The Sky Is Falling

“The sky is falling, the sky is falling”, cried Chicken Little at the top of her lungs in the children’s book by the same title. I have heard a lot of that lately for daily there are voices coming from every direction that tell of the terrible mess America is in and it seems like the sky is falling! Those of us who have lived in America longer than a couple of decades can see things are changing and at times it seems they are coming with a rapidity that boggles and frightens the mind. I realized that when I saw people yelling with great emotion to take God out of the platform at the Democratic Convention. I am shaken to the core when I read about sex slavery in America or a teacher being fired because he shared his belief in God with one of his students or a mother killing her children. Today I received another YouTube speech. A wealthy and successful businessman was telling of a possible future that could be ruinous. Last night in small group we all spoke with concern about the possibility that religious freedoms may soon be lost. Every day there are constant reminders that the sky does indeed seem to be falling and there is nothing we can do about it.

All of this is true. The sky IS falling. And the world IS falling. And man IS falling. And we should expect nothing less. This is not something new. It started in Genesis chapter three and it has been pretty much falling ever since. The sky was falling when Adam and Eve were kicked out of the garden and soon their family was tragically devastated when Cain killed Abel and had to run for his life. The sky was falling when the flood covered the earth. The sky was falling when Babylon crushed Judah and people ended up eating their own children. The sky fell when Rome was burning Christians at the stake or feeding them to lions for sport. The sky was falling during the Revolutionary War, the Civil War and World Wars one and two and now we are on the brink we are told of another catastrophic event ... all depending on who gets elected.

But among all of the fear of the election, all of the anxiety of the “what if”, all of the chilling stories and heart break and a future that is tenuous, there is a voice rising above all of the others. I WILL build my church and the powers of hell WILL NOT prevail against it”. That is a promise. And those who believe in Jesus Christ and trust in Him ARE the church.

Will life change as we know it? Perhaps. Is the sky falling? Possibly. Does the sky falling have anything to do with my true identity or my true future? I think not. As the voices continue to cry out, the voice that is that still small voice gets my vote and attention. It is emphatic. I WILL. It clearly says what will be done. “Build my church” And it says what will prevail against it…NOTHING!

So we may lose religious freedom. We may lose our financial security. We may lose the democratic government. But we will NOT lose what is most dear to us: Jesus Christ and HIS church.

So today I am going to vote and I will vote for the one I think best represents the laws of God. But I am also going to plug my ears and close my eyes to the Chicken Little’s of this world. I have my instructions in hand. I am going to be a part of the work Christ is doing and what He is doing is building His church in His great kingdom and in His Kingdom the firmament is unbreakable. So cry on Chicken Little.

I will build My church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.

Matthew 16:18

You Can Never Go Home Again

They say you can never go home again. I thought I had proved them wrong when I went back to my home town of Ludington, Michigan to speak at a Women’s Conference this past week. I had left almost fifty years ago when I went off to college and never returned as a resident again. There were occasional brief visits, usually in the presence of kids and husband. Neither thought touring the town slowly, reminiscing over each and every block was entertainment and so it was never done.

So this trip, a true gift from God, was something I looked forward to with great anticipation. At last the day came. I flew into the closest airport which is about 100 miles from the small town. I rented a fun little car and drove along familiar highways through fruit farms and over hill and dale (literally), moving farther and farther away from city life. As I rounded the bend, I could see the smoke stacks from Dow Chemical Company where my father had been employed for over forty years. I would learn that the company had been shut down for some time and another lesser known one had taken over. I drove across the marsh, over the train tracks to the intersection where the Kountry Kupboard welcomes campers and tourists to enjoy a home cooked meal. I turned left and within a block saw the sign that said I was HOME. “Welcome to Ludington, Michigan the home of the 1994 Soccer State Champions (Don’t hold me to the details, but I do know it was home of something in the sports field.)

Everything looks the same. The old lumber baron homes have been beautifully maintained. The downtown buildings are the same and at the end of the down town is the most popular building in the county. It is the home of the House of Flavors, once a small ice cream store now a booming restaurant that serves up more sundaes, sodas and legendary malted milk shakes than any place in the world. They have a breakfast, lunch and dinner menu specializing in not just the best ice cream around but also turkey. An interesting combination for sure but it works. The Neal family has run that business since I was about five years old, passing it down from generation to generation and each one adds more room, more creativity and more delicious food offerings.

