Tend, Guard and Keeping
We experience these character traits and skills from people that have loved us deeply and have been there for us in our journey of life’s ups and downs.
For me, it was my Mom! She was full of love and the bravery to tend, guard and keep her family no matter what. Who has been that for you? Who has set the example of being strong enough to speak the truth as tending you at pivotal times, have guarded you and or kept you with unconditional love?
There will be a time that each of us will need to rise and be a life-changing agent by tending, guarding or keeping someone or something.
We Rise to Tend
placed in your care.
Tending is defined as looking after, giving one’s attention or waiting on or working with someone for a favorable outcome. Tending is an unselfish act that originated from the word “attending to”.
Just as others did for us and maybe still do, we must be ready and willing to rise to the occasion to tend or attend to others. This tending may be an onetime act for a neighbor, or a continuous listening ear to a friend walking through a personal crisis. But, at all times we need to focus, non-judgmental and close enough to help, yet with enough distance for them to learn to function independently as a part of their growth path.
Tending should never cost you to the point of distress emotionally, physically or financially. If it is, you may need to step back and rethink your involvement. Appointed tending is mutually beneficial. If you find that you are feeling pressed upon or stuck, seek help. Some circumstances require the tending to be done as a group, not as an individual. Tending can be a face of comfort that we give and receive as we create a well-crafted legacy.
We Rise to Guard
Guarding is so much more and so much less than most of us think. The first time we recognize someone “guarding” us maybe in grade school when a friend protects you from a bully, or when your older sibling comes to your rescue as a neighbor is angry because you accidentally hit their home with a softball, or it may not be until you are much farther along in life and your boss guards your job when you are being unjustly blamed for mistakes in a report. No matter when or how feeling guarded or being that guard contributes to the crafting of our legacy and life with joy.
Guarding can be a role we rise and agreed to take, such as a coach, teacher or mentor. The act of guarding in when due to relationship, our natural abilities and emotional core we rise to guard as necessary, such as with a family dog. But it can also be revealed in a team member, baby sitter co-worker, all based on the circumstance that they are present for.
Then we all have those seasons that we rise to say yes to be assigned as the guard for a person, group, place or thing knowing that it could be for the rest of our life. We see this in parents, clergy, researchers, soldiers, doctors and movement leaders.
Guard as a role is defined as one that keeps watch, controls and maintains the atmosphere of the one they are protecting with a spirit of readiness to address and defend against any outside interference or element of danger or concern. The position of a guard will always be offensive and defensive. Guards can be visible or invisible. This position of guard is not based on relationships but can develop one based on mutual trust.
Guarding is defined as the action taken when needed, but not normally planned. This kind of guarding is a result of time spent together in a mutually beneficial way that makes it a most natural action when there rises an opportunity for possible hurt or harm. This can be a relative, friend or ministry member; normally someone that takes the again as needed when danger approaches.
Understanding the position and the power of guarding is necessary to be effective on behalf of yourself and someone else. Guarding is another face of comfort we are blessed to be or partake of in a well-crafted life.
We Rise and Keep
Keeping is defined as a universal rising up to encourage, give reason to continue the mission and to walk within hard times. Keeping is the job of each and every one of us in the home, neighborhood, workplace, region, family, country or career you occupy. If we occupy any space, no matter how grand or how tiny, we must rise and keep for our own lives and the lives of those that will occupy that place or space when you move on.
Keeping is more than providing, it is the honor to aid in the growth or continuance of what you touch and partake of daily. Healthy, honest and loving based keeping will be contagious and will chase you down to bless you in your place of need.
Without us, keeping for each other, tending and guarding will make us all weary in well doing and cause us to faint in the way we are to go. Some tend more than you, and others will guard longer than you, but we all must keep for ourselves and others so that we will continue and overcome all that sets its self against what we are value as life.
Tending, Guarding and Keeping are some of the most precious, treasured and needed actions and roles of our lives; and they can be done in times of being with someone or even when you cannot be with them.
Parents do it with children that live away from them. Spouses do it with soldiers that are serving our country. Coaches do it with team members long after they play on the team, and ministers do it virtually for missionaries and those in the field speaking the Good News.
It is not the proximity the makes it work, it is the heart and decisive dedication to the act or role that brings the continuing and the mutual reward.
