I intend for this title to be a play on words. According to a survey conducted by George Barna, the most helpful book written after the Bible is Purpose Driven Life, by Rick Warren. The first words of the first chapter read, “It’s not about you.” Honestly, this is one of those messages I recite to myself quite frequently when I am in one of my selfish, prideful moods.

However, sometimes it is about me.  Here’s what I mean. I was sitting in church last week preparing to take communion. The pastor was speaking on, among other things, the need for conviction and confession. As he drilled down into each topic, I was trying to pray for conviction and trying to confess, but my mind kept going to other people in my life. Maybe you have thought this: “I wish so and so could hear this message.” In other words, they are who really need to hear this. Then I would tell myself to stop it, that I needed to pray for conviction in my own life and not worry about anyone else. That is between them and God, and this is between me and God. This monologue was repeated in my mind for the entire sermon. My mind wanted to remember someone else’s sin, someone else’s need for conviction, someone else’s need to confess. I would try to put that out of my mind so that could focus on my need for cleansing. I tried to pray as David prayed in Psalm 51:

¹ Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.
² Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

³ For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.
⁴ Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.
⁵ Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

⁶ Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place.

⁷ Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
⁸ Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
⁹ Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.

¹⁰ Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
¹¹ Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

It’s the same way with forgiveness. We want to be forgiven. We expect to be forgiven. But do we always truly forgive? When the offense continues to replay in our minds, maybe we haven’t totally forgiven. When we say we have forgiven, but we still think ill thoughts about that person, have we truly forgiven? The Bible is clear on this point.  In fact, I think that it is very intentional that the passage on dealing with sin in the church (Matthew 18:15-20) is sandwiched between two other passages.  Matthew 18:12-14 reads:  “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?  And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.

Jesus made it personal. He made it about you, and me.

And then in Matthew 18:21, he tells the parable of the unmerciful servant: Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”

Jesus went on to elaborate by telling about the master who forgave the debts of servant #1 who owed him. But then servant #1 did not likewise forgive the debts of a fellow servant #2 who owed him. Instead, servant #1 had servant #2 thrown in prison. When the master found out, he had his servant #1 tortured until servant #1 did repay his debts. Jesus explained in verses 32-35, “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.  Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

Jesus says we must forgive to infinity, as my granddaughter likes to say. He uses similar language in the Lord’s Prayer, “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (Matthew 6:12).  

Jesus made it personal, and he made it mandatory. Forgiveness is clearly taught; when there is a problem between believers (fellow servants), then we (me and you) must take the initiative to forgive and reconcile. If you and I can’t forgive those who sin against us, how can we expect Jesus to forgive you and me? It is about us, sometimes. For more insight from Rick Warren, click here.

This “me” work is hard work. Satan wants to distract us from this work at hand by taking the pressure off us and making us worry about someone else’s guilt and sin. I pray that you and I can be diligent to pray for conviction and to confess our sins daily. This is where relationships begin, when we come clean before God. And know that while it may be difficult for us to confess and to forgive on our own, nothing is impossible with God. Pray for intervention from the Holy Spirit. This is God’s will, so He will surely answer our prayers if you and I sincerely pray.

Create in me a clean heart, O God.

In Christ,

Judy

Or: Lord, you expect me to do what?

I am learning a painful lesson. As background, my husband Jim typically is one to creatively use any tool to make work easier. As a result, he manages to get more done more quickly and with less effort. By comparison, I’ve always been one to power through in most any situation, and I’ve been fortunate to have the physical health and endurance to do what I needed to do. You might say he works smarter, and I work harder. Not sure why that is, but it just is, at least until now. About six weeks ago I fell and dislocated my shoulder, breaking a bone in the process. It’s taken me all that time to get most of my range of motion back, and now I am working on my strength. Because I don’t want to slow down, I’m taking some cues from Jim on working smarter. For example, I am using a wagon to haul dirt for my garden rather than just dragging a bag of dirt around the yard.

