Those Who Mourn

Blessed are those who mourn,

for they shall be comforted. [NKJV]

How happy are those who know what sorrow means,

for they will be given courage and comfort. [Phillips]

You are blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you.

Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you. [Message]

Matthew 5:4

When my youngest daughter announced that she wanted a tattoo (one older sister had ink, the other a piercing), I told her my house rules (as in, if you are living in my house, you will…):  1) Your mother goes with you; and 2) you put the ink somewhere that you can cover it up (many employers seem to frown on tattoos).  She wanted to design it herself – her thoughts being influenced by a recent breakup with a longtime boyfriend – around the theme that love could be painful. The artist put a little heart in the center, with the word “love” above it, and the word “pain” below it.  A few days later she called me from school.  "MOTHER," she intoned, "do you know what this tatoo says???"  Love pain?  Oh...as in, Niki loves pain?  She was mortified.  I couldn’t stop laughing.

The pain that comes from loving and losing is no laughing matter, however.  In recent years, families in the congregation where I work have experienced SIDS, heart attacks, strokes, and a never-ending list of cancer. Recently the deaths have been mostly  long-term spouses – husbands or wives of 30-40-50+ years. The grief of the one left behind is overwhelming.  Several times over the last few weeks the question has been raised, “How in the world do people survive who don’t have God to turn to or the hope of the resurrection?”

This beatitude is not saying, “You’ll be happy if you hurt.”  On the contrary, pain and suffering are an unfortunate and dreaded part of everyday life.  The rain falls on the good and the bad, the poor and the rich, the believer and non-believer alike.  The happiness comes in the sure knowledge that you have Someone to turn to – your Creator God who has promised you comfort and courage.   In the midst of pain and loss, He is right beside you – pouring out His love and compassion.

Poor in Spirit

Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. [NKJV; NIV]

How happy are those who know their need for God,

for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. [Phillips]

You’re blessed when you are at the end of your rope.

With less of you, there is more of God and His rule. [Message}

Matthew 5:3

Blessed - Greek: makariŏs

Supremely blessed, fortunate, well off, happy

The eight Beatitudes, or Blessings, that form the beginning of the teachings of Jesus entitled, The Sermon on the Mount, are found in the fifth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew.  Jesus was out walking, realized that a vast crowd was following Him, and went up a hillside to sit and talk with them.  He began His instruction with a list of eight ways that his audience would be makariŏs.

Knowing exactly who you are in this world is a great blessing for anyone.  There are many people who have to be in control of every situation in their life. Now I am not suggesting that controlling your destiny is not necessary or not good.  But in truth, there are many things in life we cannot control.  There are situations that are beyond our ability to grasp onto and hold.  We cannot see the end from the beginning.  Often we can not see what is right in front of our face. 

We cannot change who we are, we cannot get rid of our mistakes, we cannot control those around us.  Most importantly, we cannot save ourselves.  We need Someone higher and greater than ourselves.  Who better than the Creator of the Universe – the One who spoke us into existence, who knows the number of hairs on our head, who loves us as no other can.  We are blessed when we know that we are, now and forever, children of God.

The Surprise Package Company

Be especially careful when you are to do good so that you don’t make a performance out of it.   It might be good theater, but the God who made you won’t be applauding.When you do something for someone else, don’t call attention to yourself.You’ve seen them in action, I’m sure – “playactors” I call them – treating prayer meeting and street corner alike as a stage, acting compassionate as long as someone is watching, playing to the crowds.  They get applause, true, but that’s all they’ll get.  When you help someone out, don’t think about how it looks.  Just do it – quietly and unobtrusively.  That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scenes, 

helps you out.

 Matthew 6:1-4 [The Message]

When I was a youngster, we had a book of Uncle Arthur’s Bedtime Stories.  It was my favorite book growing up, particularly the story, The Surprise Package Company.  Two children, Will and Gwen, are bored and want something to do.  Will suggests that they form the Surprise Package Company.  “We’ll find people who need things done for them, and then make them wonder how the things happened.  I think this will be lots of fun.”

The kids drew up little notes to leave behind that read, The Surprise Package Company called today on a matter of business, or With love from The Surprise Package Company.   First, they cleaned the kitchen and washed the dishes for their mom.  Then they took a package of eggs to an elderly woman in their neighborhood.   

