Sorry it's been a while since I've posted... I've been ill a lot lately, so would appreciate your prayers for good health. As I mentioned once before, I have one more archived piece to share, and this is the last of them. All else will be new material, never published or passed around before. I wrote this piece the last Christmas we served overseas, while we were in Ankara, Turkey in 2005. This was the first of my pieces that had a less than 'sweetness-and-light' tone to it, falling more under what I would think of as 'salt of the earth'... a little more spicy in admonishing those who are supposed to 'be on my side' in being in the world without being of the world, ie fellow Christians. I'm really sad to say that it's still as relevant this year as it was when I wrote it. People are being so ridiculous about taking political correctness too far, and I'm sorry to hear that a lot of them identify themselves as Christians. This piece was directed at them, questioning their true motives. If the shoe fits, I pray that you'll be convicted, and rethink you're approach. If not, I cheerfully wish you a Merry Christmas!
All the fuss this past Christmas Season over whether to wish people a Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays, whether this store or that ever mentions the word Christmas anywhere in their ads, in their stores or amongst their personnel has had me feeling rather bemused. On the one hand, it is rather insulting that in some places we have seen mention of other holidays: Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Ramadan, but no mention of Christmas. But on the other, as I see it, we American Christians have no one to blame but ourselves if our country is drifting so far away from its Christian roots despite the majority of Americans identifying themselves as being Christians. We've allowed ourselves to be intimidated by tiny minority groups insisting on their "right" to be spared any mention of our beliefs (no such right appears in the US Constitution.) We've stood by quietly in too many places as one symbol after another of our faith has been removed, from nativity scenes to the Ten Commandments on which our country's laws were based. We've cooperated with the "political correctness" movement for too long, and now anything goes except Christianity. And it seems to me that some of the very people who are shouting the loudest for silencing any expression of our beliefs are people who claim to be Christians themselves! I find that really troubling!
From these people, I hear "I have no right to force my beliefs on others." And, "Thumping people over the head with my bible isn't going to convert them." And, "I'm showing people of other faiths respect by not offending them with mine." Oh my. While I can agree that being obnoxious about sharing our faith isn't going to attract any new followers for Christ, I sincerely doubt that these sentiments are all that altruistic, but rather are tools that the enemy is using to weaken the church, just as he uses the phrase "separation of church and state" which appears nowhere in the US Constitution, to inspire people to bend over backwards to erase our country's heritage. Now I might make myself unpopular with Christians who think this way by saying this, but Luke 17:3 says "If your brother sins, rebuke him," so here goes: These reasons given for not expressing or displaying the Christian faith sound too much like excuses to me. Self-serving excuses. Why?
The Bible clearly tells us in Matthew 28:19, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." We are commanded to spread the good news that Jesus gave us. How, pray tell, can we do that if we "shield" anyone who might be offended from any mention of our faith? Not all of us are called to be evangelists and missionaries, but we are all to play some part in sharing the gospel with those around us. And yes, I know it can be uncomfortable to tell other people about something that is so personal to us as Jesus is. We risk rejection. We risk ridicule. We risk being asked questions we might feel unqualified to answer. This is the real reason, I believe, why so many American Christians want to side with "political correctness" while Christians in many other countries are willing to die for their faith and are dying. I believe many of us want to be absolved of this commandment. It won't work.
Just as the prophet Ezekiel was warned by God (Ezekiel 3:18-19) that he would be held accountable for failing to warn Israel of the consequences of her sins, I believe we will also be held accountable for failing to warn those around us now. Ezekiel wasn't held responsible for how Israel responded to the warnings, only for issuing them. I think the same thing applies to us today. Regarding learning from Israel's history, 1 Corinthians 10:11 tells us, "These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come."
There's a very broad line between thumping somebody over the head with our Bible and joyfully and publicly expressing our faith. I live in the Middle East, where proselytizing is frowned on at best, illegal and severely punishable at worst, yet I have little difficulty sharing my faith. I may not be able to proactively tell someone about the Gospel, but I can joyfully act in a loving and godly way that draws people to me. I can also display symbols of my faith on my person and in my home. If they then feel moved to ask me questions about my faith, I can then describe the source of my joy. No one is offended. Ironically, my Muslim neighbors here cheerfully wished me a Merry Christmas! As for public symbols of the Christian faith, we find those here in the Middle East too, carefully and respectfully preserved and maintained by Muslims so that the world may come to see them and wonder. How much easier, then, it should be in our great American country where we have full religious freedom! At least until we willingly give it up, may that day never come!
So given the knowledge of what will happen to those who have not been warned, who have not received salvation, how can any Christian justify to him or herself that he or she is respecting people of other faiths by not sharing ours in any way, shape or form? To me, it is so clearly not an act of respect, but one of great disservice! We're allowing people to stumble through life according to whatever way seems wise to them, while giving them no reason to even be curious about the Truth! And that leads to eternal death for them, and an accounting before the throne of God for us. I don't know about anyone else, but I fear that accounting before God far more than I fear any rejection or ridicule from man.
"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love." 1Corinthians 16:13-14
Father, we come before You, thanking You and praising You for the true reason for this season- Your precious and only Son, Jesus Christ. No other gift in this world could compare to the One You already gave. Thank You! Help us to be both loving and bold in sharing this good news, to spread the joy we feel. Use us like stars of Bethlehem, guiding others towards You. Keep us pointing to and focused on the true meaning of Christmas throughout this season and all of the rest of the year. In Jesus' name we pray- Amen.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Hope
We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teachings about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. - Hebrews 5:11-14
I received some interesting reactions to my posting "Legislating Morality" and for similar statements I made elsewhere; some I was expecting, others I was not. The dissenting voices were at least kind enough, for the most part, to keep their reactions within private emails, rather than flaming me here, for which I'm grateful. But I did get judged harshly on several levels. I was called judgmental, hypocritical, self-righteous, proud and even a spoiled brat who was merely disappointed about my candidate not winning and was using the bible to justify my temper tantrum. Nice. I won't even dignify that last one with a response. I was easily able to deflect these criticisms, because the judgment wasn't mine. The hypocrisy also isn't mine, for I'm doing my best to live my faith in every regard, not just on Sunday mornings and at funerals, which is the sort of "faith" I grew up around, and used to practice myself. Self-righteous and proud? Molested as a child, raped as a teen, abused in every way as a young adult, rejected as a defective and social outcast throughout much of my life, upon what have I ever had anything to grow pride? Shame permeated the majority of my life, and only by walking alongside my Lord and Savior am I even able to hold my head up with dignity. That dignity, and righteousness, is borrowed from Him alone, for His grace- which I did not deserve and can not earn- is what allows me to be called a Daughter of the King.
Moving on.
I had one other type of criticism for my posting, one that DID surprise me... Several people felt that I should have been laying out a balm of healing with talk about hope, rather than giving the message I did. I respect those who said this to me, but must respectfully disagree. Firstly, the verse heading that posting was given to me during my prayer time, and it was not one about hope. It was, however, a warning that could be used to bring hope and healing, if we heed it. I didn't even remember it being in Revelation, until I looked it up in my concordance. I admit that my heart pounded when I realized where that verse came from, as I wondered if the time spoken of in Revelation could in fact be so close. But lest anyone call me a false prophet, as one critic unjustly did, let me remind you that I never said that it WAS that time. I DO believe that the "birth pangs" referenced in Matthew 24:4-8 and elsewhere have not only begun, but are intensifying. Anyone really looking at the events of the world with eyes wide open will likely think the same. Yet I know God's patience is infinitely greater than mine, so even if we have neared the end of the "birth pangs", it could still be some time before He actually begins the judgments described in Revelation. Only He knows. What does seem clear to me, however, is that He is calling for His church to wake up to the growing apostasy that plagues her. The Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night (1 Thessalonians 5:2), and we should not be spiritually asleep when it does! (1 Th 5:6)
Unfortunately, we are very drowsy right now, if not downright asleep, when our church can be so nearly split down the middle over an election. Christians on both sides of the election debate claim that they've made their choices after prayerfully seeking God's will, yet this cannot be, for He would not give conflicting guidance! At least half the church, and probably more, is being deceived, either because they have let down their guard, or they aren't mature in the faith, or because they never had it in the first place and they're justifying their own desires as being God's will. This brings me to my second point of disagreement about whether I should have been spreading a message of hope: Our hope lies in the Lord, and in order to have a hope-filled relationship with Him, we must first repent! Without repentance, there is no hope, for we turn our backs on Him while seeking the self or the world! A lot of us have that hope, and yes, for those of us who do, we need to hang onto that and not grow discouraged. But lest you get too comfortable in that thought, consider Ephesians 2:11-12: "Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcision" (that done in the body by the hands of men) - remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world." Don't forget that there are people out there, many of them calling themselves our brothers and sisters in Christ, even though no one has taught them how salvation works that they might avail themselves of this gift, are without hope. Remember how it was with you, before you accepted salvation. Still more of them, while they have accepted salvation, aren't maturing in the faith, because we're not teaching them. And yet more have matured some, but seem to have stalled along the way somewhere, because we haven't corrected them for fear of offending them. We can't lay all the blame on those who are being deceived. We've been leaving them all vulnerable to the enemy that is prowling like a lion, and he's pounced on them. Yes, there's hope to be found, but we have to go out there and let the Lord use us to lead the lost in the right direction. Wake up, brothers and sisters!
Father, we thank you for warning us to wake up. We repent of our parts in allowing our younger brothers and sisters to wander untrained, and our elders to drift uncorrected and leaving them all vulnerable to the enemy. Strengthen our resolve to accept the task of being teachers, to shed the light on apostasy, to guide the church back to You. Open the hearts of the deceived, Lord, that they might have eyes to see and ears to hear when we bring Your message to them. Help us to rid ourselves of the apostasy that has weakened the church. Help us all to grow in maturity that we might bear fruit for You, both individually and as a church, once more. Lead us all to true hope, which can only be found in You. In Jesus' precious name we pray. Amen.
