My first day of "school"

Dear God,

Thank you for the past eleven years.  August 5, 2002 was the first day of "school" for me.  The "school" that taught me to trust You for my days, every single one of them.

Thank you for walking with me and ahead of me.

Thank you for providing me with my partner, my advocate and fellow “survivor”, my husband.

Thank you for the rest of my family, friends and medical personnel who shepherded me through the past eleven years.

I look forward to Your gift of  many more years.

Love,
Jan

(This is my anniversary as a breast cancer survivor.)

Rejoice in the Lord always.  Again I say rejoice....again and again.  
My paraphrase of Philippians 4:4.

Old and New

 I needed my old friend. I had an idea for another blog post but I could not remember the site of the chapter and verse in the Bible I wanted. 

I think I am rather high tech for a woman of my "experience"  I have the electronic app for the Bible on my phone.  One of my "favorites" on my computer is a Bible concordance search site.  At my fingertips I can read and reflect on the Word.

Yet, when I need a verse, I want my old, reliable Bible of over thirty years.  The one with the faded cross stitched cover and the Book of Revelation half eaten by a dog.  Yes, the dog "feasted" on the Word!

In my mind, I see the words on the pages of that particular Bible.  I am secure knowing that with the familiar, I will find what I am looking for.

So I need the new and the old.  Just like God.  God is the same as He was yesterday.  I can remember all the times He was faithful and dependable.

At the very same time, God is also new.  Nearly every day I am surprised by His gentle interaction with my daily activities.  If I just pay attention, I will see God guiding me and protecting me.

Jesus is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.  Hebrews 13:8 (I used the online concordance to look it up.)

This verse reminded me of the old and new in my relationship with God.  This verse is tucked in a list of advice for living: love one another, be hospitable, remember the less fortunate, honor marriage, don't be greedy, remember the leaders, Jesus is the same and don't get carried away by strange teachings.

In the midst of my everyday living I enjoy the past experience with God and enjoy the new that is in store for me each day!  This is three dimensional thinking- God in my past, God in my today and God in my future, simultaneously!

Watch

It was Friday in a popular vacation spot. We were having dinner with friends. We'd waited 40 minutes for the table and our waitress served too many tables.  The youngest member of our party was a toddler. It was getting late and she was hungry.  She was becoming impatient.  Her mother was a wise woman and told her "Look at that door.   Watch for our waitress.  She will bring our food from that door."

The little girl "stood watch" over that door. She was not distracted from watching the door.   She expected our waitress with a tray of food to appear at any moment.  And she made sure her mom watched with her.  Her eyes only left the door to see if mom was also watching.  If mom's eyes had strayed she reminded her to watch.

She made me think.  Do I watch for Jesus to come, to deliver, to meet my needs?  Do I show others how to watch?  Do I encourage others to keep steadfast in their watch?  And when Jesus comes do I rejoice like my young friend when the food arrived (finally!)?

In the first chapter of first Thessalonians, Paul commends the Thessalonians for welcoming The Message and becoming a model to other believers.  They spread God's message, lived their faith in God, turned from idols and waited for Jesus to come rescue them from the coming wrath.

w elcome the message

a s an example to others

t urn from distractions

c oncentrate on Jesus

H e will come!

 

 

Relief

I was driving home in southern Iowa the other day in a torrential rain storm.  The windshield wipers were on the highest setting but I kept trying to turn them up.  The rain was so heavy I wanted to pull over to the shoulder.  Visibility was so bad that if someone followed tail lights they might hit me along the side of the road. So I kept slowly driving.

I came over a small rise and saw 40 cars pulled over and I was so relieved.  It was the relief you feel in the safety of numbers!  So I pulled over and breathed deeply.

The sense of relief at the sight of others doing want I so desperately wanted to do made me think of the church.

In a community of believers we learn from others' failures and victories.  We gather together for safety.  There is comfort in distress.  We are not alone.

In second Corinthians chapter one verse four, Paul reminds me that God comforts me so I can comfort others. 

When the "going gets tough"  I go to church. It's not to find God because God has never left me.  He was definitely with me during the torrential downpour.   I go for blessing of comfort, safety and relief of others like me. I learn from others and hopefully encourage others. In Hebrews chapter ten verse twenty-five, I am reminded to encourage others

I could certainly get tough and go with just God but why?  Why miss the additional blessing God has provided when He gathers  the believers together to share comfort and encouragement.

When the going gets tough, go to God and church.   

OneThing

While we are on vacation, Dick and I walk together with our dog, Makena.   Actually, Dick and Makena walk together and I am a few  paces behind.  My pace is just a bit slower. 

Since I am a bit behind them I have the opportunity to observe them.  Makena looks up at Dick while she walks with him.  I assume it is so she can see which way he will go but there is a touch of worship in her eyes.