When their friend, Frank, came down with the mumps, they dropped a big box over the backyard fence – right where Frank could see it tumble down.  When his mother retrieved the package, Frank found 4 little boxes marked with the day he should open them.  Inside were paints, puzzles, books, and other things that would occupy his mind while he was sick. Where did these children get the money for these little gifts?  They didn't - they simply gave away their own things.

Giving to others with no expectation of recognition or return is a great deal of fun.  If no one knows who did them a good deed, there are no remarks such as, Why did you do this? or other questions regarding motives, or the thought that somehow they needed to "pay you back."  Giving for the pure pleasure of giving is one of the most uplifting things that we can do.  Surprise someone today.  Just don’t let them know that it was you!

Talking Too Much?

And don’t say anything you don’t mean.  This counsel is embedded deep in our traditions.  You only make things worse when you lay down a smoke screen of pious talk, saying, “I’ll pray for you,” and never doing it, or saying, “God be with you,” and not meaning it.  You don’t make your words true by embellishing them with religious lace.  In making your speech sound more religious, it becomes less true.  Just say, “yes” and “no.” When you manipulate words to get your own way, you go wrong.

Matthew 5:33-37 [The Message]

I have always been a “talker” – not in an outgoing, friendly way [I am introverted by nature], but in an “explain myself” sort of way.  It seems at times that my mantra is “the more words, the better.”  I don’t know why I have this feeling that people will not understand me the first time.  I blabber on and on, hoping, I suppose, that eventually the listener will thoroughly understand my issue/motive/reason, etc.  Often, I just make the situation muddier, which causes me to jump back in with a new round of blather.

I love the way Eugene Peterson has translated this passage in Matthew – a portion of the Sermon on the Mount.   Pious talk can be so easy for those of us who have walked the Christian path for a long time.  Well-worn “Christian” phrases can flow out of our mouths with little forethought.  “You don’t make your words true by embellishing them with religious lace.”  Flowing “Christian” speech can be thoughtless and meaningless.

Jesus’ advice?  Keep it to “yes” and “no.”  The issue here is all about truth – truth in life, truth in action, truth in utterance.  Can you say “yes” without an explanation of why you said that?  Can you say “no” and leave it at that?  It’s not easy – but it certainly saves a lot of embarrassment, heartache, and confusion down the road.  Don’t hide behind your endless words.  A transparent life demands clear, truthful speech.

A New Car?

…for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger,

and of great kindness…

Joel 2:13

A couple of months ago, I passed off the last of what seems like an endless stream of Toyota Corollas to a daughter whose car had bit the dust.  That left me with my father’s old truck to drive until I had the time to find a new vehicle.  In the last few days, I decided it was time to buy the car, and began to look for one on the Internet, checking the used vehicle inventories of local dealers.

Thursday I decided to stop at a couple dealerships in Short Pump on my way home from the bank.  The grandfatherly salesman at the Nissan dealership was very nice, but kept trying to get me to look at vehicles that cost more than I could afford to pay.  He asked for my name and number in case "something came in," then bid me a friendly good-bye and good luck.

When I drove up to the next dealership, there was a salesman just returning to the office from the car lot.  He glanced at the dilapidated truck as I pulled in, and finally hesitated until I got out of the car.  He asked if he could help me, and I told him what I was looking for, and my price range.  He stared at me for a second, then gave a laugh and said, “I wish I could help you, but I don’t have anything like that here.”  He then hesitated and said, “Oh, wait a moment.  There might be something…let me just check in the office”

He had taken two steps toward the showroom door when another customer drove in and parked.  He halted, looked back at me and said, “I can’t help you,”  then proceeded to welcome the new customer and escort them into the showroom.  I've heard lots of jokes about used car salesmen, but this is the first genuinely rude individual that I have ever encountered on a dealership lot. 

I have always tried to teach my kids that there is never a reason to be rude.  I still believe that to be true.  When we are kind to others, we spread a little of the light of heaven’s love.  Joel says that God is gracious, kind, and slow to anger.  I’d really like to be just like Him! 

My apologies for the lateness of this post.

Life gets turned around and around some times! 

The Flowers of His Garden

For as the earth brings forth its bud,

as the gardener causes the things that are

sown in it to spring forth,

so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise

to spring forth before all the nations.

