“As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”       – Jesus (John 13:34-35)

“All oppression in Western civilization has been caused by Christianity” is an opinion that seems to have been gaining popularity in recent days.

When considering such a sweeping statement involving the world’s problems over the past two thousand years, we need to start by:

Defining the terms. What exactly is meant by “Christianity”? – Is it an organized religion loosely based on a few selected Bible verses? A political establishment made with the word “Christian” attached to it to give it credibility? A cult wanting to lure the gullible away from the truth to their own warped version of “truth”?

Is the stated opinion referring one of these, or to the words of Jesus of Nazareth: “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.“?

Defining terms makes a huge difference in the validity of what social media celebrities post every day. And latching onto one interpretation or the other can have far-reaching consequences. An impressionable person hearing a confident, authoritative tone of someone denouncing “Christianity” will readily respond, “Yeah! That’s right! #*&% them!” And the next guy in a Jesus t-shirt who tries to talk to him about the claims of Christ gets blamed for every evil from American slavery to the Spanish Inquisition.

Of course, before hearing this universal condemnation, chances are most listeners have had some kind of experience with what they would call “Christianity.”

One person may have spent his early childhood in poverty with an abusive, addicted parent and then been taken in by Christian foster parents, who later adopted him and gave him a loving home and a bright future. Such a person, hearing Christianity equated with oppression, would write off the statement as nonsense.

On the other hand, another person may have been abused multiple times by someone belonging to a church, and those in authority may have refused to believe one of their members had done anything wrong. That person would agree wholeheartedly (and understandably) that “Christianity is evil!”

So, I repeat, defining “Christianity” is extremely important in evaluating statements made by the enemies of the Church.

(We also need to define “the Church.”)

I propose that the logical approach is to go back to the Founder of the faith – Jesus of Nazareth – and see what exactly He taught. It only makes sense that Christ should be the one defining “Christianity.”

Jesus had many teachings, but He said there were two commandments that summed them all up:

Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, and mind. And love your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 22:37-40)

The child adopted by loving parents has seen these basic commandments being lived out through his family and their social circle.

The child being abused in a church has not. Destroying a child for one’s own gratification could not be considered loving by anyone’s definition. Which begs the question:

If that person had been practicing the opposite of what Jesus taught, why would he be considered “Christian” by any stretch of the imagination? He may call himself a Christian, but that only makes him a liar on top of everything else.

Religious hypocrites have been around since Jesus denounced them Himself, and probably long before that.

The Greek word for “hypocrite” means, literally, “play actor.” In a typical Sunday morning service one can usually find good people who believe in Jesus and are doing their best to follow His teachings – and people who are play-acting. (In other words, both Christians and those who are only pretending to be Christians.)

Ironically, many people reject Christianity based on the behavior of people who aren’t Christians!

The Church, as defined in Scripture, however, is not a building but a body made up of true believers in Jesus Christ world-wide. It has nothing to do with bricks and mortar, politics, or organizations. It does have to do with people who admittedly are sinners, have realized that they are, and have repented. They have accepted Jesus’ atoning death on the cross as payment for their sins and the promise of eternal life. Out of gratitude they are trying to live out their faith through love for God and others.

Are Christians perfect? Certainly not. Are they better than they were? By the grace of God, yes. This is the true Church, the “Body of Christ,” and God alone knows every one of them by name.

He also knows who is play-acting, and unfortunately history is full of those who attach the sacred name of Jesus onto every form of evil – no wonder people are confused!

If you saw a movie about Mother Teresa and later heard about something destructive, immoral, or illegal done by the actress who played the lead role, you wouldn’t judge Mother Teresa by the actions of the person who had pretended to be Mother Teresa! So why do people judge Jesus’ Church by the actions of those who are only pretending to be part of it? Can they not tell the difference?

Here’s how to differentiate between true Christ-followers and the fakes:

Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep my commandments.” And what are His commandments?

Feed the hungry. Clothe the naked. Visit the sick and imprisoned. Love your neighbor. Love your enemies. Pray for those who persecute you,” among others.

So, if someone you encounter is consistently hateful, cruel, spiteful, and selfish, with no regard for the less fortunate (or anyone else), if that person claims to be a Christian, (s)he is a liar. (I John 4:20)

I say “consistently,” because Christians have bad days like everyone else. But the Holy Spirit doesn’t let us be content with living contrary to Christ. Repentance, apologies, and forgiveness are a regular part of life for a true Christ-follower.

So, I submit for your consideration that the words “Christian” and “hypocrite,” by their truest definitions, are mutually exclusive.

Prayer: Jesus, the world is confused about who Your people are, and they spew hatred toward Your Church. Help us not to add to the confusion with an un-Christ-like response, but rather to reflect Your light by loving our enemies and praying for those who hate You, that they may grow to love You as we do, in Your name, amen.

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 [AA1]

I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. – Psalm 104:33

Anyone who knows me well knows that I have had my struggles with my health, mainly allergies and frequent colds, bronchitis, and one summer, pneumonia. (Good grief, who gets pneumonia in the summer?! I do, apparently. – *eye roll*)

The most frustrating thing about these physical frailties has been the loss of my voice – my singing voice, and at times, even my speaking voice. I have written a few posts regarding the kind of frustration that comes with losing the ability to communicate easily.

