Got Fleas?

"God does not have problems. Only plans." Those words were proclaimed by Corrie ten Boom when a clerical error allowed her to be released from a Nazi concentration camp one week before all women prisoners her age were executed. This morning I heard part of a message being shared by a pastor on television. He was talking about thankfulness - even in hard circumstances.

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV84).

Corrie ten Boom and her family spent time in concentration camps  for sheltering, hiding and assisting Jews and members of the Dutch resistance during World War II (and most family members lost their lives). The pastor shared that one of the barracks where Corrie and her sister, Betsie, were sent was infested with fleas.  Shorty after her arrival, Corrie began a bible study/ prayer time for the women imprisoned with her.  They marveled at how openly the Nazi's allowed them to teach and pray. In fact, none of the guards would go near that barracks because of the flea infestation!

Corrie and Betsie spent 10 months in three different prisons, the last being the infamous Ravensbruck concentration camp located near Berlin, Germany. Life in the camp was almost unbearable, but Corrie and Betsie spent their time sharing Jesus' love with their fellow prisoners. Many women became Christians in that terrible place because of Corrie and Betsie's witness to them.

Thankful? Oh my goodness! We (I) all too easily and too often complain about our circumstances. The TV pastor said, "You're broke? Refuse to be broke! You're sick? Refuse to be sick! Choose to be thankful!

Got fleas? Be grateful it's not worse! Thank God! Because He could be protecting you. No--he IS protecting you--saving you from something worse, for something else.


"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).


Blessings on your journey,
Mary

Not Ordinary, Not Insignificant

Sometimes a thought or even a full-blown idea pops into my head!  This morning on my way to work, the words, "Not Ordinary, Not Insignificant" kept coming to mind. 

My "take" on these incidences is that God wants me to minister to someone -- whether I know who the someone is or not. The important point is that God wants me to minister.  So . . . here goes!

There are no doubt times/ situations/ people that can make us feel insignificant; when we consider the world's apparent definition of beauty/ success that we decide we are "just ordinary."  Well, the world is wrong and the situations in which you find yourself are illusory and passing. You are NOT ordinary by any stretch of the imagination. And you are certainly NOT insignificant!

You were planned, hoped for, longed for, perfectly and exactly created in God's image and according to His plan and purpose!  Perhaps I am speaking to my own past self!  There have been times I did and said things I now regret -- at times when I felt my significance was dependent upon the approval of someone or some others. That was before I realized I am neither ordinary nor insignificant.  How do I know this about myself and about you?  We are "fearfully and wonderfully made!

^"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." (Psalm 139:13-16 NIV).

Do not for one minute believe what the world tells you! Don't listen to people who mean to bring you down to make themselves feel elevated.  Don't believe what you see in the media!  You are a fearfully and wonderfully made creation of the divine God!

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will" (Romans 12:2 NIV).

What you say and do is important. What you think and believe is significant.  There is not a single "ordinary" thing about you or your existence.  You are important in this world and for this world!

You are not ordinary, not insignificant.  Speak up, speak out, live out loud! God believes you are not ordinary - but special; not insignificant - but of great value and with tremendous purpose.

Cross references:

1. Psalm 139:13 : Ps 119:73
2. Psalm 139:13 : S Job 10:11
3. Psalm 139:13 : Isa 44:2, 24; 46:3; 49:5; Jer 1:5
4. Psalm 139:14 : Ps 119:164; 145:10
5. Psalm 139:14 : S Job 40:19
6. Psalm 139:15 : Ecc 11:5
7. Psalm 139:15 : S Job 10:11
8. Psalm 139:15 : S Ps 63:9

"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 NIV).


Blessings on your journey,
Mary

A Divine and Glorious Purpose

This week has been an exhausting one - physically, and especially, emotionally! Monday I attented/helped with guests at a memorial service for a 14 year old young man from our church.

Tuesday, those of us who are Stephen Ministers met with a Ministry leadership group to process our feelings and also, most importantly, to process how we can help the mom (who is attending Stephen Ministry training). It was an incredible blessing to participate in the session with a group of individuals with whom I could be authentic and honest about my feelings--and I know the others shared that opinion as well.

