“Be as shrewd as snakes, but as innocent as doves.” Matthew 10:16

You may be familiar with the Winston Churchill quote, “If you are not a liberal at 20, you have no heart. If you are not a conservative by 40, you have no brain.”

I don’t know if that quote pertains to my understanding of “liberal” and “conservative,” but as a  Christ follower, I don’t want to have a heart with no brain, and I certainly don’t want a brain with no heart! Jesus’ admonition to “be as shrewd as snakes, but as innocent as doves” sounds great, but how do we achieve that divine balance in a world with both the genuinely needy and the con artists?

Suppose a man is standing by the side of the road with a sign asking for money for food. The stereotypical “liberal” might think, Aw, poor guy! I’ll give him my cash. The stereotypical “conservative” might think, I’m not giving him money. He’d just spend it on drugs or alcohol.

What would you do?

Scripture has much to say about being kind to strangers, and that in doing so we might even be entertaining angels! (Hebrew 13:2) But in the story of the prodigal son, who had made some very poor choices, it wasn’t until he was totally destitute and “no one gave him anything” (Luke 15:16) that he finally “came to his senses.” (verse 17)

We know that someone who keeps helping another person continue to make bad choices is an “enabler,” and when God is delivering someone a wake-up call, we certainly don’t want to be that person who keeps helping him hit the snooze button.

On the other hand, there’s the chilling prediction that at the Judgment Jesus will tell some of us, “Depart from Me! I was hungry, and you gave me nothing to eat. If you didn’t do it for the least of these, you didn’t do it for Me.” (Matthew 25:41-42, 45 -paraphrase)

When Jesus walked this earth, He was the picture of compassion, feeding the hungry, healing the sick, even preaching that we should love our enemies. At the same time, on at least one occasion He bluntly told the crowds, “You are not looking for Me because you saw miraculous signs, but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.” (John 6:26) He rebuked hypocrites and chastised those with ulterior motives.

Jesus had an advantage – He knew people’s hearts. Usually, we don’t, and when we think we do, that’s when we get into trouble.  So, how do we get “the mind of Christ,” when our minds are finite, and the issues are so murky?

Ask Him.

Prayer is always a good idea. Talk to God, and don’t forget to listen for His voice. If we don’t hear an audible voice, He could be speaking to us through Scripture. The book of Proverbs is chock full of wisdom. So are a great many other passages, but be sure to read them in context. We need to study all of God’s Word, or we will be more confused than ever. That’s why some people speak of “contradictions” in the Bible or quote only certain Scriptures to support their side of an issue; they’re reading only part of it and missing God’s perfect balance.

One of my favorite promises is found in James 1:5, which tell us that if we ask God for wisdom, He’ll give it to us. I’ve seen that promise fulfilled when an idea seems to get dropped into my mind. Sometimes the idea is relatively simple, such as giving a generous donation to, or volunteering with a reputable ministry that helps the needy with food, shelter, and employment.

As for the person on the street with the sign, I usually stop and give him/her a gift card for a fast food place. (I always try to carry a few in my purse.)  Usually the person is appreciative. If I don’t have a card and the person is asking for money for food, I try to find a way to provide some food. Sometimes the experience gets interesting…

One day when I was visiting my daughter at college, we encountered what appeared to be a homeless man on the street. He asked us for some money so he could “buy a sandwich at the McDonald’s over there.”

My generous-but-smart daughter said sweetly, “I’d be happy to buy you a sandwich. What kind would you like?” The man didn’t want us to bother and said we could just give him the cash, but Kelly insisted on buying it for him. Finally, he said he’d like a fish sandwich, and we headed over to get in line.

After quite a wait, we got back to the spot only to find that the man had left, but another man was sitting on the curb, his head bowed and his long hair dangling around his knees. We offered him the sandwich and a prayer, and he accepted both. After the prayer we asked his name.

He replied, “Gabriel.”

