9/11

A solemn day,

A day for remembering

Cross at Ground Zero

     although we can't forget. 



 Not afraid, only sad
That life was crushed,

     hope forever changed.

Proud too. Proud that sacrifice
     and heroism won
O’er evil intent and hate.

And even when no duty called,
Some loved neighbor more
        than they loved themselves.

Fountains flow with tears that never dry,
Trees reach up their hands into the sky.
Twin lights pierce heaven, a prayer and a sigh.


A cross of beams, a tattered flag,

     remind us of our call. 

We still believe.

MaryMartha



Art from http:www.sxc/hu.com





Living in Hope

If seed catalogs come, can spring be far behind? (Apologies to Shelley, the English poet, who asked, “If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?”)

On a regular basis, I have been receiving catalogs from the mail-order seed and plant nurseries who entice me with their bright pictures of fully-developed fruits and flowers. It will be months before I can plant anything outside, and many more months—in some cases, years—before my produce will look like the pictures. Ah, but there's hope! That's what the companies are believing I will feel when I look at their offerings.

Hope is an essential ingredient in the spiritual realm as well. With eternity in Jesus' presence ahead of us—what the Apostle calls “our blessed hope”—we have every reason for hope. In fact, hope is one of the three things that endure throughout all of earthly life, eventually coming to fruition in sight. Such a long view might be less than encouraging were it not for its continual operation. The writer to the Hebrews wrote, “We who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.” (Hebrews 10:18, 19)

That anchor of hope holds us steady through whatever the stormy seasons of life and around us. We access the real presence of God, even though we are not yet able to view Him. We are continually enlivened by knowing what will someday be ours to see clearly!

MaryMartha

Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved.
 
Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

Joy to the World!



"Behold I stand at the door
and knock."



Of course, you think of Christmas when you hear someone sing “Joy to the World.” It is a wonderful Christmas hymn, but so much more! Too often we limit our appreciation of the song because certain associations have developed around it, either in our own experience or in our culture. “Joy to the Word” is one of the few Christmas hymns, or maybe the only one, that is not specifically about Jesus' birth. Is there any reason why it must be sung only at this season? No, it would be appropriate in March or July or October as well! (Although you might be called upon to do some explaining!)

Isaac Watts wrote this hymn, not particularly as a Christmas carol, but as a paraphrase of Psalm 98:4-9. Whereas the Psalmist did not understand in a personal way the Savior's coming, Watts definitely relates the words of the psalm to Jesus' life of ministry on earth. 

Joy to the world! The Lord is come;

Let earth receive her King;

Let every heart prepare Him room

And heaven and nature sing.

Joy to the world! The Savior reigns;

Let men their songs employ,

While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy. 

These two verses celebrate the incarnation, the Word becoming flesh, dwelling with us to conquer sin and death and to bring the reality of God's kingdom to our hearts. The next verse is prophetic, looking ahead to Jesus' return in glory.

No more let sin and sorrows grow,

Nor thorns infest the ground;

He comes to make His blessings flow

Far as the curse is found.

Then Jesus will rule with truth and grace, and His Kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy will be made manifest among all nations and to all people. 

He rules the world with truth and grace,

And makes the nations prove

The glories of His righteousness

And wonders of love. 

The next time you hear this hymn, maybe a few more times before the New Year begins, pause a moment and repeat to yourself, “Yes, the Lord is come!” He is, but not just at Christmas, Immanuel, “God with us!”

MaryMartha

Art from www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/pictures

The Saving Touch

"Daughter, your faith has healed you.
Go in peace."

There was something different about the little woman who crept up close to Jesus and touched the hem of His garment, believing that by doing so she would be made whole. (See Luke 8:40-47) A crowd surrounded Jesus, pressing close. He was so busy, just now on His way to see a little girl who was dying. The disciples tried to run interference for Him, "Make way! Let us through, make way!"

I think that not only the faithful followers of Jesus were there that day. In the crowd were probably the curiosity-seekers too. "Hey, can you move a bit? I want to see what's going on, too."

