With Him..in Heaven

"For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him." I Thessalonians 5: 9-10

Good morning, dear friends,

Photo: alexvan

It was an unusual Sunday for me yesterday on Facebook.  Usually Sunday is a quiet day on Facebook, as people are at church or with family or catching up on the hundreds of odds and ends that get shoved there until the last possible moment on the weekend.

Yesterday, however, there were a lot of people talking...and it was very sad.

Announcement after announcement of people who left this life, to begin another.  There were many family members solliciting prayers, well wishes, and kind thoughts of comfort as family and friends of those left behind grieve and remember their all-too-brief time together here on earth.

My heart is burdened for you, and trust me when I assure you of my prayers and love.

My husband just yesterday preached on the subject of heaven, and the time when each person, whether by death or by the rapture (that moment when God removes His church from this earth) will enter their eternal home.  Here are some of the thoughts that remained with me from yesterday's message, that I hope will be a comfort to you as well:

My relationship with God is a permanent one.  Right now, as a Christian here on earth, I claim a relationship with God through His salvation offered to me on the cross.  There was a day when I realized that I was not good enough to please God in the life I was living, and I asked God to save me from my sins.  From that moment, I entered into a relationship with my God and Creator:  He became my Father and I became His child.  This relationship, however imperfect here on earth, will be perfected the day that I enter into His presence in heaven, where I will see Him and finally understand the wonderfullness of His perfection and love.  Only then will I truly understand the miracle that a perfect loving God would want to have anything to do with a fallen creation like myself.  How great is His love, and how compassionate was His sacrifice for me!

The greatest glory of heaven will be enjoying God's presence, forever!  One passage that my husband referred to yesterday was I Thessalonians 5:9-10:  "For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him."  Heaven will be a wonderful place, and I cannot wait to explore its beauty, revel in the fellowship of others who have gone on before me, and enjoy the blessings of eternal rest.  These however will not hold a candle to being with God forever!  I will see Him face to face, and finally be able to enjoy a relationship with Him not marred with failure and temptation.  I will revel in His goodness, praise His wonderful works, and that for all eternity!

I must confess, that I cringe a little here on earth when I hear well-meaning people say that they can live however they want to here on earth, because in the end, God will accept them into heaven anyway.  If I do not enjoy being with God here on earth, talking with Him here, praying to Him here, praising Him here, reading His Word here, why would it be any different for me once I am dead?  To be in heaven is to be "with Him," forever!  The relationship that I will one day enjoy with Him in heaven, I will enjoy with Him because I became His here on earth.

One day, I will be perfect!  I get so tired of my failures and mistakes in this life, don't you?  One day, it will all be finished.  I will arrive in heaven, and finally get it.  I will understand the riches and fulness of God's glory.  I will not struggle with my flesh.  On this earth, God calls me to "walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more." (I Thessalonians 4:1)  One day, however, that job description will be finished.  I will not have to strive to be more like Christ.  I will be like Him in His perfection, the moment I enter His presence!  What a wonderful day that will be!

For those of us grieving over a loved one, may God comfort and encourage us today: His love is real and eternal, and God desires us to be with Him, forever.  If you are not sure how to enter into this wonderful relationship with Him, I encourage you to read the page at the top of this blog, "Home Away from Home," which details my journey to know God and to be with Him.

Praying for so many today....

Tunnel Vision

"And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness..." (Joel 2:13)

Good morning, dear friends,

Everyone can tell you where they were, and what they were doing.  My dad would often talk about the day that Kennedy was shot, and how for many years, everyone could remember exactly where they were and what they were doing when JFK was shot.  I was always amazed that one event could so mark a generation.

And then 9/11/2001 happened.

And now, I remember exactly where I was, and what I was doing.

