I have had very little quiet since the reconstruction on our kitchen began. It started with the mitigation of the water damage and has continued through the replacement process. Craftsmen with saws, hammers, drills and all kinds of noise-making tools and equipment have invaded my dwelling. That, of course had me thinking about quiet.
Paul commands us to make it our ambition to live quiet lives. “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.” [1 Thess 4:11-12 NIV]
The recent Father’s Day turned my attention to my dad. When my brother and I were youngsters I would not have described my dad as quiet. He had a temper and could often shout his displeasure. But as my father came to know Jesus in a more personal experience, his temper quieted. In his last decades, he lived the life Paul describes above.
He had a strong work ethic, and always shouldered the responsibility of providing for his family. His love for people increased as he aged. When people remember him, they tell me they never heard him speak a bad word against anyone, that he always had a smile and a hug for them along with a word of encouragement. They remember him with respect.
He may have had very little in the way of material things, but in his quiet way he won the respect of “outsiders” and possessed the love of his family. He left a good legacy and a good testimony for Christ. I pray I can do likewise.