There were the awestruck worshippers, not of Christ's divinity but more of His celebrity status. "Yes, I've been following Him around, but I can't catch His eye. Isn't He magnificent?"

Interested news-seekers. "Can you believe what He just said? He's like a god!"

Impressed onlookers. "Say, He speaks like He knows what He's talking about!"

And probably the disgruntled too. "I don't understand why this is such a big deal. I just wish things would settle down."

Then came an interruption. Jesus stopped. He turned around. "Who touched my clothes?" He asked.

The disciples looked at Him, astonished. "Jesus," one of them said, "a lot of people have touched You. They're crowding all around You, even jostling You. How can you even think to ask who touched You?"

But it was not a curious touching to see if He felt like other people. Not a touch to be remembered and to brag about how close you were. It was not a touch to comfort and affirm nor to threaten. It was the reaching out in faith, a saving touch. Jesus knew that, for He felt power go out from Himself through that touch.

The woman came forward, trembling, and confessed what she had done. "I knew if I could just touch the hem of Your cloak, I would be well. I am! I was healed the instant I touched You!"

It is much the same today. Not everyone who touches Jesus is changed. There are the curious, because religion often makes the news. There are the interested who say, like one author, "I dig Jesus. He's cool." Some are truth-seekers, and they think maybe Jesus has something for them. A few, convinced of their need, simply touch Him in faith.

That's how we're changed.

MaryMartha

Art from http://lavistachurchofchrist.org/Pictures

Vessels of God

The summer my daughter was too old to go to the Latchkey program at school and too young to get a job, we decided to enroll in a ceramics class together. We shared our clay and tools and our successes and failures. We didn't become good artists, but we did have some good times together! I have a very tall pot from that summer, about eighteen inches tall, that my daughter made by the coil method. I have a single mug left from my own early attempts to form something on the wheel. All of my efforts ended up about teacup size because I never did develop the touch that was required to build height in a pot.

There are a lot of things we can learn from the potter and how she works with the clay, lessons which we can readily transfer to our experience of God working with us. There is the beating that the clay takes to work the air out of it before it is placed on the wheel. There are the sharp instruments that dig out any imperfections that come to the surface. There is the dizzying whirl of the wheel itself, and the constant drip of water onto the work in progress. Sometimes there is piercing or etching to form designs or to inscribe the artist's name in the wet clay. All of that has meaning for our lives, but I especially want to note something about pressure.

One craftswoman described her work like this:

"Both my hands shaped this pot. And the place where it actually forms is a place of tension between the pressure applied from the outside and the pressure of the hand on the inside." She goes on to explain that that's the way life is. Sadness and death and financial problems and misfortune and failure—all these are things that influence our lives from the outside, even though we don't choose them. But there are things at work on the inside of us too, if we are women who have given our lives to God. Confidence in a faithful God is there, and things I can believe about myself because I know that He loves me, and the affirmation and support of friends. My life, like the finished pot off the wheel is the result of what happened on the outside and what was going on inside of me. Life, like the pot, comes into being in places of tension.

Throughout our days, we may be buffeted by stress, pulled by responsibilities, pressed by challenges that come to us from the outside. Unless we have strength of spirit on the inside, those difficulties will cause us to collapse under the external pressure. (Like most of my pots did!) Prayer, uplifting music, the Word of God, fellowship with other Christians—these help us to be renewed and restored within. Then when things press from the outside, when difficulties overwhelm us or we are wearied with the ordinariness of life, we are strong enough on the inside to hold our shape. We become sturdy, useful, and beautiful vessels in the household of God.

And news with great hope! God remakes vessels too, if we will be pliable in His hands. At the potter's house, the prophet Jeremiah saw what happens when a pot doesn't turn out right. "So he made it again another vessel." (See Jeremiah 18:1-4)

Probably there are very few of us who are exactly the vessel we originally thought we would become. We've been marred by our disappointments and our mistaken plans and even our failures. But our lives are not defined by our limiting influences: a handicap, a crippling emotion, a troubled family background (or a troubled situation in the home right now), a bad decision made in the past, a failure, shame over a personal or family "secret," lack of education, a child born at an inconvenient time, whatever!

