'"If we have found favor in your eyes," they said, "let this land be given to your servants as our possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan."' Numbers 32:5
A sign outside a church I passed the week after Easter read "Attention: We are open between Easter and Christmas." Isn't that great? I got a chuckle out of the church's tongue-in-cheek attempt to remind folks that there are 50 more Sundays a year to worship the Lord besides the two biggest Christian holidays.
Because I happened to be in the middle of a Bible study on the book of Numbers at the time, my mind was immediately drawn to the Gadites and Reubenites, who begged Moses not to make them cross the Jordan River into the Promised Land. These people were among the Israelite tribes that had been wandering the desert for 40 years since the Lord freed them from slavery in Egypt. Finally, they've made it out of the desert and they're camped just outside the land of Canaan that God had promised to their ancestors. It's nearly time to enter the land, take possession of it and settle into their new lives, and these people say thanks but no thanks. This land looks really good for raising our livestock so we'd rather stay here. Can you imagine that?
Sadly, I can. It really made me pause and think about how often I am willing to "settle" instead pressing on in faith toward what God has planned and prepared for me. God had promised these people life in a land "flowing with milk and honey" and they turned it down! They grasped for what they could see before them right then, without moving forward with trust that what God had in store for them would be even better.
Things are no different today, unfortunately. I'm always so happy to see the church jam-packed at Christmas and Easter, and I always hope that many of the people who only show up those two days a year will be so inspired by the services that they will be moved to return week after week. It saddens me when the attendance drops back down the very next Sunday. Jesus offers us "abundant life," our own opportunities for Promised Land living. We might think we're living it, but when we don't spend time in regular worship, prayer, Bible study, and fellowship with other believers, of if we don't really even believe in him, we're only settling for what's before us and missing out on an abundance of blessings.
Hebrews 11:1 says "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see." The Gadites and Reubenites had faith in what they could see. Jesus' disciple Thomas, when told of the ressurrection said he would not believe it unless he could see and touch Jesus' wounds. When he got that opportunity, Jesus told him "Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." Lord, please help me to always pursue the Promised Land and be among the blessed.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
Goodbye and Godspeed
A very dear lady passed away early this morning, and I couldn't let the day go by without taking a moment to reflect and pay her some tribute. She was an elderly lady in my church named Nancy, and she just had this way of making people feel special.
Maybe it was the fact that she always greeted me with a smile, a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. Maybe it was the fact the she reminded me of my Great-aunt Louise, another faithful and amazing lady who passed away many years ago. Or maybe it was the fact that when she said she was praying for me, I always knew without a doubt that she really was.
Yesterday at church I was stunned to hear that Nancy had had a stroke and was in intensive care. So today I drove to the hospital to check in on her...I really just wanted to hold her hand and pray for her. When I got there, however, they didn't have her listed as a patient and I assumed I had gone to the wrong hospital. A few minutes later when I called a friend to try to find out where she was, I was heartbroken to learn that Nancy had died in the wee hours of the morning.
For the next little while, I was so angry with myself for not going to see her yesterday as soon as I heard she was hospitalized. Instead, I came home from church and just hung around the house for a couple of hours before I had to attend a scheduled event later in the afternoon. I so truly regretted missing the chance to let her know I loved her and say goodbye.
But then I started reflecting on the last time I saw her. It was in the sanctuary at church, as folks were filing out after a beautiful and joyful Easter Sunday service. She was waiting for our pastor to finish shaking hands with everyone so that she could give him a cake she had baked for him. That was so Nancy, she loved to pamper people with her cooking, and I was blessed to have been a recipient of that goodness as well!
Anyway, when Nancy saw me she came over and gave me a big hug and kiss on the check. "Oh, I just love you Honey," she said. "I prayed for you just this morning and I pray for you every day." And I hugged her back and returned a kiss on her check, and I told her I loved her too.
