I Wonder...

I wonder. I wonder what would Jesus do? We say that all the time. We’ve got jewelry and miscellaneous paraphernalia that says WWJD? But I got to thinking about it lately.

I thought WWJD as everyone is getting ready for Christmas. We claim to give each other gifts as a remembrance of the gifts of the Wise Men. But I wonder. Do we do it because like to give or get gifts so much?

I thought WWJD as I join my community in concern over the significant number of jobs that will be lost in the near future. The news coming just before the holidays gives people a chance to change their spending, yet certainly puts a damper on the holidays.

I thought WWJD as I listen to children talk about birthday parties for Jesus this season. But did Jesus have birthday parties? Did He ever celebrate personal days during His ministry? Did He expect presents from others? Did He give material gifts?

I thought WWJD if He were alive today living in a tight economy, looking at the commercialism this time of year, in celebration of His birth? Did He come to be celebrated as an infant? Or would He prefer we recognize His sacrifice for us? Would He want presents, or would He want us to share His ultimate gift with others? Yep…I wonder…WWJD?

Team Players

The Apostle Paul really liked to give us every day things to help us understand what God wanted for and from us. Unlike Jesus though, whose pictures aren’t always easy for people today to relate to (shepherd’s, farmers, etc.) Paul drew from Roman life. I think the society we live in today is closer to that, making it easier sometimes to “get” what Paul is trying to tell us.

I’m reading Philippians right now, and chapter 1 verse 27 talks about “striving.” All the commentaries believe Paul is referring to athletic contests here. Though not as familiar with Roman sporting teams as I am with today’s sports, I’ve been thinking about whether or not I’m a team player.

I am a great team player…if I’m on a team I wholly agree with. But the way professional sports works, we don’t always get to choose the team we are on. Does that make me a team player, or not? Sad to say, I’m often not. If the saying is true that we’re only as strong as our weakest player, I’m grandstanding sometimes. A team is just that – a group working together. A team thinks alike and functions jointly, heading for the same goal. I realize that I’m falling short in helping those newer (or sometimes getting older) players on my team. I’m ready to run ahead of the rest, losing the support that’s needed in team sports. If there is no “I” in team, then Keith Drury is right that There is No I in Church either.

Other's Prayers

I love those "light bulb" moments when I get it! Today in reading Philippians 1 verse 19, I realized the importance of the prayers of others. Sometimes I feel like people ask me to pray because they are too lazy or don't believe God hears them. Sometimes I feel guilty asking people to pray for me for whatever reason I feel guilty.

A conversation last night with someone who is praying for their brother who is struggling with depression reinforced today's verse. Sometimes we pray for people because they don't know to be praying for themselves. Sometimes we pray to strengthen their prayers. Sometimes we pray for others because God just wants us to, and lays them on our hearts.

Paul mentions his constant prayers for those in Philippi and notes his faith in how God will answer their prayers for him in prison. If Paul welcomed and embraced the prayers of others for himself, I need to shed myself of the guilt I sometimes feel. And as God lays others on my heart, I know He's laying me on someone else's heart in the same way.

Happy Thanksgiving!

It has been an amazing week (and it's only Thursday!) Last week was quite a low one for me. For only the 3rd time that I can recall in my life, I had to leave work because I couldn't function. But then God blessed me with this week!

A friend shared the impact the Good Samaritan story had on her over the weekend, and low and behold, I got a call at the church office, and got to be the Good Samaritan! I was privileged to meet a lovely couple, down on their luck, and do a good deed for them. How simple the request, how wonderful the feeling of helping out these strangers.

I had to attend a luncheon I wasn't necessarily looking forward to, one of those obligatory things. But again, how blessed to meet the people I did. The ideas for ministry for our church that I was given were truly from God. And the enthusiasm I left with was contagious.

Sharing with my pastor the joys of the day, he shared how God had blessed him in what could have been an unpleasant task. But we got to experience the way God blesses us when we just do the simple obedient things He asks of us. We were so blessed and excited, we had to stop and just thank God for His goodness, and the privilege to meet the people we did that day.

As I prepare my house for Thanksgiving dinner, I rejoice in the week, and in the way I can invite my family, friends, and strangers to celebrate the holiday together. Thank you Lord, for friends who would rather share their meal with strangers than family. Thank for children who expect to see strange faces at a holiday table, and choose to be part of it all. Thank you for people who I don't know very well, to invite and share some time with. Thank you for Your provision to be able to do all this.

The People in "The Crowd"

I recently had a devotion for a group of ladies with quite a set of problems. The things I shared with them helped them to realize who the people were that flocked to Jesus. Afterward, I thought that sometimes we, as Christians need to remember who the people were that Jesus ministered to. Here is an abbreviated version of that (though I apologize because it’s still lengthy):

Text is from Matt. 4:24 - And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatic, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them. (KJV)

The underlined words are ones that I researched in the Greek and English for a better understanding of who these people were:

Sick - According to the Greek dictionary, it means to be miserable, ill, or even be spoken ill of. Miriam-Webster says that it is a word that includes the meaning poverty ridden, unhappy, emotionally distressed, and use of abusive language. So the homeless, the physically sick, those slandered, or verbally or physically abused flocked to Him.

Divers diseases – First of all, I like diverse – because the old saying, “when it rains it pours” is so true when we face trouble or hard times. Disease is a word with origins coming from the era when the KJV was translated, and it means a condition that impairs normal functioning or a harmful development, including socially. I see people with chronic pain, depression, anything that keeps us down. Taking it one step further, how difficult must it have been for these people who were immobilized to get to this new preacher?