Easter Tears

I would like to “sing to the LORD as long as I live,” but I’ve learned that’s not something I can take for granted. Every time my voice takes a vacation, I experience the feeling of an empty space in my life, until gradually it returns, and I promise myself I will never take singing for granted ever again.

A couple of years ago I lost my singing voice for an extended period of time, even longer than usual. Over the weeks and months I sadly came to accept that at church I was to mouth the words of the songs, meditate on and appreciate their meaning, and relish the time surrounded by brothers and sisters who sang their worship in heavenly four-part harmony. I felt I was getting a brief glimpse of eternity in God’s presence, a scene of which I was not yet a part but could look forward to as I wait for that glorious “someday” when I would be singing with them – forever.

Another blessing in my life is my church home group that meets every two weeks to fellowship, discuss the recent sermons, and pray for one another. On one of those nights I was asked, as usual, “How can we pray for you?” I responded with the first thing that came to mind:

“Would you pray I get my voice back? I want to sing to the Lord!”

When the prayer time came, the hostess of the group prayed a wonderful, heartfelt prayer that the Lord would give me back my “beautiful voice” so I could sing His praises.

A couple of nights later we had our daughter’s kids over to spend the night. As I lay next to Charlotte, she asked, “Nana, would you sing to me?” Of course, my heart melted, and I “gave it the ol’ college try.”

The results were less than stellar. After my voice cracked for the fourth or fifth time, I sighed and gave up. The little one was already asleep, so she didn’t see the tears. I prayed and again committed my voice to the Lord and resolved to be patient while it ever-so-slowly came back. I already knew what to expect – little moments of clarity and hope with slowly diminishing periods of hoarseness in between, until at last I could sing again.

Sunday morning I was in church with Charlotte, and just before the service started, we needed to make a quick trip to the ladies’ room. As we walked back into the sanctuary, the congregation was singing one of my new favorite songs, and the desire to sing with them was overwhelming.

What the heck... I thought, and I impulsively began belting out the words I had memorized …

… loudly, clearly, and right on key! My voice was back! Just like that!

I had never experienced a rebound as sudden as what had just happened, and it wasn’t a momentary recovery. I sang the entire the song by heart, and my voice stayed strong for every song after that. This time the tears weren’t from frustration but from sheer joy and wonderment. This was not the agonizingly slow recovery I had been expecting.

But then, it wasn’t about what I was expecting, or what I could do, or what I had worked on. This was God, pure and simple. It was an instant miracle that left me awestruck. He did it not only to surprise and delight one of His children, but more than that, for His glory. I knew it instantly. The title of song said it all:

“Yet not I, but through Christ in Me.” 

Prayer: Lord, Your gifts are so precious, never to be taken for granted. You’ve given us ways to worship You that not only please You, but fill us with joy, as well. Your Word says that You inhabit the praises of Your people, and when we sing our hearts out to You, we sense Your presence among us – and within us. Thank You for being our heavenly Father, the Lover of our souls, our Counselor, Comforter, Shepherd, Provider, Protector, Healer – our Everything! How could we not sing to You? May we sing Your praises for as long as we live! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood … Ephesians 6:12

It’s been a while since I’ve written about spiritual warfare, possibly because of all the distractions from other kinds of warfare going on in the world today. But the enemy is as real as ever, the battle as intense as ever, and our position as warriors for the kingdom of God unchanged. We may not particularly like the idea of being in a war, but as Christ-followers we have no choice.

I can already sense some readers getting uneasy, even fashionably “offended” by yet another “conspiracy theory,” so I will let Scripture speak for itself. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, read these verses, no matter how familiar they are, and be encouraged. If you are not yet a believer, consider what the most enduring book in the world has to say about the struggles we face in life.

THE ENEMY IS REAL.

Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith … “ – I Peter 5:8-9

GOD IS GREATER THAN THE ENEMY

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. – I John 4:4

THE BATTLE IS REAL, IT IS A SPIRITUAL BATTLE, AND WE ARE IN IT.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. – Ephesians 6:12

JESUS HAS GIVEN HIS FOLLOWERS AUTHORITY OVER THE ENEMY.

“I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy.” – Luke 10:19 [JESUS speaking to His disciples]

THAT AUTHORITY EXTENDS TO ALL BELIEVERS.

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” [emphasis mine] – Matthew 28:19-20 [Jesus speaking to His disciples regarding future disciples – us!]

WE HAVE SPIRITUAL ARMOR TO PROTECT US.

Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. – Ephesians 6:11

WE ARE SHIELDED BY OUR FAITH AND GOD’S FAITHFULNES.

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. – Ephesians 6:16

His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. – Psalm 91:4

THE WORD OF GOD IS OUR SWORD.

Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God. – Ephesians 6:17

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. – II Corinthians 10:4

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil … The tempter came to him … Jesus answered, “it is written …” [after the second temptation] “It is also written …” [after the third temptation] Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written …” Then the devil left him – Matthew 4: 1, 3, 4, 7, 10, 11

For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. – Hebrews 4:12-13

THE BATTLE IS GOD’S, NOT OURS.