Two more blocks and I was right in front of the beautiful yellow sandy beach of Lake Michigan. Off to the left and past the break wall sat the Badger, an enormous old car ferry that transports cars, people, trains and anything else from the west side of Michigan to the east side of Wisconsin. Approaching winter, that actually comes about the first of October; the Badger shuts down until spring starts warming things up. I drove up and down each street past my parent’s best friend’s homes. I drove out to Hamlin Lake where as a young person I had kept my small wooden sailboat. I drove through the miles of sand dunes to the state park and remembered as a teen drag racing on that road. It really looked like nothing had changed.

Soon it was time for the conference to begin; I got ready and arrived on time. And there was the first clear taste of the fact that you can’t go home, as you once knew it. Many of my high school dear friends were there. They had changed. No longer were they fresh faced, beauties but mature older grandmothers. Some had lost husbands. Some had lost children. Some had lost health. But they were there and behind the grey hair and the thin lines on their faces, they were my “high school” friends and yet they had spent forty years living lives that I was not a part of and I also have lived life without them.

Ludington as a town has changed very little but all that made Ludington home has changed dramatically. Houses that once welcomed me no matter when I showed up are now closed to my intrusion. Strangers live there now. So many of the people who loved me have passed on. Most of my classmates left after college seeking better jobs and retired people have moved in finding the lake environment compelling. And in the end I was sad and the thought occurred to me that indeed you can never go home again.

At the airport I pulled a little slip of paper out of my coat that Judy had given me at the conference. It had a name and telephone number on it. “Call Tom”, she said. “He wants to say hello”. It was the name another high school classmate.

And so I made the call. The voice answered full of good cheer and before I could identify myself he said “Patsy, I am so glad you called!” And from there we spent the next 45 minutes catching each other up on our lives. And during that conversation I found the answer to my sadness. I am not home. As Tom talked about his wife who had passed away last year he confirmed a deep and abiding faith in the Lord. He spoke with confidence and assurance that one day they/we would all be together. And then we would be home and never have to leave again and there would be no more good-byes.

Ludington isn’t my home, nor is it Beager’s, Joyce’s, Jeanie’s, Barb’s, Judy’s, Sara’s, Deedee’s nor Tom’s. Our home is waiting and as I looked around at those people who I loved even after all these years I saw it is not far away.

Hebrews 11:16

But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. 

Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.

Going Home

I have been asked to be a speaker at the Lake Shore Non Denominational Women’s Conference in October. It will be held in my home town, a place that I have not lived in since I was eighteen when I went away to college. When I left, I had just received the ignominious title of “Class Flirt” from my senior class mates. Now I will return …as a Bible teacher.

It is ironic for sure. But more than that, it is a remarkable statement of the power of God to transform lives. And so I will go. I am looking forward to having the time to simply drive up and down the streets of the town. It is a small town of only 9000 people but it sits on the shores of Lake Michigan and thus is a favorite resort area in the summer. Beautiful lakes, miles of sandy beaches and sand dunes, and lovely parks make it a perfect vacation spot. But for me it is simply “home”. Every block holds a memory and almost all of them are good ones. I can easily be transported back in time to the neighborhood friends that made every day an adventure. High School expanded those borders with a few hundred more friends added to the list. Summers were spent on the beach which had a huge break-wall where we would practice diving from about ten feet in the air. There was freedom. I would ride my bike out of our driveway in the morning and would return before dinner. The entire town was my playground and my bike was the best transportation in a town that has no hills.

The theme of the conference comes from John 14:27. “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid.” This is the perfect verse for me to speak on, for though this beautiful town holds so many wonderful memories for me, it also was the birthplace of fear. Childish pranks left an indelible wound in my soul. Fear followed me to college where a traumatic experience deepened the wound so much that I was hardly able to function. It pervaded my whole being and of course I took that into marriage and motherhood. Nothing healed the wound and courage was illusive until I was thirty two years old. The healer? Jesus Christ.

So I will return to the “birthplace” of fear. And I will return with a message. Jesus was not kidding when He said “I will give you peace”. As with everything Jesus said, it is the truth. He has proven it over and over again to me.

Now the challenge stands before me. Can I articulate the power of Christ in such a way that those in the audience can understand the gospel and embrace it with all that they have? I am not sure. But I do know Christ has promised the “Comforter” can and will speak through me. My job is to go. His job is to change lives. I will be in good company.

John 14:27

“Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid.”

The Pinch Collar

It was the collar that made the difference. We had chosen Betsy because we thought Jim was lonesome. He looked lonesome. He didn’t play much nor was he interested in things like balls and sticks. That was unnatural for a dog and thus we began to think about a young lady dog to spice up his life.

