Why is it so easy for us to see the lessons God wants others to learn while wearing blinders to Him working in our own lives? Maybe it’s that proverbial log (Matt. 7:3) we’re carrying around in our eye. Sometimes I think I have an entire forest that blinds me.
As I watch my family struggle through a situation that impacts many lives, I’m reminded that God is still in control. As I think back to times when my children were little and I wanted to protect them from everything hurtful and sad, it dawned on me: that’s what builds character. And if God gives each of us free will, who am I to interfere in His plan?
It’s interesting how when disaster strikes one person, those around her learn lessons too. For me it’s that God still hears my prayers. For over 6 months many of you have joined me in prayer for my niece, Lydia. And as I watch her mother’s blog, I pray harder. And I see His answers. Lydia has chosen treatment instead of staying in the typical denial mode of peers in her situation. Her family, one by one, is seeing that she is ill and needs help. And one by one as they go through the process of acceptance, I see God’s hand on each of them.
My prayer now is for the entire family to heal and for Lydia to know how loved she really is. Whether she ever moves back home or not isn’t important. The fact that she’s getting help is. And though it’s difficult to not worry about finances, God has that under control as well. Sometimes He wants us to reset our priorities, but money is of this world, and we are not.
So once again I am reminded about how we grow the most when pruned by the Gardener. And there’s a lot of pruning going on in my family these days. Please pray for them all, and for your own family. We never know what’s going on in those around us. I’m reminded of the Casting Crowns song, “Does Anybody Hear Her?” There’s a lot of struggling people out there. Do we see them? Do we hear?
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
Lydia
Many of you know the prayer requests I have asked for my niece Lydia. She is now in treatment and her family has posted a blog to keep everyone up to date and to keep prayer requests current. If you feel led to keep her in your mind, please visit at: http://trulylyd.wordpress.com. I know the family appreciates all the prayer they get.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Who's Closer to God?
I remember as a child taking a trip through the Indian reservation that was near my grandparents. I was surprised to see that tar-paper shacks really did exist and people lived that way in my lifetime…that it wasn’t just a piece of history I learned about in school.
I recently stopped by to drop something off for someone who lived in what, by definition, is nothing more than a flophouse. I recalled the amazement that something that I’d only read about or seen in movies or on TV really existed so close to me in my life in small-town America…and this was over forty years later.
More amazing to me was my reaction. I was introduced to all the residents, and given a tour of the property. It was obvious that these people lived a life I’ve never seen firsthand. But as much as I was saddened that someone is making a small fortune off these people “down on their luck,” I found that I had no desire to share my comfortable lifestyle with the one I was there to help. But I could come up with a list of excuses a mile long for not helping more.
That saddens me and even more, embarrasses me. Here I work with people less fortunate, cry out against others who don’t have compassion for them, and am willing to “minister” at places such as rescue missions, etc. But when I examine my own heart, I don’t have the faith to move someone in with me who has a history of making bad choices and associating with the wrong crowd. I enjoy my comfort more than I maybe should, and am maybe a little more afraid of risk than I’d like to admit.
And though I’m appreciative for the things I have, and recognize that it’s only by God’s grace that I’m not in the same situation as these people I met, I also know that my Lord and Savior didn’t even have a place to call home while He lived here. Are these people I have so much compassion for really closer to Jesus’ lifestyle than self-righteous me? Maybe, just maybe, I got a better glimpse of the Beatitudes through this person’s life than through my own.
I recently stopped by to drop something off for someone who lived in what, by definition, is nothing more than a flophouse. I recalled the amazement that something that I’d only read about or seen in movies or on TV really existed so close to me in my life in small-town America…and this was over forty years later.
More amazing to me was my reaction. I was introduced to all the residents, and given a tour of the property. It was obvious that these people lived a life I’ve never seen firsthand. But as much as I was saddened that someone is making a small fortune off these people “down on their luck,” I found that I had no desire to share my comfortable lifestyle with the one I was there to help. But I could come up with a list of excuses a mile long for not helping more.
That saddens me and even more, embarrasses me. Here I work with people less fortunate, cry out against others who don’t have compassion for them, and am willing to “minister” at places such as rescue missions, etc. But when I examine my own heart, I don’t have the faith to move someone in with me who has a history of making bad choices and associating with the wrong crowd. I enjoy my comfort more than I maybe should, and am maybe a little more afraid of risk than I’d like to admit.
