Broken People

                                                                   

 

“Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought. But rather think of yourself with sober judgment in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.”  Romans 12: 3 (NIV)

 

“Oh no! Oh no! What happened?” The cashier at Aldi’s sounded alarmed as she shouted in a voice loud enough to attract the attention of all the shoppers in the front of the store. And she was looking directly at me!  Did I make a mistake loading my groceries on the conveyor belt? Did I knock something over?  For a brief moment I forgot that I had a black eye. And that my black eye was colorful enough to rival that of a prize fighter!

 

No, I had not gotten into a fight. My story is less dramatic. I wasn’t paying attention,

stubbed my toe on a tiny curb, and fell forward. By God’s grace, I was not seriously injured. The worst of my injuries was a bump on my forehead which quickly became bruised. Since I have bangs, the bruise wasn’t  noticeable. It is a little embarrassing to trip and fall. I considered not telling anyone about it. That plan was doomed for failure! A few days later, the bruising on my forehead traveled downward, leaving me with a black eye that was impossible to hide. With my fair skin, I knew that my black eye would remain for weeks and weeks. At that moment, I had two choices: I could hide in my house and shut the door for 4 or 5 weeks…or I could swallow my pride and tell everyone about my fall.

 

And so began a season of my life where I (an introvert who doesn’t like to call attention to herself) became the center of attention everywhere I went. The people who asked about my eye, friends and strangers alike, were compassionate and genuinely concerned about me. And I heard story after story after story about how that person or a family members fell. Falling flat on your face appears to be much more common than I had previously thought! Indeed, as humans, we are all prone to stumble.

 

Stumbling and falling is true spiritually as well as physically. A popular contemporary Christian song by Danny Gokey and Koran Hawthorne says: “We’re all broken people. We all need Jesus.” That is true for salvation, and it is also true for our day to day struggles. No one is perfect.  So, why do we so often pretend to “have our act together”? 

 

After the black eye emerged, I was forced to swallow my pride and tell people about my fall. I was met with kind, encouraging words. It was good to commiserate with others who had similar experiences.

 

Likewise, whenever I have humbled myself and shared an inner struggle with a trusted friend, I have been met with kindness and encouragement. Frequently, that person had a similar experience to share. Most importantly, my friend now knew how to pray for me.  

 

As Romans 12:3 says, we are not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought. Indeed, we are all “broken people.” We all need Jesus, and we all need one another.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Give Thanks

                                                                   

 

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever.” Psalm 136:1

 

As Thanksgiving approaches, we are reminded to give thanks.  For many of us, complaining comes more easily than thanking. Our minds can be so consumed with negative thoughts that blessings are often overlooked. 

 

A few years ago, I was challenged to make a gratitude list during the month of November. Every day I wrote down 5 things I was thankful for.  The list had to be different each day. The first few days were easy. After that, coming up with 5 new things was a challenge.

 

I began to ask God every morning to show me 5 new blessings in the day ahead. Every new day became a kind of treasure hunt. My eyes and ears were on alert to notice good things. Once I started looking for blessings, I began to see them everywhere!

 

My heart overflowed with thankfulness, and Thanksgiving Day took on a whole new meaning.

 

Let me present the same challenge to each of you. Use the month of November to make a gratitude list. Ask God to show you new blessings each day. May November be a time of “treasure hunting” for blessings.  And may each of you have the best Thanksgiving ever!

Morning Coffee

                                                     Morning Coffee 

 

It started out like any other morning. Groggy from sleep, I made my way into the kitchen and pushed the button on the coffee maker... Nothing happened. No dripping sound. No pleasant aroma of coffee brewing. Nothing. I unplugged and replugged the machine. I pushed the button several times. Nothing.

 

There are two types of people in the world. Some readers are now thinking that this is not a big deal. But for those who are die-hard coffee drinkers, the thought of no morning coffee falls a little short of being a tragic event. I fall into the latter category. Several years ago, a similar event occurred. I responded then by getting dressed, driving to Walmart, buying a coffee maker, returning home and making my morning coffee. 

 

This year, however, the Walmart drive was not an option. I was home, recovering from hip surgery and was not driving. Nor could I think of anyone I could call at 6 am to run to Walmart for a coffee maker purchase. Not only that, but I had a busy day ahead. My first day of outpatient PT was scheduled, and I wanted to be at my best. “How will I ever make it through the day?” my sleepy 6 am self asked.

 

Sipping on a cup of green tea, I sat in my comfortable chair and opened the You Version Bible to read the verse of the day. Isaiah 26:4 says: “Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord Himself, is the Rock eternal.” I was immediately convicted that I had no reason to say “How will I ever make it through the day?” The Lord, the powerful God who created heaven and earth, was my Rock. The Lord Himself was beckoning for me to depend on Him. The steady Rock desired for me to lean on Him. I might not have my morning coffee. But I could lean on God, and He would help me make  through the day. The wonderful thing about our Lord is that He is not only the Rock. He is the Rock eternal. I will never wake up in the morning and find that He is not there. I will never wake up and find that He cannot strengthen me for the day ahead. I will never have a morning when He is not eager to hear my prayers. He is a trustworthy God who never fails. 

 

In case you are wondering, my first day of outpatient PT went very well, and I am looking forward to improved strength and mobility.

 

And for my coffee loving readers, I am happy to report that Amazon delivered a new coffee maker that very same day.

 

 I am ever happier to report that our Lord, the Rock eternal, was faithful to me that day. And He promises to continue to be faithful for the rest of my life. What a wonderful God we serve!

 

 

Stir

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First I crack the egg, then stir it, put in onions and mushrooms, then stir it again. My favorite breakfast is ready to be cooked. One of my first actions of the day is to “stir up” the egg and vegetables. The result is delicious and nutritious! 

