“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering.”                                                                                                                                                                                                      Hebrews 10:23(ESV)

(Today I’m sharing the conclusion of the story that started last week with a predawn phone call that shook our world. There was reason to believe that our daughter and her family had been exposed to a deadly parasite through a baby squirrel their oldest daughter had brought home and played with. The squirrel had died, followed by three of their four guinea pigs. The parasite in question is incurable and, more often than not, fatal to humans.)

Joanna’s husband Sean contacted a friend who was the head of Metro Animal Services. He validated their concern and offered to pay for the dead guinea pigs to be sent away for autopsy. They could have the results Monday.

This was going to be a rough weekend for all of us.

I wanted to rush down to Louisville to be with the family, but when I suggested it, she told me they already had plans for the weekend. So I packed and headed across Michigan for my scheduled speaking engagement.

But as I drove, my mind was consumed with the crisis. When I wasn’t talking to Joanna, I was praying. A part of my regular prayers took on special significance that day. It was the part where I gave my heart to the Lord for the day and spoke out loud (so I could hear myself saying it) the truth about emotions:

Lord, thank You for emotions that confirm the Truth, but I also thank You that Your truth stands on its own and needs no confirmation from me or anybody else.

Thank You for emotions that motivate me to serve and obey You, and thank You for enabling me to serve You, whether I feel like it or not.

I thank You that my emotions don’t get to define me. They don’t get to dictate what I say, do, focus on, believe, or choose. Lord, I choose You as my Lord, my Savior, my King, my Counselor, my Shepherd, my Bridegroom – my everything!

After reminding myself that God was God and Truth was Truth, no matter how I feel, I decided to purposefully worship Him, stress or no stress.

I popped in a CD of worship music and sang God’s praises at the top of my lungs, continuing to give thanks for His promises. Hearing myself sing God’s Word gave me courage.

As strange as it may seem, Joanna’s family spent the weekend camping. It was the wisest thing to do, since all they could do about the crisis was wait, anyway. Out in the beauty of nature she and Sean took each child aside to make sure that child knew the gospel and was assured of eternal life. One by one, they made sure their children understood that their sins had separated them from God, but that He loved them so much He had sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross to pay for those sins. They were reminded that by believing in Him they were forgiven, washed clean, and “born again” into eternal life. Each child gave his/her life to Jesus (again), and the whole family was assured that whatever happened, they were all going to live forever in heaven with the God who loved them so much. The rest of the weekend was spent just “being together and enjoying being alive,” according to Joanna’s text.

Meanwhile, I changed my topic for the author event. Whatever I had planned to say, I felt compelled to share honestly with the attendees what my family was going through. It turned out I was speaking not once to the whole group, but multiple times, to smaller groups throughout the event.

I told each group that God is good, that I trusted Him completely, and that no matter what, I would praise Him for the rest of my life. My daughter, her husband, and all three of their children were in God’s hands, and if He chose to take them from us, I knew they would be in a much better place, where someday I would see them and be with them again, forever. I didn’t particularly like that plan [understatement!], but this wasn’t about me. God is God, and He knows best, whether I agree or not. From the response I received, I knew there were people there who needed to hear it, who were undergoing their own crises.

I have long been a teller of “God stories,” but this was the first time in my life I was telling a story as it was unfolding. I didn’t yet have the part where “God worked it all out!” – the happy ending, tied up in a neat little bow.

Like physical exercise, this spiritual exercise made me stronger. Each time I told my story I found myself speaking with more confidence and certainty, even though I didn’t yet know how the story would end.

I didn’t know that while squirrels can get the parasite from raccoons, they can’t transmit it to humans, only raccoons can. I don’t understand why, and we still don’t know what killed the rodents, but we don’t need to. The important thing is that the tests came out negative, and that Joanna’s family was fine.

(For now.)

Just like today’s pandemic has done on a mass scale, this crisis of faith caused my family to face (again) the fact that our lives are finite. Like it or not, “We’re all gonna die,” sometime, somehow. If a crisis causes us to face this reality and prepare for the inevitable (which we should have been doing all along), then I say, “God bless the crisis.”

