Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Pressing Forward



(image from Allposters.com)


Hello Ladies,

I have a few plans for blog posts and wanted to tell you I have not forgotten.  I still think a blog has unique feature over and above social media.  Blogs are like classy magazines you want to use again. 

Today it is on my mind to talk about some things older women have been telling me about the roadblocks they encounter in showing a light to the younger women.

Titus 2 teaches the older women to help the younger women know about the home.  That is a daunting prospect, and as we grow older we feel intimidated by our own inadequacy and our blunders and embarrassing moments in our youth. But as I have been discussing with friends, it does not disqualify the Christian woman if she has overcome adversity, overcome sin, and overcome foolish decisions.
woman can rise above past blunders and build a good reputation.  I have talked to many older women who feel they have no spiritual or emotional help to give to anyone, because they were not successful in areas of their lives, but what is important is that we use God's word as the standard for our values today. What is important is how you are living right now, not what you did in the past.

While we all blush in shame and mentally beat ourselves over words that should never escaped our lips, unwise friendships, and serious sins, beyond sincere repentance, heartfelt sorrow, and conversion to Christ (which is a daily thing for the Christian woman) we can only forge ahead, looking for opportunities to do well. Perhaps it can be our own housekeeping or personally forgiving those who have offended us or caused us trouble.

This is what the apostle Paul said about the subject of forgetting the past:

"Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect: but I press on, if so be that I may lay hold on that for which also I was laid hold on by Christ Jesus.

"Brethren, I count not myself yet to have laid hold: but one thing I doforgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before, 

" I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 3:12-14

When a runner enters a race, he may get a slow start or make some bad moves but he hasn't got time to kick himself for it. The race only lasts a short time and he has to concentrate on the finish line.  He does not look behind him.

The audience is also looking at the goal, but not at each other. They are intent on the progress the runners are making. They don't look around at each other but straight ahead.

We can't get distracted by our own sorrows or by failures of our dreams.  Sometimes homemakers feel stuck in place, unable to make progress. In that case, make dreams smaller and goals more achievable so you can see progress each day. In a previous post I wrote about the concept of making your hopes and achievements portable. 

A friend gave me this helpful hint. She said when she feels discouraged she takes one hand and moves one small thing,  and little by little she gets the energy and the motivation to do a lot  more. It helps to make tiny, achievable tasks so that you can progress an inch at a time. A room in shambles can be put aright a square foot at a time.  

While the title of this post is Pressing Forward, do not keep the future in mind so much that you cannot enjoy the little moments of the present.  It seems we homemakers are either looking at the past or the future. Let us create a few moments each day to think of the present and of our gratitude for being here right now.

I do hope to have another episode of Housewife Radio and some videos, perhaps with Mr. S., if I can get him to slow down. I do not know what it is with these older men. They just find more to do!

Field of Flowers by Daniel Ridgeway Knight (from Allposters)

* This blog is registered with Allposters as an affiliate.



8 comments:

Ms.Tierra said...

Wonderful! I'm looking forward to the next episode of housewife radio.

Christine said...

Dear Lydia, This is a wonderful post. Thank you! Sometimes I feel unable to guide or counsel younger women because of mistakes made many years ago. I am a very different woman than I was in those days and this is, and remains through the Grace of God.

It is heartening to know that I am not disqualified due to my past.
Blessings,
Christine

Mary said...

Dear Christine,
Don't feel alone. I'm in the same boat. Sometimes people compliment my wisdom.....but it is only by the Grace of God......many sufferings, numerous mistakes, correcting, veering off again, etc during my 61 years of living. I have the invisible scars to prove it. Thank goodness for Redemption!

Thank you Lydia, for this post. I was meant to see this today.

Lydia said...

Christine, Mary, it gets easier to look back, as we get older and have more mistakes accumulated.

Mrs Honeybee said...

As i look ahead to the years, God willing to become wise enough to counsel younger women, I will keep pressing forward through my mistakes and daily grind.

Sometimes, there's nothing much to show for my daily work at home with all its accompanying responsibilities of a wife and mother. But I will keep in mind your suggestion to make our dreams smaller and goals more achievable. That ought to save me a lot of frustration due to trying to bite off more than I could chew at this busy season of life!

Thank you, Lydia for your wise counsel. And for the ladies who leave comments here, I truly appreciate the hard-earned gems of wisdom you generously share with us.

anonymous said...

I remember the scripture Lk.9:62 in which Jesus said that, "no one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God". By this I understand that we must focus on Christ and his works to serve him. If we allow ourselves to be distracted by our past or depend on ourselves we won't serve him well.

It is his works that count and we are to focus on him.

Thank you Lydia for the reminder.
Blessings and Happy Memorial Day to you all, Janet

Vicki said...

I understand Christine and Mary's comments and totally understand. At 64, I too have looked back many times and felt myself unworthy of helping anyone as my mistakes, if written down, would probably be the size of a book! However, God has often reminded me of exactly the verses that Lydia shared, and the fact that if we love Him, we are not condemned (Romans) but He helps us. The secret is to keep going in that race. We will fall, but as Proverbs reminds us, a righteous man may fall seven times, but he gets up and keeps going. We only fail when we do not get up! Try, try again. The enemy would have us give up, condemn ourselves, make us feel that we have nothing to offer because he does not want the younger women to succeed in what God calls them to do. He wants families to fall apart, but a Godly woman in her role as homemaker can be a powerful force against evil, and he knows that. Along with Lydia I would encourage you to keep reaching out! You never know who you will influence by your words and your example.

Lydia said...

Ladies,

Several people have emailed me about the enormous size of my pictures here and I am trying to get that corrected, as it affects the loading time when you look at my blog. Also I am trying to remove the Pinterest hovering feature, as it is also becoming a problem to some viewers, who see a large P before the blog even finishes loading. However this is taking some time and I will have to get some help, so it might be awhile before everything is corrected.