Torments - I found it interesting that one of the definitions had to do with testing the purity of gold or silver. But God’s refining of us is another subject by itself. The rack is typically looked at as an instrument of torture, and was often used to extract the truth from people (OUCH!) The word also referred to extreme pain of disease. What I found most interesting about this was that the only other places the word is used in the New Testament is when referring to hell. I sometimes get frustrated with people who think hell is on earth here, having read the Bible’s description of that place. But after reading this, I realized for some people the pain and torments of every day life are that severe. These tormented went to Jesus.

Possessed with devils – This sure didn’t seem like it needed much explanation at first, but when I thought about the word possessed, I remembered it means ownership. To have an outside force controlling one has to be unbelievable. Some people think that addictions are demon possessions. I don’t know that I agree that there is an alcohol devil running around; there’s something to be said about natural sin. I do know that when something else controls our actions and desires, and starts to run our lives, it’s not pleasant. It’s hard to break free on our own. They didn’t have a twelve-step program to run to back then. So I envision people with unpleasant addictions as well as true demons seeking Jesus.

Lunatic comes from moon-struck. People thought insanity was affected by the moon’s cycle, so the origin of the word. Most translations refer to epilepsy, but I understand the Greeks didn’t know about epileptic seizures, so it’s not likely that epilepsy was the meaning. But insanity, that’s another story. Today we have so many specific words for the insane, and label the disease much more specifically. But think about those who suffer or are on medication to help them cope. The bi-polar people, the ADHD, those with anxiety or panic attacks, the schizophrenic - they could have all been in that crowd flocking to Jesus.

Palsy is the last of the descriptions of the crowds that came. It is a paralytic state. Someone with stroke paralysis would also fall under this category. Even those less disabled or with tremors would qualify as having palsy. I envision the paraplegic, quadriplegic, stroke victims, those with Cerebral Palsy, and more, finding a way to get to this healer.

They came by the droves to this Jesus. I don’t believe it was because He was the new fad that everyone had to see at this point. I think these were people so desperate that the tried and true didn’t work any more. Desperation drives us to do extreme things. Sometimes that thing is even seeking out God.

I especially love the end of the verse…And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatic, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.

”…he healed them.” God is the same yesterday, today and forever. The same Jesus who healed people while on earth, can heal us today. Who are the people we as Christians minister to? Those who are in our same social class? Those that we have things in common with? Maybe only fellow Christians? What about the people that Jesus ministered to? It's made me look at my life a little closer.

I ended the devotion with Michael Smith's "Healing Rain." Here are the words. Here's the video.

Kid Nation

Okay, so I admit it, I'm hooked on the new Kid Nation show. I was especially interested in this weeks episode when the kids faced religion. The 'televisionland' experts had, of course, put quite the mix if kids together so they knew they could expect excitement. But I'm not sure anyone knew what to expect from the kids.

Okay, so the writers set the kids up, but you have to admit that telling them the lack of God ruined the town the first time when adults tried to run it was compelling. And I'm not sure the dialog was all that much different than adult dialog. Many of the kids were parroting adults in their lives, others have reached a point of questioning in their lives, and still others exhibited a strong faith themselves.

Okay, I got sucked into the show and was disappointed when no one showed up for the first church service. But I was intrigued when one young girl rallied them for a time of prayer around a fire. And I was impressed by some of the prayers the kids said.

Okay, it was hokey that the challenge was to put together a giant puzzle of a church, and sad that I find myself rooting for one of the teams. But the prize at the end really surprised me. They had a choice of miniature golf or holy books. The "council" decided that they were tired of making decisions since everyone was angry at them when they did, so the group decided. Democracy got the town the books.

Now I wonder how the kids would have reacted if they didn't have their preconceived notions about religion. I wonder if they would look for God without knowing He existed. And how would they find Him? The Bible tells us they would look and if they truly wanted to find Him, they would. I also wonder how a bunch of adults starting a new town with no outside influence (other than the producers of the show of course) would handle the dilemma the kids faced. I just wonder....

New Survivor Show

Did you catch this season's Survivor? After the first season, I could take it or leave it. This season I wanted to tune in. In the previews, I saw that a Christian radio announcer was one of the contestants. I was curious.

Sure enough, the first week and, since they are in China, no surprise, they have some ritual to go through. Though they're told it's not a religious ceremony, the Christian walked out...said she couldn't do it. She has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and won't bow to anyone else. And, no surprise, she got questioned about it.

I'm looking forward to watching her during this adventure. I wonder how I would react if I was crazy enough to be on the show. And I wonder how the rest of the world will perceive her as she lives her faith. Will she continue to be able to stand her ground? Will she come under the media's criticism? Will she surprise the media, who I'm sure put her in the mix for the hype they always hope to get on these shows! I don't care if she wins or loses, but am curious about how she'll be portrayed and how tough she'll have it over there. My initial opinion is that she's not an "in your face" kind of Christian, but will live her life as she thinks is expected by God. Time will tell.

Anxiety Cure?

I was watching Good Morning America this morning when a story came up about the fear of eating in public and how common it is, and even among children. It talked about how it can be a precursor to an eating disorder.

Now I acknowledge that people have various types and levels of anxiety. But in all seriousness, when I was a kid I was more intent on getting my chores done so I wouldn't miss the next softball game or was busy teasing my little sister, than thinking anyone was watching me eat.

What I want to know is this: when did we become so self-absorbed? Does anyone really sit around a restaurant watching everyone else eating? Who is vain enough to think everyone is watching them? Many of my friends have anxiety issues and some are on medication for it. But when I have had any type of anxiety attack in my life (and I must admit I've had more than my share), it's when I'm focused on myself and an event.