Reflecting back on that, I'm so very grateful that God allowed me that moment with her. That was our goodbye, and what more needed to be said than that? Even more special was the setting, two sisters in Christ standing beneath the cross of Christ on Easter. How fitting that that was Nancy's last church service...she dearly loved and faithfully served the risen Savior! I know she's rejoicing to be with him now, for to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.
Thank you for all the examples you set Nancy, and the love you so freely shared.
"Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints." Psalm 116:15
Maybe it was the fact that she always greeted me with a smile, a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. Maybe it was the fact the she reminded me of my Great-aunt Louise, another faithful and amazing lady who passed away many years ago. Or maybe it was the fact that when she said she was praying for me, I always knew without a doubt that she really was.
Yesterday at church I was stunned to hear that Nancy had had a stroke and was in intensive care. So today I drove to the hospital to check in on her...I really just wanted to hold her hand and pray for her. When I got there, however, they didn't have her listed as a patient and I assumed I had gone to the wrong hospital. A few minutes later when I called a friend to try to find out where she was, I was heartbroken to learn that Nancy had died in the wee hours of the morning.
For the next little while, I was so angry with myself for not going to see her yesterday as soon as I heard she was hospitalized. Instead, I came home from church and just hung around the house for a couple of hours before I had to attend a scheduled event later in the afternoon. I so truly regretted missing the chance to let her know I loved her and say goodbye.
But then I started reflecting on the last time I saw her. It was in the sanctuary at church, as folks were filing out after a beautiful and joyful Easter Sunday service. She was waiting for our pastor to finish shaking hands with everyone so that she could give him a cake she had baked for him. That was so Nancy, she loved to pamper people with her cooking, and I was blessed to have been a recipient of that goodness as well!
Anyway, when Nancy saw me she came over and gave me a big hug and kiss on the check. "Oh, I just love you Honey," she said. "I prayed for you just this morning and I pray for you every day." And I hugged her back and returned a kiss on her check, and I told her I loved her too.
Reflecting back on that, I'm so very grateful that God allowed me that moment with her. That was our goodbye, and what more needed to be said than that? Even more special was the setting, two sisters in Christ standing beneath the cross of Christ on Easter. How fitting that that was Nancy's last church service...she dearly loved and faithfully served the risen Savior! I know she's rejoicing to be with him now, for to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.
Thank you for all the examples you set Nancy, and the love you so freely shared.
"Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints." Psalm 116:15
Sunday, March 15, 2009
More, More, More!
So frustrated with my girls this afternoon. We spent a whole weekend at Kaelie's volleyball tournament...exhausting for everyone. Her team played great, by the way, but it was a long and tiring weekend for the players as well as the spectators.
Yesterday afternoon during a break between games I took Hannah to the mall for a little while as a "reward" for being a trooper about being dragged from gym to gym all day long. It was a nice little break and she got a new swimsuit out of the deal. I even picked up a dress for Kaelie while were there.
Late this afternoon when it was finally time to go home, they both whined and complained because I wouldn't take them to the mall before making the 45-minute trip home. You would have thought they were so deprived! Joey and I were talking about how we love them and will gladly sacrifice time, money, weekends, etc. for them to be able to do all the sports and things that they get to do, but we just wish they would act like they appreciate it rather than expecting more, more, more and whining when they don't get their way.
The Lord must have been shaking his head upon hearing that conversation. Am I really any different? How much has he sacrificed for me, after all? He gave up his only Son so that I can have eternal life with him, yet is that what I focus on when things aren't going my way? Too often I'm acting just like my girls were today, whining and complaing, or feeling deprived over not having this or that. Will I ever learn???
Yesterday afternoon during a break between games I took Hannah to the mall for a little while as a "reward" for being a trooper about being dragged from gym to gym all day long. It was a nice little break and she got a new swimsuit out of the deal. I even picked up a dress for Kaelie while were there.
