Life comes at us like a raging river at times,
Pushing, crashing, dispersing its power,
Seemingly overtaking us with its fury,
Yet even in those times of fear, loss, despair and anxiety,
God is there in the midst of it all,
His right hand directs life’s miseries and hopelessness,
And leads them to the final destination,
The peaceful waters,
The placid lake,
The amazing eternity He has arranged for us.
“I wonder if I’ve been changed in the night. Let me think. Was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a little different. But if I’m not the same, the next question is ‘Who in the world am I?’ Ah, that’s the great puzzle!” Alice in Wonderland
I remember a time when I was still directing K-4 actors. After presenting to their classmates, we met for a little “down time” before their next show for their families. After a few theater games, the room suddenly erupted into total chaos. I finally got their attention and asked them what they thought about their behavior. One sweet little gal piped up and said, “I think we just spun out of control.”
That honest statement made me pause and think how I often react when things aren’t going well. When my world is spinning out of control, I often throw up my hands and scream, “why?” Over the past few years, we’ve all experienced a downward spiral. Our emotions are like worn down lightbulbs, ready to burst. Two + years of a pandemic – vaccination controversy – a waning economy and now a possible world war. Not to mention the other things that eat away at us. Things like a pending ugly divorce – a financial disaster – loss of a loved one – health issues that can’t be explained. The list goes on and on.
We may feel overwhelmed, but over 2000 years ago a man suffered for every sin committed throughout time. He was overwhelmed by the crowds who smothered Him. They wanted to learn, get a look at Him or take advantage of His superpowers. He withstood the tongue lashing of the Pharisees. He bled as the scourge cut through His flesh – a beating which would have killed any other man. He was mocked and spat upon as He carried the means upon which He would be executed. He was deserted by His Father as the final sacrifice for the sin of all humanity. He died and was buried. On the third day he rose from death and lives triumphantly at the right hand of His Father.
So, when we think we’re having a bad day, take a minute to breathe and think about how valuable you are to Jesus. His life, ministry, death and resurrection are a foreshadowing of what we can look forward to. We’ve been adopted into His kingdom and will one day leave this world to join Him in His.
It sometimes seems that every day brings another story of man’s inhumanity towards man. There is the noise of violence in every corner of our country. Dissatisfied and enraged voices scream for change. People are divided in their opinions, their beliefs and their politics. There are rumors of wars which could wipe out the human race from nations equipped to do so. Headlines proclaim stories of murders in the streets, in the safety of our homes and within our churches. The fierce winds of destructive hurricanes and floods have destroyed people’s property and lives. It seems this must be the beginning of the end as promised in God’s Word.
When you’re expecting a child, you know the twinges and pangs that overtake your body on a daily basis. You balloon to twice your size. Your feet swell. You experience cravings, hot and cold flashes and difficulty getting in and out of a chair. You may experience morning sickness. When labor finally begins, the pains start slowly. Soon the contractions become unbearable. You writhe in pain. You wonder why you ever put yourself in this situation. When the baby arrives, all those pains disappear and bring forth a new life. It’s all part of God’s plan to keep things moving forward.
When it comes to the state of affairs in the world, this isn’t something new. The world has always experienced violence, hatred, division, intolerance, unnecessary and necessary wars. Today we have access to information regarding all this in an instant. God tells us not to be surprised by these events. It’s like the birthing process. Once we have endured these pangs, new life begins. It may not be on this planet, but we have been promised eternity in heaven when we turn our lives over to the Lord.
Do not be alarmed. Do not let your heart be troubled. All of this must happen before the end result occurs. We have no idea when that will occur, but we know, by God’s communication with us, that the end is coming. With the end of birth pains, comes new life. Let’s turn it over to Him and know that He’s got this!
My husband is back in the hospital again. I needed a pick me up so turned to one of my old posts. Sometimes we just need to laugh in spite of our circumstances. God gives us a sense of humor for just that purpose. Some folks might think I should be crying or giving up at this point, but I would much rather look ahead with hope and the promise that God won’t give me more than I can handle. So, laugh with me this morning and say a little prayer for Paul’s return to good health.
The things children say can be the most delightful, embarrassing, fearful, joyous words you will ever experience. I never did this when my kids were young, but I think it’s a good idea to jot those little tidbits down for future reference. They may come in handy down the line. Instead of keeping a journal, I often relied on memory and repeating those clever little thoughts over and over to burn them into my brain.
