At the end of this old year, I'm thinking back over all that has happened. There have been countless joys--thank You, Lord! Thank You for trips with friends and family, for joyous celebrations at holidays, for engagements and weddings. And thank You for the daily blessings of delicious meals, walks with dogs, brilliant fall foliage, exercise classes with friends, Bible study with wonderful women, going to church, waking up and feeling good, scarlet cardinals in the snow, laughter, hot tea, good books, roaring fires, chocolate cake, scalding baths, simply being with my people. Oh my, so grateful. Thank You most of all for sending Jesus to save us, Your Spirit to stay with us, and Your abiding, never-ending, never-failing love, forgiveness, faithfulness, power, and presence in our lives. Forgive us, Father, whenever we take any of it for granted.
But this past year has also held many heartbreaks, especially losing dearly beloved friends and family members. No, not really lost for we know exactly where they are, praise God, but lost to us for the rest of our short stay on this planet. How I miss them. What I would give to hear Jo Anna's hearty laugh, hilarious stories, stunningly wise counsel...and grow larger from her deep love of life and people. Or to hug sweet Katherine, tell her about the children, laugh over old family stories, and learn from how well she loves. Or Ray and his great wisdom, his love of the Lord, his way of living and looking so much like Jesus. And so many others.
All those we have lost leave holes that cannot be filled...but like those witnesses in Hebrews 12, we sense them cheering us on from above to press on. To love deeply. To forgive unreservedly. To live fully to the glory of God. To savor His gifts and to share them with others. To recognize in each day a precious, never-to-be-repeated twenty-four hours from Him that we must spend fully loving Him and others and deeply savoring this priceless gift of life He has given us.
Yes, we're all beginning to think about the new year approaching...with all those goals we long for, habits we want to change, dreams we hope to fulfill. But right now, let's just savor this past year. Grieve deeply for the hard losses. Ask forgiveness for the ways we failed God and others. But also rejoice over the relentless, daily goodness of God in our lives. For His holiness. For His presence. For His love and forgiveness. For His Word. And for His gifts. Countless gifts day in and day out. How can we not be grateful?
I've always loved these words from Shauna Niequist: "I think life, just life, just breathing in and out, is a great gift. God gives us something amazing when He gives us life, and I want to live with gratitude. I want to live in a way that shows how much I appreciate the gift. If life were a sweater, I would wear it everyday. I wouldn't save it or keep it for a special occasion. I would find every opportunity to wear that sweater, and I'd wear it proudly, shamelessly, for days on end."
Thank You, Lord, for 2018 with all it's sorrows and joys, losses and gifts. And thank You for carrying us through them all with Your powerful, loving, forgiving, righteous, redeeming, faithful presence. Help us to live this day, and as many days as You choose to give us, with abounding gratitude for You and for Your gifts. Help us, every single day, to love You and love others with every fiber of our being. Might we live this day and every day, in the words of Paul in Ephesians, "to the praise of Your glory."
To God be the glory.
Sunday, December 30, 2018
Monday, December 24, 2018
The Light of the World
Praise God for His light--for the Light of the world--and that no matter the depth of the darkness, it will never ever overcome His light. His light will always pierce the gloom of darkness and overcome--just as Jesus overcame from the cradle to the cross.
I awoke early this morning and in the predawn darkness, turned on our Christmas tree..the inky darkness scattered and the riotous colors of light broke through and shined in our house. I felt overwhelmed at that moment with the gift of light and with God's greatest Gift of the Light of the World. Do we take that gift for granted? Will we pause in the midst of our busyness or distraction and thank God for His gift of light and for The Light that shines in the darkness and will always overcome it?
"The people who sat in the darkness have seen a great light and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned." (Mt.4:16) Many of us have experienced that shadow of death this past year. Our family has felt it's dark, sorrowful shadow pass over us twice just this Advent season. We have mourned and grieved the darkness of death, but we have not grieved as those without hope...for we know that this is merely death's shadow. Because the Light of the World came at Christmas, He has defeated and overwhelmed the real thing--death itself--so that we merely walk through the valley of the shadow of death. But even in that shadow, we walk in His light. We bear His light. And we travel towards His glorious conquering, shimmering, light.
So today, rejoice that it is the eve of the day we celebrate His coming. Today, acknowledge the darkness. Grieve the darkness of sin and death. But then celebrate that the Light has come! He is here. And the darkness will never ever overcome Him! In every Christmas light you see today, might it be a reminder to you of the Light of the World--and He is with you, lighting your world.
Might we be His light bearers this day and everyday to those who desperately need to see and to know that the Light of World has come and is coming again.
To God be the glory.
Tuesday, December 18, 2018
Start looking up!
One of my favorite Dietrich Bonhoeffer passages shared in a sermon in London on December 3, 1933:
"You know what a mine disaster is. In recent weeks we have had to read about one on the newspapers.
The moment even the most courageous miner has dreaded his whole life long is here. It is no use running into the walls; the silence all around him remains...The way out for him is blocked. He knows the people up there are working feverishly to reach the miners who are buried alive. Perhaps someone will be rescued, but here in the last shaft? An agonizing period of waiting and dying is all that remains.
But suddenly a noise that sounds like tapping and breaking in the rock can be heard. Unexpectedly, voices cry out, 'Where are you, help is on the way!' Then the disheartened miner picks himself up, his heart leaps, he shouts, 'Here I am, come on through and help me! Just come soon!' A final, desperate hammer blow to his ear, now the rescue is near, just one more step and he is free.
We have spoken of Advent itself. That is how it is with the coming of Christ: 'Look up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.'" (Luke 21:28)
That is Christmas--the divine rescue operation is finally, in God's perfect timing, launched. God invades His creation--now marred by sin and death--and with the first gulp of air filling the infant Messiah's tiny lungs, He begins the glorious process of reclaiming, restoring, redeeming His beloved children.
Begun in a lowly animal's feeding trough, that rescue operation would end on a wretched wooden cross on Calvary. Oh, but the most glorious plan ever to save humanity would not end on that lonely hill. No, no, "raise your heads" and look up as the resurrected Lord conquers sin and death and secures your redemption!
We were once all like that utterly hopeless, helpless miner...but now Christ has come! Christ has conquered. And Christ--Emmanuel--is here, with you, with me, right this moment and in all of our moments all the way until the end of time and into eternity. He has already won your freedom, assured your salvation, and opened the way out of the darkness and desperation and into His glorious light.
Stop regretting the past. Stop fretting over the future. Stop looking down...and start looking up for your redemption is drawing near!
No matter what's happening in your life today, pause right now to look up, remember, and rejoice in the freedom and redemption Christ has already won for you and in the wondrous future you will have with Him forever.
To God be the glory.
"You know what a mine disaster is. In recent weeks we have had to read about one on the newspapers.
The moment even the most courageous miner has dreaded his whole life long is here. It is no use running into the walls; the silence all around him remains...The way out for him is blocked. He knows the people up there are working feverishly to reach the miners who are buried alive. Perhaps someone will be rescued, but here in the last shaft? An agonizing period of waiting and dying is all that remains.
But suddenly a noise that sounds like tapping and breaking in the rock can be heard. Unexpectedly, voices cry out, 'Where are you, help is on the way!' Then the disheartened miner picks himself up, his heart leaps, he shouts, 'Here I am, come on through and help me! Just come soon!' A final, desperate hammer blow to his ear, now the rescue is near, just one more step and he is free.
We have spoken of Advent itself. That is how it is with the coming of Christ: 'Look up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.'" (Luke 21:28)
That is Christmas--the divine rescue operation is finally, in God's perfect timing, launched. God invades His creation--now marred by sin and death--and with the first gulp of air filling the infant Messiah's tiny lungs, He begins the glorious process of reclaiming, restoring, redeeming His beloved children.
Begun in a lowly animal's feeding trough, that rescue operation would end on a wretched wooden cross on Calvary. Oh, but the most glorious plan ever to save humanity would not end on that lonely hill. No, no, "raise your heads" and look up as the resurrected Lord conquers sin and death and secures your redemption!
We were once all like that utterly hopeless, helpless miner...but now Christ has come! Christ has conquered. And Christ--Emmanuel--is here, with you, with me, right this moment and in all of our moments all the way until the end of time and into eternity. He has already won your freedom, assured your salvation, and opened the way out of the darkness and desperation and into His glorious light.
Stop regretting the past. Stop fretting over the future. Stop looking down...and start looking up for your redemption is drawing near!
No matter what's happening in your life today, pause right now to look up, remember, and rejoice in the freedom and redemption Christ has already won for you and in the wondrous future you will have with Him forever.
To God be the glory.
Saturday, December 15, 2018
At Christmas...remember God saves
"She will bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." (Mt.1:22)
The horrendous news swallowed up by the glorious news: We are sinners, everyone of us. We live in a sin-sick, broken world full of fellow sinners...but God has sent us a Savior. And His name is Jesus, which means "God saves."
Today, let those words sink in: God saves. That's not just what He does. That's who He is. The always and forever omnipotent, omniscient Almighty Lord, Creator and Sustainer of Heaven and Earth--that awesome God saves and He is salvation. He came to earth to bring and to be our Salvation.
Sometimes in the midst of the wrapping and lights and cookies and craziness and shopping and lists...we forget. But then perhaps sorrow suddenly overcomes us or failure discourages us or waiting weakens us or weariness overwhelms us or simply the cares of this old world remind us once again that we are imperfect, broken people living in an imperfect, broken world...but God saves! God sent a Savior and His name is Jesus. Jesus came to forgive, to love, to free, to save, and He is--even now--making all things new. And He is coming again.
Often it takes those difficult times in our lives to enable the good news to breaks upon us with all its astounding wonder and glory. And in that sense the sorrows, disappointments, and failures in our lives are gifts, truly gifts that open our eyes to glimpse who God is and what He has done in sending us Jesus...and it's incredible, awesome (in the true meaning of that word!), and joyous beyond all imagining.
Stephen Curtis Chapman wrote a song many years ago that was prompted by seeing a prisoner--head bowed in shame, shackled by his hands and feet--shuffle onto his plane. The sight prompted Chapman to write a song, "Remember your Chains," and it's always been one of my favorites. "Remember your chains. Remember the prison that once held you before the love of God broke through. Remember the place you were without grace. When you see where you are now Remember your chains and remember your chains are gone."
That's who we were--prisoners of our sin, shame, failure, envy, pride, and selfishness...but then God's love broke through and He sent a Savior at Christmas. God saves.
Not just God saved. God saves. Here today. In that deeply held disappointment and sorrow that hides within your heart--God saves. In that fear of an uncertain future--God saves. In that painful, broken relationship--God saves. In that terrible diagnosis, disease or death--God saves. He is present. He is powerful. He is enough. He is able. He will one glorious day redeem all those ugly, shattered places in our lives and in our world, and when He comes again, He will make all, all, all things new.
Today, in the midst of all your happiness or busyness, your waiting or discouragement, your sadness or exhaustion, your fear or anxiety, simply pause and reread the beautiful, wondrous story in His eternal, God-breathed Word. It's the story of a sovereign Lord who loves you so infinitely much, that He came to you, to me, to this whole world, to save. He came as a baby. He lived, died, and rose again to save as a Redeemer. He will return as a King. And He is, even now, making all things new.
Oh please, today, remember your chains...but then remember--praise God--your chains are gone. Remember God saves.
To God--the Savior, the Chain Breaker, the One who makes all things new--be all the glory.
The horrendous news swallowed up by the glorious news: We are sinners, everyone of us. We live in a sin-sick, broken world full of fellow sinners...but God has sent us a Savior. And His name is Jesus, which means "God saves."
Today, let those words sink in: God saves. That's not just what He does. That's who He is. The always and forever omnipotent, omniscient Almighty Lord, Creator and Sustainer of Heaven and Earth--that awesome God saves and He is salvation. He came to earth to bring and to be our Salvation.
Sometimes in the midst of the wrapping and lights and cookies and craziness and shopping and lists...we forget. But then perhaps sorrow suddenly overcomes us or failure discourages us or waiting weakens us or weariness overwhelms us or simply the cares of this old world remind us once again that we are imperfect, broken people living in an imperfect, broken world...but God saves! God sent a Savior and His name is Jesus. Jesus came to forgive, to love, to free, to save, and He is--even now--making all things new. And He is coming again.
Often it takes those difficult times in our lives to enable the good news to breaks upon us with all its astounding wonder and glory. And in that sense the sorrows, disappointments, and failures in our lives are gifts, truly gifts that open our eyes to glimpse who God is and what He has done in sending us Jesus...and it's incredible, awesome (in the true meaning of that word!), and joyous beyond all imagining.