I got a chill.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we have used our cynicism as an excuse not to help the truly needy. Forgive us when we have given with wrong motives, not wisely, just to make ourselves look or feel good. Show us how to be “as wise as serpents but as innocent as doves.” Give us pure motives and “the mind of Christ” each day to do Your will, in Jesus’ name. Amen

 

 

 

 

This year before the holidays I diligently wrote and scheduled ahead so I could enjoy family time without worrying about blogging for a few weeks. Well, now the pre-written blogs have been used up, and I still have family stuff going on.

For that reason, and because I have many new followers since last New Year’s, and  because this is one of my more amazing, what-are-the-chances?! experiences, today I am rerunning something you may not have seen. Enjoy, and I promise something fresh and new next week!

                                A Warrior’s Story

God is our refuge and strength,                                                                                                       an ever-present help in trouble.                                                                      He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth;                                                                                  he breaks the bow and shatters the spear,                                                                          he burns the shields with fire.                                                                      “Be still, and know that I am God;                                                                                                   I will be exalted among the nations,                                                                                   I will be exalted in the earth.”                                 Psalm 46:1,9,10

 

I came across this journal entry from three years ago and just had to share it with my readers. This was probably the most exciting New Year’s I have ever had. Enjoy!                  

It’s New Year’s Day in Louisville. And in New York. And in L. A. And in Paris and Munich and the Middle East. And as far as I know, there have been no successful terrorist attacks.

There were threats, and as usual I prayed. I’ve been praying against terrorism daily since July of 2005. I had become frustrated with praying for the families of the victims after the fact and asked God how – with no idea where the enemy was or what their targets were – I could narrow down my prayer to be the kind of specific prayer He answers in my life – before these things happen. He had said (in His “still, small voice”), “Narrow it down to what they have planned today.”

Have these prayers been answered? I have a file folder full of articles – just the ones I’ve seen and saved – about thwarted terrorist attacks, some foiled by the authorities and some stopped by ordinary citizens who “saw/heard something suspicious;” some failed because the explosives didn’t detonate, and some failed because the perpetrator had a change of heart. Those are my favorite stories – where a former would-be terrorist is now a child of God – an evangelist, a church planter, an igniter of revival. (Glory!)

Do I think I personally have stopped terrorists? No … well, not exactly. I do believe in the power of prayer, otherwise I would not have prayed the same prayer over 4,000 times and would not be planning to continue. I do believe there’s power in consistent prayer and prayer by many people, and if an act of terror occurred because only 99 people prayed against it and 100 prayer warriors could have stopped it, I don’t want to be the weak link. Of course, GOD is the One who answers those prayers, but for whatever reason, I believe He honors consistency and unity.

I usually pray [these prayers] at night, because if/when I resolved to pray in the morning, there was always something to distract me or make me forget, so I just have a rule that I don’t lie down until I’ve covered our nation, leaders, military, intelligence, security, law enforcement, targets, and the terrorists themselves in prayer. If I am especially tired, it’s hard and might take an hour to pray what I should have been able to pray in eight minutes. (Some will call me obsessive, but I take this stuff seriously.)

Yesterday I prayed earlier in the day than usual and prayed specifically for New York City, Washington D. C., and Los Angeles. I had read that these cities were on high alert because of some threats. I had also heard that over a million people were expected to be in Times Square that night.

Marty and I didn’t go out for any New Year’s Eve festivities. We’re new in town,  and we haven’t made enough friends yet to be invited to any parties. So after babysitting the grandchildren … we turned to Netflix and spent the next 5-10 minutes browsing. After reading a few plot synopses, we settled on “Survivor” (or “The Survivor”) – a movie evidently about stopping a terrorist attack. I thought, “Good, it’ll remind me to keep praying for New York City.” So I said another prayer for those million+ people.

I prayed on and off even as we were watching the movie, and when I realized the terror plot in the show involved a an attack on Times Square on New Year’s Eve, I thought, What a coincidence! and kept praying.

At one point I was heating my shoulder pad in the microwave for an achy neck and noticed it was 11:53. I thought, Only 7 more minutes. I sat back down, and the film showed a sign in Times Square saying  “Only 7 minutes to go!”

I realized this “random” movie, that we “randomly” picked – off Netflix – and started at a “random” time was synchronized – to the minute – with our New Year’s Eve. (We couldn’t have planned that if we’d wanted to, even if we had known in advance what the plot was.)

