Waiting to Die

Eight miles north of the California border with Mexico there is a plethora of senior citizen mobile home parks with lofty-sounding names such as Del Rio Estates, Palace Gardens, Golden Sands.

Names with such high aspirations but filled with people who seem to be just waiting to die. 

A trip to the local casino, a visit from a grandchild - something to look forward to while they wait.

I talk to some of the residents.  One woman suffers much with physical ailments.  She believes her next life will be better because she has had to endure such hardship in this life.  Another woman with cancer believes, as Buddhists do, that she is one with all creation and when she dies she will become part of the cosmos.  When I speak with her about Jesus, she calls me 'religious'.  I ask an ancient woman, 92, if I may pray for her.  She says yes and then tells me that I am a 'good pray-er' and wants to know where I learned how to do that.

There are many older lonely people here.  Like flowers which have lost their bloom and are possibly hours, days or weeks away from fading into eternity, they wait.

"When Jesus saw the crowds, He had compassion on them because they were...helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.  Then He said to His disciples:  "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.  Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field."  (Matt. 9)

Lord forgive me.  As I think of the mission field in exotic locales like Africa or the Dominican Republic or even the inner cities of America, I never realized Your harvest field was also eight miles north of the border, in a community of our very senior citizens who are waiting...

Proverbs 3:5-6

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;  in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."   

Sometimes when I read a verse from the Bible that is very familiar to me, I like to 'unpack' it using Hebrew (the original language of the Old Testament).  Doing so will often deepen the impact of God's Word for me.  Here is one of my favorites.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart"

bittachon:  trust, feel safe and secure; the emotional acceptance of the goodness of the Lord; having complete trust that He cares for you.

"lean not on your own understanding"

sa'an:  to support oneself; resting your weight against something to give it support.

biynah:  understanding, comprehension, discernment, right action.

"In all your ways (i.e., 'paths')"

derek:  your comings and goings; throughout the Old Testament 'path' or 'way' is used for one's journey through life).

"acknowledge Him"

yada:  to experience relationally; emphasizes the knowledge one has because of intimate experience.  It is the same word used for marital intimacy in Scripture.

"and He will direct your path"

yasar:  make straight, smooth, even.

My reflection on this verse becomes:  Be safe, secure and confident with God in every part of your being - your mind, will, soul and emotions - having complete trust that He cares for you.  When you need support, don't lean in towards your own comprehension or discernment; it will not hold you up.  Lean closely into the Lord.  In all of your comings and goings, your lying down and rising up, as you journey through life,  experience God in every part.  Come to know Him in deep intimacy.  Experience His goodness and love in every part of your life, the good and the bad, and He will make your journey straight.