Isaiah 61:11

There is almost nothing that I enjoy more than finding a new and beautiful flowering plant.  On a recent visit to Lynchburg, I found a small plant nursery at the 307/460 split outside of Farmville.  There I discovered a gorgeous petunia called Pretty Much Picasso Supertunia.  The flowers are a deep pink, edged in lime green.  They are now a beautiful addition to my container gardening collection.

The next day, I visited Sneed’s Nursery to see if I could find a Superbells plant (resembling a miniature petunia) in the same vivid pink to plant with the Supertunia.  In the process, I discovered the Blackberry Punch Superbell – also a coloring that I had never seen before.  Suffice it to say this beautiful specimen also came home with me.

Just as I love and care for my garden, nurturing my plants and coaxing them to full bloom, so the Lord loves His people – the human race that He created.  He tends and nurtures us, watering us with the strengthening power of the Holy Spirit, and focusing on us the powerful sunlight of His love and blessings.  We, in turn, sing forth His praise to everyone around us, witnessing to the joy of being part of His garden.  

Bless the Children

He maketh the barren woman to keep house,

And to be a joyful mother of children.

Psalm 113:9

The trial of Casey Anthony started yesterday in Florida.  She is accused of murdering her own child, Caylee, who was just short of her third birthday when she died.  Although Caylee was last seen alive in June of 2008, she was not reported missing until July 15.

I will readily admit that there were times when my three daughters were growing up that I was ready to drop-kick one (or more) of them to the moon, but not knowing where my child was at any given moment?  Panic time.  It is beyond my imagination to not know (and not care?) where your child is for an entire month. 

I have no idea whether Casey Anthony is guilty of murdering her child.  It is clear, however, that she is guilty of neglecting her little daughter.  Raising a toddler is never an easy task – doing it alone makes it many times more difficult.  Somehow Caylee slipped through the cracks of the normal bonds of affection and protection, and ended up in a shallow grave.

Is there a child or children within your sphere of daily living?  Let them know that they are loved and important.  Do you know a mother whose parenting load you could lighten? Is there a family in your church who are struggling to keep things together?   Jesus wants us to care about and care for “the least of these…”   The first on that list are the children.

Let Freedom Ring!

 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession

and thanksgiving be made for all people —

for kings and all those in authority,

that we may live peaceful and quiet lives

in all godliness and holiness.

1 Timothy 2:1-2

This weekend is the Memorial Day holiday, when we remember all those who have died in the service of freedom - those in the military who have given their lives for their country.  Started as an emblem of reconciliation and remembrance after the end of the civil war, it has expanded to a holiday commemorating all wars and conflicts.

If there ever was a time in this nation's history when the leadership needs our prayers, it certainly is now.  Conflicts and natural disasters abound, demanding the need for strong leadership and guidance.  I am not at all a political person, but was raised in a military family (Navy), and love and believe in my country.  There are days when I wish that there was only one political party, so that all the aggrandizing and political rhetoric and posturing would cease, and we would do what was best for America without the interference of personal politics.  But that is about as likely to happen as Alice in Wonderland becoming president.

There may be those who think it is inappropriate for us to pray for the leaders of our country, and others who believe that it is nice but an exercise in futility.  For me - it is a suggestion straight from the Creator Himself - and if He thinks it will do some good, then I am all for it.  I invite you to join with me this weekend - whether you are American or not - to pray for your country and its President/King/Queen/Governing Council.  We can pray for wisdom, for effective communication, and for peace.

Remember...

 

Remember now Thy Creator in the days of thy youth…

Ecclesiastes 12:1

Yesterday I traveled to Lynchburg, Virginia with my youth choir (12 absolutely charming girls).  They were presenting a musical based on the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15.  We actually only had 10 girls for this trip – one member had a longstanding dance competition, and another was ill.

Two of the girls had attended prom on Saturday evening, and one had not arrived home until 4:30am Sunday morning.  When her father pulled up to the church at the designated 7:00am departure time, he assisted his daughter out of the car and then shoveled her into a seat in the back of my vehicle, where she promptly fell asleep. 

