It is a beautiful fall day in Kidron, Ohio, as I write this editorial. My wife and I traveled to Becky’s home to assist her brother with caregiving for our sister-in-law who will shortly be ushered to the very presence of God. None of us wish for an early departure from this life; she is far too young. We care for and treasure the relationships with family and friends. But here is where we find ourselves, praying with her and for her the grace of Jesus to carry her through to the end. Yesterday the 95-year-old mother of another sister-in-law passed away. While 95 is a rich full life, it still is not a good time to say goodbye to the one who gave her children life.

As I thought about these happenings, my mind went back to a plaque my mom used in our parlor decor. Actually it was a pair of plaques, both of which have profoundly impacted my life over the years. They impacted my life to the point that when it came time to “pack my bags” for college, that I took them with me for my college dorm room. The plaques: “Only one life will soon be passed, only what’s done for Christ will last.” “For to me to live is Christ, to die is gain.” The second one is the Apostle Paul’s life purpose in Phil. 1:21.

Life is a gift given by God at birth and at our deaths we need to give it back, What do we do with the “blank page” before us? We know the early life experiences go a long way in forming the basic personality and value system we possess through out life. We form early friendships some of which last a lifetime. We have experiences which help shape the substance of life. We learn a lot in those early years that set the direction for the future.

Reminds me of Robert Fulghum’s poem:

“All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten”
Most of what I really need
To know about how to live
And what to do and how to be
I learned in kindergarten.
Wisdom was not at the top
Of the graduate school mountain,
But there in the sandpile at Sunday school.
These are the things I learned:
Share everything.
Play fair.
Don’t hit people.
Put things back where you found them.
Clean up your own mess.
Don’t take things that aren’t yours.
Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody.
Wash your hands before you eat.
Flush.
Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
Live a balanced life –
Learn some and think some
And draw and paint and sing and dance
And play and work everyday some.
Take a nap every afternoon.
When you go out into the world,
Watch out for traffic,
Hold hands and stick together.
Be aware of wonder.

“Be Aware of Wonder”— that reminds me of the eternal truth of a great song I remember hearing Bev Shea sing—“The Wonder of It All.”

There’s the wonder of sunset at evening,
The wonder as sunrise I see;
But the wonder of wonders that thrills my soul
Is the wonder that God loves me.

Refrain
O, the wonder of it all! The wonder of it all!
Just to think that God loves me.
O, the wonder of it all! The wonder of it all!
Just to think that God loves me.

There’s the wonder of springtime and harvest,
The sky, the stars, the sun;
But the wonder of wonders that thrills my soul
Is a wonder that has only begun.

Life is so short and there is much to learn before we come to life’s close. It is true, “Only what’s done for Christ will last.” So where ever you find yourself as you read this, please know, most of all, the “marvelous grace of a loving Lord, grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt. Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured, there by the blood of the Lord was spilt. Marvelous grace, infinite grace, grace that will pardon and cleanse within. Marvelous grace, infinite grace, grace that is greater than all our sin.”

Yes is a simple word, but it carries a lot of power. It is the difference
between an open heart and a closed heart. It is the difference between a lot
of emotional and spiritual pain, and the freeing grace of the good news of the
gospel. Recently I heard a teenager reporting on her recent mission trip about
how God changed her life by the simple word “yes.” She described the difference
between a heart which was saying “no, no, no” and what happened inside
when she said “yes.” She told the story of how her heart change came about.
Her mom wanted her to go on an international mission trip. She said “no” she
did not want to go, and resisted strenuously. But mom and dad insisted she
should go. Finally she consented to go, but it was not because she wanted to
go; it was because she “had to go.”

While on the mission trip she and some other girls were talking about what
faith in Jesus was really all about. She said she finally understood the message
of the gospel—that faith was not about organized religion, but a vital living
relationship with Jesus Christ. Something clicked inside when she said “Yes”
to Jesus. What a moving story of her heart change—saying “yes” instead of
“no.” Her face shone with joy of the Lord. I was moved to tears of joy and
gratitude for the power of a simple word. The power of a simple “yes” opens
your heart to “spiritual truth” – walking in an open, positive, freeing relationship
with Jesus. She will, the Lord willing, live in the continual benefit of
saying “Yes” to Jesus.

The power of the word “yes” is also illustrated in Doug’s life. Doug
Burnette, founder of Onesimus Ministries in 1978, asked for the privilege of
going back to prison as a chaplain with the desire to help other believers as he
was helped while at Chester County Prison. In 1966 Doug found himself in
prison as the result of wrong choices. He knew he needed a lot of help to put
his life in order. When he said “yes” to Jesus, a new way of life opened up to
him. Even after Doug said “yes” to the Lord, he still struggled with temper
issues. But God changed his heart. Two preachers lead Bible studies on
Tuesdays and Saturdays in the chapel. He began to compare what the one said
on Tuesday with what the other said on Saturday. He said, “Thank God, they
both said the same thing.” One of the pastors said to him, “Doug, you don’t
have to live this way.” He pondered the challenge. He asked himself, “What
do I have to lose? If I take the pastor at his word and say ‘yes’ to God’s call to
repentance and grace, and nothing really happens, or changes, then I have not
lost anything. But if I say “yes” to God, asking for the forgiveness and grace
He promises and He ‘changes my heart,’ then I gained a great deal.”

He found the power of saying “Yes.” Doug testifies when he asked Jesus to come into his broken, messed up life, the Spirit did make a very significant change. He said, “For the first time in a very long time I ‘slept like a baby’–no nightmares, just peaceful sleep.” He had been “set free” on the inside, even though he was still in prison. It was the power of saying “yes” to the Lord. He told some friends on the block, “I got saved last night.” Some were skeptical, “Sure you did. The religious experience will soon fade and it will not make any difference in your life.” Doug’s response, “If I do lay aside the Bible and the freedom I found in Jesus, it will be a most foolish thing to do.” Thank God, Doug continues to say “yes” to the Lord.

“Yes” is a simple word, but many times it is hard to say. Hard, you ask. Yes, it is hard to speak because there are forces in the spiritual world which do not want you to say “yes” to Jesus.

There is battle in the spiritual world over the allegiance of your soul. The Devil and his minions want to keep your heart in bondage with a “No.” Jesus very much wants you to say “yes” to forgiving grace. One of Doug’s favorite verses is John 8:32 “You will know the truth and the truth shall set you free.”

Go ahead, say yes to Jesus. What do you have to lose? Nothing but the bondage of “no” which holds you back from the forgiving “…grace of a loving Lord, grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt.” Thank you, Jesus, for grace “….that is greater than all our sin.”