My own children had some funny things to say during their youth, but the most recent memories come from their children. Here are a couple of examples: My teenage grandson, while comparing himself to his older brother – “He’s a complete set of encyclopedias. I’m just a pocket dictionary, with pages missing.” My granddaughter wrote this on a Christmas card she created for me a while back, “To my favorite grandma – on my mother’s side.”
Some of my young students have had some funny things to say also. When I arrived a few minutes late, a child piped up with this comment, “We thought you died and went to heaven.” Another announced to the class that I had brownchitis. Another precocious young actress took time during rehearsal to let me know that the boy she was playing opposite of, was picking his nose and it was gross.
When kids have something to say, there are usually no boundaries. They say what they think and you never know what it will be!
If you’ve ever heard young children singing in church, you will understand their exuberance. We can learn a lot from them. Praising God should be joyful. I think many of us lose some of that excitement as we become comfortable in our faith. Jesus often referred to little children when talking about their faith and acceptance. Maybe we can learn some lessons from them at times.
I love how they give new meaning to God’s Word from time to time. Here are some excerpts spoken by children regarding just the subject of Moses:
“His real name was Charlton Heston. He led the Israel lights out of Egypt because of the bad Pharoah. God sent ten plagues on the Egyptians. Some of the plagues were mice, frogs, bugs, lice and no cable. Every day in the desert, God fed the Israel lights some manicotti. He gave them His “Top Ten” commandments. They were things like: don’t lie, don’t cheat, don’t dance, don’t smoke, don’t covet your neighbor’s stuff (whatever that means). He also told them to humor their fathers and mothers.”
God often uses examples of the weakest human beings who have been used for the most difficult situations. In Matthew 21:16 we read Jesus response to his disciples, “”Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise?”
Lord, you have given the most precious gift of life to this ailing world. Little children come to know you through simple faith. Even though I am old in years, may I continue to come to you in childlike faith and accept the plans you have laid out for me. Amen!
God gives us some good advice in James 1:3 & 4. He tells us to hang in there – to hold on to our beliefs – to trust in His wisdom. It isn’t always easy to do that, especially when our lives our packed with tough times. More often than not, we can feel defeated before we even start to move forward.
Don’t let outside influences affect your walk each day. Be confident that God has a plan and He is making it happen on His timeline. Trust in your own good judgment and with His help don’t give up on your goals. He has instilled those goals in you. He knows what you need even before you do and He’s the one who will help you fulfill the desire of your heart if He thinks it’s good for you.
When we’re young we listen to our parents’ advice because we trust them. When God tells us something, we can have faith that He is going to make good on His Word. He is the perfect Father.
Here is your Tuesday pep talk. You can do all kinds of amazing things when you have God with you. You are an important member of His family. He loves you so much that He sent His own flesh and blood to suffer and die on our behalf. He then rose from the clutches of death and went back to heaven to get our spot ready for us. He’s also going to make sure we’re ready for that place by refining us. Refining requires going into the fire at times. Life isn’t perfect. We’re going to have difficulties. There’s even a plan for all the junk we encounter. All our cares, worries and losses are designed to temper us into pure gold. God will be with us in every struggle – carrying us when times get too hard to endure. Don’t despair – don’t lose faith – never give up and trust in God.
Somewhere between then and now it became politically incorrect to use the Bible as a reference point by presidents of our country. Ronald Reagan wasn’t afraid to talk about God or about the founding of our nation under God’s laws and neither should we.
America grew out of a group of immigrants who wanted something better. They were dissatisfied by not being able to worship as they chose – by not being able to voice their opinions without fear of being labeled insurrectionists- by using God given talents to construct a whole new nation conceived in liberty; a nation that would go on to be one of the brightest and best because of the people not their leaders.
Unfortunately times have changed, but I believe the spirit of America is still alive. Most of us still know what the American dream is. There are those who realize that our accomplishments are the result of hard work and determination. The brilliance of a nation under God still glows and even though it may appear a dying ember, the fire is still there.
As citizens of this great nation, we set a day aside to honor the men who served as President. Most of them were men of honor. Some were self-serving. Some had their own agenda. Some were corrupt. Some were sincerely concerned about the future of America. They were all chosen by the people they would lead. Isn’t that the one great freedom we still possess?
