"The righteous thrive like a palm tree and grow like a cedar tree in Lebanon. Planted in the house of the Lord, they thrive in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, healthy and green, to declare: “The Lord is just; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.”
Psalm 92:12-15 (HCSB)
“Age makes other things decay, but makes a Christian flourish. Some are like hot horses, mettlesome at the beginning of a journey, and tired a long time before they come to their journey's end. A good disciple, as he would not have from God a temporary happiness, so he would not give to God a temporary obedience; as he would have his glory last as long as God lives, so he would have his obedience last as long as he lives.”
Stephen Charnook
I vividly remember last year, as I had just started seminary, Lily was looking at various Facebook profile pictures of seminary students. She was in particular comparing their appearance before seminary and while attending TMS. She noticed that most of them looked like they aged 10 years older in a span of a few months. She intently looked at me and said with both apprehension and entreaty in her eyes: “Don’t allow this to happen to you! Don’t you grow old on me like that!”. There are many things I wish I could do for my wife; preventing aging is one I know I can’t. I can’t explain it but it does seem to me like I am growing older faster as I go through my studies here, being equipped to contribute to the training of pastors and church leaders in our home country, Madagascar.
Is it the wisdom that we are imparted with that mature us both spiritually and physically? Is it the pace and the load of work we are placed under that causes our cells to be imprinted faster with the marks of time going by? I don’t know, but I do feel like I am growing old! Some of you will argue that 37 years old is not that much and I agree with you but I do feel their weight…and that it is a good thing! As I celebrated my birthday this month, the words of Psalm 92, made me realize anew how thankful I ought to be for growing old. Here are a few thoughts of thankfulness from verses 12 to 15:
* I am thankful that God saved me at age 15 and thus for the 22 years during which I haven’t always grown as I should in my love for God, but I have grown, by God’s grace.
* I am thankful that, as a believer, I have been growing and will continue to grow accompanied by the Lord’s presence and direction. I am thankful to know that even though physical capacity will decrease, spiritual vitality and usefulness will increase for those who are in the Lord. God will make me more fruitful for His glory for as many years as He grants me before calling me home or before Christ returns.
* I am thankful to know that God is ever present to refine me, sustain me and strengthen me so that I may continue to be a tool to proclaim His justice, mercy and holiness.
* I am thankful for the older people in my life, particularly my dad, that are modelling the truths of these verses as I see them not wasting their years but striving to be more useful to God as time goes by. I am thankful for their advice and guidance throughout the years and am even more drawn now than before to seek counsel with the older “palm trees” and “cedars” around me.
* I am thankful that God entrusted Lily and I with 5 little “palm trees” and grateful to know that 2 of them are, as far as we can tell, “planted in the house of the Lord.” I pray for wisdom to help my boys thrive in the Lord and also for the salvation of our three little girls.
* I am thankful to know that my eternal destiny is secure in God my Rock, and that I can thus have no fear of physical death. God will grant me as many years as He has ordained to do what He has chosen me to do.
* Finally, I am thankful that God doesn’t age. He is beyond time; He is always the same, consistent in His attributes and unwavering in His promises. And He desires that His children would enjoy an intimate relationship with Him forever.
Why wouldn’t I rejoice for growing older? Each year brings me close to being in Christ’s presence. And each year spent here on earth is an occasion of basking in His blessings and to be used by Him to proclaim the forgiveness and true life He offers in Christ. I am eager to see what God has for us this year. I rest secure in my just and righteous God.
Faly
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts."
Isaiah 55:8-9
These verses summarize our family life this month; we tasted God's goodness and compassion as we served and trusted in Him. Since January, the kids and I started to minister to an elderly person from church, Charles Miller, who has been placed in an elderly care center. I saw this as an opportunity to teach our children to have compassion and to care for the weak. So, I have included in our weekly schedule a visit to Charles every Friday afternoon, when the kids come back from school. Friday February 18th was Charles' 92nd birthday. We came and surprised him with some balloons, a card Daniel made for him, and a small birthday cake. But we were the ones surprised as Pastor John McArthur and his wife Patricia were there also! We had a blessed time with Charles and Pastor John. The girls had so much fun with Patricia as they were playing with her. We came simply to see and serve Charles as per usual, but God had in mind a very special time with our dear Pastor and his wife. What a blessing!
Also, two weeks ago I went to the office of Woman Infant Care (wic) to get some food coupons. I met there a representative from the governmental body in charge of medical insurance. I presented our case to her, that we have been to the department of Social Services already to apply for a free medical insurance but we were denied because of our status of non-immigrant internationals. I asked if there was another way for us to get medical coverage at least for our 5 kids. Right away she got me an appointment to meet a case worker the next day. So we went and we got full scope medical insurance for the whole family for free! Praise be the Lord! A month ago Emmanuelle broke her tooth and had to go to the dentist. Because we didnt have insurance yet, the amount we had to pay was exhorbitant! Having full scope medical for free is such an amazing providence of the Lord!
Else, our boys were again victims of bullying. 3 boys from school were very mean to Daniel and one of them even hit him in the back during PE time (physical education). We of course went and talked to the principal about it. But we at the same time took this opportunity to teach our boys to always trust and rely on the Lord in all things. It was an opportunity to put in practice what they have learnt from God's Word, to pray for their ennemies and not to repay evil with evil, but with good. We are praying as a family for those bullies, that they will come to know Christ.
When we came here last year, I always thought that Faly was the one who was going to learn, and we just come here to follow him. As time goes by, I see that Faly is not the only one who gets trained but all of us as a family; starting with me as a mom and wife, then each of our kids through the circumstances they are going through at school and in life in general. This month we celebrated Faly's 37th birthday!!! It is unbelievable that we really grow old together; I met him he was just 24! When Faly proposed, I never thought that one day he will go into full-time ministry even though the Lord knows that my desire from childhood was to become a missionary. We celebrated Faly's birthday with so much joy and so grateful on how the Lord planned our life in ways we didnt expect nor planned!
Lily
Our prayer requests:
- Praise God for His unchanging love and grace
- Praise God for the gift of another year of life to Faly
- Praise God as we got full Medical coverage for free!!!
- Praise God for the improvements on Lily's back. Yet, with the change of weather, pray for her as she has caught a heavy flu.
- Continue to pray for strength towards studies for both Faly and Lily
- Pray for our boys who have, of late, been bullied at school. Pray that God will use this to develop their faith and character.
- Pray for the TMAI pre-conference (www.tmai.org/preconference) on March 8th and the Shepherd’s Conference (www.shepherdsconference.org) from March 9th to 11th. Pray for our involvement during the conference, as Lily will volunteer and Faly will work for TMAI.