“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14 [Moses speaking to the children of Israel just before God parted the Red Sea]

“This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours but God’s.'” – II Chronicles 20:15

NOTHING CAN HARM US, IF WE REMAIN IN HIM.

“Nothing will harm you.” Luke 10:19b [Jesus speaking to His disciples]

“No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the LORD. – Isaiah 54:17 [emphasis mine]

If you make the Most High your dwelling — even the LORD who is my refuge — then no harm, will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. – Psalm 91:9-10

NOTHING CAN SEPARATE US FROM HIM. WE ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? 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. – Romans 8:35-39

For the believer these passages are incredibly encouraging.

But if you are not yet a committed believer in Jesus Christ, none of these promises pertain to you – yet. If you sense the battle heating up around you, I strongly urge you to check out Jesus’ claims as recorded in the Bible by eye witnesses to His life, and consider that this Man, who has impacted history more than any other, was either who He claimed to be or a fraud or a crazy man. His well-documented death and resurrection convince me that He was and is the Son of God and greater than any enemy – human or otherwise – that can come against us.

For more on the Christian life, see

“Be-(or “Not Be-)Attitudes” – The Road to True Happiness

The “Be (or “Not Be-) Attitudes – the Road to True Happiness, Part 2

Prayer: Lord Jesus, our Commanding Officer, we acknowledge the spiritual battles that are being waged around us. Thank You for giving us everything we need to be good soldiers, covered with the armor of God, holding fast to the shield of faith, and wielding the sword of the Spirit. Help us to hide Your Word in our hearts, to stand fast in the Truth, and to know without a doubt that the battle is Yours, and the victory is ours, in Jesus Christ, Amen.

Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. II Timothy 2:23

I was saddened to read a blog post recently about the selfishness of people. I don’t deny that selfishness is part of the human condition. But this blogger was basing his judgment on one thing – who is or isn’t wearing a mask.

For the past fifteen months our nation has been embroiled in controversy regarding (among other things) masks – whether or not they work, whether they increase bacterial infections, whether they decrease the oxygen supply to children’s growing brains, whether emotional damage is done when people can’t see one another’s faces and smiles, whether masks are dehumanizing, and whether not wearing a mask is a sign that a person doesn’t care if they infect and kill people.

Hearing-impaired people, no longer able to read lips, are feeling cut off from society. People wearing glasses get cranky because wearing a mask fogs up their lenses … Maybe that’s just me…

I even heard on the news of a man who was ticketed for wearing a mask and glasses while driving. He was told he could wear a mask or glasses while driving, but not both.

People wearing masks while driving alone have their intelligence questioned. People not wearing a mask in stores get hateful looks from people who are.

Crossing to the other side of the street when seeing another person approach used to be considered rude, now it’s deemed considerate. Keeping one’s distance in general is considered thoughtful, while elderly people with dementia sadly wonder why no one hugs them any more.

And I haven’t even mentioned the closed businesses, bankruptcies, suicides, riots, and social media wars.

Face it, it’s been a crazy, confusing, and potentially depressing year.

Now there’s hope on the horizon…. allegedly. The new “va**ine” is being either touted as the savior of the world, or feared as a conspiracy to rid the planet of half its population.

So we have yet another controversy fanning the flames of hatred among us.

People getting the injections are called “guinea pigs” by those who won’t, while those who rolled up their sleeves are enraged at the “anti-vax” people, blaming them for delays in getting us back to “normal.”

People asking questions, instead of getting reasonable, well-documented answers, are simply being “cancelled” and looked upon as trouble makers. Physicians who have practiced medicine for decades are being blocked on social media by anonymous “fact checkers.”

What am I trying to say here? … Good question.

I’m saying that everything that has been happening for the past year and a half is way more complicated than “If you wear a mask, you’re a good person who cares about others. If you don’t, you’re a scumbag.” Since when do we have the right – or the ability – to judge other people’s hearts?

To many, a healthy lifestyle involves more than avoiding microbes. Emotional health is also vital – enjoyable activities, human contact, meaningful relationships, creativity, and learning new things. Bodies are weakened not only by germs, but by fear, stress, rage, isolation, loneliness, sadness/depression, and hopelessness. We will never know how much damage was done in the past year to people driven to the breaking point by both the virus and the “solutions.” Children especially don’t need more fighting to add to the stress.

I certainly don’t have definitive answers to any of the myriad questions, and there are people way smarter than I am on all sides of the debates. But here’s what I do know:

CHRISTIANS, THIS IS OUR BIG CHANCE!

While the rest of the world is screaming at one another about masks and shots, election fraud, who’s lying and whos’ gullible, who doesn’t care about others and who’s virtue signaling, here are a few things we can do to stand out from the others, to represent Christ well:

• Give everyone the benefit of the doubt. When you see people wearing masks, assume those people believe they are doing what’s best for the people around them, and respect that choice. If they seem to be glaring at you, assume that underneath those masks their mouths are smiling – and smile back. Assume people who don’t wear masks have their reasons. Don’t waste emotional energy being angry.