Wednesday night I had already scheduled to meet with my Care Receiver. I was so tired and worn out, that I spent the entire day barely hanging on in order to have the strength and energy to be present for my care receiver. I won't say I dreaded the meeting but was feeling pretty zapped. In the end, I was so blessed to have the opportunity to minister to my friend. I actually ended up feeling refreshed and renewed. It is truly a blessing to be a blessing to others.

Today I felt rested and somewhat uplifted. It has been a gorgeous day, temperate and sunny. I never cease to be amazed by God's beauty. I also, though, never cease to question His will, His plans for each of us. Why does one child, gravely ill and at death's door make a full recovery, and another die suddenly. What is the lesson? Where is the purpose?

I don't believe these "random" events are random. I do believe God is in control and has a divine and glorious purpose for every experience we have. Not understanding His plan doesn't make me trust and believe any less. Strangley, I find myself clinging even more tightly to His promises--to the truth of Jesus Christ.

For me, it is the only option--to trust and believe--even though I don't understand.

"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 NIV).

Blessings on your journey,

Mary

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

I watched the sun rise and the snow begin Monday morning! Such beauty. As the snowflakes grew in size and began to fall in earnest, I read an update on a "miracle" we have watched unfold on a CaringBridge page of a child who I knew briefly while the family attended our
church.

I compared my desperate prayers for healing for her to my current prayers of utter joy and thanksgiving that things have gone as they have! This child's parents have modeled utter and complete faith, humility, grace and courage in the face of this near-tragedy and continue to do so now through the healing process.

I've decided to spend less time watching election coverage, "news" about the rich and famous behaving badly. It's not about politics. It's not about begrudging anyone money, fame or success. It's about dividing my time, energy, mind and heart. It's about edging out Jesus in exchange for things that have no eternal value or significance. Yes, the election matters and I'm not going to ignore the process. I'm just not going to spend so much time focusing on it (No easy task for this “politics junkie!”)

I've had a wild and crazy--and wonderful past few weeks! I am striving every day to live Christmas into the world. Sometimes I fall far short. Other times I think (hope) I've succeeded. The beauty of God's grace is that - like the snow that now is falling in earnest -- it covers up all the ugly places with beauty, purity and peace.

I rejoice that God's grace pours out to cover me. I thank God that He cares enough to gently nudge me to refocus on Him and His purpose for my life. Most of all I am humbled to be called His child.

"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. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you" (Jeremiah 29:11-12 NIV).

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.
(Helen H. Lemmel)



Blessings on your journey,
Mary

Jehovah-Tsidkenu

“‘The days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will fulfill the good promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah. “‘In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: The LORD Our Righteous Savior’" (Jeremiah 33:14-17 NIV).

The book of Jeremiah was written almost 700 years before the birth of Christ! The Lord revealed to him that "the days are coming." To me this speaks to the fact that God's timing is His own - and not for us to understand! It also prompts me to reframe my concept of patience. When I ask God to answer a prayer I, in all honestly, hope/expect/want immediate response!

How do we wait patiently without losing hope that God hears us and/or will answer our prayer?

" For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans" (Romans 8:24-26 NIV).

while it is a blessed thing to know that Christ is Jehovah and that as a man he is Righteousness, the great joy of this name lies in the fact that Christ is THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS (I Cor. 1:30-31). The Lord Jesus Christ is our righteousness for justification. . . His work, only his work, without any contribution whatsoever from us, makes us righteous in the sight of God. God looks upon all who believe as though the life which Christ lived had been lived by us. He graciously accepts, blesses, and rewards us as though all that Christ has done had been done by us, his believing people. God so perfectly imputes the righteousness of Christ to us that we are called by this very name (Jer. 33:15-16).

This is how we know God will answer our prayers - in His time and on His terms. Our Jehovah-Tsidkenu makes us worthy to approach God with our prayers. Jesus won us the right to even approach the throne. These verses from Jeremiah remind us that God is faithful.

So pour out your prayers to God. Because His son, OUR righteousness, is worthy, we are worthy to pray.

Blessings on your journey,

Mary