MEMORIAL DAY

 

I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.  Psalm 91:2  (KJV)

After much cajoling, my brother Jack reluctantly allowed me to polish his boots.  His ROTC unit was having a major inspection the next day, and he wanted to look his best.  I was confident a girl could make his shoes shine as much as any guy, so I spent the evening brushing and rubbing and buffing until the boots looked almost new.  And it worked.  I was commended for my efforts.

Not long after that, America became engaged in a brutal war in Viet Nam, and the draft was re-instituted.  Jack joined early on, following the tradition of his uncles on both sides of the family during World War II.  As he tends to do with all his undertakings, Jack focused on being prepared for battle in a place that had only recently become part of our daily news.  He graduated from basic training with top honors, and when he finished OCS as the top graduate, my father took his first airplane ride to see his son receive the commanding general’s award.

Deployment soon followed.  Jack had trained to be a Special Forces soldier, so we knew he’d be living in harm’s way throughout his assignment.  That’s when our mother, Momo, told us about the soldiers from her church.  With the bombing of Pearl Harbor, men all over the country (and from her small community church) formed lines to join the military.  (Those were the days of high patriotism:  nations were allied to preserve freedom; women went to work to fill the vacuum here in industry; rationing was instituted; and people prayed.)  Just before the young men deployed, their pastor called them all forward.  The congregation gathered ‘round, and they all prayed the 91^st Psalm, the Soldier’s Psalm.  Every day during their absence in far-flung places around the world, the congregation prayed.  And every one of those boys returned.

The Sunday before Jack was to leave, our pastor called him forward, and the congregation prayed over him.  And our family prayed Psalm 91 for him every day:

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High

shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler,

and from the noisome pestilence.

He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust:

his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness;

nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand;

but it shall not come nigh thee.

Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge,

even the most High, thy habitation;

There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder:

the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.

Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him:

I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.

He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble;

I will deliver him, and honour him.

With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

This weekend I sent a long email to Jack that he shared with his buddies from Viet Nam days to thank him and them for their selfless service to our beloved country and to thank God for protecting and keeping them safe.  Jack continues to pray the 91^st Psalm for himself and his two boys who are now deployed.  God has blessed us with his mercy.

Father, your loving care is overwhelming.  We’ve all been through danger and difficulties but none like our military men and women.  Thank you for people who are willing to make the utmost sacrifice to keep us free, and keep them in your love .  God bless America.  In Jesus’ name.  AMEN.

AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE

 

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.        I Thessalonians 5:18 (KJV)

One of my spiritual mentors said that we should seriously examine ourselves if we find that we are losing our sense of gratitude.  Through the years I’ve discovered this to be a wonderful measuring stick.  Can my faith see God’s faithfulness and his love in all circumstances?  Can I trust God to work everything for good in my life?  Can I believe him to be in the middle of difficulties.

I Thessalonians 5:18 doesn’t tell us we must be thankful for all things but that we should give thanks in all sorts of circumstances and situations.  When the Children of Israel were saying farewell to Joshua, he reminded them that not one of all the LORD’s good promises to Israel [had ever] failed; every one was fulfilled  (Joshua 21:45).  As we reflect on our personal Christian journeys, we can say the same—in retrospect.  Why not bolster our faith for each new challenge with a reminder of what God has done and been in the past?  Why wait to see his promises fulfilled?

I read about a little boy whose grandmother had promised a particular, special gift.  When the expected time arrived, there was no gift and no word from grandmother.  Days passed, and the boy began to think that perhaps his grandmother had forgotten her promise.  The little fellow’s mother suggested that he write grandmother a thank you note as a gentle reminder.  The boy did so, and by return mail, his grandmother sent her apologies with a check.  She had been trying unsuccessfully to find the gift, and since she couldn’t find what she had promised, she sent a check for her grandson to use in purchasing another gift of his choosing.

Gratitude can be our way of remembering God’s faithfulness of the past while reminding God of our trust in him for the present.  It’s really easy to be grateful if we’re honest and start looking outward instead of focusing on our own navels.

 

God, I don’t have enough paper to even begin to list your goodness to me.  If all your material blessings disappeared in a puff, still I could go on thanking you.  Please help me remember that every single thing I enjoy, and especially your precious Son, comes from your bounty.  THANK YOU.  AMEN.