• Treat everyone with the respect you would want. If someone seems nervous about getting near you, keep your distance. If you‘re nervous, keep your distance. If people have a different opinion from yours, assume they simply have a different perspective, which they arrived at honestly.

• Refuse to get sucked into an argument (See scripture above.), especially considering it’s highly unlikely at this point that you will change anyone’s mind, even if you were 100% right about everything. (Trust me, you’re not.)

• Priorities! “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” While educated, sincere, passionate people debate political issues and social problems with no perfect answers, believers in Jesus Christ can be confident about one assignment: “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” – Mark 16:15-16 There is only one decision people will make that affects their eternal destiny. Everything else is details. Don’t squander your credibility arguing over lesser things.

• Remember God is greater. Nothing can happen to you without His permission, and He loves you. He loves your children more than you do. He has more power over lives than any disease. His kingdom is greater than any political party, and it is forever. We don’t have to be burdened with judging anyone – in fact, we’re told not to. He knows hearts, and He will judge everyone justly.

Even if God has called you to battle in a certain area of social or political change, while you’re “fighting the good fight,” you can still stand out with a Christ-like attitude.

We should be the most unconditionally loving people on the planet. We should be staying joyful in the middle of everyone else’s angst.

People will notice. They’ll notice, because grace in these times takes more than human effort and being “right.” It takes supernatural help, the kind we get only from our Savior.

Time is short. People are lost. We have the answer!

Now’s the time to stand out.

LET’S DO IT!

Prayer: Jesus, help us, especially in these times, to be more like You – in the world, but not of the world. Make us a reflection of Your love, extending to everyone Your invitation to eternal life. In Your name, amen

Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. – I Peter 3:15

Lately I’ve had conversations with some unlikely allies regarding medicine, politics, and which conspiracy theories might not be theories after all. I am not a doctor or a scientist or a politician, and I am not willing to risk my credibility asserting things I’m not absolutely certain are facts. Since there are people with all different perspectives that are way smarter than I am, I’m willing to respect anyone’s point of view, as long as they arrived at it with a degree of intelligent reasoning.

I recently had a long phone conversation with someone I didn’t know very well, who wanted me to send her a link to some information I had shared with a mutual friend. After about a half hour I was sensing a connection between us and possibly an open door for sharing something way more important than any current event.

I told her that at the end of the day Jesus gives me peace, so while I’m concerned about certain things, I’m not freaking out over them. She responded that she gets her peace from good feelings, positive vibes, and such. Then we were out of time and had to hang up.

Suddenly I realized, It had happened again! I had used up a full thirty minutes talking about issues that won’t ultimately matter, and I had missed an opportunity to share the only thing that does!

I wanted to call her right back, but not feeling 100% prepared for a debate, I wrote her this letter instead. (I’ll call her “Renee” here.)

Renee, I’m glad we got to talk the other night, although I was kicking myself after we had hung up, because I had spent 30 minutes talking about somewhat important things, but then only about 30 seconds on the most important.

As you may have sensed, I don’t like confrontation, but nowadays we can’t let fear of conflict keep us from telling people what needs to be said, whether it’s regarding experimental shots or smothering their children, however well intentioned. If I warn them and they don’t listen, it’s on them, but if I say nothing, I am at least partly to blame if disaster strikes.

However, the most important message I’ve been given to deliver is not a warning about microchips, poisonous injections, election fraud, socialism, or a One World Order. Jesus told His followers to tell people about Him. Those other things are important now, but not as important as eternal things. If I can address both, that’s great, but if not, I have to get my priorities straight.

As I told the “contact tracer” recently, I am going to die.

In fact, you are going to die, too.

Are we going to die of C*vid? Probably not – but we might.

Are we going to die today?! Probably not – but we might.

The question isn’t really “Are we going to die?” We already know the answer to that one. But the next question, and the more important one is, “What happens after that??? “

A belief system needs consistency, a permanent point of reference, and for me, that’s the Bible. While positive vibes and good feelings might be enjoyable, they aren’t stable enough to give me unwavering direction. In fact, I’ve found them to be downright deceiving! As the Bible says, “There is a way which seems right to a man, but in the end, it leads to death.” (Proverbs 16:25) and “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9) I’ve learned this truth over and over, through painful experiences when I realized my heart (emotions) had been lying to me!

On the other hand, the Bible has always said, unwaveringly, that someday we will face God to be judged and told where our souls will spend forever – either in His presence in everlasting joy, or apart from Him, in everlasting misery.

This will be the defining moment of our lives for all eternity.

I can guarantee that when that day comes there won’t be one person who gives a rat’s rear end whether they died of C*vid or an experimental injection, or shot by a racist cop, or whether they were living free or under a socialist government, or who was President and whether or not he cheated. It’s not going to matter. This life is a tiny blip on the radar that will soon vanish into nothingness. In the eternal scope of things, all that matters is whether we have followed the truth and our sins (We’ve all committed them.) have been paid for by Jesus’ death on the Cross, clearing the way for us to be forgiven and clean.

