Diane Mickler's Blog

The Lord God called to man and said, “where are you?”  Genesis 3:9

Most of my mornings are spent in a water aerobics class, but I especially like the class on Saturday because of the teacher.  She works everybody pretty hard, and because she keeps us moving back and forth a lot, her favorite line is “Stop, wherever you are and breathe.”  At that point, you catch your breath, and she changes the exercise.

Wherever you are is a phrase I like to ponder.  On a daily basis, each of us is dealing with something no matter how large or small.  I try to pray for everyone that I know is struggling, but a lot of times I don’t know where a lot of people are in their life.

In the last few weeks, there were three examples of this. The first was a call  I received from an old friend in my hometown who recently lost her husband.  She called me by mistake, but when I returned her call, it was a chance to find out where she is in dealing with her grief.  I asked how she was doing, and she said, “You know, I normally say I’m fine, but the truth is I’m sad.”

The second happened as I passed a neighbor walking, and when I asked her how she was doing, she said, “OK”.  That’s not like her, so I asked her what was going on?  She replied that she is dealing with lung cancer, and it has been going on all summer.  She didn’t want to burden anyone, so she was valiantly charging ahead.  Her life right now is anxious and uncertain.

Later that day, a young couple who were high school friends of my children had a beautiful baby girl.  As they opened the door to me, their faces radiated where they are.  Their lives are full of joy and hope.

Each of us is in a different place, but the good news is that God can reach us wherever we are.  When I think of things I think we should remember in these different times, I come up with three things.

We should remember that people are praying for us wherever we are.  Just the knowledge that there are others lifting us up is so comforting.

We should remember that God through the Holy Spirit is working in and through us.  He has the power to reach us wherever we are.

We should remember to have faith that God will work all this out for good wherever we are.

No one is in the same place.  Our situations range from sadness to joy, fear to faith, but we all have the power to stop wherever we are, take a breath, and hand things over to God.  Let Him help us through our sadness, help us through our anxious times, and celebrate with us in joy.

Whatever road this life takes you down;  Jesus will meet you there.                        Jennifer Murray

 

 

 

 

For the word of God is living and active – sharper than a two edged sword piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joint and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.  Hebrews 4:12

Randy and I recently took a fabulous cruise to the Baltic Sea countries.  One of our stops was St. Petersburg, Russia.  We took a tour of the churches, palaces, and museums, and I was awed by the opulence and beauty.  Every structure we entered was huge, trimmed in golf leaf, and dripping in wealth and affluence.

One of the buildings that had been a church in years past was now a museum.  The guide said that in these countries, you don’t ask people if they are religious, it is not discussed.  It appears churches and religion have become irrelevant to many people in this country and in many other places.  Irrelevant is defined as not important or not connected.  It’s hard to believe that those beautiful places no longer connect to people or are important to them.

On our return, I was thinking how fortunate we are in this country that churches are still relevant.  However,the next day as I was talking to a neighbor of mine, I discovered that he is in the art production business.  He was telling me how his million dollar job at this moment is in a church where  they are replacing all the beautiful windows with new lighting and sound equipment, remodeling the altar, and making the church more relevant for the times.  He went on to say that it has to be done because the old way of doing things is irrelevant and that churches can’t make any money unless they keep up with the times.

I’ve got a couple of problems with this so called irrelevance.  First, when did churches exist to make money?  Secondly, who decides what is irrelevant or relevant?  Is it society, media, culture, or maybe the churches themselves?

It is disturbing to me that church attendance has become optional in this day of electronic access.  We are made to feel that it’s okay if we stay home and stream the service, but we are missing the point that the church itself is God’s place of encouragement and strength.  If we only attend fifty per cent of the time, we are missing the bond that binds us as Christians.

I actually can’t think of a time in our society when the need for churches and religion has been more relevant.  People are hungry for truths that are the same yesterday, today and forever.  Before we brand churches and religion as irrelevant, we need to remember that it’s the job of Christians to spread the good news to everyone who has eyes to see and ears to hear.  It’s up to us to help insure that churches and other places of worship are never branded irrelevant.