I received some interesting reactions to my posting "Legislating Morality" and for similar statements I made elsewhere; some I was expecting, others I was not. The dissenting voices were at least kind enough, for the most part, to keep their reactions within private emails, rather than flaming me here, for which I'm grateful. But I did get judged harshly on several levels. I was called judgmental, hypocritical, self-righteous, proud and even a spoiled brat who was merely disappointed about my candidate not winning and was using the bible to justify my temper tantrum. Nice. I won't even dignify that last one with a response. I was easily able to deflect these criticisms, because the judgment wasn't mine. The hypocrisy also isn't mine, for I'm doing my best to live my faith in every regard, not just on Sunday mornings and at funerals, which is the sort of "faith" I grew up around, and used to practice myself. Self-righteous and proud? Molested as a child, raped as a teen, abused in every way as a young adult, rejected as a defective and social outcast throughout much of my life, upon what have I ever had anything to grow pride? Shame permeated the majority of my life, and only by walking alongside my Lord and Savior am I even able to hold my head up with dignity. That dignity, and righteousness, is borrowed from Him alone, for His grace- which I did not deserve and can not earn- is what allows me to be called a Daughter of the King.
Moving on.
I had one other type of criticism for my posting, one that DID surprise me... Several people felt that I should have been laying out a balm of healing with talk about hope, rather than giving the message I did. I respect those who said this to me, but must respectfully disagree. Firstly, the verse heading that posting was given to me during my prayer time, and it was not one about hope. It was, however, a warning that could be used to bring hope and healing, if we heed it. I didn't even remember it being in Revelation, until I looked it up in my concordance. I admit that my heart pounded when I realized where that verse came from, as I wondered if the time spoken of in Revelation could in fact be so close. But lest anyone call me a false prophet, as one critic unjustly did, let me remind you that I never said that it WAS that time. I DO believe that the "birth pangs" referenced in Matthew 24:4-8 and elsewhere have not only begun, but are intensifying. Anyone really looking at the events of the world with eyes wide open will likely think the same. Yet I know God's patience is infinitely greater than mine, so even if we have neared the end of the "birth pangs", it could still be some time before He actually begins the judgments described in Revelation. Only He knows. What does seem clear to me, however, is that He is calling for His church to wake up to the growing apostasy that plagues her. The Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night (1 Thessalonians 5:2), and we should not be spiritually asleep when it does! (1 Th 5:6)
Unfortunately, we are very drowsy right now, if not downright asleep, when our church can be so nearly split down the middle over an election. Christians on both sides of the election debate claim that they've made their choices after prayerfully seeking God's will, yet this cannot be, for He would not give conflicting guidance! At least half the church, and probably more, is being deceived, either because they have let down their guard, or they aren't mature in the faith, or because they never had it in the first place and they're justifying their own desires as being God's will. This brings me to my second point of disagreement about whether I should have been spreading a message of hope: Our hope lies in the Lord, and in order to have a hope-filled relationship with Him, we must first repent! Without repentance, there is no hope, for we turn our backs on Him while seeking the self or the world! A lot of us have that hope, and yes, for those of us who do, we need to hang onto that and not grow discouraged. But lest you get too comfortable in that thought, consider Ephesians 2:11-12: "Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcision" (that done in the body by the hands of men) - remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world." Don't forget that there are people out there, many of them calling themselves our brothers and sisters in Christ, even though no one has taught them how salvation works that they might avail themselves of this gift, are without hope. Remember how it was with you, before you accepted salvation. Still more of them, while they have accepted salvation, aren't maturing in the faith, because we're not teaching them. And yet more have matured some, but seem to have stalled along the way somewhere, because we haven't corrected them for fear of offending them. We can't lay all the blame on those who are being deceived. We've been leaving them all vulnerable to the enemy that is prowling like a lion, and he's pounced on them. Yes, there's hope to be found, but we have to go out there and let the Lord use us to lead the lost in the right direction. Wake up, brothers and sisters!
Father, we thank you for warning us to wake up. We repent of our parts in allowing our younger brothers and sisters to wander untrained, and our elders to drift uncorrected and leaving them all vulnerable to the enemy. Strengthen our resolve to accept the task of being teachers, to shed the light on apostasy, to guide the church back to You. Open the hearts of the deceived, Lord, that they might have eyes to see and ears to hear when we bring Your message to them. Help us to rid ourselves of the apostasy that has weakened the church. Help us all to grow in maturity that we might bear fruit for You, both individually and as a church, once more. Lead us all to true hope, which can only be found in You. In Jesus' precious name we pray. Amen.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Chicken Recipe
I've been asked by several people for the recipe mentioned in the Tagged item below, so rather than email it individually to all, here it is. Enjoy! :-)
TJ's Picnic Chicken
1 lb (or more) boneless, skinless chicken breast or tenderloin pieces (smaller pieces yield more flavor, and work especially well for party appetizers)
2 TB cooking oil
1 egg, beaten
1 cup plain bread crumbs
1 tsp each of salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder and poultry seasoning (I like McCormick's best) (if using large breast pieces, I often use more than 1 tsp to give a stronger flavor, esp if it will be served cold)
Preheat oven to 350 F. Spread oil in baking dish. Mix bread crumbs with seasoning in shallow dish or on a plate. Dip chicken pieces into beaten egg, then coat with crumb mixture, shaking off excess, and place in baking dish. Bake 1 hr, turning half way through baking time. Smaller pieces will need less than an hour to bake (more like 40 minutes). Enjoy hot or cold! :-)
Saturday, November 8, 2008
I've been tagged!
Joan, from A Portland Granny, who didn't know if I would do this or not since my postings here are generally serious in tone, has tagged me to share ten things with all of you that I'm not afraid to admit. :-)
The rules are:
1) Link to the person who tagged you.
2) Post the rules on your blog
3) Write 10 random things about yourself (see below).
4) Tag 6 people at the end of your post and link to them.
5) Let each person know they have been tagged and leave
a comment on their blog.
6) Let the tagger know when your entry has been posted.
The rules are:
1) Link to the person who tagged you.
2) Post the rules on your blog
3) Write 10 random things about yourself (see below).
4) Tag 6 people at the end of your post and link to them.
5) Let each person know they have been tagged and leave
a comment on their blog.
6) Let the tagger know when your entry has been posted.
Here are my ten!
1.) I don't like chocolate. I know... totally un-American! LOL I always felt like the odd man out in every gathering, until a visit to relatives on my father's side of the family revealed that 9 out of 10 of them didn't like chocolate either! Finally I fit in! It's got to be a genetic thing.
2.) I'm a "jack of all trades, master of none." My husband calls me his "Renaissance woman" because I have such a wide and varied range of interests and skills.
3.) I don't like to wear shoes. I've gotten in the habit of doing so first thing in the morning until I've done all the chores and errands that require being on the go are completed, but after that, they get kicked off!
4.) I'm hoping to become a professional writer eventually, writing for the Christian fiction and non-fiction market.
5.) My mother gave birth to me when she was 43 years old. Two of my sisters were 21 and 25 yrs old at the time, and were standing outside the nursery window when a stranger commented, "You know, that baby there... Her mother is 43 years old!" My sisters replied, "We know. She's our Mom too!"
6.) I once owned a 1967 Dodge Dart, beautifully restored, and a 1969 Buick Skylark. I loved driving both of them, and was sad when I had to let them both go, especially the Buick. Just months after the Buick was sold, it was totaled by a drunk driver who ran into it while it was parked on the street, hitting it so hard that it wrapped around a nearby telephone pole. The driver was unhurt, but the car was destroyed.
7.) Babies are my passion...I fall in love as soon as I see them, I cry when I hear bad news about them, I laugh when they giggle, I melt when they smile.
8.) I have four children, two boys and two girls, ranging from small toddler to young pre-teen. They're the lights of my earthly life, along with my husband.
9.) I've known my hubby since high school. We were best friends for ten years before marrying, and we still are.
10.) I created my own recipe of chicken when I was only 18 years old, and called it TJ's Picnic Chicken. Using my maiden initials and highschool nickname, I named it so because the chicken has as much flavor cold as it does when served hot. It never lasts long around here.
Now I pass the tag on to:
Patty at Beside Still Waters
Renee at Renee's Reflections
Jared at The Aeneid
Connie at Connie's Heartstrings
Tammi at Tammi's Treasures
Abryant at Team Bryant
1.) I don't like chocolate. I know... totally un-American! LOL I always felt like the odd man out in every gathering, until a visit to relatives on my father's side of the family revealed that 9 out of 10 of them didn't like chocolate either! Finally I fit in! It's got to be a genetic thing.
2.) I'm a "jack of all trades, master of none." My husband calls me his "Renaissance woman" because I have such a wide and varied range of interests and skills.
3.) I don't like to wear shoes. I've gotten in the habit of doing so first thing in the morning until I've done all the chores and errands that require being on the go are completed, but after that, they get kicked off!
4.) I'm hoping to become a professional writer eventually, writing for the Christian fiction and non-fiction market.
5.) My mother gave birth to me when she was 43 years old. Two of my sisters were 21 and 25 yrs old at the time, and were standing outside the nursery window when a stranger commented, "You know, that baby there... Her mother is 43 years old!" My sisters replied, "We know. She's our Mom too!"
6.) I once owned a 1967 Dodge Dart, beautifully restored, and a 1969 Buick Skylark. I loved driving both of them, and was sad when I had to let them both go, especially the Buick. Just months after the Buick was sold, it was totaled by a drunk driver who ran into it while it was parked on the street, hitting it so hard that it wrapped around a nearby telephone pole. The driver was unhurt, but the car was destroyed.
