It's the Little Things

I never tire of the winter sky. The truth of this statement takes me by surprise because I really am not a fan of cold weather. But there’s something about bare tree branches outlined dark against the gentle blue and gray of a winter afternoon that is so very lovely to me. Thus I am reminded to find the beauty in every situation.

In a recent Wednesday evening Bible study, Amy O’Rear asked us how we stay focused on truth when there is so much trouble in the world. There were various answers:

“Turn on uplifting music.”

“Find friends to pray with.”

“Just keep showing up even if you don’t feel like it.”

We had many good ideas to discuss and ponder as we left the room that evening. But another idea kept coming to my mind: Allow yourself to enjoy life. The book of Ecclesiastes includes many passages that talk about rejoicing in the work God has given us and enjoying the reward of our labors. (See 5:18-20 among others.) The New Testament teaches us that God “gives us richly all things to enjoy” (I Timothy 6:17). I am not pushing the near-heretical notion that “God wants me to be happy.” There are too many scriptures about denying the flesh and practicing self-discipline for me to think this is His highest goal for me.

But in following the example of Jesus himself, I see that he attended a wedding, enjoyed dinner with friends, noticed the beauty of flowers and birds, and took time to hold children on his lap. These are ordinary, everyday pleasures that come with living in the lovely world God made.

So when I’m caring for a sick family member, I can allow myself to enjoy a fragrant cup of tea; standing at the cemetery around an open grave, I can smile at a little girl digging quietly in the dirt; and in the middle of a busy work day, I can pause for a moment at the window and thank God for the beauty of the sky.

And it is so beautiful!

--Sherry Poff

The Job

A few years ago, I was excited about a new job. It meant more money, and we really needed it with two girls in college and their subsequent weddings. It had been a long time since I had worked a job with full benefits including a membership to a fitness center, and it felt good. I felt I was contributing in a meaningful way to the household expenses. Everything appeared wonderful. But it was a trap, and it took six years to wriggle free. The stress saddled me with an unbearable load. The work was tedious, the commute tension-filled, and certain coworkers added friction. In addition, I felt dismissed and unappreciated by those in authority. It was one of the most difficult times of my life – a refining fire. Every morning I sat in the parking garage begging God to give me the strength to get through another day and to do it with holiness. The circumstances squeezed me in ways that challenged my sin nature daily. I didn’t like the things I was seeing in myself. I begged God to help me love the people who made my life miserable. Yes, it was a trying time.

Once we were in a better place financially, I left that job. Today, I work part-time at a job I love. My life is more balanced and less stressful although I stay busy. I feel valued and appreciated. I am healthier physically and mentally. These verses remind me of these circumstances, because God heard my cries and truly has brought me out to a place of abundance:

Psalm 66:10-12: “For You, God, tested us; You refined us as silver is refined. You lured us into a trap; You placed burdens on our backs. You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but You brought us out to abundance.”

Vs. 3, “…’How awe-inspiring are Your works!’”

Are you in a difficult place right now? Ask God to show you steps for a way out and then take that first step, followed by the next. If that’s impossible now, lean into Him for daily strength and take one day at a time. Practice self-care too, so you can serve others better.

joyce hague

MY YELLOW SHARPIE

To study and “share” Shakespeare (“Yes! You WILL appreciate Shakespeare!”) was one of my favorite parts of teaching high school literature (Sherry knows that!). There have been periods in my life, and maybe yours, when I could quote with heartfelt meaning part of his SONNET 29:

When, in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes,
I all alone beweep my outcast state,
And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries...

During some difficult periods of my “journey,” I was so sure Heaven was “deaf” to my “bootless cries.” God was not hearing me. Maybe that is how you feel today.  These doubts did not always disappear quickly, even though, “Of course, the Lord was there! Of course, I knew He was!” How???

Some of you have heard me talk about what a blessing my prayer journal has been to me. Several years ago, before I started a journal with my requests, I had a hodgepodge way of keeping track of requests...random lists, 3 x 5 cards, my memoryJ. The hard part was when a friend thanked me for praying and I wasn’t sure what the request had been!

God’s Word has to be the foundation of our prayer life. In Matthew 18:1, Jesus told the disciples to always pray and “not give up.” Why should we follow this directive? Because Hebrews 4:14 tells us: “We have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God,” And verse 16: “Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

A little added thought...What if Jesus had died on the cross, had arisen from the grave and had decided to build a church in Jerusalem? He HAD to ascend to the Father to complete his ministry for us. There He is TODAY, on the right hand of the Father, waiting to hear our heart cries so He can take them to the Father for us!! Wow!

