Maturity Leave

I participate in a couple of local Facebook Garage Sale sites.  The same day that I made a trip to the nearest  (well, the smallest and most highly recommended by friends) Social Security Office, THIS post came up on the Facebook page...
in need of a vaccum asap. sw ft wayne is my location... i have an 8week old and a bassiett hound that is just shedding like no tomorrow! I have allergies and have always been able to keep them under control by keeping my home vaccumed. now my vaccums motor burnt up, and im on maturity leave with no funds to buy another brand new.. please help.
Did you CATCH it?  Maturity leave!  Sometimes I feel like taking a Maturity Leave!  If I'm honest, I FREQUENTLY feel like it...but there was no getting around the maturity check that I'd taped to the page of my monthly calendar to remind me!

The writer of the letter to the Hebrews in our New Testament was aware that many Christians are on maturity leave when it comes to their spiritual lives!  And so he (or she) wrote in chapter 6, verse 1:

... we must progress beyond the elementary instructions about Christ
 and move on to maturity, not laying this foundation again:
 repentance from dead works and faith in God.


No matter our biological age or stage in life, spiritually it's important to stay with the program -- moving on to maturity.  This is accomplished by regular and healthy intake of God's Word, time spent communicating with Him, close association with other believers, courageously sharing our faith, and cheerfully obeying the promptings and leading of the Holy Spirit.

I AM a little more enthusiastic about SPIRITUAL maturity than I was about my ride to apply for Medicare (see photo on right).   Well, most of the time...

One of the marks of spiritual maturity is the quiet confidence that God is in control - without the need to understand why He does what He does.  (Anonymous)

Elizabeth Elliot has written:  "George Macdonald said, 'If you knew what God knows about death you would clap your listless hands', but instead I find old people in North America just buying this whole youth obsession. I think growing older is a wonderful privilege. I want to learn to glorify God in every stage of my life."

13 comments:

  1. I chuckled at your connections to thoughts about a "maturity leave!" Good observation.

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    1. I laughed out loud when I read it! With the rest of the spelling errors, I wasn't sure whether to chalk it up to ignorance or spell check - or lack of it.

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  2. Oh my goodness...I am chuckling about the 'maturity leave'...I am nearing 48 - do I get it now? :D m.

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    1. Don't you just sometimes wish you COULD go on maturity leave for even a day?!?

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  3. I intend to strive for more of those leave days....

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  4. Oh, yes, I do wish I could go on maturity leave for even one day!! Just too funny! And the quote is going right into my journal. It's great. That's a sweet picture of you anyway. You can't take a bad one.

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    1. Hahahaha (about the picture)! You should see how many I discard before I find one I half-way like. I thank the Lord for my cell phone camera. Before this when you had to get film developed, I probably didn't average 1 photo a year!

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  5. You are just too modest. I find that very hard to believe.

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  6. I am on maturity leave would make a great sign. LOL I like ageing. I guess it is the closeness I feel to God and the peace that is settling in to my spirit...I try to avoid the mirror as much as possible :)

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    1. Why don't you work that into a piece of your doodling, Dee - maybe a frazzled looking woman trying to look "youthful" holding a sign saying "I'm on Maturity Leave!"

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  7. What a good word, Rebecca! Taking a break in packing up the house and checked out what was new with you. Encouraged me, as I have thought lately, I'd love just that - "maturity leave"! Thankful God has brought special people into my life!

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  8. The quotes at the end nailed it home! Yes, moving forward in maturity, letting go of what was behind and moving forward. Thanks for your encouraging and spurring word.

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Writing a Song a Week #3

Writing a Song a Week #3
♪ I wait for the Lord; my soul waits and in his word I hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning ♪ (Psalm 130:5-6)