From the point where we are now, we're likely never to become what we were so sure we would one day be! That's all right. It doesn't matter to God. He has a plan, and He's not wasting any time lamenting about what might have been. He's busy making another vessel. HE HAS A PLAN! He sees each of us as a beautiful, useful vessel of honor. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)

MaryMartha

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

Planting for the Future

A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in. ~Greek Proverb

My father was not an old man when he helped plant a row of trees along the south end of the schoolyard where my siblings and I attended our early grades. He was a young father, but he had an eye on the future. He would never enjoy the trees, but he knew his kids would. Now many years later, the tiny saplings are thirty or so feet tall and line the property of the homeowner who converted the schoolhouse into a private dwelling. I wonder if they ever think about the person who planted those big trees so long ago.

There is a lesson about hope here. Planting trees for another generation is not the only action that anticipates the future. We do many things with vision for what lies ahead: we make long-term investments in our homes, in our education, and in our family relationships. We must also take into account what happens if we fail to act in ways that preserve our resources.

If you want a tall tree, the best time to plant it is twenty years ago. The next best time is now. (from a Chinese proverb) If you want a life of integrity, the best time to begin forming it is twenty or thirty or sixty years ago; the next best time would be now. "Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it." (Psalm 34:12-14)

MaryMartha

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

He Cares About You

At one point, many years ago, I faced very difficult life circumstances. These were not passing problems but ongoing hardship and emotional distress until I almost despaired. It was a very dark time, too. I found it hard to pray; it seemed that I was not being heard. I did not find comfort in reading the Bible, and I could not sing. My journey of faith was more like slogging through a swamp than walking on "the King's highway." I had no intention of giving up, but everything was just so difficult.

One day, with no reason for it except God's merciful intervention, the words of I Peter 5:7 came to mind. "He careth for you." (God most often talks to me in King James English, because that is the version of the Bible I had been reading for much of my life.) "He cares for me!" I began to pray again, with renewed confidence that He was concerned about my sorrows. I began to read the Word again with renewed faith that He would strengthen me to carry the load.

If you are in a hard place, sing!

I trust in God wherever I may be,
Upon the land or on the rolling sea,
For, come what may, from day to day,
My heav'nly Father watches over me.

He makes the rose an object of His care,
He guides the eagle thru the pathless air,
And surely He remembers me,
My heav'nly Father watches over me.

The valley may be dark, the shadows deep
But O, The Shepherd guards His lonely sheep;
And thru the gloom, He'll lead me home,
My heav'nly Father watches over me.

Chorus
I trust in God, I know He cares for me,
On mountain bleak or on the stormy sea;
Tho' billows roll, He keeps my soul,
My heav'nly Father watches over me.
--Rev. W. C. Martin, 1910

MaryMartha

You may also want to read "Worrying" here.

Words of the song located at
http://www.namethathymn.com/hymn-lyrics-detective-forum/index.php?a=vtopic&t=105

Under the Circumstances

We use the idiom frequently: "Under the circumstances, I had to leave," or "Under the circumstances, we were not able to attend" and so forth. We understand it to mean "in this situation" or "given these conditions": or "such being the case." But it is a strange way to express that, don't you think? Under the circumstances? As if something is on top of us, preventing action that we would otherwise take.

And that is what caught my attention: the idea of something being on top of us, perhaps even weighing us down. A spell of foul weather. The bus running late. The grocery store out of my brand of coffee. The toddler who can't go to daycare with the sniffles, or I don't feel so good myself. All of these things are "circumstances"—situations, conditions, cases that we have to deal with. And sometimes they get us down. We get under them.