I found the perfect dog on the 4th of July when I went into Petco to buy some dog food. The Humane Society was there and so was Betsy in a cage looking for someone to take her home. She was beautiful, the same color as Jim and gentle spirited. So the money was paid, a collar and leash were bought and Betsy came home with us.

Jim’s life picked up more than we could imagine. Betsy chewed on his ears and tormented him at every chance. He wanted to nap, Betsy wanted to play. He wanted to eat lunch. Betsy wanted to play. He wanted to get away from her but Betsy would track him down and mercilessly jump on him until he would play.

But Betsy had a few other habits that were not endearing. She loved pillows. And so she systematically tore up about eight of our decorative pillows. Once those were out of the way she attacked three couch cushions and tore them to shreds. She chewed all of the chair cushions from the furniture on the porch. She chewed the wires from the CD player and two porch lamps. She dug holes in the yard. She got to the Amazon delivery before I did and shredded the package (three books to be exact) to smithereens. The day came when we were at our wits end and forked over a very large sum of money and hired a dog whisperer.

He came with a collar that looked like some torture instrument. It was metal, and had sharp prongs jutting out every inch or so. Betsy saw what was coming and tried to back away from it but the DW was quicker and so the collar went on Betsy. “It won’t hurt her unless she pulls away from me” he said with confidence. And so the training began. One hour later, Betsy the Brat was obedient, quick to obey and calm. A transformation had taken place.

He left with some good advice.

1. Keep her by your side as much as you can during the day so she doesn’t get bored, distracted or lonely. She will sense your presence and rest.

2. Set up opportunities for her to disobey but have a catch…like an Amazon box soaked in hot sauce not to injure her but to teach her.

3. Praise her greatly when she does what is right.

4. Show your love through affection.

That was a year ago. Our house is once again calm. Jim is sleeping under the table as I write and Betsy is curled up in her favorite chair napping. New cushions are on the porch furniture and the decorative pillows in the living room have been replaced. Amazon delivers without fear and our walks in the morning are totally delightful with both dogs by my side. Jim seems to have good feeling towards Betsy and sometimes they will lie on the floor side by side with Jim affectionately licking her ears. Yes things are different around here now thanks to a pinch collar.

God has his own pinch collar I am convinced. Oh we can’t see it but for sure all of us at one time or another have felt it. Sometimes it comes in circumstances that are excruciatingly painful. Sometimes it comes through the stirring of the conscience or the rebuke of a friend. Sometimes it comes through illness, or disappointments. But it will involve some pain. And behind the pinch is a God who is working to make us better, to develop our character or make us more sensitive to others, or change the path we are on.

I have seen what the effects a pinch collar in the hands of an expert can do and it is good. And yet my Father’s hand is always for our best. And in the end the advice is much the same:

1. Stay near to the Father so you will sense His presence and rest.

2. He sets up opportunities for us to learn and grow, not to destroy and injure.

3. And when we do right, we do feel the good pleasure of God Himself.

4. And lastly, throughout His word He assures us of His love for us and His great affection for His children.

Betsy doesn’t know it but that pinch collar was necessary because we loved her and wanted her to learn to live a civilized life. Our Lord has said He would lead also with bonds of love so we might learn to live well. Betsy’s “bonds” have led to a quiet home but even more so God’s lead to a quiet and satisfied heart. And that is better still.

Hosea 11: 3

I took them in My arms; …

I led them with bonds of love…

And I bent down and fed them.

Picture Perfect

It was time for a change. The photos we had used for the web and speaking engagements were at least seven or eight years old. Things change in that time...WE had changed in that time! And so the appointment was made with a reputable photographer and Linda Sweeney, Eleanor Lewis and I showed up at ten o’clock last Wednesday morning to have new updated photos taken.

I suppose when one is twelve one doesn’t mind having their picture taken. I have noticed this with our grandchildren. “Say cheese”, and the smiles and poses come quickly. Not so with my adult children. There is the usual “Not another one, Mom”, and the complaint about having a bad hair day or no makeup or just not wanting to take the time to stand still. But at the root of this complaint is that we do not like to see who we really are.

Untouched photos tell us the truth. The eye that droops slightly, the hair that is a bit unruly, the chin that sags, and the nose that is more pointed than we wish, all work against us. We have in our minds how we think we look and it is far more favorable than reality. Mirrors tell the truth but time in front of them is brief. (Actually I find if I keep my glasses off when I look in the mirror the reflection is not half bad.) But photos…well that is a different story.

