The Ritzes 3.0
  • Family Update
  • Jason Jabbers
  • Carla's Blog
  • Timotheology
  • Pictures/Videos
  • Contact Us

Carla's Blog

Learning From Senior Saints

9/16/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
Tonight we had the blessing of sitting on a panel for a young adult small group at our church discussing the topic of marriage.  There were three couples on the panel - one couple had been married for 52 years, another couple had been married for 22 years and Jason and I were the youngest having been married for 14 years. A combined total of 88 years of experience at this thing called: "til death do us part."  I enjoyed participating and I really enjoyed hearing the responses from the other panelists to the great questions the young adults had come up with for us to answer.  Questions like, "How do you establish good communication?"  "How do you turn your heart back to your spouse when you feel distant?"  "How do you maintain joy in your relationship?"  Good stuff!  One response in particular from the most veteran of the couples really made me think.  When asked about red flags in dating, they responded that things were different when they were younger.  You didn't have all the resources or even think to have certain discussions while you were dating... "You just got married!"  "It's funny," he said.  "We didn't have half of what you have today to guide you, but the divorce rate today is so much greater than it was when we were young."

It is so wonderful to have the perspective of an older generation - things WERE different then.  Things ARE different now.  We will not learn from our elders and their unique perspective unless they show up to the table when these discussions are had, and they won't show up unless we invite them.   

"The greatest asset a church can have is mature saints.  We shouldn't alienate ourselves from these dear people.  They have grown in their knowledge of God and in His likeness and have learned things that only experience can teach.  On the other hand, the greatest liability a church can have are saints who got old and didn't mature.  All they want to do is censor and control.  They are no more loving, kind or patient now than they were 20 years ago." - The Common Made Holy by Neil T. Anderson

This is one of the great challenges of the Christian life:  To remain teachable throughout our lifespan and to be willing to teach as well.  We do not have the luxury of remaining stuck in our own generational rut, declaring our way to be the only way.  We must expose ourselves to those who have grown up or who are growing up in a different culture and context from our own. True unity and true growth depend on our refusal to settle for ignorance when it comes to the ways of those older/younger than us.  

When was the last time you purposely sat across the table from someone from a different generation as yours, either to humbly teach or to humbly be taught?  When was the last time you read a book about the nuances of a different generation in an effort to better understand?  (Such as: The Greatest Generation by Tom Brokaw, or Generation iY by Tim Elmore, or You Lost Me by David Kinnaman)  When did you last go out of your way to seek someone out from a different generation to ask advice on a specific topic or just to hear their story?

Proverbs 3:13-18 (NIV)
Blessed are those who find wisdom,
    those who gain understanding, 
for she is more profitable than silver
    and yields better returns than gold. 
She is more precious than rubies;
    nothing you desire can compare with her. 
Long life is in her right hand;
    in her left hand are riches and honor. 
Her ways are pleasant ways,
    and all her paths are peace. 
She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her;
    those who hold her fast will be blessed. 

May we never stop learning and growing.  May we never stop seeing the value in those older or the promise in those younger.  May we learn to spur one another on toward love and good deeds and refuse to let walls of ignorance be built between generations.  

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Carla Ritz.  Proof positive that God uses cracked pots!

    Twitter

    Archives

    June 2021
    April 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    August 2020
    August 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    February 2018
    August 2017
    May 2017
    December 2015
    September 2015
    February 2015
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    May 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2010
    September 2009
    August 2009
    July 2009
    June 2009
    May 2009
    March 2009
    February 2009
    January 2009

    Categories

    All
    2 Peter
    Adoption
    Amazima
    Armor Of God
    Artistry
    Attitude
    Authenticity
    Avengers
    Baby Boy
    Balance Beam
    Battle
    Bible Study
    Blessings
    Calling
    Christmas
    Commitment
    Compassion
    Contentment
    Conversation
    Conviction
    Cookie Baking
    Creation
    Darkness
    Date
    Date Night
    Depression
    Discipleship
    Do Something
    Do Something
    Emotions
    Encouragement
    Enemy
    Engagement
    Evil
    Evil Thoughts
    Faith
    Family
    Favoritism
    Fear
    Feast
    Foster Care
    Francis Chan
    Friends
    Fruitfulness
    Fun
    Generation Gap
    Giving Up
    Goats
    God
    God's Glory
    God's Glory
    God's Goodness
    God's Sovereignty
    Gods Word
    Good
    Graduation
    Growing Up
    Guest Blog
    Hard Times
    Heaven
    Holy Spirit
    Hope
    Humility
    Intimacy With God
    James
    Jesus Birth
    Katie Davis
    Kisses From Katie
    Laziness
    Leadership
    Letter Writing
    Life
    Light
    Loss
    Love
    Love Your Neighbor
    Lyrics
    Manners
    Marriage
    Mary
    Memories
    Mentoring
    Mom
    Mother
    Motherhood
    Movie
    Movies
    Nose
    Nostril
    Orphan
    P31 Wife
    Parenting
    Patience
    Perseverance
    Prayer
    Premarital Counseling
    Purpose
    Random
    Reality
    Ridiculous Story
    Risks
    Rock Bottom
    Safety
    Self Control
    Self-control
    Service
    Significance
    Silly Story
    Sin
    Smile
    Son
    Speech
    Spelling
    Suffering
    Sweets
    Technology
    Thank You
    Thessalonians
    Timelessness Of God
    Timmy
    Tooth
    Tooth Fairy
    True Love
    Trust
    Truth
    Uganda
    Unchanging God
    Usefulness
    Waiting On The Lord
    War
    Wisdom
    Witness
    Works
    Worthwhile
    Zany

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Family Update
  • Jason Jabbers
  • Carla's Blog
  • Timotheology
  • Pictures/Videos
  • Contact Us