Sometimes God sends the most unexpected messengers.
For over 2 years I’ve been dealing with a watery right eye. Well, its not just watery; its full of puss sometimes and hurts a good deal of the time. I’ve been to all kinds of eye doctors. Every doctor would say, “If this doesn’t work, you may have to see an eyelid specialist – one who deals with tear ducts.” It was the worst case scenario threat.
This week I went to see him. Dr. Mather – educated in all the right medical schools, highly recommended, well respected in the medical community and one of only 200 eyelid specialists in our country.
Anyway, Dr. Mather explained what he thought and what he was going to do before he began to probe my tear duct. He told me we were looking for something that was blocking it, usually that was a little stone, crystallized matter that had built up. He would clear it out and that would be it. All done; I’d be better. He said, “99% of the time this works.”
I knew right then I was the 1% and sure enough I was right. No stones. So, now what? Wait. That’s what he said. We could do surgery but that would compound some other eye issues I have and he didn’t want to do that unless he absolutely had to. So, we’re waiting.
Now, I’ve prayed for healing of my eye for these 2 years, especially since March or so, when it started to get really painful. My husband has even put his hand over my eye everyday and prayed. So, a lot of verbal prayers have been lifted up. But, some silent prayers have been lifted up too. After my visit, I sent up one of those silent prayers. “Give me something, Lord. Tell me what to do.”
The next evening I was watering my potted plants in the backyard. My driveway is really long and goes all the way to the backyard and then opens into a patio. Most people who know us will pull all the way down the drive but those who don’t will stop near the front door.
I’m watering away when I notice an old yellow Mercedes – driven by an old black man slowly pulling down the drive. I didn’t know the man so I yelled at Jeff that someone was here. Sometimes people from his work will come by and bring him something to fix. He’s very clever with small engines. I just assumed Jeff knew the man. He didn’t.
By the time the yellow Mercedes had come to a stop, Jeff and I were both standing at the back edge of the house and the man had driven all the way down our drive – all the way to the backyard. We were curious.
Then, thick with old Charleston accent, the man started talking.
“I’m just doin’ me some drive-by healin’. Yeah, our preacher said lots of folks in this world need healin’. He sent us out. So, I’m just doin’ drive-by healin’.”
Drive-by healin’? I was floored. How many years had I been praying for healin’ of my eye? Didn’t I just go to my last hope doctor? Didn’t he just say I was the 1% and we could wait and hope for the best? Didn’t I place my hope in the LORD?
I was ready to burst out, “Pray for my eye!” But Jeff said, “That’s very nice of you. Thank you sir.” And with that, the old man mumbled again, “I’m doin’ drive-by healin’,” and began to back out the drive.
I watched him creep slowly down the street. I suppose he was praying for healin’, being led by the spirit to where healin’ was needed, but he didn’t pull into anyone else’s drive. Jeff and I watched him disappear around the corner – speechless. Then, he looked at me and said, “Drive-by healin’? I never heard of such a thing.”
“He was an answer to prayer,” I shouted. “He was sent by my Lord to give me a message! Honey, I got me some drive-by healin’! Praise the LORD!” I laughed and laughed with joy at the message my Lord had sent me.
Later, I went inside and knelt in thanksgiving before my Lord. I began to realize what an unexpected messenger He had sent. He knew I needed more than a word of encouragement from family or friend. I needed something other than a Bible verse. He knew I needed words of hope from an unexpected messenger. Its amazing how fast an unexpected messenger will get our attention, isn’t it.
I marveled at how my Lord weaves our lives into something beautiful. I marveled at His messenger – an old black man, sent out from church, choosing a very white neighborhood, driving down my drive to tell us he was doing drive-by healin’. I marveled at how God uses His people. The man never asked if I needed healing. He never asked to pray for me. That wasn’t what he was there for. He was a messenger –sent to give hope. And, this side of heaven, he’ll never know what he did for me that night because I never told him.
“but those who hop in the LORD will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)
I don’t know what awaits me and my eye in the future. Maybe like Elijah my messenger was sent to give me bread and nourishment because the journey ahead of me is long and difficult. Or, maybe he was a messenger of good news like the 3 visitors sent to tell Abram and Sarah they would have a son. (If so, I’m glad I didn’t laugh in doubt like she did.)