It didn’t occur to me until this morning that God was encouraging me about the power of my prayers, as I remembered the end of the movie, where one of the characters said to the woman who had stopped the terrorists, “There were a million people here tonight. And you saved all of them.”

Do I think I saved everybody in Times Square last night? Of course not. I do believe in the power of prayer, and who knows how many other people who believe in it were praying last night? And God is the One who answers the prayers, but for whatever reason, I believe He honors consistency and unity. And I don’t want to be the weak link.

– journal,  January 1, 2016

Prayer: Lord, we understand so little about the power of prayer, just that You want us to do it. Thank You for all the times You have proven true to Your promises and answered us when we cried out to you. Help us to be faithful, too, in whatever You have called us to do. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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

Anyone who grew up in the 50’s and 60’s will remember the cartoon showing the cat being tempted by a little red 3-inch-tall imp on his shoulder with horns, a tail, and a pitchfork, whispering enticements in his ear, while a little angel on his other shoulder is squeaking, “Don’t do it!” And we may know how that cat is feeling.

But I seriously doubt that Satan looks anything like that little cartoon character. If he appears at all, Scripture says he appears as an angel of light. (II Corinthians 11:14) I can’t tell you exactly what the devil looks like, but I can tell you what he sounds like, because I have heard his voice in my own life, often without realizing who it is that I’m listening to.

His lies, temptations, and accusations might be heard coming through the mouths of people in the world, and even those within the church, when arguments break out, confusion takes over, and division takes place.

But I’ve found in my own life that there are times when his voice sounds more familiar. For years I didn’t recognize where that voice was coming from, for a simple reason.

It sounded just like me.

It was a revelation to me the first time I heard that Satan can speak to me in a voice that sounds just like mine, and that he speaks in the first person. For example, let’s say that I’m a new Christian, and like any believer I desperately need the fellowship of other believers and to be fed the truth with the preaching of the Word; I need church. This is especially crucial, because during the week I work at a secular job, surrounded by people who are indifferent or downright hostile towards Christians.

So, on Sunday morning, the devil doesn’t pop on my shoulder, poke me with a pitchfork, and say, “Hello, my name is Satan, and I’m here to steal, kill, and destroy. I’m going to lie to you, tempt you, get you to sin, and then accuse you and separate you from God, ’cause that’s my job.”

Instead he says to me – in my own voice – I don’t think it would be that big a deal if I skipped church, just this morning. [LIE.]

He doesn’t say in an impish little cartoon voice “Hey, Christian, go back to sleep and skip church.”

He says – in my voice – It’s been such a busy week. I’m exhausted. I need more sleep. [TEMPTATION.] And I pull the blankets back over my head.

Then when I can’t get back to sleep, an hour and a half has passed, it’s too late to get to church, and I’m more tired than I was when I woke up, he doesn’t roar. “HAHA! I win!”

He moans –  still in my voice – What’s the matter with me? I did it again! What kind of Christian am I? Am I even saved? I’m hopeless! [ACCUSATIONS. DOUBTS. DESPAIR.] He might even throw in a migraine just for his own amusement.

And all this time he’s had me thinking these are my own thoughts, as I face another week spiritually malnourished.

If you are a believer in Jesus, you have the mind of Christ (I Corinthians 2:16). Not a little angel sitting on your shoulder, battling it out with the little red imp that’s on the other shoulder, although there is definitely a battle going on!

The Bible tell us to put on the whole armor of God and take up the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. (Ephesians 6:11-17) The more we know God’s Word and purposefully put our faith in His truth, the harder it will be for Satan to trip us up with his lies. If we are studying Scripture, meditating on it, memorizing it, and hiding it in our hearts, the more we will be armed against the enemy when he tells us things contrary to what we now know.

The battle is in the mind, and the prize is our very souls. So arm yourself with the truth of God’s Word, and let Him strengthen you against those destructive thoughts that seem to come out of nowhere – now that you know where they’re coming from.

Prayer: Jesus, You know what it’s like to be tempted by the devil, and You fought back with the Scriptures. Help us fill our minds with Your truth, and let Your Word be our sword to fight back – and win, in Your name, Amen.