God’s grace is sufficient for us anywhere His providence places us.  Unknown

The words mercy and grace seem very similar, but if you look carefully, their meanings are different.  Mercy is God’s compassion when we deserve punishment thus delivering us from judgment.  Grace, on the other hand, is God’s blessing us even when we don’t deserve it.  Last week, I received both.

A traffic ticket has been haunting me for months now.  The citation was for a “move over law” violation.  I felt that I was wrongly charged, but after my court day, the possibility of this dragging on endlessly, and points on my license to consider, I ended up giving in.  I admit to feeling frustrated with the whole thing.

I grudgingly wrote a check for $500 (which is so outrageous, but it’s standard for that offense), and taking a defensive driving course to remove points from my license.  The lesson learned, I moved on, but the whole thing was never far from my mind.

Arriving home, a couple of weeks later, I got the mail.  Included in the mail was a note to me, so I opened it expecting a thank you for a wedding or baby gift.  Imagine my surprise when five crisp one hundred dollar bills fell out along with an unsigned note.  The note was so heartfelt, kind, generous, amazing, lovely, merciful, and so many other adjectives that I felt myself crying in spite of myself.  It ended by saying, “You don’t need to know who this is.  Just know it’s somebody who loves you and thinks you were treated unfairly.”  Who would do that for me?

I immediately began to list folks who might do this, so I could return the money or at least thank them.  It is so much harder for me and most of us to accept gifts rather than give them.

God talks about every good and perfect gift being from above in  James. During our years in ministry, there have been countless gifts which have come our way in many different forms, but this time the gift had a sense of mercy and grace.  Mercy because it wasn’t their punishment but mine, and Grace because the gift certainly wasn’t deserved.

In the course of trying to understand the two words and the power behind them, it seems the only true course is to accept the mercy and grace God offers through the actions of others.  It also seems to be the recipient’s duty to pass that love, mercy and grace on to others.  My prayer is that I can show the same mercy and grace to someone along the way.

Just when you think nothing good can come from a bad situation, God steps in and turns it around!  I’m so grateful for His angels that do His work.

 

 

 

 

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus.  Phil.  3:14

In the last few weeks, we have loved watching the hummingbirds from our porch.  There are three feeders, and they hungrily go from one to the other filling up for their long migration flight.  The males are gone I hear, but the females and babies are still here for a couple more weeks.

The other day, I opened the garage door after returning home to find a baby hummer who was trapped inside frantically trying to get out.  No matter how I encouraged him to fly low enough to be successful, he kept flying higher and higher.  These birds are supposed to have the largest brains and be among the smartest of the birds.  They can remember their routes of migration, and every flower they have visited.  It is said that they even recognize humans, yet he couldn’t find his way out.

Exhausted, he finally lit on the top of the garage door.  Randy climbed the ladder, and the hummer let him pick him up in his cupped hands.  I stroked his head, we took him outside, let him go, and watched him soar higher and higher and away.

It seems that the instinct to raise ourselves higher and higher is instilled in all of us.  In our everyday world, we strive to attain higher goals for ourselves and our family, attain higher status in our respective careers, attain a higher salary, and the list goes on.  We all seem to seek something more beyond our daily life.

In 1898 Johnson Oatman, Jr. felt the same way about the need to reach higher and higher in his spiritual life.  He wrote many hymns, but one of the favorites is Higher Ground.  I believe the lyrics tell the story of our need to achieve something higher than what this earthly life can offer.

I’m pressing on the upward way;  New heights I’m gaining everyday.                         Still praying as I’m onward bound; Lord plant my feet on higher ground.                 Refrain:                                                                                                                                               Lord life my up, and let me stand; By faith on heaven’s table land.                               A higher plane than I have found; Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.

As we seek to rise above all the distractions of life, I pray that like our hummingbird, we will just keep rising higher and higher.

Photo by Donna LaChance

The three most important things to have are faith, hope and love.  But the greatest of these is love.  1 Cor. 13:13

The long awaited football season is back and in full swing.  College teams already know their preseason ranking, have played at least one game, and are busy evaluating the most important changes, improvements, or goals for the new season.  The baseball season is providing some excitement, and all in all it’s all good.

I began to think about different sport teams and the different positions that are most important on each one.  Everyone on the team plays a different place, but which one is really the most important to the team?

