GUEST POST from Don – “The Best Is Yet” (part 5)

“THE BEST IS YET”

by Donald Whelpley, ©️2025

One of the widows at church was making a pest of herself.  Richard wasn’t interested.  She was VERY interested and said so in every way she could.  Richard had volunteered to lead a Sunday morning  Bible study on the Epistles.  Of course, the widow showed up … as did several others who interests had more to do with learning to live out God’s Word.

Richard spent Mondays alone at home preparing for teaching.  He was already engaged at the coffee shop and the nursing home … and this.  As an introvert he needed lots of “me-time.”   The last thing he wanted to do was stretch himself too thin.  He was finding each endeavor very fulfilling in its own way.  Younger people at the coffee shop, aged people at the nursing home, and mid-to-older people at church (for the most part as he didn’t mingle much with the younger crowd there).  Tuesdays he spent walking in the park, going for groceries, doing laundry and cleaning the house (there was little of that to do).  There was a pattern of life to follow, a focus beyond himself, friends and family to enjoy.  That left Wednesdays, presently another day of self-care, that’s when he chose the next craft for “Join Me?”

The Bible study was significant to himself as well.  Teaching others meant learning things he didn’t know before.  The temple curtain had been torn (not by men) when Christ was on the cross.  This was well known.  Something few had learned was that the temple separated the holiness of God from the unholiness of the worshipers, but about the time of Christ’s death the doors separating God’s holiness from the worshipers on the outside suffered a change.  Whereas, before, when the doors were closed they stayed closed until opened again in the morning.  After Christ’s death on the cross the doors would swing open during the night.  Few knew about this until after the temple was destroyed in 70 A.D., but the rabbis wrote about it in the Talmud.  God’s holiness was made available to all worshiping believers through Christ’s death on the cross.

Jonathan Cahn writes, and its true, that you never hear or see the present.  It takes time for light to reach your eyes and for sound to reach your ears.  The event you see and hear, which your mind interprets at NOW, is actually already in the past.  You always see and hear the past.  However, TRUTH is special, it is known instantly through faith.  Every day Richard found the truth.  God was showing him how much He cared about him by connecting him to people who needed him.  He was acting out God’s truth to those he met.

His family needed him.  He was a source of joy to them.  They, too, had to live with the loss of their mother and grandmother (their friend, the one who always took care of them).  Richard became that person, listening and being there for their life changes.  He attended their ball games, when he could.  He met their boyfriends and girlfriends.  It was important to have grandpa’s approval, which he gave most of the time.

His church family needed him.  His lessons were deep and rich … not dry lessons read from a booklet.  His faith and devotion were inspirational to others, even that widow (who had finally gotten the message).

The nursing home residents needed him and Dave.  (So did the activity director.)  They expressed such joy every time they saw them.  They talked about the special Saturdays to the staff and one another.  

His neighbor Dave needed him.  He was a joy to work around and his connection to so many of the residents made it clear he had something special inside.  He and Dave often sat on the front porch to talk in the evenings after supper.  They had developed a close bond, like brothers.

The people at the coffee shop needed him.  Some asked for his phone number and called when they needed a person who would understand what they were going through (he just listened … and sometimes prayed with them).  Who else would listen so carefully when they had a break up or when they were thinking of changing degree programs?  Even a few coffee shop workers called if they needed some minor counseling.  He made it clear that he wasn’t a psychologist and he could only give  “old man” advice.

And … God needed him.  They shared a bond only a loving God and a willing follower would share.  From time to time, just when Richard needed it most, God would remind him “The best is yet …”

THE END

Copyright 2025 Donald Whelpley

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