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Until the Cloud Moves

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“The flesh can bear only a certain number of wounds and no more, but the soul can bleed in ten thousand ways, and die over and over again each hour.” ~ Charles Spurgeon

 Our power had been out for hours. As my husband walked in the house that night, the silent darkness became a fitting metaphor. I knew weeks before the black cloud of despair and anxiety and depression had descended. My precious husband, former Marine and high school football and wrestling coach, and now successful business owner, the strongest person I know, was broken. He was soul weary and in such deep agony of heart it overwhelmed him, and me.

adult-couple-dating-951290.jpgWe sat at our kitchen table in the dark for a long, long time. I held his hands. He spoke broken sentences about fear and failure and sadness and worry. But much of what he communicated, even in the heavy blackness was too agonizing for words. Psalm 77:4 says “I am so troubled that I cannot speak,” and that is exactly where he was. There was nothing I could do but cry out to God on His behalf. The more he expressed his despair, the more the Spirit of God reminded me of truth—the reality of living on these earthly shores is suffering, but God is not a God who is far away, He is a God who is near.

After we wept together and he surrendered his wounded heart, I asked him quietly, “Can I pray for you?”. He nodded through tears. As I prayed over him and our tears splashed on the tile floor, the weight of the moment and the difficulty of the journey that lie ahead shrouded us, yet there was a certain peace, a knowing that the God who created us and knows us and loves us and calls us by name was there, in our midst, reminding us He would be with us. No matter the darkness of the moments, no matter the heaviness of our souls, He would be there. Every moment, every tear, every prayer, He hears and He will never leave us nor forsake us. Ever.

As I’ve walked through this dark cloud of depression with my husband, I’ve realized many, if not all, the men God used to illustrate His goodness and glory in the Bible walked through depression, as have many more contemporary saints.

David cried out in Psalm 22:1 “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me from my groaning?”

In Psalm 42:11 David says, “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?”

Elijah cried out in despair in 1 Kings 19:4 “I’ve had enough Lord. Take my life, I am not better than my ancestors.”

In Jonah 4:3 the prophet said in anger, “Now O Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.”

Job’s life was a study in suffering. He says in Job 3:26 “I have no peace, no quietness, I have no rest, but only turmoil.”

Moses was overwhelmed with the weight of the sin of Israel, “But now, please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written.” Exodus 32:32

Many, many great men of God also suffered from a melancholy soul. George Mueller, Hudson Taylor, D.L. Moody, and Charles Spurgeon all dealt with the dark cloud of depression. Yet, the Lord used them mightily for His good purposes. These men all carried the weight of souls heavily and felt a supernatural compulsion to care for others, serve others, and share with others the hope of the gospel of Christ.

But perhaps the most beautiful comfort and solace when the black cloud is hovering is found in Hebrews 4:15-16 “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

black-and-white-cemetery-christ-208315.jpgJesus understands our weaknesses because He walked through them. He knows anguish. He knows sadness and heartache. Because He knows, we can come before him knowing He will receive us with mercy and grace and will carry us in the valley and walk with us as we find our way to standing firm in the truth.

If you find yourself under a stormy cloud, or if you know someone who is fighting their way through the darkness, there are a few practical things you can do.

–          Memorize and mediate on the Word. Romans 12:2 says we are transformed by the renewing of our mind. Our mind is renewed only when we paint over the lies with truth. That is done by plastering our mind with the Word of God. The first thing I did after praying over my husband was enlist my kids to help in posting scriptures on my husband’s bathroom mirror. Every morning he is bombarded with truth.

–          Be prayerful. We can go before that throne of grace with confidence knowing God knows and hears and cares. We can go before Him honestly and express our despair and our agony. He is a safe place and He is the One who will reveal truth and show you the way out of the darkness. “Pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.” Psalm 62:8b

–          Be patient. Healing takes time. The darkness can linger for days, weeks, months, sometimes years. Give yourself or your loved one time and space to find their way out of the dark.

–          Seek help. After praying and posting scripture, I encouraged my husband to reach out to some close friends. Friends I knew would exhort him in the truth and keep him accountable. Counseling by a Biblically grounded professional counselor is also a valuable tool. In many cases, there is a physiological component to depression. Don’t be afraid to seek out a medical professional.