Stephen Curtis Chapman wrote a song many years ago that was prompted by seeing a prisoner--head bowed in shame, shackled by his hands and feet--shuffle onto his plane. The sight prompted Chapman to write a song, "Remember your Chains," and it's always been one of my favorites. "Remember your chains. Remember the prison that once held you before the love of God broke through. Remember the place you were without grace. When you see where you are now Remember your chains and remember your chains are gone."
That's who we were--prisoners of our sin, shame, failure, envy, pride, and selfishness...but then God's love broke through and He sent a Savior at Christmas. God saves.
Not just God saved. God saves. Here today. In that deeply held disappointment and sorrow that hides within your heart--God saves. In that fear of an uncertain future--God saves. In that painful, broken relationship--God saves. In that terrible diagnosis, disease or death--God saves. He is present. He is powerful. He is enough. He is able. He will one glorious day redeem all those ugly, shattered places in our lives and in our world, and when He comes again, He will make all, all, all things new.
Today, in the midst of all your happiness or busyness, your waiting or discouragement, your sadness or exhaustion, your fear or anxiety, simply pause and reread the beautiful, wondrous story in His eternal, God-breathed Word. It's the story of a sovereign Lord who loves you so infinitely much, that He came to you, to me, to this whole world, to save. He came as a baby. He lived, died, and rose again to save as a Redeemer. He will return as a King. And He is, even now, making all things new.
Oh please, today, remember your chains...but then remember--praise God--your chains are gone. Remember God saves.
To God--the Savior, the Chain Breaker, the One who makes all things new--be all the glory.
Monday, December 10, 2018
"I love you, too."
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By all this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:34-35)
Do you know when Jesus said these words? Not while happily strolling along the Sea of Galilee on a sun-drenched day. Not while peacefully sitting on a mountain top, savoring the view with his friends. Not while laughing with delight over the love and excitement of children clamoring to be near him. Not while the multitudes were listening to His teaching with rapt attention and rejoicing over His miraculous healing of the sick.
Nope. Jesus said these words immediately after Judas--one of the disciples whom Jesus had chosen, had loved, had taught, had poured Himself into--took bread from Jesus' hand at the last supper and then went out into the darkness to betray this One'd loved him and come to save him. Jesus said these words knowing that in a few hours He would live them out with His suffering, with His blood, with His very life. He would be betrayed, abandoned, beaten, and nailed to a rough wooden cross for Judas' sin...for their sins...for your sins...for my sins. All to demonstrate the boundless, beautiful extent of His love.
Jesus was born in a cradle at Christmas in order to die on a cross at Calvary. That is how much He loved us. And He commands us that "just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another."
Love means loving as Jesus loved--when others are at their best...and at their worst. When they "deserve" our love...and when they don't. When we feel like loving...and when we don't. When our circumstances are all sunshine and flowers...and when they're more like typhoons and muddy muck.
I've been thinking about this a lot recently for that's how my sweet sister-in-law, Katherine, loved. Nothing fancy or earth-shattering. She simply showed up and loved, day in and day out.
Isn't that how love behaves? Yes, love sacrifices. Love forgives. Love encourages. Love appreciates. Love thanks....
...but love also, at it's most basic level, simply shows up...day after day, through thick and thin, in busy and barren seasons, whether it's easy or challenging. Love keeps showing up.
The words of our daughter, Janie, when she spoke at Katherine's Home-going service expressed this so beautifully, so I thought I'd share her comments. (But an important note first: Janie absolutely, positively was nowhere as difficult as she claims here! No question she was strong-willed, but God used that herculean will after her accident to enable her to fight back and recover. So praise God that He uses even our weaknesses for our ultimate good and His glory!)
Here are Janie's words:
"For those of you that knew me as a child, I feel I should apologize for some potentially not so fond memories. If temper tantrums were an art, I was Picasso at age 5. I knew every button and could press them all simultaneously, it was a dark gift. I was not an easy child to be around for longer than 5 min. If you got to 6 min, you had front row seat to the Janie tantrum show. All this to say, at certain points in my childhood, I was understandably intolerable. Aunt Katherine was one of the few, the mighty, that showed up for it all. I was stubborn, but Aunt Katherine was even more stubborn… because she refused to be absent in the midst of all my antics.
She showed up for the attention seeking stage. I would perform the song Britney Spears song “Oops I did it again,” complete with dance moves and background music, literally hundreds of times for my loyal audience member. Each time she couldn’t hide her laughter I would stomp my foot, turn off the music, and start over because I wanted to be taken seriously. I would scold her for not giving me the deference I was due as a serious aspiring 5 year old performer, and each time she would vehemently agree with me and tell me that I was the greatest singer/dancer she had ever seen. She showed up even when I was being ridiculous because I needed someone to affirm in my dreams, no matter how silly.
She showed up for the vanity stage. In elementary school, I was convinced that I was at the pinnacle of fashion. This meant that I had to have my hair slicked back on my head like a mobster from the 20s. I would make Katherine perform the role of stylist, which consisted of about an hour of doing and redoing my hair. Each time she put my hair in a ponytail and smoothed down all the sides with water, I would look in the mirror and yell “I see a bump!!” and she’d do it again. And again. And again. I usually started crying at some point during the 25th iteration and Katherine would wipe the tears away and say matter of factly “, don’t worry, I will make it perfect!” She showed up even when I was being exasperating because I needed someone to tell me it was going to be okay.
She showed up for the jealous stage. I use to count my presents every Christmas and compare what I got with what my siblings got. I was at the age where quantity meant infinitely more than quality. One year, when I thought that Katherine had gotten my siblings more than she had gotten me, I went to DEFCON 1 and threw a fit that to rival all fits. I refused to talk to anyone for a good part of the day. But Katherine came and sat with me, even as I was trying to give her the cold shoulder. She said all the presents in the world wouldn’t be enough to represent how much she loved me. She showed up even when I was being ungrateful because I needed someone who would love me without expecting any thanks.
And Katherine never stopped showing up. Whatever I went through, whatever I did, she was there for it. She taught me that standing side by side through thick and thin is the best way to love someone. Even if they’re stubborn, even if they’re ridiculous, even if they’re exasperating, even if they’re ungrateful, keep showing up. I am eternally thankful for Katherine because I learned so much from the way she loved me when I was hard to love. I am better for it. I love and miss her dearly, but I will carry the example she set for me until I see her again."
The last words our family heard Katherine utter on the night before she went home to heaven were "I love you too." And isn't it remarkable that on the very same day in Texas those were also the very last words of George H.W. Bush. "I love you, too." Oh might those be the words that those we love hear from us over and over again, from first to last. Don't just think it, say it.
Love is why Jesus came at Christmas. Love is why He died at Calvary. Love is what He's commanded us to do. Might others know us not by our accomplishments, our appearance, our accolades, or by anything this world so often applauds, but by the way we love. Love God and love others. Think how we could transform this old planet if we would love like Jesus loved.
Let's start by simply showing up...today...and then tomorrow...and then the next. Because aren't you so thankful that Jesus showed up for you over two thousand years ago at Christmas? Thank You, Lord Jesus, and I love You, too!
To God be the glory.
Do you know when Jesus said these words? Not while happily strolling along the Sea of Galilee on a sun-drenched day. Not while peacefully sitting on a mountain top, savoring the view with his friends. Not while laughing with delight over the love and excitement of children clamoring to be near him. Not while the multitudes were listening to His teaching with rapt attention and rejoicing over His miraculous healing of the sick.
Nope. Jesus said these words immediately after Judas--one of the disciples whom Jesus had chosen, had loved, had taught, had poured Himself into--took bread from Jesus' hand at the last supper and then went out into the darkness to betray this One'd loved him and come to save him. Jesus said these words knowing that in a few hours He would live them out with His suffering, with His blood, with His very life. He would be betrayed, abandoned, beaten, and nailed to a rough wooden cross for Judas' sin...for their sins...for your sins...for my sins. All to demonstrate the boundless, beautiful extent of His love.
Jesus was born in a cradle at Christmas in order to die on a cross at Calvary. That is how much He loved us. And He commands us that "just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another."
Love means loving as Jesus loved--when others are at their best...and at their worst. When they "deserve" our love...and when they don't. When we feel like loving...and when we don't. When our circumstances are all sunshine and flowers...and when they're more like typhoons and muddy muck.
I've been thinking about this a lot recently for that's how my sweet sister-in-law, Katherine, loved. Nothing fancy or earth-shattering. She simply showed up and loved, day in and day out.
Isn't that how love behaves? Yes, love sacrifices. Love forgives. Love encourages. Love appreciates. Love thanks....
...but love also, at it's most basic level, simply shows up...day after day, through thick and thin, in busy and barren seasons, whether it's easy or challenging. Love keeps showing up.
The words of our daughter, Janie, when she spoke at Katherine's Home-going service expressed this so beautifully, so I thought I'd share her comments. (But an important note first: Janie absolutely, positively was nowhere as difficult as she claims here! No question she was strong-willed, but God used that herculean will after her accident to enable her to fight back and recover. So praise God that He uses even our weaknesses for our ultimate good and His glory!)
Here are Janie's words:
"For those of you that knew me as a child, I feel I should apologize for some potentially not so fond memories. If temper tantrums were an art, I was Picasso at age 5. I knew every button and could press them all simultaneously, it was a dark gift. I was not an easy child to be around for longer than 5 min. If you got to 6 min, you had front row seat to the Janie tantrum show. All this to say, at certain points in my childhood, I was understandably intolerable. Aunt Katherine was one of the few, the mighty, that showed up for it all. I was stubborn, but Aunt Katherine was even more stubborn… because she refused to be absent in the midst of all my antics.
She showed up for the attention seeking stage. I would perform the song Britney Spears song “Oops I did it again,” complete with dance moves and background music, literally hundreds of times for my loyal audience member. Each time she couldn’t hide her laughter I would stomp my foot, turn off the music, and start over because I wanted to be taken seriously. I would scold her for not giving me the deference I was due as a serious aspiring 5 year old performer, and each time she would vehemently agree with me and tell me that I was the greatest singer/dancer she had ever seen. She showed up even when I was being ridiculous because I needed someone to affirm in my dreams, no matter how silly.
She showed up for the vanity stage. In elementary school, I was convinced that I was at the pinnacle of fashion. This meant that I had to have my hair slicked back on my head like a mobster from the 20s. I would make Katherine perform the role of stylist, which consisted of about an hour of doing and redoing my hair. Each time she put my hair in a ponytail and smoothed down all the sides with water, I would look in the mirror and yell “I see a bump!!” and she’d do it again. And again. And again. I usually started crying at some point during the 25th iteration and Katherine would wipe the tears away and say matter of factly “, don’t worry, I will make it perfect!” She showed up even when I was being exasperating because I needed someone to tell me it was going to be okay.
She showed up for the jealous stage. I use to count my presents every Christmas and compare what I got with what my siblings got. I was at the age where quantity meant infinitely more than quality. One year, when I thought that Katherine had gotten my siblings more than she had gotten me, I went to DEFCON 1 and threw a fit that to rival all fits. I refused to talk to anyone for a good part of the day. But Katherine came and sat with me, even as I was trying to give her the cold shoulder. She said all the presents in the world wouldn’t be enough to represent how much she loved me. She showed up even when I was being ungrateful because I needed someone who would love me without expecting any thanks.
And Katherine never stopped showing up. Whatever I went through, whatever I did, she was there for it. She taught me that standing side by side through thick and thin is the best way to love someone. Even if they’re stubborn, even if they’re ridiculous, even if they’re exasperating, even if they’re ungrateful, keep showing up. I am eternally thankful for Katherine because I learned so much from the way she loved me when I was hard to love. I am better for it. I love and miss her dearly, but I will carry the example she set for me until I see her again."
The last words our family heard Katherine utter on the night before she went home to heaven were "I love you too." And isn't it remarkable that on the very same day in Texas those were also the very last words of George H.W. Bush. "I love you, too." Oh might those be the words that those we love hear from us over and over again, from first to last. Don't just think it, say it.
Love is why Jesus came at Christmas. Love is why He died at Calvary. Love is what He's commanded us to do. Might others know us not by our accomplishments, our appearance, our accolades, or by anything this world so often applauds, but by the way we love. Love God and love others. Think how we could transform this old planet if we would love like Jesus loved.
Let's start by simply showing up...today...and then tomorrow...and then the next. Because aren't you so thankful that Jesus showed up for you over two thousand years ago at Christmas? Thank You, Lord Jesus, and I love You, too!
To God be the glory.
Sunday, December 2, 2018
Because of Jesus...more alive than ever
Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. I Cor.15:51-57
Praise You Lord that today this is reality for my dear sister-in-law. Freed from the chains of sickness and cancer, freed from the chains of sin and death, and now truly, fully alive in You. Alive as never before. Alive in ways we cannot imagine. She is truly Home for Christmas for the first time this year.
