Ever had someone make a statement that you disagreed with, but it caused you to do some soul searching? Last weekend dear Husband and I were enjoying a serious conversation with one of our daughters who was visiting from out of town. It was one of those rare times that we had uninterrupted time to talk together. The topic of personality came up and she explained one approach to understanding personality that originated in India. I asked her which category I fell into according to that system. Surprised by her answer, I immediately disagreed with her. One of the descriptions of that personality type was the ability to complete a project, which I felt disqualified me. Dear Husband quickly interjected that I do have that quality because I have completed a blog each week for seven years. He went on to mention discipline and other qualities I never thought of myself as having. Interjection: please, please talk nice to yourself. My self-talk is often negative and I have a low opinion of my performance. This isn’t humility, this is destructive. It makes it harder to truly succeed in the tasks God has given me. How much better to choose to think of ourselves as a work in progress always on an upward course as God gives us strength. One simple phrase I picked up from business training is this: ‘I’m practicing.’ In other words, my desire is noble, but sometimes I fall short. Yet I keep on practicing so that I can improve. On a side note: think of common ways we express this idea. We say a doctor is practicing medicine, or a lawyer is practicing law, or a religious friend is a practicing Catholic. None of us have arrived, but we’re earnestly practicing so that we improve. I’m learning to tell myself, “God is forming me into a person who __________.” He even provides the will to want to be better. I learned a verse as a child that helps me visualize how we keep pushing on an upward path to Heaven with the help of Jesus. 
“Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Some translations say “upward call”, or “heavenward call”. Philippians 3:13-14
This month marks seven years that God has carried me through writing this blog each week. This is a serious responsibility that honestly sometimes feels heavy. But I know that the tasks the Lord gives each of us to do are light and easy. I think this is not because the tasks are light or easy, but because he carries them with us and because they fit us individually. Each week I have thrown myself on the Lord, often in desperation. And each week he has provided.
“For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:30
What tasks have you been given by the Lord? Parenting? Grandparenting? Caregiving? Being a godly spouse? Providing financially for your family? Making a nurturing environment for the body and souls of your family? Serving or giving to the poor? Serving in your church? Giving comfort and a listening ear? Teaching in some formal or informal capacity? 
Have you ever stopped to think about the fact that none of us are on this journey alone? There were those who walked a similar path before us. There are those who are coming along behind us. We do well to consider how we can learn from those ahead of us and how we can teach those behind us. BTW, teaching by example is powerful! We’re not the first to face challenges, so we can learn from those who have successfully navigated them. And, of course, we can learn what not to do from those who didn’t. Our examples come first of all from Scripture. Each person and their story is in God’s Word for our good! Think of that!
Constantly fighting a bad habit? So was Saul.
Feeling financial pressure? So did the widow of Zarephath.
Victim of family jealousy? So was Joseph.
Feeling down? So did David.
Aching from the death of a loved one? So were Mary and Martha.
Overcoming a bad past? Do did Paul.
Feeling betrayed? So did Jesus.
God has lovingly put people in your life. Some to nurture and encourage and some to teach you what not to do. When you look back on your lifetime, who were your encouragers? How did they encourage you? Who could you encourage using their methods? It wouldn’t hurt to actually make a list of people who encouraged you. A funny thread ran through my list of people who encouraged/taught/ nurtured me. It doesn’t sound very spiritual. They fed me! From my grandmother who made me an after-school snack of bread with her delicious homemade apricot butter to the Hungarian grandmother who most Sundays fed an always hungry pregnant first-time mom, to the oasis of friends’ tables that gave us reprieve from the pressures of daily life. It wasn’t just the physical food but the acceptance, care, conversation, and time spent together. I shouldn’t be surprised, of course. Scripture is full of good stories of people sitting down together to eat. After all, it was at a meal that our Lord Jesus gave not only his friends but us a precious commemorative tradition that we practice to this day. Yesterday in my case. Then in the days immediately after his resurrection, the Lord Jesus ate with his close friends several times. He sat down at the table with two friends in the village of Emmaus. He ate some fish to prove he was real and not a ghost when he made a surprise visit to his disciples in Jerusalem. He cooked a meal for his disciples on the lake shore in Galilee. And guess what? The day of celebration when history is consummated will feature a huge feast together! 
Think of the ways a shared meal helps us relate to each other. We’re sitting down together. We’ve stepped away from work. We’re enjoying something together. We feel satisfied. We feel connected. It’s natural to talk in those circumstances. Meals are so important because they nourish not only our bodies but our souls. Who can you nourish this week? P.S. You don’t have to be a good cook. You don’t have to provide a full meal. You don’t even have to invite them to your place if you can’t. Just make them welcome at a table with you.
Of course, eating together is one way of enhancing communication, but there are many other ways. Think of the times a parent or friend has called you when you needed to be cheered up. Who could you call this week to encourage? Ever gotten a text or texted photo that made you feel included in the sender’s life? My grandma’s heart is always warmed when I receive photos of grandchildren or of our adult kids’ latest endeavors. Who can you make feel included with a text?
Maybe all of this doesn’t sound very spiritual to you. You might have assumed that in order to teach those on the path behind us you should lead a Bible study, teach Sunday School, or have a position in your church. Although these are excellent ways to help others understand God, they aren’t the only ways. Think of the times a godly friend has made a remark in casual conversation that impacted you. Think of those you admire in the faith. Many of them are people you have spent time with and you saw that their behavior mirrors their beliefs. Be that person to others!