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Patient Endurance

The month of January pulls at my heart in painful ways.  It hasn’t been very long since my grandparents passed – Nana just 2 years ago ( https://www.floydmortuary.com/obituaries/thelma-edge ) and Bill just 5 years ago ( https://www.floydmortuary.com/obituaries/billy-edge ).

They are so sweet and special to me that it does me some painful good to see their pictures and read back through their obituaries this time of year. And having a wife and friends who will “sit in the mud with me” during this time is such a blessing.

As my emotions rise and tears surprisingly stream down my cheeks, today’s verse on the YouVersion Bible app reminds me of my own weakness being an opportunity for the Holy Spirit to do His work:

‭Romans‬ ‭8:26‬ ‭NLT‬
[26] And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.

https://bible.com/bible/116/rom.8.26.NLT

And I’m also encouraged by my broadcast from a year ago today on patiently enduring:

Whatever you are going through today, my friends — I’m grateful for the opportunity to sit in the mud together. In fact, I’m about to head out on a nature hike in the rain if you want to combine the analogy with the reality. Much love, hugs, tears, encouragement and prayers — for Him seeing us through it. Amen.

Thelma “Nana” Edge

Thelma Edge

January 4, 1934 — January 18, 2022

Thelma Mae Brackins Edge, 88, wife of the late Billy Gene Edge, passed on Tuesday, January 18, 2022, at her home in Campobello.  Born in Spartanburg County on January 4, 1934, a daughter of the late Edward Curtis and Alice Sprouse Brackins.

Mrs. Edge was a lifelong resident of Pacolet Mills until moving to Campobello in 2018.  She was a 55 plus year member of Brown’s Chapel Baptist Church.  She was involved in feeding the youth, volunteering in the nursery at church and socializing with Young at Heart.  She enjoyed cooking for her family.

Survivors are a daughter, Jean Ballinger (Jim) of Spartanburg; siblings, Bertha Harrold of Central Pacolet and Betty Hutt of Union; and a grandson, Harold Ballinger (Mandee) and great granddaughter, Mia Ballinger of Campobello.  Numerous nieces and nephews.  She was predeceased by sisters, Ethel Morgan, Virginia Crawford, and Nancy Brock; a brother, Jimmy Brackins.

Visitation will be 1:00-3:00 PM, Monday, January 24, 2022, at Floyd’s Pacolet Chapel.  Funeral Services will follow in the chapel at 3:00 PM.  Burial will be in Pacolet Memorial Gardens.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Brown’s Chapel Baptist Church, P.O. Box 396, Pacolet Mills, SC, 29373.

Billy Edge

August 17, 1934 — January 26, 2019

Good Servant, Billy Gene Edge, 84, of Pacolet Mills, SC, went home to be with his Heavenly Father Saturday, January 26, 2019 at Spartanburg Regional Hospice Home.

Born August 17, 1934 in Cherokee County, SC, he was the son of the late Troy Webster and Bessie Norah Barner Edge. He was the husband of Thelma Brackins Edge for 67 years. Billy started his lifelong career as a carpenter with Fiske-Carter Construction Company for 40 years, then ending it with Roebuck Buildings Co. Inc.

He was a member of Brown’s Chapel Baptist Church where he was a Deacon, Sunday School teacher, and worked with the youth. He enjoyed gardening and woodworking. Survivors include his loving wife, Thelma Brackins Edge of the home; a daughter, Jean Ballinger (Jim) of Spartanburg, SC; a grandson, Harold Ballinger (Mandee) of Campobello, SC; a great granddaughter, Mia Ballinger; and sisters, Patra Ford (The Rev. Jerry Ford) of Union, SC and Pamela Easler of Spartanburg, SC; along with numerous nieces and nephews. He was also predeceased by his brothers, Roy Edge, Clyde Edge, and Hugh Edge.

Visitation will be at 6:00 – 8:00 PM Tuesday, January 29, 2019 at Floyd’s Pacolet Chapel, 141 Memorial Drive, Pacolet, SC 29372. Funeral service will be at 2:00 PM Wednesday, January 30, 2019, at Brown’s Chapel Baptist Church, 350 Green Street, Pacolet, SC 29373, conducted by The Rev. Ralph Jett and The Rev. Jerry Ford. Burial will follow in Pacolet Memorial Gardens, 141 Memorial Drive, Pacolet, SC 29372.