7.) Babies are my passion...I fall in love as soon as I see them, I cry when I hear bad news about them, I laugh when they giggle, I melt when they smile.
8.) I have four children, two boys and two girls, ranging from small toddler to young pre-teen. They're the lights of my earthly life, along with my husband.
9.) I've known my hubby since high school. We were best friends for ten years before marrying, and we still are.
10.) I created my own recipe of chicken when I was only 18 years old, and called it TJ's Picnic Chicken. Using my maiden initials and highschool nickname, I named it so because the chicken has as much flavor cold as it does when served hot. It never lasts long around here.
Now I pass the tag on to:
Patty at Beside Still Waters
Renee at Renee's Reflections
Jared at The Aeneid
Connie at Connie's Heartstrings
Tammi at Tammi's Treasures
Abryant at Team Bryant
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Legislating Morality
For those who have eyes to see and ears to hear, read on. All others may want to leave the page now lest you be 'offended'... I have been given a message from our Lord that I'm urged to share and explain. May God give me the words I'm to say...
I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm- neither hot nor cold- I am about to spit you out of my mouth.--Revelation 3:15-16
I have a very heavy heart today, and am prone to tears, and I don't think I need to tell bible-believing evangelical Christians why that is. But I can't tell you how many Christians I've talked to recently who have argued that we cannot and should not "legislate morality", and it appears that like-minded Christians were numerous enough to side with liberal unbelievers yesterday to make an awful difference. They argue that legislating "their personal beliefs" would interfere in the "free will" of non-believers, and that they don't think God would do that either, forgetting He DID do that, a long time ago, with the nation of Israel (you can't tell me that all who lived within her borders were devout Jews, but they were called to obey the 10 Commandments anyway!) The argument is flawed. These people think they're promoting an agenda that will allow them to sit on the fence, choosing to do right themselves while giving others the freedom to make their own choices unencumbered. Not so. People have been doing that all along, and it hasn't been enough. It's not enough for these unbelievers to be able to do whatever they want... They want it to be labeled as "good" and "acceptable." No longer is it enough to "fix a mistake" or "keep what they do in the bedroom IN the bedroom." The legislation being pushed forward is in fact legislating immorality by making those "rights" that were never given in the Constitution legally protected, and our right to openly call it sin will be sure to get curtailed, thanks to all the "hate crimes" legislation that is also being pushed, not to mention the persistence of the "separation of church and state" misconception. People have been sinning since before the Bible was written, and they will go right on doing so whether it's legal or not. That's human nature, that's "free will", and we can't end that. Only Christ Himself can when He comes to end all sin. But does that mean we ought to legalize those sins? Does that not make us stumbling blocks to those who don't know another way to live? People who protect alcoholics and drug addicts from the consequences of their sin and allow them to go right on sinning in comfort are called 'enablers'. Enablers make it easy for the alcoholics and drug users to remain addicted, for the addicts have little reason to stop. What makes anyone think it's any different for sexual sin? By legalizing sexual sin, we become enablers of it! And we're teaching such attitudes to a younger generation (those that aren't being killed, anyway...What about their Constitutionally given right to life?!), and soon we may have no legal rights to do otherwise! "Jesus said to his disciples: "Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. So watch yourselves." Luke 17:1-3a
I find it interesting what my NIV Life Application Study Bible's study notes has to say about Rev 3:15... "Lukewarm water makes a disgusting drink. The church in Laodicea had become lukewarm and thus distasteful and repugnant. The believers didn't take a stand for anything; indifference had led to idleness. By neglecting to do anything for Christ, the church had become hardened and self-satisfied, and it was destroying itself. There is nothing more disgusting than a halfhearted, in-name-only Christian who is self-sufficient. Don't settle for following God halfway. Let Christ fire up your faith and get you into the action." Sound familiar? There's nothing new under the sun. All that is here has been here for centuries, and none of the "changes" being proposed are new. There's not going to be any fence-sitting in the end times. We have to choose either for God or for ourselves. As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD. (Joshua 24:15b)
Regardless of what you did yesterday, today is a new day, and all of we Christians have work to do on our knees. We lost a battle, but we have not lost the war. We already know who wins that in the end. But in the meantime, we have some praying to do and more battles to fight. If you have not yet read http://focusfamaction.edgeboss.net/download/focusfamaction/pdfs/10-22-08_2012letter.pdf, please do so now. It is not a true letter, and doesn't claim to be, but rather is a possibility projected from current trends and promises following natural consequences. It's not as far-fetched as most of us would like to believe. We need to take action to prevent as many of the scenarios in this letter as we can. We need to repent on behalf of our nation and try to turn it from evil...A revival! We need to be prepared to welcome repentant people with open arms and help clear the rubble of a battle lost. And- this wise suggestion came from my 11 yr old son early this morning and then I heard it repeated elsewhere- we need to pray for wisdom for our new and continuing leaders... Many of them claim to be Christians. Pray they actually are, and that God opens their eyes and sets their hearts on fire for Him before they take actions that would be difficult or impossible to reverse. I hope none of the scenarios described in the letter come to pass, but I'm not willing to take a chance they will if there's anything that can be done to stop them. There are souls out there in the balance!
Father, we come before You, humbled and battle-weary. Some of us prayed and fasted and stood strong for biblical standards yesterday, but it wasn't enough. Some of us made the wrong choices, thinking we were doing "good" when in fact we were doing what seems wise in the eyes of man, but leads to death. Open the eyes of all our hearts, Lord, that we might see You and know the Truth. Forgive us our sins. Have mercy on those who know not what they do. Help us turn away from sin and back to You and Your ways. Stir a revival in Your church, Lord, that we might grow stronger from this and become a tool for You to reach out to the lost souls. Use this, as everything else, to the good of those who love You. We have chosen new leaders, and while those leaders are standing for unwise things, many claim they are Christians. Stir the consciences of those who truly are, prick their souls with guilt, that they may repent. Send someone to each of the ones who only think they are Christians, and show them what it means to be one in more than name only. Grant our new and continuing leaders with wisdom, so that they may see the errors of their ways and understand the consequences of the actions they plan to take. Have mercy on America. Please. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm- neither hot nor cold- I am about to spit you out of my mouth.--Revelation 3:15-16
I have a very heavy heart today, and am prone to tears, and I don't think I need to tell bible-believing evangelical Christians why that is. But I can't tell you how many Christians I've talked to recently who have argued that we cannot and should not "legislate morality", and it appears that like-minded Christians were numerous enough to side with liberal unbelievers yesterday to make an awful difference. They argue that legislating "their personal beliefs" would interfere in the "free will" of non-believers, and that they don't think God would do that either, forgetting He DID do that, a long time ago, with the nation of Israel (you can't tell me that all who lived within her borders were devout Jews, but they were called to obey the 10 Commandments anyway!) The argument is flawed. These people think they're promoting an agenda that will allow them to sit on the fence, choosing to do right themselves while giving others the freedom to make their own choices unencumbered. Not so. People have been doing that all along, and it hasn't been enough. It's not enough for these unbelievers to be able to do whatever they want... They want it to be labeled as "good" and "acceptable." No longer is it enough to "fix a mistake" or "keep what they do in the bedroom IN the bedroom." The legislation being pushed forward is in fact legislating immorality by making those "rights" that were never given in the Constitution legally protected, and our right to openly call it sin will be sure to get curtailed, thanks to all the "hate crimes" legislation that is also being pushed, not to mention the persistence of the "separation of church and state" misconception. People have been sinning since before the Bible was written, and they will go right on doing so whether it's legal or not. That's human nature, that's "free will", and we can't end that. Only Christ Himself can when He comes to end all sin. But does that mean we ought to legalize those sins? Does that not make us stumbling blocks to those who don't know another way to live? People who protect alcoholics and drug addicts from the consequences of their sin and allow them to go right on sinning in comfort are called 'enablers'. Enablers make it easy for the alcoholics and drug users to remain addicted, for the addicts have little reason to stop. What makes anyone think it's any different for sexual sin? By legalizing sexual sin, we become enablers of it! And we're teaching such attitudes to a younger generation (those that aren't being killed, anyway...What about their Constitutionally given right to life?!), and soon we may have no legal rights to do otherwise! "Jesus said to his disciples: "Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. So watch yourselves." Luke 17:1-3a
I find it interesting what my NIV Life Application Study Bible's study notes has to say about Rev 3:15... "Lukewarm water makes a disgusting drink. The church in Laodicea had become lukewarm and thus distasteful and repugnant. The believers didn't take a stand for anything; indifference had led to idleness. By neglecting to do anything for Christ, the church had become hardened and self-satisfied, and it was destroying itself. There is nothing more disgusting than a halfhearted, in-name-only Christian who is self-sufficient. Don't settle for following God halfway. Let Christ fire up your faith and get you into the action." Sound familiar? There's nothing new under the sun. All that is here has been here for centuries, and none of the "changes" being proposed are new. There's not going to be any fence-sitting in the end times. We have to choose either for God or for ourselves. As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD. (Joshua 24:15b)
Regardless of what you did yesterday, today is a new day, and all of we Christians have work to do on our knees. We lost a battle, but we have not lost the war. We already know who wins that in the end. But in the meantime, we have some praying to do and more battles to fight. If you have not yet read http://focusfamaction.edgeboss.net/download/focusfamaction/pdfs/10-22-08_2012letter.pdf, please do so now. It is not a true letter, and doesn't claim to be, but rather is a possibility projected from current trends and promises following natural consequences. It's not as far-fetched as most of us would like to believe. We need to take action to prevent as many of the scenarios in this letter as we can. We need to repent on behalf of our nation and try to turn it from evil...A revival! We need to be prepared to welcome repentant people with open arms and help clear the rubble of a battle lost. And- this wise suggestion came from my 11 yr old son early this morning and then I heard it repeated elsewhere- we need to pray for wisdom for our new and continuing leaders... Many of them claim to be Christians. Pray they actually are, and that God opens their eyes and sets their hearts on fire for Him before they take actions that would be difficult or impossible to reverse. I hope none of the scenarios described in the letter come to pass, but I'm not willing to take a chance they will if there's anything that can be done to stop them. There are souls out there in the balance!