Time will tell. But for now, I’m pleased to feel encouraged by my Lord. It’s just another way He shows me I am chosen and loved and strengthened by Him. Thank you, LORD!
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Are You Thirsty?
Yesterday I wrote a long list of things to do in my journal. I was complaining about never having enough time to get everything done. After I wrote out my frustrations, I went to check my e-mail. I get these devotionals via e-mail everyday. I never read them. I probably have 77 unread, just sitting there. Anyway, I clicked on one to read, just by chance, and there it was – a devotional on taking time with your kids and not worrying about the “To-do” list. Funny how God works. Guess he was letting me know that life isn’t about a to-do list.
The problem is, my focus seems to always be on those kinds of things. What has to be done today? Where will I get the money for that? How will this or that ever happen? My life is full of details to manage and I’m constantly focused on them.
I pray about them a lot too. “LORD, help me get this done today.” I’ve prayed this way for years. Maybe you have too.
It started occurring to me a while back and honestly, I haven’t really let it come to the front of my mind where I might mull it over but I started thinking that this is not what Jesus would want me to ponder. It would not be on his list of things to think about. His thoughts are higher than my thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8)
Think about The Woman at the Well in John chapter 4. The woman is thirsty or needs water for chores, so she goes to the well for water. She goes about her daily chores. Jesus is there at the well and he asks her for a drink but, she questions him, since Jews don’t normally associate with Samaritans. Jesus didn’t worry about cultural divisions and he wasn’t really concerned about getting water from this lady either; he was digging much deeper than that. He was concerned about her soul for he answers he, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water . . . Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (v. 10, 13-14)
Did you notice that? Let’s not skim over that too quickly. Jesus did not get up from his seat, pull the water from the well and take it back to her house for her. He didn’t offer to help her with her “to-do” list. He looked straight through her list of chores, right into her heart and that’s where he saw something that needed to be done. She had a need in her heart to know Jesus Christ, savior, redeemer, giver of living water.
Our “to-do” lists are superficial. The heart is what matters to Jesus.
You know, I’ve often thought as I was praying away my things to do, that if Jesus suddenly appeared in front of me so that I could touch him and have a conversation with him, he wouldn’t say a thing about my chores or my money or whatever aches and pains I might be suffering that day. He would look right through those superficial things and into the deepest part of my heart. He would pull some unnoticed thing up out of there and say, “Here, let me fix this for you. This is what I see needs to be done.”
Maybe it would be some bitterness I hold deep inside. Or a greedy root I didn’t know was there. Perhaps it would be some insecurity I hadn’t noticed that was bearing some bad fruit in my life. Whatever he might pull out and bring to my attention, I can promise it wouldn’t be dishes or laundry or errands to run. If Jesus showed up in my prayer time, those superficial things would melt away and all that would matter would be the state of my heart.
Think about that for a while . . . It’s true.
So, I must ask myself, “Do I never ask for help with my to-do list?” I believe the answer to that is no – go ahead and ask. Jesus cares about our daily lives. He wants us to come to him in the big things and the small things. But, we should also take time and ask him to reveal things that need to be fixed. We should ask Jesus to give us a pure heart, one more like his.
Will this be difficult? Probably. Will he identify some touchy subjects you don’t want to talk about? Most definitely. But, his aim is to free us, redeem us, purify us. Won’t you let him do that for you? It is a Godly To-Do list with an invitation to let Him get it done. For the LORD says,
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters.
And, you who have no money, come, buy and eat.
Come buy wine and milk without money and without cost.
Why spend money on what is not bread
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me and eat what is good
and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.
Give ear and come to me.
Hear me that your soul may live.
And I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
my faithful love promised to David.” (Isaiah 55:1-3)
Jesus stands in front of you, arm extended, beckoning. Come. You are thirsty for living water. Come. He offers what no man possesses. It costs nothing but is rich and will delight you. Come. Enjoy the covenant of faithful love promised to you. Won’t you come?
Oh, dear LORD, I thank you for this invitation. I thank You for Your deep love. I thank You for your desire to set me free from the things of this world that want to entangle me. I thank You for your Godly to-do list and I thank You that in the end, mine doesn’t matter. LORD, let me remember this. When the world is closing in on me and I’m being strangled by my chores, let me remember Your open invitation to come to You so that I might eat Your satisfying bread – the Bread of Your Presence. Remind me, O LORD, to come to you. I ask this in the name of my redeeming Lord, Jesus Christ . . .