–          Serve others. In Philippians 2 Paul says “Let each of you look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” When we look outside ourselves and look for ways we can serve those around us, it helps us put our circumstances in perspective. The day after the darkest night at our kitchen table, God sent a precious family to our tire store. My husband was able to help meet a need for them. The father of this family was an older gentlemen who happened to be a follower of Christ. He took time to encourage my husband in the truth. By helping this family my husband received a needed blessing.

 One of the most beautiful aspects of the Psalms is the way David, in his depression and in his despair, always comes back to the truth, the reality of the God who is.

In Psalm 22 which begins with a passionate cry to the Lord for help out of his groaning and despair David says this, “YET you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.”

It requires a supernatural strength to look up to heaven, to will yourself to speak the truth when your heart isn’t cooperating. But until the cloud moves, keep standing firm on what the Word says is true about who you are and who your God is. He will meet you right where you are and He will carry you– every step of the way.

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Heavenly Prep Class

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I am not a music person. The old expression ‘Can’t carry a tune in a bucket’ is completely bass-guitar-chord-close-up-96380applicable where I am concerned. I’ve come to realize that is only disturbing to those who are. My husband is a music person. He can hear a tune once, maybe twice and can make those same sounds come out of a guitar. The bass kind. There are different kinds of guitars, but music people already know that to be true. It took me years to learn that.

I like music, like to listen but it is not a requirement for me to concentrate. I’ve witnessed my husband work and his productivity is always better with a tune playing in his ear. I do not have now, not have I ever had rhythm. Evidently it is comical to watch me try to clap in time, or so I’ve been told. My husband can pick a rhythmic beat up from nowhere. We can be in a crowded restaurant, barely able to hear ourselves talk when all of a sudden he will begin drumming his fingers on the edge of the table. I do not have that ability, not an iota of it. Sometimes in church when the band gets jazzy the clapping will begin. I’m lost.

A while back one of the band leaders began to clap, to demonstrate over her head for all to see exactly how to clap in rhythm. (My fellow church-goers must share in my rhythm deficit.) I giggled, knowing I was a lost cause, I tapped my foot per my usual and kept my hands busy doing other things.

The music doesn’t speak to me like it does to some, lyrics and notes married together in a sort of poetry. The King will speak to me at times during those times of worship and I’ve been known to jot those words down, often after I’ve written it down I’ll hang on to His Book or my pen, less aware of my inept abilities.

So when the singer lady said

“Y’all we are practicing for Heaven!”

As she clapped and encouraged the others to do so I really giggled knowing full well that I was likely to be in trouble once I got there. I’m fully aware that when I reach my eternal home I will receive a new body, one that makes the current one pale in comparison, but I wonder if I’ll get a new singing voice and the rhythm that should accompany it. I sure hope so, lest I risk having to attend Remedial Praise and Worship Class.

I admire those who are musically gifted, I am thankful for them as they are reminders of how I will spend eternity, worshipping the King in song.

Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth! Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day-to-day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods. Psalm 96 (ESV) 

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Trust

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Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

These verses have taken on a new meaning for me lately. I have developed a cataract in my right eye, this is the eye I use to see distances , my contacts are adjusted for this purpose. Since developing this cataract , I’ve had some difficulties; I see double, and lights at night blind me. When I am driving, a car approaching me from a distance looks like two cars, one in my lane. As it gets closer, I can tell it’s only one, but it can be frightening. My brain has to override what my eye is telling me.

It’s the same way sometimes with trusting God. I have been praying for something very tender to my heart. The more I have prayed, the worse the circumstances seemed. One day God brought this verse and my eye problems together for me. Sometimes what I see with my physical eyes looks so wrong, but My Father is using it all for good. I have to override those things I see in the physical, and trust My Heavenly Father is working on my behalf. I cannot trust what I see, I can only trust Him, He is going to do even more than I can imagine.

I have been memorizing Psalm 84, God always uses what I am memorizing and meditating on, to speak to me.

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord gives grace and glory ; no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, how blessed is the man who trusts in You! Psalm 84:11-12 

He is good, and He can be trusted, no matter what it ” looks like” right now.

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The Journey: Detours

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A persons’ steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand their own way? Proverbs 20:24

auto-automobile-automotive-244822A few years back, when GPS was still in its infancy and definitely before cars had them built-in, we took a long family trip to upstate New York. Quite a ways from dear ole Birmingham, Alabama. Because we’d be traveling so far and through areas unfamiliar to us, we purchased a GPS for our vehicle.

