Living in the Now

Today this is the post I submitted on a Facebook page I manage for teens in our area.  This page is designed as a place where they can vent and air their ‘dirty laundry’ rather than putting it out on their Facebook pages for all to see.  Many youth are  very wounded by things and people in their lives and are slowly, but surely learning of God’s love for them.  Its taken months of experiencing His word and love through our youth ministry leaders for them to get their heads around the fact that He really does love them and will never stop loving them!  They tend to define themselves by their pasts and that is not how He sees them at all!  Our goal is to help them stop stumbling over the events of their pasts and live in His future for them!

I think many of us struggle with this.  As life’s troubles bombard us, we wonder how a loving God can let this happen.  There are no easy answers to this question.  Yes, He sees the big picture and knows things that we don’t know- how this can be used for good in our lives and/or the lives of others. I’ve seen that happen over and over in my own life and wouldn’t undo any of those trials because they’ve caused me to grow so incredibly much.  Don’t get me wrong, tho- I wouldn’t want to live them over again!   But knowing all of this doesn’t really help when we are in the midst of the trial.  All we can do then is lean on Him, let Him hold us up, and persevere through the trial.  When the storm is over, we can then emerge strengthened and with a new depth of character.

Paul had a key to this in Philippians 3:13-14 when he said this:

 But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

That may not be exactly the context of the text at that point, but those verses have given me comfort in bad times, reminding me that this life is a race of sorts- I’m outrunning Satan and the things he puts in my life to keep me away from God!  Nothing he throws at me can separate me from God unless I let it.  When God allows these things in my life, I can rest assured that He has a purpose even when I can’t see it.

Events in our past can surely shape us, but they don’t need to define us!  Look for the silver lining- it may be a journey to find it, but it is always there.  Some we may not even find until we  get to Heaven, but they are always there, for we are told in Romans 8:28

 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Go in His peace today!

Nov 26: A Thanksgiving Story

 

Today’s story may not be a traditional story about the Thanksgiving holiday, but it is definitely a story about Thanksgiving. Enjoy!

A Thanksgiving Story- author unknown

A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said: “I am blind, please help.”

There were only a few coins in the hat.

A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words.

Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were.

The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, “Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?”

The man said, “I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way.” I wrote: “Today is a beautiful day but I cannot see it.”

Both signs told people that the boy was blind. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign told people that they were so lucky that they were not blind. Should we be surprised that the second sign was more effective?

Moral of the Story: Be thankful for what you have. Be creative. Be innovative. Think differently and positively. When life gives you a 100 reasons to cry, show life that you have 1000 reasons to smile. Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear. Keep the faith and drop the fear.
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The Bible has so much to say about the topic of thanksgiving -not the holiday, of course, but the habit of giving thanks in all our circumstances. I am reminded again of my student who was talking with me about the concept of people either seeing a glass as half full or as half empty. He was confused about the meaning behind it, that of an optimistic or pessimistic viewpoint. He thought the whole concept was ridiculous, both literally and figuratively, because his philosophy was that if the glass (or life) was half empty, you just drank it and filled it back up. I thought that was a marvelous life philosophy!

I think that is also the concept behind one of the most well-known Scriptures about giving thanks. We find it in James 1:2-4. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” The words ‘give thanks’ are not directly used, but I think the implication is there. It reminds me also of the popular saying: ‘When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.’ Definitely a rewrite of the moral of today’s story, isn’t it?

So this season of thanksgiving, look for the reasons to smile even in the midst of reasons to cry.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Stand Up

 

Stand Up If You Believe- Author Unknown
 There was a professor of philosophy there who was a deeply committed atheist. His primary goal for one required class was to spend the entire semester attempting to prove that God couldn’t exist. His students were always afraid to argue with him because of his impeccable logic. For twenty years, he had taught this class and no one had ever had the courage to go against him. Sure, some had argued in class at times, but no one had ever really gone against him because of his reputation.

At the end of every semester on the last day, he would say to his class of 300 students, “If there is anyone here who still believes in Jesus, stand.”

In twenty years, no one had ever stood up. They knew what he was going to do next. He would say, “Because anyone who believes in God is a fool. If God existed, he could stop this piece of chalk from hitting the ground and breaking. Such a simple task to prove that He is God, and yet He can’t do it.”