It all depends on the player upon whom you focus.  If you are talking football at our house, the center is the most important person to us.  Not because Randy played center, but because Coop, our grandson is playing center now.  We watch every snap he makes, every tackle he makes, and every huddle he calls.  Our focus is on him.

If you are talking basketball here, then the guard is the most important person to us.  Drew, our oldest grandson, plays this position, and we watch every shot he takes, every rebound he gets, and every time he takes the ball down the court.  We are focused on him.

If it is lacrosse, then the middie and the goalie are the most important. (He plays both). Mason is all into this sport, and we watch the energy and skill he uses as he runs up and down the field and blocks those shots.  We focus on him like a ball in a tennis match.

Now,  in soccer, the newest player is the most important person on the team. Our youngest grandson, Reese, plays this sport. He’s new to soccer and he hasn’t decided where he needs to play, but he’s serious about wherever he plays.  We all focus on wherever he is.

The interesting thing is that every other parent, grandparent, or friend in the stands is focused on their most important person.  It’s not so much about the game as it is about the person upon whom we focus.

So it is in life, families, churches, and the world.  It all depends on your values, traditions, and your focus.  In our fast paced society, it’s easy to all focus on different most important things like work, finances, errands, social gatherings, and so many more.  We tend to forget that all of us should have one main focus – the most important things as God sees them.

I think He would have us start our day with morning devotionals and prayer.  I think He would have us limit distractions which take away from life as He would have it be for us.  I think He would want us to serve others and make them the most important .

In the aftermath of Dorian where so many have lost family members, homes, and their way of life, the most important things become obvious.  The anniversary of 911 is also upon us, and it would do us all good to stop and remember the losses suffered during that time.  At that time, our country, patriotism and unity were America’s most important things.

There is no one most important person on a team.  Everyone on a team needs to have one goal and work together to achieve it. Christians are a big team, and as such, it is important not to focus on so many different most importants, but rather to listen to God’s voice and work together to make His will the most important thing.

Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.  Isaiah 40:31

When I was growing up in Donalsonville, our home was full of things which we considered important.  There were family pictures on the wall, china in the hutch, silver flatware in the drawers, special trinkets, etc.  These things were each special to us in their own way.  My Mama treasured most of these things and treated them with much care.  We were encouraged to do the same.

There was an occasion where a neighbor of ours had a small fire in their home, and I remember asking our Mama, “What would you save if there was a fire?  What is the most important thing to you?’  I was making a mental list of material items, but she answered as a mother should, “I would save the three of you.”  I was thinking material things, but she had an understanding of what was truly important.

Recently, my cousin and his family had a house fire.  It was classified by the insurance company as a total loss.  They did lose the structure, the pictures, the dishes, the clothes, and many more material items, but it was not a total loss.  They were able to get everyone out safely, and so they are most fortunate.

The words total loss are used for many things such as cars, investments, businesses, careers, lives,etc., but nothing is a total loss if you can come out of it with your life and your dreams.

There are so many times when we consider everything we have done in this life, and we begin to brand it as a total loss.  At that point, we will feel as if nothing we can do or say will ever pull us out of this despair.  The truth is that nothing is a total loss and no life is over until God says it’s over.  At our lowest point, there is always hope, mercy, and grace from God.

In my cousins’s case, they never considered their life a total loss, just the opposite.  This tragedy has ended in triumph.  They have experienced generosity of friends, help from people everywhere, a new appreciation of family and friends, a sense of God’s hand from their church, and even a new found appreciation for relatives!!  The most important parts of their life are still there,  and they are rebuilding slowly but surely.

My lesson from this is to hold on, God is coming to your aid.  He’s coming to bail you out and set you free.  Never settle for a total loss.

 

 

 

Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance.  Proverbs 1:5

The first act of love is to listen.  Paul Phillips

There is a well known game that we used to play in our youth fellowship circle in Snellville years ago.  It was called the “whisper game”.  The youth would make a circle, someone would start and whisper in the next person’s ear.  They in turn would whisper in the next person’s ear and so forth.  At the end, the last person would tell what he heard.  It was always entirely different from the way it started.  For example, “I gave my brother a ride to work became my mother can ride a stork.”

