January 13 - An Adventure (1/13/13)

A recurring theme for me as I look at my life with my Guide, my leader, the One I trust.. (you know Him, right?) is adventure. I think the idea of a life with Christ as an adventure is exciting, not a boring exercise in holiness but a vibrant life with the King of Kings! Every day I wake up excited to see what each day will hold. But today I overslept. That in itself is not unusual, but being late to church is not good, and I have promised to be better about being on time. I grabbed my coffee, my favorite three devotionals, prayed and climbed out of my warm bed into the chilly morning. In my mind, I had already written the post for today…been thinking about adventure again and saw an awesome scripture in "Jesus Calling." I was ready, but church couldn't wait and my writing could. And later is ok…. so off I went…

Church was great! Our pastor started a new sermon series which caught my attention. Worship was fantastic, the sun was coming out, wind dying down… ready to see the grands as we pick them up from their Sunday School (ok, I know Sunday school has a modern name, but that is what I call it). My son-in-law handed me the computer sticker which is the only way I can pick up my middle grandson, Henry, and I happily headed for him. Waiting in the lobby, visiting with Hen, and old friends and new friends, the day just seemed "text book." I mean no big deal, but a very big deal! 

At about 10:30 that all changed. Jill rushed up, handed baby Margaret to me and said, "Andrew is missing!" Mustering up calm, I gathered Henry and Margaret to me, looked up at my new friends and we began to pray. Not a big "Moses" prayer but the kind that comes from your innermost part…."Please, please, please, Father, find Andrew!" A calmness came over us, we adjusted to "sitting tight" and sure enough, in less than five minutes, Andrew was found. How? Well the church staff knew the drills and followed them perfectly, Jill's friends just "happened" to be upstairs where Andrew decided to be, and our merciful God placed His hand on our precious boy. The boy who is only 8 years old and with a curious, autisitc mind was found, even though he didn't know he was lost. A devastating outcome was averted, a little boy who did not know he was in danger was placed back in the hands of those who love him to pieces! Coincidence, good security or God in action? I believe the latter! So the next day that I lazily get up looking for an adventure….well, I might just stay in bed! 

I love the adventure of a God who cares for the least of us, the most helpless of us and saves us every day!

"This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it!" Psalm 118:24

Prayer:

Thank you, dear Father, for your merciful protection of us. As we claim our rights to adventure with You, let us not forget who cares for us, loves us and gives us the blessings of life in You ever day! Thank you, Jesus, for Andrew! Thank you for protecting him today and every day of his life. 

Amen

January 12 - Happiness is a Choice (1/12/13)

January 12 - Happiness is a choice!

Years ago, my Mom had a book called "Happiness is a Choice" by Meier and Minirth. It is a Christian prescription for depression, based on scriptural help. Well, my Mom may or may not have read it, but I didn't. I just saw her life and believe to this day that she made this choice but with a very special Helper. Let me explain. 

My Mother was a happy person. Until the day she died, she gave off joy. And her happiness was certainly not based on her circumstances. Imagine difficulties of all kinds and my Mom had them. Here is a brief overview. Mom was the youngest of four sisters, all of them delightful in different ways. She was the baby, however, and you would have expected her to be a spoiled brat, but she wasn't. All four sisters were married to nice men, and by the world's standards her sisters' husbands were all more successful than Daddy. However, my Mom married "Prince Charming" to me, my siblings and to her. There was no comparison in my mind. I adored my uncles, but Daddy was unique, wonderful, brilliant, and he adored his children and especially my Mom. My parents never argued because Daddy just didn't "do" that, and my Mom finally gave up trying to "fight" with him, so they lived in harmony most of the time. Mom got the "ace of spades" in husbands. But in 1988, Daddy died suddenly. Mom was on her own. I never once heard her complain. She just picked herself up, found a job at the age of 58, and worked hard at it, making new friends and facing widowhood with her usual pleasant attitude. Oh, she missed her best friend terribly, but never asked for pity, not my Mom. She was like that.

Then health issues became a problem. She was in a terrible car accident in 1981. This accident left my Mom with scar tissue in her lungs, but a terrible scar on her heart. Her six year old granddaughter was killed in the accident. Losing Martha, even though the accident was not my Mom's fault, was the kind of horrific devastation that most people could not have overcome. The loss of her granddaughter was probably the worst event that ever happened to Mom, but she overcame it and helped the rest of us accept it, also. Her courage amazed me. But that physical scar continued to plague her. Mom's breathing problems worsened as she aged and became chronic. Other terrible maladies assailed her, too, like gout. That is just awful, terrible and painful…also, it can be chronic. Then, she got shingles which is the curse of the devil. (Run, don't walk, to get a vaccine for that) Chronic diverticulosis haunted her, breathing worsened, her mobility was limited, and health issues just assailed her on every front.