FLATNESS

 

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.  Romans 12:12  NIV

 

Have you ever felt flat?  Perhaps you might call it dryness or dullness.  It’s not depression or discouragement; it’s just a sense of being inert, or static as opposed to dynamic.  Sometimes we call it the blahs.

Being flat can occur after a prolonged time of expectation working toward a particular goal or event.  It can occur after an unusual expenditure of energy.  And it can happen to anyone.

If you’re past twenty-one years of age, you know that life is not all that proverbial bowl of cherries, and that there are days (sometimes even prolonged periods) without inspiration or bursts of insight.  In fact, it seems that much of life consists of “walking without fainting” rather than “mounting up with wings as eagles.”

I was deep in contemplation this morning about the great thought behind flatness.  Why ever should we who are so blessed ever feel flat?  Any of us should be able to candidly sit down and list a dozen or more reasons to be joyful, and yet we experience times that are much less than joyous.

That’s where faith comes in.  Happiness, we know, is based on happenings, on the circumstances of our lives:  My child was inducted into the National Honor Society; my dog won Best of Show; my garden got the neighborhood award.  And so forth…  On the other hand, joy comes from that deep sense of relationship to Jesus Christ, of knowing he loves and cares for us, that he never leaves us, that he forgives our sins, and that he wants to spend eternity with us.

The happiness that’s circumstantial is transitory.  Joy never goes away.  The flat days are gifts to remind us that the eternal is not based on what we see, hear, feel, touch, or taste.  Joy is forever and can be accessed no matter how dark the day when we touch reality, God’s Spirit within us.  “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes…”

 

Father, now I thank you for flatness, for reminding me that I shouldn’t put hope in the things that are only temporary.  Thank you that your joy is always with us and is merely a foretaste of what’s to come.  AMEN.

HELPERS

So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.  Romans 14:19 NLT

“I can do it,” my two-and-a-half-year-old daughter told her grandmother. Tish was sitting on Momo’s kitchen counter stirring her first cake batter, firmly convinced she had all the expertise necessary to produce a fine cake.  At two-and-a-half.  That’s understandable for a small child, but have you ever seen an adult who could do it all and never needed help?  Or have you been that person who, as the old saying goes, is independent as a hog on ice?

Do you know people you’ve offered to help–something as simple as giving a ride, setting a table, assisting with a task–who can’t seem to acknowledge the smallest need?  We build walls around ourselves so that we maintain an air of invincibility and inaccessibility.  As long as we’re self- sufficient, no one can require anything of us.  Our pride is nurtured when we delude ourselves into thinking we don’t need anyone.  And we can pretty easily shut everyone out.

But isn’t it interesting that the King of Kings was supported by women (Luke 8:1-3); that someone else was his banker (John 12:6); that he allowed Mary to wash his feet (Luke 7:38); that he asked his friends to pray with him (Matthew 26:49); and that Simon carried his cross?  The One who created all things humbled himself to permit others to help him.  He provided the space for intimacy that emerges when we open ourselves to being served.   His greatness disallowed pride but opened instead the door to love.

We sometimes erect walls to avoid pain but in so doing, we inflict pain.  Jesus “knew human nature” thoroughly (John 2:2), and still, he chose Judas.  And Peter.  And Thomas.  He lowered his own drawbridge to welcome flawed human beings in familiarity and mutual exchange.  Jesus’ sacrifice came long before his execution at the cross:  He gave himself—his time, his thoughts, his privacy, his preferences, everything—from the very beginning.  And from his loving sacrifices emerged the Church.

Father, we need your help in pulling down the barriers we’ve erected for selfish reasons.  Cast out our fear of being taken advantage of, and help us to become vulnerable, trusting in your protection.  Cause your love to open our hearts so that we gladly receive as well as give.  Thank you.  In Jesus’ name.  AMEN.

THE CHURCH AND SOME SAINTS

 

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God…  Ephesians 2:19

My doctor is retiring.  I saw him this week for the last time professionally, and it was a bittersweet time for me.  Dr. B saved my life.

Many years ago when I was teaching and working on a graduate degree, I had to leave school one day because of intense back ache.  Back pain was nothing new to me; I was born with a mild case of spina bifida, which tended to affect many of my activities and complicate ordinary illnesses.

My mother gathered my two children and me to stay with her and my dad until this latest episode passed.  I took the pills that were my standby, but the pain increased.  After a few weeks, I was pretty much bedfast.  And then came tingling in my legs with visual and hearing impairment.

