Our Generation

We were in class on a Sunday morning. A lady mentioned ‘The Greatest Generation’, and how sad it was we were loosing them at a very fast rate. 

(“The Greatest Generation" is a term made popular by journalist Tom Brokaw to describe the generation who grew up in the United States during the deprivation of the Great Depression, and then went on to fight in World War II, as well as those whose productivity within the war's home front made a decisive material contribution to the war effort, for which the generation is also termed the G.I. Generation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greatest_Generation

The Greatest Generation is the title of Tom Brokaw's 1998 book profiling members of this generation, stemming from his attendance at the D-Day 40th anniversary celebrations. In the book, Brokaw wrote, "it is, I believe, the greatest generation any society has ever produced." He argued that these men and women fought not for fame and recognition, but because it was the "right thing to do.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greatest_Generation. The greatest generation - Tom Brokaw - Google Boeken. books.google.com)

Our class was in the midst of a discussion on pride, when the comment was made. ‘The Greatest Generation’ in America is definitely a source of pride for our country. Our country will not be the same once this generation is gone. Both sets of my grandparents were a part of this generation. Each of their deaths in 1992, 1993, 1999, and 2012 left a significant hole in our family, for which no one was equipped or qualified to fill the void. I dare say thousands of families feel the same at the loss of their members who are part of the elite group known as ‘The Greatest Generation’. 

A few comments were made on pride and the effects it can have, both good and bad. Pride in oneself can cause someone to perform above average at a job, to push themselves to do better. Pride can also cause sin. This morning we all felt pride knowing people who fell within the time frame of ‘The Greatest Generation’. The label of ‘The Greatest Generation’ is, I suppose, uniquely American.

My life has been relatively short thus far. My years will be but a very small speck on God’s great timeline. 2 Peter 3:8 (NIV) says ‘But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.’ With that, I must say my knowledge of the impact of different generations thru all history is extremely limited. That morning my mind thought about a little bit broader picture. The label given to this special generation made my mind wonder. What would ‘God’ consider ‘The Greatest Generation’ of all mankind? Who would they be?

Could it have been the generation of Israelites which Moses, by obedience, led out of Egypt?

Could it have been the generation of Israelites which Joshua, by faith, entered into the promised land?

Could it be the generation of new converts during the early days of christianity when Paul and others were spreading the gospel, and growing God’s kingdom.

Could it be one of the generations impacted by evangelist Billy Graham during the years of his ministry? 

Could it be the generation affected by Martin Luther and his ninety-five theses?

The events surrounding any of these are significant, and possibly could be worthy of achieving the title of ‘The Greatest’. 

Or just maybe, Could it be us? Could it be our generation? We have media available to share the gospel in remote villages of third world countries. We have satellite TV with gospel channels reaching homes worldwide. Satellite radio stations are playing christian music 24 hours a day. Facebook users can share their testimony worldwide. Amazon provides international purchasing of christian books, bibles, and literature to many countries. Numerous venues are available to spread the gospel to the most remote regions of the world. Hundreds, thousands, and millions are being affected by the unlimited possibilities of spreading the gospel. At our fingertips we have the power to impact a vast audience of people. 

Pause for just a second. As I was writing this, it was time to go to bed. I went to bed and slept for a couple hours, and then woke up. Mid-life has a way of waking me up in the middle of the night with a novelty called ‘night sweats’. During the time awake some nights, I try to take the time and just listen. It seems easier to hear what God has to say, if I’m not talking. During the day can be too noisy, and busy, for me to just listen. As I lay there in the quiet, and praying, this blog post started going thru my head. A couple scriptures came rolling thru my thoughts. The one about God’s ways are higher than our ways: Isaiah 55:9 (NIV) ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.’ The other verse was the one I used earlier in this blog, 2 Peter 3:8 (NIV) ‘But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.’

Writing this blog I realized I was trying to put God in a box. I was trying to limit His greatest work to a single generation. The passage in Isaiah 55 reminded me while we can put a constraining label on a specific generation, there are no labels that constrain God. The passage in 2 Peter reminded me, while we put constraints of time on a specific generation, there is no constraint of time for God. Our time here on earth is a different time than Moses, Joshua, Paul, Billy Graham, Martin Luther, and other great trail blazers. Our time is now. This is the time we write our story. There are no labels or time constraints that limit God’s power to move in mighty ways. The God of Moses is my God. The God of Joshua is my God. The God of Paul is my God. The God of Billy Graham is my God. The God of Martin Luther is my God. We are ALL a part of God’s Greatest Generation. 

Today is the day to seize, and make a difference. Get in the race. Get on board. Use your available tools. Embrace these days. This is ‘Our Generation’. Make a difference. Speak it. Youtube it. Tweet it. Blog it. Email it. Instagram it. Copy it. Paste it. Vimeo it. Write it. Post it. Tag it. Share it. 