And so we fixed our hair, applied makeup, sat still, changed positions, and obeyed the photographer’s every instruction. In the end there were about thirty shots of each one of us, that is about 90 shots total from which we had to choose. In years pass the photos would have taken a week for us to see. We would have had time to forget much of the experience and be able to think more clearly. But now that we are in the digital age, the pictures are ready immediately. So, the three of us sat together judging each shot. When Eleanor’s were shown on the light board she was far more critical of hers, finding faults that Linda and I would have never picked up on, but when it was our turn we each responded in the same way. Which proves my point. We do not like to see ourselves as we really are.

Now here is the truth about God. He sees me as I really am. I can hide my judgmental spirit from myself, not taking the time to look carefully at my attitude. When I harbor resentment or envy or an unforgiving heart God sees it all though I may wish to cover it up. God’s photo of me (and you) is untouched, exactly as it really is. But here is the good news. Because of the work of Christ, the photo today will not be the last and permanent one. For the day will come when you and I will be changed. And when that day comes, those of us who love and follow Jesus Christ will have one last picture taken and it will be perfect.

1 Corinthians 15:51 and 53

Behold I tell you a mystery…we shall all be changed…for this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.

Cooking Classes

Tonight I am going to Mary’s apartment with a basket full of ingredients and a homemade cookbook that I put together this morning. Mary is single, adorable, a hard worker and has never learned how to cook a full meal. But now things have changed and she has a love interest and a reason to learn the skill necessary to run a home and family. So tonight we are beginning with a simple menu and simple ingredients and simple techniques. I have thought a good deal about the skill needed to put together a meal. 

I have done it every night for forty-five years. I know how to use electric mixers, food processors, electric knives, waffle irons, microwave ovens, toasters and other dangerous pieces of equipment. I have a pantry that I keep well stocked for emergencies or occasional unexpected guests. I can whip up a meal in a matter of minutes, turn out pound cakes and perfect pie crusts and roasts and soups and salads. I am indeed queen of the kitchen.

But it hasn’t always been that way. When I was first married, I had to begin almost at the beginning. Well not really quite at the beginning because my mother was a fabulous cook and taught me a thing or two. For those girls who were not so lucky, home economics classes showed young women how to bake, cook, shop, clean and sew. But those days are long gone, many mothers work full time and have never learned to cook themselves and so… we have the young women who must begin at the beginning.

“This is a tablespoon. This is a cup measurer. This is how you whip cream and beat eggs.” It is elementary to be sure but it is paramount if anyone is going to ever learn their way around a kitchen.

So why is this skill so important? Surely first and foremost everyone has to eat. But there is more. The table is a sacred place. Yes your heard me right…it is a sacred place. It is where we sit with those we love, sample tastes that are pleasurable and leisurely enjoy the company and the food put before us. And, though many will disagree with me, it is a place where God meets with us if we let Him. I enjoy cooking because I love the people in my home and those times around the table are simply heavenly.

So tonight we will begin at the beginning because Mary has a goal. She wants to feed those she loves and experience those times of togetherness. It will take time and effort but in the end she will be the queen of her kitchen and it will all be worth it.

All skills have to have a starting point. I love to read but first I had to take the time (painstakingly) to learn letters, nouns, verbs, sentences and paragraphs. Then I could enjoy reading. And so it is also with spiritual growth. How often I hear someone say “I just wish I knew the Bible better.” “I just wish I knew more about God and had a deeper relationship.” I wish I understood God’s ways better.” It starts with the willingness to take the time to start in the beginning. “Here is a Bible. Now turn to page one…”

It is not that we don’t have enough helps, programs, classes, Bible versions, etc., etc. We are totally inundated with everything anyone could want. We have enough. But do we really want spiritual maturity enough to make the time and take the steps necessary?

Tonight Mary will take her first step. In a year she will have all the simple steps down and will have moved into the more complicated. And with each step she will have ever developing skills to delight herself with the creativity and joy cooking offers, but also nourish and gift the people God brings in her path.

And so it is with our own growth in Christ. For those who begin the journey through God’s Word as a serious student, every step will bring them closer to the God of the universe, more confident in His ways, greater wisdom and life skills, peace, joy, patience, etc., and have greater love and joy in the people around them. It starts with one step. Here is the Bible, now turn to page one…

1 Peter 2:2

As new born babes desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

Imagining the Infinite

It is difficult in my finite state to imagine a God who is truly in control of the universe. It is so vast. In fact Atlanta is so vast; so, I have a hard time imagining being in total control of what is going on among the five million people who live here! But God controls the world, all that is in it, the heavens and all that is contained there. My mind cannot grasp it. But occasionally I get a glimpse of His omnipresence and omnipotence. Last month was one of those times.

