Change

Many years ago I was pregnant with my first child, while my Aunt Grace was dying of cancer.  I remember one meal in particular when we were both at my grandmother’s in Murfreesboro.  I was very sick, unable to keep most food down.  She was also unable to keep food down, the result of her chemotherapy.  One, then the other, would leave the table precipitously to lose what she had just eaten.  I remember then thinking that my nausea was a symbol of life, while hers was a symbol of death.

            Recently those memories have come back—my youngest daughter has announced she is pregnant with her first child, while my dear Uncle Sandy has gone home to Heaven this past week.  Life and death.

I am reminded of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8:

To every thing there is a season,

And a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die;

A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal;

A time to break down, and a time to build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh;

A time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;

A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to get, and a time to lose;

A time to keep, and a time to cast away;

A time to rend, and a time to sew;

A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

A time to love, and a time to hate;

A time of war, and a time of peace.

There is a season for everything.  Some of those seem good and others seem difficult.  There is a time for new life and there is a time for death. There is a part of me that hates change, that wants things to remain the same.  I will miss my uncle so much, will miss his gentleness and his caring, will miss being told he loves me.  He married my aunt and became a part of the family when I was only seven years old.  My world has always included him.  As an adult I got to teach with him.  As a retiree I got to spend more time with him and my other aunts and uncles.  And now he is gone, leaving a hole.  But I know this is a good time.  He was ninety-three years old.  We have had a celebration of a life well lived.

Recent days have also brought me the promise of a new grandchild, the joy of watching my daughter’s anticipation.  What will that Little One be like?  Will this little one look like mother’s side or daddy’s side?  What will Baby Roberts’ personality be? What will be the world that little one grows up in?  What will his or her contribution be for the Lord?

All of life is change, some changes we celebrate, others bring grief.  Nothing remains the same. My comfort this week has come through the hymn Abide with Me by Henry F. Lyte.  A line in the second verse says, “O Thou who changest not, abide with me.”

Hebrews 13:8 proclaims, “Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today, yea, and forever.”  What a wondrous declaration!  In a world of change, I’m glad there is a constant.  “O Thou who changest not, abide with me.”

                                                            ~~Faith Himes Lamb

From March Madness to Easter Fever

From Maylou Holladay:

Dear reader of the Cup of Grace Blog. This privilege to submit a blog for the Easter weekend prompted me to ask my husband Brant to put into writing this amazing story:

From March Madness to Easter Fever

By Brant Holladay

Last month we called it “March Madness.”  Basketball, basketball, and more basketball.  What an unbelievable and, I might add, magnificent season of basketball.

Now we are in April and our minds turn to Easter.  I remember so well one Easter 27 years ago being in Ukraine on their Easter Sunday.  All Eastern Europe that day was celebrating their freedom after 70 years of Communist tyranny.  Pastor Cecil Holcombe (Fred’s father) and I found ourselves surrounded in the center of Red Square on Sunday morning where four or five hundred of the town’s population were every bit as excited as the March madness crowd.  

There were shouts of joy and great happiness.  Then suddenly and spontaneously out from the crowd we heard the words: “CHRIST IS RISEN.  CHIST IS RISEN INDEED” over and over again.  I shall never forget that Easter in Ukraine.

Twenty-seven years later I am back home in America with my wife Maylou.  My heart remains thrilled to remember the words “CHRIST IS RISEN.  CHRIST IS RISEN INDEED.” Do you know the joy of salvation and of sins forgiven?  The Bible says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”  Christ is risen indeed!

Weather Angel

Have I ever told you about my Weather Angel? Many of you know that my husband and I have a love for the Great Outdoors. We ride bicycles, hike, kayak, camp, etc. We do it for fitness and for fun, but it is heavily weather dependent. It all started a few years back during one of those rainy summers. You know what I mean, one of those summers where it storms every afternoon. It was difficult finding a chance to get outdoors even to just exercise. And I need to be outdoors. So, I began to pray about this matter. I found myself saying things like, “Lord, please open a window in the weather for me to exercise between 7:00 and 8:30. This is the only time I can go, and I know You want me to care for my body.” I began to see some changes – very small, seemingly coincidental changes. I wondered if I was reading too much into these things. Would the Lord really change the weather for me so I could exercise or just enjoy a hobby? My inner dialogue went like this: “I’ve prayed for no rain today, but the weatherman says there’s a 90 percent chance. Do I leave my umbrella at home to demonstrate my faith?” My faith was small.