How we will miss her...but how, even in deep grieving, we rejoice for her and for all those dearly loved friends and family who have entered Your glorious Kingdom. Dear Jo Anna--her first Christmas in heaven. And Ray. And Lynda. And Sam. And so many others.
At this time, of all times of the year, how thankful we are for Jesus--for coming to this old earth, for wrapping Himself in our flesh, experiencing all our sorrows and pains and challenges, dying for our sins, conquering sin and death and rising to new life. And because Jesus lives, Katherine lives...and JoAnna and Ray and Lynda and Sam and so many others live.
How I love the words of D.L. Moody written shortly before his own Home-going: "Some day you will read in the papers, 'D. L. Moody of East Northfield is dead.' Don't you believe a word of it!
At that moment I shall be more alive than I am now; I shall have gone up higher, that is all,
out of this old clay tenement into a house that is immortal --a body that death cannot touch, that sin cannot taint; a body fashioned like unto His glorious body."
Katherine--and all your believing loved ones--are not dead. Because of Jesus and His coming at Christmas, they, too, are more alive than ever before. Because of Jesus and His coming at Christmas, we shall see them again one day. Because of Jesus and His coming at Christmas, we, too, can rejoice with Paul, "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" no matter what chains of sorrow, sickness, or difficulty confront us at the moment.
O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.
To God--to the Lord Jesus who came at Christmas and conquered at the cross--be all the glory.
Praise You Lord that today this is reality for my dear sister-in-law. Freed from the chains of sickness and cancer, freed from the chains of sin and death, and now truly, fully alive in You. Alive as never before. Alive in ways we cannot imagine. She is truly Home for Christmas for the first time this year.
How we will miss her...but how, even in deep grieving, we rejoice for her and for all those dearly loved friends and family who have entered Your glorious Kingdom. Dear Jo Anna--her first Christmas in heaven. And Ray. And Lynda. And Sam. And so many others.
At this time, of all times of the year, how thankful we are for Jesus--for coming to this old earth, for wrapping Himself in our flesh, experiencing all our sorrows and pains and challenges, dying for our sins, conquering sin and death and rising to new life. And because Jesus lives, Katherine lives...and JoAnna and Ray and Lynda and Sam and so many others live.
How I love the words of D.L. Moody written shortly before his own Home-going: "Some day you will read in the papers, 'D. L. Moody of East Northfield is dead.' Don't you believe a word of it!
At that moment I shall be more alive than I am now; I shall have gone up higher, that is all,
out of this old clay tenement into a house that is immortal --a body that death cannot touch, that sin cannot taint; a body fashioned like unto His glorious body."
Katherine--and all your believing loved ones--are not dead. Because of Jesus and His coming at Christmas, they, too, are more alive than ever before. Because of Jesus and His coming at Christmas, we shall see them again one day. Because of Jesus and His coming at Christmas, we, too, can rejoice with Paul, "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" no matter what chains of sorrow, sickness, or difficulty confront us at the moment.
O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.
To God--to the Lord Jesus who came at Christmas and conquered at the cross--be all the glory.
Friday, November 30, 2018
Because of Emmanuel, in the midst of lament, we rejoice
Right now I'm listening to the haunting, yet stunningly beautiful strains of a single piano playing "O Come O Come Emmanuel." It surely is one of the most powerful of all the Advent/Christmas carols, and it nearly always moves me to tears. The minor key, the lament, the longing for Emmanuel to come...and to come in the midst of this world's sorrow and brokenness. O come, please come, dearest Lord Jesus, and "free Thine own from satan's tyranny. From depths of hell Thy people save. And give them victory o'er the grave."
Yes, "Thou Day-Spring come and cheer our spirits by Thine advent here. Disperse the gloomy clouds of night and death's dark shadows put to flight. Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel."
Isn't that the kind of Advent and Christmas so many of us are celebrating/mourning/rejoicing/lamenting? Yes, it feels like Narnia--where it's "winter but never Christmas"--but we know, we call to mind, we remember and then we choose to rejoice that You came and broke into this sin-sick, broken world to redeem us and, as the carol says, to save us from the depths of hell and gave us victory over the grave.
Thank You, Thank You, thank You, Lord Jesus! Help us to remember in the midst of our struggles and sorrows that You came, You are here, You are with us and in us, You will never ever leave us, and You are coming again to make all, all, all things new.
You will defeat and destroy forever the sin that hurts us...and the cancer that robs those we love of health and life...and the brokenness that haunts our world and harms Your children that You love and for whom You died and rose again.
Our family is enduring one of those hard, dark, winter times right now with my dear sister-in-law very sick. But as heartbreaking as it is at the moment, her future is utterly, wonderfully secure. One day, she will step into heaven and experience unimaginable glories, love, peace, joy and wonder. Praise You, Lord, for the hope and promise of heaven! She and all who love the Lord have infinitely more ahead of them than what is behind them. Life on this planet is but a speck, a dot in the limitless ocean of God's glorious forever.
How I love these words from Dietrich Bonhoeffer, written to his fiance while he was imprisoned in a Nazi prison cell. He would be executed months after writing these words...but oh how they speak to all of us who might be going through our own winter suffering right now:
"We shall both experience a few dark hours--why should we disguise that from each other? We shall ponder the incomprehensibility of our lot and be assailed by the question of why, over and above the darkness already enshrouding humanity, we should be subjected to the bitter anguish of a separation whose purpose we fail to understand...And then, just when everything is bearing down on us to such an extent that we can scarcely withstand it, the Christmas message comes to tell us that all our ideas are wrong, and that what we take to be evil and dark is really good and light because it comes from God. Our eyes are at fault, that is all. God is in the manger, wealth in poverty, light in darkness, succor in abandonment. No evil can befall us; whatever men may do to us, they cannot but serve the God who is secretly revealed as love and rules the world and our lives."
Whatever winter you might be enduring right now, please remember that "God is in the manger" but He's also on the throne of heaven and earth and He is with us. And He is bringing unconquerable wealthy in your poverty, light in your darkness, and succor in your abandonment.
Emmanuel--"God with us"--is with you, in you for you, behind you, beside you and before you. He will put "death's dark shadows to flight" forever and ever when you wake up in the eternal wonders and glories of heaven.
And so, in the midst of lament, we rejoice. O come, O come Emmanuel.
To God be all the glory.
Yes, "Thou Day-Spring come and cheer our spirits by Thine advent here. Disperse the gloomy clouds of night and death's dark shadows put to flight. Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel."
Isn't that the kind of Advent and Christmas so many of us are celebrating/mourning/rejoicing/lamenting? Yes, it feels like Narnia--where it's "winter but never Christmas"--but we know, we call to mind, we remember and then we choose to rejoice that You came and broke into this sin-sick, broken world to redeem us and, as the carol says, to save us from the depths of hell and gave us victory over the grave.
Thank You, Thank You, thank You, Lord Jesus! Help us to remember in the midst of our struggles and sorrows that You came, You are here, You are with us and in us, You will never ever leave us, and You are coming again to make all, all, all things new.
You will defeat and destroy forever the sin that hurts us...and the cancer that robs those we love of health and life...and the brokenness that haunts our world and harms Your children that You love and for whom You died and rose again.
Our family is enduring one of those hard, dark, winter times right now with my dear sister-in-law very sick. But as heartbreaking as it is at the moment, her future is utterly, wonderfully secure. One day, she will step into heaven and experience unimaginable glories, love, peace, joy and wonder. Praise You, Lord, for the hope and promise of heaven! She and all who love the Lord have infinitely more ahead of them than what is behind them. Life on this planet is but a speck, a dot in the limitless ocean of God's glorious forever.
How I love these words from Dietrich Bonhoeffer, written to his fiance while he was imprisoned in a Nazi prison cell. He would be executed months after writing these words...but oh how they speak to all of us who might be going through our own winter suffering right now:
"We shall both experience a few dark hours--why should we disguise that from each other? We shall ponder the incomprehensibility of our lot and be assailed by the question of why, over and above the darkness already enshrouding humanity, we should be subjected to the bitter anguish of a separation whose purpose we fail to understand...And then, just when everything is bearing down on us to such an extent that we can scarcely withstand it, the Christmas message comes to tell us that all our ideas are wrong, and that what we take to be evil and dark is really good and light because it comes from God. Our eyes are at fault, that is all. God is in the manger, wealth in poverty, light in darkness, succor in abandonment. No evil can befall us; whatever men may do to us, they cannot but serve the God who is secretly revealed as love and rules the world and our lives."
Whatever winter you might be enduring right now, please remember that "God is in the manger" but He's also on the throne of heaven and earth and He is with us. And He is bringing unconquerable wealthy in your poverty, light in your darkness, and succor in your abandonment.
Emmanuel--"God with us"--is with you, in you for you, behind you, beside you and before you. He will put "death's dark shadows to flight" forever and ever when you wake up in the eternal wonders and glories of heaven.
And so, in the midst of lament, we rejoice. O come, O come Emmanuel.
To God be all the glory.
Thursday, November 22, 2018
Choosing thankfulness...on Thanksgiving and everyday!
Happy Thanksgiving! What a wonderful holiday—lots of delicious food eaten with people you love, celebrating the amazing story of the pilgrims and indians and the gift of our great nation, and doing it all with a deliberate and intentional focus on thankfulness. Not to mention, none of the pressure and craziness of shopping for gifts and desperately trying to create the perfect Pinterest Christmas! What’s not to love!
But seriously, gratitude should not, must not be just a once a year holiday we celebrate or a short-lived activity we engage in for a few weeks every November. As Cicero said many centuries ago, “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.” And I really think nothing has a more transformative impact on our attitude, our witness, our contentment, and indeed our lives, than being thankful people. And as believers, that means first and foremost thankfulness to Almighty God both for who He is and what He’s done, as well as thankfulness to Him for His many blessings in our lives. And also consistently expressing thankfulness to the people He has so graciously put in our lives.
As believers we have the joyful, amazing privilege of daily going to the throne of the Lord of the universe and giving Him thanks and praise. G.K.Chesterton once wrote that “The worst moment for any atheist is when he is really thankful and has no one to thank.” And that’s the point behind singer Andrew Peterson’s wonderful song called, “Don’t you want to thank someone?” He sings about dark, long nights…and then the beauty of the morning sun burns thru the mist or when, after a hard, bleak winter, “spring arrives and warms you like a mother’s kiss”—“Don’t you want to thank someone? Don’t you want thank someone for this?”
I couldn’t help but think of Coach Jim Valvano after NC State won the national championship in basketball years ago. Immediately after the winning shot, Valvano starts running around with his arms outstretched. He’s overcome with joy and wonder and excitedly, almost desperately looking for someone to hug. Yes! That’s what overwhelming thankfulness will do for you—you want, you must find someone to thank and with whom to share it!
Try being grumpy and irritable when you’re thankful—you can’t do it! Gratitude displaces fretting and complaining like nothing else! One more G.K. Chesterton quote that’s always been one of my favorites. He declared, “I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled with wonder.” Read that again—“gratitude is happiness doubled with wonder.” (That’s Valvano!) Don’t you love that!
Over and over again, God’s Word commands us to be thankful! Read thru the Psalms—you’ll see it time and again, “Give thanks to the Lord,” “Enter His gates with thanksgiving,” “Surely the righteous shall give thanks to your name.” And Paul’s epistles, oh my, constant, overflowing thanksgiving! “I give thanks to my God for you,” “I do not cease to give thanks for you,” “We ought always to give thanks to God,” and on and on!
Here’s the thing—have you ever wondered what God’s will is for you in your life? Well, I can tell you what God’s Word makes crystal clear on that subject, and it’s in I Thess.5:16-18 “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” God’s will for you is to give thanks in all circumstances. How well are we doing that?
Jon Bloom writes that the repeated commands in Scripture to give thanks “are not the exhortations of a vain deity. They are the loving prescription of the Great Physician; they are the loving reminders of our caring Father. Just like a parent helps a child to cultivate thankfulness through frequent reminders, God intends his frequent reminders for us to give thanks to him to help us experience the profoundly healthy and deep joy of seeing grace and feeling grateful. And like all of God’s greatest blessings, He has made our thankfulness something that gives Him glory and gives us joy! He gets the glory of being the grace-Giver, and we get the joy of being grace-receivers and the gratitude-feelers.” That’s a win-win!
Giving thanks is a habit that must be cultivated like any other—the more you do it, the more habitual and second nature it becomes. And the more habitual, the more you will find your mindset and attitude being joyously transformed. Mary Mohler, in her wonderful book, Growing in Gratitude, reminds us when we make thankfulness an intentional mindset, it becomes like an overflowing fountain that continuously spills over and splashes joy and thankfulness to all around us. “If others happen jostle us,” she writes, “we spill gratitude.”