Father, we come before You, humbled and battle-weary. Some of us prayed and fasted and stood strong for biblical standards yesterday, but it wasn't enough. Some of us made the wrong choices, thinking we were doing "good" when in fact we were doing what seems wise in the eyes of man, but leads to death. Open the eyes of all our hearts, Lord, that we might see You and know the Truth. Forgive us our sins. Have mercy on those who know not what they do. Help us turn away from sin and back to You and Your ways. Stir a revival in Your church, Lord, that we might grow stronger from this and become a tool for You to reach out to the lost souls. Use this, as everything else, to the good of those who love You. We have chosen new leaders, and while those leaders are standing for unwise things, many claim they are Christians. Stir the consciences of those who truly are, prick their souls with guilt, that they may repent. Send someone to each of the ones who only think they are Christians, and show them what it means to be one in more than name only. Grant our new and continuing leaders with wisdom, so that they may see the errors of their ways and understand the consequences of the actions they plan to take. Have mercy on America. Please. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Whatever!
Author's note: I told several people that I'm working on Proverbs 31 from the perspective of those who deal with chronic illness, and I am. I have one essay almost completed, and notes for the second one started. However, God keeps on teaching me in other areas,too, and I feel pushed to stop and write about those and post those as soon as possible, so consider this as a 'heads up' that the P31 essays may not be in uninterrupted order, but may be interspersed with other material. :-) Bear with me!
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- think about such things."
-Philippians 4:8
Is the glass half full for you, or is it half empty? Sometimes one or sometimes the other? Or both at once? For me, it's usually both, because I'm rather pragmatic by nature, always looking at the practical side of things and trying to be logically factual. Most of the time I think that's a good thing. I think I'd have made a good reporter by traditional standards, because I can see and understand both sides of most issues. My ability to be objective makes me a good mediator and peacemaker. You won't catch me lying or intentionally distorting the truth. This attitude carries far enough that I have gotten stuck on the common courtesy question of "How are you?" With frequent aches and pains, I have felt like I'm lying if I reply, "Fine!" yet I also know that the person asking rarely wants a full disclosure of the truth. :-) Sometimes, though, such a factual attitude can be hurtful if I'm not careful, I've learned.
The problem I've been running into is that in reporting, with equal weight, both sides of the glass' fill line (or giving more weight to the glass being half empty, in the case of more negative moods) is that I'm focusing too much on the things that fill me with discontentment and create a spirit of rebellion within me. I'm detracting from the joy that I get from my many blessings. I'm robbing myself of the positive attitude that makes the day go more smoothly, because positivity and negativity are contagious. I'm even hindering healing! A new friend pointed out to me that I was inadvertently hurting myself by claiming illness as a part of myself, as in "MY illness, MY pain, MY disease, etc." While we're called to rejoice in our sufferings because they help us grow stronger and more Christ-like and thus fill us with hope (Romans 5:3-4), claiming illness as part of ourselves is taking that the wrong direction, for by doing so, we aren't growing through it, but are getting ourselves stuck in it. We lose any hope of being healed, because we're hanging onto this thing we've made a part of ourselves, have accepted into ourselves, and have decided that this is the way it's going to be from here on out, sometimes in the name of "accepting reality" as our society tells us we ought. How can we rejoice if we have lost hope? Cannot God change "reality"? Does He not provide healing? Of course He can and does! With God, all things are possible, if we believe! (Mark 9:23)
Now I'm not saying we should deny the truth of our experiences. I believe it's okay to say that we're struggling with this pain or that physical challenge, as long as we don't take possession of it, for how can we ask for help or healing if we don't? I'm not advocating being a false witness in denying that something is going on when it is. But I plan to take captive all my thoughts on such things (2 Cor. 10:5) to make sure I don't close the door on what is possible for God by talking myself right into unbelief, and make certain that I'm not aiding the enemy in keeping me stuck within the trials and tribulations that come my way! I plan to be more careful about the words I use to describe my health or any other area of difficulty, and I'm hard at work changing my own inner self-talk. Instead of cataloguing everything that I'm feeling (and at times I've been prone to pity parties, I admit it!), I'm noting what needs attention, doing whatever I can to take care of myself, then handing the rest over to the Lord, the Great Physician, in prayer. Once I've done that, I move on to thinking about what is good, focusing on the positive, enjoying the half of the glass that is full, and singing God's praises for everything (well, at least in my head, for I've learned not to add to my family's suffering by singing out loud in their hearing very often, since I can't carry a tune in a paper bag to save my life! LOL)
I have stopped referring to myself as being chronically ill, though I acknowledge that my health isn't as good as it ought to be. I have begun answering that question of "How are you?" with a reply of "Good enough!" for if I'm able to be around people who can ask that, then I'm doing well enough to be out and about. I have stopped expecting that I am always going to feel bad, or even that I'm going to feel bad when I wake up in the morning or after I do this or that. I have stopped complaining to my family about all the aches and pains, and it's been noticed... They aren't looking so gloomy and anxious these days. I'm seeing more smiles and a little bounce in their steps, even as they're still considerate about taking my needs into account. And something absolutely wonderful is happening to me, too... I'm feeling better! Much better than I used to think I could! I haven't been blessed with complete healing yet, despite earnest prayers both from me and from others on my behalf, but I have some additional thoughts on that and still have hope that eventually I will be so blessed. In the meantime, I am accomplishing more than I have in a long time. My days are full and my nights are more restful. Life is good. There's plenty of noble, lovely and praiseworthy things to think about.
Whatever! :-)
Father, thank you for giving us so many good, praiseworthy things to think about; for giving us so many blessings to focus on! Thank you for Your promise that all things are possible with You, if we believe, including full healing of our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual lives. Help us with our unbelief, and heal us according to Your good plan for us: Your plan to prosper us and give us a hope and a future, and not to harm us. Teach us to remain focused on You, always, for only You are always true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy. Teach us to see Your touch on our lives and on the world around us, that we might not be overwhelmed by the things that are not of You, including pain and suffering. Build in us thankful, joyful and hope-filled hearts, so that we may shine with Your light even while we're in the midst of trials and tribulations. In Jesus' name, Amen.
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- think about such things."
-Philippians 4:8
Is the glass half full for you, or is it half empty? Sometimes one or sometimes the other? Or both at once? For me, it's usually both, because I'm rather pragmatic by nature, always looking at the practical side of things and trying to be logically factual. Most of the time I think that's a good thing. I think I'd have made a good reporter by traditional standards, because I can see and understand both sides of most issues. My ability to be objective makes me a good mediator and peacemaker. You won't catch me lying or intentionally distorting the truth. This attitude carries far enough that I have gotten stuck on the common courtesy question of "How are you?" With frequent aches and pains, I have felt like I'm lying if I reply, "Fine!" yet I also know that the person asking rarely wants a full disclosure of the truth. :-) Sometimes, though, such a factual attitude can be hurtful if I'm not careful, I've learned.
The problem I've been running into is that in reporting, with equal weight, both sides of the glass' fill line (or giving more weight to the glass being half empty, in the case of more negative moods) is that I'm focusing too much on the things that fill me with discontentment and create a spirit of rebellion within me. I'm detracting from the joy that I get from my many blessings. I'm robbing myself of the positive attitude that makes the day go more smoothly, because positivity and negativity are contagious. I'm even hindering healing! A new friend pointed out to me that I was inadvertently hurting myself by claiming illness as a part of myself, as in "MY illness, MY pain, MY disease, etc." While we're called to rejoice in our sufferings because they help us grow stronger and more Christ-like and thus fill us with hope (Romans 5:3-4), claiming illness as part of ourselves is taking that the wrong direction, for by doing so, we aren't growing through it, but are getting ourselves stuck in it. We lose any hope of being healed, because we're hanging onto this thing we've made a part of ourselves, have accepted into ourselves, and have decided that this is the way it's going to be from here on out, sometimes in the name of "accepting reality" as our society tells us we ought. How can we rejoice if we have lost hope? Cannot God change "reality"? Does He not provide healing? Of course He can and does! With God, all things are possible, if we believe! (Mark 9:23)
Now I'm not saying we should deny the truth of our experiences. I believe it's okay to say that we're struggling with this pain or that physical challenge, as long as we don't take possession of it, for how can we ask for help or healing if we don't? I'm not advocating being a false witness in denying that something is going on when it is. But I plan to take captive all my thoughts on such things (2 Cor. 10:5) to make sure I don't close the door on what is possible for God by talking myself right into unbelief, and make certain that I'm not aiding the enemy in keeping me stuck within the trials and tribulations that come my way! I plan to be more careful about the words I use to describe my health or any other area of difficulty, and I'm hard at work changing my own inner self-talk. Instead of cataloguing everything that I'm feeling (and at times I've been prone to pity parties, I admit it!), I'm noting what needs attention, doing whatever I can to take care of myself, then handing the rest over to the Lord, the Great Physician, in prayer. Once I've done that, I move on to thinking about what is good, focusing on the positive, enjoying the half of the glass that is full, and singing God's praises for everything (well, at least in my head, for I've learned not to add to my family's suffering by singing out loud in their hearing very often, since I can't carry a tune in a paper bag to save my life! LOL)
I have stopped referring to myself as being chronically ill, though I acknowledge that my health isn't as good as it ought to be. I have begun answering that question of "How are you?" with a reply of "Good enough!" for if I'm able to be around people who can ask that, then I'm doing well enough to be out and about. I have stopped expecting that I am always going to feel bad, or even that I'm going to feel bad when I wake up in the morning or after I do this or that. I have stopped complaining to my family about all the aches and pains, and it's been noticed... They aren't looking so gloomy and anxious these days. I'm seeing more smiles and a little bounce in their steps, even as they're still considerate about taking my needs into account. And something absolutely wonderful is happening to me, too... I'm feeling better! Much better than I used to think I could! I haven't been blessed with complete healing yet, despite earnest prayers both from me and from others on my behalf, but I have some additional thoughts on that and still have hope that eventually I will be so blessed. In the meantime, I am accomplishing more than I have in a long time. My days are full and my nights are more restful. Life is good. There's plenty of noble, lovely and praiseworthy things to think about.