On this President’s Day, let’s remember all the men that served their country in this high office, but let’s never forget our God who made this nation possible
Psalm 103:19 The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules overall.
The skies are filling up with crystalized water which will soon turn into more snow. By this time of the year, I shouldn’t be surprised by more of the white stuff, but when a major event is predicted, it kind of puts a hold on our lives – even here in the frozen tundra.
Shakespeare wrote these words many years ago. “You have such a February face, so full of frost, of storm and cloudiness.” We are expected to receive a huge amount of snow upon our roads, sidewalks and roofs. When you’re a child, fresh snow that’s perfect for making snow forts and snowballs is delightful. When you’re nearing 80, it brings added aches and pains, anticipation of the same and sadness that you can’t help in the removal of it.
When our lives reach the winter of our existence, it’s even harder to put on a happy face. For one thing, our faces have been frozen into blank expressions. Our eyes have lost their sparkle. Our bodies just can’t keep up anymore. However, I don’t think the elderly are the only ones that feel that way. We struggle through the mounds of crud in our lives every single day. We often face obstacles one right after the other, but God does have a purpose for all of it.
It’s not easy doing anything alone. When God is our strength, we can endure just about anything.
Lord, you have promised to be with me in every stage of my life. Help those who are suffering with pain and loss. Give hope to those who have lost hope. Watch over and protect our brothers and sisters in Ukraine and allow the world powers to make the right decisions. Be with all of us in the storms of life and give us the wisdom to trust in your will for whatever comes our way. Amen!
“Life is a train of moods like a string of beads, and, as we pass through them, they prove to be many-colored lenses which paint the world their own hue, and each shows only what lies in its focus.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
When I was a kid I thought that an optimist was someone who fitted you for glasses. In a way, I wasn’t too far off. An optimist is described in the dictionary as someone with the tendency to expect the best and see the best in all things. In a way, the optimist has a tendency to clear up your vision.
As hard as I try, my rose colored glasses often get fogged up or smudged. I can’t always see as clearly as I would like to. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could just wash away the stuff that gets in the way of our perfect vision? One of the problems with being optimistic is that we are often setting ourselves up for disappointment. It would be great if we could wake up each morning with the hope of a perfect day, but this isn’t a perfect world. We start out with good intentions, but someone or something often gets in the way of making those dreams come true.
We may set our goal to make a difference in someone’s life, only to face a day with a difficult child or an aging parent. Our intentions may include being an encourager and suddenly we are brought down by a difficult problem of our own.. We may wish to look for the best in someone only to be put down by that very person. Our heart may be set on being a better listener, but our ears our suddenly filled with other distractions.
My God has made it possible to view the world in a different way. He looks at us and should see nothing but filth and ugliness. The smog and pollution that covers the earth is nothing in comparison to my sin. However, when Jesus died on the cross He cleaned up every last bit of the poison that infects my soul and yours. Because of that, we can look at the world in a different way.
“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” I Corinthians 13:1.
Call me a cockeyed optimist. Call me a dreamer. Call me a redeemed child of God!
Howling, whistling, streaming through a patch of aging trees,
The wind surprises and upsets and strips them of their leaves,
One day a lush green canopy, another turned to gold,
Soon withered, dry and sapped of life, they waiver in the cold,
The signs of life are all but gone, the snow will soon be here,
The days grow short, the sun subsides, but still we do not fear,
Beneath that cloak of white shall rise, new life again in spring,
Like we shall someday rise again. when new life God will bring.
We all are swept by winds of time, our days are very short,
We live, we dream, we try, we fail, the problems we can’t sort,
We’re pushed and tossed and crushed at times it seems,
But in our every trial, the blood of Christ redeems,
Our sins have been forgiven, our life is guaranteed,
God promises us His Kingdom if only we believe.
The wind is howling this morning and empty tree branches are snuggling up against the house to stay warm. The sound of wind can be peaceful, or it can carry fear within its wings. Meteorologists can predict weather, but they haven’t found a way to hold it back or contain it.
When God sends different forms of weather to us, it might be a wake-up call for us to remember He’s in charge. We don’t have the benefit of having God speak to us directly like He did to Moses and the Prophets, but we do have the sound of His voice and His very words in the Holy Bible which He inspired. Those words are His, and like the wind, they were whispered into the minds of those who penned them by God alone. He is in our lives even though we can’t see Him.