Juliana was a very small baby.  She had a checkup at the doctors and there had been some complications.  She was not putting on very much weight and the doctors were concerned.  They were talking about different possibilities for her, and I was very concerned with new-mom stress.  After all, no one likes to hear that their baby is not doing well.  I remember walking back to the house with her, anxious to share this burden with my husband and to figure out what we were going to do.

As soon as I walked into our apartment, Carey called me over to him:  "Hon, you're not going to believe this..."

And he was right:  I didn't. I sank to the couch in horror, and suddenly my small worries about my child became very insignificant, compared to the awful human drama that I was watching.

So many lives, changed forever.

So many people, living in fear for tomorrow.

So many loved ones, grieving and hurting for those they lost.

So many...

Things are not so different today.

It is some 14 years after that tragic day, and many times, if I am not careful, this day can slip by unnoticed.  With the passage of time, the images become less shocking, my reaction less dramatic.

If I am not careful, I will become again obsessed with the day-to-day living out of my own personal dramas, that I do not heed the sufferings of those all around me.

How many passages in the Bible relate Jesus's compassion for the multitudes to whom He ministered:  "But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd."  (Matthew 9:36)

The needs of the people around me should melt my heart, and provoke a reaction in me.  My tunnel vision should be enlarged to Grand Canyon vision.  Jesus's compassion led to His direct command:  "The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few.  Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest." (Matthew 9:38)

How will my heart be affected by the tragedies displayed in the lives of those around me today?  Will I continue to live in my small kingdom, untouched and unmoved by the difficulties of the messiness of the lives of others around me?

Or, will I, like my Lord, allow myself to be moved...

May I not forget...

Pay it Forward...

"Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time." (Colossians 4:5)

Good morning, dear friends,

Photo:  niekvelaan pixabay

Can I share a special story with you from yesterday?

I was leaving Amiens by train yesterday around lunchtime, and I had a few extra minutes, so I stopped into the shop in the train station to get a drink.  There was a young college student behind me obviously buying her lunch, so I decided that I would pay it for her.  I mean, what college student has enough money all the time?

When it was my turn to check out, I said to the saleslady that the young lady was with me, and to ring us up together.

What happened next really surprised me.  The college student began to vehemently object to me buying her lunch.  I simply asked, "You would refuse me the blessing of giving you a free meal?"

She refused again, so I bought my Coke Zero, and left.

I was stunned as I left the shop.  Who would refuse a free gift?

Who indeed?

I looked around the train station as I walked to the platform.  All around me, people were oblivious, most of them absorbed in their sandwiches and cell phones.  All around me, people were oblivious, that God offers each and every one of them His free gift of eternal life.  My heart waa touched as I arrived at the stairs descending down to the platform where the train would arrive in a few minutes.

I started down the stairs, and guess who was waiting at the bottom of the platform?

The young lady from the shop.

As I started down the stairs, I decided that I would ask her why she would refuse a free gift, and see where the conversation would go from there.  But she beat me to the punch.

"I have a bag of candy here," she accosted me.  "I want to give it to you.  You won't refuse a free gift, will you?"

Stunned, I thanked her, and she dumped the bag in my purse.  Then she asked me,

"Why would you want to pay for my meal?  You don't even know me."

Talk about a golden opportunity....

I shared with her about God's gift, and His love for her.  She began to cry there on the platform.  I hugged her and talked to her some more.  She told me her name, and then we parted ways.

I don't know the end of this story, but God does.  Maybe one day in heaven, He will reveal it to me.

There are so many opportunities every day that I miss, by not paying attention, or being too busy, or self-absorbed, or by rushing about.  How much different my attitude would be, if I would stop and listen to the Holy Spirit's promptings, and be ready to obey no matter what.

I will be praying for this young lady from Paris.  Maybe one day, our paths will cross again, and I will be able to share more of God's great news with her.

TPR

"My grace is sufficient for thee..." 2 Corithians 12:9

Good morning, dear friends,

Photo: stevepb pixabay

I'm a slow learner.