Jesus said that He is the ONLY way to heaven, (John 14:6) and I believe Him. Why wouldn’t I? He is all-powerful (He created everything.), all-loving (He sacrificed Himself to save me.), and all-knowing (He created it all in the first place.). And He has never let me down.

Just as with the C*vid information, I can’t make anyone else’s decisions. What you choose to believe is up to you: Either

(A.) Jesus is who He said He is and the only way to eternal life (John 3:16), or

(B.) He isn’t.

Option “B” means Jesus was either a liar who would tell us He was something He wasn’t, or a lunatic who thought he was God. There is no option “C.” Contrary to popular opinion, He can’t have been a “good, wise, moral teacher.” Good, moral people don’t lie about something as basic as their identity. And wise teachers aren’t confused about who they are.

Maybe you have already decided that Jesus was a liar or a crazy man, and that’s your choice that no one else can make for you. But if don’t do my job and tell you what I know, then shame on me.

Feel free to call me again any time if you want to talk about this.

Blessings,

Annie

Prayer: Lord, please reveal the truth to “Renee.” Let her be reborn into Your family and live forever with You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“Do to others as you would have them do to you.” – Luke 6:31

Loving those we find it difficult to love doesn’t always involve people who hate us or do mean things to us. Sometimes the people who are nicest to us are the hardest to tolerate. When Marty and I first moved to our “little house in the big woods” early in our marriage, I had a neighbor who craved company. She would “drop by,” sometimes several times a day, and talk to me at a volume I found myself matching as I tried to communicate with this person I was assuming must be hard of hearing.

Hard of hearing or not, I knew Vicki was lonely, and the Lord had been showing me that I wasn’t truly showing her His love. While I tolerated her constant visits, I had never initiated any contact. Instead, I got involved with my new community to a point where I was rarely home. It was easier for me to be involved with the youth or the ladies in the Christian Women’s Club than with this retired hairdresser that I had very little in common with.

While something in me really didn’t want to, I decided one morning that I’d beat Vicki to it. I would come to her house, show her the love of Jesus. No matter how loudly she yelled, I would sit and take it, I would smile and nod, and try to be the friend she so desperately needed.

As I left my house, not feeling at all ready for this visit, I prayed for God to steady my heart.

Lord, You know I don’t enjoy these visits with Vicki. I get stressed, and …

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” He admonished through the familiar verse.

I got annoyed.

I know, Lord, I’m TRYING to be nice to her! What else do You want me to ... ?

“STOP.” He cut me off, then added, like a patient parent, “You’re not listening to Me. ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.'”

I stopped in the middle of the road and pondered what He had said. It was a simple concept. What was I missing???

“What do you want Vicki to ‘do unto you’?” He coaxed. I sighed.

I just want her to speak to me in a normal voice – not shout!

“So…”

Seriously? I thought. Could it be that simple?

I knocked on Vicki’s door, and when she opened it, her face lit up.

“ANN! HI! IT’S GOOD TO SEE YOU!” she bellowed.

“Good morning, Vicki,” I said in a voice that was almost a whisper. “How are you?”

“Come on in!” she said – at a perfectly normal volume!

I was stunned. I didn’t know which surprised me more, that she could actually hear me in the soft voice I was using, or that it took only a moment for her to bring her volume down to the same level as mine.

We went on to have a very pleasant visit over tea.

As I walked back to my house, the profoundness and simplicity of the lesson sunk in. Sometimes I can overcomplicate things. But people really do tend to relate to you in the way you relate to them, maybe not always as quickly as Vicki did, but do we give up too easily? Do we assume that someone can’t be changed? We certainly can’t change them, but God can.

I’ve also noticed that for all my seeking the wisdom that can seem so elusive, the LORD will drop a nugget of understanding into my mind and heart unexpectedly – right after I have just obeyed Him! Before I had even finished walking back to my house, it occurred to me after all those months why my neighbor had the habit of shouting.

Vicki had worked in a salon for years, communicating with women whose heads were under noisy hairdryers. And if the majority of her customers were elderly, even without the dryers there was the daily challenge of speaking to the hard of hearing.

But once I had communicated in six words that I was not one of those hard-of-hearing, under-the-dryer people, she had lowered her voice immediately.

(As my daughter used to say, “DUH.”)

I chuckled at the memory of my long bouts with laryngitis, having no choice but to whisper. People would whisper back, until halfway through the conversation they would ask, “… Uh … why are we whispering?” I would laugh and respond, “I don’t know why you‘re whispering, but I have laryngitis.”

For the most part. people respond to others the way they are spoken to. If that is true with volume, it’s not a stretch to believe the same principle applies to the tone of voice. And if that’s true, isn’t it logical to think that if we just speak to others kindly, they will usually respond positively?

If we are being snapped at or yelled at for no particular reason, we tend to respond defensively. But if we will take it upon ourselves to do a “reset,” speak softly, calmly, – and yes, kindly – that response could change the direction of the whole conversation – even the relationship. As the book of Proverbs says, “A soft answer turns away wrath.” Like many Proverbs, this isn’t complicated, it’s just a simple fact of life, one that we don’t need to overthink!

