Psalm 62:5-8

Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, you people; Pour out your hearts to him, For God is our refuge.

As I reflect on these verses, there are many profound words that reach out to me. When I was young, I remember an elderly family member had passed away and I told myself that I wasn’t going to die. I was going to live forever.

I used to go to the Methodist Church in Madison with my father every Sunday. Our pastor was an amazing preacher where I learned what it meant to have eternal life. His name was Gladstone Brown, and he reminded me of Dr. Peter Marshall, that powerful man who was the pastor of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C. and was appointed twice as Chaplain of the U.S. Senate. At the end of the sermon, Pastor Brown would walk to the back of the church where he would give his benediction, concluding the public worship. With his hands raised up to the Lord, I would always peak toward the back during that part of the service. I think I was in awe of his authority to represent Christ. I accepted Christ when I was 12 in that little country church saying, “For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only son, whosoever believes in Him will have eternal life.” John 3:16 From that day forward, I knew I had received the gift of eternity, that I would not perish and live forever. I was married in that same church to my best friend Joe Sidley. We raised our three daughters and had the privilege of being together for 55 years. Were those years perfect, of course not. But through Christ He guided us to live for him and leave our family with the legacy of serving Him.

Heavenly Father, I thank you for your faithfulness. Remind us to always praise you for all the blessings you have given us, especially the gift of eternal life through Jesus.

– Ginny Sidley