The fallacy to my approach is that, as strong and/or stubborn as I am, there are going to be limits to what I can do, with or without a bad shoulder. I’ll give you another example. Years ago I went with our church youth group on a working mission trip. One of my team’s projects was to replace the valley on a woman’s roof. (Yes, I was the team lead; yes, I told them I didn’t know anything about construction! And no, I didn’t know what a roof valley was, much less how to replace it.) I was leading a team of teenagers who knew less than I did, and were sufficiently intimidated at this point to admit it. I was holding back the tears as I looked at this woman’s roof and our pile of tools and roofing materials without a clue what to do, feeling like a failure before we had even started.

A little later on that first morning, one of the roaming construction managers stopped at our worksite, and through God’s grace he actually had a construction background and was local (we were in North Carolina). Just so you know, most of the construction managers were not local, and many of them didn’t have much more construction experience than I did. We were very fortunate to have him assigned to us. He looked at our dilemma and advised that we start on another part of our assignment (insulating the floor, which is another story all together). When our team came back bright and early the next morning, the roofing job was already completed! Because the construction manager was local to the area, he was able to call a roofing buddy to come over and complete this job before he went to work at his real job. I had been so upset because I was not able to complete an assignment, but at that moment I realized that in my inadequacy, God was able to work a miracle and accomplish what I could not do on my own.

All of my misery was because of my own pride in my ability, my strength. Always before I had been able to power through on my own strength. In this case, God provided the solution, and accomplished what I could have never done on my own.

It’s like so many stories in the Bible when God’s people faced insurmountable odds. Times like when Joshua was instructed to take the city of Jericho, one of the most heavily fortified cities in the then-known world. Or when David faced the giant Goliath, or Saul, or a myriad of other enemies. Or when Elijah was hiding from the most wicked Queen Jezebel. Or when Esther, a young Jewish woman in Persia, was the only hope against looming genocide of her people.  And the list goes on.

One of my favorite verses is Joshua 1:9 – “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” These were the words of God to Joshua as he was leading his people against Jericho. God had also spoken these words to Moses, and Moses to Joshua. David repeated them to Solomon when he gave him the instructions to build the Temple. When the nation of Judah faced Assyria, King Hezekiah encouraged his people with these words, taken from 2 Chronicles 32:6-8; 21-22:

He appointed military officers over the people and assembled them before him in the square at the city gate and encouraged them with these words:  “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said…. And the Lord sent an angel, who annihilated all the fighting men and the commanders and officers in the camp of the Assyrian king….So the Lord saved Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria and from the hand of all others. He took care of them on every side.

When Paul was imprisoned toward the end of his life, he wrote this to the Christians in Philippi: “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13).

I pray that when you face seemingly insurmountable challenges, you will lean on God and rely on His strength. I pray that you will remember and be encouraged by these words: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

 “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty” (Zechariah 4:6).

Our God is powerful. He is faithful. He loves you.

In Christ,

Judy

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me” (Revelation 3:20).

The subject of the Chaplain’s Corner last week was about how God hears our voices. On the opposite side of the coin, how do we distinguish God’s voice from the multitude of voices that we hear continuously, either from an external or an internal source? How can we recognize when it is really God who is speaking? Jesus used the metaphor of a shepherd when he said in John 10:17 “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”

First, we must want to hear Him. This reminds me of an issue between my husband and me. Sometimes I get lost in thought and don’t even hear my husband talking when he’s right next to me. I tell him he needs to get my attention before starting to speak. And I have accused my husband of hearing only what he wants to hear (he actually grins when I tell him that). God speaks to us, and if we want to be sure not to miss any messages, we must get our hearts in a position to hear. That position is figuratively, and perhaps literally, on our knees. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Second, we can rule out anything we hear that is opposing His will. How do we know what His will is? We must know what the Bible says. Foundational to being able to recognize when it is really God who is speaking is to have a good knowledge of the Bible. Read your Bible. Pray to God to help you understand His Word. Participate in Bible studies whenever you have a chance. Read good commentaries. In this way we will learn what is godly and what is not. God will never contradict Himself, so if you hear a voice telling you something that differs from God’s Word, then it is not from God.  “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Sometimes we hear conflicting voices; perhaps we are faced with a choice and are hearing voices advocating for both sides. How do we know? If one of the choices has elements of opposition to God’s will, then we should rule it out, or at the very least defer the decision until we can get more information. For example, I know that many of you have entertained multiple job offers and have ruled out jobs that would require you to be subjected to an ungodly environment. That is probably wise. Perhaps you are dating two people, one of which is not a believer. Knowing that the Bible tells us not to be unequally yoked, you discontinue dating the nonbeliever. That is very wise. Sometimes both choices are equally good, and in that case then either one should be okay.  Just evaluate the pros and cons, consulting wise and godly advisors if possible.