The problem is, my focus seems to always be on those kinds of things. What has to be done today? Where will I get the money for that? How will this or that ever happen? My life is full of details to manage and I’m constantly focused on them.
I pray about them a lot too. “LORD, help me get this done today.” I’ve prayed this way for years. Maybe you have too.
It started occurring to me a while back and honestly, I haven’t really let it come to the front of my mind where I might mull it over but I started thinking that this is not what Jesus would want me to ponder. It would not be on his list of things to think about. His thoughts are higher than my thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8)
Think about The Woman at the Well in John chapter 4. The woman is thirsty or needs water for chores, so she goes to the well for water. She goes about her daily chores. Jesus is there at the well and he asks her for a drink but, she questions him, since Jews don’t normally associate with Samaritans. Jesus didn’t worry about cultural divisions and he wasn’t really concerned about getting water from this lady either; he was digging much deeper than that. He was concerned about her soul for he answers he, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water . . . Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (v. 10, 13-14)
Did you notice that? Let’s not skim over that too quickly. Jesus did not get up from his seat, pull the water from the well and take it back to her house for her. He didn’t offer to help her with her “to-do” list. He looked straight through her list of chores, right into her heart and that’s where he saw something that needed to be done. She had a need in her heart to know Jesus Christ, savior, redeemer, giver of living water.
Our “to-do” lists are superficial. The heart is what matters to Jesus.
You know, I’ve often thought as I was praying away my things to do, that if Jesus suddenly appeared in front of me so that I could touch him and have a conversation with him, he wouldn’t say a thing about my chores or my money or whatever aches and pains I might be suffering that day. He would look right through those superficial things and into the deepest part of my heart. He would pull some unnoticed thing up out of there and say, “Here, let me fix this for you. This is what I see needs to be done.”
Maybe it would be some bitterness I hold deep inside. Or a greedy root I didn’t know was there. Perhaps it would be some insecurity I hadn’t noticed that was bearing some bad fruit in my life. Whatever he might pull out and bring to my attention, I can promise it wouldn’t be dishes or laundry or errands to run. If Jesus showed up in my prayer time, those superficial things would melt away and all that would matter would be the state of my heart.
Think about that for a while . . . It’s true.
So, I must ask myself, “Do I never ask for help with my to-do list?” I believe the answer to that is no – go ahead and ask. Jesus cares about our daily lives. He wants us to come to him in the big things and the small things. But, we should also take time and ask him to reveal things that need to be fixed. We should ask Jesus to give us a pure heart, one more like his.
Will this be difficult? Probably. Will he identify some touchy subjects you don’t want to talk about? Most definitely. But, his aim is to free us, redeem us, purify us. Won’t you let him do that for you? It is a Godly To-Do list with an invitation to let Him get it done. For the LORD says,
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters.
And, you who have no money, come, buy and eat.
Come buy wine and milk without money and without cost.
Why spend money on what is not bread
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me and eat what is good
and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.
Give ear and come to me.
Hear me that your soul may live.
And I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
my faithful love promised to David.” (Isaiah 55:1-3)
Jesus stands in front of you, arm extended, beckoning. Come. You are thirsty for living water. Come. He offers what no man possesses. It costs nothing but is rich and will delight you. Come. Enjoy the covenant of faithful love promised to you. Won’t you come?
Oh, dear LORD, I thank you for this invitation. I thank You for Your deep love. I thank You for your desire to set me free from the things of this world that want to entangle me. I thank You for your Godly to-do list and I thank You that in the end, mine doesn’t matter. LORD, let me remember this. When the world is closing in on me and I’m being strangled by my chores, let me remember Your open invitation to come to You so that I might eat Your satisfying bread – the Bread of Your Presence. Remind me, O LORD, to come to you. I ask this in the name of my redeeming Lord, Jesus Christ . . .
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Tornado!
A tornado twisted through my neighborhood last Saturday between 6:30 and 7:00 in the evening. We had been out in our boat at the lake all day and were contemplating going surf fishing at Isle of Palms with our neighbors, Anna and Will.
Will had walked over and said there was a little blip of thunderstorms on the radar, headed our way but they didn’t look bad. So, we decided to head out after supper. I was loading dishes in the dishwasher when Will called and said, “Hey, I looked at the weather radar again and that little blip just turned into a whole string of mess. Why don’t we wait?” “Okay,” I said, “we’ll do it some other time. I’m tired after all day at the lake anyway.”
