We all deal with trials of one kind or another. Illness. Job loss. Even outright attacks. Whatever it is, it’s hard. And, if it goes on for a long time, you can get tired. You can get discouraged. You can wonder if God will help.

I’d like to share a story with you:

In 1895 Andrew Murray was in England suffering from a terribly painful back, the result of an injury incurred years before. One morning while eating breakfast in his room, his hostess told him of a woman downstairs who was in great trouble and wanted to know if he had any advice for her. He handed her a paper he had been writing on and said, “Give her this advice I am writing down for myself. It may be that she’ll find it helpful.”??This is what he wrote:

“In time of trouble, say,
‘First he brought me here. If it is by his will I am in this strait place, in that place I will rest.”
Next, say, “He will keep me here in his love, and give me grace in this trial to behave as his child.’
Then, say, ‘He will make the trial a blessing, teaching me lessons he intends me to learn, and working in me the grace he means to bestow.’
And last, say, ‘I am here by God’s appointment, in his keeping, under his training, for his time.’”

(Quoted in Calm My Anxious Heart, by Linda Dillow, p. 171)

Lord bless you and keep you!

Twilight Zone turned 50 years old last week. I happened to see an episode they had on to celebrate. It was one I had never seen in all the reruns and marathons.

Changing of the Guard is about a teacher at a boys’ school. He’d been there forever (now teaching the grandson of one of his students). He received a letter that he thought was a contract for the next year. It was a letter retiring him.

He spent hours looking through old year books – at the boys that had so much promise but died in wars. Had all his years of teaching done any good? Why had he spent his life that way? He was about to commit suicide, but a class bell rang.

Habit being what it is, he went to his classroom. It was full of boys.

They were the the ghosts of students who died in the various wars (it was Twilight Zone after all). Each one, in turn, recited something that he had learned in class. Something that gave him the courage to do the acts of heroism he died for. Teaching is not wasted.

We may not all be teachers in the classroom sense. But most of us have a teaching role with someone we know. Moms teach. Dads teach. Even friends teach sometimes.

We may hear thank yous as we go along. Or it may be a long time – maybe not ’til heaven. But never doubt that your teaching matters. The smallest thing may turn out to have the greatest impact on another’s life. It may not even be words, but actions.

Just continue. Continue to be faithful. To be loving. To be kind. Who knows what might stick!

I’ve watched and read a lot of the coverage of Jaycee Dugard’s release from that backyard prison. Such an unimaginable horror. So much of it sounds like some awful movie script – you wouldn’t think it could be real.

One of the things that bothers me most (besides the fact that that creep was let out of jail at all) is the weird “Christian” statements he’s made. He says he wants everyone to know the beautiful story!

Jaycee’s picture of Jesus and Christianity must be so dark and twisted. I can’t imagine that she would want to go anywhere near it again. So, I’m praying for a miracle.

I’m praying that Christians can be drawn to her. To love her. To encourage her. To help her. Help her build a beautiful picture of Christ and his followers – to even want to be one herself.

God can bring good out of the darkest place. I know this is not too big for Him!

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.  (Rom. 8:28)

You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you odd.
Flannery O’Connor

Ever thought about oddness as a witnessing technique?

There are times when we succeed at living our faith and we do seem odd to others. We don’t react the way they expect. We don’t make the choices they expect. We don’t even say words they expect to hear.

I don’t think about it a lot, but people are watching. What I do. What I say. How I react. And sometimes it make them stop for a second and wonder.

They might think about what I’ve said or done. They might think about what they expected. They might even think about what could cause the difference.

And sometimes they ask.

Through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master. Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you’re living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy.  (1Pet. 3:15 MSG)

Sometimes we must speak the truth even if we aren’t sure we believe it and aren’t at all sure we can live it. Sometimes we embrace what we know without feeling it in our hearts because we know the One who said it in the first place.
(Come Closer, Jane Rubietta, p 26)

It feels like hypocrisy – saying what we’re not sure we believe or can live. But maybe not.

Maybe it has nothing to do with me. Maybe the key is “we know the One who said it in the first place.” If the truth I’m telling is God’s truth then it has everything to do with Him.

He is unchanging. He is faithful. He has a plan. And His truth is true. Always. Even when I’m weak. Even when I don’t feel it. I can still count on it. And sometimes saying it out loud actually helps me believe it.

The picture that comes to mind is someone standing in a boat in choppy seas (not a wise thing to do – but we’ll leave that for another time). Know who God is. Know what He’s said. Then plant your feet firmly on Him and ride the waves that come.

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.  (Heb. 10:23)

The other day I was working away on my laptop when Lilly decided it was time for some attention. That, of course, means walking across the keyboard.

Music started playing. I jumped. She jumped. Even Glenn jumped.

It took me a minute to realize that it was those first eerie sounds from Cats – of all things!

I have no idea how she did it. Or what keystrokes I’d need to do it again.