The church in Lynchburg is a vibrant but aging congregation.  I was concerned that my overall tired (and partly exhausted) group of girls might not rise to the challenge.  I should have known better.  When it came to preaching the gospel of the love and forgiveness of our Heavenly Father, the kids put it in fifth gear and gave the best presentation of the season.  The resiliency of youth is a wonder to behold, and is why King Solomon urged them to live for their Creator in the days of their youth, before the world of adulthood and stress overwhelm them.  It was wonderful to watch that process at work yesterday as the girls sang out their praise to their Redeemer.   

Unwitting Role Model

May the words of my mouth,

and the meditation of my heart

be acceptable in Thy sight,

O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.

Psalm 19:14

A couple of weeks ago, I received a friend request on Facebook from someone that I did not recognize – in face or in name.  The woman thanked me for her first doll, her first set of china, her first bicycle, and “all the times you played piano for me.”  I replied, “I am so sorry, but I have no idea who you are.”

The woman wrote back, mentioning a family that attended the church that I grew up in.  She was the oldest child, a daughter who would have been very young compared to me.

She spoke of my sharing with her my love of music, playing the piano, singing, and generally paying attention to her as a young child.  I have absolutely no memory of this whatsoever.  She said that I greatly influenced her in her choice of what she wanted to do with her life.  She became a music educator, teaching in various Christian schools as well as privately in her home.  She has a wonderful website for the children’s music that she writes and records. You can visit her page at www.kidzspotlight.com.

Whether we choose to be or not, each of us is a role model to someone who is watching and listening.  If I would have known of this young girl’s open heart, would I have acted differently around her?  I don’t know.  I just praise the Lord that she viewed me as a positive example.  The credit for that belongs entirely to God!

Stop. Look. Listen

Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives,

the disciples came to Him privately, saying,

"Tell us, when will these things be?  And what will be

the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?

And Jesus answered them and said to them:

"Take heed that no one deceives you.

For many will come in my Name, saying,

'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.

And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars.

See that you are not troubled;

for all these things must come to pass,

but the end is not yet.

For nation will rise against nation,

and kingdom against kingdom.

And there will be famines, pestilences,

and earthquakes in various places.

All these are the beginning of sorrows.

Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you,

and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake.

And then many will be offended,

and will betray one another, and hate one another.

Then many false prophets will rise up 

and deceive many.

And because lawlessness will abound,

the love of many will grow cold.

But he who endures to the end shall be saved.

And this gospel of the kingdom

will be preached in all the world

as a witness to all nations,

and then the end will come.

Matthew 24:3-14

The Great Disappointment

Therefore if they say to you, “Look, He is in the desert!” do not go out; or “Look, He is in the inner rooms,” do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

Matthew 24:26-27

William Miller, an American Baptist minister in upstate New York, was a keen student of the scriptures, especially the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation.  When Miller studied Daniel 8:14 -  "Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed” -  he used the day/year prophetic yardstick to reach 2,300 years. The more he studied, the more he believed that "the sanctuary being cleansed” meant the return of Jesus to this earth.  Additional prophecies in Daniel gave Miller clues as to the date from which the prophet was counting.

Miller calculated several different dates during the 1830’s, finally settling on October 22, 1844, as the date when Jesus Christ would return to earth.  Miller and many others preached the soon return of their Lord up and down the Eastern starboard of the United States.  Hundreds of people joined the movement known as the Great Awakening.  Families abandoned their homes, and/or left their crops to rot in the fields.  When midnight passed and time slipped into October 23, their grief and disappointment were overwhelming.  October 22, 1844 is known in history as The Great Disappointment.

History is poised to repeat itself tomorrow, May 21, 2011, only this time the movement is centered on the west coast in California.  The disappointment and disillusionment will be the same. The staggering loss for those who have left everything behind will be overwhelming.  Many will turn against their leader, the movement spawned by Family Radio, and God Himself.  This is not the first incidence of date-setting for the coming of Christ, and it will not be the last.  Sadly, the Second Coming is not about mathematical calculations.  It is about the fullness of time – God’s time. 

The End?

But when the fullness of time was come,

God sent forth His Son,

made of a woman, made under the law.

Galatians 4:4

Today is May 19.  In two days – May 21, 2011 - the world is supposed to end.  The truth of that statement is very real to the followers of Harold Camping, the 89-year-old minister and director of Family Radio – an evangelical network based in Oakland, California.  Rev. Camping has “discovered” a mathematical formula that guarantees the date of Christ’s second coming – or at the very least, the rapture of the Righteous.  Brother Camping has plastered his message on the airwaves, billboards, and vehicles that have been dispatched to every state in the U.S.  He has followers all across the world – many of whom have quit their jobs and disposed of all their worldly belongings.