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33

The teacher stood in front of the class holding a large beaker. He  placed several  large rocks inside, and asked the class if they thought he could fit any more in, or was the beaker full? The students replied that it was full.

But then the instructor took out some smaller stones and placed them around the larger ones, and sure enough, they fit.  “Now is it full?” he asked. The students hesitated to answer.

The teacher pulled out a small bag of gravel and slowly poured it over the beaker, giving the container an occasional shake, until the gravel reached the top.

“Now is it full?” he asked. The students said nothing.

Next he got out a little bag of sand and began spooning it over the beaker. As sand slid down in between the large rocks, smaller stones, and gravel, everyone realized how much room had remained after all.

“NOW is the beaker full?” This time some students called out, “NOooo!”

They were right. The teacher took out his last prop, a glass of water, and when he had poured the water over the rocks, the stones, the gravel, and the sand, as the last ingredient soaked in, it appeared the beaker was at last full.

Have you ever known someone who seems to do so much with the same 24-hour day that others struggle with? Do these people really have more hours in their day, or do they know something the rest of us don’t about priorities?

Suppose the teacher had started with the water, then added the sand, then the gravel, then some of the small stones on top of the gravel. By the time he was halfway through adding the small stones, he would have run out of room for the rest, never mind the large rocks.

When planning your day, do you focus on the most important things first, or do you just do what seems easiest at the moment? Do you spend a great deal of time doing things that don’t really need to be done today, and then find at the end of the day the ones that have to be done have yet to be done, and now you’re stressed and staying up too late. That kind of poor planning leads to stress, sleep deprivation, and all too often, sickness, which can really slow you down and steal your joy. (Please don’t ask me how I know this.)

So, picturing the big glass beaker, what are our big rocks? If we are believers in Jesus, they are our relationship with Him, being available to Him, learning His will, and doing it.  – or rather, letting Him do it in and through us.

The smaller stones, but still major, are the relationships in your life – being a good spouse, parent, friend, neighbor, and church member. Jesus said “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:35)

Jesus said that the most important commandment is to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mark 12:30-31)

Other things can be important, too, such as work, school, household chores, and car maintenance. This is like the gravel of life, it surrounds us and is part of pretty much every day. Things like social media, TV, video games, and other entertainment should come last. If we get side-tracked by these too early in the day, it’s amazing how quickly the day can come unraveled, and the stress begins to take over.

This is the time of year we seem to be thinking about fresh starts, and best way to start over is by examining our priorities and trying to order our lives accordingly. If you’re into New Year’s resolutions, I would suggest setting aside some time each morning, if you haven’t already, and spend that time reading Scripture and talking to God about your day. It may not be a long time, but if you have trouble even fitting that much in, try setting your alarm clock 15 minutes earlier. It will be worth much more than the sleep you miss just getting that mindset – that “divine perspective” – to set the tone for the rest of the day. Some days your prayers may seem mundane or clumsy, but it doesn’t matter to God. He sees your heart and will respond when you call out to Him. In fact, you’ll find He’s been waiting for you.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for being a God of new beginnings. As we start this new year, may we celebrate Your love for us by turning to You and giving You our time, our attention, our very lives, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Light Looked Down 

by Laurence Housman

Light looked down and beheld Darkness.
“Thither will I go,” said Light.
Peace looked down and beheld War.
“Thither will I go,” said Peace.
Love looked down and beheld Hatred.
“Thither will I go,” said Love.
So came Light and shone.
So came Peace and gave rest.
So came Love and brought life.
And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.*

 

Merry Christmas, friends.

 

*John 1:14

[M]an’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 James 1:20

It seems that at Christmastime, one thing that’s as predictable as Santa is the controversy over public expressions of faith – whether or not one says “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays,” whether or not a manger scene is permitted in a town hall display, and the ever-popular righteous indignation over the term “Xmas.” At a time when all eyes could and should be on Emmanuel – “God with us” – instead, the world is treated to the modern American stereotype of a follower of Jesus – the Angry Christian.