Whatever! :-)
Father, thank you for giving us so many good, praiseworthy things to think about; for giving us so many blessings to focus on! Thank you for Your promise that all things are possible with You, if we believe, including full healing of our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual lives. Help us with our unbelief, and heal us according to Your good plan for us: Your plan to prosper us and give us a hope and a future, and not to harm us. Teach us to remain focused on You, always, for only You are always true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy. Teach us to see Your touch on our lives and on the world around us, that we might not be overwhelmed by the things that are not of You, including pain and suffering. Build in us thankful, joyful and hope-filled hearts, so that we may shine with Your light even while we're in the midst of trials and tribulations. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Hurry Up and Wait
Author's note: This is the last of my archived pieces, but one, which I won't post until closer to Christmas, since that is its subject. From here on out, excepting that Christmas piece, it's going to be all new writing. I owe my readers an apology, few though they are... I've put off writing since getting back to the US, arguing that I just didn't have the time for it now that I had housework to do and an additional child to care for, but looking at the way I use my time, I can see I've let time studying and writing about God's Word slide in favor of much less important things. Caring for the home and family are very important, of course, but there were other things that I've been doing that haven't been, including wasting time on the internet and in emails that could be better used in other activities, including studies and writing. That's going to change. I owe it to God, I owe it to myself and my family, and I owe it to anyone who can benefit from reading about my journey of faith, for Titus 2:4-5 admonishes us to teach those who are younger (including in the faith) to do what we have learned to do through our journey through God's Word. Back to this piece... It, too, was written the summer before we went to a new post in 2005.
Life has recently put my family in an awkward position. We’re a family who serves our country within the diplomatic community overseas. We’re between posts, wanting to go back overseas to continue serving as we have for the past six years, but having to wait until we obtain medical clearance before we can, a tricky feat considering our two year old was only recently diagnosed with not one, but two rare disorders, one causing the other. He appears to be doing fine, and the emotional turmoil that we’ve endured these past few months over his condition is a faith story all by itself, and not what I’m writing about right now. Rather, because the government is what it is, we’re finding it necessary to see doctor after doctor to gather all the minutiae about Ben’s condition and expected medical needs over the next few years so that the government can decide whether or not we’re all fit to safely live overseas. All these trips to doctors’ offices and hospital laboratories for consultations and tests have made day to day life very chaotic lately. The phrase that comes to mind is “Hurry up and wait!” We scramble to get three kids dressed, fed, and in the car, along with a properly stocked diaper bag and all pertinent medical files, negotiate traffic while consulting directions and maps, hurrying to get to our appointed locations on time. Then we wait. That’s the hard part. We get in, see the doctors or do the tests, go back to the hotel, and wait some more for answers or further instructions. Again we feel impatient.
Meanwhile, we have no idea where we’ll be going from here. If we get approval, we’ll be going back overseas. If not, we’ll have to settle down here in the US. Normally in times of transition, I’m the sort of person who is busily preparing for the next stage of our lives. It’s one of the ways that I deal with the stress of change, making myself ready for whatever lies ahead. But it’s hard to prepare for something when you don’t know what you’re preparing for! If I knew we’d be going overseas, I’d be shopping for things I know I’ll need there. If I knew we’d be staying in the US, I’d be taking steps to find us a place to live and a car to buy. In both cases, I’d be submitting changes of address to everyone who needed to know. Right now I can’t do any of that. For the first time in my life, I find myself in a position where I not only have to acknowledge that I have no control, but I have to accept that there’s nothing I can do to prepare for whatever lies ahead either. It’s sort of like sitting in a doctors’ office waiting room on a big scale. It’s been frustrating, a little frightening, maddening... and enlightening.
Most of us, I think, want to take control of things, fix things, organize things… anything to feel like we have some power over what happens to us. As Christians, we know that such feelings of power are illusions, of course, as ultimately God is the only One who really has any true power, but we take comfort in that illusion whenever and wherever we can, I believe, especially when our own bodies make us feel powerless. We don’t like feeling helpless. We want to DO something, MAKE something happen. It’s hard to just sit and wait. Hard to be still.
Exodus tells us the story of Israel being led out of slavery in Egypt. Chapter 14 describes how the Pharaoh changed his mind about letting the Israelites go and sent his army after them, trapping them between the army, the desert and the sea. This was definitely a situation in which the people no doubt felt a strong desire to DO something! There were probably all sorts of knee-jerk ideas about how to deal with this frightening problem, from surrendering in the hope of having their lives spared, even though that would put them back into the slavery that God was leading them out of; to fighting with anything they could find to use as a weapon (how successful do you suppose they’d be fighting with yokes and cooking pots?); to fleeing into the desert, abandoning all their possessions and provisions, which would have led to slow, certain death. None of these options were really workable. The people turned to Moses in a panic, and what did he tell them they should do? He responded, “The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (Ex 14:14) Wow! Talk about needing to trust in the Lord! Their trust was well placed, however, and they were saved in a miraculous way when God blocked the army with a pillar of fire and opened an escape route through the sea. To finish the job with remarkable finality, He then drowned the army, eliminating threat from that direction altogether. Why did He do this? For His glory, Exodus 14:4 tells us. He made it clear throughout Exodus that those He had mercy on would be taken care of, provided for in every way, while those who invoked His wrath would be punished. (Rom 9:17, 22-23)
Even when we’re not in such life-threatening situations as this, it’s still hard for us to just step aside and let the Lord work His will in our lives. But Psalm 37:7 tells us to “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him.” Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God.” Do you know what I think? I think sometimes God finds it necessary to “trap” us in order to get us to “be still” while He does what needs to be done, or teaches us what we need to know. After all, He placed the Israelites in the position of having to trust Him (Ex 14:1-4). I suspect He still does that today, though perhaps in a less dramatic way. Maybe instead of getting frustrated over my powerlessness, I should accept that I’ve done all I can for myself for now, and so need to be still and wait on the Lord while He fights my battles or whatever else He chooses to do for me. That puts “hurry up and wait” in a different light, don’t you think?
Father, I thank you for fighting for me. What a comfort it is, to know that I am so well protected by One who loves me so much! For if You are for me, who can stand against me? Thank you for all those times you've "trapped" me, encouraging me to be still while You do whatever needs done to further Your good plans. Help me to be quietly trusting and to wait upon You in the future when You find it necessary to corner me again. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Life has recently put my family in an awkward position. We’re a family who serves our country within the diplomatic community overseas. We’re between posts, wanting to go back overseas to continue serving as we have for the past six years, but having to wait until we obtain medical clearance before we can, a tricky feat considering our two year old was only recently diagnosed with not one, but two rare disorders, one causing the other. He appears to be doing fine, and the emotional turmoil that we’ve endured these past few months over his condition is a faith story all by itself, and not what I’m writing about right now. Rather, because the government is what it is, we’re finding it necessary to see doctor after doctor to gather all the minutiae about Ben’s condition and expected medical needs over the next few years so that the government can decide whether or not we’re all fit to safely live overseas. All these trips to doctors’ offices and hospital laboratories for consultations and tests have made day to day life very chaotic lately. The phrase that comes to mind is “Hurry up and wait!” We scramble to get three kids dressed, fed, and in the car, along with a properly stocked diaper bag and all pertinent medical files, negotiate traffic while consulting directions and maps, hurrying to get to our appointed locations on time. Then we wait. That’s the hard part. We get in, see the doctors or do the tests, go back to the hotel, and wait some more for answers or further instructions. Again we feel impatient.
Meanwhile, we have no idea where we’ll be going from here. If we get approval, we’ll be going back overseas. If not, we’ll have to settle down here in the US. Normally in times of transition, I’m the sort of person who is busily preparing for the next stage of our lives. It’s one of the ways that I deal with the stress of change, making myself ready for whatever lies ahead. But it’s hard to prepare for something when you don’t know what you’re preparing for! If I knew we’d be going overseas, I’d be shopping for things I know I’ll need there. If I knew we’d be staying in the US, I’d be taking steps to find us a place to live and a car to buy. In both cases, I’d be submitting changes of address to everyone who needed to know. Right now I can’t do any of that. For the first time in my life, I find myself in a position where I not only have to acknowledge that I have no control, but I have to accept that there’s nothing I can do to prepare for whatever lies ahead either. It’s sort of like sitting in a doctors’ office waiting room on a big scale. It’s been frustrating, a little frightening, maddening... and enlightening.
Most of us, I think, want to take control of things, fix things, organize things… anything to feel like we have some power over what happens to us. As Christians, we know that such feelings of power are illusions, of course, as ultimately God is the only One who really has any true power, but we take comfort in that illusion whenever and wherever we can, I believe, especially when our own bodies make us feel powerless. We don’t like feeling helpless. We want to DO something, MAKE something happen. It’s hard to just sit and wait. Hard to be still.