Late this afternoon when it was finally time to go home, they both whined and complained because I wouldn't take them to the mall before making the 45-minute trip home. You would have thought they were so deprived! Joey and I were talking about how we love them and will gladly sacrifice time, money, weekends, etc. for them to be able to do all the sports and things that they get to do, but we just wish they would act like they appreciate it rather than expecting more, more, more and whining when they don't get their way.
The Lord must have been shaking his head upon hearing that conversation. Am I really any different? How much has he sacrificed for me, after all? He gave up his only Son so that I can have eternal life with him, yet is that what I focus on when things aren't going my way? Too often I'm acting just like my girls were today, whining and complaing, or feeling deprived over not having this or that. Will I ever learn???
Monday, March 9, 2009
Green Stained Shoes Part 2
The saga of the green stained shoes continues. Boy, the Lord is really working on me with those shoes. Hannah wore them to her daddy/daughter dance and had a wonderful time. Two days later it snowed and the kids were out of school for the next two days. The day they went back she wanted to wear the shoes to school and got mad because I wouldn't let her. I mean, there was still snow all over the ground, it was melting and wet and muddy, and they're just flimsy little satin flats.
The next day I gave in against my better judgement and let her wear them. A lot of the snow was gone by then, and I told her that if they went outside for recess that she needed to stay on the blacktop and not run around in the grass. It was still too wet and muddy in places, and I knew those shoes would be ruined. She assured me she would be careful, and off she went.
When she got home in the afternoon, she took her shoes off at the front door and held them up to show me the new stains all over them, this time from the mud she sank into at recess! You can imagine my reaction...I won't even go into it.
We let the shoes sit for a couple of days and let the mud get good and dry. When she was looking for shoes to wear to church on Sunday, I suggested the green ones. "But I can't wear them anymore," she tells me. "Did you forget that they're ruined from the mud?"
Unbelievable! After all we went through about getting those shoes, and she was ready to just throw them away. Instead, I grabbed a shoe brush from Joey's shoe shine kit and went to work brushing away as much of the mud as I could. They cleaned up surprisingly well, they were just left looking a little dull on the sides. She was able to wear them to church and once they were on her feet they looked fine.
Once again the Lord had a lesson for me from those shoes. I was able to brush away the dirt and grime and restore the shoes to wearable condition. In the same way, when I submit to Jesus' brush he is able to wipe away all the sin that would otherwise keep my heart a muddy mess. And just as the mud left behind some stains on the shoes, often my sins leave consequences that must be dealt with. But I know that the Lord will help me with those as well when I humble myself and admit my mistakes and allow his grace to enter in.
Instead of throwing us away as Hannah was ready to do with the shoes, God looks at us and sees beauty and potential. It might take a lilttle scrubbing to get to it, but how blessed we are that he considers us worth the effort!
"Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow." Psalm 51:7
"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." Psalm 51:10
The next day I gave in against my better judgement and let her wear them. A lot of the snow was gone by then, and I told her that if they went outside for recess that she needed to stay on the blacktop and not run around in the grass. It was still too wet and muddy in places, and I knew those shoes would be ruined. She assured me she would be careful, and off she went.
When she got home in the afternoon, she took her shoes off at the front door and held them up to show me the new stains all over them, this time from the mud she sank into at recess! You can imagine my reaction...I won't even go into it.
We let the shoes sit for a couple of days and let the mud get good and dry. When she was looking for shoes to wear to church on Sunday, I suggested the green ones. "But I can't wear them anymore," she tells me. "Did you forget that they're ruined from the mud?"
Unbelievable! After all we went through about getting those shoes, and she was ready to just throw them away. Instead, I grabbed a shoe brush from Joey's shoe shine kit and went to work brushing away as much of the mud as I could. They cleaned up surprisingly well, they were just left looking a little dull on the sides. She was able to wear them to church and once they were on her feet they looked fine.
Once again the Lord had a lesson for me from those shoes. I was able to brush away the dirt and grime and restore the shoes to wearable condition. In the same way, when I submit to Jesus' brush he is able to wipe away all the sin that would otherwise keep my heart a muddy mess. And just as the mud left behind some stains on the shoes, often my sins leave consequences that must be dealt with. But I know that the Lord will help me with those as well when I humble myself and admit my mistakes and allow his grace to enter in.