The morning of the trip, we plugged in our destination with great excitement over both  the trip and the new gadget. We settled in for the long drive and enjoyed the novelty of this gadget telling us to take a left or a right on roads here in town that were quite familiar to us. The kids loved the digitalized female voice of this new technology, and they especially enjoyed hearing her peculiar way of pronouncing words familiar to them.  “Field-stone” road instead of Fieldstown. “At-Tall-a” for Attalla, Alabama. We giggled at the “Make a U-turn” and “Recalculating” comments “she” made if we happened to take a familiar road other than the one the program directed us to take. And it was a good diversion seeing our little arrow progressing on the map; it cut out a lot of the “Are we there yet?” questions.

We managed well with our new tour guide through Tennessee and Kentucky, roads with which we were semi-familiar. But somewhere past the state line of Maryland or through Pennsylvania or New York, things got interesting. We were now in totally foreign territory, relying solely on our newly purchased “friend” for directions.

“In one mile take exit #____.”

What? We had believed we would be on Interstate the whole way until within an hour or so of our destination. After a quick, nervous discussion between mom & dad, we road-closed-2698182_1280hesitantly got off the interstate as directed. We immediately encountered traffic, wove our way on a curvy 2-lane road, got delayed by local road repairs, and an hour or so later, found ourselves getting back on the interstate less than 20 miles from where we’d gotten off! We never knew if the path we took had been the best or not, never determined if there had been a wreck or a road closure, or nothing at all that caused our grand detour. We simply trusted the “expert,” the machine, and as my husband likes to say, “It is what it is.”

But now we were back on track! We’d just be an hour or so later than we’d expected. Excitement was mounting, new scenery, new adventures, and we were almost there. Soon we reached our exit and knew we were within an hour of our “home” for the week.

And then… “Recalculating.” What? Again? We had specific directions sent from the place we were staying, but our “expert” was again challenging the path we were taking. This time we decided to go with the printed directions provided by a human rather than trusting the computer voice. This provided a fun ending for the journey as we watched our car icon on the digital map travel through a field and heard the voice continuously telling us to “Return to the road.” We actually were traveling on a real road, it just hadn’t been loaded into the map’s memory. We needed a system update.

We reached our cabin on the Ausable River before dark and had a glorious, restful week of vacation. We’ll never forget the trip. But what does that story have in it for you?

Spiritual Lessons From the Detour:

God has a good plan for our lives. If we trust that He loves us and will see us through, then we don’t have to fear any detour we take. He is on the detour with us. And might I add, He is much more reliable than my electronic tour guide. So relax! Enjoy the journey!

Don’t get caught up in “what ifs” and “if onlys.” Our trip could have been ruined by the seemingly useless, time-wasting detour, but we will never know how much worse it could have been if we had stayed on the interstate. And so it is with life. We must trust that God allows even the tough stuff in our lives for a reason. We tend to react to inconvenience or negative occurrences with a whiny, pessimistic attitude. The thing is we will never know what we were protected from, prepared for, or relieved of by that detour happening at that inconvenient time. So just let it go!

Trust God’s written directions for life – His Word. “Experts” in this world will try to tell us where they think we should be going. Society at large will proclaim “truths” they have determined we all need to accept. Well meaning friends will question our God-given directives because they don’t understand. But as with my GPS friend’s directions, if these words of advice go against the written directions of The One who really knows (The Bible), we need to ignore them and keep following our Heavenly Father on the new road He has made for us, even when non-Christian logic sees us as wandering in a field.

Follow God’s guidance in familiar territory as well as unfamiliar. We followed closely the words of our GPS on those unfamiliar roads, but often ignored it and chose the street we wanted on paths we regularly traveled. The same happens in our Christian walk. We know our desperate need for God in the unfamiliar, scary times, so we follow Him closely. But in the mundane day-to-day life we sometimes cease to walk in faith and obedience. Our attitude is like, “I got this God. Don’t need you right now. I’ll get back to you and your word when the next crisis hits.”

God’s Detours are worthwhile. While they may include hurdles to overcome, pitfalls to avoid, or tension in our chest as we face the unknown, detours are worth it. We meet new people, see new and exciting things, learn to trust our Creator, grow our faith muscle, and come away from the experience with a wealth of new wisdom we wouldn’t have gotten were it not for taking that detour.