Job 26:14 “Behold, these are but the outskirts of His ways, and how small a whisper do we hear of Him! But the thunder of His power who can understand?”
I haven’t written a political post for a while. I’m trying with all my strength to avoid such things. There’s enough crud going on in our world today, however, I feel compelled to repost an article I wrote several years ago. During the pandemic I have developed a growing interest in world history. The internet is full of stories of war and how they were most often motivated by greed, power and politics. Our blogging friend, Salvageable, has written many interesting articles on war over the span of this world’s history and he seems to agree. I may be considered a nut case, but there are so many things about this Ukranian situation that just don’t sit right with me. Will we all be wiped off the face of the earth for political reasons?
PUBLISHED 09/24/2016
In 1997 a film was released which was filled with espionage, media hype, a war, a scandal, a movie producer with exceptional PR skills and lots of things that eventually came true. It was right before the Clinton-Lewinsky incident. The movie was an interesting story intended to be comedic, but it stirred the imaginations of many conspiracy theorists.
Could such a plot be unfolding right before our very eyes? The President’s ratings go down and there is another crisis to handle. The Congress has pretty much lost the confidence of its employers (us) and the Senate seems to have totally forgotten who they work for.
Rahm Emanuel quoted this early at the beginning of the Obama administration.
“You never let a serious crisis go to waste. And what I mean by that it’s an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before.”
Another movie, “the Manchurian Candidate” also dealt with the possibility of a Vice President being groomed by the Manchurian Global Corporation. The man’s mother basically sells her soul to the devil to make this happen. The plan is that once he’s elected, an assassination attempt will be made on the president, thus giving the job over to the son. The main plot is a global takeover by the Communist regime. These stories can make us wonder just how much of this stuff is true.
Our world is and will be in constant turmoil until the Day of Judgment, but we must never lose sight of the fact that God remains in control. If we continue to trust Him, we can be assured of a great outcome.
Lord, our world seems to be imploding. We see signs of end times each day. The ugliness of sin has inhabited every civilization. We turn to you in prayer, to bring comfort to all who suffer and are being persecuted. We pray for those who are starving and diseased. Protect them with your caring hands. Strengthen us through your Holy Word. Amen!
Last night I had the opportunity to attend a performance of “The Miracle Worker,” performed by young actors. It is the story of Helen Keller’s journey of inner strength learned through her teacher Annie Sullivan. The relationship between these two beautiful minds melds into a journey which gives Helen the ability to overcome deafness and blindness. The acting was amazing. The final scene left me in tears as it did many others in the audience.
The play brought to mind many things that are going on in my own life right now. I’m nearing the age of 80. I’ve been losing the ability to hear and often make mistakes when I respond to others because of it. It’s a frustrating situation – at times very painful, because of the embarrassment it causes – most of the time quite humorous. The cost of hearing aids has prevented me from getting them, along with the problems they can cause – like picking up a lot of unwanted noise, voices, static, etc. So, I tend to rely on closed captioning and lip reading of a sort. Maybe someone will come up with an Alexa that can transfer closed captions to people’s faces so I could see what they’re saying. It could happen.
The beauty of Helen Keller’s story is that even though what started as a game of imitating, turned into a complete understanding within the mind of this very intelligent young lady. We all hold that same inner strength, because that’s how God created us. He gave each of us the mind, soul and heart to fight the outside world even when we lack the outer tools. Whether we are physically disabled or not, we can overcome obstacles that seem insurmountable.
The mind is a wonderful gift from God. Some folks are gifted with compassion – some with physical strength, artistic abilities or scientific and analytical reasoning. Each mind is unique and individually designed for each of God’s creations. That’s what makes each one of us a unique part of the world around us.
My hearing may go away completely someday. I’m still holding out for an electronic device that clearly shows me what people are saying, but it probably won’t happen in my lifetime. I do know that I am a child of God and when I leave this world, I will possess a perfect body – the one that God intended for me in the first place. There will be no more tears, no sadness, no death or pain. Everything will be made new again.
PSALM 91:9-13 “Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—the Most High, who is my refuge, no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.