Prayer: Lord, thank You for the priceless gift of life. Forgive us for so often taking it for granted. Thank You for the “wake-up calls,” as unpleasant as they are, that turn our minds and hearts toward You, toward eternity –  that give us “divine perspective.” In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”                                                                                                                                                                               Psalm 46:1

While it seems that the whole world is stressed out about the pandemic, today my mind goes back to a time last September that was even more stressful (I’d say “terrifying.”) to our family.

Marty and I were in western Michigan, and I was scheduled to be part of an author event on the other side of the state. Both locations were hundreds of miles from our children and grandchildren. It was the morning when I was to drive across the state when the proverbial bomb was dropped.

At 4:45 A.M. my phone buzzed me out of a deep sleep. It was my oldest daughter Joanna. I felt a wave of adrenaline; the only reason for a call at this hour was some dire emergency. I hoped against hope that she had somehow “butt-dialed” me. But the moment I heard her voice, worn out from prolonged weeping, that hope evaporated.

“Mom,” she sobbed, “we found out what was killing the guinea pigs.”

I blinked. Wait … She’s calling me at 4:45 A.M. to talk about guinea pigs?!

I knew how the children loved the little critters. It had been sad for all of them when the first one had died inexplicably and especially heartbreaking when the second one had died a few days later on Caroline’s birthday. Recently I had heard that the third one was “walking funny” and seemed disoriented.

But as much as the children loved their pets, did this merit a predawn call on the day before my author event? I tried not to sound too irritated as I asked what the cause of death was.

Joanna explained that wild rodents can get a parasite that humans are susceptible to. “It’s fatal, Mom. And there is no cure.”

My heart dropped into my stomach. But something wasn’t adding up.

“Wait a minute, honey. You got the guinea pigs at a pet store. They wouldn’t – ”

“Mom. The squirrel.”

My heart dropped to the floor.

A couple of weeks earlier their oldest, Caroline, had found a baby squirrel that seemed to be injured. She had picked it up, taken it home, and tried to nurse it back to health. After a day or so it had died. All three children had been playing with the squirrel and the Guinea pigs, and at their age, they may not have washed their hands or the cages that thoroughly afterward.

“Mom, please pray for us!”

I was weak in the knees, short of breath, and for once in my life, speechless. I still had questions, such the source of her information. She had been on line all night.

When I heard the word “Wikipedia,” a wave of  relief mixed with irritation kept me standing for a few more moments, but when she added, “Harvard’s medical website confirmed it,” I sank into the nearest chair and again felt the blood draining from my face.

By this time Marty was awake. I turned my phone to “speaker” just as Joanna said, “Dad’s gonna want to know the name of the parasite…” She spelled the unpronounceable word, and Marty was already typing it into his phone. Moments later I heard him say a word he doesn’t normally use.

The good news was, the disease in humans is rare. The bad news was, for those who get it, progressive nerve damage spreads to the brain, and the victim loses muscle control and eventually dies an excruciating death. Some survive, having severe brain damage for the rest of their lives.

I felt my world spinning out of control as I finally did what Joanna called for. I sank to my knees (not that I had a choice at that point) and tried to pray, although all I could get out was the Lord’s name, over and over.

He had been so good to me – good to my whole family – a good marriage, three dear children, godly spouses for each of them, and five darling grandchildren. We had had our struggles, but they all seemed like nothing now. The thought of losing half my family in a matter of weeks changed my whole perspective on everything.

                                                                                            ( … to be continued … )

I’m sure I’m not the only one who has been realizing lately the things we take for granted – things like hugging family and friends, snuggling up with a child to read a book, gathering around the table for a family meal. Even things that used to be seen as chores have taken on new meaning – going to school, running to the grocery store for a few items, getting a haircut, meeting a friend at the coffee shop. Things like going to a concert or play or sporting event now seem like a slice of heaven on earth.

Let’s all take this time of seclusion to appreciate the little things – and the not-so-little things – things we can still enjoy now, things we have enjoyed and can look forward to enjoying again.

More than anything, I am thankful that I can spend uninterrupted time with the God who loves me and cares for me. The quietness and solitude helps me gain the perspective I need for the rest of my day. He gives me hope, whatever else may be going on. That hope is greater even than the world’s “worst case scenario,” because He loved us enough to pay the penalty for our sins by dying in our place.

