Christian Living

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Larry Lilly's Letter Monday March 20, 2006

Every now and then you meet someone who is really going through it and the 'it' will not be for a matter of days. Oh, I know all things in this life are as a vapor compared to eternity, but our vapor can seem like an eternity. Einstein addressed this when he mentioned the relative nature of time when he said: "When you sit with a nice girl for two hours, it seems like two minutes. When you sit on a hot stove for two minutes, it seems like two hours that's relativity."

As I watched a pastor friend of mine conduct a three day conference last week, scooting around in an office chair from place to place due to diminishing capacity to use his aged legs, and doing this with a smile and exuberance of a child let loose in a toy store a Latin phrase keep running through my mind. (Said mind could use some sort of mechanism to scoot around). The phrase from many years ago adequately describes the life of the man or woman who will not give in to circumstance, fold their hands, suck on the old thumb and pitifully wait for Jesus.

The phrase:

"Ad Astra Per Aspera."

Keep your pants on, I will give the English in a moment and be sure it is worth the wait.

Dr. Lloyd Shepherd is a dear friend of many years, a champion of families and a pastor who really cares for the people the Lord has entrusted to his watch care. His wife is a saint and the children, all now grown are a good crop. Lloyd is blessed in that even his mother in law thinks he is great. I personally do not understand for the life of me how your mother in law can think youre great, unless you have compromised some dearly held core values. But somehow the dear woman is on record as to her opinion of her son in law of lo these many years.

Ad Astra Per Aspera does indeed sound like a ad for some form of deodorant or at least a new toothpaste. Such is not the case.

Ad Astra Per Aspera translates:

"To the stars through difficulties."

After a fruitful missionary trip the Apostle Paul encouraging Christians said,

"Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God." Acts 14:22

Yep, life is tough, but when you really love Jesus, Ad Astra Per Aspera!

Larry Lilly Copyright 2006 Use with credit.

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