Make a U-turn when necessary. Sometimes we need to take a hard look at the direction we’re heading in life, do a little recalculating, and make a U-turn. That’s a spiritual principle. It’s called repentance.

Remember… You are not alone on this journey. Dont worry. Trust His word. Follow Him daily. Embrace the detours. Let’s trust the real GPS – God’s Positioning System – to get us to where He wants us to be, through all the detours of life. Enjoy the journey!

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. Proverbs 16:9

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Least of These

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“There’s another one.” She was sitting by the sandy shores of the Gulf Coast, her reading glasses much too fancy for her modest swimwear. The kind of bathing suit a Me-Maw sports. Her just slightly younger companion sat silently beside her and nodded in the older’s direction.

I surmised they were sisters. Sisters by birth, Sisters in faith. Both had silver-gray hair piled high on their heads, their dark and weathered skin no stranger to the sun. A small cooler sat between them and must have contained ham sandwiches on thick white bread, a sweet red sliced tomato and mayonnaise that wouldn’t dare be a reduced fat. A summer lunch bounty that one longs for in the middle of winter. They had a small portable radio, the kind with an actual dial and antenna that extends and bends for better reception. I just made out the sound of a “singing,” old-time favorites that speak of a Promised Land and Happy Days. I watched as the older concentrated on a mass of tangled netting and seaweed in her hands. I followed her pointer finger and just barely animal-animal-photography-beach-63282.jpgcaught a glimpse of movement. I determined I needed my own readers to clearly see what she was pointing at. A tiny, less than half an inch sand crab. She had liberated it from the washed up tangle and it was scurrying to safety.

I grabbed the attention of my youngest who watched as The Older continued to work diligently, little said in the way of explanation except a word or two. She had in her hands a slew of salvaged sand crabs. I giggled to myself as my youngest was in awe of the “mini crabs” as she aptly named them. One by one The Older painstakingly freed them. Not a word of gratitude from the tiny captives, yet she persisted. We stood for a moment and admired her handy work before we carried on with our own beach combing.

We walked steadily, feet washed by the cool waves, eyes downward looking for a special prize or oddity. As we walked I pondered. I wondered why in the world someone would spend their afternoon freeing tiny sand crabs from a mash of trash trapped in a discarded mesh bag. Then the King, He spoke. He does that from time to time, He’ll speak a word and grab my attention.

“Least of These.”

He let that sink in a moment and then,

“Least of Mine.”

And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ Matthew 25:40  ESV

I thought about those crabs, how they were least, insignificant really in my opinion, and realized to the Beachside Liberator they were important enough. I wondered how many “Least of these” hadn’t been important enough to me.

The Least of These began to run through my mind…
…Quiet times neglected to perceived more important callings.
…Prayers that weren’t pressing enough to pray.
…Conversations that didn’t seem worthy of having.
…Promptings that went ignored because surely it wasn’t for me to do.

As I walked and pondered I apologized for those opportunities the King had given me, the ones in the form of a tangled up tiny sand crab and rather than take the time to help, I simply ignored it and moved on, barely an afterthought in my day.

The Crab Liberator was proving herself trustworthy, she’d been given little and despite how small and seemingly insignificant, she was being faithful with it. I mused that maybe next time she would stumble upon a sea turtle tangled and in need of her services.

I asked the King to make me more aware, to be ready for, and to welcome those Least of These opportunities knowing that when I am faithful with little, I can be one of His trusted with much.

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Choose Joy!

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Choose

I Peter 1:8 “Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.”

Today I’m choosing joy. Again… Because it’s another hard day. Just like he did that day two weeks ago, the Holy Spirit reminded me to choose joy.

Mom was in the hospital and not herself at all. It had been a very long and lonely several days with me as her primary caregiver outside of hospital staff. I was exhausted, concerned, and ready to go home to my bed. Mom looked at me in her semi-aware state and told me I just looked mad. I guess that’s the message my countenance was showing. I wasn’t mad at all and told her I was just really tired. But the fact that she thought she saw that on my face really bothered me and I began to ponder and pray.

The next morning as I was getting ready for the day, the Lord spoke directly to my heart and said, “Choose joy.” Well, that snapped me right out of the stupor I was in! When the Spirit speaks like that, you listen.

cheerful-close-up-coffee-208165He reminded me of the devotional I was reading, “One Thousand Gifts” and of the list of thanksgiving that I had begun to write. Remember the song? “Count your many blessings, name them one by one…”

He reminded me of the prayers of many being lifted for the hard time we were going through. Oh, how they sustained me!