Best of all – as we just celebrated in a more subdued (and yet possibly more meaningful) way, He rose to life again! Now by believing in Him, we can be raised up as well.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for showering us with blessings, most of which we’ve barely notice, much less given You thanks for. Open out eyes to Your goodness, and may we have hearts of gratitude that will shine for You, even in our darkest times. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

Everyone seems to be reposting this, but I couldn’t not post it. I think it’s destined to be a new Easter classic. It’s not my original, although I would love to be able to claim it. Gather the family around and enjoy an Easter version of the familiar story:

How the Virus Stole Easter

By Kristi Bothur

With a nod to Dr. Seuss 😊
“Twas late in ‘19 when the virus began
Bringing chaos and fear to all people, each land.
People were sick, hospitals full,
Doctors overwhelmed, no one in school.
As winter gave way to the promise of spring,
The virus raged on, touching peasant and king.
People hid in their homes from the enemy unseen.
They YouTubed and Zoomed, social-distanced, and cleaned.
April approached and churches were closed.
“There won’t be an Easter,” the world supposed.
“There won’t be church services, and egg hunts are out.
No reason for new dresses when we can’t go about.”
Holy Week started, as bleak as the rest.
The world was focused on masks and on tests.
“Easter can’t happen this year,” it proclaimed.
“Online and at home, it just won’t be the same.”
Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, the days came and went.
The virus pressed on; it just would not relent.
The world woke Sunday and nothing had changed.
The virus still menaced, the people, estranged.
“Pooh pooh to the saints,” the world was grumbling.
“They’re finding out now that no Easter is coming.
“They’re just waking up! We know just what they’ll do!
Their mouths will hang open a minute or two,
And then all the saints will all cry boo-hoo.
“That noise,” said the world, “will be something to hear.”
So it paused and the world put a hand to its ear.
And it did hear a sound coming through all the skies.
It started down low, then it started to rise.
But the sound wasn’t depressed.
Why, this sound was triumphant!
It couldn’t be so!
But it grew with abundance!
The world stared around, popping its eyes.
Then it shook! What it saw was a shocking surprise!
Every saint in every nation, the tall and the small,
Was celebrating Jesus in spite of it all!
It hadn’t stopped Easter from coming! It came!
Somehow or other, it came just the same!
And the world with its life quite stuck in quarantine
Stood puzzling and puzzling.
“Just how can it be?”
“It came without bonnets, it came without bunnies,
It came without egg hunts, cantatas, or money.”
Then the world thought of something it hadn’t before.
“Maybe Easter,” it thought, “doesn’t come from a store.
Maybe Easter, perhaps, means a little bit more.”
And what happened then?
Well….the story’s not done.
What will YOU do?
Will you share with that one
Or two or more people needing hope in this night?
Will you share the source of your life in this fight?
The churches are empty – but so is the tomb,
And Jesus is victor over death, doom, and gloom.
So this year at Easter, let this be our prayer,
As the virus still rages all around, everywhere.
May the world see hope when it looks at God’s people.
May the world see the church is not a building or steeple.
May the world find Faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection,
May the world find Joy in a time of dejection.
May 2020 be known as the year of survival,
But not only that –
Let it start a revival.”
Happy Easter to all! May the Lord lift up your heart today and always!

 

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for the assurance that You are and always will be victorious over every enemy, including death! You are not limited by time or space, so wherever we are, we celebrate Your Resurrection – we celebrate YOU. May we spread the good news wherever You send us – physically or virtually – joyfully in Your name, amen.

“You shall have no other gods before Me.”       – Exodus 20:3

Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.     – I John 5:21

The book of Jeremiah contains the writings of the “weeping prophet,” who was routinely ignored and persecuted as he tried time and again to warn the people of the coming judgment for their blatant unfaithfulness to their God (idolatry). The book of Lamentations follows, written during the nightmare of the siege of Jerusalem, just before the Babylonian Empire defeated Israel once and for all, carrying them away into captivity. Sadly, Jeremiah suffered along with everyone else when the starvation was so severe that people were eating their own children. I’m sure it gave him no pleasure to say “I told you so.”