In America we Christians seem to have become spoiled, having grown up with rights such as free speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of expression. Some of us also had the advantage, or disadvantage, of growing up in a society where the Christian faith was the norm. In case you haven’t noticed, this is no longer the case. In our  comfortable complacency, have we forgotten what Jesus was all about?

He was conceived in the womb of an unmarried girl, in a culture where the penalty for fornication was death by stoning. He was born far from His mother’s and foster father’s home, in a stable, because the only welcome He received was a “No Vacancy” sign. He was sought after by the king of that region, and His parents had to flee to a foreign country for Him to survive. He grew up poor, with few, if any, rights under Roman rule. His ministry was met with mixed reviews. Some loved Him, some wanted to stone Him. And some eventually condemned Him to death by crucifixion. He was cursed, beaten, spat on, mocked, and executed. And before He died, He told His disciples, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated Me first.” (John 15:18)

So, why are we so indignant that the world doesn’t receive us with open arms? Why do we expect people to say “Merry Christmas” who have no idea what we are celebrating? Why do we want our government to display our Savior’s birth, when we ourselves fall so short of displaying His glory in our own lives? What is it about resenting the term “Xmas” that somehow makes us holier than everyone else?

Some random thoughts:

Thought #1: “Happy Holidays” means just that. It’s someone’s friendly way of saying, “Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!” and possibly “Happy Hanukkah!” (Hey, Jesus celebrated Hanukkah – John 10:22. If it’s good enough for Him, it’s good enough for me.) If the person is deliberately avoiding mentioning Christmas in particular, a sour look on your face is probably not going to make him fall on his face and cry out, “What must I do to be saved?!”

Thought #2: Since our government represents all kinds of people with all kinds of beliefs, it MAY be inappropriate to display a manger scene on public property. Not being a constitutional lawyer, I can’t say for sure. Some would say it’s not unconstitutional to put up such a display, but my thoughts are: Is anyone going to be saved or lost depending upon whether some statues are displayed in front of a courthouse? And if not, is this really the hill you want to die on? Here’s a thought: If your town won’t tolerate a manger scene on public property and you own property, put up a manger scene in front of your house. If all the people complaining about the lack of manger scenes had one in front of their own houses, the true meaning of Christmas would be everywhere!

Thought #3: Chi or “X” is the first letter in the Greek word for “Christ.” It was one of the secret symbols used by early Christians to identify themselves in times of persecution. So, the terms “Xmas” and “Christmas” are basically the same thing. If you really want to show your spiritual superiority, you may want to explain that to the ignorant masses, and you might get a dialog going. – Just kidding! There are probably better ways of showing your love for Christ than quibbling over His name. (He has many!)

As Rebecca LuElla Miller, a fellow blogger, has pointed out, a great way to celebrate Jesus is to do something He would do – volunteer at a soup kitchen, ring a bell for the Salvation Army, or make a sizable donation to a ministry you believe in. Upset about the secular drivel you’re hearing on the radio that passes for “Christmas music”? Why not gather some friends and visit a nursing home, foster care facility, or hospital, and sing the real stuff? LOVE people in Jesus’ name. I guarantee it will make a more positive impact than any protest, boycott, or bad attitude.

Prayer: Lord, make us so aware of Your presence in our lives that Your love, joy, and peace just spill over to those around us. Help us not to be the “Angry Christians,” thus alienating the people you want to draw to Yourself. Instead, may our very lives be a year-round celebration of You, in Your name. Amen.

I have been nominated for another blogger award!

• Thank you, Joy18! Visit her at  https://justsimplytrue.wordpress.com/2018

The Rules

1. Thank the person who nominated you and provide a link back to their blog.
2. List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award logo on your post/or blog site.
3. Answer the 11 questions asked by the nominator who nominated you.
4. Nominate 11 other bloggers and ask them 11 questions.
5. Notify your nominees about it by commenting on one of their blogs

• Joy18’s questions for me:

1. What are three of your favorite things to do?

I’ve heard that to know what your passion is, ask yourself what you were doing the last time you lost all track of time. For me, that would be when talking with someone who is “on the same page,” where we’re finishing each other’s sentences and getting more animated as we talk about our passions. (My favorite subject is Jesus.)