He reminded me that the missing family who were usually there to help were on mission trips in various places around the world serving Him. I was not alone. This didn’t catch him by surprise.

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33          He reminded me that in this world I would have troubles.  Do you know that in John 15:11, just one chapter prior, that the word talks about our joy being full and in John 16:24 it is mentioned again? Full joy in the midst or in spite of tribulation and suffering! In those chapters, we are told to abide in Christ and that the Helper is with us. (John 16:20)

I chose joy that day as I laughed at funny videos and photos of my grandson with Mom. I chose joy as I watched her smile and talk to him on Facetime. At times he was the only one that she recognized and he brought her such happiness in those moments.

I chose joy that day when the Lord reminded me of Revelation 21:5. And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” He also says, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” I do trust Him! My mom’s body that is often full of pain will be made new. And she will rejoice with the one who will make her whole again. The one she calls to over and over to help her. The one she has trusted and believed for so long. The one who sustains her in the darkest moments.

Revelation 21:3 “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Joy…My faith rests in Jesus alone and in the Helper’s abiding presence in my life. I’m clinging to the fact that one day we will finally be in God’s presence and all things will be made new. I’m trusting those trustworthy and true words.

I’ll need to be reminded again, I’m sure. For today I’m good and my joy is full.

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Rest

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Phony Pitcher Plants

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You will know the truth and the truth will set you free! John 8:32

A while back in the middle of the night I found myself watching a documentary on the Pitcher Plant. Perhaps it was my groggy state, or my laziness I watched it in its entirety. I can assure you it was not an overwhelming desire to know more about the carnivorous plant that kept the television channel on the program.

A little while later my husband and I were talking to a friend. He’d asked did we know what a pitcher plant was? My husband and I spoke simultaneously each with a different answer. I was the affirmative, he was the negative. As our friend spoke of a pitcher plant bog in southern Alabama I listened with interest; I did make a note but was not adding it hard and fast to the vacation agenda.

When our vacation arrived we spent one day, as we have done traditionally for many years – Martin Adventuring Day – with no real agenda except to make our way to a favorite small town.

As we traversed Highway 98, the scenic and not-so-scenic we encountered locals and beautiful older than Alabama trees with hanging Spanish moss. We saw old homes that I mused must have been made of good stuff because despite their obvious age and numerous destructive weather phenomena they would have witnessed, those old bungalows were still upright. Just before we crossed some big bridge over a bay we stumbled upon the Pitcher Plant Bog.

I am not sure exactly what type of fanfare I expected for a mass of meat-eating plants. Perhaps I thought we would find a guide or two, dressed like the documentary folks, or that character from low-budget jungle movies that have some long-lost field worker found wearing a hat with mosquito netting, khaki shorts that meet tall brown calf covering socks, a shirt with lots of pockets, and a slightly diminished British accent.

pitcher-plantAs we took the self-guided tour in the blazing heat of the Alabama Sun we spied several of the carnivorous plants. After an hour or more We had taken a few photos, all agreed that – they weren’t nearly as large as we thought they’d be, – there sure could be a lot of snakes hiding out, – we were hungry, – it was “hotter than the Devil’s armpit” out, and – we had seen enough.

As our day moved on and we adventured our way to the various places, I put the Pitcher Plants in the back of my mind.

Several weeks later we were at a clubhouse of sorts. Over the course of time there all of us had gone to the restroom. As I walked in I noticed the imitation flower arrangement sitting on the commode tank, a decorative piece, clearly placed there for its exotic look and appealing colors. I knew immediately what it was – an arrangement of fake Pitcher Plants. As I sat cautiously, I giggled and wondered if anyone else had given much thought to the decor of the bathroom. As the carnivores looked over my shoulder I became a bit uncomfortable and found myself speeding things up a bit.

I didn’t mention the arrangement to anyone, it was out of my mind in no time and I moved on with the tasks I had at hand.

As our time at the clubhouse came to a close I was approached by Shelton, his hair dripping from hours of swimming. He pulled me and insisted I “see something important!”

I gave in to his imploring and followed the point of his finger to the bathroom,

“How do you like that? Do you think anybody knows when they are using it those could eat them if they were real?”