I'm not sure it'll work, but the next time I'm feeling anxious, I' m going to try to refocus on more important things than myself. Maybe I've discovered the cure!

Listen Up!

A recent misunderstanding between two friends of mine made me reflect on how we listen and what we hear. Good listening skills are taught in all types of places, whether in school, college, seminars, conferences, or where ever they are offered, listening is something we all seem to be encouraged to learn to do better.

The situation I was watching included the first party not realizing what was going on in the other person’s life at the time, so didn’t understand that the reaction wasn’t solely about them. The second party heard the words that were said, but interpreted them in a different manner than was meant. (They worked things out, by the way.)

When we hear things, we need to make sure we understand them clearly. And when we say things, we need to make sure we are understood. And we all have to recognize that there are times when our emotions are stronger than our self-control, and walk away for the moment.

I think about myself listening to God. Though He’s always clear, my circumstances may hinder or help me understand things in a different light. And yes, I must confess that there are times I’ve not been especially happy about what I hear from Him, and choose to walk away until I’m in a better frame of mind to listen.

Our pastor recently came back from training with a new goal in his life to read the same chapter of the Bible every day for a year, until he had truly gotten God’s message out of it. Maybe it’s my attention span, or maybe it’s because I feel I need to learn more from God’s word that I chose to take the same approach, only for a month at a time. I was pleasantly surprised at the things I learned the first month from the first passage. And daily I noted new things. After the weeks began to pass I had to look back at my notes to make sure I wasn’t repeating things. I wasn’t. From one chapter of the Bible I’ve learned or been reminded of many things:

• God is in the details
• God is always there, it’s us that doesn’t always recognize/see Him
• God provides for us
• God doesn’t need the gifts He gives us, but He accepts them with open arms from us
• Sometimes we don’t hear His calling the first time
• It’s not uncommon for us to go back to the things we knew before we knew Christ
• Sometimes God uses others to help us see Him
• Even in death God is to be glorified
• Good leaders take information from reliable sources
• Teamwork works!
• Sometimes we do what we know will be unpleasant
• God asks us even though He knows the answer
• I don’t need to worry about other people, only myself
• Wait on the Lord

You get the idea, every day there was something new in the same passage for me to think about and/or apply to my life. While I continue to work on my listening skills with others, I hope to improve my listening skills with God through this new method of study. I highly recommend it!

Amistad

I was watching the movie Amistad recently. (I hated the violence, but sometimes it is a part of life we have to accept.) Anyway, there were two scenes in it that especially struck me.

Early in the movie there are bunch of devout Christians standing around praying and singing hymns and trying to convert these heathen Africans. I thought it amusing that the caged prisoners, who knew no English whatsoever, thought that the Christians looked so sad. Their dress was drab, their faces solemn, and their music offered no hope or comfort. Sometimes the world looks at us the same way today. They see all the “don’ts” in our lives, and because we don’t exude the joy of the Lord, they see some pretty sad people!

Toward the end of the movie there is a scene where one of the Africans has been studying the Bible that had been forced on him earlier in the movie. Despite not being able to read a word, he figured out the story inside. Looking at the renaissance era drawings inside he’d figured out that mankind is wicked, that Jesus came to pay the price for us, and this man wasn’t afraid to die now, because he “got it.” His friend said it was foolish to believe that this man (Jesus) would be put to death for nothing. The guy who “got it” said, here they sat for a crime they never committed. What was so difficult to believe that this other man died unjustly? Despite all the praying and singing and badgering by the “Christians” out there, it was the simple Word of God through the pictures that got the message through to this man.

The last thing I appreciated about the movie was the history of slavery and the strong Christian beliefs that came through in the founding of this country. Set in 1839, we were a relatively new country back then, and though we did a lot of things wrong as a nation and as Christians, the fact that we were formed as a Christian nation came through loud and clear in this movie. John Adams It’s too bad our nation doesn’t hold to those same values today, choosing to be politically correct.

Just Wondering...

Did you ever wonder what became of the woman at the well (John 4)? We always talk about how Christ gave her Living Water and how she testified about Him to her friends and neighbors, but what do you think became of her after those couple of days Jesus spent with them? If she were in today’s church, which person do you think she would be?

Do you think the guy she was living with ever got saved? And whether he did or didn’t, do you think they ever got married? Or did they split up? Her morals were obviously pretty loose for her time, based on how Jesus spoke to her about her living arrangement. Could she afford to live alone in that day and age with the culture the way it was? Were there children? If she turned her life around in this situation, how long do you think it took her to do that? Immediately? Maybe a few months? Did her village ever forgive her and embrace her?

How long do you think she stayed on fire for the Lord? Do you think it lasted much past Jesus and the disciples leaving town? Did she get discouraged because some of the other Samaritans might have told her they believed only because they had met Jesus themselves and not thanked her for sharing her testimony?

How about us? Do we have expectations of people when they first come to know the Lord? Do we have a timeline that we expect to see changes in them? And do we tolerate some sins more than others? Do we do all we can to encourage them to live for God or do we just kind of let them flounder on their own? Do we love them and become their friend even when they are not the most desirable people in the community? Do you think the Samaritan woman got invited to other people’s homes? (Remember she didn’t even get water at the well when the rest of the village did.) Do you think she was allowed to “serve” in any capacity? Did she need special training to bring other people to meet her Savior?

I wonder how I would have treated the woman. I wonder who she might be in my life today. How many people in my church don’t feel they have any friends there? What can and do I do about it? I wonder….