My dad was such a prayer warrior that I realized one day after he was gone: “Maylou, you had better get serious about your prayer life.”

This might not work for all but...My journal is very simple...I just list things as they come to me...not in categories. # 2 might be my son David’s job while # 370 might be another request for him. I date each one when I jot it in. So it is really a diary of my requests over the years and how God has answered them.

Where does the YELLOW SHARPIE come in? As I pray almost daily for every request, I mark over the request when it is answered with my sharpie and also write “ans.” My answer might be “no” or “yes.” Many I have prayed about for over 25 years before they were answered. Some are still unanswered.

We need to be serious about praying for others. We want others to see, through our prayers, that as Isaiah 4:20 states (one of my favorite verses) “That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the LORD hath done this.”

 --Maylou Holladay

Imperatives

Deuteronomy 11:1--You shall therefore love the LORD your God and keep his charge, His statutes, His rules, and His commandments always.

II Kings 17:37--The statutes and the rules and the law and the commandment that He wrote for you, you shall always be careful to do.

Proverbs 6:20,21--My son, keep your father’s commandment, and forsake not your mother’s teaching. Bind them on your heart always; tie them around your neck.

Luke 18:1--He told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.

I Corinthians 15:58--Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

Ephesians 4: 26-31--Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

Ephesians 5:18-21--Be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your hears, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Philippians 4:4--Rejoice in the Lord always.

Colossians 4:6--Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

I Thessalonians 5:15--See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.

II Timothy 4:5--As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

Always. Everything. Everyone. Do you see any wiggle room here? Sometimes we take a rather casual approach to our own behavior, with the (misguided) comment that we are not under law but under grace, so we have “liberty” to do as we please. (That’s not what the “liberty” in the New Testament enables us to do, but that’s for another sermon.) When Jesus was on earth, explaining the law, He actually tightened it up a bit, showing that the heart attitude is of the same importance as the behaviors. And now we see that our life of liberty requires a variety of behaviors always. No occasional disobedience allowed. Don’t even think it. This small collection of instructions covers nearly all facets of our behavior, and there are many other passages that tell us how to behave which imply always, even if the word is not used.

This convicts me. This is hard. It doesn’t suit my “lifestyle.” Oh, yes, I try to do these things. Except when I don’t. Of course, sometimes I have a reason (read, “excuse”) when I don’t. Or sometimes I’m just lazy. But I didn’t see the word “sometimes” anywhere in these Scriptures.

But did you notice as you read that all these things are encouraging and uplifting? These are all good things – good for us and good for others, when we do them. So what’s happening when we fail? If they’re all good, we shouldn’t fail, ever. The things that cause us to fail are all bad things, mostly inward things.

When Dr. Euler preached to us in August, he made the comment, “How you behave shows what you believe.” Do we believe God’s Word? Always?

--Lynda Shenefield

Safe in His Hands

I have no illusions that I’m a poet, but sometimes I long for a way to express myself that goes beyond mere words in a sentence. I lay in bed one night last month, and as I fought worry over a certain matter, I had this picture of a clenched hand trying to hold on to the people I care about deeply and knowing at the same time that I can’t. So came the first two lines of this poem. I sat down on the couch the next morning and just wanted to complete my thoughts. 

It is very imperfect; I completely changed the rhyming pattern after the first verse and I paid absolutely no attention to the syllable count for each line. However, I am sharing it for two reasons… One, when I showed it to my husband later in the day, he said, “That should be your next post for the Cup of Grace blog.” (Thanks, Kelly.) And two, this is an example of how I fight for truth in my mind.  God calls us to “be transformed by the renewal of our minds” (Romans 12:2) which means that we must fight for truth in our thoughts. This was my fight on the morning of December 17.

My hands cling so tightly to the things that I hold dear,

And when I feel I can’t hold on, then I begin to fear.

Yet the perception of holding on was an illusion all along,

For believing I can control our lives and keep us safe is wrong.

I can’t ensure that we stay healthy.

I can’t guarantee a pain-free life.

I can’t dictate the future my kids will grow up in.

I can’t enable relationships with little strife.

So what do I do when I realize I can’t?

When my lack of control is clear,

When fears overwhelm and crowd my soul,

When anxious thoughts are all I hear?

I make room in my soul for Your still small voice

To cut through the noise and speak,

To bring truth to the thoughts swirling my mind

That leave me defeated, hopeless, and weak.