I may not be able to control others, but when talking with another individual, I have control over my half of the conversation, and if I remember to use what control I have in a positive way, God might use me to let His love overflow onto the other person.

(I might at least avoid a migraine.)

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we don’t know the hearts of other people the way You do. Help us always to speak others the way we would want to be spoken to, and if they are resistant to our message, rather than shout, we will leave it up to You to convince them of Your truth, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Jesus replied, “‘Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'” Matthew 22:37-39

When we first moved to Michigan, this city girl felt like Laura Ingalls Wilder. Our “little house in the big woods,” was a beautiful setting that Marty adjusted to quickly, having grown up in rural Illinois.

(When Marty is in the city, he wonders, Where are the woods? the lakes? the creeks? When I’m in the country, I wonder, Where is everybody?)

We lived at the end of a dirt road that had three houses at the time, and we could only see one from our front door. It was hardly a setting where one would expect challenges in neighbor relationships.

I learned quickly who lived in that house across the road, when as we were still unpacking, the woman who lived there came to visit, bringing something she had baked and enthusiastically welcoming us to the “neighborhood.” How nice, I thought. She stayed and talked a while, and I learned all about her and her husband. They were both retired, and while he seemed to keep to himself, Vicki clearly wasn’t used to being without people around. She seemed downright giddy to have a neighbor to talk to.

And talk to … and talk to…

She was a retired hairdresser, and her specialty had been elderly ladies. She told me numerous times about the “senior citizens” coming in on certain days and getting a special discount. I learned all about perms and body waves and what might look good on me. Vicki told me about her dog Sandy, a large, undisciplined German Shepherd that was always running off into the woods. I already knew about “Sandy-Bandy-Boo-Boo,” as Vicki regularly stood at her door calling him, seemingly oblivious to the fact that despite her shouting, he would come back when he was good and ready.

It was not only Sandy’s perpetual absence that brought out Vicki’s booming voice. Even in our visits (In those early days it was two or three times a day), she shouted. The moment she yelled, “HI ANN!” I would greet her back at nearly the same level, assuming she was hard of hearing, and the volume would either remain or escalate as the conversation went on. Usually by the time she left, I was a bit hoarse and totally stressed.

I was a young Christian in those days, just learning to have regular, uninterrupted time with Jesus every morning. Before long I was having that time even before Marty got up, in order to be “prayed up” before any surprise company arrived. Soon I joined a women’s Bible study that met one morning a week, got on the board of the local Christian Women’s Club, and signed up to substitute teach at the local high school. The substitute teaching led to my having an informal “youth group” in my living room one evening a week. I did like to be involved, but I think at least part of my eagerness to get out of the house involved escaping my loud neighbor’s constant visits.

I was keenly aware that Jesus commanded His followers to love others, even those who were hard to love. I had always assumed this referred to people who were unkind to us. When someone insulted us or ridiculed us, or even persecuted us, we were to “turn the other cheek” and respond to their hatred with His love. We were to love those who didn’t love us, who abandoned us, ignored us, or treated us as dispensable.

It hadn’t occurred to me to apply that command to the neighbor who wouldn’t leave me alone, who was so overwhelmingly friendly day after day after day, and whose baked goods were piling up on my kitchen counter, as if they were the price of admission for an hour of companionship.

I realized that Vicki, was one of those people – the “least of these” – that was hard to love. And while I wanted to delve into the deeper things of God, to become a more mature Christ-follower, I knew if I hadn’t yet mastered the grass-roots concept of “love thy neighbor,” I was a pretty pathetic believer.

I knew Vicki was profoundly lonely, that she needed Jesus, but whenever I had tried to talk to her about Him or about my church, I had been interrupted or shouted over, and the conversation would go back to baked goods and perms and dogs and senior citizens, and I would give up. Now I wonder if I gave up too easily – if deep down I was just reluctant to have her and her loud voice join my church or Bible study.

It also occurred to me that I had never actively shown Vicki the love of the Lord. She had always come to my house. I had never once initiated a visit, had never even seen the inside of her house.

I had tolerated her, but never really loved her.

As usual, Jesus was not content to leave me at that shallow stage of discipleship. But knowing that I wasn’t exactly a spiritual giant, the lesson had to be quick, simple, and profound. And it was, evidence by the fact that over forty years later I still remember it quite clearly…

(To be continued …)

Prayer: Lord, You are infinite in Your love and understanding, and we are limited in both. We find it hard to love, not only those who don’t love us, but even those who do love us – who need us. We are selfish creatures. We need to be needed, but we don’t want to be tied down. We don’t understand others, and frankly at times we don’t want to understand them. Lord, bring us out of our self-centered bubbles and open our eyes to see the way You want us to live. Fill us with divine love, not merely human tolerance. For only then will we experience true joy that we can pass on to others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. – I Corinthians 13:11

Recently I heard a Bible teacher outline the spiritual journey of a Christian in three stages: Curious, Convinced, and Committed.