When I yelled out the back door at Jeff and Jeffrey to tell them the news, they were loading up the little Waterbug boat to go fishing the next day. Jeff hooked it to the Jeep and pulled it up in the drive. They were all ready to pull out first thing the next morning.
I went back in the house to take a shower. While I was in the shower, I started to hear lots of thunder. I hurried to get out the shower because all those stories of people getting electrocuted by lightening while they were touching water played through my head. I dried off, threw on my pajamas and walked to the dining room to look out the big window.
Man! I hadn’t seen wind like that since Hurricane Hugo! There was nothing but a white wall of water and wind out there. We couldn’t see 2 feet beyond the window; it was that thick with blowing rain.
Jeff started yelling, “Get to the hall!” Jeffrey and I ran; he slammed all the doors closed as we went by them. When we got to my bedroom, we realized something was down in the front year. Our neighbor's tree had topped out and landed across my lily bed. Back to the hall! Really, we were worried about the two very large pine trees in our backyard, especially the one that was struck by lightening years ago and now has a rotten streak from top to bottom. That one always scares me and the wind was blowing the right direction for them to land on our house.
But no! About that time . . . boom! . . . something big hit the house. We ran back to the dining room but all we could see now were tree limbs smashed against the window. The tree at the edge of our property had fallen . . .squarely on Jeff’s boat, bending the back roll bar on the Jeep , smashing the corning of our eaves and poking holes in the roof. As I stood there surveying the damage, my ears started to pop. I felt like my head was going to explode. Sudden low pressure . . . “Tornado!” I yelled. “My ears are popping. It’s a tornado! Open some windows!”
We ran around slinging open windows and doors and that’s when I heard it, “Woo woo woo wooo,” – a low hum. It was a tornado! What do you do? You know it’s out there. You know it’s dangerous. You know it could rip through your house destroying everything. Worst of all – you know it can kill.
All I could say was, “LORD, be with us! LORD, be with us!” Over and over, that was the only prayer that would come to me.
I know He was with us. It is so very scary when you’re in the middle of it but, surveying the damage when it was over proved that it could have been a lot worse – a lot! While there was very serious damage throughout our neighborhood, no one was hurt. Not even Janice, who had 2 trees land on her truck right after she got out and before she could get to the front door. Cars – and boats- can be replaced. Roofs can be fixed. New trees can be planted. Those things can be fixed. The LORD was with us!
It wasn’t until the streets were dark and everyone had gone in to settle down and I was walking through my candle-lit house that God’s words came to me . . .
“The LORD your God is with you.
He is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you.
He will quiet you with His love.
He will rejoice over you with singing.”
Zephaniah 3:17 – my memory verse. He did all of those things for me and I am very thankful. How comforting to know my God is with me and He will delightedly take care of me. That right there is enough love to quiet me. I wonder though . . . what song did He sing over me Saturday? I’m sure it was beautiful and I’m sure one day I will hear Him sing it to me.
Thank you LORD for your mighty, outstretched arm and your beautiful love!
Life is still good!
My husband's poor little boat.
Will had walked over and said there was a little blip of thunderstorms on the radar, headed our way but they didn’t look bad. So, we decided to head out after supper. I was loading dishes in the dishwasher when Will called and said, “Hey, I looked at the weather radar again and that little blip just turned into a whole string of mess. Why don’t we wait?” “Okay,” I said, “we’ll do it some other time. I’m tired after all day at the lake anyway.”
When I yelled out the back door at Jeff and Jeffrey to tell them the news, they were loading up the little Waterbug boat to go fishing the next day. Jeff hooked it to the Jeep and pulled it up in the drive. They were all ready to pull out first thing the next morning.
I went back in the house to take a shower. While I was in the shower, I started to hear lots of thunder. I hurried to get out the shower because all those stories of people getting electrocuted by lightening while they were touching water played through my head. I dried off, threw on my pajamas and walked to the dining room to look out the big window.
Man! I hadn’t seen wind like that since Hurricane Hugo! There was nothing but a white wall of water and wind out there. We couldn’t see 2 feet beyond the window; it was that thick with blowing rain.