Is it possible that this man is right?  The Christian Science Monitor stated: “Will the world actually explode on May 21?  There’s no way to prove that it won’t!”  We can’t “prove” that anything will or will not happen in the future – not even the weather!  But we can learn from the past. 

Mr. Camping previously predicted that the world would end in the 1970’s.  When it did not happen, he stated that he had not “read enough” of the Bible, and that his calculations were wrong.  This time, he believes that his mathematical calculations are without error, and Jesus will begin the apocalypse on Saturday, with a final explosive finish in October.

The Bible states that no man knows the day or the hour of Christ’s coming, only the Father [Mark 13:32; Matthew 24:36].  When Jesus was born as a babe on this earth, the event happened when the fullness of time had come.  I believe that the same will hold true when He returns to this earth.  Jesus will return when the fullness of time has come – God’s time, not ours.

Lead Me, Lord

Lead me, Lord – lead me in Thy righteousness,

Make Thy way plain before my face.

For it is Thou, Lord, Thou, Lord only

That makest me dwell in safety.

Samuel Wesley [1810-1876]

The church that I grew up in, located in Phoenix, Arizona, was called the Phoenix Central Church.  Situated on Garfield Street in an old downtown neighborhood, Central was the place to be on Saturday morning. There was a wonderful physician in the congregation, Dr. Jim, who was also a crack musician.  Suffice it to say that Central had wonderful music in the services, and a long tradition of musical excellence that I thrived in.

The hymn above, Lead Me, Lord, [#691 in the hymnal of my childhood] was a response that was sung by the congregation – usually after the pastoral prayer.  There were lots of songs that we used as responses, but this one was my favorite. I grew up singing it, in church and at home, and never realized that the words were a direct quote from Scripture.  Psalm 5:8 says: Lead me, O Lord, in Thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make Thy way straight before my face.  Psalm 4:8 states:  I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for Thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.

Samuel Wesley’s tune for this hymn is lovely, but I don’t think that was the complete source of my appreciation for this little chorus.  I have always been a timid person, scared of my own shadow, unsure of myself and very shy.  These words were and are a tremendous comfort to me:  God will guide me in His righteous paths, and keep me safely under His wings.

Trees

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.  He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.

Psalm 1:1-3

I love trees – particularly if they fruit or flower.  When I bought my house last year, I discovered to my sorrow that the previous owner had cut down at least 15 trees – some of them such beauties as Damson plum.  This spring I had all the stumps removed, and am going to replace a few of them with new trees.  Last fall I planted a sweet cherry in the front yard, and a Golden Delicious apple tree now graces a portion of the back yard.  Amazingly, both of these small trees are bearing fruit – an exciting time for any gardener!

The psalmist describes a faithful believer as a tree that is planted by a stream of water, bearing fruit in the proper season, abundant in new growth – not concerned with drought or scorching wind.  The source of our strength is the living water that Jesus offers to anyone who hungers and thirsts for His righteousness [Matthew 5; John 3].  The character traits of the Almighty are the fruit produced in our lives.

Cherish the graces of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.  This is the fruit of the Christian tree.  Planted by the rivers of living water, it always brings forth its fruit in due season.

Forgiveness

Father, forgive them, for they don't know 

what they are doing.

Luke 23:34

What do you do when people mistreat you or those you love?  Does the fire of anger boil within you, with leaping flames consuming your emotions?  Or do you reach somewhere, to some source of cool water, and pull out a bucket of mercy - to free yourself?  Is there any emotion that imprisons the soul more than the unwillingness to forgive?

Don't get on the roller coaster of resentment and anger.  You be the one to say, "Yes, he mistreated me, but I am going to be like Christ.  I'll be the one who says, 'Forgive them, Father..."

The first step toward forgiveness is to see the other person as a human being, not as a source of hurt.  That's how God treated us with mercy - He became one of us, He felt as we feel, He understood our frustrations.  And as a result, when He hung on the cross, He could look at those crucifying Him and ask God to forgive them.

When you forgive someone, you are as close to God as you will ever be, because in that forgiveness you are demonstrating the very heart of God, the merciful King.  If you want to understand God, if you want to draw closer to Him - then forgive someone today.