Tagged

I can't believe that I'm playing tag at my age! Thanks alot Mike! But if we're crazy enough to let people into our minds through a blog, why not tag? Here's the rules, I'm told I have to display them up front:


The rules are simple: Each player lists 8 facts/habits about themselves. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning before those facts/habits are listed. At the end of the post, the player then tags 8 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.


Here's my boring idiosyncrises (Now I have to think, and admit this publicly!)

1. FACT: I was a geek before the word existed. (no, that does not say world!)
2. FACT: I enjoy board games, and have my entire life. I don't care if I win (though Pete would argue that point in regard to Monopoly, but he's a sore loser.)
3. FACT: I've lived in three cities, worked in two others, and moved sixteen times in my life (that I remember). According to those stats, I should be ready to move again this year.......NOT!
4. FACT: I enjoy the TV show "Monk." I think it's because it lets me know I could be way worse than I am!
5. HABIT: I'm a huge CSI fan - yes, all three of the series.
6. HABIT: I can't sit still long enough to watch an entire movie. It takes me roughly 3 times of watching it to get the whole thing. That's one reason I tend to do puzzles or crafty things - to keep me sitting still.
7. HABIT: I go to sleep watching TV... it gives my brain a chance to shut down. It's old sitcoms or the news that work best.
8. MOST BORING FACT: I'm way too detail oriented.

Now, on to those of you unfortunate enough to get "tagged:" Tara, Lisa, Jamie, and lastly Mike, sorry but there were no rules about tag-backs!

Cafeteria Christianity

I was watching the 20/20 segment on hell the other night. I was most amazed at the preacher who was surprised his congregation dropped from 6,000 to 300 when he abandoned hell. He sounded like he truly believes he had this epiphany about hell being on earth, changed his core belief, and was surprised others didn’t follow him.

In a recent conversation with a friend, we started talking about how people in general like to pick and choose what they want to follow in the Bible. We may put it under the guise of our “gifts” or our “calling.” But in reality there are some things that are for everyone.

Let’s start with salvation. If we believe that everyone needs it, what do they need to be saved from? If hell is on earth, and there is no escape from that other than death, and suicide is wrong, what exactly do we need to be saved from?

Ok, let’s say we agree on the salvation thing. What about the “going” thing mentioned in Matthew 28, also known as the Great Commission. I know, I know, Jesus was talking to the disciples, but do you honestly believe He meant only preachers are supposed to share the Gospel and teach? An interesting comment from the 20/20 segment was that if someone really believes in hell, they’d be motivated to share that belief with everyone...to make sure no one went there.

I accept that I’m not convincing everyone reading this that we are all called to “go,” but I am constantly amused at the attitude that children need church and to learn the Ten Commandments, etc. Why would adults no longer need church? Or better yet, why does God not need our worship during the summer months, or vacation, or holidays? Sounds like our faith is more convenient for us than consistent for God.

Yep, it sounds to me like we want to pick and choose what parts of the Bible we believe, which ‘rules’ we want to keep, and how much we’re willing to do. Sounds like we’re living our faith cafeteria style. The interesting thing is that the price was the same for each of us, no matter how much of it we want. Why not experience the entire meal!

Memory Erasers?!

My sister-in-law, Janet, hit the nail on the head. For years I have said that our hardhips, adversities, and trials in life are what make us who we are; give us our character. Sometimes it is the past pain that gives us compassion, or determination, or strength. Some of my best memories are the love and strength I felt from others, including God, during tough times. To even suggest a pill that would erase anything unpleasant is insane! Thanks Janet, for that post!

Good Question!

Most people groan at theology or debate. I’ve always enjoyed them, with fond memories as early as grade school. And I love it when someone raises a question I hadn’t thought of, which is what a good friend recently did to me.

The question had to do with the Bible, and it wasn’t a matter of why did God let something happen, but why did God write the specific stuff down for us! WOW! Who are we to get into God’s head and figure out what and how and why He did something! It all pertained to the book of Job.

We discussed how God didn’t do any of those things to Job, but that He allowed the devil to do his dastardly deeds to this innocent guy. We talked about how perfectly the book “proves” 1 Corinthians 10:13 where we are told God only allows what we can bear to happen to us. We also talked about the obvious extra blessings for the hardship he suffered and that bad things do happen to good people. We even talked about when I thought the book might have actually been written (I’m a pre-flood theorist, myself).

I realized through the discussion that as smart and beautiful as God created Satan, he never seems to “get it” that God is God! Or he wouldn’t have tried to “prove” Him wrong. And I always think how Job’s trials immortalized him. I don’t believe there would be a recording of his existence if he had remained a God-fearing, rich man without the suffering he experienced.

But why did God record this specific information for us? Is there something there that we can’t live without knowing? I’m sure we each have a different story to share or theory to explore. Thanks, dear friend, for taking me on a new mental journey and helping me discover things I hadn’t thought of before. And for not expecting me to know all the answers.

Healthcare

We are such a world of extremes that sometimes I think we lose sight of reality. I was recently thinking about that in the realm of healing. Many people don’t believe in “faith” healing because of an image of the “pound them on the head, dropping to the floor” picture they’ve seen on television, etc. I’ve never personally witnessed that environment, but I also don’t see where healings in the Bible were that way either. My image is much quieter and peaceful, with demons running away and people gratefully picking up their things and leaving in a combination of amazement and excitement, maybe seeing where they are walking for the first time, certainly sharing the experience.

A family illness, which seems to be going from bad to worse recently prompted me to mention that maybe anointing and healing as mentioned in James was the next step that should be taken since this person was down to the last doctor who might help them. It saddens me when strong, Christian people choose to ignore God’s simple solutions to life’s every day things. At least test Him or give Him a try – there’s no cost and nothing to lose.