Jeff started yelling, “Get to the hall!” Jeffrey and I ran; he slammed all the doors closed as we went by them. When we got to my bedroom, we realized something was down in the front year. Our neighbor's tree had topped out and landed across my lily bed. Back to the hall! Really, we were worried about the two very large pine trees in our backyard, especially the one that was struck by lightening years ago and now has a rotten streak from top to bottom. That one always scares me and the wind was blowing the right direction for them to land on our house.
But no! About that time . . . boom! . . . something big hit the house. We ran back to the dining room but all we could see now were tree limbs smashed against the window. The tree at the edge of our property had fallen . . .squarely on Jeff’s boat, bending the back roll bar on the Jeep , smashing the corning of our eaves and poking holes in the roof. As I stood there surveying the damage, my ears started to pop. I felt like my head was going to explode. Sudden low pressure . . . “Tornado!” I yelled. “My ears are popping. It’s a tornado! Open some windows!”
We ran around slinging open windows and doors and that’s when I heard it, “Woo woo woo wooo,” – a low hum. It was a tornado! What do you do? You know it’s out there. You know it’s dangerous. You know it could rip through your house destroying everything. Worst of all – you know it can kill.
All I could say was, “LORD, be with us! LORD, be with us!” Over and over, that was the only prayer that would come to me.
I know He was with us. It is so very scary when you’re in the middle of it but, surveying the damage when it was over proved that it could have been a lot worse – a lot! While there was very serious damage throughout our neighborhood, no one was hurt. Not even Janice, who had 2 trees land on her truck right after she got out and before she could get to the front door. Cars – and boats- can be replaced. Roofs can be fixed. New trees can be planted. Those things can be fixed. The LORD was with us!
It wasn’t until the streets were dark and everyone had gone in to settle down and I was walking through my candle-lit house that God’s words came to me . . .
“The LORD your God is with you.
He is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you.
He will quiet you with His love.
He will rejoice over you with singing.”
Zephaniah 3:17 – my memory verse. He did all of those things for me and I am very thankful. How comforting to know my God is with me and He will delightedly take care of me. That right there is enough love to quiet me. I wonder though . . . what song did He sing over me Saturday? I’m sure it was beautiful and I’m sure one day I will hear Him sing it to me.
Thank you LORD for your mighty, outstretched arm and your beautiful love!
Life is still good!
My husband's poor little boat.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Jesus First
I was thinking about choices again. We are faced with a lot of choices every day – some big, some little, some simple and some that we just struggle over.
As a teacher I get asked thousands of questions a day that I must make choices over. Can I go to the bathroom? Can I go get water? Can I borrow a pencil? Can I have some paper? Can I go to the bathroom now? Choices!
I can think of some choices I’ve agonized over – ones I’ve cried over, lost sleep over, discussed with others and prayed with my face to the ground over. I think God puts some choices in front of us to build our Christian character – and maybe those choices are more for us because He knows the choice we will make from the beginning. He knows our heart.
Just like the other night with Jeffrey and his baseball choice. I told him he could skip camp and VBS but even when I told him that, I knew he wouldn’t. I knew what he would o, but he had to go through the struggle in order to come out stronger in his Christian stand on the other side. And, I believe he did because he feels good about his decision and knows it was the right thing. Next time he has to make a decision like that, it will be easier. He knows where he stands now. I knew all along but now he knows. That is important. I believe God gives us those kinds of choices all the time so that we will know where we stand.
I thought about Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22. When God told Abraham to take Isaac and sacrifice him, Abraham had a choice. He didn’t have to do that. He could have stayed right there and said, “Surely, I can’t do that LORD.” But, verse 3 says, “Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddles his donkey.” He got up early because he didn’t sleep all night for thinking about his choice. The Bible doesn’t show us his struggle, but don’t you know he must have worried all night – cried, prayed, pleaded perhaps.
God didn’t announce – do this Abraham because I’m testing you. That would have been too easy. “A test? Oh! I can do this!” Abraham would have said. Nope! God didn’t tell Abraham that and he doesn’t tell us either. He just gives it to us. There it is. You choose.
Oh, the agony of it. I think, however, we make it harder on ourselves than it has to be. Psalms 37:5-6 says, “Commit your way to the LORD, trust in Him and He will do this – He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.” Commit your way to the LORD! It’s really that simple. That’s what God wants us to do. He wants us to know where we stand, what we’ll choose and that our choice is HIM. Our choices for Him build us as Christians.