I'm not talking about "book smarts." Most of the time I remember useless facts and trivia much longer than I should.  My nickname is the "Recipient of Useless Knowledge." Enough said.

No, I'm talking about the smarts that come not from reading a book, but from living and experience.  It would be nice if all learning could come from an outside source, written by the experts, and I could open up my head and just pour it in, shake, and apply.

Most of life's greatest lessons learned do not come about that way.

This morning, I will go in for the first in a series of injections to my knee that hopefully will give me some relief in walking.  Earlier this year I was diagnosed with arthritis in my right knee.  Now, I know that is not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, and for those of you battling much more serious diseases, I feel a little foolish even writing this.

Bottom line:  Here in France, I walk.  All the time.  I don't have my driver's license.  So, to not be able to walk more than a few feet without stabbing pain is a big deal for me.

So, today's the day that I begin treatment.  Hopefully, these injections will be the first step (pun intended) toward me getting back on my feet. (sorry, couldn't resist)

This experience with me knee, however, has reminded me of another aspect of learning in "God's school:"  Some of life's lessons are best learned, and remembered, when they are experienced physically and first hand.

Years ago, when I was studying to become a teacher, I had classes on different learning styles of children.  I have forgotten most of them, to be honest, but there are a few that have stuck with me.  If my memory serves me well, one of the most complete ways for young children to assimilate new information is called TPR, or Total Physical Response.  The idea is to get a whole child's body involved in the learning process.

I use it a lot when I teach English to small children.  Show a flashcard while miming a gesture that the students associate with the card. Then, make the children stand up, put the cards on the floor, and say the word.  The kids have to run and stand on the card.  Their eyes, hands, and whole body have been involved in learning the word, and it's surprising what they remember.

I think God many time uses Total Physical Response to get us to learn as well.

In the middle of the night last night as I was praying about today, God reminded me of others in the Bible that learned unforgettable lessons from God when their bodies were touched physically.  Paul learned about God's sufficient grace from his "thorn in the flesh." (2 Corinthians 12:7-9)  Another Bible person came to mind last night as I was thinking about this truth:  Israel.

Jacob was facing a crossroads moment in his life.  He was leaving his wives' family, and journeying home with all of God's blessings.  Then, he must face his twin brother, Esau, whom he had cheated out of his birthright and his father's blessing.  Not knowing what response he would receive from his brother must have been a huge trial indeed for him.  Jacob was "left alone," as is so often the case when the Lord speaks or acts, when the angel of the Lord came and wrestled with him. (Genesis 31:24)

During this encounter with God, Jacob realized his own fraility and weakness, when faced with God.  God also left Jacob with a daily physical reminder of this encounter: "the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint..." (Genesis 32:25) Some Bible scholars believe that the reference in Hebrews 11:21, where Jacob blesses Joseph's children, "leaning upon the top of his staff..." is proof that this was a weakness that Jacob carried with him for the rest of his life.

At any rate, Jacob, like many others, learned to trust and lean on God, during the difficult physical seasons of life.  God allows these moments for His grace to shine, to be made more evident in the frailty of my flesh.

I am cautiously optimistic about the treatments today.  I do not expect immediate relief, nor to be able to walk as much as I once could.  I hope today that God will help me to remember how His strength is most evident when I am at my weakest, and that He will give me grace and peace, whatever the outcome of these treatments will be.

So much to learn...

Teachable

"But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them." (II Timothy 3:14)

Good morning, dear friends,

Photo:  geralt pixabay

Because of the kids heading back to school I had a thought that did not die of loneliness as it rattled around in my empty head:

Am I teachable?

Yesterday, I had a Mom-meltdown.  You know the ones that I am talking about.  You put your best efforts into starting off the school year right, getting everyone ready and out the door on time, neat, put together, and happy, and everything starts off great.  Then, as the day goes on and tensions run high, you just....lose it.  And you realize that the efforts that you had been putting out...did not come from the Lord at all, but from your own flesh.  Your wired, tired, weak and stressed flesh.

