What the righteous do

My husband asked me this morning how I felt about him working a Kairos ministry. If you're familiar with the Walk to Emmaus, this is a similar weekend designed for people in prison. It's a powerful spiritual experience that changes lives, grows leaders and builds the Kingdom of God like nothing else I've ever seen. Brad was asked to participate in an upcoming Kairos and he's excitedly thinking about it. My initial reaction to his question may surprise you. When he told me it would require hours and hours of training, including three eight-hour Saturdays, I balked saying, "I'm alone here every day Monday through Friday. I'd prefer if you weren't gone on Saturdays, too." My husband then said, "But do I make this decision based on what I want or what God is calling me to do?" And then he went off to work.

Then I did my Bible study for the day. I'm currently doing a study on prophesies of the Old and New Testament, and the chapter I'm on right now has to do with the end times ... always a cheerful, pick-me-up subject. My study asked what Jesus commanded us to do in preparation for those scary days as described in Matthew chapters 24 and 25. Through parables, the Lord said to be watchful (look for the signs and keep alert to Christ's coming), to work to the very end and to multiply the kingdom with our talents. Then Jesus goes a little deeper talking about what the righteous need to do to the very end. He gives six directives: feed the hungry; give drink to the thirsty; welcome strangers; provide clothing to the naked; care for the sick; and lastly, visit the imprisoned.

You, know, I think I'll be okay alone those Saturdays after all ... or perhaps I can find one of those six to do myself.

Security Gate

I live in a gated apartment community. Basically what that means is everytime we enter our complex, we need to punch in a code to get in. To exit, we simply approach the gate and it will slowly open to allow us to go through. It's just an added security measure for this landlord and the renters here. As a deterent for approaching the exit gate too closely, there are rebar spikes about every foot aimed right at your car grill. Try to go through the gates while they are opening, and you stand a chance of getting your car scraped up.

Recently someone rammed those exit gates, to the point of breaking them and bending back one of the spikes. I didn't see the incident or vehicle that hit it, but unless it was a tank, I'm guessing it's got some damage. Equally so, the gate is damaged. And now the complex's security is currently compromised.

When looking at that gate today, I thought, you know, that's a lot like Scripture. God has given us His commands and His rules to obey. His security gate, if you wish. He wants us armed against the Evil One before we head out into the world. Peter warns us that our Adversary prowls around like a lion waiting to devour us (1 Peter 5:8) ... looking for holes in the gate so to speak. And like whatever vehicle rammed our gate here, I'm guessing Satan does quite a bit of ramming at gates himself trying to get through. And the times we allow him in, we take a chance of getting damaged.

I prefer making it difficult for him. If I obey God's word from loving Him and loving my neighbor, to the Ten Commandments on down, I'm thinking that's going to be quite a tough gate for Satan to try to get through. Paul tells us to put on the full armor of God in Ephs. 6:13-17, so that we can stand against the wiles of the devil. He says righteousness, truth, faith, assurance of salvation and a willingness to obey and share God's Word are our greatest security measures.

Am I more comfortable knowing the security gates are fully functional here at this apartment complex? No doubt. Am I more comfortable facing the world each day with my Spiritual security gate fully functional ... no doubt. I am strong in the Lord and His power. There's no better Security System on earth.

I am hopeful

Today while doing my devotion, I sat in the doorway of our apartment. The door faces east, so I sat there pouring out my heart to the Father with the sun streaming warm on me. I was reading about perseverence through the tough times, a perfect devotion for this time in my life. It seems as if our family has had one trial after another since we moved. Nothing has come easy. Nothing. Everything has a hitch. Everything has a delay. Everything has a cost. And each burden has built upon the other.