He burst into laughter, I laughed too at his recognition of the those and how a similar thought had crossed my mind.

We parted ways, he to the do his job of outside pickup, and I to the kitchen to put away leftovers.

As I packed away the leftovers My youngest petitioned me loudly from down the hallway.

“Mama! Maaa-ma! Come quick!”

I bolted down the hallway to see my youngest pointing at the commode. A slight panic overtook me. “We’ve ruined the clubhouse toilet- where had I seen that plunger?!”

“Look Mama! It’s the plants!”

She had recognized them too.

Relief washed over me as I praised her for her recognition and excitement. I tucked the experience in my mind and moved on with my clean up duties.

Prior to the Annual Martin Adventure, we had no idea what those weird-looking plastic plants were. There was no recognition of their power or uniqueness. We had no point of reference really. After the hour at the bog, the Martins knew and even found the humor in such an oddly placed plant.

pexels-photo-208278The King’s Word can be like that. When we do not know it, know the Truth it encompasses, understand the solidarity that accompanies it when studied together, and the comfort it freely gives, we are not able to recognize it when we are confronted with a counterfeit. When we are fed a fake we do not know it, we do not fully recognize it, because we have not experienced the genuine.

Shelton and Maggie recognized the likeness of the Pitcher Plant but because they knew the real one. They also recognized there was no threat of the fake ones sitting on the back of the potty.

We must know the Word, must long to explore and understand its Truth so that when we are confronted with a fake we are able to recognize it as such.

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.

2 Timothy 3:16 ESV

 

Choose to Serve the King

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“See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you today, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in His ways, and by keeping His commandments and His statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it . . . I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore, choose life . . .” Deuteronomy 30:15-16,19

When my oldest daughter was knee-deep in her preteen years, my husband and I began praying about instituting a marker of some sort. A type of “welcome to young art-backlit-beach-256807.jpgwomanhood” memorial stone, a keepsake for her future self to hold onto as the winds of life began to blow stronger and more forcefully. We wanted to have some hard conversations with her, speak truth to her, explain God’s standards for young womanhood, and pray over her. We wanted to prepare her heart and mind for the road ahead; to set a strong foundation so when temptations began knocking on her heart’s door she would have already made the decision about how she would respond. And we wanted to let her know, ultimately, whether or not she chose to serve the King with her life, that would have to be her choice. No matter how hard I might try, I can’t force my girl to love her Savior with all her heart, soul, mind, and strength. That would have to be her decision wrapped up in the small decisions she made, and makes, every single day.

images1.jpegAs we were praying and researching I happened upon a “retreat in a box” called “Passport to Purity.” It was perfect. It was created to be a weekend getaway with mother and daughter, or father and son. It opened the door to those conversations about sex, sexuality, dating, and making wise choices. It gave the Biblical standard, God’s best, for keeping your heart, mind, and body pure concerning relationships with the opposite sex. It forced my husband and me to determine how we would help our girl live out God’s standards of purity in her life. It made us clearly define terms and boundaries and expectations. It also gave us opportunity to affirm and encourage the beautiful young woman she was becoming. We asked significant people in her life to write letters to her offering encouragement and exhortation specific to who she was. The retreat even laid out a plan for refreshment, instructing us to plan some fun in the midst of a weighty weekend.

nashville-603780_1280So we planned our trip. My girl was totally on board and excited about the prospect of this memory-making moment. I let her plan the location and the activity (Nashville and facials). I collected letters and prayed and prepared and we set off on our trip. But the Lord had a life altering surprise waiting for us. A spiritual marker that continues to impact my girl and me.

My daughter had been asking for years if she could get her ears pierced. I kept refusing her request. Looking back, I’m not even sure why I kept telling her no, except that the Lord had something beautiful in store. When she asked again on the way to our special trip, the Lord began whispering in my ear. “Make this a memorial stone. Make this a significant, tangible marker for her.” And He took me back to Exodus 21:1-6. In this passage, the law is stated for slaves. According to Hebraic law, slaves should serve for six years and the seventh they are to go free. But “if a slave plainly says, ‘I love my Master .  .  . I will not go out free,’ then his master shall bring him to God, and he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall be his slave forever.” According to this law, a pierced ear was an indication that you CHOSE to serve your master forever, because you loved your master.