How could a loving God allow such horrors? Good question.

Another good question would be, How could Israel abandon the Lord and worship idols after all He had done for them? He had freed them from slavery in Egypt, opening up the Red Sea, feeding them supernaturally in the wilderness, conquering nations far bigger than they, and giving them the “land flowing with milk and honey”? For centuries God pleaded with His people to come back to Him, sending one prophet after another to warn them of the consequences of their disobedience. But time and again God’s people turned to the idols of the nations they had conquered, preferring the false prophets who assured them that all was well, believing that God either didn’t see their sin or didn’t care. Finally, through the Babylonians, the nation was defeated and scattered, even as the Lord promised He would bring them back someday. (Notably, although Israel has sinned in various ways like any other nation, since the Babylonian siege she never again returned to idolatry.)

Sunday our pastor delivered a message on line centered around the Exodus, especially regarding the ten plagues God sent to Egypt. He pointed out that every plague was a blow to a false god. One by one, Egypt’s deities were attacked, including the gods of the Nile, frogs, the earth, the fly, the bull. The last two plagues were three days of darkness, attacking the sun god, and finally, the death of the first born, even the first born of Pharaoh, who considered himself a god.

In preparing for the last plague, the Israelites were told to stay in their homes. (Sound familiar?) To protect their own firstborn, they were to sacrifice a lamb without defect and place its blood on the sides and tops of the doorframe – a foreshadowing of Jesus, the Lamb of God, who centuries later would be slaughtered to save us from the slavery of sin. Those who believe in Him will be saved from eternal death.

That afternoon, I received a timely email with yet another perspective of the Corona virus, seemingly taken right out of the Old Testament:

“In three short months, just like He did with the plagues of Egypt, God has taken away everything we worship. God said, “you want to worship athletes, I will shut down the stadiums. You want to worship musicians, I will shut down Civic Centers. You want to worship actors, I will shut down theaters. You want to worship money, I will shut down the economy and collapse the stock market. You don’t want to go to church and worship Me, I will make it where you can’t go to church”
“If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
Maybe we don’t need a vaccine, Maybe we need to take this time of isolation from the distractions of the world and have a personal revival where we focus on the ONLY thing in the world that really matters. Jesus.”

While I am not saying that every word of this “prophecy” is true for everyone, it has been “food for thought.” America certainly has many examples of idolatry today. We have allowed the preborn to be slaughtered by the millions in the name of “freedom of choice.” While we have decried the proliferation of human trafficking, we’ve ignored its connection to the porn industry, which we have allowed into our movie theaters, and even into our homes via television. We have worshiped the rich and famous, devouring every bit of gossip about them that we can get our hands on, while ignoring the true heroes, those who minister to the poor, the sick, and the oppressed.

Do I believe everyone in America deserves what is happening to us? No, other than the fact that without Jesus we are all hopeless sinners. There are many in this country who have remained faithful to the Lord in the midst of the evil all around them. But I have no reason to believe that they won’t suffer along with the rest, as Jeremiah did.

Is the Corona virus the work of a loving God? I don’t believe so. But Scripture is clear that nothing happens without God’s knowledge and permission. So, why is He allowing it?

Is it a loving thing for a parent to yell at his child and yank him so hard that he dislocates the child’s shoulder? That depends. Was the child just being annoying, or was he ignoring the parent and running into the path of an oncoming semi?

For centuries Israel ignored the warnings of God, running headlong toward spiritual (eternal) destruction.

When times are hard Scripture shows God disciplining His children, destroying His enemies, or both. Israel was eventually gathered again, even becoming a nation. Egypt has never again been a major world power. The mighty empires of Babylon, Assyria, Persia, and Rome all have disappeared.

How we apply this to ourselves depends on where we stand with Him. The hard truth is, He will do whatever it takes to bring back His wandering children. We can make it easy on ourselves, or we can make it hard.

Right now His children should bear a striking “family resemblance.” When others are suffering, Christians should stand out as the most generous, loving people on the planet. But there also comes a time when we must have the courage to speak the truth in love. After all, what’s loving about letting a child run out into the street when a semi is barreling his way?