And every year, he would drop the chalk onto the tile floor of the classroom and it would shatter into a hundred pieces.

All of the students would do nothing but stop and stare. Most of the students thought that God couldn’t exist. Certainly, a number of Christians had slipped through, but for 20 years, they had been too afraid to stand up.

Well, a few years ago there was a freshman who happened to enroll. He was a Christian, and had heard the stories about his professor. He was required to take the class for his major, and he was afraid. But for three months that semester, he prayed every morning that he would have the courage to stand up no matter what the professor said, or what the class thought. Nothing they said could ever shatter his faith … he hoped. Finally, the day came. The professor said, ” If there is anyone here who still believes in God, stand up!”

The professor and the class of 300 people looked at him, shocked, as he stood up at the back of the classroom. The professor shouted, “You FOOL!!! If God existed, he would keep this piece of chalk from breaking when it hit the ground!”

He proceeded to drop the chalk, but as he did, it slipped out of his fingers, off his shirt cuff, onto the pleat of his pants, down his leg, and off his shoe. As it hit the ground, it simply rolled away unbroken.

The professor’s jaw dropped as he stared at the chalk. He looked up at the young man, and then ran out of the lecture hall. The young man who had stood, proceeded to walk to the front of the room and shared his faith in Jesus for the next half hour.

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I love stories like this, though maybe not for the reason you think.  I love them because they show me God’s priceless sense of humor.  And I do know He has one, because He made me!  I know that many times every day He sits on His throne chuckling at some of the airhead things I do.

There is another type of laughter coming from God that is mentioned specifically in the Bible.  I know that, if this story actually happened, God threw His head back and let out a mighty laugh when the professor was so shocked by the heavenly intervention that he ran from the room in shame.  In Psalm 2:4, we are told, “The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them.”  God laughs at the puny efforts of His enemies.  Rest assured, He will take care of them at the appropriate time.  In Romans 12:19 He tells us, “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, ‘says the Lord.”

If you ever wonder why God allows certain things to happen in our lives, such as death, divorce, or financial problems, know that He does not let such things come to pass without repercussions.  He will repay them and He knows the best way and the best time.  These things do not come from Him, they come from the results of the free will He gives each and every person.  They come as results of attacks by Satan to undermine our testimony or our faith.  They come as a result of sin.  But they will be avenged.  In the meantime, use them to strengthen you, to help you mature in your faith, and to grow in character to be more and more like Him.

Have a blessed day!

Bees Wax

 

Bees Wax.  Author unknown

A beekeeper once told pastor and evangelist, F.B. Meyer, how young bees are nurtured to ensure their healthy development. The queen lays each egg in a six-sided cell which is filled with enough pollen and honey to nourish the egg until it reaches a certain stage of maturity. The top is then sealed with a capsule of wax. When the food is gone, it is time for the tiny creature to be released. However, the wax is so hard to penetrate that the bee can only make a very narrow opening. In fact, the opening is so narrow that in the agony of exit, the bee rubs off the membrane that encases its wings. When the bee finally does emerge, its wings are strong enough to fly. The beekeeper said that a moth once got into the hive and devoured the wax capsules. The young bees easily escaped the capsule but they could not fly.  Author Unknown

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It struck me this morning how often I am finding stories that have a theme such as today’s story.  Difficult times produce strength.  Look at the recounting of the life of anyone in the Bible and you will see this pattern. Peter went through the agony of denying Christ and went on to become one of the greatest preachers of all time.  David was betrayed and was also a betrayer, yet is known as one of the greatest kings who ever lived.  Abraham had some pretty significant family problems, but he is the father of the nations and the only man in the Bible to be called friend of God.  Mary and Martha lost their brother Lazarus, only to become part of one of the greatest miracles of the day.  You get the picture!

So, when you encounter rough times, remember these words in James 1:2-5, ” Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,  because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

Have a blessed day!

Shake It Off and Step Up

Shake It Off and Step Up- Author Unknown

A parable is told of a farmer who owned an old mule. The mule fell into the farmer’s well. The farmer heard the mule ‘braying’ — or whatever mules do when they fall into wells. After carefully assessing the situation, the farmer felt sorry for the mule, but decided that neither the mule nor the well was worth saving. Instead, he called his neighbors together and told them what had happened and asked them to help haul dirt to bury the old mule in the well and put him out of his misery.

