Legacys

 Dear Blog Friends,


Here it is June already.  We've been 'on the road' for six months now with another six or so to go.


Thank you for continuing to read my ramblings and not only that, offering comments that let me know you’re listening. And all that, in spite of the fact that this latest series of blogs are mostly excerpts from a book I wrote years ago. For myself, it’s been nice to remember those times back in Bangkok, and to see that God’s workings are not bound by time or circumstance. He really is the same, “yesterday, today and tomorrow” (Hebrews 13:8). 


I’m happy to say we've recovered from Covid, and were able to enjoy our reunion of over 800 retired missionaries down in Florida.  I don't pretend to know everyone there but it was amazing how many we did!  A couple that I would have never picked out of a lineup grabbed us as we walked by their table and "reminded" us that we'd oriented them and sent them to the mission field over 40 years ago.  Honestly, I had no recollection of them but they said, "Thank you for telling us it was OK to have fun on the field." I hope that was good advice; it’s worked well for us!


Legacy's, that's what we've been enjoying so much on this little trip.  Starting with the whole USA and the Christian heritage we enjoy here.  We are surprised to bump into Christians everywhere we turn.  Yes, I know the US can be a terribly dangerous place at the moment. It seems that shootings keep happening all around us, and we've met no one, Christian or not, who's happy with how America is at the moment. But on a positive side, there seem to be heaps of Godly people out there as well. I struggled onto a crowded elevator, brandishing my overloaded backpack around to avoid taking anyone out, and a stranger behind me said, "Lay your burdens before the Lord"!  We had a good laugh.


We have been able to catch up with so many people who've left a legacy in our lives as well.  Pseudo grandparents to my kids both on the mission field as well as here, have been visited and loved on.  Two days ago, we caught up with a short-term missionary we haven't seen in … well … she was a teenager and now she's got almost grown kids.  Next week we'll be sharing in a church where the pastor is the very successful and respected child of our very first Japanese convert!  How good is that?


In fact, something we read in "My Utmost for His Highest" the other day really spoke to me.  June 16 says basically this, "We are not made for brilliant moments, but we have to walk in the light of them in ordinary ways."  Then Oswald went on to say how Jesus' only 'brilliant moment' was at the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-3), and the rest of His time was just spent in hard work, laying out His life to do the will of His Father.


So I guess, for us, as glorious as this last month has been, at the end of the day, it’s been nothing more than a reminder of a quite ordinary life.  It's doing what had to be done as followers of Christ: keeping on keeping on, in the good times and the bad, on the mountain tops and in the valleys.  So as we pass the halfway mark in this year’s pilgrimage, I think I need to remember to look forward and actually do some things that matter to the Kingdom today, instead of just basking in the past. Please pray with us as we dialogue with powers that be both about Tony’s doctrinal Discipleship course as well as us possibly doing some volunteer work while we’re in Europe.


But back to how I started this blog, sharing the excitement and joy at seeing some of the fruits of our labours …. the “legacies of life”. Here’s a question to leave you with: 

what legacy are you assembling for future generations to consider?  What will you build into those around you that will get them thru the days to come?


We are so happy to be able to visit with you in this way from time to time, please comment here or stay in touch on Facebook.


And while you’re there, don’t forget to check out Tony’s latest book, Reaching the Heights: theTrail Above. It’s on Amazon, and if you have Prime, the Kindle version is free! The book was only launched a couple of weeks ago, and we’re already getting great responses.


Love ya,


Marsha


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