HEY MILLENNIALS, THANKS FOR MAKING A DIFFERENCE FOR GOD'S KINGDOM !

12/17/2019

I AM ONE OF THOSE ‘OLDER GUYS’ WHO IS DEFINITELY AWARE OF WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE WORLD. IF WE LOOK ALL AROUND US, THE WORLD CAN BE A TRULY DISCOURAGING PLACE. I SEE THE WORLD FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF AN OLDER GENERATION, AND FROM GROWING UP IN THE UNITED STATES, AND SPECIFICALLY IN DENVER COLORADO. MY FAMILY LIFE WAS STABLE, SECURE, AND MY FOLKS WERE HARD WORKING PEOPLE. THEY ALSO DID AN AWESOME JOB OF BALANCING THEIR TIME FOR EACH OTHER, BUT ALSO HAD TIME FOR MY SISTER AND ME. THEY WERE A PART OF THE “GREATEST GENERATION”. THEY LOOKED OUT FOR OTHERS AND STOOD THEIR GROUND. THEY HAD VALUES. THEY HAD FAITH. THEY WENT THROUGH THE DIFFICULTY OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION. MY DAD FOUGHT IN THE PACIFIC DURING WORLD WAR II. THEY WERE TESTED, THEY WERE CHALLENGED BY EVIL, AND YET THEY AMAZINGLY LIVED LIFE FULL OF JOY AND APPRECIATION FOR ALL THEY HAD. GOD WAS AN INTEGRAL PART OF SOCIETY WHEN I WAS YOUNG, AND CHURCH WAS A PART OF OUR WEEKLY ROUTINE THROUGH MIDDLE SCHOOL, OR AS WE CALLED IT, JUNIOR HIGH:) WHEN I TURNED 15, MY FOLKS GAVE ME THE CHOICE ON CHURCH, AND AS I’VE SHARED BEFORE, OFF I WENT INTO THE WORLD. THANKFULLY, GOD WAS WATCHING ME, AND I FOUND JESUS AS MY SAVIOR AND LORD AT 17. OUR GOD CERTAINLY GIVES US FREE WILL, BUT HE ALSO NEVER LOSES SIGHT OF US, AND HIS LOVE IS ENDLESS.

I WILL INSTRUCT YOU AND TEACH YOU IN THE WAY YOU SHOULD GO; I WILL COUNSEL YOU WITH MY LOVING EYE ON YOU. Psalm 32:8

HOW PRECIOUS IS YOUR STEADFAST LOVE, O GOD! THE CHILDREN OF MANKIND TAKE REFUGE IN THE SHADOW OF YOUR WINGS. Psalm 36:7

I HAVE BEEN CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST. IT IS NO LONGER I WHO LIVE, BUT CHRIST WHO LIVES IN ME. AND THE LIFE I NOW LIVE IN THE FLESH, I LIVE BY FAITH IN THE SON OF GOD, WHO LOVED ME AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR ME. GALATIANS 2:20

FAST FORWARD TO TODAY. EVERYWHERE I HEAR HOW OUR WORLD IS HOPELESSLY DECLINING. THE YOUNGER GENERATION IS LOST. THEY DON’T VALUE GOD ANYMORE. THEY ARE SELFISH, THEY ARE DOOMING US OLDER PEOPLE TO VIEW THE FUTURE IN A BLEAK WAY. THE MILLENNIALS ARE WANDERING IN A WORLD OF ENTITLEMENT AND HOPELESSNESS…..I’M HERE TO TELL YOU, I SEE A GROUP OF YOUNG ADULTS WHO ARE INCREDIBLE ! THEY TRULY CARE ABOUT OTHERS, AND THEY WALK THEIR TALK IN HOW THEY LIVE IT OUT. EACH YEAR OUR FAMILY REACHES OUT TO PROVIDE SOME LOVE TO A FAMILY THAT FINDS THEMSELVES IN A TOUGH PLACE. THIS YEAR WE ATTENDED AN EVENT AT COORS FIELD PUT TOGETHER BY SANTASELVES.ORG. WE HAD THE CHANCE TO HELP A MOM AND HER THREE KIDS RECEIVE SOME HELP TO MAKE CHRISTMAS A LITTLE BRIGHTER AND PROVIDE SOME FUN GIFTS AND OTHER THINGS TO MAKE THEIR LIFE BETTER. MOST OF ALL, WE ALL GOT TO MEET EACH OTHER AND BOND AS FAMILIES, EVEN FOR A SHORT TIME. PEOPLE, FAMILIES, ADULTS, AND KIDS CARING ABOUT EACH OTHER. WHAT COULD BE BETTER ! IT TURNS OUT THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING EVEN MORE REMARKABLE ! FROM THE MOMENT WE SET FOOT ON THE GROUNDS OF THE BASEBALL STADIUM, THERE WERE MILLENNIALS EVERYWHERE. THEY WERE VOLUNTEERING IN EVERY CAPACITY IMAGINABLE…FROM PAIRING GIVERS AND RECEIVERS TOGETHER, TO PROVIDING HOT CHOCOLATE AND SNACKS, TO MOVING PORTABLE HEATERS, TO CARRYING BAGS AND BOXES, TO TAKING TIME TO TALK TO SMALL KIDS AND WARM THEM UP BY SHARING THEIR OWN JACKETS….IT WAS INCREDIBLE. IT TOUCHED MY HEART, AND IT SHOWED ME THAT DESPITE ALL THE SCATHING REBUKES THAT YOUNG PEOPLE GET TODAY, THERE ARE A TON OF BIG HEARTS OUT THERE WILLING TO LOVE THEIR NEIGHBOR.. YOU COULD FEEL JOY IN THE AIR. YOU COULD FEEL THE PRESENCE OF GOD AS HE WATCHED HIS CHILDREN COMING TOGETHER FROM DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES TO LOVE EACH OTHER. YOUNG ADULTS WERE MOVING IN HIS COMMANDMENTS WITH FREEDOM AND JOYOUSNESS.

A NEW COMMANDMENT I GIVE UNTO YOU, THAT YE LOVE ONE ANOTHER; AS I HAVE LOVED YOU, THAT YE ALSO LOVE ONE ANOTHER. BY THIS ALL MEN SHALL KNOW THAT YE ARE MY DISCIPLES, IF YE HAVE LOVE, ONE TO ANOTHER. John 13: 34-35.

YOU, MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, WERE CALLED TO BE FREE. BUT DO NOT USE YOUR FREEDOM TO INDULGE THE FLESH; RATHER SERVE ONE ANOTHER HUMBLY IN LOVE. Galatians 5:13

SO, DON’T BELIEVE ALL THAT YOU HEAR FROM THE TYPICAL SOURCES ABOUT GOD BEING INSIGNIFICANT AND FADING INTO OBSCURITY. HE IS NOT ! HIS LIGHT IS SHINING BRIGHTLY IN THE MILLENNIAL GENERATION. I SEE A GROUP OF YOUNG ADULTS WHO ARE GOING TO MAKE AN INCREDIBLE DIFFERENCE IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD, AND I AM HONORED TO WALK BESIDE THEM :) PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW. FEAR NOT, GOD IS ALIVE AND WELL ! PEACE AND HOPE/JA