~ Max Lucado

The Inspirational Study Bible

Word Publishing, 1995 

What Are We Supposed to Do?

He has shown you, O (wo)man, what is good,

and what does the Lord require of you

but to do justly, to love mercy,

and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:8

There are people, I am sure, who must wonder, “When it comes to this "following God" business, what exactly is required?  What does He expect?”  It is a valid question, and various churches, faiths and believers have a variety of answers.  For the ancient prophet, Micah, the answer was quite simple.

• To do justly:  According to Webster, to do justly is to: act in a just manner; rightly, deservedly.  To be just is to be:  right, fair, impartial, equitable, proper, fitting – we could go on and on.  To do justly is to do the right thing – whether we want to, feel like it, or necessarily agree with it.  Doing justly is at the core of Loving our Neighbor as Ourselves, a subject God feels rather strongly about!
• To love mercy:  According to Webster, mercy is:  kindness in excess of what may be expected, forbearance, compassion, forgiveness, pity, compassionate, clemency, favor.  Instead of being hammer-down, we should want to love, want to care, and want to be compassionate.  Loving mercy is also central to Loving our Neighbor as Ourselves and is the twin of doing justly.
• To walk humbly with God:  Webster defines humble as: having or showing a consciousness of one’s defects or shortcomings; not proud; modest, humble of mind.  Walking humbly with God acknowledges that He is the Creator, and we are the created.  It is the very heart of Loving the Lord our God with all our Heart, Mind, Soul and Strength.

Jesus said: Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence. This is the most important – the first on any list.  But there is a second to set along side of this:  Love others as well as you love yourself. 

Matthew 22:37 [The Message]

Shh!!

Do not trust in a friend; do not put your confidence in a companion,

guard the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your bosom.

For son dishonors father, daughter rises against her mother, 

daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 

a man’s enemies are the men of his own household.

Therefore I will look to the Lord; 

I will wait for the God of my salvation;

My God will hear me.

Micah 7:5-7

Micah was a prophet from the town of Moresheth Gath in the southern portion of the country of Judah.  His ministry occurred between 750 and 686 B.C., making him a contemporary of the prophet Isaiah.  These words recorded in chapter seven are ancient echoes of cautionary warning, yet they are as relevant in 2011 as when Micah uttered them.

How many times has someone said to you, “WOW!  Do I need to talk to you – but you have to promise that you won’t tell a soul, because if you do…”   I believe this happened to me at least once this last week.  I am always suspicious of a conversation that begins that way.  How many other people have been confided in with the same dire message?  If the facts leak out, will my friend automatically think it was me – even when I didn’t tell anyone?  Secrecy is a fascinating thing – so often requested, so rarely given.

"Guard the doors of your mouth" - excellent advice, no matter the circumstance.  If there is something in your life that really needs to remain unknown, keep your mouth shut and your heart and mind directed to heaven.  There is One who will quietly listen and never betray your trust. Unburden your heart – tell Him all the juicy details, then rest in the knowledge that His heart of love is open, but His lips are sealed.

Love Your Enemy

If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat,

and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;

For so you will heap coals of fire on his head,

and the Lord will reward you.

Proverbs 25:21-22 [NKJV]

My mother’s kitchen table was both eating establishment and one room schoolhouse.  I have many memories of sitting around that old Formica table, listening as my mom taught my brothers and me from the Bible.  This verse from Proverbs was one of the first ones that I remember.  It took Mom a while to get across the meaning of the “coals of fire,” but this proverb has stayed in my active memory my entire life.

The main thrust of Jesus’ teaching was 1) loving God, and 2) loving people.  Due to the fact that loving people can be very hard at time, particularly if they don’t love you, He had a great deal to say about what to do with your “enemy” – someone who actively endeavors to make your life miserable.

Love your enemies; do good to those who hate you,

bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

Luke 6:27-28

Obviously, the Apostle Paul’s mother taught him the same verse from Proverbs; he passed it on in his letter to the Romans [12:17-21]:

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Do you have a co-worker, neighbor, or family member who seems to have it out for you?  Take your little coal scuttle of love and kindness and dump it all over them.  It will make them feel distinctly uncomfortable.  They may crow about your weakness and “stupidity” at first, but eventually, they will wonder what in the world makes you tick.