Exodus tells us the story of Israel being led out of slavery in Egypt. Chapter 14 describes how the Pharaoh changed his mind about letting the Israelites go and sent his army after them, trapping them between the army, the desert and the sea. This was definitely a situation in which the people no doubt felt a strong desire to DO something! There were probably all sorts of knee-jerk ideas about how to deal with this frightening problem, from surrendering in the hope of having their lives spared, even though that would put them back into the slavery that God was leading them out of; to fighting with anything they could find to use as a weapon (how successful do you suppose they’d be fighting with yokes and cooking pots?); to fleeing into the desert, abandoning all their possessions and provisions, which would have led to slow, certain death. None of these options were really workable. The people turned to Moses in a panic, and what did he tell them they should do? He responded, “The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (Ex 14:14) Wow! Talk about needing to trust in the Lord! Their trust was well placed, however, and they were saved in a miraculous way when God blocked the army with a pillar of fire and opened an escape route through the sea. To finish the job with remarkable finality, He then drowned the army, eliminating threat from that direction altogether. Why did He do this? For His glory, Exodus 14:4 tells us. He made it clear throughout Exodus that those He had mercy on would be taken care of, provided for in every way, while those who invoked His wrath would be punished. (Rom 9:17, 22-23)
Even when we’re not in such life-threatening situations as this, it’s still hard for us to just step aside and let the Lord work His will in our lives. But Psalm 37:7 tells us to “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him.” Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God.” Do you know what I think? I think sometimes God finds it necessary to “trap” us in order to get us to “be still” while He does what needs to be done, or teaches us what we need to know. After all, He placed the Israelites in the position of having to trust Him (Ex 14:1-4). I suspect He still does that today, though perhaps in a less dramatic way. Maybe instead of getting frustrated over my powerlessness, I should accept that I’ve done all I can for myself for now, and so need to be still and wait on the Lord while He fights my battles or whatever else He chooses to do for me. That puts “hurry up and wait” in a different light, don’t you think?
Father, I thank you for fighting for me. What a comfort it is, to know that I am so well protected by One who loves me so much! For if You are for me, who can stand against me? Thank you for all those times you've "trapped" me, encouraging me to be still while You do whatever needs done to further Your good plans. Help me to be quietly trusting and to wait upon You in the future when You find it necessary to corner me again. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
This I Know
Author's note: This is another piece of writing from my archives. It was written during the summer of 2005, while our family was jumping through hoops to meet Uncle Sam's demands for medical testing on our then 3yr old, who has a relatively rare medical problem, to make sure he was fit to go overseas for our new foreign service posting. It was a very stressful time for us, but it was also a faith-building time... Funny how that often happens in times of stress. :-) This item was eventually published in The Encourager.
The popular children’s Sunday school song goes “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” I don’t know about anyone else, but simply reading something doesn’t make it feel real to me. Nor does it make it feel personal. John 3:16 tells us that God created the whole salvation plan because He so loved the world. For me, that always seemed a bit impersonal, because I sure don’t equate myself with the rest of the world… A bit egocentric of me, I know. It has taken developing a personal relationship with the Lord, over time, to convince me that He loves me for myself and not just as part of His collective creativity. Recently, though, the depth of that love took on a new meaning for me.
There’s something about having the whole family cooped up together in a hotel room or a car for an extended amount of time that really pushes one’s buttons until loving one another becomes more a matter of commitment than of feeling. No matter how good the relationships are the rest of the time, I think even the best of them can start to get the best of us. Add in a plethora of strangers from doctors’ offices, restaurants, stores, and on the street, plus a hefty dose of stress on top of that, and it seems the whole world starts to get the better of us as we begin to long for some solitude far away from every two-legged creature capable of voicing demands or expressing opinions. Both my husband and I started finding ourselves amazed… no, make that flabbergasted… at just how stupid and strange human beings can be in general. I found myself commenting to him, “What does God see in us humans, anyway?!” And suddenly I got a glimpse of a love so great as to be beyond my understanding, and it would have brought me to my knees if I’d been standing.
Psalm 139:13-16 explains to us that God created our inmost being, and that we’re fearfully and wonderfully made, and that God saw our unformed bodies and all our days were written in His book long before our birth. To put it in other words, He knew us before we were formed in the womb, before we were born (Jer 1:5). Yet we were born anyway.
Picture this: a husband and wife spending a romantic evening together, perhaps having a candlelit dinner with dancing, and then just as they’re prepared to enter the bedroom, a messenger arrives to tell them that if they go through that bedroom door, they will conceive a child who will wreck their home; push their marriage to the limits of its commitment; get in their way and interfere in every project they undertake; cause them unimaginable heartache; AND will require great pain and suffering on the part of the parents to redeem the child’s life… How many couples do you know would still be in the mood? Even if this couple were also told all the wonderful things about such a child, I think in most cases there’d be a lot of nights ending with one spouse on the couch!
God could have chosen not to create us. He could have chosen to create only people who fit a certain set of criteria. He could have chosen to create only people that He knew weren’t going to cause Him a moment’s heartache, and would have made perfect choices to follow His plan at all times. He knew Adam and Eve were going to break His heart, but He created them anyway. Ditto for everyone else we read about in the Bible… Even those described as being faithful and after His heart made mistakes. Not one human has been perfect except Jesus Himself, and God has loved them all anyway.
That’s equally true today, with you and me. I’ve often wondered what good I am, wondered why I’m here, especially when chronic illness keeps me from doing anything that seems of any significance to me. I’ve been guilty of feeling worthless enough to think that the world God so loves means everybody except me, particularly if I’m feeling sorry for myself on a bad day. But God knew all along the sins I would commit over the course of my lifetime. He knew how often I was going to get in the way of His good work, necessitating a correction in the scheme of things to keep His plan on track. And He knew I’d be facing physical and emotional limitations that would keep me from being much in my own eyes. He knew all along just what sort of person I was going to be, all the details, good and bad. And He allowed me to be born anyway. That’s love. It’s a love beyond my understanding, but as long as God knows why He loves me, it’s good enough for me. So I sing with great joy, Jesus loves me, this I know!
Father, I thank you so very much for loving me, just as I am. I thank you that I am fearfully and wonderfully made by Your loving hand, and only the fallen world, and Your plan to build my character, has put these flaws- perceived and real- upon my body like battle scars. I thank you for making me who I am today, and thank you even more for making me who I will be tomorrow, for You aren't finished with me yet. Help me to be all that You have planned me to be. Shape me into a person after Your own heart, that I may bring You more joy than heartache. In Jesus' precious name, Amen.
The popular children’s Sunday school song goes “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” I don’t know about anyone else, but simply reading something doesn’t make it feel real to me. Nor does it make it feel personal. John 3:16 tells us that God created the whole salvation plan because He so loved the world. For me, that always seemed a bit impersonal, because I sure don’t equate myself with the rest of the world… A bit egocentric of me, I know. It has taken developing a personal relationship with the Lord, over time, to convince me that He loves me for myself and not just as part of His collective creativity. Recently, though, the depth of that love took on a new meaning for me.
There’s something about having the whole family cooped up together in a hotel room or a car for an extended amount of time that really pushes one’s buttons until loving one another becomes more a matter of commitment than of feeling. No matter how good the relationships are the rest of the time, I think even the best of them can start to get the best of us. Add in a plethora of strangers from doctors’ offices, restaurants, stores, and on the street, plus a hefty dose of stress on top of that, and it seems the whole world starts to get the better of us as we begin to long for some solitude far away from every two-legged creature capable of voicing demands or expressing opinions. Both my husband and I started finding ourselves amazed… no, make that flabbergasted… at just how stupid and strange human beings can be in general. I found myself commenting to him, “What does God see in us humans, anyway?!” And suddenly I got a glimpse of a love so great as to be beyond my understanding, and it would have brought me to my knees if I’d been standing.
Psalm 139:13-16 explains to us that God created our inmost being, and that we’re fearfully and wonderfully made, and that God saw our unformed bodies and all our days were written in His book long before our birth. To put it in other words, He knew us before we were formed in the womb, before we were born (Jer 1:5). Yet we were born anyway.
Picture this: a husband and wife spending a romantic evening together, perhaps having a candlelit dinner with dancing, and then just as they’re prepared to enter the bedroom, a messenger arrives to tell them that if they go through that bedroom door, they will conceive a child who will wreck their home; push their marriage to the limits of its commitment; get in their way and interfere in every project they undertake; cause them unimaginable heartache; AND will require great pain and suffering on the part of the parents to redeem the child’s life… How many couples do you know would still be in the mood? Even if this couple were also told all the wonderful things about such a child, I think in most cases there’d be a lot of nights ending with one spouse on the couch!
God could have chosen not to create us. He could have chosen to create only people who fit a certain set of criteria. He could have chosen to create only people that He knew weren’t going to cause Him a moment’s heartache, and would have made perfect choices to follow His plan at all times. He knew Adam and Eve were going to break His heart, but He created them anyway. Ditto for everyone else we read about in the Bible… Even those described as being faithful and after His heart made mistakes. Not one human has been perfect except Jesus Himself, and God has loved them all anyway.
That’s equally true today, with you and me. I’ve often wondered what good I am, wondered why I’m here, especially when chronic illness keeps me from doing anything that seems of any significance to me. I’ve been guilty of feeling worthless enough to think that the world God so loves means everybody except me, particularly if I’m feeling sorry for myself on a bad day. But God knew all along the sins I would commit over the course of my lifetime. He knew how often I was going to get in the way of His good work, necessitating a correction in the scheme of things to keep His plan on track. And He knew I’d be facing physical and emotional limitations that would keep me from being much in my own eyes. He knew all along just what sort of person I was going to be, all the details, good and bad. And He allowed me to be born anyway. That’s love. It’s a love beyond my understanding, but as long as God knows why He loves me, it’s good enough for me. So I sing with great joy, Jesus loves me, this I know!