Last night our area was under a tornado warning. Three times the tornado siren went off when a funnel cloud was sighted. Three times, my son and I went into the bathroom of our apartment, the innermost room, praying the siren would stop. People in our area are on high alert for tornado sirens, as a year ago an F-3 category tornado tore a 14.5 mile destructive path through this city ... and our apartment building lost it's second floor. We were warned of high winds and baseball-sized hail with this storm. The skies blackened darker than any I've ever seen. When living Wisconsin, our family lived across the street from the Outagamie County tornado siren. It went off every Saturday at noon for a test. Aside from those tests, I heard that siren go off in emergency times only twice in six years. Already ours has gone off four times in three weeks we've been here. And it's a terrifying sound. That storm last night made me ponder our experiences and struggles here.

But then today, as I prayed to God for assurance, peace and perseverence while sitting in that doorway, all around me I heard the busy-ness of the world: trucks at Walmart, airplanes overhead, a landscaper weedwacking, cars driving by. Then suddenly, a bird rested in the crepe myrtle tree at the corner of my apartment. And he started to sing ... and sing ... and sing. He sang for 30 minutes straight, hopping to higher and higher branches. Perhaps he was singing for new girlfriend. But I'd like to think he was singing to God. He interrupted my devotion time greater and louder than all the other noises around me. I had to stop and listen. I even got my camera and recorded his song. At one point he stopped and I swear looked at me. So I said, "Go on. Please keep singing." So he started right back up and sang on and on. It was breathtaking.

It was as if, this bird was telling me, "I will keep singing! I will keep praising! Glorify God in the midst of these storms! Persevere!" A bird did this for me. One of the songs in my playlist is a song by John Waller called "While I'm Waiting." His lyrics say: "I'm waiting on you, Lord, and I am hopeful. Though it's painful, patiently I will wait. While I'm waiting, I will worship. While I'm waiting, I will serve you." Like the bird's song, I'm pretty sure Waller wrote it for me.

I am hopeful. While I'm waiting ... I will worship. Perhaps 30 straight minutes of singing and glorifying my God is just the thing ... as "I sing, holy, holy, holy. Holy, holy, holy. Holy, holy, holy, I want to see you."

The Better Offer

I'm always telling my kids that God is the great equalizer. If something unjust happens, the Lord has a tendency to bring His justice. I've seen it over and over again. It's just wiser to make the correct decision the first time rather than wait to see how God brings it back around His way. I've been on both ends of it.

Recently, we were making plans to visit our daughter, Ayla, in college for Valentine's weekend. She informed us that we could come, but she already had dinner plans, months in the making, with her girlfriends for Feb. 14. They were dressing up and going out for a fancy dinner. We duly noted that, and said we'd work around it. Our plans changed when our daughter said she would be home for Spring Break two weeks later, so we decided to wait until then for our visit.

The Friday before Valentine's Day, Ayla's friends got a "better offer," so to speak. They were invited to the beach with other friends. So they abandoned the plans for the fancy Valentine's dinner with Ayla and ditched her for the beach road trip. Ayla was crushed. She learned some hard lessons that weekend. She learned who she could trust and who she couldn't. She learned the depths of friendship. She learned how to be graceful and forgiving, while hurting. And she learned empathy for anyone who is ever left behind. As a result, she is tougher, stronger and growing.

It's an age old question ... if you have plans with friends, and something better comes along, do you go for the second one because it's more appealing, or stick with your commitments. It's a choice between selfishness and honor. I am pleased my daughter was going to stick with what she committed to even when it was her family driving six hours to come see her. It shows integrity and respect, qualities Solomon spoke about in Proverbs 18:24: "Some friends play at friendship, but a true friend sticks closer than one's nearest kin."

Every decision shouldn't have to be made wondering, "How will God bring justice to this should I choose wrong?" - even though He typically will with Divine Perfection - but rather

..."Which of these choices shows I am my Father's child?"

Jehovah Raffa

Yesterday I was taking care of two ill ones. My son, who has the flu, and my computer, which had a nasty virus. It was freakish in the parallel to them both as they suffered. As my computer was slow, closing down and malfunctioning, my son was dizzy, burning with fever and sluggish. One required the expertise of my brother who deals with computer security on a daily basis. He's a computer doctor, if you will. He said, "A lot of what I do is good guessing ... I just look at the symptoms, try to find out where the virus has hid itself and remove it." Three to four hours later, my computer is virus free, security updated, filled with new blocks to scary things like malware and hijacks and moving so much faster.