"Rejoice in the Lord always," the Apostle Paul wrote, and for emphasis he added, "I will say it again: Rejoice! . . . Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." (Philippians 4:4, 8)

Yes, the weather is terrible, but it is going to clear tomorrow—or by next week, or whenever. Yes, the bus is late, but when it gets here, I'll get warm again—or cool, as the case may be. Yes, my favorite coffee isn't here, so I'll get this smaller can of Brand B to tide me over—or maybe I'll check at another store. Yes, the baby can't go to Wee Care, so Grandma or one of us will give her a lot of TLC today. Yes, I'm sick but I'm not going to make it harder than it has to be by complaining.

I think sometimes we are afraid to look on the positive, hopeful side of things because we are afraid of being accused of being a Pollyanna. If that seems like a problem, just smile and don't say anything about your reason for doing so! Refuse to be under the circumstances!

MaryMartha

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

Sad Words

You are probably familiar with these lines about sad words. "For of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: 'It might have been!' ” (Maud Miller, John Greenleaf Whittier, 1807-1892) Francis Bret Harte's response to that, in Mrs. Judge Jenkins, is "More sad are these we daily see: 'It is, but hadn’t ought to be.' "

We may get caught in this sadness if we repeat to ourselves over and over, "If only . . . " When children play games, they sometimes extend grace to one another in the form of a do-over, offering another chance to do it right or at least better. Life seldom offers us do-overs, although many times an unlearned lesson is repeated in a somewhat different form; then if we are able to see the similarity and make some changes in our responses to the situation, we may see a happier outcome. Whether we get that opportunity or not, we aren't benefited with too much looking back and lamenting, "If only . . . If we are to enjoy the full use of our mental powers, we cannot re-live the past as if it were today.

It is equally sad to ruin our hopes for what lies ahead by fearfully wondering, "What if . . ." If we were to spend every waking hour imagining our future, we still could not consider every contingency; there are just too many variables. Unless we are actively solving a problem that is certain to present itself, we are borrowing trouble. Jesus reminded us not to do that with these words, "Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes." (Matthew 6:34) Try as we might, we cannot live the future as if it were today.

So that leaves us with the NOW. "Yesterday is history," someone has said. "Tomorrow is mystery. Today is a gift, and that's why it is called the present."

Live your present to the fullest!

MaryMartha

Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 2003 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.
Quotes of Whittier and Harte from http://www.bartleby.com/100/439.html

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

A Dangerous Trap

Only moments before, Jesus' disciple Peter had declared, "You are the Christ, Son of the Living God." For this understanding, Jesus commended him, "You are blessed because this was not revealed to you by any human being, but by my Heavenly Father." Then the Lord began to tell His followers that He must go to Jerusalem where He would suffer and die.

Now Peter took Jesus aside and remonstrated Him. I can just see him swelling up and saying something like, "This won't happen to You! Not if I have anything to say about it!"

Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.” (Matthew 6:23 NLT) Commentators agree that Jesus did not call his friend "Satan." Instead, He recognized in Peter's brash words the devil's attempt to lure Him away from His purpose. This was nothing new: the same Tempter had used the same tactic in the wilderness, "If You are the Son of God, prove Yourself!" And Jesus' answer was the same, "Get out of here, Satan!"

The problem which led to the stern rebuke Peter received was that he was operating out of his natural inclinations. His forgetfulness or his carelessness or his excess of kindness was causing him to see things merely from a human point of view. Of course because we are human, we are going to see things from a human standpoint. But that should not be the only way to look at them. We do have to face the realities of life; we cannot escape difficulties by denying their existence. But to see them only as human problems which must be solved by human efforts is a dangerous trap. It makes us feel like our problem may be the end of the world as we know it! It makes us wonder if our struggle is worth it, or should we just admit defeat? It makes us forget to look for the purpose God may be working through what we are experiencing.