The family will be at the home of Harold and Mandee Ballinger.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Brown’s Chapel Baptist Church, P.O. Box 396, Pacolet Mills, SC 29373.

The family would like to give a thank you for the special care given by Spartanburg Regional Hospice Home.

hballingerLeave a comment

Waiting isn’t even about what is “missing”…

My truck was stolen on Friday, and we’re working with the police and insurance to see what can be done. But something like this isn’t resolved overnight. We could only focus on the challenges of this situation and grumbling — and miss seeing multiple friends offering us their spare vehicles to temporarily help us out, miss seeing people sharing the video of the theft online to help find the truck, miss precious time with my parents helping us search for a wise and responsible replacement, and miss an opportunity to trust God, wait patiently, and praise Him in the storm.

Sometimes things are completely out of our control and there is nothing we can do to “fix it” in the moment. Sometimes no matter how much we “want it right now”, that isn’t the way life goes.

For my daughter and I, visiting amusement parks and riding roller coasters is a good analogy for life. Most times the best rides have a wait involved. They are thrilling and exciting once our turn comes, but the wait is part of the process. And through the years we have come up with various ways to keep ourselves occupied that doesn’t include grumbling about the wait. 

It is the same with life. Grumbling about having to wait doesn’t change the situation for the better, it just makes it worse. In life we can’t always look at a the situation and estimate when our wait might end. In life there are usually no guarantees that our waiting will eventually result in our getting what we are waiting for. But how we wait can influence our whole life.

If we are spoiled children who always demand our own way “right now”, the disappointments of real life will eventually wear us down. But if we are wise and value patience, we have a great opportunity for a different life, for a different perspective, and for a different journey.

My daughter and I enjoy the rides themselves, but that time in line together, trip after trip is where the memories are made together. And the time that we spend together with others while waiting — and with our God while waiting — builds memories, strengthens our bond in the relationship, and teaches us to trust each other. Choosing patience and relationship in those moments of waiting also helps us focus on our blessings, on what we can do in those moments, and to treasure the opportunity of the moment instead of wasting it by focusing on an “illusion of lack” instead of seeing the “reality of abundance”.

One of the enemy’s favorite traps is to trick people into focusing on their perceived “lack” — something where they are so laser focused on their own “unmet expectations” that they can’t see all of the blessings and opportunity that surround them. Imagine Eve with her eyes on the one deadly fruit that was in the middle of an orchard full of life giving fruit. Imagine the prodigal son who set his eyes on “greener pastures” out there in the world rather than appreciating the blessings he had right there at home. There are so many stories and scales that are written, but I’m sure we also know times where we have personally focused on “perceived lack” instead of looking around at so much abundance.

Lord, help us to bear that fruit of your spirit that is patience. Let the world see us walking in that peace that passes all understanding so that they know that you are there with us in those moments. Help us to find our rest in you and to know how abundantly blessed we are — especially when we don’t think that we are getting “our way”. Help us to understand and trust you in The Way that is best. Amen.

‭Psalms‬ ‭130:5‬ ‭AMP‬
[5] I wait [patiently] for the Lord, my soul [expectantly] waits, And in His word do I hope.

https://bible.com/bible/1588/psa.130.5.AMP

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Waiting Eagerly

Five years ago today, we were eagerly awaiting the arrival of our daughter. We knew that she was on her c way,  we knew that the time was drawing close. We had even caught shadowed glimpses of what she would look like in the scans and x-rays provided by the doctors. But we hadn’t yet held her with our own hands or seen her with our own eyes.

But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us. For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love.
Galatians 5:5-6 NLT
http://bible.com/116/gal.5.5-6.NLT

And 5 years ago today,  little Mia was born.  And we became parents. We didn’t receive this new title and position of parent as an obligation,  but we received it with grattitude, because our blessing was clear and evident. And we only had an idea of the challenges and wonders and blessings and trials that would come as part of being parents, as we eagerly awaited the exciting new journey ahead of us.

