FINISHING WELL

I listened yesterday in part to the funeral service for Senator Jesse Helms. It was a praise to God with testimonies of many to his kindness, humility and integrity. In both his public and private life he was known and respected for "keeping his promises" and "compromising on preferences but never on principles."

The scripture verse mentioned that seemed so to fit his life was from Micah 6 and says "He has told you O man, what is good and what the Lord requires of you; but to do justice and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God."

Reflecting on this man's life caused me to think back a day earlier when Logan, Jordan and I did my Meals on Wheels Route. God has blessed me with a route of mostly 80 and 90 year olds who, even though diabetes, arthritis, recent loss of immediate family are real in one form or another in their lives don't dwell on 'those things' but because of their love for the Lord are kind and sweet and full of praise for Him. Their eyes crinkle with laughter when they tell me stories of past days and look with compassion at me when checking on Sue's condition and love it if I see a need in their lives and pray for them right there.

Their life's footprint when God takes them home (and he took a favorite just last month) may not be as large to the world as that of Jesse Helms, yet they have shown t to me over and over again in the past 4 years those same qualities mentioned above: justice, kindness, humility, love.

Im' grateful to God for letting me rub shoulders with these dear, sweet friends of Jesus. As I see them monthly they are giving me good instruction on How To Finish Well.

Maxine

CAMP OSTBY

This is as good as it gets...our 6 kids along with our 8 grandkids, a beautiful house right on the beach and perfect weather. Sue has done well this week, we girls took 2 long walks on the beach, about a mile each time and she got to get nice and wet as Nicko and Dana took her into the waves.

God truly blessed our week and we've extended it in part because, now back in Wake Forest, we still have Dana, Sue and family here, Mark andTam and family 10 minutes away and Logan and Jordan (Kent and Kradan's kids) for another week. (Just couldn't get Kent to take another week off work!)

Our screened in porch is a perfect place for reading and thinking early in the morning and there's a Carolina Wren who sits on our flagpole and sings to me which definitely adds to the charm.

Yesterday while reading the following from O.Chambers "You can never give another person that which you have found, but you can make him homesick for what you have."

my thoughts immediatelly went to Sue. How she is walking through her suffering, I believe, make many 'homesick for what she has', which is a sweet, sweet closeness with Jesus".

And actually, in maybe a less significant way, as believers we should all be making someone 'homesick for what we have', by how we 'do life'...face hardship, react to tough times, have joy in everyday things. A smile at a grouchy clerk in a supermarket, asking your server in a restaurant if they have a prayer request you can add when you pray for your food, there are lots of little ways to show Christ's love...I'm learning more all the time.