"So we're not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There's far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can't see now will last forever." (II Corinthians 4:16-18 MSG)

MaryMartha

Scripture quotation marked NLT is taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved. Scripture marked MSG is taken from The Message. Copyright © 2003 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

Recovery Specialists

A few weeks ago, this area of our state endured a really cold winter blast lasting several days. Night temperatures were below zero and daytime's were only a few degrees above. The water company warned customers to protect the pipes in their homes and businesses, but for some people that caution was too little or too late.

On my way home from work one afternoon, I saw two large trucks parked outside the home of a neighbor down the street. "Recovery Specialists" was lettered on the vehicles, and I re-constructed the scenario. Pipes froze and burst during the extreme cold, then when warmer days returned so did the flow of water: soaking the floor, dripping through the ceilings perhaps, ruining carpets and damaging the owner's possessions. What a mess!

I have been thinking about the ultimate recovery specialist. Jesus said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.” (Luke 4:18, 19) The world needs a recovery specialist. As first created, it was good; God declared that it was. But because the people He formed in His own image had choices, the possibility of things going wrong existed. And they did. Knowing this would happen, God planned from the very beginning to provide the way to recover what was damaged. He would send His Son.

Not only the world in general, but people as individuals need the recovery specialist. We need the Good News of salvation that Jesus brought. We need release from our bondages, understanding for our blind spots, freedom from the things that overburden us. We need to experience God's favor, seeing Him through the Son as our loving Father. We are not equipped to do this on our own. We need to call in the "specialist."

Bend down, O Lord, and hear my prayer; answer me, for I need your help. Protect me, for I am devoted to you. Save me, for I serve you and trust you. You are my God. Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I am calling on you constantly. Give me happiness, O Lord, for I give myself to you. O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help. Listen closely to my prayer, O Lord; hear my urgent cry. I will call to you whenever I’m in trouble, and you will answer me.

Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you. With all my heart I will praise you, O Lord my God. I will give glory to your name forever, for your love for me is very great. You have rescued me from the depths of death. (Psalm 86:1-7, 11-13)

He is always ready to respond. No extra charge for nights or weekends.

MaryMartha

Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved.

Art from http://wwwlsxc.hu/

Cross Words

There are several meanings for the term "cross words."

4 There are cross words, as in angry or frustrated expressions. To the dog, "Get out of my way, you stupid mutt." Or to the driver (who incidentally cannot hear you) who zooms around you on the freeway entrance, "Are you nuts?" Or to the third-grader at your house, "I don't see why you can't tell me ahead of time that you need to bring an empty cereal box to your classroom this morning!"

4 Then there are cross words, as in crossword puzzles. I happen to be a fan of a certain cruciverbalist's creations. (And no, I didn't make up that word!)

4 And finally there are cross words as in the ones that are always "cross-wise," spoken contrarily to what someone else has said.

"It's really nice out today. I'm enjoying the sunshine."
Yes, but just wait. You can't rely on more than a day or so of decent weather in January.

"I hear the XYZ Company is hiring. I think I'll check it out."
Sure, go ahead. You know there are going to be sixty people applying for their two positions.

"I'm finally feeling better. I've had a hard time getting rid of this bronchitis."
Well, my sister-in-law went back to work too soon and ended up with pneumonia.

"Lou's in a good mood today."
Yeah, but it won't last. It's probably the calm before the storm.

"Did you see the game last night? It was really something!"
Well, that coach oughta be producing, as much as he's being paid.

These cross-words speakers would never use bad language. They might not even use angry or frustrated expressions like those mentioned above. They wouldn't criticize others or say things that put them down. They wouldn't brag on themselves or make favorable comparisons between their children or grandkids and yours. But they are just so negative!

Don't make room for gloom and doom! "Speak encouraging words to one another. Build up hope so you'll all be together in this [life in Christ], no one left out, no one left behind. I know you're already doing this; just keep on doing it." (I Thessalonians 5:11 MSG) Aptly spoken words are lovely, a Bible proverb tells us, like apples of gold in frames of silver!