Initially, the old mule was hysterical! But as the farmer and his neighbors continued shoveling and the dirt hit his back, a thought struck him. It suddenly dawned on him that every time a shovel load of dirt landed on his back: he should shake it off and step up! This is what the old mule did, blow after blow. “Shake it off and step up… shake it off and step up… shake it off and step up!” he repeated to encourage himself.

No matter how painful the blows, or distressing the situation seemed, the old mule fought “panic” and just kept right on shaking it off and stepping up! You guessed it! It wasn’t long before the old mule, battered and exhausted, stepped triumphantly over the wall of that well! What seemed like it would bury him, actually end up blessing him. All because of the manner in which he handled his adversity.

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I love this story!  I think I will make this the motto for my life.  Whenever troubles come my way, like the dirt being tossed onto the old mule, I will shake them off and step up!  The Bible has many things to say about adversity in our lives and our response to it.  Here are just a few of those verses:

Luke 10:19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.

John 16:33  I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him who have been called according to His purpose.

Romans 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

1 Corinthians 10:13  No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

Isaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You.

Deuteronomy 1:21 See, the LORD your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession of it as the LORD, the God of your fathers, told you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

There are so many more such verses nestled in the Word.  If your favorite isn’t here, please post it in the comment section for all to share!  My wish for you today is that when adversity rears its ugly little head, you will shake it off and step up!  Have a very blessed day!

Gilbert

Gilbert- Author Unknown

Gilbert was eight years old and had been in Cub Scouts only a short time. During one of his meetings he was handed a sheet of paper, a block of wood and four tires and told to return home and give all to “dad.” That was not an easy task for Gilbert to do. Dad was not receptive to doing things with his son. But Gilbert tried. Dad read the paper and scoffed at the idea of making a pine wood derby car with his young, eager son.

The block of wood remained untouched as the weeks passed. Finally, Mom stepped in to see if she could figure this all out. The project began. Having no carpentry or mechanical skills, she decided it would be best to simply read the directions and let Gilbert do the work. And he did. Mom read aloud the measurements, the rules of what he could do and what he couldn’t do. Within days his block of wood was turning into a pinewood derby car. A little lopsided, but looking great (at least through the eyes of Mom).

Gilbert had not seen any of the other kids’ cars and was feeling pretty proud of his “Blue Lightning,” the pride that comes with knowing you did something on your own. Then the big night came. With his blue pinewood derby in his hand and pride in his heart they headed to the big race. Once there Gilbert’s pride turned to humiliation. His car was obviously the only car made entirely on his own. All the other cars were a father-son partnership, with cool paint jobs and sleek body styles made for speed. Gilbert’s car was an unattractive vehicle. To add to the humiliation, Gilbert was the only boy without a man at his side. A couple of the boys who were from single parent homes at least had an uncle or grandfather by their side;  Gilbert had “Mom.”

As the race began it was done in elimination fashion. You kept racing as long as you were the winner. One by one the cars raced down the finely sanded ramp. Finally it was between Gilbert and the sleekest, fastest looking car there. As the last race was about to begin, this wide-eyed, shy eight-year-old ask if they could stop the race for a minute, because he wanted to pray. The race stopped.

Gilbert hit his knees clutching his funny looking block of wood between his hands. With a wrinkled brow he set to converse with his Father. He prayed in earnest for a very long minute and a half. Then he stood, smile on his face and announced, ‘Okay, I am ready.”
As the crowd cheered, a boy named Tommy stood with his father as their car sped down the ramp. Gilbert stood with his heavenly Father within his heart and watched his block of wood wobble down the ramp with surprisingly great speed and rush over the finish line a fraction of a second before Tommy’s car.

Gilbert leaped into the air with a loud “Thank you” as the crowd roared in approval. The Scout Master came up to Gilbert with microphone in hand and asked the obvious question, “So you prayed to win, huh, Gilbert?”

To which the young man answered, “Oh, no sir. That wouldn’t be fair to ask God to help you beat someone else. I just asked Him to make it so I don’t cry when I lose.”