Hearing this brought back a memory of a brief but vivid dream from years ago. I wrote about it here before, but for the 600 followers I’ve picked up since then, I think it worth repeating, especially in a time where the world is in so much turmoil.

Looking out the window, I saw a large squirrel, pure white. As I was thinking I’d never seen an albino squirrel, it began to grow, morphing into a sheep!

Confused, I asked the person next to me, “Is that a squirrel, or a sheep?” – realizing the moment the words were out of my mouth how silly they sounded.

But now the sheep was changing, too! Its legs were getting longer and more slender, and the way it moved was less like a sheep’s walk and more like the energetic trot of a dog. It was only then that I noticed a young man calling to the squirrel/sheep/dog. Promptly and obediently it came and trotted alongside its master.

When I woke up, I lay there for a few moments, asking the LORD, What was that all about???

I thought about the characteristic of the three animals, starting with the squirrel.

Curious

Squirrels are … well, squirrely. They are curious and flighty, with an attention span of about two seconds. I can only imagine how their little minds run. Hey-what-IS-that?-wow-cool-That’s-awesome-gotta-go-now! Squirrels are energetic and entertaining, but don’t expect them to be responsible. One thing they are not is committed.

As a child I was flighty (even more than now), and although I now know God was caring for me and looking out for me as I explored my world, I was oblivious to His presence in my life. I was a little squirrel – cute perhaps, but pretty useless.

Convinced

Sheep, on the other hand, are not oblivious to their shepherd! They know he is their guide to food and clear, clean water. He’s their protector and the one who cares for them when they are sick or injured. Sheep are almost never far from their shepherd. If one does wander away, it most certainly will find some kind of trouble and need to be rescued.

When I first knew about Jesus, I loved Him in my own little-lamb way. I trusted Him, knowing that He had created me, came to earth to save me, died on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins, protected me, provided for me, healed me, and would someday give me eternal life in heaven!

That’s an awful lot of “me’s!” My love for Jesus then was based on the things He did for me. As long as I was being cared for, I would follow Jesus, and I usually took Him for granted. It never dawned on me that I could do anything for Him.

Committed

Dogs also know where their food and care come from, but unlike sheep, their loyalty is not based entirely on having their needs met. A dog is often in the position to serve his master, as well. Dogs help firefighters and law enforcement officers save lives, help sheep herders round up the flock, or bring love and joy to patients in hospitals and nursing homes. Service dogs can guide the blind or alert a patient of a medical need. Even the average family dog can find ways to help, guarding the home, alerting the family when company comes, or just being there to hug after a bad day.

As I have matured in my relationship with Jesus, I desire to serve Him – not to get Him to love me, because I know He already does – but to express my love and gratitude. After all, He suffered and died to save my soul. Today I want to make Him smile.

Which creature are you?

Do you identify with the loyal dog, wholeheartedly serving your Master? Does His kingdom benefit from your ministry and mission? Or are you more of a little lamb, just staying close to your Shepherd, trusting Him for getting your needs met?

Trusting Jesus is a great thing, especially if you’re a new believer. We should all have that quality of complete trust, all of our lives.

But are you ready to take your devotion to the next level and explore ways He might work through you to accomplish His purposes? Are you ready to give back to Him – not to earn His favor, but to celebrate His love and share it with others?

Every morning the news headlines have terrifying stories from all different fronts. The problems are overwhelming. We may want to stick our heads in the sand and wish it all to just go away. But as I often say, while sticking your head in the sand might be an option, it leaves the rest of you pretty vulnerable!

So, while we can rest in knowing we are His beloved sheep, there comes a time to step out of the green pastures and still waters of our comfort zone and reach a world that is lost and dying. Our Shepherd renews and strengthen us for a reason. No one of us can solve the world’s problems, but that isn’t an excuse to do nothing. God can use each of us to make a difference to someone. The Church can’t afford to simply graze in the comfort of the pasture.

The world needs JESUS, and we need all hands on deck!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for being our Good Shepherd and for Your constant care for us, even before we knew You. Help us to grow spiritually, so that we can be all You created us to be, not only Your sheep, but Your servants. In Your name, amen.

Note to the curious: Maybe you aren’t even at the sheep stage yet. Maybe you’re just an energetic little squirrel, running aimlessly through life. Have you been keeping God at arms’ length, because the world has so many other things to occupy your mind? If so, maybe it’s time to finally get acquainted with the One who loves you so much that He died to give you life, and discover the reason He created you.

For more on this journey to true happiness, see the following posts:

“Be-(or “Not Be-)Attitudes” – The Road to True Happiness

The “Be (or “Not Be-) Attitudes – the Road to True Happiness, Part 2

For he will command his angels concerning you, to guard you in all your ways. – Psalm 91:11

“Anyone with kids has to believe in guardian angels, because statistically it’s impossible to grow up.” – my father

I didn’t want to interrupt their day. Thank God I did.

While my daughter Joanna’s family lives only a mile from us, the other grandparents live in another state. So, when “Marni and Papa” are in town for a visit, my husband and I usually do our own thing and let them have the grandkids to themselves.

