Adulting Part 3 - Be Part of God's Plan to Help Others

 The world is so tense. Before assurance God will get us through, a weird tale of how the world thinks, some praises, a way to give the Gospel at the end of October, etc., let's start with a story – or, rather, a Paul Harvey "rest of the story" story.

It’s from a fictional universe. If you know which one, put yourself in their world and it'll be more fun. ​If you don't know it, you can still enjoy it. Maybe you can do one of this type for a story you like; it'd be a fun creative project for school. ​If you know what the news is, you can guess "the REST of the story."

Certain dates are etched in our minds, the emotions and memories impossible to erase. July 4th, 1776, freedom and fun. December 7th, 1941, a date which will live in infamy.

​            But when you learn the rest of the story, you’ll see such memories can be overcome.

​            There was a child on another of those dates who had their own date, which led to a search. They lived in a dull, drab place, yet kept believing, so they often left to search for... someone. Someone unknown, except for a promise to return.

​            One day, like before, she snuck out to look for that someone. All she knew was that they would probably look a lot like her.

You see, she was in search of her parents. They had left a note saying when she'd been born and that they would be back, but after almost 7 years they hadn't been. As usual she got caught, and she was hauled back and thrust into a damp, dark cellar as punishment.

​Even worse, on this particular day she had wandered to a place where there was much chaos and fear. For this was October, 1929. And, her orphanage was not many blocks from Wall Street. And so, as she sat in that dark basement, she not only had to think about how the headmistress screamed at her and pushed her to the floor before sending her to the basement, she also had to consider all the adults who had been so afraid because their lives were now in tatters and the happy days of prosperity were gone. For that date was Black Tuesday, which marked the start of the Great Depression.

​            Yet, she was determined. She continued to believe, even while the Depression grew, the kindly house mother there - who was also their teacher - had to finally be let go, and the older girls became the mother figures and protectors; making sure that headmistress was never violent, while the girls were forced to sew in a secret sweatshop.

​            She kept believing. And, she kept something else. For a while it was not even written down, but she had created something in that dark, dingy basement. Something that in her mind spelled freedom even though it would be four long years before she and the other girls would be adopted out of there.

​            You see, her parents had died soon after they left her there. That did not deter her, and what she created on that most depressing day not only gave her hope, but eventually gave hope to many. It was a message which would be copied by dozens of others over the years. One a misheard lyric is heard to say always, but which really says, even when things are at their worst, no matter how many days it takes, you can bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow, there'll be sun, that brighter, better tomorrow is only a day away.

​            Oh yes, a little orphan girl - frightened by a screaming headmistress and stuck in a dark basement on the day that began the Great Depression wrote the eternal song of optimism you know as "Tomorrow." And now you know... the REST of the story.

 

Why did I start with a Paul Harvey Rest of the Story that isn't even in our universe - here "Tomorrow" is a Broadway number, not a song invented by an orphan (and when she wrote it is speculation.) Things are awful here. Amir Tsarfati, who you can follow on Telegram (or at BeholdIsrael on Instagram) has great updates on things the news doesn't always cover in the Mideast, etc.. He’s a Jewish believer who posted recently on Youtube how the world is not only descending into chaos, but the Antichrist could easily rise soon and sign a false peace with Israel and others, improving on a covenant and starting the 7 year Tribulation. (Starting after 20 or 22 minutes of one update, we see how evil’s deception is certain with Putin – though the Antichrist will be much more beloved than Putin.)

Believers have a promise of better days ahead in Heaven. We can tell people about it while we’re still here. Isaiah 26:3 promises He will keep us in perfect peace when our minds are stayed on Him. We can – and should - let others know what He can do for them, too, when they trust Him. I’m sure many are anxious, after all.

It’s all about the attitude we choose to have. Attitude may not seem like a choice when things are overwhelming, but look at Psalms like Psalm 42-43, which show the Psalmist facing times of depression and finally realizing that God can and will help. Other times we see the Psalmist almost feel like giving up. Yet each time, God brings them hope and it starts with realizing God is there for them. It’s just sometimes, He gets us through the storm, He doesn’t stop it from happening.

I’ve shared how good friends can help us – and we need to be help others the same way. I didn’t share the strangest story. Brian knows a guy named Larry (name changed to protect the innocent.) Larry… doesn’t always think. Larry lived in his ex-girlfriend’s home after signing a 3-year lease with her weeks before they broke up - Larry had put up with it for 2.5 years since she had enough room for his robot mushroom picking stuff; a robot he kept getting distracted from & had now stopped working on after years of tinkering. Larry lived with Brian, but moved back with his parents before Brian and Molly married. Larry took his robot stuff with him. Larry also had a well-paying job with a computer company that he quit soon after this next took place.

Larry almost went to Hawaii for 3 months to be with a woman he met online a month earlier(!) but never did more than Skype with her. Larry was in Maryland. He’s a nice guy but he doesn’t know Jesus so he has no direction in life. Please pray Larry gets saved.

So, Larry and this woman started a conversation, and after a couple weeks, Larry says, "I'm going to go out to Hawaii for 3 months at least, maybe forever.” Larry had enough money from a very good computer programming job that he could afford a motel room for maybe 8-10 days; and maybe food for a couple months, but had no plan for food or shelter otherwise. (He quit his job after this, but he really wanted out of it, too.)

Brian tried to talk Larry out of this. Brian, Molly, and I had a phone conversation which I vividly remember how many things we found wrong with this, including that Larry thought his job would just let him take vacation for 3 months.

Larry was within 24 hours of flying to Hawaii when he and his "girlfriend" broke up.

