone forever.

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭21‬:‭4‬ ‭CEV‬‬

I look forward to joining my mom at her new address at just the right time. Until then, I’ll continue adjusting to my current change of address.

Please read on if you’d like to catch a glimpse of my mom’s earthly life and view the video tribute.

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Assisted Living

Assisted Living
My mom currently resides in an assisted living facility near Pittsburgh. When she and my dad moved there in 2021, they were issued pendants to have with them at all times. The instructions were simply to press the button to alert the staff when assistance was needed and they would come.

Pushing the Button

As my mom’s health declines, there is greater need for assistance. The staff, as well as her family, frequently reminds her to push the button when she needs help. Does she? Well, on occasion, she has, but not often. She has to be REALLY desperate because she hates to bother anyone. One recent episode was certainly cause for requesting assistance, but she never pushed the button. It never occurred to her. To that, we shake our heads 🤦🏽‍♀️, roll our eyes 🙄, or both!

Asking for Assistance

God pointed out that, in spite of my disbelief that my mom didn’t request help, I’m not so different. I wonder if He is up there shaking His head or rolling His eyes at me? Possibly! When trouble comes my way, do I call on God for help? Yes, but if I’m being honest, that’s not always my first response. Sometimes He is my last resort rather than my first option. Like my mom, I am often guilty of trying to handle it on my own first.

The Holy Spirit, A Built-In Helper

Did you know that God offers “assisted living” through the Holy Spirit? Unlike my mom and her pendant, we don’t even have to remember to take it with us. When I professed Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I was gifted with the Holy Spirit, an internal helper that I have access to 24/7. The same is true for you. Pushing a button isn’t even necessary. We simply need to call out for help.
Then you will call to the Lord, and he will answer you. You will cry out to him, and he will say, “Here I am.”
‭‭ Isaiah‬ ‭58‬:‭9‬ ‭ERV‬‬
I can just hear my former pastor saying, “It’s simple, but it ain’t easy!” Why? Is it because, like my mom, we don’t want to bother Him? Or maybe our pride leads us to believe we can handle it ourselves. Perhaps both!
Jesus has this to say…
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
‭‭ John‬ ‭15‬:‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬
Won’t you please join me for a slice of humble pie? God never created us to be self-sufficient, but rather, to depend on and trust in Him. Like the staff at my mom’s assisted living facility, He stands ready to help, if we just ask.
“God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.”
‭‭ Psalms‬ ‭46‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬
Let’s not hesitate to pray for assistance from our built-in Helper. God is not bothered when we come to Him. Instead, He is delighted!
He led me to a place of safety; he rescued me because he delights in me.
‭‭ Psalms‬ ‭18‬:‭19‬ ‭NLT‬‬
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The Last Word

The Last Word
Do you remember life at Age 3? Probably not, but, if you’re a parent, I imagine you do remember what your child was like at Age 3. Their vocabulary can be quite entertaining! A three-year-old can certainly push the boundaries of independence as they seek to have the last word.

Who’s the Boss?

My husband witnessed this firsthand when our neighbor brought her grandson over for a swim recently. He later shared the story with me, and we’ve been chuckling ever since. Apparently, it was time to go home, but the little guy was having none of that. As 3-year-olds do, he threw a bit of a fit. He said, “I’m NOT going home, and THAT’S that!” He may not have had the last word, but it wasn’t for a lack of effort.
We’ve been getting mileage out of that little boy’s statement ever since. I’m NOT fill in the blank and THAT’S that! God reminded me through this story that I’m not so different. I’m no longer three and may not use that same lingo, but I can display that same level of disobedience quite easily. How about you?
Just as any parent, God desires obedience from His children too.
And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.
‭‭2 John‬ ‭1‬:‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Disobedience = Sin

I fall short. Very. Short. We all do. They call that sin. Sin separates us from God. It took the blood of His Son, Jesus, the final and perfect sacrifice, to restore us to a right relationship with Him.
This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith.
‭‭ Romans‬ ‭3‬:‭22‬-‭25 NIV‬‬

No Greater Love

God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
‭‭ 1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭9‬-‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬
Our Heavenly Father gave us something priceless, Jesus, in exchange for something worthless, our sin. Why? I can just hear His response—“because I love you, and THAT’S that!” God ALWAYS has the last word. Aren’t you glad?
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Lessons from the Ballpark – Part II

As a booster, whether working as an usher, greeter, program salesperson or in some other capacity, our job is to create “WOW” moments for all those who enter the ballpark gates. The goal is to treat fans to such exceptional service that we leave them speechless! Though easier said than done at times, we strive to make that happen.

Rising to the Challenge

As supervisor of the ushers, I got an up close and personal look at a variety of situations encountered by our ushers, presenting them with an opportunity to create that WOW moment. It was gratifying to witness the different ways our boosters stepped up and met the challenge.

Sun vs. Shade

I won’t bore you with the many different scenarios that crop up over the course of the season, but I will share one with you. Weather makes ALL the difference at the ballpark. A seat in the sun is the preferred location some days. But on other days, that same seat causes misery. The same is true of the seats in the shade. Obviously, the weather is beyond our control; however, depending on the size of the crowd, we are sometimes able to relocate fans to a more desirable seat. No matter the situation, some ushers are more lenient than others regarding people not sitting in their ticketed seat. That’s just an observation, not condemnation or approval of the practice. I’ve been on both sides of that scenario and there really is no “one size fits all” approach.

Lesson II

My next revelation formulated during Spring Training applies to that situation and every other one that presented itself throughout the season. Here’s what I decided:
If we all treated others the way that we’d want to be treated, a lot of problems could be avoided.
I believe Jesus told us as much! In what is referred to as the Golden Rule, Jesus had this to say:
“Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.”
‭‭ Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬
As I write this, I can almost hear Pastor Dave saying, “It’s simple, but it ain’t easy.” How true! Have you noticed that it’s easier to receive grace than extend it? Me too.
No matter our role, this should be our goal. Jesus set the bar high. Let’s reach for the sky!