But here is the thing: My Mom was happy. If you knew her, you would agree. No matter how much pain she had, she looked on the bright side. If she couldn't find one in her life, she looked for one in yours. When you saw her or called her and asked how she felt, she touched on her own problems lightly. Then, she quickly moved to her listener… no matter who it was. "How are you doing?" she would ask. And she really cared. She actually listened and tried to help. Always. Even when she was dying, it was never about her. She worried about the inconvenience she was causing those around her. Wondered who was babysitting for my daughters when they came to visit, for example. Didn't want anyone to drive in bad weather to see her or take time away from their own families. Even when she was spending her last twenty four hours on earth, she looked around the lovely hospice room and asked me, "Margaret, how much money is this costing you?" "And how are you, sweet girl?" I wanted to scream out, "I'm terrible, my Mom is sick, dying, and I can't fix this!" I can still see those big, brown eyes, looking at me, full of love and never complaining, not even then. Ever!

So, Mom believed she had a choice to be happy, and she took it. She was never bitter about what she did not have financially or physically, but grateful for all she did have. I want to be like her. I know other people (very well) who have everything on earth, but continue to choose unhappiness. Bitterness and regret mark their days. I want to be like Mom, not just because she was my Mom, but because she made a choice to dance in love all of her days! But how?

Here is a quote from my friend, Ron Holland, about this decision which gives us the key: "True happiness, I believe, is a sense of inner peace even in the midst of the trials of life, when some folks still seem to have a certain amount of quiet dignity, grace and peace surrounding them. Have you ever wondered how they can have that kind of persona? I believe it is because they know the Prince of Peace and have received the Comforter sent by Him to guide them in all truth."

"If you love me, show it by doing what I've told you. I will talk to the Father, and He'll provide you another Friend so that you will always have someone with you. This Friend is the Spirit of Truth. The godless world can't take him in because it doesn't have eyes to see him, doesn't know what to look for. But you know him already because he has been staying with you, and will even be in you!" John 14:15 The Message Bible

Prayer:

Father, help us to choose happiness today, the true happiness you give through living joyfully this day in You! Let us give off the tender mercies of the Holy Spirit living in us. Amen

January 11 - Who's in control? (1/11/13)

One of my favorite quotes, which I put into a list of my beatitudes (no disrespect intended to the ones from the Bible), is this: "Blessed are those who acknowledge that there is only one God and have quit applying for His position!" So no matter who thought (me) that yesterday was B-Day, it was not. Disappointed? A little, but relieved that all is well, and I also have heard that waiting produces character! So blessed are the patient because they won't be a pain to those around them!

 In BSF this week we are studying how we should respond to God's promises. Like this: if God gives me a promise and I believe Him, and it doesn't happen right away, or yesterday, as I hoped, what should I do? I know from my study of Sarah in Genesis, what not to do. I should not take matters into my own hands. You know, I should not help God out a little or a lot, or move things along. Helping Him out sounds reasonable if I know and believe the thing God promised is a good thing. A blessed thing! Perhaps, I might think, God is just busy today, He has a lot on His plate. In Sarah's situation the promised baby was more than a wonderful, miraculous and life-changing gift to them, but for all mankind. God promised Abraham that He would make him the father of His chosen people, so numerous that they would be like the stars in the heavens, uncountable. And God actually took Abraham outside and showed him the sky! And the promise included Sarah. But it had been ten years and Abraham wasn't getting any younger. Ten years earlier Abraham had reminded God that he was already half-dead! And Sarah? She laughed at the idea. So, Sarah cooked up a plan to help God out…still believing part of God's promise - the part about Abraham being the father of the nation of God. But her part, that was just too much for her. As an applicant for God's position, Sarah went into action and convinced her husband to go along with it. The story gets pretty ugly after that, and I won't retell it all, since you can read the whole drama in Genesis 16. I did learn that the outcome and result was so wrong that we are still paying the price for Sarah's half-belief. The son of Abraham and Sarah's handmaiden, Hagar, was Ishmael. He was a "donkey of a man," argumentative, war-like, hostile and evil. He became the father of the Arab nation which still rage against God's chosen people today.

Back to the future. Today. Not B-Day. No complaining to God from me. All is well. The precious ones are resting and we are all waiting…patiently. None of us are helping God out today. We are letting the Master of the Universe control B-Day and all the days of our lives. He really doesn't need our help. He is the omniscient, loving Father who wants to be the giver of all good gifts to us…on His time schedule, not ours. I am thanking Him in advance for the gifts He has already promised and the prayers He will answer for all of us. In His time. Letting go and letting God.

"Be still, and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10

"Among the gods, there is none like you, O Lord; nor are there any works like Your works. All nations whom you have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, and shall glorify Your name. For You are great, and do wondrous things. You alone are God." Psalm 86:8-10

Prayer:

Father, how we love You! How wonderful to praise your name and believe entirely the promises You have given to us! God, You are in control and You alone. We thank You for that! 

Amen