Children seem to have a wisdom far beyond us. Gilbert didn’t ask God to win the race, he didn’t ask God to fix the out come, Gilbert asked God to give him strength in the outcome. When Gilbert first saw the other cars he didn’t cry out to God, “No fair, they had a father’s help.”

Gilbert’s simple prayer spoke volumes to those present that night. He never doubted that God would indeed answer his request. He didn’t pray to win, thus hurt someone.  No, he went to his Father for strength. Perhaps we spend too much of our prayer time asking God to rig the race, to make us number one.

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The devotional component to the story above said it all.  It reminds me of the following passage:

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.”  Hebrews 12:1-3 ESV.  I pray that I will run my race with as much integrity and humility as Gilbert did!

There really isn’t any more for me to add, except to say that Gilbert is a young man who knows which handle to grab for each day.  He chose to look at every event in a positive light and was an example to everyone in the crowd that day!

May your day be blessed today- look for the positive handle in every situation you encounter!

Peace in the Storm

Peace in the Storm- author unknown

A few days ago, my wife and I were visiting Niagara Falls. While walking around the park, I happened to stop and take a close look at the water rushing under the bridge. About one hundred yards to my right, millions of gallons per minute were rushing over the falls and crashing into the boulders beneath. As far as I could see to my left, whitecaps of water were cascading under the bridge at about 50 miles per hour toward the falls. Anyone or anything caught in that water would be thrown over the falls before they had an opportunity to escape. I was captivated by the force flowing under my feet. But then something caught my eye!
 Right under my feet I saw a huge boulder holding a tree limb in place next to another boulder.  Between the two boulders were two ducks in a pool of water surrounded by all that chaos. Seemingly oblivious to the danger all about them, those ducks just went about their business of swimming back and forth while feeding from the water.
 Obviously, the ducks flew in and would fly out, but their presence reminded me of the Scriptures. The event is told of  the Disciples in a boat in a storm while Jesus was asleep in the boat. When the Disciples felt threatened by the storm, they began crying out to Jesus for help, being afraid of the present danger.   When the storms of life invade our peaceful world and corrupt our lifestyle, if Jesus is in the boat with us, He makes it easier to swim in the calm of  His  peace than to fret about the dangers that surround us. With Him there with us, He will either give us peace in the storm, or calm the storm.

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This story is very similar to that in yesterday’s post- a picture of peace amidst chaos.  A raging river and a tumultuous waterfall are all around them, yet the ducks swim serenely in their little pool created by two rocks.  In much the same way, our Rock gives us peace.  Often, Jesus said a version of the words we find in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Paul tells us in Philippians 4:6-7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  It is so very true:  God’s peace does transcend all understanding.  When our peace comes from Him, it is possible to have peace under the very worst of circumstances.  When our peace comes from Him, people around us may very well marvel at the tranquility we display under adverse circumstances.

When life seems like a violent wind attempting to knock you from your feet, plant yourself firmly in His peace and ride out that storm!  Peace be with you today, my friend!

Have a blessed day!

A Letter of Peace

The following story is, of course, fiction.  However, if our loved ones were able to send us a letter from Heaven, I am sure it would be much like this letter.  Today’s post is for everyone who has lost a loved one, especially a child.

A Letter of Peace- author unknown

A women lost her young son to cancer.  After the funeral services, exhausted both mentally and physically, she found herself alone for the first time in days.  She wandered the silent house, uncertain of what to do.  She discovered herself in her son’s room and lay down on his bed, and finding the scent of him on his pillow, lay there remembering.  Soon she fell asleep.  Hours later, she awoke and found a piece of paper lying next to her on the bed.  She opened it and found the following letter:

Dear Mama,

I know you’re going to miss me, but don’t think that I will ever forget you or stop loving you because I’m not around to say I LOVE YOU.  I’ll think of you every day, Mom, and I’ll love you even more each day.  Some day we will see each other again.

If you want to have another little boy so you won’t be so lonely, he can have my room and my old stuff to play with.  If you decide to get a girl instead, she probably wouldn’t like the same things as us boys do, so you will have to buy her dolls and stuff girls like.

Don’t be sad when you think about me, this is really a great place.  Grandma and Grandpa met me as soon as I got here and showed me around some, but it will take a long time to see everything here.