I began to keep a journal on these “coincidences.” I was determined to be brutally honest too. Here are some of the highlights:

August 2011, Dan and I planned to bike the New River Trail in Virginia. The weather forecast was terrible, but this was the only weekend we could go. We biked about 30 miles that day, and the air was so thick we could hardly breathe. We were drenched by humidity and sweat. After our ride, we loaded our bikes and went to eat. The moment we literally stepped foot in the restaurant, as the old saying goes, “the bottom dropped out.” We were amazed. God had held the weather back just long enough for us to finish our ride and get under shelter.

February 2012, I prayed for a break in the weather for a specific time, so I could go walking. While walking, I decided to do an extra lap around the neighborhood. I ended up getting wet. Had I stuck to the times I requested, I would have remained dry.

March 2012, I prayed over a friend’s wedding. During the rehearsal the day before, the weather was tornadic, but the wedding day rose clear and crisp.

April 2012, I had scheduled an overnight backpacking trip to Mount LeConte in the Smoky Mountains planned with some friends. (Did you know the Smokies are a rainforest?) The weatherman predicted a 70 percent chance of rain, but we prayed. We  only got sprinkles and fog. My daughter, Savannah, was in Virginia doing a mud run, and she could see the weather coming toward them. They ended up wet and cold. She knew we were praying about our trip. Sometimes our prayers impact others in unexpected ways.

August 2012, our daughter, Rachel, was to be in an outdoor wedding in Canada, and a 90 percent chance of rain was predicted. We prayed, and the weather was perfect!

July 2013, the Lord blessed me with a window to exercise in the middle of a week’s worth of non-stop raining.

I could go on and on. I have over 45 entries in this journal. There have been other weddings, opportunities to exercise, and outdoor adventures. I finally grew tired of keeping track. I found that about 98 percent of the time, the Lord gave me what I asked, and it seemed my chances were better if I asked ahead of time. As a family, we joked that I had a personal Weather Angel. But we know that I am no one special. God does not play favorites. God loves us and delights in blessing us! He is good to His children!

This little experiment made me more confident in the power of prayer. I recommend the book, “Prayer, the Great Adventure,” by David Jeremiah. Since reading it and putting the principles into practice, I have seen God’s hand at work in amazing ways. You can too. May the Lord bless you!

joyce hague

Pestering for God's Glory

A devotional book I was reading recently asked the question: Who in your life has God used to help offer training, reproof, and correction to you? At first I thought,  I'll just skip the question. I'd rather just focus on the scripture. But then I thought, I am choosing to do this devotional, so I'm going to submit to it, do the work, and trust God to use it in my life.

So I sat and thought about the question, and what a joy it was! I thought about the pastor of my church when I was in high school and college. He was a godly man who cared enough to call me out when I was wrong, yet he was always respectful of my opinions. When I was in college and making some choices that troubled my parents, this pastor and his wife took me out to lunch and listened to my side of the story. They agreed with my parents, but I'll always remember that they spent that time with me and spoke to me with real love and--yes--reproof.

Then I recalled a Sunday School superintendent who held us teachers accountable to prepare well and then to visit our class members. We had periodic meetings to give a report of our activity. In some ways, that was a different era in church involvement, but it was good for me to have that regular encouragement.

I remembered a missionary friend who has always been a role model to me in godliness and sacrifice, but a sacrifice that seems more like joy than hardship. And then I thought of my current boss, who keeps before us the word of God and our commitment to it as we lead young people.

Young adults sometimes talk about "adulting" (Isn't it interesting how almost any word can be turned into a verb?) and making that transition from irresponsible youth to mature adulthood. Well, friends, this is adulting: being grateful instead of resentful for those people who urge us on to righteousness. These are people who love us and love God enough to say the necessary things and ask the hard questions. And these are people who keep coming back when we might wish they'd leave us alone.

Let us be grateful for them. Then let us consider who we might similarly pester for the glory of God.

--Sherry Poff

It's An Adventure!

Many years ago, a neighbor couple, both of whom were blind, asked me to take them to a doctor’s appointment at Erlanger. No problem; I packed my two little ones in the van, along with those neighbors, and we set off to perform our good deed.

Erlanger covers a fairly large campus, and I was unfamiliar with the place. The friends asked me to drop them off at a certain place; then I went to park the van. I put our baby girl in the stroller and our 4-year-old son walked beside me. To my dismay, the couple had not waited for us, but had gone on their way to their appointment. They knew where they were going! Unfortunately, I did not. I panicked. I had not the least idea which building they had gone into. I made a wild guess, which was in error. My panic level rose. I was totally lost, along with my two babies, and I had lost the blind people for whom I was responsible! (No one had cell phones at that time.)