On that note, we can also hear God’s voice as God speaks through other people. “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed” (Proverbs 15:22). The test is to filter what you hear from through God’s Word to ensure that it is consistent.

Third, it helps to avoid noise. Two helpful definitions of noise are from Webster: (b) any sound that is undesired or interferes with one’s hearing of something and (e) irrelevant or meaningless data or output occurring along with desired information. My husband cannot tolerate static. He’s always tuning the radio to eliminate that unwelcome noise. It’s good for us to do the same. Okay, sometimes it’s very difficult to avoid noise. When I walk downtown, I can’t avoid the noise of traffic and construction and I don’t believe the solution is to avoid walking downtown. However, if the noise is coming from questionable music or television or movies and I have a choice to listen to something else more edifying, then I should make that choice to eliminate it or at least to tune out the trash. Have you heard the term “garbage in, garbage out?”

Click here for a great article on how to quiet your mind. God tells us to “be still and know that I am God” because he often speaks to us in a whisper, or as the KJV puts it, a “still small voice.” It is essential for our spiritual health to be alone and have quiet time with God so that we can hear Him.

Fourth, speaking of edifying which means building up, God’s voice will always be constructive with a goal of building His kingdom. We can know that destructive messages are not from God. Sometimes the most noise comes from inside my own head. I can come up with some really destructive messages. (Do you ever call yourself ugly names?) It’s very difficult just to be quiet inside your own head, but you can replace those destructive messages with constructive ones if you consciously try. It helps to have some “go-to” Bible verses to recite to yourself when your mind is especially going wild. In this way, you can be confident that you are concentrating, perhaps even meditating, on God’s Word rather than destructive messages, whether they are internal or external. This will have a positive effect on you. For example, I often tell myself to “take every thought captive” when the voices in my mind begin to be overpowering. When I am fearful, reciting Psalm 23 is most comforting, because despite the seemingly pastoral setting, shepherding, as David knew from his own experience, could be a dangerous and lonely occupation.

Fifth, and possibly the most challenging situation I face is when I do not hear God’s voice. He may not be telling me to wait, but He’s not telling me to go forward either; it seems that he’s just not saying anything. My inclination is to take the absence of direction as a yes and to take action according to my own inclination, but I’ve learned the hard way that I should have probably done the opposite and continue to wait during His silence. For one thing, if we are truly obedient in listening, then we need to realize that God is being intentional in His silence. And for another thing, there are important messages, even in the apparent silence. The regularity of the daily schedule of sunrises and sunsets speak of God’s faithfulness. Birds sing of God’s provision. Storms boom God’s power. God is surely at work, whether or not we sense his presence or hear his voice. When we don’t readily hear God’s voice or sense His direction, we should be ever more diligent to put ourselves in a right position to be able to hear Him, because He will never fail to direct our paths. Click here for another article on what to do in this case (I especially love #4).

Finally, here is an important warning:  When we ignore God’s voice repeatedly, through disobedience our hearts can become hardened so that we will become deaf to his word.  In Matthew 13:15, Jesus said of the Pharisees, and indeed all the unbelieving people: “For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.” (Jesus is quoting from Isaiah 6:10). One of the scariest scriptures in the Bible is when Jesus said, “I never knew you.”As I mentioned in last week’s Chaplain’s Corner, when my grandson Judah heard his Daddy’s voice, he turned and listened. I pray that you will do the same when you hear your Father speak.