Father, I thank you so very much for loving me, just as I am. I thank you that I am fearfully and wonderfully made by Your loving hand, and only the fallen world, and Your plan to build my character, has put these flaws- perceived and real- upon my body like battle scars. I thank you for making me who I am today, and thank you even more for making me who I will be tomorrow, for You aren't finished with me yet. Help me to be all that You have planned me to be. Shape me into a person after Your own heart, that I may bring You more joy than heartache. In Jesus' precious name, Amen.
Friday, September 19, 2008
God is Bigger
Author's note: This, too, was written in either '03 or '04, but was never published. I don't know if anyone will find this useful or not, but just in case...
"What's the matter, Mommy?" my little boy asked me one day when he noticed that I was distracted, not looking very happy, and was repeatedly sighing, rubbing my forehead to relieve the tension headache I was getting.
"Oh, nothing you need to worry about. Mommy's just trying to figure some things out."
"What's worry?" he asked.
I thought for a moment, trying to choose words that he would understand, and said, "Well, it's sort of like being afraid. Not because of something really scarey, but because you don't know what's going to happen or how."
Thinking of Matthew 6:25-34, I added, "God tells us not to worry, because it doesn't help. Instead, we need to trust Him that He'll take care of us because we're really important to Him, and to put our time and energy into something better, like serving Him and trying to be more like Him."
"Is that what you're doing, Mommy? Worrying?"
I laughed, because he was right. "Yes, I guess I am! It's hard to stop, though."
"Well, I know what you should do," he replied.
"What's that, Sweetie?" I asked my "wise-beyond-his-years" little philosopher.
"Well, when I'm scared, I do what you told me to do. I sing that 'God is Bigger' song, then I don't feel scared anymore. If worry is sort of like being scared, then maybe the song will make you feel better too!"
My son was referring to the Veggie Tales video Where Is God When I'm S-s-scared? and in it, there's a song that Bob and Larry teach Junior about God being bigger than any boogie man or monster, and that He's watching out for us. You know, it's been years since my little boy gave me that advice, but he was right. It still works today. God isn't just bigger than monsters and other frightening things. He's also bigger than any problem or stressful situation we could ever encounter. When I find myself starting to worry about things, getting stressed in a way that isn't helping the situation, I find myself humming that catchy little song, and then the problems don't seem so big anymore. Any song, poem, or verse that turns our minds toward God, and reminds us that God is bigger than all our problems combined, can be a great tool to pull out when we find ourselves worrying and stressing out about things that are beyond our control. These reminders put us back into the right frame of mind, and then we're ready to pray about our worries and stressors, hand God's work back to Him, and prepare ourselves to get busy with the things we can take care of. The Serenity Prayer; the hymn "What a Friend We Have in Jesus"; the verse Matt 6:33, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well," any of these are possible substitutes for the Veggie Tales song. Whatever works for you. It's a simple way to reduce stress, so simple that a child saw the solution. In our overly complicated world, I think simple solutions are the best ones of all!
Father, I thank you that no problem is too big for You, and that You won't let any problem become bigger than I can bear. I thank you there is no need for me to fear or worry, for You are in control at all times, and will use everything to the good of those who love You. Help me to trust You, to remember to seek first Your kingdom, always, and to take great comfort from keeping my focus on You. In Jesus' name, Amen.
"What's the matter, Mommy?" my little boy asked me one day when he noticed that I was distracted, not looking very happy, and was repeatedly sighing, rubbing my forehead to relieve the tension headache I was getting.
"Oh, nothing you need to worry about. Mommy's just trying to figure some things out."
"What's worry?" he asked.
I thought for a moment, trying to choose words that he would understand, and said, "Well, it's sort of like being afraid. Not because of something really scarey, but because you don't know what's going to happen or how."
Thinking of Matthew 6:25-34, I added, "God tells us not to worry, because it doesn't help. Instead, we need to trust Him that He'll take care of us because we're really important to Him, and to put our time and energy into something better, like serving Him and trying to be more like Him."
"Is that what you're doing, Mommy? Worrying?"
I laughed, because he was right. "Yes, I guess I am! It's hard to stop, though."
"Well, I know what you should do," he replied.
"What's that, Sweetie?" I asked my "wise-beyond-his-years" little philosopher.
"Well, when I'm scared, I do what you told me to do. I sing that 'God is Bigger' song, then I don't feel scared anymore. If worry is sort of like being scared, then maybe the song will make you feel better too!"
My son was referring to the Veggie Tales video Where Is God When I'm S-s-scared? and in it, there's a song that Bob and Larry teach Junior about God being bigger than any boogie man or monster, and that He's watching out for us. You know, it's been years since my little boy gave me that advice, but he was right. It still works today. God isn't just bigger than monsters and other frightening things. He's also bigger than any problem or stressful situation we could ever encounter. When I find myself starting to worry about things, getting stressed in a way that isn't helping the situation, I find myself humming that catchy little song, and then the problems don't seem so big anymore. Any song, poem, or verse that turns our minds toward God, and reminds us that God is bigger than all our problems combined, can be a great tool to pull out when we find ourselves worrying and stressing out about things that are beyond our control. These reminders put us back into the right frame of mind, and then we're ready to pray about our worries and stressors, hand God's work back to Him, and prepare ourselves to get busy with the things we can take care of. The Serenity Prayer; the hymn "What a Friend We Have in Jesus"; the verse Matt 6:33, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well," any of these are possible substitutes for the Veggie Tales song. Whatever works for you. It's a simple way to reduce stress, so simple that a child saw the solution. In our overly complicated world, I think simple solutions are the best ones of all!
Father, I thank you that no problem is too big for You, and that You won't let any problem become bigger than I can bear. I thank you there is no need for me to fear or worry, for You are in control at all times, and will use everything to the good of those who love You. Help me to trust You, to remember to seek first Your kingdom, always, and to take great comfort from keeping my focus on You. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Sarah Laughed: What Will You Do?
Author's note: This is another item I wrote in 2003 that was later published in The Encourager. Again, I post it in case someone can take encouragement from it...
We read in Genesis 18:10-12 how Sarah, Abraham’s wife, reacted when she heard that she was to become a mother in her advanced years. She was a woman past child-bearing age, had never had any children, and was in her nineties (Gen 17:17). She laughed. And well she might, for she described herself as already “worn out”, yet anyone who has ever cared for a baby knows that it’s exhausting work. After restless days and nights from the discomforts of late pregnancy, there’s the grueling labor of bringing the child into the world. Then there’s the frequent interruptions in one’s days and nights as the helpless little baby needs fed, changed, comforted and made comfortable, all while returning to one’s regular duties of daily living. In Sarah’s case, without the assistance of modern conveniences, I might add.
We laugh for many reasons, not just for joy. We also laugh when we’re shocked, confused, and even when we’re frightened but not sure if we should be. While Sarah surely felt joy at the thought of becoming a mother, she no doubt also felt incredulous (“You’ve GOT to be kidding!”) and possibly even a little frightened (“How am I going to handle having a baby at my age?!”)
But God had a plan, and Sarah’s age and physical condition had little to do with it. As the Lord Himself reminded Abraham in verse 14, “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” God has plans for all of us, even if we’re chronically ill and “worn out.” Like Sarah, our physical condition has little to do with it. We may find ourselves being called to some mission that seems ridiculously beyond our capabilities or even one that causes us to fear for what health we have left; a mission that may have us laughing in disbelief, joy or fright, or perhaps even crying. The Bible gives us several promises to lean on if this happens. We have the promise of strength in Philippians 4:13, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” We can take reassurance from the promise in Jeremiah 29:11, “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” We can take confidence from 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Sarah submitted to the Lord’s plans, despite her age and weariness, and knew joy when His promise was fulfilled (Gen 21:6.) If we submit to God’s calling, despite our illness, we too can know joy when our obedience produces fruit. Sarah laughed. What will you do?
Father, I thank you that we needn't fear any task that you call us to do, that you will give us the strength and grace to complete it, and that you will not let us be harmed in any lasting way by our missions. Give us the wisdom to know the difference between great tasks that you're calling us to do and those that we're imposing on ourselves (or allowing others to impose on us), for the former we'll be able to do in Christ, while the latter may overtask our already weakened bodies to our detriment. Help us to find joy in being called in spite of our infirmities, so that we laugh in delight, rather than shocked disbelief. In Christ's name, Amen.
We read in Genesis 18:10-12 how Sarah, Abraham’s wife, reacted when she heard that she was to become a mother in her advanced years. She was a woman past child-bearing age, had never had any children, and was in her nineties (Gen 17:17). She laughed. And well she might, for she described herself as already “worn out”, yet anyone who has ever cared for a baby knows that it’s exhausting work. After restless days and nights from the discomforts of late pregnancy, there’s the grueling labor of bringing the child into the world. Then there’s the frequent interruptions in one’s days and nights as the helpless little baby needs fed, changed, comforted and made comfortable, all while returning to one’s regular duties of daily living. In Sarah’s case, without the assistance of modern conveniences, I might add.
We laugh for many reasons, not just for joy. We also laugh when we’re shocked, confused, and even when we’re frightened but not sure if we should be. While Sarah surely felt joy at the thought of becoming a mother, she no doubt also felt incredulous (“You’ve GOT to be kidding!”) and possibly even a little frightened (“How am I going to handle having a baby at my age?!”)
But God had a plan, and Sarah’s age and physical condition had little to do with it. As the Lord Himself reminded Abraham in verse 14, “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” God has plans for all of us, even if we’re chronically ill and “worn out.” Like Sarah, our physical condition has little to do with it. We may find ourselves being called to some mission that seems ridiculously beyond our capabilities or even one that causes us to fear for what health we have left; a mission that may have us laughing in disbelief, joy or fright, or perhaps even crying. The Bible gives us several promises to lean on if this happens. We have the promise of strength in Philippians 4:13, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” We can take reassurance from the promise in Jeremiah 29:11, “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” We can take confidence from 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Sarah submitted to the Lord’s plans, despite her age and weariness, and knew joy when His promise was fulfilled (Gen 21:6.) If we submit to God’s calling, despite our illness, we too can know joy when our obedience produces fruit. Sarah laughed. What will you do?