My doctor decided to hospitalize me for tests.  Batteries were run, and I tried to describe my symptoms to a noted neurologist.  Later, he called my mom to see if I was mentally stable.  When nothing of significance showed up, I was released—with intense back pain, tingling, visual and hearing impairment, and headaches.

We were praying in earnest for healing and diagnosis of the malady that for me was much more than mental instability.  All along Pastor Schwanenberg and Gloria had been visiting and praying with me.  One day they that said Dr. B, a church member, was interested in my case and wondered if my family would like him to give another opinion.  Without hesitation, we accepted his offer.

I was hospitalized again, and more tests were run.  Between tests church friends were visiting and cheering me on.  My friend, Linda, brought me a book and was with me when I received a call from my insurance agent.  I was waiting to see if coverage extended to the multiple tests and hospital stay.  I thanked my agent for calling, but somehow, without my saying a word, Linda left knowing my congenital malformation had exempted the company from covering conditions related to the back.

The next day or so, Dr. B came in with a smile.  He said they’d determined the problem; it was pernicious anemia, so called because before it was learned that vitamin B-12 injections could treat the anemia, most people who developed the disease died from it.  He began frequent injections of B-12 and within a day I was walking, and my symptoms were decreasing.

When I was released from hospital care, Papa came to pick me up.  He entered my hospital room with a smile and an envelope.  He always loved to joke, and he kept me in suspense about the contents.  Finally, Papa told me that when Linda had left the hospital, she went straight to Pastor Schwanenberg telling him about my insurance dilemma and wondering what the church could do.  By the time I was ready for release, my dad had in hand an envelope from my church with a check to pay all the hospital expenses.

Within a few days I was back at home and then back to work.  I called Dr. B’s office to see about paying his bill, which I suspected would be quite large.  Instead, the bookkeeper told me that the doctor had written it off in its entirety.  I’m not sure they make doctors like Dr. B anymore, but I am grateful that God brought this one and all those saints into my life.

 

Loving Father, thank you for the Church, your Body, and all the saints who bless us in so many ways.  Help me to love in deed just as I’ve been loved.  In Jesus’ name.  AMEN.

LIVING EXPECTANTLY

 

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us…  Ephesians 3:20  (KJV)

 

I am reading a book about a group of women in Germany who responded to a call to live together in community and service just after World War II.  Initially, they stayed with the parents of the founder but prayed that God would provide property, funds, and materials to build a chapel and a Mother House in the devastated remains of Darmstadt.

 

The book, Realities of Faith by Basilea Schlink, is astonishing as it details persevering prayer, how the women broached hindrances to their prayers, and divine provision as they dedicated themselves to God’s glory.  One of the stories tells of their needing a particular piece of land on which to build their print shop; however, the owner, an elderly lady, was intent on keeping everything she had ever inherited and would not part with the land.  The women prayed and fasted, and, in their poverty, each felt directed to sacrifice some personal thing (a little wooden cross, a pretty picture, etc.).  Mother Basilea then visited the old lady and could hardly believe her ears when she was told, “I’m not too much sad about the land, but it’s the plum trees; I do hate to lose the plum trees.”  The women made and signed a contract that all the plums would go to the owner while the land would become the property of the religious order.

 

Over and over God met needs as the women prayed together, sacrificed, confessed their sins, and reconciled when there were grievances.  Today the Evangelical Sisterhood of Mary has eleven orders all over the world.  They continue to live out and teach principles of reconciliation, justice, divine provision, and God’s love.

 

As I am reading Realities… I think of how our contemporary Church has moved away from expectant prayer.  We are so familiar with the rituals (every church has them) that we forget we are speaking to the Living God.  We take worship for granted, and when God does not answer a prayer for his glory, I wonder how often we examine ourselves to see if there are fractured relationships or unconfessed sin?  How frequently do we dare to make personal sacrifices that God’s work may continue?

 

Realities of Faith has been a wonderful reminder of who God is and wants to be in our lives and in our fellowships.  This is simply a journal of women who were serious about following Jesus and who found him to be everything and more than they ever hoped.

 

Father, thank you for the saints among us who encourage us in our journeys to climb higher and to get closer.  That really is our heart’s cry.  In Jesus’ name.  AMEN.