I pray that Jesus will say of each of us, as he does to his disciples in Matthew 13:16-17: ^“But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”

In Christ,

Judy

Have you ever noticed the peculiar ability we have to recognize voices of our family, even in a crowd? As a mother, I could always distinguish when it was my child hollering “Mama.” Even now, when my children are grown, my heart beats faster when I hear either of my sons’ voices. It’s as if my heart is reaching out to connect to them. So it was especially neat when, one Saturday at the soccer field as he was at goalie position, I saw our grandson Judah jerk his head around as his dad spoke from the sidelines.  In the midst of all the shouting and general noise of the soccer field, I knew that Judah had recognized his Daddy’s voice and perked up to hear what he had to say.

I believe that typically it takes extensive familiarity for this phenomenon to occur.  With our families, we have lived together for some time and are used to the conversation and all the various tones of our voices. These voices become ingrained in us even when we are apart.  It’s like being on the same frequency, and it’s certainly a special bond.

I believe that it’s also like that with our Heavenly Father, when we know him and are attuned to Him.

I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy”(Psalm 11:1). David is offering a song of thanksgiving following a dark time in his life. (Verse 6 of this Psalm reads: “I was facing death, and he saved me,” and verse 17 reads, “I will offer you a sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord.”) In Psalm 66:19, David claimed “But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer.” David knew that God not only heard, but he attended, or acted upon, David’s prayer according to his will.

David knew that the Lord would hear his voice when he called out to him, just like my children did when they realized they needed something and cried out for their mama or daddy.  Even in the clamor of crowds, God can distinguish our cries from the multitude when we call upon Him according to His will.

Brothers and Sisters in Christ, I pray you will find comfort in that fact, as expressed in these verses:

1 Peter 3:12a “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer.”

1 John 5:14 “And this is the confidence that we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”

First John 5:15 “And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.”

And just as God hears us when we call out to him, He wants us to hear him. In Revelation 3:20, Jesus says, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”

Next week we will explore how we can best hear God’s voice and make that communication two-way. Meanwhile, continue to call out to Jesus because He hears your voice and will answer your prayers.

In Christ,

Judy

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. (1 Peter 1:3-6)

As I roam the Mission and have the pleasure of speaking with so many of you, I hear some amazing stories about your own personal experiences—what God has brought you through or what you are currently dealing with. I can’t help but be amazed at your capacity and ability to persevere. However, I know that sometimes you feel that there is no solution, no way out, and that you will never be able to climb out of the situation that you are currently in. I remember feeling that way myself at one time and becoming quite seriously depressed.

Here are some lessons I have learned along the way (not in any particular order):

1. It’s okay to talk to God about your feelings. His shoulders are very broad. Even Job cursed the day of his birth and asked God, “Why didn’t I die at birth, my first breath out of the womb my last?” (Job 3:11) Job certainly had suffered unimaginable losses, but God did not retaliate against Job for his complaints; in fact, God eventually restored Job’s fortunes.

2. It’s okay to ask others for help. This was one of my problems—I wouldn’t ask for help. My pride just got in the way of me admitting I needed any help, so in the process I alienated people closest to me which created other problems. I certainly don’t think any less of my friends and family who ask me for help and am honored to be part of their lives in this way. I regret that I didn’t enlist support when I needed it and missed those opportunities for community.

3. It’s also okay to be wise about the help that you accept. True help should be unconditional and it should be God-honoring. True help will not compound your problems like a high-interest loan, breaking the law, or fostering unhealthy behavior will.

4. Even though you may be really pushed for time, regularly make time for yourself and for God. If you don’t, you soon won’t be good for anyone else. You must prioritize your physical and your spiritual health with rest, eating well, and spending time with God in prayer and Bible reading. I also know from personal experience that this is true. And remember, these are things that no one else can do for you; you must do them for yourself!