Valentines have been shared. Hugs and flowers have been sent and received. I even went out yesterday and bought a valentine shaped box of candy for half price. You can see where my romantic side has been taken over by my Scrooge-like side. This year romantic love has taken a back seat to care giving, medical problem, ups and downs of a roller coaster ride that doesn’t seem to want to stop. Still, we push on towards the prize.
Life can be like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get. We’re born, we grow, we have relationships, we find out who we are and where we’re going, we fall in love, we overcome obstacles, sometimes we don’t, we live until there are only memories and then we die. The common thread in life is where we’re going and how we’re going to get there. For most, it will include a trail of tears, a ton of laughter, goal setting, failure, facing fear, building a future and living it. At the end, there’s only death. Then what?
Life is full of challenges. Some have more than others. How we face those obstacles will determine what happens when our life on earth ends. We can depend on ourselves, our intellect, our savvy or pizazz. We can find a partner whom we can trust completely. We can become part of a large organization where we can shine and make a name for ourselves. We might achieve some level of success in business, the arts, politics, sports or in the everyday jobs that run our nation. We could become famous. We might reach the top of the ladder only to fall suddenly to the bottom rung.
When we place our trust in things of this world, we’re clinging to something that soon loses purpose. We need the assurance that death isn’t the end of things. For those who trust in God, it’s only the beginning. When the final page is turned, we can be confident of eternal life – a life without disease or pain – void of hatred and fear – one filled with peace, purpose, love and perfection. I’d say that’s the greatest love story ever.
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY – AGAIN!
This image may be a bit extreme, but, believe it or not, a pastor who was friends with my father in law, actually wanted to arrange a marriage between Paul and his daughter. I’m eternally grateful that he didn’t carry through, but sometimes extreme parenting can get in the way of a good relationship with your children.
As most parents will tell you, it’s hard to let go of our children. As the mother of three I’ve had to let go three times and still worry about them from time to time. When God blesses us with children, He also lays on us the responsibility of caring for them, teaching them the right things and giving them what will prepare them for the future. When they take their first steps, we’re right behind them to catch them if they fall. When they learn to ride a bike, we add training wheels to make it safe. We cover their precious little heads with helmets. We provide safety gear, booster seats, hand sanitizers, masks and good nutritious food to keep them healthy and strong. We want them to have a better childhood than we did.
There comes a time when we have to let go of that sheltering protection and let them learn through their own experiences. God does that with us every day. He allows challenges to come into our lives so that we learn how to deal with them. He knows the pain we feel. He has experienced the suffering of losing a child. Still, He is our loving Father and lets us go – like the prodigal son’s father, He is always waiting for that child to return. Letting go isn’t easy, but letting God is.
August Dietrich Rische (born February 5, 1819 in Minden ; † November 15, 1906 in Ludwigslust ) was the author of the lyrics for the children’s hymn, “God Loves Me Dearly. The hymn was written in 1852 by this young Lutheran pastor, who was working with homeless and disadvantaged children. It’s a hymn that lives like an ear worm, once it gets into your head. The simple text, with each verse being followed by the same refrain, tells of the love of God in a tender, understandable, passionate and caring way.
1 God loves me dearly,
grants me salvation,
God loves me dearly,
loves even me.
Refrain:
Therefore I’ll say again:
God loves me dearly,
God loves me dearly,
loves even me.
2 I was in slav’ry,
sin, death, and darkness;
God’s love was working
to make me free. [Refrain]
3 He sent forth Jesus,
my dear Redeemer,
he sent forth Jesus
and set me free. [Refrain]
4 Jesus, my Savior,
himself did offer;
Jesus, my Savior,
paid all I owed. [Refrain]
5 Now I will praise you,
O Love eternal;
I will praise you
all my life long. [Refrain]
I remember learning this hymn when a small child in Sunday school. Each verse shows the amazing love and grace of God, through the gift of His own precious Son, Jesus. When I think about Valentine’s Day, I can’t help but think of the eternal, unconditional love of our abiding Savior. He is the epitome of true love. He was willing to give up His throne in heaven – become a human being for 33 years – live a life of poverty and never had a permanent residence – gave up everything for love. His ultimate sacrifice during the week of His passion – made Him the unblemished lamb being led to the slaughter. He is God, yet He fulfilled what we were unable to do by becoming one of us. He took our sins and guilt to the cross and buried them within the grave. He conquered Satan and gave everyone hope for a future in paradise by rising from death on the third day.