My son, on the other hand, is taking a little longer. He also saw a doctor who asked about all his symptoms, did some tests to eliminate some guesses and prescribed what he felt would help Anton's body be more comfortable as it fights this virus. Alternating painkillers and anti-inflammatories, plus cough medicines are helping his body as his cells fight to destroy the virus that is bringing him down. It could be days before his body is virus free, built up with antibodies to prevent that virus from every attacking again, stronger and moving faster.

Aren't we grateful to loving God that when we're infected with sin that's slowing us down and causing us to malfunction, He doesn't have to look at the symptoms and guess? He knows exactly what's wrong. Interestingly, we probably have a pretty good idea what it is causing the problem as well.

God already gave us the cure ...

Accepting His Son, Jesus Christ, as Savior; asking for forgiveness for our sins and turning our life around, digging deeper into His Word so that we'll be stronger in fighting future sin and more fruitful in our service to Him. And know that in Jesus, we are "virus" free where we can boldly approach our Father's throne.

Hallelujah to Jehovah Raffa, God Who Heals; heals us not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually as well. Glory to God Almighty!

The Bravest Ones

While doing my devotion a couple days ago, I came upon Jeremiah 7:6. In it, the Lord warns His people to not oppress the orphan, widow or foreigners. He reminds them of this again in Zech. 7:10. Not oppressing the orphan and widow is a no brainer. Talk about kicking someone when they're down. But the Lord includes the foreigner in that statement. He doesn't want people new to an area to be neglected or treated poorly. Believe it or not, they, too, are down.

Our family has moved to areas where we have been neglected and treated poorly. If you are new to an area and people completely ignore you and don't make a conscious effort to welcome you, this is not something the Lord looks kindly upon. The Lord expects us as His children to welcome new people. There are angels we have met in our moves that reached out to make us feel not just welcome, but as friends, as family. And we are so grateful to the Lord God for them. Going through this yet again, I am praising God today for the ones who smile and say hello; for the ones who greet you not with just a handshake, but also a hug; and for the bravest ones who dare to invite the stranger into their homes to visit, play and eat. I know the Father has a special place in His heart for His precious ones who reach out. If you are not one of these, perhaps you'll reach out today. Just as I keep telling myself when I meet anyone these days, be thinking: "This could be my new best friend!" If you are one who reaches out to the foreigner, know I am thanking the Almighty for you and praying you are showered with blessings ... as you have blessed me.

Best Stump

I have been lamenting to a number of people about how silent the Lord has been in my life lately. Like Elijah, I listened for Him in the wind, earthquake and fire, but haven't heard Him. I listened for the still small voice and again nothing. Then last week a friend said something to me that was, I believe, confirmed during a sermon I heard Sunday at church. Recently our family moved from Wisconsin to Alabama. We left kicking and screaming as we love our home, friends, family and obligations in Wisconsin. But my husband was laid off before Christmas and the job in Alabama opened up in perfect, divine timing. I just wasn't feeling it.

My friend, Greg, said to me, "Jill, I think God moved you so he could grow the rest of us." I listened to what he said, neither agreeing or disagreeing. Then on Sunday the pastor preached on Jesus speaking to the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:1-42). He questioned: "Why did Jesus send all 12 of the disciples into the city for food?" In his sermon he answered his own question with the comment that he believed it was because they would be in the way as Jesus spoke to this woman. Speaking to a Samaritan was looked down upon by Jews. So he got the disciples out of the way to grow the woman. It's possible, this pastor said, that if you are in God's way, He'll remove you from a situation to grow others. Now, let me tell you, the last thing I ever want to be is in God's way. At the same time, if that's why we were moved ... it sure hurts. But pruning always does and in the end we look far more full and vibrant, accomplishing much more, producing more fruit as John 15 tells us. I told my Dad recently I felt like God had pruned me back to a stump. He said, "Then be the best stump you can be." So I am ...