5. When you pray, acknowledge God’s authority and His provision. When I do this, it helps me to put everything into its proper perspective. When Job cried out to God in Chapter 3, and continued his complaints against God in subsequent chapters, God then answered Job in Chapters 38-41, an amazing passage reminding us of the authority, majesty, and power of God Himself. Job’s response to God in Job 42:1-6: “I know now that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.”

6. My last bit of practical advice: Take some time to analyze your situation.

a. List the challenges you are facing.

b. Prioritize them if possible, either by importance or ease of dealing with.

c. Figure out what has to be done first and set goals each day for what you can get done that day. Maybe it’s a phone call, or maybe it’s researching some information to act on. Try to make a positive step forward each day, even if it’s a tiny one.

Remember, all you can do is all you can do. (Remember the riddle, “How do you eat an elephant?” Extra credit if you comment on this post with the answer to this riddle.)

When I was at my lowest point, when my back was against the wall and I felt that I had nowhere else to turn, I finally realized that I could not deal with my challenges by my own power. Turning to God, this is how He got through to me. He spoke through a coworker. I overheard her speaking to another coworker (I guess God knew I was not going to listen to anyone directly). She quoted Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

I was immediately convicted that I needed to give it all to Jesus and he would see me through. After all, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:26-34).

I began this devotion in 1 Peter. The conclusion of that passage explains why we have trials. Everything we experience on this earth – good and bad – is intended for the praise, glory, and honor of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. When we view our lives with this perspective, we can then as James says, “consider it great joy when [we} experience various trials.”

May God richly bless you in all things.

“These [trials] have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:7-9).

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Pay It Forward

I am a product of grace and mercy. Of course, I am a product of the grace of Jesus Christ; however, that’s not what I mean. I mean that I am the product of the grace shown to me by many individuals during my life.

The first example that comes to mind is from an old photograph. I don’t remember this, but I don’t doubt that it happened.  It shows me about the age of three, all dressed up and sitting on the arm of my grandmother’s couch. I am holding a kid’s toy workbench. My grandmother is smiling and reaching out to me, and I have a very grumpy look on my face that clearly says, “Leave me and my workbench alone!” (I remember this now whenever I experience something like this from any of my grandchildren.) Now I was my grandmother’s favorite (at least that is the testimony of my cousin). I know my grandmother loved me all my life, but she had ten grandchildren and she could have easily withheld her favor toward me because of the way I treated her. Thankfully, she did not.

Okay you say, you were just a small child. You didn’t know any better. Well, what about when I was about thirteen and went to a slumber party. I was thrilled to be invited. However, I suffered a bit from low esteem and jealousy, and I must say looking back that I “showed myself” at the party (this is really embarrassing to admit). The person who invited me is a good friend to this day, and I am grateful that she and her mother were so kind to me then, and now, showing grace and understanding rather than calling my parents. To this day, I consider this friend to be one of the kindest people I know.

I could go on and on with these confessions, but I’ll recall just one more. When I graduated from college, I thought that I was hot stuff. I had my diploma and thought I knew more than anyone and should therefore be able to get a big job and immediately make the big bucks. Well, that didn’t happen. My boss was an older woman with a high school education. She was an excellent manager, but I chafed under her direction and didn’t make a secret of it, either. She was, without exception, kind, helpful, and always saw the best in me and communicated a vision of what she thought I could be rather than what I so often displayed. It took me awhile, but I gradually began to live up to her vision of me. I admire her to this day and strive to be like her.

I know (hope) you are surprised by these confessions. I have mellowed and matured over the years, and just wish it hadn’t taken me as long as it did. It helps me to look back and remember all the people who poured into my life—family, friends, pastors, teachers, bosses. Of course, I have the other kind of examples in my life, too, and I have learned from them as well, but they are not who I model my life after. I sincerely hope that you can remember some of those good role models in your life who loved you and showed grace and mercy to you even when you didn’t deserve it.

