A Cloud of Witnesses

I just received a note from a dear old friend of mine after he read the last installment of my blog. It was a short concise note about how much he enjoyed it, but it spoke volumes to my soul. Because this is a man whose spiritual witness has been like an anchor to me.

He has never been one given to rash thoughts or comments. Everything I have ever heard come out of his mouth has been even-tempered, thought provoking, and surrounded by a peace that only comes from the heart of someone who has spent his life filled with much study and prayer.

Picture the wise counsel of an orthodox rabbi who I'm sure has faced his own struggles with life and family. While maddening at times, he answers each of life's questions after counting ten and a few "oy veys".

And how do I know the value of his advice to me over the years? I have only to look at his life and his family, the success of his profession and the proliferation of his children. It isn't the meteoric rise of a fast burning star, which climbs quickly and burns out in the same amount of time. It is a strong monument to faith...built one stone at a time all resting on a solid cornerstone.

My desire through these writings is to hopefully pass on to my children some of the lessons which I have learned while here on Earth. Some rules in life must have absolutely no bend in them. And some are guidelines that with knowledge, mercy, compassion, and wisdom must turn and stretch according to the circumstances to which they are applied, like a tree in the wind.

I'm still trying to find out which are which at times.

These I know are true....honor, character, mercy, love, preparedness, and most of all, faith. To abandon these lessons is to face certain destruction.

Others, I can only rely on the quiet whispers I hear in my spirit from an Omnipotent God, who knows the future and the past.

God is not the author of confusion. I hope you'll remember that. And He loves you very much. You know how I learned that?

By surrounding myself with very old and dear friends, who are a great cloud of witnesses....

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. Hebrews 12:1 (NLT)