David, our Youth Minister, has a simple saying that keeps us focused on mission trips: “Jesus first!” That’s his motto we stick to while we’re out on the mission field. Our decisions and our choices are made simpler with “Jesus first!” in mind. Our daily schedule is based on this. The order of activities is based on this. We live around “Jesus first!” every day.
If we would look at every choice with the “Jesus first!” motto in mind, how much easier would things be? Consider some every day choices we have:
Sunday school or sleep in?
Jesus first!
Lottie Moon offering or buy that extra Christmas gift?
Jesus first!
Going fishing today or help with the mission project?
Jesus first!
See how easy that could be? The problem is . . . it isn’t easy. We lose our focus, get caught up in other stuff and then our choices seem difficult. The more we choose Jesus, the firmer our stance becomes, the stronger we grow. I’m not suggesting here that you can’t sleep in some days or buy an extra gift or go fishing but, those things shouldn’t interfere with what we do for Jesus. Jesus first!
We definitely have choices to make in life. Let’s be strong in the LORD and always choose Jesus first!
Dear LORD, I know that sometimes I look on a choice that should be simple and just agonize over it. Would you please strengthen me? Give me eyes to see my choices clearly, without the rose-colored glasses of the world. Make my decisions always be for You. Let it be simple for me so that I may, with ever increasing strength, always choose Jesus first, without even having to ponder. Let Jesus be my default. I truly want to live this way. Help me LORD! I ask this in the might name of my Jesus . . . .
As a teacher I get asked thousands of questions a day that I must make choices over. Can I go to the bathroom? Can I go get water? Can I borrow a pencil? Can I have some paper? Can I go to the bathroom now? Choices!
I can think of some choices I’ve agonized over – ones I’ve cried over, lost sleep over, discussed with others and prayed with my face to the ground over. I think God puts some choices in front of us to build our Christian character – and maybe those choices are more for us because He knows the choice we will make from the beginning. He knows our heart.
Just like the other night with Jeffrey and his baseball choice. I told him he could skip camp and VBS but even when I told him that, I knew he wouldn’t. I knew what he would o, but he had to go through the struggle in order to come out stronger in his Christian stand on the other side. And, I believe he did because he feels good about his decision and knows it was the right thing. Next time he has to make a decision like that, it will be easier. He knows where he stands now. I knew all along but now he knows. That is important. I believe God gives us those kinds of choices all the time so that we will know where we stand.
I thought about Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22. When God told Abraham to take Isaac and sacrifice him, Abraham had a choice. He didn’t have to do that. He could have stayed right there and said, “Surely, I can’t do that LORD.” But, verse 3 says, “Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddles his donkey.” He got up early because he didn’t sleep all night for thinking about his choice. The Bible doesn’t show us his struggle, but don’t you know he must have worried all night – cried, prayed, pleaded perhaps.
God didn’t announce – do this Abraham because I’m testing you. That would have been too easy. “A test? Oh! I can do this!” Abraham would have said. Nope! God didn’t tell Abraham that and he doesn’t tell us either. He just gives it to us. There it is. You choose.
Oh, the agony of it. I think, however, we make it harder on ourselves than it has to be. Psalms 37:5-6 says, “Commit your way to the LORD, trust in Him and He will do this – He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.” Commit your way to the LORD! It’s really that simple. That’s what God wants us to do. He wants us to know where we stand, what we’ll choose and that our choice is HIM. Our choices for Him build us as Christians.
David, our Youth Minister, has a simple saying that keeps us focused on mission trips: “Jesus first!” That’s his motto we stick to while we’re out on the mission field. Our decisions and our choices are made simpler with “Jesus first!” in mind. Our daily schedule is based on this. The order of activities is based on this. We live around “Jesus first!” every day.
If we would look at every choice with the “Jesus first!” motto in mind, how much easier would things be? Consider some every day choices we have:
Sunday school or sleep in?
Jesus first!
Lottie Moon offering or buy that extra Christmas gift?
Jesus first!
Going fishing today or help with the mission project?
Jesus first!
See how easy that could be? The problem is . . . it isn’t easy. We lose our focus, get caught up in other stuff and then our choices seem difficult. The more we choose Jesus, the firmer our stance becomes, the stronger we grow. I’m not suggesting here that you can’t sleep in some days or buy an extra gift or go fishing but, those things shouldn’t interfere with what we do for Jesus. Jesus first!