This brings me to today. One of the joys I have as Chaplain is hearing your stories of interactions with guests and program participants. I love to hear how you overcome challenging situations with grace, how you deal with the most difficult clients by showing them love and mercy. I have so much admiration for you when I see how you patiently work with a man who is ravaged by his past, helping him to gain identity and the means to become a productive citizen. You may be the only Jesus he has ever seen. I am overwhelmed with joy when I hear about how you work with a fearful and destitute mother and her children to help with not only their immediate needs for food and shelter, but her longer term needs for sobriety and resources for healthy living. This is the church as Jesus meant for her to be.

I am reading the book by Bob Goff that Glenn gave us for Christmas, Everybody, Always:  Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People. He shares amazing stories of “becoming love.” In it, he says, “People don’t need information, they want examples. God wants to use people like us to show the world what we know about Jesus by having them see the way we love people around us. Particularly the difficult ones.” He goes on to say, “When we draw a circle around the whole world like grace did and say everybody is in, God’s love gives us a bigger identity than we used to have. With our newer, bigger identities, we can draw even bigger circles around people’s lives. We start to see that our time here isn’t meant to be spent forming opinions about the people we meet. It’s an opportunity to draw the kinds of circles around them that grace has drawn around us, until everybody is on the inside….God never promised we’d have all the answers. What He offers to us is a box of crayons and the opportunity to let love draw bigger circles around the people we meet than they thought were possible.”

I believe I am the product of people in my life drawing circles of grace around me, and I hope that I can pay it forward. I pray that you will be encouraged as you minister to those around us and that your circle will be increasingly enlarged as you become the love of Jesus to each and every man, woman, and child who seeks refuge and rescue at Nashville Rescue Mission. Please continue to share your stories with me.

In Christ,

Judy

P.S.: I highly recommend reading the book, Everybody, Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People. I also recommend the movie, Pay It Forward.

Chaplain’s Corner – Seeds

I come from a long line of farmers. I think I am a farmer at heart because I just love everything about gardening (except for bugs). Since March, I have been outside pulling weeds and preparing the soil in order to plant seeds. I’ve already planted English and snow peas, spinach and kale, radishes, carrots, chard, and beets. In early March I planted tomato seeds indoors that have produced seedlings that I will plant in the next few weeks. I’m really excited about some little cherry-type tomatoes called sugar bombs that I had bought at the grocery store back in February. They tasted so good! I saved one of the little cherry tomatoes and planted the seeds in starter pots, and they are already coming up! I just love to see the little green shoots push up out of the dirt, then form leaves, and then finally begin to bear fruit.

It’s a funny thing about the growing cycle. These seeds that I am planting come from plants and fruit that have finished their growth and served their purpose. When the plant dies, we say it “goes to seed,” yet in each tiny seed is the potential for a new plant that will produce many times more seeds. And it is absolutely a miracle that such a big plant can come from such a small seed. Some of my tomato plants will grow to be eight feet tall, and all that will come from one seed barely larger than a pinhead.

Jesus said, “Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds” (John 12:24). He often used farming stories to explain the Christian life because the people of his day were very close to the earth and could relate. These metaphors still make sense today. This verse cited above is in the middle of a message that Jesus spoke to his disciples and some other followers right after Palm Sunday when he had been welcomed into Jerusalem as the king with loud hosannas. As He told them in John 12:23-30, He knew that he was going to die a physical death to fulfil his destiny.

Jesus knew that as his followers, like wheat, we must to die to ourselves and our desires before God can properly use us. How do we do that–die to ourselves? Does it mean that we have to be martyrs? Not necessarily, but maybe.  Dying to ourselves simply means submitting entirely to God. Jesus provided the example when he said in the Garden when praying to his father  “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

That means that our attempts to “do good” in our own eyes might not be for the best. Oswald Chambers said it best, in my opinion: “The greatest enemy of the life of faith in God is not sin, but good choices which are not quite good enough. The good is always the enemy of the best.” 

Of course, when we disobey by breaking the law or focusing on our own wicked desires, we are obviously not dying to self; but did you realize that when we make any decision, pursue any path, take any action, think any thought, or say anything without first seeking God’s will through prayer and Bible study then we are also not truly dying to self? Total submission is dying to self and living for Christ.