As much as we complain about healthcare costs, how often do we trust God to care for us like He promises? I know, I know, God gives us knowledge and doctors and medicine. But what if we went to Him first instead of last? I encourage you to think about using God in your healthcare plan, remembering that with that Power, is the Wisdom and Knowledge of what is best and when. Trust me, it’ll test your faith at a whole new level.

Sermon Interpretation

Though it was a father’s day message, I thought it applied to all the adults in our lives when we are young and impressionable. The question was: What memories will you leave with your children?

I wonder what memories my children have. We talk often about things when they were growing up. I know they believe they have a strong work ethic, unlike their peers today. I know they are constantly frustrated because they want the truth and fairness. We always told them that life isn’t fair, but we tried to treat them fairly. They always tell me that they believed every word (or threat) I made, because I had shown them my word was good. They don’t mention their father much. I hope they have more than memories of anger from him.

I think about my own parents and grandparents. Though I have many memories of my dad’s father, two stick out. He always sat and napped during church. It was my job to keep him awake on Sunday mornings. I learned later his hearing was worse than we ever knew, yet he believed he was supposed to be in church. It impressed me. The other memory was the time the news was on regarding changing the law to allow abortions. He grabbed his Bible and stomped around the house spewing Bible verses and yelling at no one in particular about the atrocity of killing the unborn. This was the man with a 4th grade education who had the time to always answer my endless questions.

My mom’s mother was another profound influence in my life. She was my only example of unconditional love. Though she lived two thousand miles away, she was there with letters and periodic phone calls. I learned years later that she would have “talks” with my mother about raising me. That taught me to listen to my own parents when dealing with my teens – they had already survived. More important, it taught me that a child is never too old to be put in their place by their parent. It’s never pleasant, but the job of parenting never ends. I look forward to the day I can talk to her face-to-face again.

I really enjoyed a recent testimony when someone said her family was described as not necessarily Christian, but religious. That is a nice way to sum up my childhood. My dad taught me that missing church was not an option. My mother taught me to challenge everything – not to be obnoxious, but to believe something because it was worth believing.

Mom was notorious for making me look up the spelling of words in the dictionary instead of telling me. She also sent me to research the answers to all my questions with the tools I needed. She likes to tell the story of how it took me all day to answer the question about evolution vs. creation. Every time I thought I had the answer, she would play devil’s advocate and I’d have to go back and study some more. By the end of the day I came to the conclusion that there is no proof of any theory – they are all based on faith. But I learned to question and research. And I learned how to help others come to their own conclusions about things.

Despite many not so nice things in my life, I learned many good things. I take it as proof that all things do work together for God’s glory (Romans 8:28). And I pray I can positively influence the people I encounter each day.

Reaching Children

How do you make God real to a child today? What does the child take home when you tell the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand and their table is bare? And where are your own emotions when you know Mom has cigarettes and beer, but the child has no food? How do you make God real to that child?

Does a child really believe that Jesus loves the little children when they are making adult decisions? What is a little child to them – certainly younger than eight or ten years old. By those ages they are taking care of younger siblings or being told they have limited time to decide which parent to live with. When does one no longer qualify as a little child today?

What in the world is love? Is love when mom or dad shares their bed with yet another stranger? Love certainly can’t be the way the child is lower on the totem pole than parent’s friends or drug habits! Is love the abandoned feeling when the parent sends the child off to foster care or to another relative? How do I explain God’s love when they’ve never experienced the physical love of a parent?

I remember hearing God loves us like a father. Not only is the divorce rate exceedingly high these days, but also many parents never marry. Many children literally have a sperm donor as a father – no name or face at all. Often Mom doesn’t even know who dad was. Other children are molested by fathers or stepfathers. Is fatherly love the picture these children need?

Yet I’m assured there is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9). So how do I share the God I know and love with this generation that doesn’t understand the language I speak?

Perspective

One of my pet peeves came back to me today as I was reading a book, looking for an answer to a question someone had posed. None of that is relevant though. The irritant is. That is, how absolute we are in our beliefs and faith.

I’ve often wondered why a group of people believes they need to dress in a certain period of time and speak the old King James language to be more righteous. Jesus didn’t speak King James. I wonder about churches that hold to customs that are so antiquated, that only 3rd world countries still hold to them. I struggled for years with the church in Acts who lived communally. In my mind that was the 60s and 70s and certainly not what I would think of as a Christian lifestyle.

And why are there so many religions and denominations and synods and sects? Can they all be so wrong or so right? I recently heard a definition of religion – man’s attempt to reach God. What makes us think we can do any better than the people building the Tower of Babel? I recognize that I need to belong to a body of believers, and I choose to be a Christian. That means I found a denomination that I believe follows the same principles I believe the Bible wants me to live. It doesn’t mean I find everyone else wrong though. It doesn’t mean I will never change my mind. It doesn’t mean I want to spend my time sorting out how others believe differently than me.

Being a Christian for me means following Christ and continuing His work. I recall years ago meeting a missionary to the communist world. He’d been in prison, seen people executed, and written a book. I was young and thought I knew more than I really did when I asked him questions about denominational differences. His shocked look and calm answer planted me firmly back on the planet. He told me that those things don’t make a difference when your life is on the line for your faith. Think about it. You are about to be executed because you won’t denounce Jesus Christ. Do you think it matters if you are Presbyterian or Moravian or non-denominational?

So why do we spend so much time worrying about the details instead of building the Kingdom of Heaven? Is life too easy for us that we focus on the insignificant? Do we think we have all the time in the world and that Jesus’ second coming is ages off? I think I need to keep things in perspective, and find a way to encourage those around me to do the same, instead of getting caught up in wasting time arguing about details we’ll never understand, or that just don’t matter.