[My apologies for the lateness of this posting today.  

Blogspot was down for repairs for a considerable time.  

Thanks for your patience.] 

Worry, Part II

I hear this most gentle whisper

from One I never guessed would speak to me.

Psalm 81 [The Message]

There is never a time in anyone’s life when there is not something to worry about.  On Tuesday evening, I stayed the night with a friend who'd had surgery the previous day.  Yesterday evening, I called her on her cell phone, and she didn’t answer.  I called her house, and she didn’t answer.  Worried, I grabbed my keys and walked over to her home.  The shining porch light alerted me that she had, true to form, gone out somewhere, even though she was still recovering from surgery.  Relief!

Last evening, I received a call from my oldest child in New York.  My daughter was born with congenital heart problems, and had two surgeries in the first 4 months of life.  She has not had her heart checked since 2002, when she broke her back.  The last few days, she has been experiencing extreme fatigue and then shortness of breath.  She went to the doctor yesterday – her EKG and other vitals looked fine, but because she has not had a full cardiac workup since 1998, she is going to have that tomorrow morning.  Worried?  Well, that was certainly the first reaction.  But then I remembered Max Lucado’s advice from yesterday’s blog – so I have turned it over to Him.  I can’t “do” anything about it, no matter what it is, but He can.

Life is full of the unexpected, and no one has a written guarantee for any aspect of it. What a comfort then, that the Lord “whispers” to us:  "I, the Creator, the God of the Universe, care about your burdens; why don’t you drop them on My doorstep."  Thank you, Lord! 

Worry

Therefore I say to you, 

do not worry about your life,

what you will eat or what you will drink;

nor your body, what you will put on.

Is not life more than food

and the body more than clothing? 

Which of you by worrying

can add one cubit to his stature?

Matthew 6:25, 27

The same God that gave us commandments such as, "Do not commit adultery, do not murder," said, "Do not worry."   It's a violation of our relationship to God to question His authority by worrying.

Has any good ever come out of any worrying that you've ever done?  Worry only compartmentalizes us and makes us unable to do what we set out to do.  If you are worried about a problem, what you need to do is simply trust the Lord and do good.

The word worry comes from a word that means "to divide."  When you worry, you divide your energy.  Do you worry?  I worry about you if you don't worry!  All of us worry, but we shouldn't.  Jesus commands us half a dozen times, "Do not worry."  When we worry about a situation, the problem gets us instead of us getting it.

Jesus is not afraid of the things that cause us fear.  He never said, "Don't bring your fears to Me; I'm too busy."  Instead, He said, "I'm not afraid of the things that cause you fear.  Bring your fears to me."

We don't look like we're afraid, Father - 

calm on the outside.

But Father, we have our hidden fears.

You know them.

We're afraid of being alone.

We're afraid of being jobless.

We're afraid of pain.

Father, we offer these fears to You

and ask You to give us more courage

as we look at You,

the One who knows no fear.

-Max Lucado

  The Inspirational Study Bible NKJV

Word Publishing 1995

What is Man?

O Lord, our Lord,

how excellent is Your name in all the earth,

who have set Your glory above the heavens!

When I consider Your heavens,

the moon and stars which you have ordained,

what is man, that you are mindful of him,

and the son of man, that You visit him?

Psalm 8:1,3

When I finished work last night, the dusk had not as yet descended into darkness.  There was still time to grab the shovel and transfer a couple more wheelbarrow loads of dirt from the front yard to the back, where I am leveling a new planting area.  Dusk is a beautiful time of day – my favorite hour during the warmer months.  The blazing sun has dropped below the horizon, and the landscape is bathed in a gentle, muted illumination.

When I read Psalm 8, I can just see David standing outside, surrounded by the beauty of earth and the glories of the heavens.  He looks at the vast landscape below and the canopy of stars overhead, and marvels that the One who created such astounding splendor could be concerned about his life, his joys, his sorrows.  The answer is deceptively simple: we are also a creation of His hand, an expression of His love, the product of His heart.  It is little wonder that we love being outdoors – we were created to be together.

Wherever you are this morning (or evening!) in God’s great panoply of nature, take just a moment to look at the beauty of His creation and marvel at the gift we have been given.  Then whisper a little “Thank You.”  Believe me, it will warm His heart as well as yours.