Has God Rejected You?

Sometimes life seems like your own personal dung heap. Everything you touch falls apart. People look at you with disdain, they avoid you and talk about you at the same time. Pain seems to come in a different way upon waking with each new day. Rejection and abandonment seem as familiar as inhaling and exhaling. Discouragement and depression fill the space between your heart beats. Maybe you feel like God himself has rejected you. What would your Grandmother say about all of the bad things in life?

At one point, my boys Joe and Steve were actually shorter

 than the Incredible Shrinking Grandma!

Because I probably may not have ever met your Grandmother, I will tell you about mine. My family and I went to North Carolina to celebrate my Grandmother's 100th birthday. She had left her home in Buffalo to live with my Aunt Loise several years earlier. Partying with Gram was really cool beans! Because of the distance between us, I didn't see Gram very often. Every time I saw her, she was shorter! My cousin Tom nicknamed her; "The Incredible Shrinking Grandma." I often wonder if I'm getting shorter and I look forward to getting measured every year at the Gus Macker Basketball tournament. So far I'm holding steady at 6'1" although I know my time of shrinkage will come. The problems of life never seem to shrink. How did Grandma Larrabee deal with the problems of life?

As Gram sat opening up presents and birthday cards on her 100th birthday, I asked her a question:

 "Gram, you've seen some bad things in your life. You've seen World Wars and terrorist acts. You've seen people die. Your husband is dead. You have children who are dead. Pretty much all of your friends are dead. What do you think about all of the bad things in the world?"

Gram didn't hesitate with her answer. She looked up at me and said:

"I just know that there are better days ahead!"

Gram's answer blew me away with it's simplicity. I have to admit that one of my first thoughts was: "Geez Gram, how many days do you think you have left? You're already 100 years old!" I didn't speak my thoughts out loud. I stared at her, my thoughts were just soaking in 100 years of wisdom in a simple statement: "There's better days ahead."No matter what you are going through, there are better days ahead!

Many people have sown positive words into my life. At Grandpa and Grandma Larrabee's house, I spent a lot of time in the basement reading. I read books like "The Power of Positive Thinking" by Norman Vincent Peale. My life has been filled with encouragement that came through family members. Grandma spent her final years lavished in love by Aunt Loise. My Aunt wrote a poem on July 6, 2002, about 5 months after Gram took her shrinking act to heaven. Here is her Poem:

The Circle

The circle of family
Goes round and round,
A continuing life force,
To which we are bound.

Life's circles may be broken,
But with faith we will see,
The families ongoing strength
Will continue to be.

Life is like a vapor,
here today and then gone.
Lessons learned, family loved,
In our hearts remain strong.

The circle should reach
To each new generation,
So God's love-gift of family
To all, we can teach.

L.A.T. 7/6/02

Everything we learn becomes wisdom if we teach it to others. We are commanded by God to teach each new generation. The wisdom of Grandmother's is a great tool to help us get through the bad times in life. God never rejects us totally, he does leave us alone to help us grow. A seed underground cannot see the sun until it spends some time growing through the lonely darkness.

A final word from another Grandmother - my Mom. One of my Mom's favorite sayings is:

"This too will pass."

The sun never stays set. The clouds always move. There's always another bird to sing. The waves will roll again. Wildflowers come back after the harshest winter. "This too shall pass."  Focus on gratitude and giving. Grandmothers don't worry about shrinking on the outside, they are too busy giving from an immeasurable inside filled with God's provision. Give, you won't shrink!

Luke 12:25-32

The Message (MSG)

^25-28 “Has anyone by fussing before the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? If fussing can’t even do that, why fuss at all? Walk into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They don’t fuss with their appearance—but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them. If God gives such attention to the wildflowers, most of them never even seen, don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you?
^29-32 “What I’m trying to do here is get you to relax, not be so preoccupied with getting so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep yourself in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Don’t be afraid of missing out. You’re my dearest friends! The Father wants to give you the very kingdom itself.

What you have just read is actually the rough draft of the Epilogue for the soon to be released book: "Wisdom From The Hood." It's a story book, devotional book, a Bible study and a self growth book written about wisdom gained from the heart-brokenness in the bowels of a City called Buffalo.

Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody.
Jesus loves you and so do we.