MaryMartha

Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 2003 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

Room for the New

For many people, the ending of the present year and the approach of the new signals a time for assessing one's progress—or the lack thereof. I suppose that if I were to gather all my old plans from years past and all the resolutions I was not successful at keeping, I would be overwhelmed! I could not possibly consider adding any new plans or goals because I would be so busy trying to re-do something from the past.

There is something to be said for persistence and for making another attempt at a previous goal. We must take into consideration, though, whether or not the old plan or aim is still appropriate. Does it fit our present life? Children outgrow their clothes, toys, and playroom furniture; sometimes we adults outgrow an ambition or a need or even a relationship. Trying to force ourselves into feeling the way we once did is something like trying to force a six-year-old to enjoy the rattle he liked when he/she was a few months old. Attempting to force-fit our lives into something we've outgrown is like trying to force the child into shoes that are too small. They simply don't fit any longer.

Is it failure to lay aside temporarily something we once thought was important—or even to give up on it entirely? Not necessarily. We can give our best attention to only a certain number of things. Circumstances change, and priorities can change. What was top-of-the-list a few years ago may be further down now, perhaps still on the list but not above everything else. We may decide that reading with the children comes before an immaculate house, and paying off the credit cards is more important than buying a new car but not as necessary as "Y" membership, and so on.

The coming of the New Year is a good time to re-evaluate our priorities. Let's not be bogged down with old plans so that we can leave room for the new!

MaryMartha

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

The Government on His Shoulders

"For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end." (Isaiah 9:6, 7)

If there are things about our government that trouble you, if you worry about our posture as a nation, if you fret about the world's "isms"—terrorism, humanism, socialism, and so on—remember that government finally rests and surely upon the shoulders of our God. For a time, He has given authority to the rulers of the world's nations, and eventually their rule will be over. His government will never end, but come to its full revelation when "at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:10, 11) Until then, don't be afraid!

Martin Luther wrote the great Reformation hymn, "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God." One of the verses says, "That word [the name, Jesus] above all earthly powers—no thanks to them—abideth. The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him who with us sideth. Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also. The body they may kill; God's truth abideth still. His Kingdom is forever!"

Rejoice! The Savior, Redeemer, Governor has come!

MaryMartha

Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved.

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

Living by Faith

Living by faith is not some mystical attainment achieved by a few super-spiritual folks who have "God in their pocket." It is a comforting, everyday reality—trusting in a God who cares and is accessible and is still in charge. Others have led the way for us.

"Each one of these people of faith . . .

Abel,
Enoch,
Noah,
Abraham and Sarah,
Isaac, Jacob, and
Joseph,
Moses,
The Israelites,
Rehab of Jericho,
Gideon, Barak, and
Samson,
Jephtha,
David,
Samuel,
The prophets

. . . died not yet having in hand what was promised, but still believing. How did they do it? They saw it way off in the distance, waved their greeting, and accepted the fact that they were transients in this world. People who live this way make it plain that they are looking for their true home . . . You can see why God is so proud of them, and has a City waiting for them." (Hebrews 11:13-16)

Sometimes we can see a long way off what we are hoping to become. We get little glimpses of the persons we would be if only we did not have this problem or that weakness or some other hurting place in us. If only . . .

And then, sometimes we cannot see at all yet who we will become in God's order of things. Wait! He's saying something to you . . .

Perhaps you have not heard that often enough in your lifetime. Perhaps you have not had the confidence to say it to yourself. Believe that as you walk in faith with God, He is saying it to you!

So then, "Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item . . ." (Hebrews 12:2, 3)

It will be worth it all, when we see Jesus! You may enjoy reading "Trophies of Grace" [here].

MaryMartha

Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 2003 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Comforters

My mother used to make comforters, two or more for every bed occupied by the six of us children. I remember the flannel, usually in somber stripes, being laid out on the big dining room table. On top of this, Mama laid a thick layer of batting and covered that with a second flannel. The edges were stitched on the sewing machine, and the whole was tied in a neat, squared-off pattern with colored yarn. We saw no particular value in handmade items, because that was all we knew. In those days, it would never have occurred to us to purchase a quilt or comforter. Now I would gladly exchange my bright floral bed covering stitched in a flowing pattern for one of those old tied comforters, just because they are so—comforting!