So how do we do it? We simply start choosing to obey God’s simple, health-giving command to “give thanks in all circumstances.” Maybe you all already keep a gratitude journal, but if not, (or of like yours truly, you’ve let that habit slip away!) how about if we commit (or recommit) to doing that starting today? Here’s one suggestion: get a notebook and every evening before going to bed, write down 3 things for which you’re thankful. Make the first item on your list everyday something about Almighty God, His character, or His works for which you’re particularly thankful. And then write at least 2 things for which you’re grateful that day—whether it’s a lovely sunrise or your child coming home from college or the hug of a friend. And then here’s the kicker—let’s try to keep this up past Thanksgiving and all the way into the new year and beyond!
God has been so extravagantly good to us—even in the hardest, darkest times of our lives—for He is always with us, behind us, before us, beside us, in us, and for us. Let’s start counting His blessings, His gifts—big and small—and in the process, not only will He be glorified, but we’ll be strengthened and encouraged as we remember and recite His relentless goodness.
To God be the glory.
Sunday, November 4, 2018
Open your eyes...and then thank Him!
Good night!--its been almost a month (and quite the busy one), but I'm thankful to be back. The last time I was here, Halloween was still a few weeks away...now we're staring Thanksgiving in the face. It sounds so terribly trite, but oh my how time flies!
And whew, thank goodness for Thanksgiving, surely the best time of the year, and how badly we need it right now. There's our horribly polarized and divided culture, the relentless mud-slinging political ads (providing another good reason not to watch too much TV), and the general negativity and incivility in public discourse...I could go on, but why? Do we really need reminding of mankind's all too evident sinful, selfish nature? And that includes me...and you. I always think of G.K.Chesterton's famously response to a newspaper's request to write an answer to the question "What is wrong with the world." He simply wrote back, "Dear Sirs, I am. Sincerely yours, G.K. Chesterton." Yep, that pretty much sums it up.
But all the more reason that we all need to hit the pause button, take a step back, look around with new eyes to see how much good God has showered upon us (in spite of ourselves), and then look up with gratitude.
It's all grace. All, all, all, God's amazing grace.
Just this morning--walking Bingley on the quiet greenway in the early morning stillness...the cold, bracing air...the sun beginning to filter through the changing, brightly colored leaves...the scattering of fallen leaves making a gentle carpet beneath our feet...the sweet face of our happy dog as we walked...the deer sauntering up ahead across our path.
What did I do to create any of that? What did I do to earn it? Nothing. Nada. All grace. All by the gracious Creator.
How about lunch the other day with two dear friends...or dinner last night with folks we love...or text messages from priceless buddies on a trip in Israel...or Bible study with amazing women...or planning Christmas with my wonderful sisters and family...or having any of our children home (JOY!)...all the wondrous gift of the people we love--all grace, grace, grace.
Watching our beloved Tar Heels lose again in football...but on a spectacular fall day...cheering our hearts out while those boys--bless them!--played just as hard as they could...seeing that lovely campus bathed in autumn colors...hugging our son who gets to go to school there...simply being alive and breathing and seeing and laughing and eating. So many simple but oh so wonderful joys, gifts of grace and more grace.
None of it earned or deserved, but all grace. All gifts from our gracious, glorious God.
So a very simple message that I'll be coming back to again and again over the coming weeks: have we thanked Him? Have we thanked the Author and Finisher--not just of our faith but also of all the stuff of our daily existence? Surely fall is an a time when His handiwork explodes all around us in riotous color, smells, gifts and more gifts.
Today, take time to pause and open your eyes to see--really see all that's around you. There's so much, but we allow the familiar to blind us to the extraordinary. Look around at His extraordinary work, and then look up and thank Him for His gifts and for His amazing grace.
“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!” Ps.107:1
Aren't you thankful you have Someone to thank?! Yes, He is the One! He is the Giver! He is the God of all grace! Open your eyes, look around, and then thank Him!
To God--the relentlessly good and gracious Giver--be all the glory.
And whew, thank goodness for Thanksgiving, surely the best time of the year, and how badly we need it right now. There's our horribly polarized and divided culture, the relentless mud-slinging political ads (providing another good reason not to watch too much TV), and the general negativity and incivility in public discourse...I could go on, but why? Do we really need reminding of mankind's all too evident sinful, selfish nature? And that includes me...and you. I always think of G.K.Chesterton's famously response to a newspaper's request to write an answer to the question "What is wrong with the world." He simply wrote back, "Dear Sirs, I am. Sincerely yours, G.K. Chesterton." Yep, that pretty much sums it up.
But all the more reason that we all need to hit the pause button, take a step back, look around with new eyes to see how much good God has showered upon us (in spite of ourselves), and then look up with gratitude.
It's all grace. All, all, all, God's amazing grace.
Just this morning--walking Bingley on the quiet greenway in the early morning stillness...the cold, bracing air...the sun beginning to filter through the changing, brightly colored leaves...the scattering of fallen leaves making a gentle carpet beneath our feet...the sweet face of our happy dog as we walked...the deer sauntering up ahead across our path.
What did I do to create any of that? What did I do to earn it? Nothing. Nada. All grace. All by the gracious Creator.
How about lunch the other day with two dear friends...or dinner last night with folks we love...or text messages from priceless buddies on a trip in Israel...or Bible study with amazing women...or planning Christmas with my wonderful sisters and family...or having any of our children home (JOY!)...all the wondrous gift of the people we love--all grace, grace, grace.
Watching our beloved Tar Heels lose again in football...but on a spectacular fall day...cheering our hearts out while those boys--bless them!--played just as hard as they could...seeing that lovely campus bathed in autumn colors...hugging our son who gets to go to school there...simply being alive and breathing and seeing and laughing and eating. So many simple but oh so wonderful joys, gifts of grace and more grace.
None of it earned or deserved, but all grace. All gifts from our gracious, glorious God.
So a very simple message that I'll be coming back to again and again over the coming weeks: have we thanked Him? Have we thanked the Author and Finisher--not just of our faith but also of all the stuff of our daily existence? Surely fall is an a time when His handiwork explodes all around us in riotous color, smells, gifts and more gifts.
Today, take time to pause and open your eyes to see--really see all that's around you. There's so much, but we allow the familiar to blind us to the extraordinary. Look around at His extraordinary work, and then look up and thank Him for His gifts and for His amazing grace.
“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!” Ps.107:1
Aren't you thankful you have Someone to thank?! Yes, He is the One! He is the Giver! He is the God of all grace! Open your eyes, look around, and then thank Him!
To God--the relentlessly good and gracious Giver--be all the glory.
Thursday, October 11, 2018
Pray Big!
Another lesson for the storm, perhaps the simplest and yet by far the most powerful. And I think this little sign says it all--
Enough said...
But let me at least elaborate a bit. We have this sign prominently displayed in our kitchen. And you can't tell from this photo, but in the background the rain is literally pouring down like a wall of water and the wind is blowing and gusting as tropical storm Michael blasts its way through our state. So this seems mighty appropriate to talk about another lesson in a storm.
We got this sign when our daughter, Janie, was in a coma in the ICU, and desperation drove us to pray big, bold prayers as never before. We knew we had nowhere else to turn and apart from God’s intervention, there was no hope. But in the middle of all that, we learned that hard as it is, there’s no better place to be than having to completely surrender and totally depend upon the Lord, moment by moment.
And funny thing. That sign’s been prominently displayed in our kitchen now for over 6 years…yet a few weeks back, our dear brother-in-law asked, “I’ve never noticed that sign before. Is that new?” Frankly, I hadn’t paid any attention to the sign for a good long time either. It sat there proclaiming the most important thing any of us can ever do...but we'd all pretty much grown immune to its presence.
But all that changed, when we learned that my sweet sister-in-law, his wonderful wife, has cancer. Isn't it something how it often takes a storm to wake us up out of our lethargy? Shame on me for growing complacent and for often praying small, namby pamby prayers. Not anymore.
Needless to say, we’re all praying constantly, but being in this hard place has reminded us all anew that we need to be praying big, for we have a big God who can do big things. While we may not know the outcome to our storms, we know our big God is able to heal completely. We know He can do the miraculous and the impossible. We know He can...but we also know that whatever the Lord ultimately does, we can trust Him completely. Because He knows all things, He makes no mistakes, and all His plans and ways are for our ultimate good and His glory.
Our job isn’t to dictate or determine the outcome. Nope, our job is simply to pray big, believe boldly, and then rest in our Heavenly Father, knowing we can leave all the results up to the One who loves us infinitely. As R.A. Torrey once declared, “Pray for great things; expect great things; work for great things, but above all—pray!”
Let me ask a couple of questions that I’ve been asking myself recently: first, if you’re struggling with some kind of adversity right now, are you praising God…or is your praise dependent upon favorable circumstances? Will you choose, this week, this day, by an act of the will, to spend time praising your Sovereign Lord, because He’s forever worthy of your praise. And praising God unleashes incredible power.
And secondly, are you praying big, bold prayers? Our friend Tom, who now leads Young Life here in Raleigh, asks it this way: “If God answered all the prayers you prayed today, would you notice? Would the world notice?” If the answer’s no, then that means you’re not praying big, audacious, this can-only-be-God prayers! Why are earth not?
Seriously, if you’re a believer, then you have the Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead dwelling inside you. You have the Spirit’s dynamite power working in and through you. You have the sovereign Creator and Ruler of the universe loving you, listening to you, and leading you. So praise extravagantly! And pray BIG and boldly!
All I know is that in the storms of life, when there's so much we can't control and don't know, there's nothing more powerful, nothing more freeing, and nothing more comforting than Praying Big to a Big God!
He's got this...He's got this storm...and He's got you in the palm of His nail-scarred, all powerful, all loving hands. Let's pray big and trust Him to do big things!
“Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20)
To God be the glory.
But let me at least elaborate a bit. We have this sign prominently displayed in our kitchen. And you can't tell from this photo, but in the background the rain is literally pouring down like a wall of water and the wind is blowing and gusting as tropical storm Michael blasts its way through our state. So this seems mighty appropriate to talk about another lesson in a storm.
We got this sign when our daughter, Janie, was in a coma in the ICU, and desperation drove us to pray big, bold prayers as never before. We knew we had nowhere else to turn and apart from God’s intervention, there was no hope. But in the middle of all that, we learned that hard as it is, there’s no better place to be than having to completely surrender and totally depend upon the Lord, moment by moment.
And funny thing. That sign’s been prominently displayed in our kitchen now for over 6 years…yet a few weeks back, our dear brother-in-law asked, “I’ve never noticed that sign before. Is that new?” Frankly, I hadn’t paid any attention to the sign for a good long time either. It sat there proclaiming the most important thing any of us can ever do...but we'd all pretty much grown immune to its presence.
But all that changed, when we learned that my sweet sister-in-law, his wonderful wife, has cancer. Isn't it something how it often takes a storm to wake us up out of our lethargy? Shame on me for growing complacent and for often praying small, namby pamby prayers. Not anymore.
Needless to say, we’re all praying constantly, but being in this hard place has reminded us all anew that we need to be praying big, for we have a big God who can do big things. While we may not know the outcome to our storms, we know our big God is able to heal completely. We know He can do the miraculous and the impossible. We know He can...but we also know that whatever the Lord ultimately does, we can trust Him completely. Because He knows all things, He makes no mistakes, and all His plans and ways are for our ultimate good and His glory.
Our job isn’t to dictate or determine the outcome. Nope, our job is simply to pray big, believe boldly, and then rest in our Heavenly Father, knowing we can leave all the results up to the One who loves us infinitely. As R.A. Torrey once declared, “Pray for great things; expect great things; work for great things, but above all—pray!”
Let me ask a couple of questions that I’ve been asking myself recently: first, if you’re struggling with some kind of adversity right now, are you praising God…or is your praise dependent upon favorable circumstances? Will you choose, this week, this day, by an act of the will, to spend time praising your Sovereign Lord, because He’s forever worthy of your praise. And praising God unleashes incredible power.
And secondly, are you praying big, bold prayers? Our friend Tom, who now leads Young Life here in Raleigh, asks it this way: “If God answered all the prayers you prayed today, would you notice? Would the world notice?” If the answer’s no, then that means you’re not praying big, audacious, this can-only-be-God prayers! Why are earth not?
Seriously, if you’re a believer, then you have the Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead dwelling inside you. You have the Spirit’s dynamite power working in and through you. You have the sovereign Creator and Ruler of the universe loving you, listening to you, and leading you. So praise extravagantly! And pray BIG and boldly!
All I know is that in the storms of life, when there's so much we can't control and don't know, there's nothing more powerful, nothing more freeing, and nothing more comforting than Praying Big to a Big God!
He's got this...He's got this storm...and He's got you in the palm of His nail-scarred, all powerful, all loving hands. Let's pray big and trust Him to do big things!
“Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20)
To God be the glory.
Thursday, September 20, 2018
Another lesson for the storm...and start today
I've been meaning to write this post for days and days...when I finally get all that other stuff done that needed doing...and when the mood/inspiration hits...and when I've dealt with all those little problems that have suddenly cropped up...and when a slot of time magically opens up and I'm not sleepy or hungry or grumpy or weepy or...Yeah, you get the idea.
Because here's the thing: that day never arrives. Never. We'll always have some reason, some excuse for not doing what we know we need to do, because God's called us to do it...but it's not urgent. It's not easy. And frankly, we simply don't feel like it.
And then suddenly it hit me--that's the very reason I need to sit down and write about this right now, whether I feel like it or not! Because the choice, the action I want to write about is also one that cannot wait until you feel like it. Or till your circumstances improve. Or till that mythical day when life calms down a bit.
Nope, you've just got to start doing it, because despite your feelings or your challenges or your circumstances or your difficulties, nothing nothing, nothing is more important in the midst of a storm than this ridiculously simple but profoundly life-changing choice--
Choosing to rejoice.
Choosing to be thankful.
And specifically, literally, choosing to name those reasons. Say them out loud. Write them down. Somehow, someway, make the choice--in the midst of the raging storm--to count your blessings.
"Yeah, yeah," you say. "Trite," you yawn. But let me tell you from the perspective of someone who has been there--it's utterly life-changing and perspective-restoring.
I've shared it a million times, but one day--maybe around day six or seven of Janie's stay in the ICU, a middle-aged man was admitted in the little room right next to hers. The walls in the ICU are so thin you can't really call them walls, so we could hear everything that was going on. And this man had been in some kind of accident. Like Janie, he had suffered some kind of brain injury and was unconscious.
We heard them go through the same protocol we'd already heard every hour with Janie. They'd yell, "Mr. So and so, Mr. So and so, wake up! You are in the hospital. Can you hear me? If you can hear me, wiggle your toes..." And so it would go, hour after hour. Just as it had with our daughter. For all those long days with Janie, nothing. No response. Hour after hour, day after day, nothing.
But with this other fellow, the very next day he obviously woke up and began slowly responding in some way to their questions. But (to my shame) instead of rejoicing for them, I felt sick with sorrow for us. "Why couldn't that be us, Lord? Why him and not Janie? Why won't you wake up Janie? We've been here a week...he's been here a few hours...why Lord?"
My mind and heart headed down a dark, deadly path of ugliness, despair and envy, and let me tell you, that will never take you anywhere good.
But I can only describe it as the extraordinary grace and goodness of God, for just as my mind started down that hideous road, the Lord stopped me in my tracks. And I seemed to hear "Start rejoicing. Start naming all the reasons for thanksgiving. Now!"
And this stubborn, slow-learning, often disobedient child, for once, listened and obeyed. I started that moment to begin making a mental list of things for which we could be thankful. Yes, it was a mighty weak and reluctant list at first, but praise God He takes us just as we are and blesses even our tiniest, most pathetic attempts.
"Umm, well, thank You for the Starbucks downstairs. That's something anyway, to have hot tea." I tried haltingly to continue: " Uh, thank You for these nurses and doctors. They have been amazing....and while I'm at it, thank You for our friends who have done so much to help us and to keep things going at home...thank You for my wonderful brothers and sisters who have been here with us in the midst of this fight constantly...thank You that we could come to this hospital and receive such extraordinary medical care...thank You for the praise music playing in Janie's room...thank You for Your Word that has truly come alive as never before..."
By now, I was on a roll, and the innumerable reasons for thankfulness and praise began to pour out...while the ugly despair and envy began to diminish.
Now, that's not to say everything changed...because it did not. Janie remained unconscious for another week. We fought fear and fevers and lung problems and discouragement and exhaustion. But we knew we were not fighting alone. We knew God was with us in the fight. We knew the Body of Christ was fighting alongside us. And we knew there are always, always, always reasons for thanksgiving and praise.
So that's my ridiculously simple suggestion...but I'm telling you--you will pierce the darkness with words of thanksgiving and praise so that the light begins shining through and your heart will be lifted. Lifted to look up...and see Him. And know that He is with you, beside you, before you, behind you, in you and for you.
It truly is a golden bridge of praise--a bridge that takes you from discouragement and despair and crosses over the darkness into the light of indefatigable joy and hope.
But you have to choose to cross over that bridge of praise. And often it simply begins by taking the first tentative, reluctant step. Don't wait to feel like it. Don't wait till circumstances improve. Don't wait till you think you really have a reason to praise. No, simply start praising and thanking. "Tune your heart to sing God's praise," as the old hymn puts it.
It's a choice, an act of the will that may or may not change your circumstances but that will profoundly, beautifully change you.
"Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ for you." (I Thess.5:16-18)
It's a command...and you have to choose...and no matter the storm, there will always, always, always be plenty of reason to rejoice and to give thanks. So just start. Start small, but start today. Start now.
To God be the glory.
Because here's the thing: that day never arrives. Never. We'll always have some reason, some excuse for not doing what we know we need to do, because God's called us to do it...but it's not urgent. It's not easy. And frankly, we simply don't feel like it.
And then suddenly it hit me--that's the very reason I need to sit down and write about this right now, whether I feel like it or not! Because the choice, the action I want to write about is also one that cannot wait until you feel like it. Or till your circumstances improve. Or till that mythical day when life calms down a bit.
Nope, you've just got to start doing it, because despite your feelings or your challenges or your circumstances or your difficulties, nothing nothing, nothing is more important in the midst of a storm than this ridiculously simple but profoundly life-changing choice--
Choosing to rejoice.
Choosing to be thankful.
And specifically, literally, choosing to name those reasons. Say them out loud. Write them down. Somehow, someway, make the choice--in the midst of the raging storm--to count your blessings.
"Yeah, yeah," you say. "Trite," you yawn. But let me tell you from the perspective of someone who has been there--it's utterly life-changing and perspective-restoring.
I've shared it a million times, but one day--maybe around day six or seven of Janie's stay in the ICU, a middle-aged man was admitted in the little room right next to hers. The walls in the ICU are so thin you can't really call them walls, so we could hear everything that was going on. And this man had been in some kind of accident. Like Janie, he had suffered some kind of brain injury and was unconscious.
We heard them go through the same protocol we'd already heard every hour with Janie. They'd yell, "Mr. So and so, Mr. So and so, wake up! You are in the hospital. Can you hear me? If you can hear me, wiggle your toes..." And so it would go, hour after hour. Just as it had with our daughter. For all those long days with Janie, nothing. No response. Hour after hour, day after day, nothing.
But with this other fellow, the very next day he obviously woke up and began slowly responding in some way to their questions. But (to my shame) instead of rejoicing for them, I felt sick with sorrow for us. "Why couldn't that be us, Lord? Why him and not Janie? Why won't you wake up Janie? We've been here a week...he's been here a few hours...why Lord?"
My mind and heart headed down a dark, deadly path of ugliness, despair and envy, and let me tell you, that will never take you anywhere good.
But I can only describe it as the extraordinary grace and goodness of God, for just as my mind started down that hideous road, the Lord stopped me in my tracks. And I seemed to hear "Start rejoicing. Start naming all the reasons for thanksgiving. Now!"
And this stubborn, slow-learning, often disobedient child, for once, listened and obeyed. I started that moment to begin making a mental list of things for which we could be thankful. Yes, it was a mighty weak and reluctant list at first, but praise God He takes us just as we are and blesses even our tiniest, most pathetic attempts.
"Umm, well, thank You for the Starbucks downstairs. That's something anyway, to have hot tea." I tried haltingly to continue: " Uh, thank You for these nurses and doctors. They have been amazing....and while I'm at it, thank You for our friends who have done so much to help us and to keep things going at home...thank You for my wonderful brothers and sisters who have been here with us in the midst of this fight constantly...thank You that we could come to this hospital and receive such extraordinary medical care...thank You for the praise music playing in Janie's room...thank You for Your Word that has truly come alive as never before..."
By now, I was on a roll, and the innumerable reasons for thankfulness and praise began to pour out...while the ugly despair and envy began to diminish.
Now, that's not to say everything changed...because it did not. Janie remained unconscious for another week. We fought fear and fevers and lung problems and discouragement and exhaustion. But we knew we were not fighting alone. We knew God was with us in the fight. We knew the Body of Christ was fighting alongside us. And we knew there are always, always, always reasons for thanksgiving and praise.
So that's my ridiculously simple suggestion...but I'm telling you--you will pierce the darkness with words of thanksgiving and praise so that the light begins shining through and your heart will be lifted. Lifted to look up...and see Him. And know that He is with you, beside you, before you, behind you, in you and for you.
It truly is a golden bridge of praise--a bridge that takes you from discouragement and despair and crosses over the darkness into the light of indefatigable joy and hope.
But you have to choose to cross over that bridge of praise. And often it simply begins by taking the first tentative, reluctant step. Don't wait to feel like it. Don't wait till circumstances improve. Don't wait till you think you really have a reason to praise. No, simply start praising and thanking. "Tune your heart to sing God's praise," as the old hymn puts it.
It's a choice, an act of the will that may or may not change your circumstances but that will profoundly, beautifully change you.
"Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ for you." (I Thess.5:16-18)
It's a command...and you have to choose...and no matter the storm, there will always, always, always be plenty of reason to rejoice and to give thanks. So just start. Start small, but start today. Start now.
To God be the glory.
Thursday, September 6, 2018
Another lesson: A Soundtrack of Praise
Another very simple but I believe profoundly powerful lesson for the storms: maintain a soundtrack of praise.
I mean that quite literally. Keep praise music, worship music, uplifting music that strengthens your soul...keep it playing in the background. At the hospital, at home, in the car. Music--especially great hymns or praise and worship songs--has a power all its own to remind your heart of the truth. Because in the heat of the storm, our hearts forget.
Pain or fear of discouragement almost always lead to spiritual amnesia. Yes, we might know intellectually that God is in control, that Jesus is with us every moment, that the Lord is working all things out for our ultimate good and His glory. Yeah, yeah, yeah....
But as the wind and waves lash and disorient us, we can't feel it. We can't feel Him...and so we forget. We all forget.
We need to be reminded. And music speaks to your heart. Music brings to your conscious memory that which you already knew, but forgot or doubt. Music somehow reaches past the pain, the fear, the sorrow and speaks strong, true Truth to your weary, burdened soul.
It happened over and over again to us when Janie was in the ICU. Amidst the continual beeps and alarms of the equipment and the constant visits from the nurses, we softly played worship music in the background. We started playing it in the hope that in some mysterious way, Janie might be able to hear it deep in the recesses of her coma and thus be somehow strengthened in her battle.
But what we learned was that we--her often frightened, fragile parents--were the ones who were powerfully and beautifully ministered to by that music. Because we were reminded afresh of truths like--
Lost are saved, find their way, at the sound of Your great name
All condemned, feel no shame, at the sound of Your great name
Every fear, has no place, at the sound of Your great name
The enemy, he has to leave, at the sound of Your great name
Jesus, worthy is the lamb that was slain for us, son of God and man
You are high and lifted up, that all the world will praise Your great name
All the weak, find their strength, at the sound of Your great name
Hungry souls, receive grace, at the sound of Your great name
The fatherless, they find their rest, at the sound of Your great name
Sick are healed, and the dead are raised, at the sound of Your great name
Jesus, worthy is the lamb that was slain for us, son of god and man
You are high and lifted up, that all the world will praise Your great name
Oh, Your great name
Redeemer, my healer, almighty
My savior, defender, You are my king ("Your Great Name")
Or--
Let no one caught in sin remain
Inside the lie of inward shame
We fix our eyes upon the cross
And run to Him who showed great love
And bled for us
Freely You've bled for us
Christ is risen from the dead
Trampling over death by death
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave
Christ is risen from the dead
We are one with Him again
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave
Beneath the weight of all our sin
You bowed to none but Heaven's will
No scheme of Hell, no scoffer's crown
No burden great can hold You down
In strength You reign
Forever let Your church proclaim
Christ is risen from the dead
Trampling over death by death
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave
Christ is risen from the dead
We are one with Him again
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave
O death, where is your sting?
O hell, where is your victory?
O church, come stand in the light
The glory of God has defeated the night
Sing it, o death, where is your sting?
O hell, where is your victory?
O church, come stand in the light
Our God is not dead, He's alive, He's alive
Christ is risen from the dead
Trampling over death by death
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave
("Christ is Risen")
Oh and so many more! Even today, when I hear one of those many glorious songs we played on that little boom box in the ICU, tears of joy and thanksgiving spring to my eyes. I'm reminded afresh of my Great God. Of who He is. Of all He has done for us in Christ. Of all He can do. And of all He has promised for us in the future.