It always proved to me that listening and hearing are two different things entirely.  Sometimes people totally miss what others are trying to communicate because although they think they are listening, they aren’t hearing the message as it is often misconstrued.

It made me think of things that I don’t want to miss or misconstrue in this life because I don’t open my ears.

I don’t want to miss the power and presence of the people around me especially children and older adults.  These two groups can teach us all so much if we take the time to open our ears to their message.  How many of us get down to the child’s level, make eye contact, and truly listen to them without just pretending .  Their outlook on life is amazing if we only take the time to hear.  It’s the same with the older adults in our midst.  How many of us are willing to take time to sit with them and listen to their stories with our ears and our hearts?  Their words are full of history as well as life truths.  How I wish I had listened more intently to family members as they told  stories of their past.

I don’t want to miss hearing what my heart is saying to me because I don’t open my ears  Many times my heart is nagging me to visit someone I love or I know is lonely, make that cake for a family with illness, write that note to lift someone’s spirits, and on and on.  Sometimes I dismiss it with, “I’ll do that later”, but later never comes.  I don’t want to miss it.

I don’t want to miss the times when God speaks to me.  I know many days when I don’t take the time to open my ears to listen, and I miss so many lessons, advice, and wisdom that comes from Him.  I know He loves me just as I am, but I am thankful that He loves me too much to leave me where I am.  He waits patiently until  I am ready to listen.

There is an old hymn which sums it all up:   Open my eyes that I may see; Glimpses of truth thou hast for me; Place in my hand, the wonderful key;  that shall unclasp and set me free. Chorus: Silently now, I wait for Thee, ready my Lord thy will to see; Open my eyes, illumine me;  Spirit Divine.    Open my ears that I may hear ; voices of truth thou sendest clear,  And while the wave notes fall on my ear;  Everything false will disappear.    Open My Eyes by  Clara H. Scott

I don’t miss to miss it because I’m not seeing and listening!

For we all must appear before the judgment seat of Christ so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body whether good or bad.  2 Corinthians 5:10

I’ve never been to court except to serve on jury duty, but recently, I had the experience.  If you don’t know about it (as I didn’t), there is a law called The Move Over Law which requires that you move over when an emergency vehicle is on the side of the road.  In my defense, there were many more cars which didn’t move over, but I won the prize of a citation.  The fine was so huge, that I decided I needed to at least try to win some kind of reduction, so I went to court.

I had no idea what to expect, but luckily, I met a guy outside the court room who had obviously done this many times, and he was able to clue me in as to what I should expect.  He ended by saying, “It all depends on the judge.”

The judge entered the courtroom, we all rose, and he began to give us the rules.  First, no leaning on his bench, stand up straight.  Second, if you don’t have a driver’s license, please don’t attempt to drive away from court.  Lastly, please read the paper given you and sign it!!  Then, he said something which shocked and frightened me; “Folks, this is your arraignment.”

Arraignment is defined as a court hearing in a criminal case in which the charges are read out to the accused, and he or she must plead guilty or not guilty.

When my name was called, I sat with the prosecuting attorney and she asked, “How do you plead?  Guilty or Not Guilty?”  The question was  sobering, and I wasn’t prepared to answer it, so I told her my story and she gave me my options.

As I waited to come before the judge, I watched person after person walk forward and make their pleas.  One young man was a repeat offender, and the judge’s sentence was harsh for him.  “Son, he said, you cannot drink and drive.  I’ve warned you and now I am going to have to send you to jail.  Don’t pass go – just go straight from here to jail.”  Just as I was thinking that I didn’t luck out on the judge, my name was called.  I stood very straight before the bench.  The judge read my report, looked at me and said, “Mrs. Mikler, you have a perfect driving record, and I’m removing this citation from your record for you.  Pay the fine and you are free to go.  Then he added, “Sorry, I wish I could reduce the fine.”  Did that mean I was not guilty?  I think the judge was just merciful.

I began to wonder if this will be the scenario when I stand before the ultimate judge at the end of my life.  Will He ask if I’m “guilty” or “not guilty” of sin, judgment, neglect, selfishness, and so many others?  Will I be able to defend my actions and decisions, or will I have to plead guilty.?  Will my ruling be harsh or will it be merciful?  Will I be able to give a good account of my life or will I be sorely lacking?