Caroline, with her sassy sense of humor, made it abundantly clear that the focus was on the visitors Tuesday when I was dropping her off along with her sister Charlotte. We had been enjoying a frozen yogurt treat and some animated conversation, but when the girls spotted the familiar car in the driveway, the pitch got even higher as both shrieked with delight, “Marni and Papa!” As they got out of the car, Charlotte said “Thank you, Nana, I love you,” and Caroline, who had barely finished her frozen yogurt, yelled, “‘Bye, Nana! You’re yesterday’s news.” (I guess it was a little rude, and I probably shouldn’t encourage her, but if I had tried not to laugh, I could have hurt myself.)

In spite of the visit from the other grandparents, Friday I “borrowed” Charlotte for a little while. My younger granddaughter gets allergy shots two or three times a week, and because that’s something she and I have in common, I am the one who takes her. On days when I get my shots we get them together. It’s one less thing my daughter has to do, and it has proven to be a very special time for Charlotte and me. The conversations in the car, more often than not, have been those “teachable moments” we’re always hearing about. Of my five grandchildren, Charlotte has always been the one who is most curious about the things of God, and from the time she could barely talk I have frequently marveled at the depth of her questions.

So Friday morning I shot a text to Joanna: “Good morning! Yesterday’s News here. Do you want me to take Charlotte for her shots today? If so, what time?” After assuring me that I wasn’t yesterday’s news to her – (heart emoji) – Joanna said whatever time I wanted, they were just kind of “hanging out,” doing miscellaneous things.

Little did I know that the “random” time I picked was spot on in God’s plan.

(Or was it foiling the enemy’s plan?)

It was a beautiful day, and as I turned the corner next to Joanna’s house, I saw Charlotte standing in the yard, ready to be picked up. Her little brother Jackson was sitting at the edge of the street writing on the pavement with a big blue, piece of chalk, right behind his mother’s minivan. I wondered why the little guy had chosen that odd spot for his artwork.

Suddenly I saw the minivan moving – Joanna was backing out of the driveway!

Realizing she couldn’t see him in any of her mirrors, I hit the horn loud and hard.

Jackson jumped, saw the van, moved over, and kept right on writing. Joanna stopped, giving me an inquisitive look. I parked and ran over as she rolled down the window to see what the emergency was.

“I didn’t know if you knew Jackson was sitting behind your car…” I panted.

From the expression on her face, she clearly had not.

Somehow we both survived the incident without a heart attack, and between Joanna, Charlotte, and me, we persuaded (scolded) Jackson to draw elsewhere and stay out of the street. Annoyed that he had to start over, he clearly didn’t see what all the fuss was about. He threw the chalk onto the ground and stomped into the house.

As Charlotte and I pulled away and headed for the allergist, I said to her, “Well, Charlotte, if you ever wonder why God allowed you to have allergies and have to get shots, if nothing else, here’s a reason: to save your brother’s life!”

I walked her through the “what-ifs”: that if it weren’t for having to take her for her shots, I would not have come over and interrupted their day. It also dawned on me that, had I arrived five seconds later – or if I had picked up Charlotte five minutes earlier – there could have been a tragedy from which none of us would have ever recovered.

Every day I ask God to take care of our family, and at times like this I can clearly see His hand in our lives.

But I truly believe that there are countless other times He has had His angels around us when we aren’t even aware of the dangers or thinking about Him, and He “delivers us from evil” more times than we know.

I realize that there are many godly families that have experienced tragedy, and I wouldn’t attempt to explain why. I expect those times will come for us in some form, someday – no one’s life is without its hardships and grief. But that’s exactly why I want to take nothing for granted today. If we’ll focus on and and be thankful for the thousands of times the Lord has been merciful and gracious to us, I believe the memories of those times will give us strength and faith to trust Him when we don’t understand what He’s doing or allowing.

He’s in control, and He knows best.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for every moment of our lives. I believe You have a plan for each of us, and as we put our trust in You, we will not leave this world one moment before Your plan for us is completed. Give us divine perspective, to recognize Your hand in our lives, that we would continually give You the thanks and praise You deserve, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

My first hint that something was off came a while back when some of the comments I received included things like, “Welcome back! I’ve missed your posts.”

The fact was, I had been consistently posting every Friday …

Hmmm …

I also began to notice I had fewer notifications of new posts from many of the blogs I follow. For a long time I figured that as society had been “opening up” and people were less stuck at home, y’all must be getting out more and blogging less. (Not sure why I thought that. I certainly hadn’t been writing less.)

Last night I checked my “spam” folder, and WOW… Looked like y’all were having a party that I wasn’t invited to! I’m not sure how you got there, but I just spent the past hour going through weeks of spam and marking as “NOT spam” the bloggers I have been missing.

So, it’s my turn to say, “WELCOME BACK!”

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have 282 emails to attend to…

Blessings,

Annie

seekingdivineperspective.com

P.S. A big “THANK YOU!” to those of you who have been loyally reading my posts in spite of my not reading yours lately. And if I ever seem to be making myself scarce, check your spam. Those folders seem to be like ditches we fall into every now and then, except with a real ditch, we’d know it.