We celebrate Valentine’s Day one day a year. One day we overload on flowers and candy or a special dinner with the one we love. One day! Jesus loves us every single day of our existence. He never gives up on us. He will never leave us. He is our champion, our deliverer, our eternal love. Don’t limit the love you have for those whom you love. Every day should be a day to share your heart with that person. Jesus loved us so much, He gave His life to assure our place in heaven.
GOD LOVES ME DEARLY
Slowly crossing the sands of time – into a pasture green sublime.
I’ll rest my feet and wet my lips, with waters clear and cold that grips.
Through danger I will walk with Him. He guards me from each foolish sin.
He takes my hand and leads me now to comfort me and show me how
to live my life and live it right and when I stray He sets me right.
When my own final hour comes near, I’ll face my death with no more fear.
I’ll trust in His unfailing love – which He bestows from up above.
With Him in paradise I’ll live. He promised me He did forgive
each one of my transgressions.
I can still recall sitting at an old upright piano, with another sharing the piano bench and playing the high notes while I plunked out the chords.
Heart and soul, I fell in love with you,
Heart and soul, the way a fool would do, madly,
Because you held me tight,
And stole a kiss in the night.
It was the student recreation room of an ancient building. My high school was a relic, which would eventually be demolished and replaced with a spanking new building. My class would have the honor of being the first class to graduate in that new edifice. The old building held three years of wonderful memories, including that old piano. I didn’t have one a home. I didn’t know how to read notes, but I had a knack for being able to play a familiar tune and add a few improvisational chords. It was in that building that I met the love of my life. I didn’t realize it at the time. We were simply the best of friends for those early years and finally noticed each other as soul mates during our senior year.
This time of year, always stirs memories of first love and excites the heart to remembering all the years beyond that awakening. We were so different from one another. That carried into our marriage. He had a sensitive side, was a romantic at heart, yet he loved the outdoors, adventure and exploring new horizons. His love for the arts extended into his love for the Lord. An outgoing, gregarious, confident young man while I was just the opposite. I had a creative bend as well and we even talked about someday collaborating on some children’s books which I would write and he would illustrate. I had a poor self-image. I never felt good enough, pretty enough, funny enough, or outgoing enough. I had not yet established a good relationship with God, (even though I had God in my life from little on.) See, I was a mess.
Over almost 58 years of marriage, we’ve shared many Valentine’s Days. He would always remember me with flowers or candy or both. He often would gift me with a hand painted Valentine while I opted for a store-bought card with fancy words and beautiful images. Our love has grown from those days sitting at an old piano. We’ve muddled through life at times, wondering if we’d have enough to make the house payment. We’ve suffered through various physical problems, illness and hospitalizations, but seem to come out stronger from each one. We made three children who have in turn given us three wonderful grandchildren and supported us through this process called aging.
Our lives togethers have had many ups and downs, but we’ve learned to depend on God to get us through each one and He hasn’t disappointed us – ever. One of the secrets to our successful marriage is that we respect each other and our own personal space. Our talents run along the same lines, but they don’t interfere with each other.
I am blessed to have this man in my life. He has given me more than I can ever repay. He has loved me even when we argue. Yes, we still argue, but the arguments don’t last as long, because we don’t have the physical or mental energy to sustain them. God is our fortress and will continue to be throughout eternity.
So, as we approach the final years of living, I thank God for this wonderful man and for blessing me with His own love and mercy.
Heart and soul, God fell in love with me.
Even though He had no reason to, gladly,
Because He holds me oh so tight,
Through every day and dark night.
Today, my husband becomes and octogenarian. I will catch up with him in June. We’ve known each other since we were thirteen and he has been my best friend through all those years. I wrote this poem a few years ago and a lot has happened in that time, but I know that God is the head of our family and with Him, we’ve weathered many a storm. Many more Happy Birthdays, Paul. I will love you through eternity.
We join our hands together,
Hands that have grown wrinkled and leathered with time,
Still the touch of your skin against mine delights and excites,
The broken, withered digits, which over time have grown weary,
The tightness of your grip,
Give comfort and support.
Walk with me, my love.
Our days are growing shorter.