20-Minute Monopoly

WHAT!? Monopoly in 20 minutes! Something is wrong with this new thinking. What about the fun spent around the table chatting while everyone else is taking their turn. (We're not serious game players, if you can't tell by now.) And there were already "short" game rules for the board game. So why the need for this mini version?

The news story said that many of the old games have been redone to suit the needs of today's fast-paced people. But I'm not so sure they have their facts straight. People say they don't have enough time to socialize around a board game any more, but those same poeple spend hours in front of a video game. I don't buy the fact that our lives are too busy to take time to spend with other human beings either. Adam wouldn't have needed Eve if we were to live solo in life.

And what about other things in our lives? What about our time at church. There was a day when almost all of Sunday was spent at church. And then we met again during the week. Today, with smaller families, we have less time? I don't buy it. We choose to be so busy. We can take control of our lives, set boundaries, and stick to them. We personally chose to raise our family with limitations on after school activities including jobs, all in the middle of a father who worked a rotating shift. It can be done.

And what about our personal time with the Lord? Do we try to abridge that time as well? "Oh, I can pray in my car." "I do daily devotions, but it only takes five minutes to read the short writing." "I don't have time to pick up my Bible and read the scripture that goes with it, but it's ok because part of the verse is quoted." I'm sure most of us have made up some of these excuses at one time or another.

I thought back to the times when I truly meditate on the Word. Sometimes it took weeks to research something that I was searching for. Other times it was searching the same piece of Scripture for more, deeper meaning to things. Oh the blessings that are there.

Look up the word meditate (I deliberately didn't post it here to make you take a moment to do something the old fashioned way.) We don't do enough meditating any more. As busy as we say we are, some of us get so much more done in a day than others. Funny, because we all get the same 24-hours every day. Maybe we don't prioritize what we spend our time doing.

Challenge yourself. Determine to spend a little more time meditating, relaxing, enjoying life. Maybe we won't need all the stress relievers we think we do.

A Different Kind of Pain

This is a difficult writing. It's difficult on two levels, one is that it is most personal and the second because many don't understand or want to. But I believe it's an experience that needs to be talked about. Maybe those who suffer alone in silence will understand that they are not alone. And maybe someone will try a little harder to understand when it happens to people they know and love.

I recently passed through a period of depression. It’s interesting how I knew I was slipping away, and how I knew the cures, and how I was still helpless. Depression is an interesting mood that can be caused by many factors. It can hit hard and sudden, or creep up on you slowly and gradually. The most amazing thing is the way it can be hidden from the rest of the world. It's also something that some Christians will say can't possibly affect a true Christian.

It’s common to hide the fact that we are depressed, for various reasons. Yet there is a part of us that cries out for someone to notice and help us. I can’t say where the “cure” came from this time. It may have been from friends who prayed for me, or it may have been strictly from God taking me through a trial I needed to experience in my present frame of mind.

I've been told I do well at problem solving, but when it's you, it's a different ballgame. I like to find causes to problems, and with depression, sometimes there may be nothing specific, or such a combination that no one thing will help. Sometimes it’s things outside our control. Without a cause, I can’t begin to tackle the problem, like an auto mechanic trying to fix a car without the slightest idea what’s wrong or the ability to turn on the engine to figure it out. I am fortunate to know the depth of my own depression and the things that will help me through it. Unfortunately, depression brings a debilitating state that doesn’t allow one to take the necessary steps sometimes. I recall recent instances of crying out to others as we do when we can’t be straightforward about it, and how no one heard. And I am so grateful to be able to recognize the signs that the depression has finally passed. For me it’s often the ability to do a normal day-to-day task that I hadn't been able to do for some time.

My conclusion from this recent experience is that it takes more than God, and I don’t mean that in a sacrilegious way, only in that it takes human contact to get better from depression. We are appalled at the thought of an infant not having the love and touching of a mother, but depression is handled from a distance. It doesn't need to the close physical contact of a parent. David was summoned for King Saul’s depressive states with his music. For myself, it’s not a matter of masking the depression with drugs, though that may not be a choice for some people. The cure is working through it and learning to rely on others. People who will pray intercessory prayers when my own aren't being answered, and yes, I prayed and prayed.

Success for the victim is dependent on recognizing the pain early enough and having the support we need when we need it. Success is dependent on having others who recognize that something isn't right, on others who can be honest with us, on others who care enough to pray for us, all while the problem is being disguised.

Thank you Lord, for giving me friends to do that. Thank you for allowing me to re-find them when I needed to. Help me to notice when others are in the pain and to help them humanly and spiritually. Give me wisdom to know when I can help, and when only You can mend things. Help me share this so others know and try to understand without judging those in pain. Heal those suffering with depression today. If even for only a day they feel hope again, be gracious to them.

Somethings Fishy

I've been in John 21 lately. Most are familiar with it. It's the time after Christ's resurrection that the diciples had fished all night to no avail. From the shore Jesus told them to cast their nets on the other side and they had more fish than they could haul in. John recognizes this as Jesus and Peter swims ahead of the rest. This is the passage where Jesus asks Peter three times about his love for Him.

The interesting thing for me was that when everyone got to shore and saw the food that Jesus already had prepared, Jesus asked them to bring some of the fish they had just caught. How odd.
When I thought about it, there were several things I noticed. First of all, they were fishermen. This is what God had made them for (or so they believed until Jesus walked into their lives). Second, the fish that day were a direct gift from God. God didn't need those fish (there were already some on the fire), but He not only allowed them to bring their fish (or gifts), but He encouraged them to.