Makena prefers to walk with Dick as she is definitely his dog.  Whenever a door opens she looks for him.  She looks to him for comfort and protection.  She has one thing on her mind- her friend, Dick.  I have always said that if Makena was a woman I should be jealous.  Her heart belongs to Dick.  Her perfect day is a day spent next to his side. When he is home she follows him everywhere.

Since Dick has retired we have been reflecting on past memories.  I flipped through some old files and found a message I'd given in Montana in 1996.  As an illustration I had  used the old cowboy's advice in the movie "City Slickers."  His secret for success in life was to find your "one thing" and pursue it as your passion.  In Philippians 3, Paul gives a similar admonition:  "one thing I do...press on  toward the goal...for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (definitely my paraphrase!)

Our one thing in life to pursue must be Jesus.   As Makena looks up to Dick for direction, she looks for Dick  to spent time with, and she looks to Dick protection, we should do the same in our relationship with God.

We should look up to God to direction and affection,

We should look for God at work around us, and

We should look to God for protection and comfort.

Look up...

Look for...

Look to...

 

 

Happy Day

Happy Day

Tomorrow I will remember a significant event in my life.  It taught me about God's love. It was an experience that I credit with making me a better person.

A little boy arrived in my life.  The first time I held him he grabbed onto my shirt with both hands.  It may have appeared as if he grabbed my shirt but he grabbed my heart.  He will hold it for the rest of my life. It may have been love at first sight but it was really love at first grab!

Every year, I thank him for making me a better person.  When I experienced that unconditional love, because I knew he loved and trusted me even though we'd known each other a few seconds, I changed.  I became less selfish and more merciful. I saw the world full of potential.  In a small way I understood unconditional love and the way God loves me.

My paraphrase of Jeremiah 31:3 would be: ...God has loved me with an everlasting love and has drawn me with loving dependability.

God is always ready to receive my love.  He already loves me, in spite  of me.  I  need to grab hold of God with both of my hands, just like that little boy so many years ago. That day, he grabbed my shirt and did not let go.  We rejoiced that immediately he knew he was home even as we unwound his fingers from my shirt to slip him into the car seat.

The little boy grabbed my heart for the rest of my life.  God will love and has loved me for all eternity.  Why do I try to live on my own?  I have the opportunity to trust and depend on the One who defines trustworthiness and dependability. I lived to be trustworthy and dependable for a little boy but God already is trustable and dependable.

I  choose to live up to a little boy's trust. How could I choose otherwise?  I strive to live up to God's love for me.  How could I choose otherwise when God provided the cure for my deficiencies in our relationship when He gave us His Son, Jesus.  God loves me and made sure I have the opportunity to experience Love.

I know I am a better person because of God and a little boy.  Happy Day!

God

Reaches

And

Believes in me.

 

Life is a Salad!

Chopped romaine hearts, grilled chicken, blue cheese, peas, chopped carrots, 3 bean salad, broccoli salad, pasta salad, sunflower seeds, bacon bits and a touch of vinaigrette dressing.  That’s my idea of a tossed salad!  I love salad bars.  I’m known to put unusual items in my salad and try most anything atop lettuce. I think it’s because I can build a salad my way and not do any of the work to prepare the ingredients.  So I think I’m being healthy but maybe I’m a bit lazy at the same time.

    I noticed reading in Hebrews Chapter10, five times the writer begins a statement with “Let us”.  Being a salad girl, I thought “lettuce”!  OK so now you know my mind works on the edge of normalcy!  Anyway, in the midst of a call to persevere, the writer gives us five actions that start with “Let us”.

    I also love “to do” lists.  I made a “to do” list for those times when Life “tosses me a loop” and I need to endure. As a reminder to me I made an acronym for SALAD.

    Seek God first.  “Let us draw near to God...”  Too often when the circumstances take a turn not in our favor, we try to fix it on our own or maybe we even try to blame God.  I want to remember to first run to God and explain the situation and give Him the chance to take control of the situation.  God has given us this privilege through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and through Jesus’ representation of us as our advocate as the writer of Hebrews reminds us at the beginning of Chapter 10.

    Adhere to Hope.  “Let us hold to hope...”  In those stressful times, I want to remember that God loves me and in spite of what the world may say or look like, I have the Hope that Jesus provided for me. 

    Love others.  “Let us spur one another to good deeds...”  When the going gets tough, I often need to take my focus off myself and focus on others.  I’ve found it helpful to put my troubles in perspective by doing a good deed or expressing my affection for someone else.

    Always be with believers.  “Let us meet together...”  Too often I see believers during stressful times avoid the fellowship of the church and believers.  The enemy tries to make us feel like the believers will be too judgmental but most often I find my church family to be encouraging and tender.

    Do encourage others.  “Let us encourage others...”  When we can be a bit open and honest with our trials or circumstances, we can help others in similar situations to remember these action steps.

So when Life happens, and gives you a “toss”, make a SALAD.  It will take the toss out of tossed salad!