And it's all ultimately good...extraordinarily, supernaturally, eternally, good-as-it-gets good.
But in midst of the storm, your heart needs to be reminded.
In the midst of the storm, your soul needs to be strengthened in Him...in His Word, in His character, in His faithfulness, in His everlasting love, in His omnipotent power. Music preaches to your heart like almost nothing else, and despair flees in the face of praise. So keep playing that soundtrack of praise.
"Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation! Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods." (Ps.95:1-3)
It's okay if you forget...we all do. Just put on those worship songs, those hymns, that praise music, and I promise, you'll start remembering.
And in remembering, your heart will begin rejoicing.
And in rejoicing, you will find yourself revived and restored...even in very teeth of the storm.
Because Jesus will be right there with you in the storm...and He is always, always, always enough.
To our Savior, our Redeemer, our King of Kings, and the One who has defeated sin and death, be all the glory.
I mean that quite literally. Keep praise music, worship music, uplifting music that strengthens your soul...keep it playing in the background. At the hospital, at home, in the car. Music--especially great hymns or praise and worship songs--has a power all its own to remind your heart of the truth. Because in the heat of the storm, our hearts forget.
Pain or fear of discouragement almost always lead to spiritual amnesia. Yes, we might know intellectually that God is in control, that Jesus is with us every moment, that the Lord is working all things out for our ultimate good and His glory. Yeah, yeah, yeah....
But as the wind and waves lash and disorient us, we can't feel it. We can't feel Him...and so we forget. We all forget.
We need to be reminded. And music speaks to your heart. Music brings to your conscious memory that which you already knew, but forgot or doubt. Music somehow reaches past the pain, the fear, the sorrow and speaks strong, true Truth to your weary, burdened soul.
It happened over and over again to us when Janie was in the ICU. Amidst the continual beeps and alarms of the equipment and the constant visits from the nurses, we softly played worship music in the background. We started playing it in the hope that in some mysterious way, Janie might be able to hear it deep in the recesses of her coma and thus be somehow strengthened in her battle.
But what we learned was that we--her often frightened, fragile parents--were the ones who were powerfully and beautifully ministered to by that music. Because we were reminded afresh of truths like--
Lost are saved, find their way, at the sound of Your great name
All condemned, feel no shame, at the sound of Your great name
Every fear, has no place, at the sound of Your great name
The enemy, he has to leave, at the sound of Your great name
Jesus, worthy is the lamb that was slain for us, son of God and man
You are high and lifted up, that all the world will praise Your great name
All the weak, find their strength, at the sound of Your great name
Hungry souls, receive grace, at the sound of Your great name
The fatherless, they find their rest, at the sound of Your great name
Sick are healed, and the dead are raised, at the sound of Your great name
Jesus, worthy is the lamb that was slain for us, son of god and man
You are high and lifted up, that all the world will praise Your great name
Oh, Your great name
Redeemer, my healer, almighty
My savior, defender, You are my king ("Your Great Name")
Or--
Let no one caught in sin remain
Inside the lie of inward shame
We fix our eyes upon the cross
And run to Him who showed great love
And bled for us
Freely You've bled for us
Christ is risen from the dead
Trampling over death by death
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave
Christ is risen from the dead
We are one with Him again
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave
Beneath the weight of all our sin
You bowed to none but Heaven's will
No scheme of Hell, no scoffer's crown
No burden great can hold You down
In strength You reign
Forever let Your church proclaim
Christ is risen from the dead
Trampling over death by death
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave
Christ is risen from the dead
We are one with Him again
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave
O death, where is your sting?
O hell, where is your victory?
O church, come stand in the light
The glory of God has defeated the night
Sing it, o death, where is your sting?
O hell, where is your victory?
O church, come stand in the light
Our God is not dead, He's alive, He's alive
Christ is risen from the dead
Trampling over death by death
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave
("Christ is Risen")
Oh and so many more! Even today, when I hear one of those many glorious songs we played on that little boom box in the ICU, tears of joy and thanksgiving spring to my eyes. I'm reminded afresh of my Great God. Of who He is. Of all He has done for us in Christ. Of all He can do. And of all He has promised for us in the future.
And it's all ultimately good...extraordinarily, supernaturally, eternally, good-as-it-gets good.
But in midst of the storm, your heart needs to be reminded.
In the midst of the storm, your soul needs to be strengthened in Him...in His Word, in His character, in His faithfulness, in His everlasting love, in His omnipotent power. Music preaches to your heart like almost nothing else, and despair flees in the face of praise. So keep playing that soundtrack of praise.
"Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation! Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods." (Ps.95:1-3)
It's okay if you forget...we all do. Just put on those worship songs, those hymns, that praise music, and I promise, you'll start remembering.
And in remembering, your heart will begin rejoicing.
And in rejoicing, you will find yourself revived and restored...even in very teeth of the storm.
Because Jesus will be right there with you in the storm...and He is always, always, always enough.
To our Savior, our Redeemer, our King of Kings, and the One who has defeated sin and death, be all the glory.
Thursday, August 30, 2018
Another lesson for the storm--your thoughts
Another lesson for the storms--train your thoughts.
Okay, maybe that sounds strange, but I cannot tell you how critical it is in the midst of a frightening, seemingly out-of-control (or at least, out of your control) storm to not allow your mind and your thoughts to run wild. And believe me, they will...if you don't manage or discipline or train the thoughts that will flood your mind.
Yes, all those terrifying thoughts involving the worst case scenarios will pop into your mind. That's inevitable. But what's not inevitable is what you choose to do with those thoughts.
Each of us has the choice whether we'll chew upon destructive or despairing thoughts as a cow chews its cud...or whether we'll instead focus our mind's attention upon what God says is true and good and right.
Martin Luther expressed it this way: "You cannot keep birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair.”
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." (Phil.4:8)
Don't allow your mind to be hijacked by the frightening, terrible, negative, ugly, destructive. No, instead, think, think, think about the true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, excellent, commendable. One way leads to discouragement, despair and terror while the other leads to encouragement, peace, and hope. We cannot control the circumstances...but we can control our thoughts...and therefore our attitudes, our perspectives, our hearts. Death or life. Despair or hope. Discontentment or joy.
Can I give just one example? My husband shared that during one of those especially dark and frightening days with Janie, he found his thoughts became almost unbearable with all the terrible, worst case "What if's?" His mind was racing (and so was mine).
Richard prayed and asked the Lord to help him, to please give him some thought he could cling to and could focus upon instead of all these deadly destructive thoughts.
Immediately the words to the great old hymn, "Great is Thy Faithfulness" came to mind...and in particular this little phrase, "Strength for today, bright hope for tomorrow."
Richard knew it was God's answer and provision for him--and for all of us--in that moment. It was if the Lord gently whispered that He would give the strength for today that was needed. All we all needed to do was to look to God, depend upon God, and trust God for today's strength. And our faithful Heavenly Father would always provide it. Today's strength for today's need. Today's grace for today's challenges. Today's peace for today's fears.
But in addition, God has the bright hope for tomorrow. He won't give us tomorrow's strength today...no, we have to trust Him for that when tomorrow comes. But He will be just as faithful and powerful and good and loving tomorrow as He is today, and He will give us just what we need tomorrow when tomorrow arrives. That means we can dismiss those terrifying thoughts about the future...because He's got the future. He's got us. And He's got bright hope for tomorrow. And His hope will never ever disappoint.
So today, go to Him for today's strength. And fix your mind and your thoughts upon His goodness, His grace, His love, His provision for today. Tomorrow He will be there as well--just as powerful, good, gracious, wise, loving--and that's what you can focus your thoughts upon when tomorrow arrives.
It all begins by choosing--in the midst of the storm--what we allow our minds to dwell upon--choose life, hope, peace, gratitude, truth, joy...choose Almighty God and His faithfulness!
To God be the glory.
Okay, maybe that sounds strange, but I cannot tell you how critical it is in the midst of a frightening, seemingly out-of-control (or at least, out of your control) storm to not allow your mind and your thoughts to run wild. And believe me, they will...if you don't manage or discipline or train the thoughts that will flood your mind.
Yes, all those terrifying thoughts involving the worst case scenarios will pop into your mind. That's inevitable. But what's not inevitable is what you choose to do with those thoughts.
Each of us has the choice whether we'll chew upon destructive or despairing thoughts as a cow chews its cud...or whether we'll instead focus our mind's attention upon what God says is true and good and right.
Martin Luther expressed it this way: "You cannot keep birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair.”
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." (Phil.4:8)
Don't allow your mind to be hijacked by the frightening, terrible, negative, ugly, destructive. No, instead, think, think, think about the true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, excellent, commendable. One way leads to discouragement, despair and terror while the other leads to encouragement, peace, and hope. We cannot control the circumstances...but we can control our thoughts...and therefore our attitudes, our perspectives, our hearts. Death or life. Despair or hope. Discontentment or joy.
Can I give just one example? My husband shared that during one of those especially dark and frightening days with Janie, he found his thoughts became almost unbearable with all the terrible, worst case "What if's?" His mind was racing (and so was mine).
Richard prayed and asked the Lord to help him, to please give him some thought he could cling to and could focus upon instead of all these deadly destructive thoughts.
Immediately the words to the great old hymn, "Great is Thy Faithfulness" came to mind...and in particular this little phrase, "Strength for today, bright hope for tomorrow."
Richard knew it was God's answer and provision for him--and for all of us--in that moment. It was if the Lord gently whispered that He would give the strength for today that was needed. All we all needed to do was to look to God, depend upon God, and trust God for today's strength. And our faithful Heavenly Father would always provide it. Today's strength for today's need. Today's grace for today's challenges. Today's peace for today's fears.
But in addition, God has the bright hope for tomorrow. He won't give us tomorrow's strength today...no, we have to trust Him for that when tomorrow comes. But He will be just as faithful and powerful and good and loving tomorrow as He is today, and He will give us just what we need tomorrow when tomorrow arrives. That means we can dismiss those terrifying thoughts about the future...because He's got the future. He's got us. And He's got bright hope for tomorrow. And His hope will never ever disappoint.
So today, go to Him for today's strength. And fix your mind and your thoughts upon His goodness, His grace, His love, His provision for today. Tomorrow He will be there as well--just as powerful, good, gracious, wise, loving--and that's what you can focus your thoughts upon when tomorrow arrives.
It all begins by choosing--in the midst of the storm--what we allow our minds to dwell upon--choose life, hope, peace, gratitude, truth, joy...choose Almighty God and His faithfulness!
To God be the glory.
Sunday, August 26, 2018
More Lessons for the storm...Hope
Exactly six years ago today, also on a sunny Sunday morning like today, we got terrible news from one of the doctors in the ICU. As he entered the room early that morning, I jumped up from dozing on the little cot beside our daughter's bed, anxious to hear from they had learned from her latest MRI. It wasn't good.
I was basically told that if Janie survived, she would never be the same again. She'd likely be in a wheelchair, with a feeding tube, unable to communicate, etc. He acknowledged that they couldn't predict the extent of her disability unless and until she work up, but emphatically declared that "you will not ever have the daughter you have once known" or something to that effect. Devastating--though he was clearly not trying to hurt us but to help us prepare.
And yet, even in that hardest of times, God was there. For a few hours, hope had fled, and I can honestly say it was one of the darkest times of our lives, yet the Lord provided dear friends and family at the very moment we needed them. Almost immediately after the doctor left, Russ Andrews suddenly walked in with his well-worn Bible under his arm, and he quickly started praying. Moments later, my dear sister, Jane, arrived. There's nothing like the gift of loving presence in the midst of fear and sorrow. Just having that person there infuses you with strength.
Back at home, Joe Knott suddenly showed up on our doorstep shortly after I had called my husband with the news. Richard said they knelt down together on the floor in the den and prayed...and Joe's presence there was an unimaginably beautiful gift to an incredibly broken-hearted daddy.
A little later that same morning, however, we had another doctor come in--the man I have often said I would name my child if we ever had another one!--Dr. Tucci. As I described it at the time, it was as if hope blew into the room, for Dr. Tucci shared that although he had no evidence or reason to explain this, he believed, based simply upon his years and clinical experience as a neurologist, that Janie would eventually wake up and "would one day be able to walk into his office and thank me."
Funny, nothing changed outwardly. Janie was still unconscious and completely unresponsive. She still had a fever, still was on a ventilator, still had one lung that was filling with fluid and on and on. But yet, everything had changed for us--because we remembered that we had hope.
And hope is a priceless gift. But it is a gift, that no matter our circumstances, we have already been given in Christ. He is the Hope that will never ever disappoint us. As our daughter, Mary Norris, shared, "Doctors can only give you news; they cannot give you hope." And Jesus Christ is our unfailing Hope.