Kind of like our gifts, huh? Even fish can be used by God. Whatever gift God has given us, He expects us to share it with Him, even though we all know He doesn't need it. I won't argue that we need to encourage people to figure out what their gifts might be, but not everyone is going to be equal in the same gift area. Sometimes we only want the best of everything out there for our church. We have the nerve to be picky about what people give us. We are only told to give Him our individual best. The poor widow with her mite gave everything. It wasn't much in the grand scheme of things, but it was everything in her world. For the disciples, it was the fish. I pray God gives me the grace to be a little more accepting of smelly fish, and to realize that those fish may be more valuable than anything I have to give Him.

How Big IS My God?

At my church it's the time of year when we look at our past year's goals, set new ones, etc. Reflecting on that, I realized that I don't pray like I believe God can do absolutely anything, even though those are the words from my mouth. My initial reaction to not reaching one of the goals was disappointment. And the goal for next year was set lower than this year.

I have to wonder if we aren't limiting God. If we felt He led us to setting that goal, only we hinder Him from delivering. Our "year" isn't over yet, and if He's as great as I say He is, why do I doubt He'll do what we ask?

As we got closer to that goal this week, with the remainder of the month ahead of us, my prayer is the same as the man with sick child in Mark 9:24 - Lord, I believe, help my unbelief!

Selling It All

A while back I was challenged by the story of the young rich man who Jesus told to sell all his possessions and give it to the poor. I realized I wasn’t ready to do that. It was a sad thought for me, to proclaim I love God more than anything, but not willing to give up my paltry worldly possessions.

Then, a few months later, there was the reality that I am one of “those” people living below the poverty level figures. Yet, I’m not willing to give up even that. And what makes me so different from the other poor that people have labeled “those” people?

I recently made a comment that we can love (and help) others without being taken advantage of, but when we worry about being taken advantage of, we lose our ability to love and care for others. You see, when we’re focusing on someone else “using” us, we are focused on ourselves. None of the commandments, Old or New Testament, ever give us permission to focus on ourselves over others. In fact 1 Corinthians 13:3 tells us just the opposite. When we do good things without love for others, it’s nothing.

Then there’s the whole “using” concept ~ it’s just wrong. No one takes things from us we aren’t willing to give them. They may try, but if they take something without our permission, it’s theft, and so we haven’t really been taken advantage of. Now there are times we are not making sound decisions or judgments, or that we don’t have the inner strength to say “no.” But we can’t blame others for our own weaknesses.

If we are totally honest with ourselves when we read James 2, aren’t we all at least a little guilty of some sort of prejudice when we look at others? It may be the way they dress, the way they talk, what we perceive to be their income. In a crowded room (or church), to whom am I drawn?

My mother loved to go out to make an expensive purchase like a car, dressed down, expensive jewelry at home. The salesclerks would treat her terribly. Her husband would be with her and tell the sales staff that they needed to convince Mom to buy the car, not to talk to him. But invariably, my mother was shunned, talked down to, and sometimes just treated rudely. When she pulled out her money to pay cash for a brand new car, their faces must have been worth paying to see!

I wonder what my face will look like when I meet Jesus face to face. Will I have to answer for treating people differently than Jesus wanted me to? Will my own prejudices have won out over my desire to be like Christ? Will I ever reach the level of being able to sell it all and give it to the poor?

Crumbs

Sometimes I get discouraged. It could be about anything, but usually I’m too focused on myself and my life. Maybe my feelings get hurt, or maybe something doesn’t happen the way I wanted it to. But I think we’re all prone to moments of discouragement.

According to Merriam Webster, discourage means to deprive of courage or confidence, or dishearten. On the other hand, we sometimes try to hinder negative behavior with discouragement. Somehow it’s just never a good feeling.

I recently felt discouraged. About what, doesn’t really matter. I was trying to figure out how to fix it, which only brought me deeper into a negative state. Then the Lord threw me a crumb. I thought about the desperate woman who asked for crumbs from the Lord when it came to her sick daughter. And about poor Lazarus who lived off the crumbs of the rich man. And I rejoiced in even a crumb from God, because through it He reminded me how to fight my self-centered discouragement.

The crumb was the ability to rejoice at God working in someone else’s life. It was focusing on others that beat down the discouragement. It was looking out the window that drew me from the mirror. It’s not by trying to be undiscouraged that we find relief. It’s not some magic formula that we can plug into. It’s not even always a crumb from God. It’s focusing on things outside our own little world that brings us back to where we should be. If we want to be Christ-like, we need to focus on others more and ourselves less.

Listening

We have an activity in our church called "Love & Listen." I love the name (though I can't take credit for it) because it says so much in such a simple way. I was talking with a friend recently, and found myself giving him the same advice we use at Love & Listen.

Love is accepting someone for who they, where they are. There's room for improvement in all of us, but true love is meeting them where they are, like Jesus so often did. My favorite is the woman at the well in John 4 ~ He went to her because she needed Him to. He went to an unfriendly, or at least unacceptable place (Samaria) and spoke to a local woman (certainly beneath Him in the culture of the day) who was not the most upstanding citizen of the area, about things she could understand. He met her where she was, both figuratively and literally. No one was beneath His attention, whether leper or lame, Pharisee or unclean; He was willing to meet them where they were and share His love.

Listening is when you hear more than your own voice. If what you hear most is yourself, you're not listening. Counsellors are so successful because the patients do most of the talking. (Doesn't seem fair to charge for that, does it!) When you listen you find out about the person. You learn what is really going on underneath the surface stuff. You learn what they really need. When you listen you gain their trust, you show you care, and you demonstrate your love.