Our nights seem to last forever,
As sleep becomes a fortress of sorts,
Walk with me upon this mortal coil,
While we still have life within us,
Our paths will meet again, my love,
When heaven opens wide its gates,
Where we shall walk eternally together,
With new bodies,
New life,
Newness that will never age.
We are all sinners. We live in the shadow of our first parents, Adam and Eve and therefore cannot escape the wages of sin, which is death. I think when we know God provided us with the perfect solution for our redemption, by sending His own Son, Jesus, to carry the burden of sin to the grave upon His own shoulders, it lightens the load considerably. What greater love is that?
Unfortunately, confessing our sins is not an easy task, especially when we do so in the corporate fellowship of our church. The fact that we do not list our various sins publicly has to do with guilt and shame. I recently read a book about a young mother who had serious doubts about her ability to parent properly. She was a single mom with several children. She felt guilty for not being the picture-perfect mother. She didn’t feel she as fulfilling the job as she should. The guilt dominated her thinking to the point of depression, which led to neglecting some of the parenting obligations she held in high esteem. Eventually she was able to express her feelings at a Bible study with other moms who had the same issues. It opened the door to conversation which was beneficial to all.
On the other hand, I also recently heard a pastor talk about opening up to his men’s Bible study about a past sin that truly troubled him. Even though he had walked away from that sin and turned his life to focus on Jesus, the guilt he carried was a heavy burden. Hoping to spur others to discuss some of their own issues proved fruitless and the experiment went nowhere. Was it because of the differences in men and women? Was it because the men didn’t feel any guilt? Were the women over-reacting? Any number of reasons could contribute to the outcome of these situations, but maybe talking with someone else about a feeling of guilt or shame carries weakness with it.
When we talk directly to the Creator who already knows our every sinful deed, we’re actually confronting the One who we’ve sinned against. He is the One we’re accountable to but confessing a wrongdoing to another human being seems much more difficult for us. Maybe that’s why so many therapists are needed today. With all the guilt being laid upon us – the shaming that goes on in our world, the bullying, the feelings of inadequacy, we are bound to feel overwhelmed.
There is healing in confession. Knowing that God has already forgiven us is a great reminder of our relationship with Him and the gift He has so bountifully blessed us with. Guilt will remain. We take that guilt to Him along with our confession. He knows our hearts better than any other being and He still loves us. When He looks at those hearts, He only sees His Son and the “paid in full sticker” He has purchased for our sins.
We will never have picture-perfect lives while we live here, but we do have an eternity of perfection waiting for us in Paradise. At the start of a new week, remember that you are loved by God more than any human being can love you. Walk with Him every day and you will receive hope for the future.
Do you ever feel like you’re drowning – not only physically, but emotionally and spiritually? There are days when I wonder if I’ll ever be able to accomplish a given task. I fear I’ll never have the strength or energy I did even ten years ago. There are days when I can get a lot done and other days when I feel totally useless.
I come from a long line of strong women. They all possessed a pioneer spirit – were willing to work hard and make sacrifices. They lived long lives, filled with trials and adversities, but always came out like tempered steel. I often feel more like a wimpy piece of aluminum foil.
So where did those women derive their strength – their persistence – their fortitude? My own mother was a God-fearing woman who suffered through betrayal, chronic persistent pain, struggled to make ends meet, loved her husband until her death and never gave up. I would hope that some of that stuff has rubbed off on me.
When I feel that way, I know it’s just another of the devil’s tricks to get me in his clutches. He can turn any situation to his purpose. We therefore have to be on guard at every moment.
Jesus told His followers that worry gets you nowhere. When he talked of the lilies of the field in all their glory, He was demonstrating how God cares for every part of His creation. If He clothes those flowers with delicate beauty and nourishes them, how much more will He care for us.
So, on those days when I need to be rescued from the rushing water of anxiety, restlessness and trouble, I must turn to the rock of my salvation and just shut up.
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GOD INSPIRED WORDS AND IMAGES
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Stories, features, articles of writer and author David Ettinger.
Life is a patchwork of moments — laughter, solitude, everyday joys, and quiet aches. Through scribbled stories, I explore travels both far and inward, from sunrise over unfamiliar streets to the comfort of home. This is life as I see it, captured in ink and memory. Stick around; let's wander together.
God's amazing grace removes walls and replaces those barriers with Jesus, freedom from sin's consequences, freedom to forgive, and freedom to love unconditionally.
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