There are a lot of things like that. Things that make me wonder. Or things that make me think “I’ll ask Jesus.”

There are things we will never understand in this world. That’s just the way it is. I can go on the internet and find answers to a lot of things, but then there are things that just don’t have answers.

That’s where trust comes in. Trust in God. That there is an organized mind behind it all and I don’t need to know all the workings of it.

I don’t need to know. I say it to myself every once in awhile. It leaves a kind of calm.

There are things I can leave in His hands – and that’s good.

Jesus invites us to live weightlessly—to walk on water!—by holding his hand.
(Jane Rubietta)

This was the third Sunday I have gone to church and had to leave because of fumes. Carpet cleaning fumes – floor stripping fumes – I don’t know which. But they certainly have been fuming!

Anyway, my Sunday message was from a book, Come Closer by Jane Rubietta. The quote is from the first chapter, Come to Abundance.

I’ve been thinking about it for days. What would it mean to live weightlessly?

If I’m holding his hand then my stuff isn’t weighing me down. You need both hands to grab your stuff and hold on tight—or grab more. So it must mean that my stuff doesn’t control me—that I hold it lightly.

If I’m holding his hand then my fears aren’t weighing me down either. In this age of shootings, planes flying into buildings and all the rest. there are lots of fears to add to the ones that come naturally to me.  But holding his hand means that I am not alone. It means that nothing will touch me unless he wants it to. And then we face it together—holding hands.

Imagine being able to walk on water! Peter did it—until he took his eyes of Jesus. But he was saved by taking his hand. We can be saved from drowning, too.

Take his hand and don’t let go. Look in his eyes. See his love, his confidence. And we’ll live weightlessly!

It happens almost every day. People compromise their integrity and make life-ruining decisions. They may be people we don’t know. They may be people we love or looked up to.  Michael Vick abusing dogs. A governor deserting his post and disappearing for days – to see his mistress. There are so many examples.

I got a list of questions for personal accountability and I thought I’d share it. They’re questions to ask yourself to see if you’re living up to what you believe. These 15 came from a list of 48 originally.

1. Have I spent adequate time in Bible study and prayer?
2. Did the Bible live in me today?
3. Am I enjoying prayer?
4. Have I given priority time to my family?
5. How do I spend my spare time?
6. Am I a slave to dress, friends, work, or habits?
7. Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?
8. Have I been with a woman/man anywhere this past week that might be seen as compromising?
9. Have I been exposed to sexually alluring material or allowed my mind to entertain inappropriate thoughts about someone who is not my spouse this week?
10. Have any of my financial dealings lacked integrity?
11. Have I secretly wished for another’s misfortune so that I might excel?
12. Have I damaged another person by my words, either behind their back or face-to-face?
13. Is there anything that has dampened my zeal for Christ?
14. Is Christ real to me?
15. Have I been completely honest with myself?

From Church Relevance, July 20, 2009

I watched a lot of the coverage since he died. It’s all so sad.

An abused child became an abused adult. In trying to lose himself, he destroyed a handsome face and changed his skin color. Even his “child-likeness” seemed like a symptom of his brokenness—as if his growth was stunted.

He had a gift for music and the love of fans. But he was so alone. And like the other “king”—he was surrounded by people who wanted to help themselves more than him. He even had enough money to make doctors forget their oath to do no harm.

All week I kept thinking—if only he knew Jesus.

So many times the gospel is presented as the way to heaven—which it is. But that’s only a piece of it. The good news of Jesus isn’t just future, but now. Jesus can heal all the hurts—past and present.

Faith is supposed to be used. It heals us. It strengthens us. It grows us.

How do we use it?

By operating as though it’s real. Counting on it. Stepping out on it and walking.

Believe that God really does love me. That his word tells me the best way to live.
Believe that the Holy Spirit really lives in me. That I have all the resources I need to live.
Believe that Jesus really intercedes for me. That I am not meant to live this alone.

So, let’s live like we’re not alone. Come to him in confidence.

He knows the hurts we hold and he wants to work with us to heal them. Trust him. And hold on tight. He’ll do wonderful things.

Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. (Gal. 5:25 MSG)

For God …  made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.  (2Cor. 4:6-7)

Paul says we have a treasure – the knowledge of God. Not everyone can say that. God made his light shine in his children’s hearts. That’s the only source  – only God.

And it’s in “jars of clay.” That word in Greek is used for an every day utensil. Not the kind of decorated ones that archeologists find. More like paper cups today. They don’t last long, but when they break you aren’t out much.

And then Paul goes on to say:

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. (8-9)

He knows us. He knows our weaknesses. He knows his treasure is in very fragile cups. If you think about, it doesn’t make much sense. Why put a treasure in something so flimsy?

To show his all-surpassing power. How else would we continue? If he were not all powerful? If he were not with us? If he were not faithful? The power is not from us – we could never do it on our own.

We have this treasure in paper cups to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are may be crushed – we are not destroyed!