In just under a week I am going to see Nano.

It’s been more than three months since we sat together at my sister’s counter and chit chatted about aprons and children and all kinds of memories.  We like to do that, the two of us.  When I visit, five days from now, we will say good bye to my sister and her husband and they will go, for rest and fun and together time with friends.  Nano will come once again to my sister’s house and we will spend a few days.

Next week we will hopefully spend some of our table, counter time outside.  My sister has a beautiful garden and yard and we will sit and maybe eat something and will look at the beauty.  We don’t always talk.  It isn’t needed.  We sit and look.  Sitting and looking is underrated in this 21st century.  It is deemed a waste, of time.  I am learning in this second half of my life to think carefully about what’s important.   Life is short and don’t we know That all too well.  It has been just a few months since the boy, man, father, son, husband, brother, friend went to his forever home.  Just last week we, people I know and I, said good bye to another friend.  He too has gone to his forever home and we are thankful that he is where God has chosen to take Him.  Maybe a bit early if we ask his wife, but she sent him off, sitting next to his bed and encouraging him to “Go to Jesus”.  He went and she is alone now.  But not really alone because she has people who love her.  Friends.  They will encourage her and pray and hold her hands up.  Just like Aaron and Hur did for Moses. People here, in our city and our place of work, in our church, in our neighborhood, need help sometimes to hold their hands up.

It’s hard to choose a favorite from this Bible sitting next to me, but Exodus 17 is on the  list.  At the Christian bookstore you can find these little figurines.  One is holding a baby and one is kneeling.  There’s one with a man, his arm around a woman.

I like the one that is a girl with her arms outstretched.  I expect that the artist who created her intended her to be modeling ‘praise’.

A friend gave this one to me a while back.  It was when I was going through a pretty tough patch.  She said “this is for you, so you will know  I am here helping to hold your hands up, even when you can’t.”  She lives far away and I rarely see her, but I think of her often.  I keep that little resin girl in my pantry and when I open the door and look at her I remember.  Someone is helping to hold my hands up.  Sometimes I am sure I can’t do it any more.  My hands are too heavy.  But knowing I have a friend who is praying, is good.  She has had a few tough spots of her own and I have been reminded when I look at that girl sitting on my pantry shelf that remembering other people’s need for help, with keeping their arms raised, is good.  Prayer is good and even when we feel weak we can still help  to hold  a friends hands up, high.

So when someone leaves us, for, Heaven or just the other side of the country or the World, it’s good to have people.  They encourage us.  Especially if they remind us that Jesus is remembering us too.

WE

that’s we who attend a church where Jesus is talked about a lot, where God is worshipped more than money or stuff or worry or fear or anger.  Where we ask what He thinks and want Him to answer us

WE

often say how good it is to be part of a family. Of course we all have families and some are happy and some not.   I am telling you about  God’s family.  His family is here and it is in a lot of places.  All around the World truthfully.  When we are out and about and we find people who are part of that family, it’s a good thing.

We tend to resemble one another.

You know how it is in our birth family.  We can look alike.  Well in God’s family we often look very similar.  Or maybe I should say, we Should look similar.  Oh I don’t mean the colour of our eyes or our cheeck bones or dimples.  This similarity should be in our attitude.  The way we work and talk and those sorts of things.

We should be very much alike because our goal is to be like Jesus.  We are here to glorify Him and that means modeling the behavior of the only perfect person that ever lived.   He was perfect of course because He is God.  It’s okay though.  He is very kind and teaches us how to live.  It’s pretty amazing.

I almost said awesome but I try not to.  I know I get a bit over zealous about some things, but I kind of feel like awesome is really at the top.  You can’t get higher than awesome.  I looked it up in the dictionary and it said, breathtaking, awe-inspiring, magnificent, wonderful, and a few others.  I kind of see a picture of God when I read these words so I leave That one for describing Him.  Anyway, it’s pretty amazing that He is Awesome.  Indeed.

When I go to visit Nano I will help to hold her arms up.  When you get to be 92 1/2, staying strong and being joy filled is a challenge. My sister helps her and Nano is thankful.  She knows her life is still full of blessing and she tells us she knows.  I will share and Be,

along with her.

Not just because she is my mother and it Is my turn and it isn’t just that mother’s are dear and they need their children.  You see, I am living to be like Jesus.

He is perfect and can live His perfect life through my broken one.

Best of all, even when I am broken, I can encourage.  Because He is whole and He lives in me.

He is Faithful!

Lamentations 3:21-23