Proverbs 10:9

Wandering Through the Bible

July 8

 

People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will slip and fall. Proverbs 10:9

I had the great pleasure of reuniting with an old friend last night. We had a blast as we talked about things from kids, husbands, career choices, common friends we had but maybe had not kept up with, and mostly—the best part—was talking about our Lord. I had always been in…I hate to use the word "awe" when talking about my fellow woman. "Reverence" makes her sound too holy and trust me, she isn't—and I mean this in a good way! Lisa is the type of person who, once you're around her, you know she's saved; you know there's a difference about her. But it doesn't come from her speech. Well, that's not quite right: she carefully chooses her words to not be condescending, to not be critical, to not be judgmental. She doesn't loudly proclaim nor need a t-shirt that advertises she is a "Christian." Rather, her speech shows it in the words she doesn't say. Does that make sense? If one has to constantly tell another s/he is a follower of God but doesn't have the actions to back it up, it kind of makes me wonder who s/he is trying to convince.

Anyway, back to my description of my friend. Lisa is kind, smart, fun and funny, and has approached life with a zest that I have always admired. Unlike me who makes all these plans and rarely follows through on them, Lisa acts, and puts her adventures into realities. She's faced many challenges and usually wound up the victor in them. Even back in the day when we were really just girls, Lisa was one of the ones I wanted to be like when I grew up. She had it all together and nothing was going to step in her way of achieving her dreams.

Fast forward (gulp) thirty years. Guess what? She made them happen. She became a teacher and excelled at it. She's even already talking of retiring! Aren't we too young for this—especially since I haven't quite even got started on becoming the woman I used to dream of being? She's a wife—to the same man for nearly that space of time also, as well as being the mother of three kids who seem to get a lot of their great character traits from dear ol' mom. She's active in her church and her community and she's…well, she's Lisa. A woman you can trust with your secrets. A woman who gives great advice but not in an "I'm so much more learned-than-you-are" way. A lady who knows how to act in public but still can cut up and have a good time without having to resort to ugly jokes or put-downs on other people. I daresay if you walked up to Lisa on the street and just started up a casual conversation, you would leave thinking you had been with someone quite special, that you had made a friend. That you had met someone worth getting to know better.

And what is that difference? I'm so glad you asked! Lisa has integrity. Dictionary.com defines this as:
noun
1. adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.
2. the state of being whole, entire, or undiminished: to preserve the integrity of the empire.

Hmn. The state of being whole. Soundness of moral character. Honest. Yep, these terms describe my friend. With Lisa, what you see is what you get. However, if you look a little more closely, if you take the time to discuss the finer things, you will find that she truly lives these traits. She's infectious! The more I am around her, the better type of soul I want to be! I feel safe with her. Sadly, I cannot say that about all of the women in my life. As our Proverb says for today: People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will slip and fall. Lisa has "walked the walk and talked the talk." She'll probably be mortified and embarrassed that I would devote this blog to her but how could I not? How could I not pat this wonderful creature on the back and say "Well done, my child, my example, my friend. Well done indeed!"

She has made a path, following the moral code of Jesus. Her path is straight, eyes fixed on the prize. Ha! Yesterday's theme song at church was "Eye of the Tiger." No, that's not a typo. The church I am attending has been doing a series on movies and this song was used as an intro to the "Lone Ranger" movie out now. The theme of the message was "who was that masked man?" Though Lisa wears many hats (teacher, mother, wife, friend, caretaker) what you see is what you get. She has no need to hide her identity: she is a child of God and it shows through in all of her ways. She hasn't slipped nor fallen while following Christ. Oh I'm sure she's probably stumbled a time or two. She's not perfect, after all. How else would she be able to relate to the likes of me without getting a stone or two stuck in her shoes on this roadway of life?

In conclusion, I want to say thank you to Lisa. I have known you for…well, we already established we've been friends for several decades. Suffice it to say that in all of the years our paths have crossed, all of the roads we've taken separately and together, and all of the future trails we've yet to blaze that I am proud to call you friend and would still like to be someone like you when I grow up. Until then lady, keep that road paved for me. I'm right behind you!

Dear God, thank You for the Lisas in my life. Yes, I devoted this blog to her but there have been a few other women in my life who have impacted my life in ways that have made me a better person. My hope is that one day I can touch many lives as they have done by living a life that pleases You, that edifies You, that models You. I don't want to say I'm such and such and bring glory to myself—especially when I have no actions to back that up. Rather, Lord, I want to be evidence in this world that I too am Your child, that I have a love for those who struggle, that I want to reach this world and make it a better place by encouraging those around me. Will You help me to do that? Take away my masks and let the real Stef shine through? Make me more like Jesus is my prayer and it's in His Name that I ask these things. Amen.