The angels are so friendly, I love to watch them fly. Jesus doesn’t look like any of the pictures I saw of Him, but I knew it was Him as soon as I saw Him. Jesus took me to see GOD!  And guess what, Mom? I got to sit on GOD’S knee and talk to Him like I was somebody important. I told  GOD that I wanted to write you a letter and tell you good-bye and everything, but I knew that wasn’t allowed.

God handed me some paper and His own personal pen to write you this letter with. I think Gabriel is the name of the angel that is going to drop this letter off to you.  God said for me to give you the answer to one of the questions you asked Him about. Where was He when I needed him? God said, “The same place I was when Jesus was on the Cross. I was right there, as I always am with all my children.

Oh, by the way Mom, nobody else can see what is written on this paper but you. To everyone else, it looks like a blank piece of paper.  I have to give God His pen back now, he has some more names to write in the Book Of Life. Tonight I get to sit at the table with Jesus for Supper. I’m sure the food will be great.

I almost forgot to let you know – Now I don’t hurt anymore, the cancer is all gone. I’m glad because I couldn’t stand that pain anymore and God couldn’t stand to see me suffer the pain either, so He sent The Angel of Mercy to get me.  The Angel said I was Special Delivery!

Signed with love from: God and Jesus and Me.

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If you are anything like me, you had to run for the tissues while reading that!  I have not had to live through losing a child to death, but I have lost many a foster child with no hope of seeing them again or of being a part of their life any longer- a loss of a different kind, but a loss nonetheless. We all have suffered some type of loss in our lives and can relate in some way to the sentiments surrounding the letter.

Christ tells us in Mathew 11:28-29, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”  That picture of a strong and mighty Savior who is at the same time gentle and humble is so comforting to me.  He stands before us, desiring to take our burdens and give us rest.   There is a wonderful blessing in Numbers 6 which says, “The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.”’

If you are suffering from a lack of peace in your life, for whatever reason, I pray that you will look up and realize that the Lord is shining His face upon you and is sending His peace.  His peace helps us make it through life’s storms, giving us the strength to rest in the midst of the storm.  Join me the next two days to read two special stories about resting in the midst of storms.

The Trouble Tree

The Trouble Tree- Author Unknown

A carpenter had been hired to help a man restore an old farmhouse. He had just finished a rough first day on the job: a flat tire made him lose an hour of work, the electric saw quit, and now his ancient pickup refused to start. His employer relates what happened next.
 “While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence. On arriving, he invited me in to meet his family. As we walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches with both hands. When opening the door, he underwent an amazing transformation. His tanned face was wreathed in smiles and he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss.
Afterward he walked me to the car. We passed the tree and my curiosity got the better of me. I asked him about what I had seen him do earlier. ‘Oh, that’s my trouble tree,’ he replied. ‘I know I can’t help having troubles on the job, but one thing’s for sure, troubles don’t belong in the house with my wife and the children. So I just hang them up on the tree every night when I come home. Then in the morning, I pick them up again. Funny thing is,’ he smiled, ‘when I come out in the morning to pick ’em up, there ain’t nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before.'”

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Recently,  we’ve been learning about some of the reasons God allows bad things to enter our lives.  I believe that one of the most important things about those times is our response to them.  As I mentioned on last week, my dad’s response to his illness was such a testimony that it allowed God to do some amazing things through it. As much as I miss my dad, I am so grateful that what I saw during that very traumatic period brought me back to my Heavenly Father and a changed life.  Romans 8:35-39 tells us that nothing shall separate us from Christ’s love.   It says further, “Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?  As it is written, For your sake we face death all day long;  we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,  neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  I can almost hear my dad up in Heaven shouting a great, “AMEN!”  He truly believed, and lived, those verses.

In closing, remember the words of Paul and Timothy in Philippians 4:4-7 when they tell us, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!  Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

When I have things enter my life that seem to try my faith, I have a little thing I say, because I know that Satan would love nothing better than to use trying times to destroy or undermine my faith.  I say, “Oh no, you don’t!  I stomp on your pointy little head and claim the promises of my Father and my Savior.  I will have victory!”  So, my friend, instead of giving up, fight!  Claim the power of Christ, and stomp on that pointy little head when it appears in your life!

Have a blessed day!

Don’t Quit