Prayer: Lord, as Your children, help us to reflect Your heart – a heart of both holiness and grace. Help us to speak the truth in love, even when it is hard, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

There is a time for everything,                                                                                                              and a season for every activity under heaven:                                                                            a time to weep, and a time to laugh …                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4a

Yesterday fellow blogger Mitch Teemley posted these timely words:

“After performing tragedies, the ancient Greeks always staged comedies, often making fun of the tragedies they’d just presented. Why? Comedy relief. Likewise, humor flourishes during wars and epidemics. Morbidity? No, survival. When we’re under attack, we ridicule our attackers and tease ourselves. Why? Because it helps us cope, reminds us we’re in this together and, well, simply provides comedy relief. Those Greeks had it right.”

Inspired by Mitch’s words (and in honor of April Fool’s Day), I’m finally posting a piece I had hesitated to publish …

So, people are stockpiling non-perishable foods, drinking water (not sure why on that one … ) and of course, toilet paper. (What is it with the toilet paper???)

For anyone over 30, this scenario brings back memories of another world-wide emergency: “Y2K.”

For you who don’t remember this crisis, here’s a little background:

It seems that when computers were first invented they had built-in clocks keeping track of times and dates. Unfortunately, the years registered only in two digits, so 1984 was just “84,” 1999 was just “99.” Apparently it hadn’t occurred to the technology geniuses until the late 90’s that there might be a problem when the year “99” turned over and became “00.” This situation provided fuel for a major scare world-wide. By now virtually every part of our society from our car engines to our banking to our communication was computerized. Rumor had it that even the latest toys, “Furbies,” were more technologically complex than our first space shuttle – Don’t quote me on that one, please.

It just happened that I was asked to sing at a Christian Women’s Club luncheon on January 4, 2000. The format was to sing one light, secular song early on, then a “sacred” song just before the speaker. For the “secular” selection I couldn’t resist writing an original song for just such an occasion. I only performed it once, but here it is, resurrected after 20 years+.

You can sing along. The melody is the same as “Jingle Bells.” The song should start out light and fun, then gradually build in speed and intensity until it reaches a frenzied climax just before the last two lines, after which the song should end with a line of hesitation and an abrupt final line, sung with a big, relieved smile.

(Have fun, and happy April Fool’s Day.)

Y2K

Y2K! Y2K! What is Y2K?                                                                                                                         The end of all life as we know it, coming any day now!                                                                  Y2K! Y2K! Everyone beware!                                                                                                                Stock up fuel and food supplies, so you will be prepared.

All commercial planes will fall out of the sky!                                                                                   Reservoirs will drain and leave us high and dry!                                                                               Every ATM will tell you that you’re broke!                                                                                       All cars on the road will simultaneously choke – OH!

Y2K! Y2K! What are we to do?!                                                                                                              I’m prepared for Y2K. (But I won’t share with you – Ha!)                                                                  Y2K! Y2K! All computers die!                                                                                                                 We have great technology.  At midnight it will fry.

Desktops all will fail, and laptops lose their drive!                                                                            If we don’t comply, we will not survive!                                                                                                 Floppy discs will flop, and CD’s will not work,                                                                                While a million Furbie toys go totally berserk!!! – OH!

Y2K! Y2K! Panic in the street!                                                                                                                Will we freeze to death that day or have no food to eat?! – OH!                                                      Y2K-Y2K- Running-out-of-time!!!                                                                                                        … what? … It’ January 4th?

In that case …                                                                                                                                                                            never mind.

*(Today this song is dedicated to all the computer engineers and technicians who worked tirelessly to make “Y2K” a non-crisis, and to all the doctors, researchers, and world leaders battling the Corona virus today.)

Prayer: Dear Lord, we see everything from the worldly, temporary  perspective of this life, and quite honestly, things seem very grim today. But we know that nothing is out of Your control, and from Your throne things look very different. We know that when we get to heaven we will be able to look  back on everything You’ve brought us through – including death itself – and smile. Give us the faith and trust to smile even now, when we can’t see the outcome, but we know that You are all-powerful, all-wise, and all-loving. And Lord, for those reading this who aren’t there yet, please use this blog to draw them closer to You, their loving Father, in Jesus’ name, amen.