OK, so not a banner start to the year.

When will I LEARN?

There is such a big difference between "taught" something, and being "teachable."

There are many spiritual lessons that I have been "taught" from God's Word.  You know the ones, maybe the same that you are in the process of learning as well:  love, patience, self-control, meekness, etc.  I know that this is how I am supposed to act.  I have "learned" these lessons, that is, I know that I should be putting this part of God's Word in practice in my life.

Then, there is the "teachable" side.  When I falter in the things I have been "taught," will I be "teachable?"  Will I allow myself to learn from the mistakes that I make, confess my faults and sins to God, and remember them the next time I am in similar situations?

I certainly hope so.

This past week I helped to train two new teachers in giving English lessons to small children.  One thing that impressed me over and over was that these two ladies were teachable.  I did not have to constantly assure them of my years of experience, or show them my qualifications.  They did not constantly reply, "Yes, but I..."  They allowed themselves to be taught, and by the end of the week they were well on their ways to becoming better teachers.

That's when it really hit home for me this week:  it's all about my attitude.  If I choose to allow the Holy Spirit to lead me, and God's Word to teach me what I need to know, and if I am willing to follow God's instruction, time and time again, I will learn the lessons that God has for me.

The passage in II Timothy 3:14 quoted at the top of this blog was an encouragement and a rebuke to me as well:  "But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them."  It is not enough for me to "learn" a lesson one time, and for that to be sufficient.  I cannot just be "taught" a spiritual truth from God's hand.  I must continue to be teachable, throughout my life, in the good circumstances and the bad, until I arrive in the presence of the Lord.

There are always "teachable" moments in life, where I need to be reminded of the truths of God's Word, and put them into practice.  May God help me to be a moldable, teachable student today...

Back to...School?

"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15

Good morning, dear friends,

First day of ninth, seventh and fifth grades

Today's the day...

I have three smiling, happy faces headed for their first days of ninth, seventh and fifth grades today...

OK, well, Juliana is in her second week of homeschooling, Timothy doesn't actually start until this afternoon/tomorrow, and Joshua is not that excited about going back, but at least today is the day.

Let the crazy roller coaster begin...

My kids ask me periodically when they will finish school (how many more years until they're done.)  With joy and a touch of Mom-reality, I often tell them:

Never.

And herein is the problem with much of our modern teaching about learning:  It does not stop, just because there are no more tests to take, no more textbooks to read, no more projects to finish. The more I grow, the more I discover, how much I do not know, and how much I have forgotten about what I did know.

This is especially true for my walk with the Lord.

At the beginning of each school year, I usually share 2 Timothy 2:15 with my family:  "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."  It wasn't until I was preparing this verse for our French blog that I mined some new truths out of this verse, that the Lord showed me especially this morning:

"Study...": to give diliberate effort or labour in an attempt for accomplishment.  This makes me think of the Southern expression, "I'll study on it," meaning that a person will think about the problem from all angles and find the best solution.

"...to shew thyself approved..."  to be acceptable or tried.  My deliberate efforts have a goal...and that is to be acceptable in this life, and in the next.

"...to God..." He alone judges my worthiness.  If I am living with any other person or goal in mind, my efforts are not wasted, but definitely not for my best.  I want to be acceptable in God's eyes first and foremost.

"...a workman that needeth not be ashamed..."  This should be my aim:  a labourer for God, that is irreproachable in conduct, by God's standard.

"...rightly dividing the worth of truth."  to "make a straight cut" or "dissect" God's Word.  How will I be able to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord, and be acceptable in His sight?  By knowing and living God's Word.

This school year is already off and running, and we have barely begun.  There will certainly be many lessons to learn, all along the way.  May God help me to remember that I am studying every day with the greatest goal in mind:  to be a pleasing and acceptable instrument in God's hands.  May that be my motivation for today, as I open the books and get cracking...