As my daughter and I sat down to discuss some serious spiritual truth, I presented this truth to her. I prayed for her heart to be open and ready to hear. I prayed that she wouldn’t simply seek to get her way by telling me what she thought I wanted to hear. I this-way-718660_1280.pngasked for discernment as I listened to her responses to my questions. As we came to the end of our conversation, I asked her, “Will you choose to walk in the way of your Master? Will you choose to love Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength? Will you choose to serve Him with your life? Will you choose to submit to His ways? Will you choose to become a slave to righteousness (Romans 6:18-19)?”

My girl had recognized her sin and her need for a Savior and asked Jesus to rescue her soul when she was six years old. This wasn’t a question of salvation, but of submission to the full Lordship of Jesus Christ. As I listened to her responses, as we cried together, as we prayed together, I believed she was indeed, with all the maturity a preteen can, offering me a sincere answer to my questions. So, after our facials we set off to the mall. Thankfully, boring the ear with an awl has given way to a little piercing gun. It was such a sweet, significant moment in my life, and I prayed it would truly be a memorial stone for her.

Flash forward eight years, my preteen is now about to turn 19. She’s walked through her middle, high school, and now her freshman year of college, in grace and truth. She’s stuck to her convictions in difficult places and spent lonely days as friends have forsaken her. She’s certainly had some obstacles and speed bumps along the way. She’s struggled. She’s longed for what others had. But she’s followed her Master and continues to ear-207405_1280surrender her life to Him. She actually had her ears triple pierced recently. I asked her why, and she took me back to that memorial stone moment. “Mom, it’s just a needed reminder that I belong to my Master. He is mine and I am His.” And I thank God for His gentle whispers and His grace and mercy, His Word, and the choice my girl made to serve her King. It’s not an easy choice, or an easy road, but He alone is worth it. Because there is none like Him.

 

 

Cross the T

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This is a true story about two different children, in two different cities, in two different families, living their two different lives.

Before I tell you about the children, I want to tell you no word, no relationship, no Bible story is ever wasted. God promises us that His Word will never return void. It will always accomplish what He determines it is to accomplish.

Isaiah 55:11 – In the same way, my words leave my mouth, and they don’t come back without results. My words make the things happen that I want to happen. They succeed in doing what I send them to do.

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Here’s what happened with the first child. I was holding my two-year-old granddaughter one day. I was wearing an old Vacation Bible School t-shirt and I really hadn’t given vbs2017much thought about what I was wearing. She looked at it and said, “Grandmama, dat’s church.” On my shirt were words and a T in one of the words had been made to look like a cross. I was so proud of her for making the connection. I agreed with her and said, “Yes, it is church. We love to go to church. We see our friends, and play, and sing songs about Jesus.” This child will never remember a time when she didn’t go to church. I pray she will always desire to go to church. I pray she will come to know Jesus at an early age and will follow Him all of her life.

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Now the second child. A friend told this story to me about a friend, of a friend, of a friend. The family was driving north on I65 one day. They were traveling for a short vacation. Mom, dad and two children, ages eight and six, were passing the time looking church-348806_1280out the windows. As they passed our church, the oldest asked, “Why is there a T in front of that building?” I don’t know the exact conversation that followed, but the parents realized that their child had no idea what a church was and what a cross represents. To rectify this situation, they sent their children to Vacation Bible School that summer. I don’t know if they now attend a church where they live, or if they continue to send them to a VBS.

What I do know is we don’t live in the ‘Bible Belt’ anymore. While there may be a church on every corner, not everyone attends a church. Outside our safe bubble of ‘church friends’ lives a lost world without the first clue that they are lost and they have no idea where to find the answer. We are to share the love of Jesus through our words and actions. We don’t have to go to China or Africa to find the lost. They may live next door. They may work in our office. They may be at the playground with their children. They may scan our groceries. They are all around us.

We have the answer, JESUS! If your neighbor were dying of thirst, you would give them water. If your co-worker were starving, you would give them food. If you saw someone freezing in the snow, you would give them a coat. If someone asked for directions, you would tell them the way. We know the Way, the Truth and the Life and His name is Jesus.

1 Peter 3:15-16a But have reverence for Christ in your hearts, and honor him as Lord. Be ready at all times to answer anyone who asks you to explain the hope you have in you, but do it with gentleness and respect.

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Be Jesus in this world.

Love God.

Love people.

 

 

(Special thanks to guest contributor Kelley Cornelius for this important reminder!)