Living in the Last Hour

Found this online…

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Irm

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I came across this letter posted online and I thought it was worth sharing. Any thoughts?

A Letter From Our Pastor

“The journey of 10,000 miles begins with the first step.” Chinese Proverb

Every New Year, just like every new day, gives us the chance to begin again. Waking to the light of day, feeling the breath of life flow in us, means we have one more chance to do just a little better than the day before. A chance to be a bit more patient. A chance to be a little more loving. A chance to give more to others and take less for ourselves. One more opportunity to forgive those who have injured us or to ask forgiveness from those we have hurt.

A new day…a new Attitude.

Central to Jesus’ understanding of how we are to live our faith are these very common, everyday decisions. Jesus spoke very little about what people should believe compared to the tremendous amount he spoke about how we should act with one another. Our actions flow from our attitude, and there is NO ONE who has control over that except ourselves.

The other day I overheard a person walking into HEB say, “He just ruined my day. I’m so worked up now I’m going to have a terrible day…” I thought to myself, “Yep, you certainly are as long as you let other people control your attitude like that!” We allow people to move us out of our peace. It isn’t their fault our attitude is bad…it is our fault.

This Fall I’ve been working on some cabinets at the house, and I have been very careful to do a good job. Then this week, when I was putting on the final handles, I drilled the holes crooked in the doors. I was SO MAD!!! Now, to correct them I would have to leave holes in the finished doors. Beth saw me right as I discovered the problem, and I was fuming!!! I said, “I just want to break something!!” I left the house to go get some hole filler at the hardware store, and it took me the entire trip there and back to work on my attitude. Why was I so mad??? After really digging underneath the anger I realized I was mad because one more time, my need to push and hurry to finish a project resulted in a stupid mistake that could have been avoided. I was furious that I had repeated a mistake I have made many times before.

I stopped and asked God to help me correct this part of my nature. To help me not be so driven to finish something that I make foolish errors. To learn to let things take the time they need. The anger began to dissipate. A more peaceful spirit returned to me. I got home, re-drilled the holes, filled the visible ones and put the handles on. The cabinets look fine.

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Hello,

I’m Irma

Welcome to my little corner of the blog world. Here, I share my thoughts on Christianity, the things of God, and the ways He has shaped and guided my path through life. My journey with the Lord has been long and transformative, marked by moments of peace and joy and periods of uncertainty. I write, first and foremost, for myself—to process what the Lord so graciously reveals to me in Scripture. Sharing some of these truths has become a mission of sorts, via blogging. His word urges us to bear witness and encourage one another.

As I reflect on my own transformation, I can say that the church itself has transformed over the years and not necessarily for the good. I speak about my own experiences with the church. One lesson the Lord impressed upon me this year is that “truth is not always truth.” What do I mean by that? There have been times when I’ve shared a biblical insight, only to realize that other faithful believers interpret the same passage differently. In that instance, I find that the Lord reveals according to our understanding. When I share the need for a Damascus experience understandings diverged sharply. Believers that have been raised in the church do not feel that such an extreme experience is necessary for spiritual maturity. Our faith is truly shaped by our backgrounds. Spiritual journeys are not for everyone. This taught me that early socialization deeply colors our grasp of faith; what’s true for me may not resonate in the same way for someone else.

Similarly, lately I considered how “ignorance of Scripture was its own blessing,” I remembered my early walk with Christ. I had a blind faith. I knew little of doctrine or debate. I trusted the pastor. In those days, my faith and trust in the church and church leaders was simple—I accepted what was taught from the pulpit without questioning. I did not have the knowledge needed to question any teaching. There was a peace in not knowing all the controversies or complexities. As I grew and studied the scriptures, and did some additional research, as the Lord gave understanding, I found myself questioning everything I had been taught. I did not question my faith, or the existence of God. That ignorance, while limiting, protected me from confusion and doubt, allowing me to rest in childlike faith.

The church itself has seen many changes over the decades. Self-proclaimed prophets have introduced new doctrines, some bordering on heresy, while believers wrestle with their flesh and what it means to follow Christ in a society with so many freedoms. I remember a time, more than thirty years ago, when I trusted every word spoken in church. Now, I understand how easy it is to accept teachings that stray from biblical truth. The Scriptures warned us this would happen in the last days.

2 Timothy 4:2-4 (NKJV) “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.”

Current events—like the 2024 Election—have exposed deep flaws in American Christianity. Yet, through it all, Scripture assures me that God is sovereign. No wall built by human hands can withstand His judgment; no scheme crafted in darkness escapes His light. These lessons have become more real to me as I look back over my journals, filled with stories of God’s faithfulness during trials, tribulations and abundant grace. By sharing I hope those the Lord leads here will desire to seek God wholeheartedly, to find comfort knowing that He is always at work in our lives—often in ways we never considered.

Check out my books on Amazon for the Kindle App or in print.

Check out my latest title: Where are my Sheep? Available in Print & Kindle

The Diary of A Christian Woman

A Father Takes All: Four Generations of Growing up in Single Mother Homes – Grace Abounds

I Will Not Be Afraid: Living in the last Hour – Reflections of a Christian Woman

The Journey Endured: The Path to Meet God

Praise the God of the heavens!