The truth that the future rests in Your hands,

That you are greater than every fear.

That nothing happens outside of your plan,

That in all things You’re in control, and You’re near.

So, Father, help me to choose faith over fear

As I walk throughout each day,

To fight the anxieties with your Word,

To entrust them to Your sovereignty as I pray.

For even as I realize I can’t hold onto a thing

To make sure that life runs the way that I’ve planned,

I trust that Your way is better than mine,

And that we’re all held safely in the grip of Your hand.

--Amy O’Rear

Unexpected

My girls and I are doing an online devotional called Unexpected.  That is the perfect description for the past year.  Elizabeth and Bill have been on a wild ride with foster children and the joys and trials of that.  John and Bill have both found their dream jobs and will be moving with their families across the country in opposite directions to follow that dream.  Sarah and Daniel have a new baby boy, Ruben Danger, and a new house that is still in the remodeling process before they can move it.  I have had some surprise physical issues that were certainly unexpected.

            Unexpected certainly has been the perfect word for my family this year, but I am just as sure that it would describe your journey.  In fact, it describes life for every individual on this planet.  Some of that unexpected is welcomed (our little Ruben) and some of it is not welcome at all (physical issues).

            For the last several years I have heard others say, “My word for the year is (fill in the blank).”  That has never been something that has appealed to me, but I find this year that I do have a word.  TRUST.  You see, I have some “expected” this year.  Some of those seem good and some not so good. I don’t know exactly how they will play out, but I know they are coming. And so it goes.  I consider even these to be “unexpected” in many ways.  I know that in addition there will be others that are truly unexpected.  Pile on those unexpected.

Perhaps the one who faced the most “unexpecteds” in Scripture was Job.  His immediate response to those is found in Job 2:10.   “Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?”  Notice the next words.  “In all this Job did not sin with his lips.”  My goal for the next year is to accept whatever comes my way as coming from God and therefore good.

Proverbs 3:5-6 is the first “trust” verse to come to mind for many of us.  “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path.”  The first dictionary definition of “trust” is “reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence.”  The second is “confident expectation of something; hope.”  My trust is in Him, not my own understanding.

I have been singing much of today and this is the song.

            “”Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, Just to take Him at His Word,

            Just to rest upon His promise, Just to know, ‘Thus saith the Lord.’

            “I’m so glad I learned to trust Him, Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend,

            And I know that He is with me, will be with me to the end.

            “Yes, ‘tis sweet to trust in Jesus, Just from sin and self to cease.

            Just from Jesus simply taking Life and rest, and joy and peace.

            Jesus, Jesus, How I trust Him! How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er.

            Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus, Oh, for grace to trust Him more.”

            So sweet to trust Him.

                                                                        ~~Faith Himes Lamb

Lessons While Traveling

On a recent trip to West Virginia, Larry and I traveled for some miles on Interstate 77. It was a mostly sunny afternoon, and traffic was moderately heavy. Somewhere between Beckley and Princeton, we saw three deer grazing near the highway. I pointed them out to Larry and remarked that they were “unfazed by the traffic.”

Larry nodded. “Until they try to cross the road,” he added.

This remark got me thinking about how vulnerable these beautiful and delicate creatures are. Deer can jump remarkably high. I have seen one leap from a standing position directly over a five-foot fence. But they are no match for roaring eighteen wheelers—or even a speeding Kia.

Just a couple miles down the road, we spotted five more deer beside the interstate and then another group a little later. The lesson was not lost on me: animals can become so accustomed to danger that they calmly munch their lunch within feet of death-dealing instruments.

It is the same with people. We get so used to hearing blasphemy and lies that we don’t even react. The sinfulness and deceit of the world is so pervasive that we fail to step back from the danger. Movies, music, even the comments of friends are full of potentially crushing ideas and philosophies.

I don’t mean to suggest that we live “like deer in the headlights”; God is in control, and we can rest in that comfort. I do mean to suggest that we should “walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise”. Satan is like “a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” He would love to destroy you and me—to render us ineffective and unfit for God’s work.

Daily we carry out the business of our lives in close proximity to real danger. It can be so easy to keep our heads down and not even think about the fact that we are drifting closer and closer to the fatal path. Instead, we must arm ourselves with the shield of faith and fill our minds with truth so we can be wise to recognize danger and strong enough to step back—even leap over a fence—remaining whole and ready for God’s service. 

   

--Sherry Poff