That, dearest Katherine--and anyone else enduring a storm today--is another one of the lessons God taught us in the storm: your Heavenly Father always has hope for you, no matter the circumstances. And His hope will never fail and never ultimately disappoint. As Romans 5:3-5 explains it: "Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us."
As you look to the Savior, you will always find hope.
In addition to finding unending hope in Christ, you will also discover His hope and love in the dear friends and family God has put in your life and will send to you at just the right time. They are hope incarnate! Early that dark Sunday morning six years ago, it was Russ, Jane, and Joe...but throughout our storm it was our precious brothers and sisters (what a blessing family is!) and countless friends (who are too numerous to name for fear of leaving someone out!). Our gracious God always seemed to send someone right at the moment we desperately needed a dose of hope and encouragement. Phone calls, texts, and personal visits. Carpooling, cleaning, feeding, encouraging, praying.
Never take the gift of friendship and family for granted and know that they are part of God's provision of hope and help for you in midst of the storm. Allow them to love and care for you. Thank your Heavenly Father for their presence in your life. And when all you see and feel is darkness around you, lean upon them. Trust that they are praying for you when you have no words or even desire to pray. They are praying, and God is listening. And know that Christ is shining His light of love and hope through them.
(Thank You, Lord, for the gift of friends and family! These pictures were taken a few weeks later after Janie woke up and Tessa was recovering, but they still make my heart sing! And in one of the pictures is our dear friend, JoAnna, who is now in heaven and is surely getting everything organized and making everyone feel loved and included!)
As Paul prays in Rom.15;13, May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. He is Hope incarnate. And He will also send His hope in the form of those who love you. You are never alone in the storm. Hope is always there.
To God be the glory.
Friday, August 24, 2018
August 24th...Lessons for storms
As I shared recently, my dear sister-in-law is fighting a fierce battle today. She's battling a difficult form of cancer...but she does not battle alone. Never alone. Not only does she now have countless folks all over the country praying for her, as well as family and friends beside her loving and helping her, but most importantly, she has an Almighty Lord who is with her and for her every moment of every day and every night. The cancer may be aggressive, but her faith is in her all-powerful, all-loving, all-knowing, all-gracious God.
How I wish I could take away the pain, take away the fear, take away the cancer. But while I can't do that, I can battle with her and for her with my prayers. And with my words...and that's what I've decided to try to do over the coming weeks and months, beginning today.
For you see today, August 24th, marks a special day for our family. So it seems appropriate to think back over that time and share some of the lessons God taught us in the midst of one of the most challenging storms our family has faced. Lessons that stay with us to this very day, and lessons that I pray God will use to encourage my precious sister-in-law and any others who might be enduring or entering a difficult storm in their lives.
Exactly six years ago today, on a Friday just like today, on a bright and sunny day just like today, our world was rocked and changed forever when our daughter and three of her friends were in a serious car wreck. I won't go into the details, but two of the girls were seriously hurt. Tessa was flown to Chapel Hill with multiple broken bones in her back, wrist, hip, and shoulder. Janie was flown to Greenville with a traumatic brain injury. Janie was in a coma, and though the doctors and nurses tried repeatedly, they could not wake her up. For two weeks, we prayed and waited, not knowing first if she'd survive, then if she would ever wake up, and finally if she did wake up, how extensive her brain damage would be.
Again, I won't go into details because that's not the point of this post. Rather, I'd love to share some simple lessons we learned through this time. (I'll try to stick to just one or two lessons each post so this may take a while!)
I have to add, as hard, terrifying, and painful as that time was, my husband and I both said we felt God's presence, His love, His grace, His strength for one moment at a time, as never before during those long, dark weeks. There were days and nights where the Lord's presence was so palpable in that little ICU room that the air seemed thick with Him--we knew He was there. It was as if I could feel His gentle but powerful breath on my face and His loving but strong arms around my shaking shoulders. I will never forget that nearness.
That's one lesson--in the darkest, hardest moments of life, God is there. He will be there. He is always there. You are never ever alone, and you will never be alone. He's promised in His Word, "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Heb.13:5) That's not to say you won't feel fear or pain or despair--but He will be there. He will walk with you in the darkness, and weep with you in the sorrow. And that should give us such peace--the Almighty One will be with me, no matter what. And if He's with me, He'll enable me to walk this broken road and to face anything.
Stop worrying about whether or if He'll be there--He will. No matter what.
Secondly, instead of asking and fixating on why, start asking what. I'm not saying this because God can't take your doubts and your raw why Lord? questions. No, you can be completely honest with your Heavenly Father. He can take it, and He will love you just as much after you shake your fist at Him in anger and confusion as He does when you trust and thank Him profusely.
But the problem with why questions is that they take you nowhere. We may never know the answers to our why questions until we get to heaven. Instead, it's more helpful to ask God what-- What do you want me to learn through this? What are You doing in the midst of this? What promise in Your Word can strengthen me in the midst of this? What other person can I encourage even in this hard place?
In response to those questions, I can tell you from personal experience, God will teach you and grow you through whatever it is you're enduring.
He will be working and moving in innumerable redemptive ways you likely cannot see and do not know, but He is. He always is.
His Word contains countless promises you can cling to that will refocus your confused gaze, revive your weary heart, and renew your depleted strength. Go to Him in His Word and be filled
And there will always, always, always be someone else you can help, love, and encourage, even in the midst of your pain and difficulty. Go love that person by God's grace and for His glory. Mr. Rogers would always tell children that in the midst of crisis and calamity, "Look for the helpers." You can be that helper for someone else. You can be "Jesus with skin on" for someone else...and the person who will ultimately be most blessed, will be you.
Thank You, Lord, for this day. Thank You for Your extravagant grace and mercy in saving those four precious girls and in using all the pain, fear and difficulty for far greater good and for Your greater glory. Please help my sweet sister-in-law, and all who are in the midst of fierce, frightening storms today, to cry out to You, to feel Your presence and love as never before, to cling to Your Word, and to trust in You, Your goodness, Your power, and Your plans.
Jesus, You are the Light that shines in the darkness and the darkness has not, and will never ever, overcome it. (John 1:5) Shine, Jesus, shine, and help us to see Your irrepressible Light.
To God be the glory.
How I wish I could take away the pain, take away the fear, take away the cancer. But while I can't do that, I can battle with her and for her with my prayers. And with my words...and that's what I've decided to try to do over the coming weeks and months, beginning today.
For you see today, August 24th, marks a special day for our family. So it seems appropriate to think back over that time and share some of the lessons God taught us in the midst of one of the most challenging storms our family has faced. Lessons that stay with us to this very day, and lessons that I pray God will use to encourage my precious sister-in-law and any others who might be enduring or entering a difficult storm in their lives.
Exactly six years ago today, on a Friday just like today, on a bright and sunny day just like today, our world was rocked and changed forever when our daughter and three of her friends were in a serious car wreck. I won't go into the details, but two of the girls were seriously hurt. Tessa was flown to Chapel Hill with multiple broken bones in her back, wrist, hip, and shoulder. Janie was flown to Greenville with a traumatic brain injury. Janie was in a coma, and though the doctors and nurses tried repeatedly, they could not wake her up. For two weeks, we prayed and waited, not knowing first if she'd survive, then if she would ever wake up, and finally if she did wake up, how extensive her brain damage would be.
I have to add, as hard, terrifying, and painful as that time was, my husband and I both said we felt God's presence, His love, His grace, His strength for one moment at a time, as never before during those long, dark weeks. There were days and nights where the Lord's presence was so palpable in that little ICU room that the air seemed thick with Him--we knew He was there. It was as if I could feel His gentle but powerful breath on my face and His loving but strong arms around my shaking shoulders. I will never forget that nearness.
That's one lesson--in the darkest, hardest moments of life, God is there. He will be there. He is always there. You are never ever alone, and you will never be alone. He's promised in His Word, "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Heb.13:5) That's not to say you won't feel fear or pain or despair--but He will be there. He will walk with you in the darkness, and weep with you in the sorrow. And that should give us such peace--the Almighty One will be with me, no matter what. And if He's with me, He'll enable me to walk this broken road and to face anything.
Stop worrying about whether or if He'll be there--He will. No matter what.
Secondly, instead of asking and fixating on why, start asking what. I'm not saying this because God can't take your doubts and your raw why Lord? questions. No, you can be completely honest with your Heavenly Father. He can take it, and He will love you just as much after you shake your fist at Him in anger and confusion as He does when you trust and thank Him profusely.
But the problem with why questions is that they take you nowhere. We may never know the answers to our why questions until we get to heaven. Instead, it's more helpful to ask God what-- What do you want me to learn through this? What are You doing in the midst of this? What promise in Your Word can strengthen me in the midst of this? What other person can I encourage even in this hard place?
In response to those questions, I can tell you from personal experience, God will teach you and grow you through whatever it is you're enduring.
He will be working and moving in innumerable redemptive ways you likely cannot see and do not know, but He is. He always is.
His Word contains countless promises you can cling to that will refocus your confused gaze, revive your weary heart, and renew your depleted strength. Go to Him in His Word and be filled
And there will always, always, always be someone else you can help, love, and encourage, even in the midst of your pain and difficulty. Go love that person by God's grace and for His glory. Mr. Rogers would always tell children that in the midst of crisis and calamity, "Look for the helpers." You can be that helper for someone else. You can be "Jesus with skin on" for someone else...and the person who will ultimately be most blessed, will be you.
Thank You, Lord, for this day. Thank You for Your extravagant grace and mercy in saving those four precious girls and in using all the pain, fear and difficulty for far greater good and for Your greater glory. Please help my sweet sister-in-law, and all who are in the midst of fierce, frightening storms today, to cry out to You, to feel Your presence and love as never before, to cling to Your Word, and to trust in You, Your goodness, Your power, and Your plans.
Jesus, You are the Light that shines in the darkness and the darkness has not, and will never ever, overcome it. (John 1:5) Shine, Jesus, shine, and help us to see Your irrepressible Light.
To God be the glory.
Wednesday, August 22, 2018
Waiting well
Waiting...is hard.
Or maybe I should say, waiting well is hard. Because, really, we all wait an awful lot, and anybody can wait poorly, right?
I'm a professional at waiting impatiently, foot tapping, fist clenching, when I get in the loooong, sloooow line at the Harris Teeter. Or when the person in front of me at the stoplight sits there looong after it's turned green--obviously checking out social media--while the rest of us in line behind them, wait irritatingly, even angrily.
Then, of course, there's the especially challenging, anxious waiting: waiting to get into the desired school, waiting for the right person to come along to marry...waiting to get pregnant...waiting for the potentially life-altering diagnosis...waiting for healing...waiting for the prodigal to come home...waiting for reconciliation.
As we wait and wait and wait, we start to wonder...and then to worry. What if God says "no?" What if God doesn't come through? What if the worst happens? What if I don't have what I need to survive the disappointment? What if I just can't endure any more of this long, hard siege of waiting?
Did you notice something about those questions, however? They all began with "What if...?" That's so often where we--or at least I--go off the rails and fall into the swamp of despair and doubt. All the "what if's" can literally sap the life and joy and hope right out of you and fill you instead with fear and doubt and despair.
But you know what? Maybe when those "what if's" start pounding at the door of our hearts, our minds and wills need to answer firmly with "But God has said..."
I love what Spurgeon wrote: "Will not the distresses of life and the pangs of death, will not the internal corruptions and the external snares, will not the trials from above and the temptations from beneath all seem but light afflictions when we can hide ourselves beneath the bulwark of 'He has said'?"
Yes! We respond to all the "what if's" and fears and doubts that assail us by waiting with God's unfailing promises. We run to His Word. We remember His faithfulness. We trust in His goodness and grace. We recall how faithful He has been to us in the past. We recount how God worked and moved in countless ways when His people in the Bible endured plenty of hard waiting of their own.
Bottom line: if we want to wait well, we must wait with and in God's Word.
Just a couple of examples: Abraham waited twenty-five years for God to send the long promised son to ancient Abe and his old wife, Sarah. That's a mighty long time of getting up every morning and hoping, maybe this is the day...and then, by the end of day, saying sadly, nope, not today. Only to get up the next morning, get busy worshipping, working, cleaning, traveling...and waiting, hoping once again: maybe today? And then, for about 9,125 days straight the answer was, nope, not yet. That's an awful lot of days of waiting.
Yet God's Word says, "And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise." (Heb.6:15)
Andree Sue Peterson writes, "Twenty-five years he waited. Unglamorous years of eating sand and believing for a son. Just think of the daily talking to yourself you'd have to do under these conditions to keep waiting for something humanly implausible based only on a word you heard way back when. Abraham is one of the greatest men in history for simply believing God for a long, long time."