We definitely have choices to make in life. Let’s be strong in the LORD and always choose Jesus first!
Dear LORD, I know that sometimes I look on a choice that should be simple and just agonize over it. Would you please strengthen me? Give me eyes to see my choices clearly, without the rose-colored glasses of the world. Make my decisions always be for You. Let it be simple for me so that I may, with ever increasing strength, always choose Jesus first, without even having to ponder. Let Jesus be my default. I truly want to live this way. Help me LORD! I ask this in the might name of my Jesus . . . .
Monday, June 15, 2009
Choices
Jeffrey has always loved ball games, even before he was old enough to play. When he was about 3, he had an AirBud video where the dog played football, that he watched over and over. He slept with a football for some time and has always been able to organize a game in the backyard with the neighborhood kids. Where there is no one around to play with, I hear the constant thump of a tennis ball against the house.
For the past several years, Jeffrey has played catcher on his baseball teams. We even did some playing on a travel ball team. His coach, Jamie, called him “the wall” because he didn’t let too much get by him. Actually, I never knew how important the catcher was until that first travel ball game. Man, if the catcher lets it get by, the other team is stealing bases and sliding home. Catcher is an important position.
This year, Jeffrey made All-Star Catcher and last night when we got home from VBS, his coach called and said practice starts today and it will be every Monday through Friday, 5:30-8:00 from now on. I told him about VBS this week and about Childrens’ Camp next week and of course, that was too many practices to miss. He was very disappointed; I could hear it in his voice, but congratulated Jeffrey for earning a spot on the team.
When we hung up, I told Jeffrey he could choose not to go to VBS or camp, but he said no, he wanted to do those things more. Pretty soon he got up from the den and walked to his room. I knew he went to cry and I don’t blame him. I would have cried too. Have to choose between two things you love and know you won’t get to do both is never easy.
In a few minutes I made my way to his room and sure enough, he was covered up in his bed, crying. “Mom, I made the All-Star team and now I can’t be on it. I won’t ever get to be on it, not next year or the year after that because this will always happen. I want to do both, Mom. I don’t want to choose.” And it broke my heart to hear him cry.
“Well,” I said, “I can call the coach back. You can choose baseball and not go to VBS or to camp. I’m sure I can get my money back.”
“No, I want to go to camp. I don’t want to miss that,” he sobbed.
Jeff came in with some fatherly advice. “Flip a coin. That’s what I would do.” (And really, that is what he would do.) Jeffrey looked at me like his daddy was crazy because deciding wasn’t the issue. The decision was made and Jeffrey was firm in his decision. The problem was how badly it hurt to sacrifice something he loved very much.
Oh, it broke my heart and thrilled me, all at the same time, to watch him make that decision. How many children would give up a well earned spot on an All-Star team and the right to brag about that in order to go to church every day for two weeks. Not many. And while I sit here and cry about him not being able to do both, I’m thrilled that he made a decision for Christ, that he chose Jesus over the things of this world and the pride that goes with prestige.
I told Jeffrey that God would honor his decision. God knows this was a sacrifice and that he laid it on the altar without hesitation, even though it hurt. God will bless his decision. I told Jeffrey,
“Give and it will be given to you, a good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will be poured into your lap; for with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Luke 6:38)
God is good. We can never out-give him and I can’t wait to see how he will bless my Jeffrey, my little Christian soldier, for giving up something so very important to him. I just can’t wait.
Later last night, when all the sobs were gone and the tears were dried up, Jeffrey came to me and said, “You know Mom, its okay. I’m glad about my decision. It was the right thing to do.” (Big sigh from him after this statement.)
And, it is. Praise the LORD! It is!
For the past several years, Jeffrey has played catcher on his baseball teams. We even did some playing on a travel ball team. His coach, Jamie, called him “the wall” because he didn’t let too much get by him. Actually, I never knew how important the catcher was until that first travel ball game. Man, if the catcher lets it get by, the other team is stealing bases and sliding home. Catcher is an important position.
This year, Jeffrey made All-Star Catcher and last night when we got home from VBS, his coach called and said practice starts today and it will be every Monday through Friday, 5:30-8:00 from now on. I told him about VBS this week and about Childrens’ Camp next week and of course, that was too many practices to miss. He was very disappointed; I could hear it in his voice, but congratulated Jeffrey for earning a spot on the team.