As a parent,  life is changed and rearranged. All kinds of things take on new meaning and perspective. And the same is true of us who live by the Spirit. And living by the Spirit is different than trying to fulfill the law under our own power.

You see, someone can decide to try and follow the law by human effort, just as Abraham tried to fulfill Gods promise by sleeping with Hagar to bring forth a child,  but this was not God’s promise, this was not God’s will. This was not the work of the power of God,  but it was the striving of man. But when the time was right, God fulfilled His promise and through His power fulfilled it exactly as promised,  something that Abraham’s attempts on his own fell short of.

How often do we get caught up in trying to make it happen ourselves? How often do we want to rush things along so that we can feel responsible,  so that we can take credit,  so that we can feel like we made  a difference, instead of trusting Him and giving Him all of the credit?

I wonder how much of our lives are, spent in our own pride and vanity,  striving against the wind, versus how much of our life is faith expressing itself in love? I wonder how few might understand the difference? How few might find that narrow gate of faith in Jesus Christ that is the one true way? How many will be tricked and trapped and snared by the enemy instead?

We stand upon that great scale – but not just a scale of justice weighing our works – for our works will be tried by fire and only the things done with a pure heart will not be burned away – only those things done as faith expressing itself in love will survive the purifying fires. Those things done out of religious obligation, or out of manipulation in an attempt to gain favor or honor for oneself – they will be burned away. Because it is our heart that is weighed, so that no man might boast in His own works.

You see, the things weighed will be those things that Christ did through us when we were simply willing and equipped to be used by the Holy Spirit to do God’s will. It won’t be our own works of filthy rags,  but it will be His annointing that has been poured out through us into the lives of others.

And that is why we are eagerly awaiting to receive by faith the righteousness promised to us. Because if we think that we are already righteous,  have we closed our eyes on the work He is still doing and still has yet to complete in our reconciliation to be more like our teacher and instead thought much of ourselves even before our time has come? Have we fallen like the one third who saw their own beauty and forgot how they reflected the image of Christ and foolishly became prideful of themselves? Or have we kept our eyes set firmly upon Christ,  knowing that we are in comparison lowly sinners, so little different from the lost of this world other than our knowledge and faith in our Lord and Savior who is reconciling us to be more like Himself.

Yes, there is a perspective that is right before the Lord, and it is not one of pride,  but one of humility,  of mercy,  of servitude towards God and towards our fellow man. And this attitude is the result of grattitude,  of faith,  of trust in the undeserved gift of grace that He offers us. And we receive it not our of our empty religious practice or striving on our own, but we receive it through our faith producing love. That is the only worthy and blameless offering that we can lay upon the altar that will not be consumed by the refining fire, and it only comes through a relationship with Him,  through the Holy Spirit alive and moving and active in our lives.

So we wait eagerly,  those who rest our confidence in the Lord,  and who have abandoned any foolish confidence in ourselves.

hballingerLeave a comment

What I listen to tells me what I value

James 1:19 NLT
Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.

I’m not always that good at this. And isn’t it that we know this,  that we have heard this, but that we don’t understand it and apply it effectively and consistently in our lives?

Continue reading “What I listen to tells me what I value” →

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Waiting not Idle

Psalm 27:14 ESV
Wait for the Lord ; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord !

PERSONAL COMMENTARY
——————————————–

So how do we wait for the Lord?

It tells us – be strong, and let our heart take courage.

This Psalm is about relying on the faithfulness of God in the face of our enemies.

And our enemies are not flesh and blood, but are the unseen forces in opposition to God’s will – those that hide in the darkness, separated from the light.

And waiting for the Lord doesn’t mean being idle,  because we are called to go forth,  to go out and make disciples of all the nations. No, it doesn’t take strength to live an idle life.

It takes strength and courage to live a thankful life dedicated to the Lord – day by day, even moment by moment – because we have hope in promises and things unseen, but that we know deep inside to be true.

So we wait in faithfulness, but we are busy with the work at hand until then.

Each day,  there are so many opportunities that I don’t want to miss. Let me walk in His strength and power today, having courage that I will be greatly used,  even in the little things, like an encouraging word, a helpful hand, a faithful prayer, sharing the Word of God – as I wait patiently,  yet I am busy with the work at hand.

So let’s wait for the Lord in strength and in courage.