The very word "comfort" brings to my mind being secure, even enclosed—like being wrapped up in the comforter my mother had made. "Are you comfortable?" someone asks us, and yes, we feel an atmosphere of warmth and safety and ease. "I'm not comfortable with that," we protest in some situation, and it may be because we feel uncertain or exposed. A parent offers the safety of their arms to the child who is injured, or a friend puts an arm around us when we are hurting; they are giving comfort.

God too provides comfort. In fact, one of the Trinity is specifically assigned the job description of "Comforter." Various Bible translations give descriptive names for this person: Friend, Advocate, Encourager, Counselor, Helper, Strengthener, Standby. The Greek paraklētos literally means "called to one's side," capable and ready to give aid. However, God does not comfort us just so we can be comfortable, but so that we become comforters too—friends, encouragers, helpers, ready to give aid.

The Apostle Paul wrote, "God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you." (II Corinthians 1:3-6)

Our experiences of difficulty are not wasted, for when God gives us strength and encouragement, He then can use us to help another person who is weak or discouraged. The movie script writers were not the first to come up with the idea of "paying it forward"!

MaryMartha

The movie reference is to the 2000 feature, "Pay It Forward," based on the novel of the same name. A student's project to "change the world" involves not paying back the person who has helped you, but instead paying it forward to other people.

The Scripture quotation is taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved.

Pomp and Circumstance

A few mornings ago, I heard on a radio station which plays classical music the stirring "Pomp and Circumstance." It's stirring because it usually reminds us of processioning down the aisle of an auditorium for a graduation ceremony, although in my case, it was across a football field in the blazing sun. I cried tears of sheer relief after the commencement exercises were over and I had my degree in hand. The four years of commuting to another city for graduate studies was over, work that I had done while holding a full-time job and being a single parent. I was not awarded any special honors, but I didn't care. It was enough to have "finished the course and kept the faith"!

I am reminded of an often-repeated story, told with varying details, but this is how I remember having heard it when I was very young. An elderly preacher, now in ill health, was returning to the States after many years of service in Africa. As the ship approached the harbor, he saw a huge crowd gathered. He was nearly overwhelmed by the thought of so many honoring him for his almost-unnoticed work for the Kingdom of God. "Oh my, what a welcome!" he thought.

As the ship docked, however, he saw that the signs being held up said, "Welcome home, Mr. President!" Theodore Roosevelt was returning from an African safari, and the missionary happened to be on the same ship. With sinking heart, he realized that the crowd was not for himself; in fact, he was to discover that not one single person was there to greet and honor him. The veteran missionary turned to God in his bitter disappointment. "Lord, I have served you faithfully all these years. No one seems to care that I have given everything—even my health—for the sake of the Gospel. Couldn't there have been even one person here to welcome me home?" And he heard the comforting voice of the Spirit of God, "But just wait. You're not Home yet!"

What a day that will be! Graduation! Commencement! Homecoming! "Welcome home!" Perhaps even, "Congratulations!" All of those rolled into one. And most of all, the words of our Savior, "Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord." (Matthew 25:23 KJV)

MaryMartha

My Ebenezer

I have several favorite places at the country retreat where I have just spent a week. One is an open, grassy space near the lake. Three crosses on the other side stand in sharp contrast against the summer sky. How can I not worship?

Not far away, there is a "post rock," standing upright and alone, so-called because of its history. A thin layer of limestone (10-12" usually) lies near the earth's surface in the central part of the Smoky Hills region of Kansas. Early settlers found few trees here to construct fences and buildings, so they were forced to locate alternate materials. They soon discovered that blocks from this limestone bed suited their needs. Some of the fences they made are still standing, a hundred years or so later. With wood and steel now readily available for building fences, most of the "post rock" quarried today is used for decorative purposes. Like my "Ebenezer."