When we hung up, I told Jeffrey he could choose not to go to VBS or camp, but he said no, he wanted to do those things more. Pretty soon he got up from the den and walked to his room. I knew he went to cry and I don’t blame him. I would have cried too. Have to choose between two things you love and know you won’t get to do both is never easy.
In a few minutes I made my way to his room and sure enough, he was covered up in his bed, crying. “Mom, I made the All-Star team and now I can’t be on it. I won’t ever get to be on it, not next year or the year after that because this will always happen. I want to do both, Mom. I don’t want to choose.” And it broke my heart to hear him cry.
“Well,” I said, “I can call the coach back. You can choose baseball and not go to VBS or to camp. I’m sure I can get my money back.”
“No, I want to go to camp. I don’t want to miss that,” he sobbed.
Jeff came in with some fatherly advice. “Flip a coin. That’s what I would do.” (And really, that is what he would do.) Jeffrey looked at me like his daddy was crazy because deciding wasn’t the issue. The decision was made and Jeffrey was firm in his decision. The problem was how badly it hurt to sacrifice something he loved very much.
Oh, it broke my heart and thrilled me, all at the same time, to watch him make that decision. How many children would give up a well earned spot on an All-Star team and the right to brag about that in order to go to church every day for two weeks. Not many. And while I sit here and cry about him not being able to do both, I’m thrilled that he made a decision for Christ, that he chose Jesus over the things of this world and the pride that goes with prestige.
I told Jeffrey that God would honor his decision. God knows this was a sacrifice and that he laid it on the altar without hesitation, even though it hurt. God will bless his decision. I told Jeffrey,
“Give and it will be given to you, a good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will be poured into your lap; for with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Luke 6:38)
God is good. We can never out-give him and I can’t wait to see how he will bless my Jeffrey, my little Christian soldier, for giving up something so very important to him. I just can’t wait.
Later last night, when all the sobs were gone and the tears were dried up, Jeffrey came to me and said, “You know Mom, its okay. I’m glad about my decision. It was the right thing to do.” (Big sigh from him after this statement.)
And, it is. Praise the LORD! It is!
Friday, June 12, 2009
Changes
Okay, so I've changed my colors a little bit. I tried to share my blog with someone today and their computer had the colors all wrong. I couldn't even read what was there unless I highlighted it.
Change is good though. Hope this works a little better.
:)
Change is good though. Hope this works a little better.
:)
Summertime!
Well, I sure haven't posted anything lately. Life has been crazy busy. End of school, daughter graduating, party to plan and host, clean up after the party . . . the list goes on. Now I'm getting ready for VBS.
I love VBS! I love the singing and the games and the crafts and the snacks and the community and most of all the Bible stories. This year my room has the story of Elijah after he ran from Jezebel and he heard God in a quiet whisper. So, I have to build a cave. I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to do that yet. All of the other VBS rooms have a guy to help out with building. My honey could build a motor any day of the week, but don't give him wood and nails. So, if it is to be, it's up to me! (My mom's lifelong motto.) I'm thinking chicken wire and brown paper. We'll see . . .
I'm also starting to think about the Bible study sessions for our mission trip this summer. We help host a camp for kids and their moms in Tennessee at Deer Run Retreat Center. I will be ministering to moms this summer. Can't wait!
I've got lots of journal entries to type and post, but right now I have 2 bushels of corn to freeze and peaches waiting to become jam. So, off to the kitchen I go!
I love summertime!
I love VBS! I love the singing and the games and the crafts and the snacks and the community and most of all the Bible stories. This year my room has the story of Elijah after he ran from Jezebel and he heard God in a quiet whisper. So, I have to build a cave. I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to do that yet. All of the other VBS rooms have a guy to help out with building. My honey could build a motor any day of the week, but don't give him wood and nails. So, if it is to be, it's up to me! (My mom's lifelong motto.) I'm thinking chicken wire and brown paper. We'll see . . .
I'm also starting to think about the Bible study sessions for our mission trip this summer. We help host a camp for kids and their moms in Tennessee at Deer Run Retreat Center. I will be ministering to moms this summer. Can't wait!
Deer Run Retreat from Rick Simms on Vimeo.
"> Check out the video about Deer Run!I've got lots of journal entries to type and post, but right now I have 2 bushels of corn to freeze and peaches waiting to become jam. So, off to the kitchen I go!
I love summertime!
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