In retrospect, I’m thankful that I had a good judge, and I know I’ll have a fair and merciful one at the end of life.  In the meantime, I don’t want to be a  “repeat offender”, and I really want to strive to be able to  plead “Not Guilty”.  I also pray that I never have the occasion to be in court again!  I am; however, thankful for merciful judges.

 

 

Bur he did not know that the Lord had departed from him.  Judges 16:20

Recently, I heard a Fourth of July sermon on America and the privileges we have in this country.  I was able to apply this lesson while we were on a trip to the Baltic Sea a few weeks ago.  We can’t imagine the privileges we take for granted in America until we see it from another country’s perspective.  We could all use a reminder of just how fragile our privileges can be.

Samson is a prime example of someone who took his privileges for granted. I can still see the pictures in the Picture Bible of my youth where Samson, although blinded, stood between two pillars of stone in the midst of over 3000 of his Philistine enemies and brought down the entire building.  They had tortured him, gouged out his eyes, and used him as a slave thanks to the betrayal of Delilah.

The secret of Samson’s strength was his long hair, and when Delilah cut it in his sleep, his strength was taken away.  The strange thing is, he didn’t realize it.  He just assumed that God would always be with him.  His strength was a privilege from God that he had taken for granted.  When he returned to God, it was restored.

There are many privileges that we all take for granted every day.  I sometimes forget to give thanks always for the many privileges that I assume will always be there.  Years ago I just assumed that I would always have the privilege of being able to see and talk to my Mama and Daddy, my good friends, my family, and those I love, but that privilege is not assured.

Health and the ability to be healthy is a privilege.  If you don’t appreciate your health and strive to stay healthy, that privilege is not assured.

I just assume that our country will always be free, but that is a privilege that needs to be nurtured and treasured.  It may not always be so.  When you visit another country our freedom suddenly becomes precious.

I assume that the church I love will always be there packed with friends and fellow Christians that are dear to me.  That’s a privilege, not a guarantee, and unless I nurture and protect it, that may not always be so.  We can’t just hope that people in charge will do things that are in its best interest because we never know the agenda.

I, like Samson, assume that God will always be with me, but that is not a guarantee.  If I don’t do my part to pray to Him, do His will, and keep the lines of communication open, He might depart from me and I won’t even know it until He is gone.

Each day is a special privilege and is worthy of thanks and praise to God.

For by grace you have been saved through faith and not of yourselves–it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.  Ephesians 2:8-9

 

 

 

So let us not become tired of doing good;  for if we do not give up, the time will come when we will reap the harvest.  Galatians 6:9

Attaboy is defined as an informal method of encouragement or congratulations.  

Today I sat down, turned on the television, and for some reason, the channel was tuned to a rodeo.  The girl’s barrel racing event was on, and I watched a few of the contestants finish their course on horseback.  The interesting part was after each one finished, they instinctively reached down, patted their respective horse, and mouthed, attaboy.  My first reaction was, “Well, you better do that.  You couldn’t have finished without that horse.”  Many times we fail to give credit where credit is due.

Suddenly, my mind turned to a new school year and the classrooms that await teachers and students.  As teachers, we learned early in our training that every student needs an attaboy or attagirl in the course of their years in school.  No matter your age or grade, getting positive reinforcement and/or praise for a job well done, no matter how big or how small, can mean the difference between success and failure for these students.  Teachers particularly, need to hear attaboys from parents and administration alike.

The same theory applies to all of us in our workplaces, organizations, jobs or social encounters.  You might get paid for the job, but the bonus comes in hearing bosses or co workers take the time to appreciate a job well done with words of encouragement or attaboys.  Research confirms that productivity increases when the environment is rich with affirmation and encouragement.

Jesus reminds us of the need to give attaboys when he urges us not to get tired of building up others.  He didn’t dwell on the sins, but rather tried to encourage the sinner to accept forgiveness and go and sin no more.  I can’t think of anyone who doesn’t appreciate a compliment, a kind word, a smile, or a word of encouragement.  It is so needed in this world today.

It’s a great time for us to vow to be more of an encourager and give credit to those who need it.  I love the words of one of the boy’s coaches:  We win as a team, and we lose as a team.