I challenge myself and all of us to continually die to ourselves by seeking God’s will in all things. In this way, we can truly grow spiritually. And with your spiritual life as testimony to the greatness and goodness of God, you will be a factor in bringing the Good News of salvation to many, many others. Brothers and sisters, we have such opportunity here at Nashville Rescue Mission. The fields are white with harvest. I’m so encouraged to be fellow “seeds” with you as we plant in anticipation for the ultimate harvest.

In Christ,

Judy

My father was a stern but loving father. I won’t kid you, I was sometimes afraid of him, afraid of his wrath. I tried to behave so that I would not experience his wrath, but sometimes I failed. And Mom’s promise of “just wait until your daddy gets home” would make me miserable for the rest of the day. In case you are wondering, I did get some spankings; however, they were always followed with a short lecture and then he would hug me and tell me he loved me. In this way, he served as a great example, as all fathers should be, of our heavenly Father. He demanded respect, he demonstrated righteous anger, and he never failed to love me.

It’s too bad that many fathers today don’t provide an earthly example, even if imperfect, of our heavenly Father so that children can experience here on earth a bit of what God is like. I know it’s difficult to show the right balance of wrath and love; a deficiency of either is very dangerous. It’s critically important to know that the righteous anger is there and to be feared because without that, love manifested by grace has no meaning.

Here’s an example. If I could have disrespected my mother knowing I would get away with it, then the “kindness” shown me by my father by overlooking my disrespect would have not seemed to be very special. In fact, I might have even thought my father to be weak and not worthy of respect. However, when I knew that disrespecting my mother would invite the wrath of my father making me deserving of a spanking, I would have greatly appreciated any reprieve or grace.

Why am I talking about spankings? What I want us to realize is that God is righteous and holy and therefore, he is greatly offended when we are disrespectful and disobedient. As a holy and just God, he cannot abide sin; he hates sin. The only just penalty for sin is death. That’s where the cross comes in. He sent his only son, Jesus, to take our sins—past, present, and future—to the cross.

It was, and is, no small thing. This past Sunday we celebrated Jesus’ Resurrection. The Resurrection could not have happened without the Crucifixion. When Jesus made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem the Sunday before, he knew that he was going to experience the wrath of his “followers,” of his enemies, and most horrifically, of his Father. In his obedience to his Father which meant humiliation, torture, and death on the cross, he would bear the full wrath of God for all our sins, past present and future, for which each and every one of us deserves the punishment of death. He knew that it would be horrific, and that as a human, he would bear all the pain and torment that each of us deserves. In fact, in Matthew 26:39, we learn that “Going a little farther, he (Jesus) fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup (of wrath) be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.’”

Jesus trusted God, his Father, for the outcome, which we celebrated on Easter Sunday. Let us reflect on the love of God and the obedience of his Son, even to death on the cross, which allows us as believers to receive grace, celebrate Resurrection, and look forward to Eternal Life with our Heavenly Father. This song beautifully tells of God’s love for us:  How He Loves Us, by Crowder.

I loved my earthly father. He has now passed on, and my love continues to grow for him. But sometimes I don’t think that I love my heavenly Father enough, considering what all He has done for me. I’m working on it, though.

In Christ,

Judy

 ^“After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it.  His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: “He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.” Now I have told you.’ So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. ‘Greetings,’ he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.’” (Matthew 28:1-10)

Early in Jesus’ earthly ministry, he had been challenged by some Jews who were offended when he destroyed their money-making schemes right on the steps of the temple. They asked him on whose authority he overturned their tables (literally and figuratively). His response was recorded in John 2:19-22:

“Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.’ They replied, ‘It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?’ But the temple he had spoken of was his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.”

Apparently, it took Jesus death and resurrection for his disciples to really believe his divinity. We have all that evidence, plus the ongoing testimony of transformed lives, and the witness and counsel of the Holy Spirit.
He is who he says he is, and he will do what he says he will do. Don’t wait one more day to put your trust in Jesus.

God’s many blessings on you and your loved ones on this most holy of days.

In Christ,

Judy