In the Old Testament, we are told of an attack the Philistines were planning against the children of Israel who were encamped at Mizpah. The Israelites were badly frightened and begged Samuel to intercede for them with God. While Samuel was sacrificing the appropriate burnt offering, the enemy approached to engage Israel in battle. But in answer to Samuel's prayer, the Lord thundered loudly and threw them into a panic. The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them as they ran away. Then Samuel took a large stone and set it up near Mizpah. He named it Ebenezer (literally meaning, "stone of help") and declared, "Thus far has the LORD helped us." (See I Samuel 7:7-12)

On a number of occasions, I have paused by this particular post rock, embraced it, and called it "Ebenezer." It reminds me of how far I have come with God's help, and though there is still a long way to go, it assures me of His continued help.

"Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Here by Thy great help I’ve come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home."
--from "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing" by Robert Robinson, 1757

MaryMartha

One Pebble at a Time

I was thinking last evening about what I am accomplishing for the Kingdom of God—actually, about what a little bit I seem to be accomplishing, and I was somewhat disheartened by my evaluation. Then I remembered an old story, or maybe God reminded me! It's one of Aesop's fables, "The Crow and the Pitcher."

The Crow and the Pitcher

A Crow, half-dead with thirst, came upon a Pitcher which had once been full of water; but when the Crow put its beak into the mouth of the Pitcher he found that only very little water was left in it, and that he could not reach far enough down to get at it. He tried, and he tried, but at last had to give up in despair. Then a thought came to him, and he took a pebble and dropped it into the Pitcher. Then he took another pebble and dropped it into the Pitcher. Then he took another pebble and dropped that into the Pitcher. Then he took another pebble and dropped that into the Pitcher. Then he took another pebble and dropped that into the Pitcher. Then he took another pebble and dropped that into the Pitcher. At last, at last, he saw the water mount up near him, and after casting in a few more pebbles he was able to quench his thirst and save his life.

Little by little does the trick.

I'm not comparing myself or anyone else to a crow, but the lesson is clear to me. Nothing I do is on a grand scale, nor does it need to be. Bit by bit, one "pebble" at a time, I will keep my faith-witness alive and clear, and one day the Water of Life will rise in the pitcher until some thirsty person can have a drink.

MaryMartha

Pollyanna, FDR, and the Psalmist

When I was young, I read and re-read the Pollyanna books. Written in 1913 by Eleanor H. Porter, the first book introduced Pollyanna's "Glad Game," which consisted of finding something to be glad about in every situation. When, instead of the doll Pollyanna had hoped for, a pair of crutches arrived in the Christmas gift barrel, her minister father made up the game—in this case, be glad for the crutches "because we don't need them!" Her name has been used so often to describe untiringly cheerful people that it has entered into our common language as a term for being excessively optimistic! Scholars and writers and politicians use "the Pollyanna principle" to describe people who unfailingly look on the bright side and hope for the best, regardless of how things look.

The perpetually happy little girl in the series has been given—unfairly, I think—a reputation of foolishness by those who might prefer to predict doom! She is actually in very good company. President Franklin D. Roosevelt had a motto in the Oval Office of the White House: "Let unconquerable gladness dwell." Is that an admonition? A goal? A prayer? Whatever the intended message, it was not mere foolishness. It reflected the hope and determination of our national leader during a bleak time in American history. FDR faced crises on both the home front and an international level, and he did so with bold optimism.

David expressed gladness in many of his songs. "I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice. My body rests in safety. (Psalm 6:8, 9 NLT) "For you make me glad by your deeds, O LORD; I sing for joy at the works of your hands." (92:4 NIV) "May all who search for you be filled with joy and gladness in you. May those who love your salvation repeatedly shout, “The Lord is great!” (40:16 NLT) "Let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. (Psalm 5:11 NIV)

Gladness is not just a game, although Pollyanna had a great idea. Gladness is not just a motto to live by, although that's worthwhile too. Gladness is a God-thing.

MaryMartha

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.