Instead of throwing us away as Hannah was ready to do with the shoes, God looks at us and sees beauty and potential. It might take a lilttle scrubbing to get to it, but how blessed we are that he considers us worth the effort!
"Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow." Psalm 51:7
"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." Psalm 51:10
Friday, February 20, 2009
Green Stained Shoes
"Well, its one for the money,
Two for the show,
Three to get ready,
Now go, cat, go.
But dont you step on my blue suede shoes.
You can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoes." (Elvis Presley)
I couldn't help thinking of that song this afternoon as I bought new shoes for Hannah, my 10 year-old. As of this writing, she and Joey are at the Daddy/Daughter dance at her school. She's all decked out in a brand new dress and the lime green satiny shoes I got for her.
The thing is, I almost didn't get them. She had tried them on last night and liked them, but wanted to look around a little more first. We didn't find the silver flats she was hoping for, so I went back late today for the green ones. As the store clerk pulled them from their box to check the size, I noticed what appeared to be a fairly large stain on the side of the right shoe. You know how water will leave a mark on satin? That's what it looked like, along with a couple of other dirty-looking spots as well. The clerk offered to discount them because they were the only pair in Hannah's size, but I hated the thought of buying dirty shoes!
At that point, I did the only thing I could do. I called Hannah, who was at home already beginning the primping process, and let her decide. And of course, I came home with the shoes.
When she went out the door with Joey tonight, she looked and felt beautiful in her new dress and green stained shoes, and thankfully I was right, no one will be able to notice the spots.
Still, the whole thing has made me uncomfortable all evening. Not because I bought stained shoes, or because she was so quick to settle for them anyway and I was so willing to oblige. It's because in the process, the Holy Spirit was quick to point out to me how easily I am willing to settle for less than God's best for me. Every time I choose to ignore a sin that seems small and insignificant, I settle for less than God's best. Every time I choose to ignore the direction of the Holy Spirit and follow my own path under my own will, I settle for less than God's best. Eventually, "small" sins lead to "big" sins if left unchecked, and my own path will always be the one that leads to destruction. In time, what starts as a blemish barely obvious to anyone but the Lord becomes glaringly obvious and ugly.
I want to put my best foot forward in all that I do and live a life that brings honor and glory to the Lord. How can I do that if I am wiling to turn a blind eye to sin, my own as well as others'. Water may leave stains on shoes, but sin stains the heart.
"Let those who love the Lord hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked. Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart. " Psalm 97:10-11
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Rejoicing!
Great news today, so I couldn't let it go by without at least a short post. Last week marked one year since my diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. My neurologist decided it was time to do a follow-up MRI to check on things upstairs. So, last Thursday I had MRIs on my brain and cervical spine and got the results today.
Drumroll please...
NO NEW LESIONS! HOORAY!
But wait, it gets even better...
the two brain lesions and one cervical spine lesion detected last year HAVE IMPROVED! DOUBLE HOORAY!
Praise God! I can't believe a whole year has gone by since receiving that devastating news. What a year it has been. This is all the encouragement I need to keep giving myself these shots I take every other day. Believe me, they are not fun because if I don't take ibuprofen with them I get uncontrollable chills and shakes. They also leave welts and bruises that last for weeks, so needless to say, my stomach, hips and thighs stay pretty much black and blue. But at least now I know that it is all worth it!
So much to be thankful for...God is so good!
"I will extol the Lord at all times, his praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together."
Psalm 34:1-3
Drumroll please...
NO NEW LESIONS! HOORAY!
But wait, it gets even better...
the two brain lesions and one cervical spine lesion detected last year HAVE IMPROVED! DOUBLE HOORAY!