Or how about Joseph? Though God had seemed to give him a vision of his future greatness and authority, Joseph's brothers betrayed him, and thirteen long years he waited in Egypt as a slave and then a forgotten prisoner in a stinking dungeon. That's 4,745 looong days, says Peterson, "to choose trusting God's word and faithfulness over bailing out of his teenage vision of the bowing sheaves and stars." How long does it take us to bail? To lose hope? To start complaining and fretting and doubting?
But all those days and months and years for Abraham, for Joseph, for Moses, for Hannah, for Zechariah and Elizabeth...they were never ever forgotten by God. Every day, every moment, during all that waiting, the Lord was working and moving behind the scenes in countless ways that they could not see and did not know. But we do...because we know the end of the story.
Because in our waiting, God is working. And in our waiting, God is building godly, strong, resilient, persevering, faithful character in us...in our children...in our loved ones...in our friends.
Does knowing that make it fun to wait? No sir. But it makes it worth it. Because as I've shared before, when God wants to grow a mealy little mushroom--that's here today and gone tomorrow--He takes about six hours. When He wants to grow a mighty, majestic, towering oak tree--that's here for generations offering shade, stability, and beauty--He takes about sixty years.
We're all enduring some kind of hard waiting right now...but instead of tumbling into the pit of fearful "what if's" that lead only to doubt and despair, let's turn to God's Word and choose to trust in His promises. Let's recount His faithfulness. Let's recall His goodness and grace. And let's remember that He's working and moving in our lives, in our loved ones' lives, to grow mighty oaks of righteousness and faithfulness.
I'm willing to wait well with Him for that. How about you?
To God be the glory.
Or maybe I should say, waiting well is hard. Because, really, we all wait an awful lot, and anybody can wait poorly, right?
I'm a professional at waiting impatiently, foot tapping, fist clenching, when I get in the loooong, sloooow line at the Harris Teeter. Or when the person in front of me at the stoplight sits there looong after it's turned green--obviously checking out social media--while the rest of us in line behind them, wait irritatingly, even angrily.
Then, of course, there's the especially challenging, anxious waiting: waiting to get into the desired school, waiting for the right person to come along to marry...waiting to get pregnant...waiting for the potentially life-altering diagnosis...waiting for healing...waiting for the prodigal to come home...waiting for reconciliation.
As we wait and wait and wait, we start to wonder...and then to worry. What if God says "no?" What if God doesn't come through? What if the worst happens? What if I don't have what I need to survive the disappointment? What if I just can't endure any more of this long, hard siege of waiting?
Did you notice something about those questions, however? They all began with "What if...?" That's so often where we--or at least I--go off the rails and fall into the swamp of despair and doubt. All the "what if's" can literally sap the life and joy and hope right out of you and fill you instead with fear and doubt and despair.
But you know what? Maybe when those "what if's" start pounding at the door of our hearts, our minds and wills need to answer firmly with "But God has said..."
I love what Spurgeon wrote: "Will not the distresses of life and the pangs of death, will not the internal corruptions and the external snares, will not the trials from above and the temptations from beneath all seem but light afflictions when we can hide ourselves beneath the bulwark of 'He has said'?"
Yes! We respond to all the "what if's" and fears and doubts that assail us by waiting with God's unfailing promises. We run to His Word. We remember His faithfulness. We trust in His goodness and grace. We recall how faithful He has been to us in the past. We recount how God worked and moved in countless ways when His people in the Bible endured plenty of hard waiting of their own.
Bottom line: if we want to wait well, we must wait with and in God's Word.
Just a couple of examples: Abraham waited twenty-five years for God to send the long promised son to ancient Abe and his old wife, Sarah. That's a mighty long time of getting up every morning and hoping, maybe this is the day...and then, by the end of day, saying sadly, nope, not today. Only to get up the next morning, get busy worshipping, working, cleaning, traveling...and waiting, hoping once again: maybe today? And then, for about 9,125 days straight the answer was, nope, not yet. That's an awful lot of days of waiting.
Yet God's Word says, "And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise." (Heb.6:15)
Andree Sue Peterson writes, "Twenty-five years he waited. Unglamorous years of eating sand and believing for a son. Just think of the daily talking to yourself you'd have to do under these conditions to keep waiting for something humanly implausible based only on a word you heard way back when. Abraham is one of the greatest men in history for simply believing God for a long, long time."
Or how about Joseph? Though God had seemed to give him a vision of his future greatness and authority, Joseph's brothers betrayed him, and thirteen long years he waited in Egypt as a slave and then a forgotten prisoner in a stinking dungeon. That's 4,745 looong days, says Peterson, "to choose trusting God's word and faithfulness over bailing out of his teenage vision of the bowing sheaves and stars." How long does it take us to bail? To lose hope? To start complaining and fretting and doubting?
But all those days and months and years for Abraham, for Joseph, for Moses, for Hannah, for Zechariah and Elizabeth...they were never ever forgotten by God. Every day, every moment, during all that waiting, the Lord was working and moving behind the scenes in countless ways that they could not see and did not know. But we do...because we know the end of the story.
Because in our waiting, God is working. And in our waiting, God is building godly, strong, resilient, persevering, faithful character in us...in our children...in our loved ones...in our friends.
Does knowing that make it fun to wait? No sir. But it makes it worth it. Because as I've shared before, when God wants to grow a mealy little mushroom--that's here today and gone tomorrow--He takes about six hours. When He wants to grow a mighty, majestic, towering oak tree--that's here for generations offering shade, stability, and beauty--He takes about sixty years.
We're all enduring some kind of hard waiting right now...but instead of tumbling into the pit of fearful "what if's" that lead only to doubt and despair, let's turn to God's Word and choose to trust in His promises. Let's recount His faithfulness. Let's recall His goodness and grace. And let's remember that He's working and moving in our lives, in our loved ones' lives, to grow mighty oaks of righteousness and faithfulness.
I'm willing to wait well with Him for that. How about you?
To God be the glory.
Sunday, August 12, 2018
Hope is a Person
Hospitals are hard.
They can be places of hurt, of demolished hope, of fear and uncertainty, of pain and sorrow. But they can also be places of healing and hope, of babies born, of dreams restored, of courage found and faith displayed. In hospitals, we experience the reality of Charles Dickens immortal words, "It was the best of times. It was the worst of times..."
After a hard week in the hospital for my sweet sister-in-law, yesterday was one of those especially hard days. We learned that she has a particularly challenging form of cancer, and although we thought we were prepared for difficult news, well, we weren't really prepared. I don't think you ever fully can be.
And yet even in the heartbreak and fear, there's that kernel of hope. Because our hope isn't in a great diagnosis, or in wonderful doctors, or in perfect health, or in happy circumstances...our hope is in Christ.
Hope isn't a feeling. Hope isn't a concept. Hope is a Person, and His name is Jesus.
"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us."
As my daughter, Mary Norris, so eloquently expressed it to my sister-in-law when she learned of the news yesterday: "One thing I will never forget is something someone told me when Janie's situation was looking really bleak--doctors can only give us news...they cannot give us hope. Hope comes from God and God alone. Your future is secure and He meets us at our weakest and most lonely, vulnerable places."
We have a God who weeps with us in our pain and sorrow. We have a God who fully suffered and completely understands every single pain, sorrow, and disappointment we'll ever face. He knows what it is to betrayed...to be rejected...to be lonely...to suffer pain and defeat and death.
And He's promised us that on this lovely, broken planet, we too will suffer. "I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation..." Yes, we will experience sorrow, pain, disease...BUT that's not the end of the story!
No sir! Finish the verse! Because following yet another of those amazing "but's" in the Word of God are words of glorious hope, certain hope, Jesus-this-is-gonna-get-mighty-good-hope: "...But take heart; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)
I don't know what you might be enduring today or facing tomorrow, but this I do know: Jesus has promised never to leave us us nor forsake us. (Heb.13:5) He's promised He's bringing ultimate and eternal good out of ALL things. (Rom.8:28) He's promised that He's making all things new (Rev.21:5 And by the way, He's not just making all new things, but making all things new! Praise God!!) He's promised that He is preparing a place for us in heaven (John 14:3) and that our light and momentary afflictions are preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison (2 Cor.4:17) And He's promised that He's overcome the world...so we can, we should, we must take heart!
I have to quote my precious daughter one more time in the text she sent to my sister-in-law: "Isn't it amazing how we have a God who sits with us in our pain? That if feels like He draws nearest when we're hurting and provides tangible reminders that He loves us? He is ultimately writing a story that fully redeems everything on this earth and one day it will be made whole again. We can rest in that assurance and in the meantime hope in His unfailing promises." Amen and amen.
Cancer doesn't have the last word. Divorce doesn't have the last word. Disease doesn't have the last world. Depression doesn't have the last word. Addiction doesn't have the last word. Destroyed finances or relationships or health don't have the last word.
Jesus has the first and last word forever and ever and ever. He is our Hope. He is our Anchor in the storm. And He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Real, abundant, eternal, glorious, hope-fulfilled Life with a capital L.
I don't know what the coming months will look like for my dear sister-in-law...or for any one of us on the planet for that matter. But I know the One who knows and holds us all in His nail-scarred hands. And if He says He's always with us...and He's overcome the world...and He's bringing our good and His glory out of all things...and He's making all things new, well then, we're good. Even while we fight the good fight against this cancer, we place our hope in God and in God alone. And He's got us. He's got her. He's got you. He is Hope.
To God be the glory.
They can be places of hurt, of demolished hope, of fear and uncertainty, of pain and sorrow. But they can also be places of healing and hope, of babies born, of dreams restored, of courage found and faith displayed. In hospitals, we experience the reality of Charles Dickens immortal words, "It was the best of times. It was the worst of times..."
After a hard week in the hospital for my sweet sister-in-law, yesterday was one of those especially hard days. We learned that she has a particularly challenging form of cancer, and although we thought we were prepared for difficult news, well, we weren't really prepared. I don't think you ever fully can be.
And yet even in the heartbreak and fear, there's that kernel of hope. Because our hope isn't in a great diagnosis, or in wonderful doctors, or in perfect health, or in happy circumstances...our hope is in Christ.
Hope isn't a feeling. Hope isn't a concept. Hope is a Person, and His name is Jesus.
"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us."
As my daughter, Mary Norris, so eloquently expressed it to my sister-in-law when she learned of the news yesterday: "One thing I will never forget is something someone told me when Janie's situation was looking really bleak--doctors can only give us news...they cannot give us hope. Hope comes from God and God alone. Your future is secure and He meets us at our weakest and most lonely, vulnerable places."
We have a God who weeps with us in our pain and sorrow. We have a God who fully suffered and completely understands every single pain, sorrow, and disappointment we'll ever face. He knows what it is to betrayed...to be rejected...to be lonely...to suffer pain and defeat and death.
And He's promised us that on this lovely, broken planet, we too will suffer. "I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation..." Yes, we will experience sorrow, pain, disease...BUT that's not the end of the story!
No sir! Finish the verse! Because following yet another of those amazing "but's" in the Word of God are words of glorious hope, certain hope, Jesus-this-is-gonna-get-mighty-good-hope: "...But take heart; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)
I don't know what you might be enduring today or facing tomorrow, but this I do know: Jesus has promised never to leave us us nor forsake us. (Heb.13:5) He's promised He's bringing ultimate and eternal good out of ALL things. (Rom.8:28) He's promised that He's making all things new (Rev.21:5 And by the way, He's not just making all new things, but making all things new! Praise God!!) He's promised that He is preparing a place for us in heaven (John 14:3) and that our light and momentary afflictions are preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison (2 Cor.4:17) And He's promised that He's overcome the world...so we can, we should, we must take heart!
I have to quote my precious daughter one more time in the text she sent to my sister-in-law: "Isn't it amazing how we have a God who sits with us in our pain? That if feels like He draws nearest when we're hurting and provides tangible reminders that He loves us? He is ultimately writing a story that fully redeems everything on this earth and one day it will be made whole again. We can rest in that assurance and in the meantime hope in His unfailing promises." Amen and amen.
Cancer doesn't have the last word. Divorce doesn't have the last word. Disease doesn't have the last world. Depression doesn't have the last word. Addiction doesn't have the last word. Destroyed finances or relationships or health don't have the last word.
Jesus has the first and last word forever and ever and ever. He is our Hope. He is our Anchor in the storm. And He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Real, abundant, eternal, glorious, hope-fulfilled Life with a capital L.
I don't know what the coming months will look like for my dear sister-in-law...or for any one of us on the planet for that matter. But I know the One who knows and holds us all in His nail-scarred hands. And if He says He's always with us...and He's overcome the world...and He's bringing our good and His glory out of all things...and He's making all things new, well then, we're good. Even while we fight the good fight against this cancer, we place our hope in God and in God alone. And He's got us. He's got her. He's got you. He is Hope.
To God be the glory.
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