Africa is a long way from Atlanta. I personally don’t know a single soul who lives there; but my sister visited once and returned with reports of lions and giraffes and lush land and brilliant colors. And yet God has this ability to live everywhere. And so a month ago I received an email out of the blue from a Mr. Darius Koekemoer who just happened to be content manager for TBN Africa (not related to TBN in America), a Christian broadcasting company in South Africa. TBN Africa broadcasts Christian programs throughout the entire continent. He had been on the web and had come across The Amazing Collection as it was being broadcasted in New Zealand! He was very impressed and wanted to know if perhaps they could partner with us so they would be allowed show the program over their satellite. And I stood amazed!

I remember the number of times Eleanor, Linda, Margie and I sat at my dining room table and asked God to use this study for His glory…and to send it around the world. We prayed week after week every year of production and continued to do so even after the project was completed. And yet we never dreamed that God would say yes. Furthermore we had never considered television. But here we go again! TBN Africa is the ninth overseas broadcasting company in which we have partnered. Each one came to us not by any efforts of our own but because they had “found” us over the web and played a part in the resounding YES of God.

God says the day will come when all of the nations will come before His Throne. At that time I am looking forward to meeting Mr. Koekemoer. But then I also can’t wait to see John Green who originally saw that this study would make a good television program and took a chance and put it on UCBTV in England. Mark Patterson and Maxim Maximov from Russia (CNLTV) were introduced to us through most unusual circumstances, and they not only have shown the program over their three satellites in Russia for several years but also translated all of the programs into both Russian and Ukraine. Terry Cobham in Auckland, New Zealand saw the program on ACCTV in Australia that ACCTV manager Neil Elliott had been broadcasting and was able to get the program from them and show it on Shine Television in New Zealand. T.J. Burnett saw the program on the web and contracted with us to show it on Miracle Channel in Canada. Herman Soegeng manager of U-Channel Television in Indonesia also “came out of nowhere”, translated the programs into Indonesian and broadcasted it over U-Channel. Michael Youssef and Magad Atalla at Leading the Way translated the programs into Arabic and now offer the study throughout the Middle East over Kingdom Sat.

John, Terry, Herman, Neil, Michael, Maged, Maxim, Mark. T.J., and Darius, all from different countries, all over the world, all connected to us by an Almighty God. Simply amazing!

Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

Mark 16:15

Good Fences

We spent last weekend in Alabama helping my youngest daughter and her husband build a picket fence around their yard. Well, actually it was NOT a “we” project but more like a “they” one. My sister calls these kinds of projects blue jobs because they are for our men to do. Pink jobs are those that involve cooking or decorating or sewing or cleaning the house or caring for the children or ordering the social calendar. But putting up a fence is definitely a blue job.

They (meaning Beloved and my son-in-law, Jay), began the work around 7:30 AM on Saturday. They first had to tear out the old broken down fence that had been an eyesore to the neighborhood. That took a couple of hours. Then they enlarged the holes for the posts. That proved too tedious so a trip to Home Depot provided a post-hole digger. By the time the holes were dug it was lunch time. They both looked pretty tired but true grit sent them back to the job. By 3:00 the holes were dug and the support posts were in place with cement holding them down. A short break for some ice tea and chocolate chip cookies and they started back up again. I must admit they both looked exhausted. Now the cross beams were put up and then one by one the pickets were nailed to the cross beams. Precise measuring took what seemed like an eternity but one by one those pickets took their place. By seven that evening we all stood outside and admired the work. It was beautiful. It was sturdy. It was perfect and it kept the kids and dog in the boundaries and the neighbor kids in …or out…whichever was desired at that moment.

Fences are good things. Fences make good neighbors. Fences make for safe kids and animals. Fences keep kids from danger and also keep danger from kids. Fences make Moms and Dads happy. Yes, fences are good things.

Some of you have been studying the Major, Early Minor and Later Minor Prophetical books this year. In many ways I think they all talk about fences, God’s fences that is. Each one of those books gives a glimpse of God who is calling to his children to stay within the fence. And yet they chose to play in the busy streets, risking their own happiness, peace, joy for a brief taste of excitement. And over and over again we read similar lines that deal with His Word. “They are destroyed for lack of knowledge”. “They have rejected the Law”. “They rebelled against His commands.” In several different ways God tells us that He is dead serious about the laws found in the Bible because they are His fences that give us the best life we can have. They are fences, God’s laws, that keep us from danger and danger from us.

