Lydia

The past ten weeks have been kind of crazy for my family, and thanks to all of you who have been praying and asking about Lydia. She was here for a short visit this weekend, and gets discharged from the clinic Tuesday. As much as I've loved spending time with her, I won't miss the almost weekly trips to visit her.

God has really blessed her through this. When her insurance money ran out two weeks ago, she received a scholarship from the clinic's foundation to continue with treatment for free these past two weeks. They only award about six of these a year. Lydia believed God wanted her there. This was important because she was there voluntarily. She found out this past week that both of her part time jobs are waiting for her when she gets out and will have had a couple of weeks to adjust to being on her own again. Her prayer was that if God wanted her to work two jobs despite what the experts told her, that He would keep them for her. Though some of us felt she needed to focus on her health, who are we to argue with God's answer to her prayer?! The chances the jobs would be there were pretty slim.

Rebekah, Lydia's older sister, is coming home for a visit in another week or so. I know Lydia is anxiously waiting for that. I'm excited to be able to see them as well in a couple of weeks.

Lydia is 3/4 of the way to her goal weight, and they've allowed her to begin exercising. She'll be facing struggles in the weeks ahead, but her faith is strong, and her attitude has been positive through this whole thing. There's things we don't understand about the disease, and the cost, even after insurance, will strap her for awhile, but she's here, and amazingly healthy for what her body has gone through. I sometimes reflect on why so many young people are starving their bodies these days. Then I sit in awe at how the body can survive some of the things it does. We are truly created in a way that is beyond our comprehension.

Lydia and I talked about how her trial has impacted so many people in the extended family, and how wonderful it has been to be a part of God working in so many lives. Lydia's spiritual journey has been one that, I believe, has strengthened her faith. I love the young woman she has become and am proud to be related to her.

If you think to pray, remember some of her needs. Being out of work for ten weeks obviously will have an impact on her and all these medical bills. She needs to be moving in the near future, so please pray for affordable housing for her. Pray that she will be able to apply all the things she's learned about her disease and future health as she returns to work and her old lifestyle, which attributed to her severe decline. She will need wisdom as she makes practical decisions, and pray that she knows when to listen to medical advice and when to just have faith.

Thank you from Lydia and myself for your vigilance in prayer. God has heard and continues to answer.

What Language Do You Speak?

So often we talk our own language, let’s call it Christianese today, that we forget that we use words and phrases that others don’t understand. I became aware of this years ago when the church I belonged to had a deaf ministry. I was so accustomed to the deaf being a part of our service and congregation that I didn’t realize the work it took. Later when we moved to another community and the sister of one of our deaf friends was a part of the church, I thought nothing of inviting a new deaf friend to church, promising someone could sign for her. It was then that I found out that someone who is not familiar with church or Christ must learn the “language” in order for the signing to work. We use words like Jesus, salvation, sin, etc. that are not a part of everyday signing to the unsaved world.

Today I was again reminded that I need to be clearer about what I mean, especially in this technological day and age, when words are all we see. I commented on a relative’s Facebook page about 9-11 bringing us to our knees. For a Christian, that would mean humbled before God in prayer. For a stranger reading the comment, they assumed it meant broken and beaten in war.

So again, I must think more carefully how I talk, and how others will interpret what I say. It’s important in our day to day conversations, but more important when we talk about spiritual things in a Godless world.