I also lose track of time when I’m writing – a story, a blog, a book, a letter, a poem, or a song – when I’m inspired and can’t write down the words fast enough.

I love reading a book I have loved to my grandchildren, using my voices and dialects, when they keep begging for “one more chapter, Pleeeeeease?!”

2. Would you rather live in the city or country? Why?

Depends … if “country” means no people, I’d pick the city, as I’m a “people person.” I was raised in the suburbs of St. Louis, while my husband was raised in rural Illinois. When we are in a city, he is asking, “Where are the woods? The creeks? The fields?” When we’re in the country, I’m asking, “Where is everybody?”

3. What is your favorite Bible verse or chapter in the Bible? Why?

Old Testament, I love Isaiah 53, because it’s a detailed description of the suffering of Jesus, written hundreds of years before He was born. It’s a poignant picture of Redemption.

New Testament, probably Romans 8, which starts with the gloriously reassuring promise “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus …” It has guidelines for having the right mindset, hence a right walk with God. The promise that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to His purpose, and that absolutely nothing will separate us from the love of God in Christ – These wrap up the list of  promises that we can and should live by.

4. What is the story behind your Blog’s name?

I think the source of every human problem is rooted in how we perceive things. The cosmic battle takes place in the mind, where the world, the flesh, and the devil are constantly feeding us lies. I believe that getting God’s perspective is the way to change direction and get on the right path to being who we were created to be.

5. Where do you find your identity?

In Christ.

6. What is your favorite greeting?

One from someone I can tell is genuinely happy to see me. The exact words don’t matter.

7.What is your best tip for Bible studying?

Don’t feel forced to stick to a rigid reading plan. (“I must read __ chapters today.”) Read until God speaks to you, then stop and meditate on what He might be saying to you through that passage or verse. It may take a few chapters, or just a few verses.

8. What are your favorite color(s)?

I love purple – not pastel, but rich, royal purple, and royal blue. Other favorites depend on the time of year. Now that it’s the Christmas season, I’m into gold, silver, white, and clear(crystal).

9. Who is one person from history who inspires you? If you could spend a day with this person, what would you do and talk about?

Of course, Jesus is #1. But I am also looking forward to meeting His mother Mary. I would ask her what it was like to be told she would be the mother of the Messiah, what Jesus was like as a Child, and how she felt seeing Him rise to popularity, then hated and crucified. And what was Resurrection morning like??? I would love to just sit and listen to her reminisce, to watch her face …

My nominees:

@dettinger47

@bruster

@francesrogers

@rebeccaluellamiller

@mitchteemley

@vicklea

@chaplapreneur

@onetarhayes

@cynthiadawson

@slaininthespirit

@thatredheadgirl

My questions for the nominees:

1. Where were you born?
2. Where do you live now?
3. Who is your favorite author and why?
4. If you could spend a whole day anywhere you wanted, doing anything you wanted, what would you do, and where?
5. What is the most life-changing truth you have ever discovered in the Bible?
6. What is your idea of the dream job?
7. Who was the most influential teacher you have ever had, and why?
8. What was the most challenging thing God has ever told you to do?
9. Do you remember your dreams? If so, what is one dream you’ve had that clearly told or showed you something you needed to know and understand?
10. What is your favorite book or chapter or verse in the Bible, and why?
11. If you could ask God any question and know that He would answer you, what would you ask?

Have fun with this. I look forward to knowing you all better.

Blessings!

Annie

 

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.                                                                                                                                                       Galatians 6:1

Last week (“He Owes Me What?”) I shared about a time when I was going through more pain than I had ever known so far, and the way I had felt how “unfair” it was, since I had taken such good care of myself – ate right, exercised, etc. As the title implied, I had to correct my thinking, that somehow God “owed” me a healthy body, just because I had been doing all the “right” things.

Okay, lesson learned. But in those moments of helpless agony, I had another frustration, and that was that all this pain wasn’t really accomplishing anything. My friend Kelly, mother of five, had asked me if I would compare the level of pain to that of childbirth, and I had said it was worse, because, unlike  labor pains, this pain had no breaks. Another reason it seemed worse was that labor pains usually have a very positive outcome – a brand new little person! I felt that somehow I wouldn’t mind all this quite as much  if I knew that what I was going through had some purpose to it.