Jay had his kid’s safety in mind. He had the neighbors in mind. He had his own happiness in mind knowing that his kids were safely fenced in and danger was fenced out. When God gave the laws He had you in mind. He had me in mind and yes, He even had my neighbors in mind.

Psalm 119:29

Remove the false way from me, and graciously grant me Thy law. I have chosen the faithful way;

I have placed Thy ordinances before me.

The Last Word

We were on our way to church last weekend and grandchild Kate, age 4, was sitting in her car seat in the back seat.

Kate: Mimi, are you married?

Me: Yes honey, I am married to Pop.

Kate: But Pop is old.

Me: How do you know Pop is old?

Kate: Because he has little strings on his cheeks (wrinkles) …. like you!

Ah, the last word. I have to admit (vainly) that I was feeling pretty smug until the last two words. As for Kate, we may be old in her eyes and we may have “strings” all over ourselves but she loves us dearly and doesn’t seem to mind that we are ”different” . Strings to her are just a part of the picture. We have them. She doesn’t. And that is fine.

I find often that the last words are the most important, sometimes the most stinging and sometimes the very dearest and most challenging and certainly are more than just cute phrases said from the lips of a child. The last words in an argument can stay with us forever and cause immense pain whenever they are brought to mind. The last words of an adult child as they leave for service overseas will not soon be forgotten. The last words on a child’s lips before they step on the school bus can remain with us throughout the day. But probably the most important words are the ones spoken directly to us before loved ones leave this world and go into the next.

So, Christ’s last words take on new meaning when they are thought of in the context of the LAST WORDS:

“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.”

Within these words we see the heart of God. It is people. My neighbors, my friends, the grocery clerk, the car repair man, my family, the homeless man holding the sign that says “will work for food”, the children running down my side walk on their way home from school. It is those that I pass every day that are on His heart.

But He assures me and you that though He has left, He has not left us powerless. We have the power of the Holy Spirit within us. That is an incredible fact. And the reason He has given that power to me and to you has a lot to do with that homeless man, those children, my neighbor, and the grocery clerk. I am Christ’s witness to them. You are Christ’s witness to the people in your community. We have been chosen to share not just good news but the very best news since the third chapter of Genesis.

So if I take seriously Christ’s last words, then I can be assured that the very first words I will hear when I see Him face to face will be “well done good and faithful servant”!

A Change is Coming

Proverbs 31: 25

Strength and honor are her clothing She will laugh at the future.

We first met Mrs. Cook when we moved into the subdivision that was behind her little farm house. She soon became my mentor, inspiration, confidante, and dear friend, and we enjoyed many Southern dinners at her table with food from her garden.

She owned twelve acres that were a pasture. The land had belonged to her family for over 100 years. In 1989 she got tired of bush-hogging it; so she let it go “natural.” Within a year pine trees sprouted and three years later they had become a forest. Now many hard woods have joined the pines making delightful, deep woods.

In 2000 she sold us two acres and we built a house on the other side of the woods, close enough to still be her neighbor but far enough away for us both to feel like we lived in the country. So all these years those acres of woods have provided privacy and entertainment. It was home to a family of deer, a large variety of birds, coyotes, wild turkeys, squirrels without number, two possums that intimidated my medium-sized dogs, and for a time, a large peacock. When the grandchildren come for a visit, those woods become large forts, adventurous trails, and mysterious paths that lead to intriguing sights and sounds. And for us, it simply gives us the illusion of living in the wild.

Last year our neighbor and friend went to heaven at the age of 107, and her son who lives hundreds of miles away inherited the land. Last week the rezoning signs went up and it appears the woods will soon be sold. The proposal is for 39 houses to be built on ten acres. If you do the math you will soon see that we will no longer live in the woods but in a small village. It will be a change for sure.

It has taken a little while to adjust to this idea. I suppose in my small mind I actually thought the property would stay as it is for all eternity! I am happy for Mrs. Cook’s family who owns the land. They have a good buyer. But I don’t want anything to change. I love the trees, the animals, the fun…the isolation. I love things to stay just the way they are.

It is interesting that Jesus does not have any trouble with change. In fact He seemed to demand it while He was here on earth. Peter and John, James and Andrew were fishermen and in the instant of a call, they became disciples and their lives were never again spent watching for fish or the seas and isolated from people. They went from obscurity to the limelight…one that was not appreciated…with more enemies then they could ever imagine. And they changed the world.

