GRANDMA’S WORLD AND MINE

GRANDMA’S WORLD AND MINE

We live in a different world than our parents and grandparents lived. We have more to live on but don’t seem to know what to live for. We have more to eat than any other nation on earth and as they struggle for food, we suffer to stay on a diet. New studies show the dangers of smoking but we continue to puff our way to settled nerves while our lungs shrink to dark little pea-pods. Over half our population is on anti-depressants as genuine tears and laughter are only spent on special occasions. We make more but spend more on things we don’t need to impress people we don’t like because our identity is in our possessions not our character. Things have surely changed.
The foolish things our grandparents did by going to church on Sunday and treating the Lord’s Day with respect. Not us! There’s money to be made and products to buy. Imagine sitting on a front porch for two hours or on a fresh mowed lawn just talking with a hand fan slowly moving air around our face. Today we nestle in a lazy boy watching television, video and DVD in an air-conditioned room. We couldn’t be expected to talk to each other? However, let us get in the car and it’s cell phone city at every intersection in town. No, not everything was nostalgic or good but it was simple, predictable and basic decency was the norm. We were embarrassed by certain words, jokes and immodest dress. Nothing shocks us today, we have seen and heard it all.
Can you imagine leaving your doors unlocked at night and the only reason you locked a car was to keep someone from putting squash or tomatoes in it. Today there are alarm systems on our home, automobiles and pepper spray in every purse. We pass through metal detectors at airports, city buildings and some schools because someone will harm us. Every label on a product warns us of some side effect from food to the water we drink. The experts have us as confused as a termite in a yo-yo on what to eat and drink.
We put men in space but not peace in their hearts. Only God can do that, yet, He would need to alter our selfish lives and we couldn’t have that. We continue to be divided over race, religion, sexual genders and politics. I’m thankful these issues are settled forever in Heaven and in the Word of God. There are some good things that are visible on the moral horizon. Abortions have decreased, church attendance is increasing, mission work by laity is at an all time high and Americans continue to out give every country on the planet when help is needed. Some change is good but we cannot sacrifice absolute truth from new philosophies.
I certainly don’t miss the outhouse or the icebox but closeness and community would be wonderful again. Rocking chairs and overalls may make a come back, who knows? I’m not optimistic about getting prayer back in school … just back in church. Things sure have changed. Isn’t it nice to know God never changes nor does His Word, “The grass withers, the flower fades away but the Word of God endures forever.” I Peter 1:24-25. We were given a highlighter not an eraser to embrace God’s truth. It still changes people’s lives through Christ Jesus. Our grandparents were right, simple faith is an unchanging God in a changing world. Hold fast Pilgrim.
Chaplain Larry Sparks