Listening to others helps you develop your 'listening to God' skills, too. I am comfortable in my prayer time in the silence. Even group prayer can have periods of quiet for me. It's the time when I can listen for God to talk to me. I must confess that I don't always like what I hear, but I love to hear any words from Him. Like a young child longing for parental attention, I long to hear God give me His attention. I can't hear Him when I'm doing all the talking. When I taught preschoolers, I always told them God gave them two ears and one mouth. They needed to listen twice as much as they spoke. I also pointed out that God also made us so our mouths and ears don't work at the same time. There is a time to speak and a time to listen ~ to others and to God.

Strangers

Have you ever met someone who knew you well, but you couldn't recall a previous encounter? How about the person whose life was so close to yours at one point that you can't believe your paths never crossed? Or the person you try to avoid like the plague, yet seems to end up in your face all the time?

I've had all of these in my life, and each one recently. I'm always uncomfortable when people know me from newspaper articles or news stories (my previous life was often public). Sometimes I fear because of negative attitudes from certain people. But I can't say anyone ever told me that once they met me I was nicer than they expected, or that they'd heard horrible things about me. There was just this uncalled for admiration that I was someone other people knew, and my own personal fears of course.

There was this other person who lived one block from me for twelve years. She walked past my house almost every day for her job. Yet I never knew her, though we shared some of the same friends. These fifteen years later we've met, found we have so much in common, and immediately became friends.

And there's the gentleman I avoided for nigh to ten years, who has been in my face through various circumstances over the past several weeks. These were not uncomfortable encounters, but ones that made me sit back and think why this person? And why so frequently lately?

And what will eternity be like? People we met by chance here and don't recall. People we met and wanted to get to know better. How about people we expected to see and can't find? Makes me sit back and ponder if these encounters are by chance after all. And what is their impression of me ~ good or bad? And how many will I spend eternity with...after all, eternity is a long time!

Poverty Simulation

It was called a simulation, and we all knew it was pretend, but emotions and reactions were real world. Our community hosted a poverty simulation and at the end all I could think was the old saying, "there but by the grace of God, go I."

In the simulation, I was the father with 2 young children. I learned that despite being fortunate to have a full time job in this simulation, I couldn't feed my family for half the month, I lost my children to the state for a week, and couldn't pay all my bills. I was frustrated that they didn't give us better instructions in the beginning, but someone pointed out that when we fall into the 'system,' there is no instruction book.

Others in the simulation were less fortunate. Some had no jobs, others had sick children, no food stamps, etc. I thought how fortunate I was to not be one of those families. Some resorted to crime, drugs, and lying, just to survive.

It all made me think about what we must do to survive, and how pious I get thinking how honest I am when someone gives me the wrong change in the store. I've never had to choose a lie vs. physical survival, or worse, survival for my children. I need to re-evaluate my absolute values when it comes to a system that traps people from the outset.

I thought about people who think they are helping those "less fortunate" when in reality they don't have a clue. I want all the people in my church who are involved with compassion ministries to go through this type of simulation. It wouldn't take long to figure out which ones are truly called. The simulation makes you realize it's more than just writing a check, though I believe there are those on earth that are given that desire and ability.

The event ended by handing out a sheet showing the actual poverty level in our community. I looked at my category (household of one) and looked at the needed income in relation to expenses. The expenses included housing subsidies, energy assistance, food stamps and the like. The minimum income was what I made last year. I managed to live on that amount of money without any public or private assistance. Again I thought, "there but by the grace of God...."

I don't share this to brag or draw sympathy, but to point out that it truly is only the grace of God that some people live by. What a privilege for me to have experienced that. The simulation was an affirmation of what I've felt drawn to do and the people I'm called to help.

Baby Steps

I am always amazed when the Lord opens doors for me and uses me. Last night I became aware of how sensitive I am to those baby steps in life; when I see progress in people or relationships and no one else around me gets it. In my youth, I was often accused of "beating a dead horse" because I just wouldn't give up, even when I should. Life taught me how unrealistic and exhausting that can be. I've come to realize of late that the optimism is still there though channeled better.

I believe that there is hope as long as there is breath. As long as there is hope, it is my obligation to show where that hope lies. I was so appreciative of the recent reminder that it isn't my job to "save" the world, but to plant the seeds so the Holy Spirit can work. As long as I reach out and love people, sharing God in a physical and/or spiritual sense, God can use me.

A week ago I felt I was alone on a battlefield because of people's judgment of others that I was feeling compassion toward. That experience taught me that it is a battlefield, but I'm not alone. I cannot believe that God has sent out support troops, and who those people are! Last night I saw progress, though small, with those people who were being judged a short week ago. I found myself not being concerned about what others thought of them, but just wanted to get to know them better. Until I know them, I can't share things with them. I don't know the language they talk (beyond English) and they need to know me to trust me. Years ago I would have been frustrated in my zealousness to not be further than I am in my witness. Today I appreciate the baby steps and see each and every one of them.

Joining the Right Century!

For those of you who've been doing this for years, I know you're saying, 'about time!' Haven't really felt a need to blog, but am thinking that it's time for me to share things with others, and I might as well do it in a modern way. While in Nevada, my mom lived on the original Pony Express Trail (mail actually traveled faster back then, than while she lived there!) I never thought something might be faster and easier than email, but I'm giving it a try. So, thanks for the info, support, and feedback I know many of you will give!

Postscript: Since I know some of you so well, so you don't have to ask the why behind the name: my name means Lioness and it's just me and the Lord!