Paul was adored as the Pharisee of Pharisees and in the moment of a call became the hated one among the Jews, brutally treated and at last beheaded, only to have an eternal impact through his writings, changing the lives of millions.

So I have changed my mind. I came to see it was not about ME but about God who will bring good from this land deal. He has a purpose and I am to be a tool in His hand for that good. How do I look at my lovely woods that will soon be a small village? It is good.

I will miss the wild animals but they will be replaced by civilized people. (Hopefully!) Some will be true sisters and brothers, and some will become sisters and brothers …. some day. It is simply an opportunity to expand the family.

And we will miss the trails and forts and mystery paths, but they will be replaced with children who are even more exciting playmates, with imaginations that can capture greater adventures than the woods.

I will miss the isolation, but in its place I may find a deep, deep friendship that will bring a certain joy and peace that I could never find in the forest. And perhaps because I live here, God will bring those to whom I can be a tool to bring about change in their lives.

Change? It is good. ____________________________________________________________________

Next week we will meet as a board to pray and talk through the future of Big Dream Ministries. Simply the word FUTURE implies that things will not remain the same. There will and must be changes. Perhaps a new direction, perhaps new studies, perhaps new people involved. But with one look at God’s Word we do see that He is into change, and from change He always brings forth good. That is what He does and so, like the Proverbs 31 woman, we laugh at the future because through Him it will be good.

Are You Prepared?

When we lived in Maine our home was over one hundred years old. It had been built as a summer house near the ocean. It did not have insulation. It did not have storm windows. But it did have an old oil burning furnace. We had never had an oil burning furnace before so were naïve to say the least.

One February we had one of the coldest spells in history. The furnace ran continually. But one afternoon during that cold snap I found the house was getting colder. I put our two little ones in heavy sweaters to keep them warm. I put on a sweatshirt. But still to my dismay, by evening the house was freezing.

Beloved came home around seven from work and was shocked to see his family all bundled in jackets (I had advanced to my down parka, and the babies in their sleepers with sweaters underneath.) He went into the cellar and checked the furnace. It was not running. He checked the oil level. There was none. Like NONE! We were totally out of fuel!

We immediately called the fuel company and were told they would get there as soon as possible but they were backed up with calls. By now a full fledged blizzard had gathered. The wind roared through our not- so- tight windows. The snow pelted the glass and the doors and the outer walls. And then the lights went out. A gale force wind had taken down a pole a block away.

We lit a fire in the fireplace. We dragged out every blanket we had. We put the children between us and sat as close to the fire as we could without actually burning ourselves up. And as the bitter cold reached our bones and we could not get warm I realized then that we could literally freeze to death in our own home. We were not prepared.

Several years later we were now living in Georgia. One winter night (again record low temperatures) we had an ice storm and lost all electricity and with that heat, lights and the ability to cook. But this time we were prepared. We had plenty of wood for the fireplace. We had a kerosene heater that we dragged up from the basement. I had sleeping bags and a good supply of candles and matches. So we closed the doors to the family room, lit the kerosene heater, slept on the floor and were as snug as we could be.

The next day proved that no one in Atlanta was going to the grocery store because of the ice. But that was not a problem because we had a basement pantry full of food and water so we invited the neighbors over for spaghetti dinner fixed over the gas grill. We were prepared.

Recently Eleanor did a fabulous job of teaching The Amazing Woman class on being able to take care of our families in the face of crisis. She ended it by asking two powerful questions:

1. Are you prepared for a crisis? But the second one was more riveting:

2. “Are you prepared spiritually to meet Christ should He return in our lifetime?” It is a good question. Am I? Are you? I learned a good lesson one freezing night in Maine. Preparation makes all the difference in the world ….and sometimes that difference is life or death.

Ignoring the Cross

I read recently that the cross can have so many meanings. Emblazoned on a Klu Klux Klan robe and it stands for racial hate. Twisted at the ends and it is a swastika. But standing on Golgotha it was the symbol of gruesome torture and death and for those who look closely enough, it is a clear, shocking picture of what God thinks of sin.

Yet Good Friday morning the cross, that instrument of torture and pain and suffering was also the beginning of hope for the world. And the most troubling thing is that the Man who we are most interested in was innocent. Not sort of innocent. Not just a good man. Not nearly perfect. He was indeed perfect in every way. And He was not just a Man but He was God and the whole thing can turn our minds into a scramble. And of course the fact that He simply blew out of the grave three days later can literally “send the mind reeling!” Torture, death, resurrection. For God…for you!