Recently, I came across two Bible verses using the words “stir up”. In the book of Haggai, the people were called to rebuild the Temple, the house of the Lord.  Haggai 1:14 states that “The Lord stirred up the spirit” of various key people to begin this building process. This stirring up by the Lord prompted them to take action.

On a very different note, the expression “stir up” is used in 1 Kings 21:25: “But there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness in the sight of the Lord, because Jezebel his wife stirred him up.” Ahab allowed the influence of his wife Jezebel to stir up the sinful nature in him. This resulted in him performing wicked actions throughout his reign.

Inside of us are two natures. We have a sinful nature.  As Christians, we also have a spiritual nature. The Lord stands ready to “stir up” the spirit within us to do His good work. Individuals like Jezebel with evil intentions, also stand ready to “stir up” the sinful nature to perform wicked deeds. We have a choice. Will we allow God to “stir up” the spirit within us? Or, will we allow others to “stir up” the sinful nature in us?

Lord, I pray that You would stir up Your Spirit within me and cause my life to be used of You for good.

 

Elijah - A Flawed “Super Hero”

 

                                                      

Much of Elijah’s life presents like that of a Biblical  superhero. He was fed by ravens during a time of drought.  God caused the widow’s limited supply of flour and oil to last until the drought ended. When the widow’s son died, Elijah prayed and the boy was restored to life.  Elijah confronted the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel, and the Lord sent fire from heaven.  Elijah prayed for rain, and God sent rain to end the drought.

If the Biblical narrative  ended there we would have viewed Elijah not only as a man of great faith but also as a “superhero “ of the Bible.

But the narrative does not end there. After the victory on Mount Carmel and the miraculous rain from heaven, we next see Elijah overcome with fear as he learns that Jezebel has threatened his life.  Elijah runs for his life then sits under a broom tree, wanting to die.

Why was this account included in Scripture? It would have made for a better story if the people of Jezreel welcomed Elijah home with a parade in his honor, then he lived happily ever after! The Bible, however , is not a book about superheroes  but about real men and women. And real men and women, no matter how godly, falter at times. 

God’s response to Elijah is precious. As Elijah sat under the broom tree, discouraged and dejected, God did not scold him for his unbelief. Instead, God tenderly gave him food to eat and water to drink, then allowed him to rest under the tree.  

The Lord then led him to Mount Horeb where He revealed Himself to Elijah.  He did so not through wind or earthquake or fire.  The powerful God of the universe chose to meet Elijah in “a still small voice.” (1 Kings 19:12). When Elijah was at his lowest point physically, emotionally and spiritually, God reached out to him with tender mercy and kindness.

No, the Bible is not about superheroes whose lives we futilely strive to imitate.   It is about a God who works through everyday men and women . It is about a God who knows our frailty and loves us anyway.

Yes, I do enjoy reading about how the ravens fed Elijah by the brook and how the widow’s son was restored to life and how fire came down on Mount Carmel. But  for me,  the best part of the story is  when the Sovereign God of the Universe reached down and tenderly cared for Elijah at his weakness moment, then gently restored him back to wholeness.  

A Cheerful Greeting

                                                               

“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up bones.” Proverbs 17:22(NIV)

“And how are you on this fine day?”  Those words were spoken by a MacDonald’s server. She looked each customer in the eye and greeted each person with warmth.

At that time, I was working in home health. Often, I would go into a fast food restaurant, grab a cup of coffee, and work on notes. I was having a bad day.  I don’t remember the specifics, but I do remember feeling weary, discouraged, and stressed. As I stood in line, I listened to the server greeting each successive customer. My mood began to lift and my stress began to decline. When it was my turn to be served, I could honestly say, “I am doing just fine. Thanks for asking”.

Ten years have passed since that day, but whenever I drive past that MacDonalds I still remember the server. I often wonder why I would think about someone whom I encountered so briefly so long ago. Every day, we all interact with strangers in restaurants, stores, and other places of business. Most employees have been trained to say “How are you?” and “Have a good day”. Many times, these words are spoken mindlessly, but this server sounded sincere. She seemed to view each customer as an individual. On that particular day, I needed someone to look me in the eye and to greet me with warmth. Perhaps, because my day was so dark, her greeting seemed to be so bright. It was a brief moment. I wouldn’t say that it was life changing, but it did change one day of my life. 

It also impacted the way I interact with the strangers I encounter in restaurants, stores, and other places of business. I will never know the details of their lives. I will never know their joys or hopes or heartaches. But I do know that the person behind the counter is precious in God’s eyes. I can’t change that person’s life, but I can choose to look the person in the eye when I speak to them. I can choose to speak kindly and cheerfully as I conduct my business. Even a little warmth on an ordinary day may be enough to lift a mood or decrease a stress level. In a small way, a warm greeting on an ordinary day can communicate the love of God to a stranger.

Growth

                                                                      

The little girl stands tall as her grandmother holds a ruler on her head, marks the wall, and writes today’s date. The child excitedly looks at the mark.  How much has she grown since last year? Some years the line moves up a little, other years it moves up a lot. But every year, the child grows. A healthy child is a growing child. 

For most of us, physical growth ended years ago.  But other areas of growth have no expiration date.  We are never too old to learn. We are never too old to change. For Christians, we are never too old to grow in our walk with the Lord.

As I entered my senior years, I found an unlikely Bible verse to be an encouragement.  2Corinthians 4:16  says: “ Do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.” As we age, our body parts become weaker. Some of us even require replacement parts! At the same time, this season in life can also be a time of rich spiritual growth as we seek the Lord day by day. Our spiritual growth has no expiration date - no matter how many candles are on the cake or how many body parts have been replaced! Let us celebrate our walk with the Lord that only grows richer as time goes on.