Darci here. Happy
Friday to you. I am writing this epistle
on Wednesday the 11th just two days after turning 60 years old. Normally birthdays do not bring a lot of
emotion. They are just the passing of
time. However, this year I am struck by
that passing of time. Perhaps it is
because I have experienced multiple deaths and illness around me in the past
twelve months. They have me thinking
more about how temporary life is. I see
that “60” and my head tells me I am approximately three-quarters done with my
time on the planet. Just twenty years
left if averages mean anything. Not much
time to start any great new works. I am
a woman in her sunset years.
Then I read the scripture for this week.
I have experienced the “glass ceiling” keeping me just a bit lower than a male coworker. I have been put in my place by someone lecturing me that the Bible tells women to keep silent. This week I hear God has a different point of view.
Judges 4:4-5
4 Now Deborah, a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was a leader of Israel at that time.
5 She would sit under Deborah’s palm tree between Ramah
and Bethel in the Ephraim highlands, and the Israelites would come to her to
settle disputes.
God had no trouble selecting a female to be judge over Israel. Being a woman does not make me less likely to be called by God. God calls who he wants to call. Scripture makes that clear and I pray we can listen. Our feeling of who is worthy is not a limit God recognizes.
Our Wednesday Bible study is diving into the birth stories of Jesus. The study began with Elizabeth becoming pregnant when she was physically beyond the point that should have been possible. Mary is told she will be pregnant and when she asks the angel how that could be possible, the angel tells her about Elizabeth and states, “Nothing is impossible for God.”
It appears age has little to do with God’s call. You are neither too old nor too young to be called.
Then I get to Matthew 25:14-30 and the parable of the talents. I am not going to put the full scripture in here because I am assuming you will study it more fully during Sunday’s service. Here is my “nutshell.”
The term “talent” in the parable is indicating a form of money, but we can legitimately treat it as our term “talent” to mean capabilities within us. We have been given skills or talents by God. What are we doing with them? Are we developing them and growing in our skill level? Are we hiding them?
Reading the scriptures together, they appear to be telling me that gender and age do not matter. What matters is that I am using what God has given me in a trustworthy manner. Matthew also reminds me that in the end it is God that will let me know if I have completed my time here successfully, not fellow humans.
You are each at a different age. You are neither too old nor too young. Some of you are males and some of you are females. God does not give our physical being much weight at all in his decisions. I am confident you each have different talents to choose to develop and use. My hope is that you are as inspired by these scriptures as I am.
1 Thessalonians 5:2 reminds us, “the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.”
We do not know when our time on earth will come to an end. Luckily for us that is not an important bit of information. What is important is that we are living our lives as well as possible while we are on earth. Listen for God’s call. See the possibilities of using your talents. Never say something is impossible for you because for God all things are possible.
God of possibilities, help us to listen to your call and remember it is through your power that we are strengthened to complete it. In that knowledge may we respond, “Here I Am Lord.” May we use the gifts you give so freely in obedience and trust so they may be multiplied to serve your world. We give thanks for each new day. In Jesus name we pray. Amen
Beams and blessings to you each.