Clearly no one except the very sadistic enjoys watching a body writhe in pain or hear the cries of anguish. But there were travelers on the road that passed right by the three crosses, refusing to look at the men nailed there, assuring themselves if they did not look they would not have to deal with it, not have to feel the pain, not have to ask “why”. Perhaps we are no different because in truth looking at the cross IS painful. It still forces us to look at the pain and suffering of Christ and ask “why”. The problem isn’t so much the cross as it is the answer to that very question. And then we are forced to look at ourselves and sin, the reason for the cross. We know what is lurking inside of us but until we take the time to look at the cross, we can convince ourselves it is no big deal.

Sunday as we were driving to church to celebrate Easter along with other believers, I was struck by the fact there were folks out jogging or cutting their lawns or standing talking with the neighbors. It is an ordinary- weekend- thing that we do. And yet I wondered if any of them had any idea of the great significance this day held for them…for the world. I wanted to hang my head out the window and shout to them that the lawn can wait and the jogging can be done next week and that neighborly conversation is not all that important, that today because of the cross there is an empty grave. I wanted them to stop what they were doing and THINK about the meaning of that cross, not just travel right by through life ignoring the very thing that can give them true LIFE because one way or another they will not be able to ignore the cross.

Still I wonder why on every Easter God doesn’t cause every ordinary activity to come to a stop and cause every knee to bow in gratitude and every voice to sing out with a glorious chorus. I wonder why EVERYONE doesn’t gather together and feast and fellowship with rejoicing because of one Man and one Cross and one Power and one Hope and one Love and one Mercy and one Way: the Shepherd, the Lion of Judah, The Bread of Life, The Living Water, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, The Groom, the Holy One, the Great I AM , the Savior of all mankind, the Risen One, the Lamb of God, the Messiah, The One Who Went to the Cross for them: Jesus the Christ.

But then it is not time. Today like those travelers two thousand years ago, many hurry along through life busy with the unimportant and turn away not willing to look. But the day is coming when all will look one way or another. It is something that is promised when He will come and when He does those knees will bow and those tongues will confess that He is Lord. And then…well …let the celebration begin!

Therefore, also God highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2: 9-11

Scared

“I am scared you will forget to pick me up from the bus”, cried little six year old Karrie to her mother recently. It is a pattern for sure. She has grown more and more anxious these past few weeks. No matter what any family member tells her, she still is afraid that she will be left at the bus stop.

Now this has never happened. Every day her older sister and brother climb on the bus to come home with her and every day she is afraid they will not. Every day her mother picks up the three children at the bus stop and every day Karrie is afraid she won’t. To us it is irrational. To little Karrie it is real and it leaves her drained and fearful.

She comes by it naturally. She is human. A grown woman is not afraid that she won’t be picked up from the school bus. A grown man is not afraid that his older brother will forget to meet him after class. None the less, they/we are afraid.

A recent survey was conducted on a handful of people which revealed that they all feared something. Here is a smattering of the results.

I am afraid my husband will leave me.
Yet God says, “Do not fear… For your Maker is your Husband, The Lord of Hosts is His name.”

I am afraid I will get cancer.
“When you pass through the waters I will be with you.” We are told by God through Scripture.

I am afraid to leave the house.
We are reassured with “Do not fear for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you for I am your God. I will strengthen you; surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. “

I am afraid of something but I don’t know what. It is an uneasy feeling that just stays with me.
“Fear not for I am with you. Be not afraid for I am your God. I will help you”

I am afraid I will loose my job.
“You, O God, provided from your goodness for the poor.”

I am afraid my husband will get transferred and we will have to move.
But in Roman’s we are told that “neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present nor things to come ….nor any other created thing shall EVER separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

I am afraid of war.
Yet God tells a people afraid of Assyrian attack, “You are not to fear what they fear or to be in dread of it. It is the Lord of Hosts whom you should regard as holy And He shall be your fear, And He shall be your dread, And He shall be your sanctuary.”

I look at little Karrie with her fears that seem so foolish, and then I read the Word and realize that my fears and the fears of others appear just as foolish from a heavenly perspective. As we try to reassure Karrie, our Father has written a whole book simply to reassure His children that we can and should live fearless lives. He has told us the truth.

As Karrie says “I am afraid you will forget to pick me up at the bus, I sometimes am afraid that God will forget to hold fast to His promises. Yet my God will never forget. I can rest in Him. Everything is under control….His control.