Here's what I think happened. Brian was so worried about what would happen when Larry got there. Molly and I brought up that the woman was being equally crazy. She’d met a nice guy on the Internet but never saw him in person. After a couple weeks of talking, he had decided to go to Hawaii for 3 months. And she saw that as normal. We think her friends – after trying to be nice about it – basically said, “Are you nuts?! A guy you’ve known a few weeks is coming, how will he have money for 3 months here? He could crash at your place and you might not be able to get him to leave! You have to break it off now!”

God is at work in people’s lives, and sometimes the Spirit needs to move other people to help. But, this story also shows how the world thinks.

Sure, unsaved people can make great decisions – Brian usually did even before he called on Jesus to save him. Saved people can make dumb ones – it’s easy to laugh at Larry, but it’s also true that “there, but for the grace of God, go I.”  The Bible isn’t just a rule book. It’s a guide to show how to live wisely. Part of that is realizing we can’t make it without God in our lives. We certainly can’t make it to Heaven on our own. And, decisions need to be made based on Godly principles, not just on a whim. When saved people make poor decisions, it’s usually based on emotion – and we’re all human.

God can use little things. Brian had weighed all his options & Wooster and California-Davis were in a flat-footed tie the day he had to choose a college. He chose Wooster because a girl he kind of liked was going there. That’s God at work, though, bringing her to his mind at the right time, just like a House member broke the tie in the 1800 election supposedly because he saw Jefferson’s name on a paper. But those were well-planned. Two choices seemed equally good and God directed them to the right one.

God knew how to work in their lives. John 16:7-12 says the Spirit works in the unsaved, too. We who know Jesus should rely on Him, though. The devil tries to make us ineffedctive with the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life(thinking we know better about everything or are indestructible).(1 John 2:15)

For some it is harder to make wise choices, of course. That’s why I emphasized praying for those who need to break generational patterns of bad choices. Such choices, handed down by adults who struggle with things, are at best harmful and mess up their walk with God and at worst are totally anti-God.  It takes great courage to break out of such cycles. But anyone can when fully dedicated to living Godly lives. So, help others break those cycles, and if you have any break them by committing to Godly principles.

Romans 5:8 is so important here, as you know – “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” People don’t “clean up their act and then come to Jesus.” People need to be told of their need of Jesus as Saviour so He can be the one to be invited to work in their hearts and keep transforming them.(Rom. 12:1-2) Let God work, you can’t change a potential mate on your own. Remind yourself you deserve one who follows God with all their heart; wait on God’s timing. Molly & Brian found their dream mates in their 40s. OH, how much heartache they avoided waiting on who God had for them and not jumping early.

All this is so important as you move toward adulthood. Because when we put it all together, we can see several key points.

1. God has a better future through Him. Of course, the best future is in Heaven. But by making wise, Godly choices now, we can avoid serious problems. Was Larry’s Hawaiian friend saved? I don’t know. But the earlier examples, like David with Bathsheeba, show followers of God make awful decisions if they’re not careful.

Sometimes God puts something on your heart right away – like Wooster for me. I didn’t just say “Looks nice, I’ll go,” though – I knew I’d like certain things I saw. (Small town, easy to walk anywhere, student-run radio station, etc.) God used those to confirm it was the right choice. So pray, follow the Spirit’s leading, and remember the Spirit only guides you to do things based on Godly principals; so know your Bible.

2. Remain positive, and seek wise counsel. It’s good to be confident. We also make bad choices when depressed or discouraged. We don’t have all the answers, but God will lead us the right way. When we lose focus on Him, we can mess up. Trusting Him gives us strength. This world drags us down, but that’s why beign thankful for what we have, trusting God for wisdom, etc. are vital while we remain, however long it is.

Brian had a big answer to prayer days ago. A friend, Topham, coming to the US to visit really needed a place to stay for a week. Brian and Molly have no room now. Brian prayed and John came to mind. Brian called John and as it turned out, John was able to let Topham have a spare room, plus this helped John have someone to help care for his father.I promised to share that to show a relatively new follower of Christ growing in his prayer life but also to show how God works in peoples’ lives. Brian likely wouldn’t have thought of John on his own, and surely wouldn’t have called John without God’s leading.

Brian needs wisdom for how to help his friends. This thing with Topham may be the start of his seeking God more for to help and eventually how to witness to them. Pray for him.

3. You can be a positive influence in your world. You can’t stop this madness, though you can pray for God to work. You can influence others for good, plant seeds for them to get saved fromt heir sin, and – if they are saved – help them to remain positive.

It means making Godly choices & helping others to also. Pretend you’re that Hawaiian lady’s friend – imagine (or even role play) how you’d talk to her, & get pointers on how.

Remember, some struggle & need help – they need you to help them. That can mean backing away andnot hanging out with them; that might be the sign they need that they’re going off the rails, but explain it to them first. Don’t let others pull you down and away from God, be the leaderand help others – and be there for them when they fail. Show you care about them no matter what.They need to know that.

And, if you’re the one who needs help, find a Godly person who’ll help you draw near to God and get the right kind of encouragement. Or, just for things like how to set up a 501c3. 😊 Seriously, stuff like that is easy to research, but it’s fun to ask people, and fun for us to help.

4. Use every chance to reach, teach, and minister. You have been gifted 1440 minutes a day. You can pray, plant Gospel seeds, water them, help others, edify, be thankful (which is one way to build others up), etc.. God will give the increase whatever it is, even waking up & praying in the middle of the night. What we do for God will be rewarded.  He wants us to have peace & joy, but the ultimate fulfillment is knowing Him & being an ambassador for Christ.