Praise God! I can't believe a whole year has gone by since receiving that devastating news. What a year it has been. This is all the encouragement I need to keep giving myself these shots I take every other day. Believe me, they are not fun because if I don't take ibuprofen with them I get uncontrollable chills and shakes. They also leave welts and bruises that last for weeks, so needless to say, my stomach, hips and thighs stay pretty much black and blue. But at least now I know that it is all worth it!
So much to be thankful for...God is so good!
"I will extol the Lord at all times, his praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together."
Psalm 34:1-3
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Lights Out
"For you were once in darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light." Ephesians 5:8
The timing was not good. I had just put a load of laundry in the wash, Joey was working on the computer trying to get some finance committee work done to present at a church meeting later in the evening, and my daughter Kaelie was due home from a weekend youth retreat with a big civics test to study for.
So, when the power went out in our house and our whole neighborhood at 2:45 p.m., we had a timing problem.
Fast forward to 5:45 p.m. and still no electricity. I called the power company and the lady I spoke with said it was looking like midnight before it would be restored. UGH, so much to do and it all required electricity!
Finally, Joey and Kaelie (now home from her retreat) left for the church, both to attend meetings. "No use sitting around here in a dark house that's getting colder," I told Hannah. So we picked up subs from Subway and went to the church as well. I kept thinking how good it was to be a part of a church family where we felt so at home that we could just go there and hang out with people while our power was out. Some people offered to let us go to their houses, but we were content to stay at the church and wait for Joey and Kaelie.
While we waited, I was able to help a man who was cleaning up the kitchen after a dinner that had been served ealier. Then I was able to help a young mom who had come in all alone to set up the fellowship hall for a meeting taking place the next morning. In both cases, I got to meet people from the church whom I had never met, and connect with them while doing something purposeful for the Lord.
When we finally made it home a little before 9:00 p.m., the power came on as I was in the process of lighting candles around the house. I was actually even a little disappointed because everything looked so pretty in the candlelight!
Today when I read this verse from Ephesians, it dawned on me that during those few hours of darkness in my house, God had been able to use me as light in his house. He showed me that the simple acts of helping clean the church kitchen and set up for a MOPS meeting helped to spread his light into the lives of others, and the things my family needed to do still got done as well.
Bad timing? Really? Nope, God's timing, and it is always perfect!
The timing was not good. I had just put a load of laundry in the wash, Joey was working on the computer trying to get some finance committee work done to present at a church meeting later in the evening, and my daughter Kaelie was due home from a weekend youth retreat with a big civics test to study for.
So, when the power went out in our house and our whole neighborhood at 2:45 p.m., we had a timing problem.
Fast forward to 5:45 p.m. and still no electricity. I called the power company and the lady I spoke with said it was looking like midnight before it would be restored. UGH, so much to do and it all required electricity!
Finally, Joey and Kaelie (now home from her retreat) left for the church, both to attend meetings. "No use sitting around here in a dark house that's getting colder," I told Hannah. So we picked up subs from Subway and went to the church as well. I kept thinking how good it was to be a part of a church family where we felt so at home that we could just go there and hang out with people while our power was out. Some people offered to let us go to their houses, but we were content to stay at the church and wait for Joey and Kaelie.
While we waited, I was able to help a man who was cleaning up the kitchen after a dinner that had been served ealier. Then I was able to help a young mom who had come in all alone to set up the fellowship hall for a meeting taking place the next morning. In both cases, I got to meet people from the church whom I had never met, and connect with them while doing something purposeful for the Lord.
When we finally made it home a little before 9:00 p.m., the power came on as I was in the process of lighting candles around the house. I was actually even a little disappointed because everything looked so pretty in the candlelight!
Today when I read this verse from Ephesians, it dawned on me that during those few hours of darkness in my house, God had been able to use me as light in his house. He showed me that the simple acts of helping clean the church kitchen and set up for a MOPS meeting helped to spread his light into the lives of others, and the things my family needed to do still got done as well.
Bad timing? Really? Nope, God's timing, and it is always perfect!
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