During that time, in my delirious ramblings, somewhere in my prayers was Lord, if I’m not getting relief from this, would You at least let this pain be subtracted from somebody else’s suffering? I’d like to think that while I’m going through this, I am sparing someone else from having to endure the same thing. Weird prayer, maybe, but as I said last week, I was being pretty weird.

I had the radio on to try to get my mind on other things besides how awful I felt, and on the local news I heard about a young man in the military from a small town in our area  who had been captured by the enemy. I immediately recognized that I had something new to pray about. I spent some time praying for this young man by name, and contemplating the fact that, unlike me, he may be surrounded by people who not only didn’t care if he was hurting, but may have been devoting their energies to making sure he suffered as much as humanly possible. I tried to ignore my pounding head and sinus pressure so bad it made my teeth hurt, and focus on this young man, who, for all I knew, was going through way worse than I was.

When this whole ordeal was over for me, I marveled at how good “normal” felt after being so miserable for a few days. Some time later, the news came out that the soldier I had been praying for had been released and had come home. Delighted, I sat down to read the full-page article in the local paper. Most of the article was an interview with the young man about his experience, beginning with his capture.

He immediately had my sympathy when I read that his enemies had broken his nose during the capture. What really got my attention, however, was what he had said after he had described the various beatings and other abuses he had received: He had added that, oddly enough, through all the other pain, his broken nose had never really hurt.

I’m not saying that I was feeling his broken nose or had anything to do with this bizarre detail, but it did help to think that maybe – just maybe – God had answered my prayer and subtracted this pain from the man I was praying for.

I’ll add it to my list of things I’m going to ask Him when I see Him.

Prayer: Lord, Jesus, I can’t fathom the pain You went through for us, at the hands of the very people You were dying for. I can’t fathom that kind of love. In view of Your mercy, I offer You my body as a living sacrifice, to use in ways I may not understand now. But I trust You, always. In Your name, Amen.

 

But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.                                                 Philippians 3: 7-8

Our pastor has been preaching a series of sermons on Job, and as the focus was on suffering, I had a flashback of a time of physical pain that was so intense and unrelenting that my mind was consumed with just one thought: What can I do to get out of this pain? My friend with five children asked if it was worse than childbirth. Having had three children myself, I said yes, because with labor pains, at least there are breaks in between, but this pain was nonstop.

I had had sinus surgery, in hopes that it would put an end to my chronic problems, but the ensuing infection – my worst ever – along with a bout of flu that prevented me from keeping down any oral meds, turned this time into the most physically painful  experience of my life. For about 36 straight hours all I could do was sit helplessly in the recliner (Lying down made the pressure even more unbearable.) whimpering, “Ow-ow-ow-ow …” The sum total of my prayers was, Make it stop! Make it stop! PLEEEEESE make it stop!

For a while I passed the time using a little trick a friend had taught me. If your sinuses are so congested that the pressure is intolerable, the thing to do is exhale deeply, and wait as long as possible before inhaling. Blood will rush from your head to your lungs, and the pressure will be relieved … a little … for a few seconds. Of course, in the meantime your lungs erupt in spasms and you’ll feel as if you’re smothering, which isn’t fun either, but at least it’s a switch to a different kind of pain. Going back and forth between suffocating and head-in-a-vice pain, I thought about Jesus on the Cross, having to push up against the nails in His feet in order to be able to breathe, going from one kind of agony to another, hour after hour, and gained a new appreciation for what He had gone through … for me.

As my head throbbed incessantly, I remembered that Jesus had been beaten in the face. He must have had His nose broken, and so He knows what I’m feeling. … But then Scripture says not a bone of His was broken, so maybe not. … but then, nose isn’t bone, is it? It’s cartilage … and such was my delirious train of thought through the minutes and hours of agony.

At other moments, between episodes of vomiting, I contemplated the unfairness of it all. I lived a healthy lifestyle! I didn’t drink, didn’t smoke, didn’t take drugs, didn’t eat junk food. I only drank coffee in the morning. I exercised, I ate lean meats, yogurt, and salads – organic salads! – I took supplements. …

As I rehearsed my list of all the reasons I should not be going through this, I was getting into an unhealthy mindset. If I had tried verbalizing it, I might have heard how ridiculous it was.