Both photos include several members of 'The Greatest Generation' in America. Photos are at a ground breaking for a Family Life Center at a church we attended. Photos were taken in the early 1990's. 

Fruit

Arguments erupt with no known cause sometimes. Tempers flare like Mount St. Helens. Words slice and dice the opposer. Voices escalate with the desire to be heard and understood. Fingers are pointed. Eyes turn red. Doors are slammed. Damage is done.

Sound familiar?

As a living and breathing human being, I have both witnessed and participated in such chaos. As a participant, much of the time, my opposer tends to be someone I am very close to. It seems we expect more out of those we care about. With expectations comes disappointments. Disappointments creates frustrations. Frustrations create hurt. At times, hurt leads to resentment and bitterness. Resentment and bitterness leads to sleepless nights and stressful days. 

One particular sleepless night I woke up. My mind started the downward spiral. A previous disappointment left me frustrated and hurt. Resentment and bitterness began to take root. The past few years have taught me I need to do my dance in life a little different. Change hasn't ever been easy for me. Tendencies to get in a rut and stay there for a while are my specialty. Perhaps the saying ‘it’s hard to teach an old dog new tricks’ applies. Trying to do a different dance this late in the game is a challenge. However, with baby steps it seems there could be hope. 

As I lay in bed I paid attention to what was going on in my mind, and in my stomach. My mind was racing, and my stomach was churning. It was maddening. I took a deep breath. I needed God’s help. The vicious cycle dragging my mind into negativity, and tying my stomach into knots, had stirred me long enough. Contemplating the things going thru my mind, I lay there determined to tackle this problem. I knew God was with me, and could help me. I looked to Him, and opened my mind. He took the thoughts in my mind causing bitterness and resentment, and opened my mind to thoughts of thankfulness and appreciation. It was a battle within myself. It was a very hard battle. I lay in bed many nights with resentment and bitterness swirling in my head. Oddly enough it’d become a place of comfort. This night I decided to try and do it different. 

As I pushed aside the thoughts that were robbing me of joy, my mind was available to be filled with something better. Some reason the Holy Spirit came to mind. He’s been with me since I was thirteen, and tonight He was there waiting on me to recognize His presence. I moved myself over and gave Him room to occupy more of my thoughts.  

Teaching children, when I was younger, I memorized a song about the fruit of the Spirit. It comes to mind frequently when a preacher mentions the fruit in a sermon, or I happen to come across scripture that mentions the fruit of the Spirit. I must say, I’ve been proud of myself at times when I’ve been able to quote the fruit of the Spirit in a public setting. Little do people know it was a song written for children, and myself as an adult learned the fruit. 

Lying in bed my thoughts circled around the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit kept running thru my mind. I wanted the fruit of the Spirit, and I NEEDED the fruit of the Spirit. I needed less of the crap going thru my head that was creating bitterness and resentment. I wanted a better dance. As I leaned on God, He let me know I can have a better dance. I needed to give Him the mess going thru my head, let it go, and trust Him. 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. Against such things there is no law. 

Galatians 5:22-23

The following definitions can be found in Webster: (There are probably more appropriate theological definitions, however I feel these definitions are adequate for today.)

Love - A feeling of strong or constant affection for a person.

Joy - A feeling of great happiness.

Peace - A state in which there is no war or fighting.

Patience - The capacity, habit, or fact of being patient (able to remain calm and not become annoyed when waiting for a long time, or when dealing with problems or difficult people).

Kindness - The quality or state of being gentle and considerate.

Goodness - The quality or state of being good (conduct that conforms to an accepted standard of right and wrong).

Faith - A strong belief or faith in someone or something.

Gentleness - The quality or state of being gentle especially : mildness of manners or disposition.

Self Control - Restraint exercised over one’s own impulses, emotions, or desires.

I wanted and needed the fruit of the Spirit. Easy enough said, but to actually have it can sometimes be a different story. Thoughts that brought about bitterness and resentment, were replaced with a few thankful and appreciative thoughts. A place in my heart that was once filled with darkness, was now filled with a little love, joy, peace, etc. You get the picture? The shift of my focus while lying in my bed, for those few minutes, gave the Holy Spirit a little breathing room in my heart. It felt great. I wanted more. 

There are many more ways for the fruit of the Spirit to work in our lives. This is only one small way God spoke to me at this time. When you find yourself wanting more of the fruit of the Spirit……. listen. God can probably show you something that will give the Holy Spirit a little breathing room in your heart. I feel confident saying ‘You’ll want more’.  

We will struggle to do our dance different. Something about the rut we get into is hard to get out of. As we practice more, I’m certain it can be done. Taking time to be deliberate in watching what’s going on in our head, nipping it in the bud, and giving into the directing of the Holy Spirit will cause a shift in the movement of our feet in our dance. With God on our side, all things are possible.

In all of life, I can’t think of anything better to have. Who wouldn’t want Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faith, Gentleness, and Self Control?