Month: September 2018

I say to you, love your enemies, bless those that curse you, do good to them that hate you and pray for them that spitefully use and persecute you.  Matthew 5:44 

History records an incident when General Robert E. Lee was asked by Confederate President Jefferson Davis to give his opinion about an officer in his command.  He gave a glowing report.  One of the officers in attendance was amazed and said to Lee, “General do you know that the man of whom you speak so highly to the president is one of your bitterest enemies and never misses an opportunity to criticize you?”  “Yes,” said Lee, “but the president asked for my opinion of him, not his opinion of me.”

In this age of social media, instant news, and critical reporting of those in public offices, entertainment, sports, and local politics, it would be refreshing to hear someone speak of the positive characteristics each  of these people possess.

It takes someone of character, compassion, and courage to take the high road in the character bashing that we are witnessing and speak words of praise instead of condemnation.  It takes very little effort to respond in kind to a critic, but it takes a Christlike character to turn the other cheek and respond with kindness.

When we respond in kindness, it defuses the enemy’s criticism, it increases our value as a person, and it shows a fair minded and generous nature which exemplifies Christ.

Although this sounds like a high standard in this time of “jumping on the band wagon” to point out all the character flaws in others, it is the standard that Jesus set and practiced throughout His life.  He is calling us as Christians to see others through His eyes and point out the positive in our fellow men instead of dwelling on the negative.

As I pray for our country and world today, my prayer is that we can begin to speak well of our fellow man.

Be not afraid – I will rescue you.  I have called you by name – you are mine.             Isaiah 43:1

I followed the story of the youth soccer team trapped in the cave in Malaysia with great interest and many prayers.  It was an incredible rescue, and an amazing feat that no lives were lost.  I know that one of the boys was a Christian, and that he was the one who spoke English as well.  The community that awaited him prayed religiously for his rescue and return.  These boys relied on skilled professionals and on God.  They couldn’t take control of the situation – only trust others for their rescue.

Contrast this serious situation with my grandson, Reese.  During a recent vacation with his family, he was in the resort pool with a lifeguard present who was trained to rush to the rescue of swimmers in need.  Reese is an excellent swimmer, on the swim team, and pretty much a fish in the water.  On this day, however, he thought it would be fun to fake a drowning to see what it felt like to be rescued.

He began to thrash about and go under in the water only to emerge and thrash some more.  The lifeguard did indeed rescue him, and as he was preparing to pull him to safety, Reese looked up and confidently said, “Thanks, but I’ve got this”, and swam away.  Needless to say, there were consequences for this trick – I heard that security was involved.

Our most desperate moments can lead us to complete faith in and reliance on God.  We pray to Him, call on Him, and ask Him to rescue us.  When He answers our prayers and begins the rescue process, we can respond with complete trust and faith, or we can be decide not to accept the rescue and answer, “Thanks, but I’ve got this.”

Jesus rescued us all by dying on the cross.  We’d do well to accept the life preserver He offers.

Lord, make me an instrument of they peace; where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy.  Grant that I may not so much seek to understand as to be understood; not seek to be consoled, as to console; not so much seek to be understood as to understand; not so much to be loved as to love; for it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.                                 St. Francis of Assissi

We lost our last remaining aunt this week, my aunt Joanne.  Joanne’s father was a Methodist minister, she played the piano and the organ, sang beautifully, was the choir director of our church for 55 years, and the choral director at my high school for 30 years.  She touched so many lives in so many different ways, and she was an inspiration to many, including me.

She, my uncle, and three cousins grew up next door to my family in my hometown, and there are so many memories associated with those years.  On any given night, you could find the four adults sitting around the piano while Joanne played in our living room singing, laughing, and enjoying the fellowship.  You pick the song and Joanne could play it!

From the day Randy and I told her we were getting married, she was a constant cheerleader for the minister and his wife.   I’ve never forgotten her encouragement, support and love.  I will miss her greatly.

She and my mama did a beautiful musical arrangement of the quote above, and I think the words fit her perfectly.  She lived a life of giving, not only, to her husband, her sons, their wives, her grands, her great grands, her church, her community, but also to her God.  Her faith, beauty and love, are unequaled.

The heavenly host gathered with her now are having a great time making music.  The choir is growing and making incredible praises in song because the “coach” is there!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.  Psalm 147:3

Recently, I’ve become aware of how many times I hear others (and myself) use the expression, That just breaks my heart.  The conversation can include poverty, disasters, hunger, illness, addiction, divorce, but the words come out in the same tone and with the same feeling of emotion as if we know how those people actually involved might feel.

The truth is, we don’t know how others feel until we’ve actually lived what they have lived.  It costs us nothing to say the words, That just breaks my heart, and continue living our unaffected lives.

The heart is a vital thing as it is the muscular organ that pumps blood throughout the rest of the body.  It is at the center of the entire vascular system.  The main purpose of the heart is to keep blood that’s full of oxygen flowing through the body.  It is crucial to your survival.

I thought I knew what things break my heart, but I didn’t. Last week a beautiful baby girl was born into our family.  She was perfect in every way except that her heart was broken.  It wasn’t able to pump life giving oxygen to the rest of her body.   Most of us got to see her for a moment, touch her sweet body, and offer a prayer for her.

God blessed this family by sending Charleston to us.  He gave her the best parents, grandparents, great grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.  He knew that these people would fill her short time here with so much love and caring that she would feel it.

God’s grace allowed her Mama and Daddy to hold her, hear her sweet cry, to see her eyes open long enough to say “hi”, and to fight the good fight.  She was a warrior, courageous and beautiful.  In a week’s time, she has made us all stronger, bonded us, made our faith stronger, and shown us the true meaning of love.

Our hearts are breaking, but we known she is with her loving God, and those who have gone before.  We are so thankful for strength God sends to help us through challenging times when we are broken.

The doctors and nurses who supported, encouraged, and cried with us are special people who God sends like angels.  We are so thankful for  them.

 

 

 

 

Behold, a woman of the city who was a sinner, upon learning that Jesus was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment and standing behind him at his feet, she began to wet his feet with her tears, wipe them with the hairs of her head, and anointed them with ointment.  Luke 7:36

There are times in life when sprinkling, measuring, or calculating emotions or sins just doesn’t work – we need to pour it out and seek God’s grace. There comes a time when we need to forget all the inhibitions that bottle us up, and just be real with ourselves and God.  Like this woman, we need to be willing to pour it out.

We first need to pour out gratitude to Jesus for all the ways He finds us when we have strayed, the way He loves us in the midst of our faults and failures, and the way He accepts us back into the fold each and every time.  Gratitude is the language of our faith in Christ, and it changes things.

We need to pour out guilt.  I find that it is so easy to carry around guilt for things I did, things I didn’t do, things I should have done, things I said that hurt others, and the list goes on.  Guilt is that awful feeling of remorse for breaking a moral code, and one will do anything to get rid of that feeling. Pour it out, there is “no condemnation” for those in Jesus Christ.

We need to pour out regret.  Everyone has regrets, but when our regrets are not dealt with directly and receptively, it just leads to more regret.  This load of regret just begins to hold a power over us, and we can’t break the cycle.

Finally, we need to pour out good deeds.  Good deeds are something that comes naturally if your heart is right.  You just want to pass on the love you have for your God.  Good deeds don’t make everything right with God, but the Grace He offers does.

When we take that alabaster jar and pour out gratitude, guilt, regret, and good deeds, we find that we receive a whole lot more than we give.