Father, I thank you that we needn't fear any task that you call us to do, that you will give us the strength and grace to complete it, and that you will not let us be harmed in any lasting way by our missions. Give us the wisdom to know the difference between great tasks that you're calling us to do and those that we're imposing on ourselves (or allowing others to impose on us), for the former we'll be able to do in Christ, while the latter may overtask our already weakened bodies to our detriment. Help us to find joy in being called in spite of our infirmities, so that we laugh in delight, rather than shocked disbelief. In Christ's name, Amen.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Stepping Out in Faith
Author's note: The following was written in 2003, and later published in a newsletter for chronically ill Christians called The Encourager. I'm adding it to the blog in case it is something that would be of encouragement to a wider audience. I'll be doing this with other writings I've submitted over the years as well.
In Genesis 12:1-25:18, the Bible tells us Abraham’s story, how God called him from his homeland to go to a new place that God had set aside for him and his descendants. Abraham had to leave behind everything and everyone he knew, taking only his possessions and his family. He had to step out in faith, trusting in God that where he was going would be better than what he left.
It occurs to me that we’re all on a similar journey when it comes to dealing with the changes that being chronically ill has created in our lives. Despite our illnesses, we are called to run with perseverance the race marked out for us (Heb 12:1), and that’s hard to do, literally or figuratively, when you’re ill.
I read once that many of us are like roller coasters, pushing to the top of the hill with everything we’ve got, and then crashing down to the bottom when we’ve pushed too far. On the other hand, I think many of us are like kiddie rides that just move around in small circles, going nowhere fast, for fear that we’ll only make ourselves sicker if we do more than the bare minimum needed to survive. Then more of us, I suspect, are like me, vacillating between the two extremes with an all or nothing mentality. Both extremes are damaging, whether we’re abusing our bodies beyond their capabilities, or allowing them to whither and atrophy. Neither lifestyle honors God or the temporary temples He’s loaned us (1 Cor. 6:19-20). But how does this compare to Abraham?
When God called Abraham to leave his home to go to a new place, he didn’t shout “Hot-diggity-dog Let’s make tracks ” and go running off into the desert with nothing but the clothing on his back. There weren’t restaurants on every corner, nor a “Wal-get” just around the next bend where he could pick up whatever he forgot to bring. It took planning to make sure they had what they needed all along the way. And when they needed to stop for a while, they did. They didn’t even take a direct route, but rather one that followed the rivers so they’d have water.
Neither did Abraham say “I don’t know about this… It doesn’t seem such a good idea,” all while worrying about the “what-if’s.” It could have been so easy for him to justify staying right where he was, choosing to keep what he already had, and forfeiting the promise of something better. After all, traveling back then was quite perilous, and certainly uncomfortable.
Abraham stepped out in faith, did what needed to be done to make the journey, rested when it was necessary, and eventually made it to the promised land and received God’s blessing. He traded all he had left behind for something far better. Perhaps we could find a way to do the same in the way we deal with our illnesses. Perhaps there’s a way we can find something workable between roller coasters and kiddie rides. How about a ferris wheel: slowly rising up to new challenges, enjoying the view from the top for a moment, and gently descending into a period of rest before we rise up again? Whatever we do, breaking out of our destructive habits will include stepping out of our comfort zones and trying something new, and trusting that if we do it for the right reasons, to honor God, that we’ll find ourselves trading up for something better.
Father, I thank you that You always give us something better when You ask us to give up something, no matter how much we may resist doing so. Give us the courage to willingly hand over everything we value and trust You to replace it with whatever You wish us to have instead, and give us the wisdom to know that Your way really is better. Give us the strength to follow the path you lay before us, and keep us hoping in the Promised Land at the end of the journey! In Christ's name, Amen!
In Genesis 12:1-25:18, the Bible tells us Abraham’s story, how God called him from his homeland to go to a new place that God had set aside for him and his descendants. Abraham had to leave behind everything and everyone he knew, taking only his possessions and his family. He had to step out in faith, trusting in God that where he was going would be better than what he left.
It occurs to me that we’re all on a similar journey when it comes to dealing with the changes that being chronically ill has created in our lives. Despite our illnesses, we are called to run with perseverance the race marked out for us (Heb 12:1), and that’s hard to do, literally or figuratively, when you’re ill.
I read once that many of us are like roller coasters, pushing to the top of the hill with everything we’ve got, and then crashing down to the bottom when we’ve pushed too far. On the other hand, I think many of us are like kiddie rides that just move around in small circles, going nowhere fast, for fear that we’ll only make ourselves sicker if we do more than the bare minimum needed to survive. Then more of us, I suspect, are like me, vacillating between the two extremes with an all or nothing mentality. Both extremes are damaging, whether we’re abusing our bodies beyond their capabilities, or allowing them to whither and atrophy. Neither lifestyle honors God or the temporary temples He’s loaned us (1 Cor. 6:19-20). But how does this compare to Abraham?
When God called Abraham to leave his home to go to a new place, he didn’t shout “Hot-diggity-dog Let’s make tracks ” and go running off into the desert with nothing but the clothing on his back. There weren’t restaurants on every corner, nor a “Wal-get” just around the next bend where he could pick up whatever he forgot to bring. It took planning to make sure they had what they needed all along the way. And when they needed to stop for a while, they did. They didn’t even take a direct route, but rather one that followed the rivers so they’d have water.
Neither did Abraham say “I don’t know about this… It doesn’t seem such a good idea,” all while worrying about the “what-if’s.” It could have been so easy for him to justify staying right where he was, choosing to keep what he already had, and forfeiting the promise of something better. After all, traveling back then was quite perilous, and certainly uncomfortable.
Abraham stepped out in faith, did what needed to be done to make the journey, rested when it was necessary, and eventually made it to the promised land and received God’s blessing. He traded all he had left behind for something far better. Perhaps we could find a way to do the same in the way we deal with our illnesses. Perhaps there’s a way we can find something workable between roller coasters and kiddie rides. How about a ferris wheel: slowly rising up to new challenges, enjoying the view from the top for a moment, and gently descending into a period of rest before we rise up again? Whatever we do, breaking out of our destructive habits will include stepping out of our comfort zones and trying something new, and trusting that if we do it for the right reasons, to honor God, that we’ll find ourselves trading up for something better.
Father, I thank you that You always give us something better when You ask us to give up something, no matter how much we may resist doing so. Give us the courage to willingly hand over everything we value and trust You to replace it with whatever You wish us to have instead, and give us the wisdom to know that Your way really is better. Give us the strength to follow the path you lay before us, and keep us hoping in the Promised Land at the end of the journey! In Christ's name, Amen!
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Release Me!
This past Sunday, our pastor was sharing the latest of a series of sermons on the life of Old Testament Joseph (Genesis 37 & 39-47). It was a message I needed to hear. This particular sermon was focusing on Genesis chapter 40, in which Joseph was in prison after being falsely accused of attacking his employer's wife, and while there, he interprets the dreams of two fellow prisoners, one of whom is predicted to be released and returned to his position as the Pharaoh's cupbearer. He asked the cupbearer to remember him to the Pharaoh, to tell Pharaoh his story of unjust imprisonment, and ask for his release. The cupbearer was released, just as Joseph said he would be, but forgot about Joseph for two full years afterwards, before telling Pharaoh about him when Pharaoh had dreams of his own in need of interpretation. Our pastor was talking about what Joseph's thoughts and attitudes must have been... How easy it would have been to become discouraged, angry, and hopeless. Yet Joseph is described throughout his story as having remained faithful and praising God, of displaying good attitude and a good work ethic at a time when most people would be inclined to sulk. I found this message very convicting, for I, too, feel as if I'm imprisoned wrongly, only within a body that doesn't do what I want it to do, and charges me a high price when I do more than it will tolerate. Being chronically ill with no answers or healing in sight can and has made me feel discouraged, angry and hopeless at times. And it gets especially so when others "forget" me, either by not taking my situation seriously (as many do when there aren't any easy answers or fixes), or simply by moving on with their own lives and forgetting to occasionally invite me into it, even though I often have to decline such invitations (it's still nice to be asked!) I need to remember that God never forgets! He still has a plan for me, and will release me from this physical prison when His time is right for it, whether it will be in this life or the next. I need to keep the hope alive because of that promise, for hope is what keeps us going and lends power to a good attitude. Yet, I don't know when God's time for such release will come, and this isn't really my life to waste (since all good things come from Him) so I need to make the most of every day in spite of my limitations, rather than sit around expectantly waiting for a "better tomorrow" before trying to live my life. With that in mind, I've decided to do my best to keep on hoping that maybe this is the day I will be released from my ever-present pain and fatigue, but to forge ahead as if that release won't be coming anytime soon. When my Lord comes to unlock my prison door, I want Him to find me productive, content with my lot, and praising Him even before I know He's at the door, so that release is purely bonus.
Father, I thank you that we have such good examples in the Bible from which to learn. And I thank you that the Bible is full of Your promises; promises we know we can count on in Your good time. Thank You, Lord, in advance for the release You will give us from our prisons. In the meantime, help us to live each day to the fullest in service to You and those You have blessed us with for a time. Give us the strength and grace to do what You would have us do, and to do it cheerfully, with good attitude and a good work ethic. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Father, I thank you that we have such good examples in the Bible from which to learn. And I thank you that the Bible is full of Your promises; promises we know we can count on in Your good time. Thank You, Lord, in advance for the release You will give us from our prisons. In the meantime, help us to live each day to the fullest in service to You and those You have blessed us with for a time. Give us the strength and grace to do what You would have us do, and to do it cheerfully, with good attitude and a good work ethic. In Jesus' name, Amen.
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