In the moments when I was able to think somewhat rationally, I silently recited  passages of Scripture that I had memorized. At one point I tried “reading” Philippians. In chapter 3 Paul was reciting a litany of reasons he could have (but didn’t) “put confidence in the flesh.”

“If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.”  (Philippians 3: 4-6)

Paul then went on to say that all that counted for nothing – it was “rubbish.” What mattered was knowing Jesus Christ. Nothing that Paul had done in the past in the way of “righteous acts” could earn him salvation.

There was something familiar about this passage. Who was it that was just rattling off all their credentials as reasons why God “owed” them something?

Oh yeah, that was me. I had somehow got into my head that all my “healthy living” meant God owed me a healthy body.

It “just happened to be” Good Friday, and as the Christian radio station softly played the local church service, I considered that the sinless Lamb of God was sacrificed for my sins, so that I didn’t have to spend eternity in agony, but could be forgiven and adopted into God’s family.

It hit me like a crumbling mountain:

God. Owes. Me. NOTHING.

If dying on the cross were the only thing Jesus ever did for me, if He never gave me another blessing for the rest of my earthly life, I still had reason to be grateful every day.

I can’t honestly say I enjoyed the “fellowship of sharing in His sufferings,” but I did try to stop complaining.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I don’t like suffering – don’t even like the thought of it. I hate thinking of what You went through, especially that my sin was the reason it was necessary. Thank You for being willing to go through it all to pay the price that I could never pay myself. Amen

 

“And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.”                                                                                                                                                                                    (Romans 8:28)

Maggots are blessings from God.

(When I was a speech teacher, I had a list of nine ways to begin a speech that would grab the audience’s attention. You just read an example of “the startler.”)

Years ago I came across an article in the newspaper that I found so fascinating that I clipped it and stuck it in my Bible, where it stayed for years (along with about 90 other miscellaneous pieces of paper – Does anyone else do that?). I’m not sure what my original purpose was for putting it there, possibly because it made the whole notion of Darwinian evolution look pretty ridiculous. – reason in itself for me to like an article.

This article was about a man whose injured leg became so severely infected that after doctors had unsuccessfully tried the most advanced antibiotics, he was finally scheduled to have the leg amputated. A relative heard about the revival of an ancient treatment involving the use of maggots. As a last-ditch effort the family agreed to give the little critters a try. The man’s leg was cleaned, a layer of hungry maggots applied, and gauze loosely wrapped around the area. Two days later the gauze and the maggots were removed, revealing a pink, healthy leg, and the surgery was canceled.

The amazing thing about maggots is that these little creatures can tell the difference between live tissue and dead tissue, and they only eat the dead stuff.  They also secrete a chemical substance that promotes healing, so in the case of the man with the dying leg, the maggots ate the dead tissue, left the live tissue, and bathed it in medicine. (“Survival of the fittest”? I think not.)

So, why am I telling this story, other than the fact that I now have the attention of every middle school boy? (Yeah, I’ve taught middle school. Gross is cool.) As we go through life, we get wounded – don’t we? Everything seems hideous, horrifying, chaotic, and just plain wrong. Sometimes prayer yields only more appalling circumstances. (Maggots eating my flesh? Hey, I’m not dead yet!) But Scripture teaches us that “God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose,” (Romans 8:28) and there’s a reason it says that. Because, if we truly are trusting God, with the passing of time what seemed so disgusting and appalling actually turns out to be right, until one morning you wake up and realize … you’re healed.

Next week I’ll share with you such a time in my life.

Prayer: Lord, Your ways are so much higher than ours, and our vision is so blurred by our own inadequacies and insecurities. We trust that You are working all things together for our good, even those things that seem appalling to us at the time. Thank You for not quitting on us when we complain about our circumstances, even when we beg You to “make it stop!” You alone know everything it’s going to take for us to be truly healed.  We yield our lives to You, in Jesus’ name.  Amen