And though I’m appreciative for the things I have, and recognize that it’s only by God’s grace that I’m not in the same situation as these people I met, I also know that my Lord and Savior didn’t even have a place to call home while He lived here. Are these people I have so much compassion for really closer to Jesus’ lifestyle than self-righteous me? Maybe, just maybe, I got a better glimpse of the Beatitudes through this person’s life than through my own.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
The Fortress
Like so many others, our church and individuals in it, are receiving their fair share of trials. For us I think it's because we have chosen to move outside the walls of our church. Our pastor preached a message September 7th that said "These walls must come down!"
Slowly, but surely they are coming down, and what we are learning is great stuff. People are coming to know Christ and turn their lives around. We're coming in contact with more and more people in need of human compassion and eternal love. Dreams we had for ministry are starting to grow and bear fruit. But as we do more all this, we are tried more.
It dawned on me the other day that when we take the walls of our church down to be in our world helping people, that those walls also provided protection, as a type of fortress. I would never discourage anyone from going outside the church to do God's work. Instead I would advise that you be ready to stand firm with much less protection that you're accustomed to. The battle is God's, and He's already won it. Sometimes we struggle with remembering that, especially when in the midst of a trial. But if we are armed and ready, we can do it! So go ahead, take the walls down in your church and reach out to the world as Christ did. Satan tried to tempt Christ, why would we think it would be easier for us!
Slowly, but surely they are coming down, and what we are learning is great stuff. People are coming to know Christ and turn their lives around. We're coming in contact with more and more people in need of human compassion and eternal love. Dreams we had for ministry are starting to grow and bear fruit. But as we do more all this, we are tried more.
It dawned on me the other day that when we take the walls of our church down to be in our world helping people, that those walls also provided protection, as a type of fortress. I would never discourage anyone from going outside the church to do God's work. Instead I would advise that you be ready to stand firm with much less protection that you're accustomed to. The battle is God's, and He's already won it. Sometimes we struggle with remembering that, especially when in the midst of a trial. But if we are armed and ready, we can do it! So go ahead, take the walls down in your church and reach out to the world as Christ did. Satan tried to tempt Christ, why would we think it would be easier for us!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Compelled
I recently read something that used the word "compel." It's not a word we use often, but I like the word. You know, there are just some words that have pleasant memories, or special meaning. I think for me it's a song (the Hornet Song) from long ago about how God doesn't make us do anything (that free will thing) but He can compel us to do things. (It's
Anyway, I was thinking about how I'd often wanted to just give up the whole free will thing so it would be easier to know and do what God wanted. (I'm lazy by nature.) I realized that free will is what makes us who we are, so God would never remove that. But I could ask Him to start compelling me.
It's amazing what you get when you ask for that. All of a sudden I didn't need to think twice about doing things anymore. I just knew something needed to be acted on, and it was second nature to me. No second guessing, just second nature. And to see God working when you are doing what He wants when He wants is so amazing. Surprising sometimes, yet a blessing.
But just like praying for patience brings adversity to teach us that patience, asking God to compel me had its downside. You see, the thing that gave me that knowledge of what to do, was an increased sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. With that came the sensitivity to pray for others more. Knowledge that things might not be right. Knowledge at times that I wouldn't have thought of someone let alone pray for them. A sensitivity that produced empathetic emotions...sometimes the tears and actual pain of that person.
As they say, be careful what you pray for...but I'd encourage you to think about praying for ways for you to become more sensitive and decisive in seeking out God's will for you.
Anyway, I was thinking about how I'd often wanted to just give up the whole free will thing so it would be easier to know and do what God wanted. (I'm lazy by nature.) I realized that free will is what makes us who we are, so God would never remove that. But I could ask Him to start compelling me.
It's amazing what you get when you ask for that. All of a sudden I didn't need to think twice about doing things anymore. I just knew something needed to be acted on, and it was second nature to me. No second guessing, just second nature. And to see God working when you are doing what He wants when He wants is so amazing. Surprising sometimes, yet a blessing.
But just like praying for patience brings adversity to teach us that patience, asking God to compel me had its downside. You see, the thing that gave me that knowledge of what to do, was an increased sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. With that came the sensitivity to pray for others more. Knowledge that things might not be right. Knowledge at times that I wouldn't have thought of someone let alone pray for them. A sensitivity that produced empathetic emotions...sometimes the tears and actual pain of that person.
As they say, be careful what you pray for...but I'd encourage you to think about praying for ways for you to become more sensitive and decisive in seeking out God's will for you.
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