For some reason, I thought the place must be “over there.” I bumped the stroller along a grassy expanse, expecting to reach the next building. Suddenly, we were at the edge of a six-foot drop-off. This grassy lawn went nowhere. I was absolutely dismayed and without any hope of finding our friends. I was too frightened to cry. My son looked over the abyss before us and exclaimed with true delight, “Mom, this is an adventure!”

I was stunned. Adventure? This was a disaster! His comment really set me back. Not having any responsibility in the matter, he was absolutely enjoying himself. What a difference in perspective! We were both going through the same motions, but because of an awareness of plan, or lack thereof, and a sense of responsibility, or lack thereof, we had exactly opposite responses to the situation.

My son did not know that his guide was completely lost and had no knowledge of what to do. I don’t think he could even have comprehended that. So he was happy and secure.

Our situation with our Guide is exactly the opposite. God is never lost and always knows what to do. But our reaction, which should be the happiness and security exhibited by my son, is also the opposite! We worry and fuss about things we do not understand, we fear the next step or the consequences of that step. We panic. We are dismayed. We try to take responsibility for things we cannot control.

What if we actually believed God knows what is going on, whether good or bad, and is in control of our lives? He tries to tell us. One of our Scripture passages in our recent study of the Holy Spirit is Proverbs 3:5&6, with which we are all familiar. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.” God tells us in Psalm 32, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye,” and in Psalm 119, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

We know from experience that even when all things seem to be going wrong, God can sort all that out in a way we never expected and make a beautiful result.  We did find our friends, through an amazing chance – or God’s provision. Sometimes our disasters do not have a happy ending, at least, not that we can see. Yet, could we go through life every moment expecting God to make a beautiful result? Let’s practice. At every step, let’s say, “This is an adventure!” And thank our good God.

--Lynda Shenefield

The Power of Words

Have you recently thought about the power of words? Have you considered the words you’ve spoken and how they would impact the various people with whom you were speaking? In a very familiar passage of Scripture, James compares the tongue to a fire. Like a tiny spark can cause a dangerous and destructive fire, so a word off of our tongue can cause great devastation (James 3:5-6).

I love the word picture that Solomon paints in Proverbs 12:18: “There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing” (ESV). There is a comparison here between two types of people. The first one mentioned is the rash one who doesn’t think before he speaks but says whatever is on his mind without regard of the one to whom he’s speaking. In contrast is the wise one who thinks before he speaks and who understands the weightiness of words. And look at the results! The rash one’s words pierce like swords; the wise one’s words bring healing. The words of the wise are like good balm or medicine to the soul.

Haven’t we all used ‘sword thrust’ words at one time or another? Said things that hurt deeply and left a wound? Used a tone that was harsh and demeaning? I know I have. I have been that rash one at times whose words have pierced like a sword. Those words cannot be unspoken, and once said, can bring pain into a relationship. This can apply to any type of relationship: simple acquaintances, deeper friendships, and even (maybe especially) marriage and family relationships. Praise God for forgiveness and for grace that is given in those times.

However, what would it be like if we were marked by words that bring healing to the soul? If our words brought balm and soothing to a hurting spirit? If our words encouraged a neighbor, helped bring hope to a struggling sister in Christ, or built up our spouse and children? Oh to be known as a person whose words bring healing!

In Psalm 141:3, David wrote in his prayer to God, “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!” David understood the power of the tongue, and he knew he needed divine intervention to use his tongue for good and not for harm. And thankfully, as believers in God after Christ’s time on earth, we have that guard living inside of us. It is the Holy Spirit Himself who seeks to aid us in this process of spiritual transformation to become more like Christ. The fruit of the Spirit that He enables in us and that often can be seen in our words as well as our actions are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. The tongue of a person who is characterized by that fruit will be one of healing and not sword thrusts.

So, as we go into this new week, may we consider our words in the conversations we have. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to be the guard over our mouths, so that our words truly would be a reflection of our Heavenly Father, bringing healing to hurting hearts.

--Amy O'Rear

In the Midst

On our refrigerator we have photos of our darling grandchildren (to make me smile every day).  Also, we have this quote that causes us to try to keep our “feet in the race” or “our hearts outwardly focused.”

Henry Drummond (1851-1897) only lived 46 years. But here I am quoting him today.

He was a Scottish evangelist who assisted Dwight L. Moody in many of his campaigns. If you are not familiar with him, enjoy reading about this man who used a few years to influence future generations. He stated:

“Keep in the midst of life. Do not isolate yourself. Be among men and things, and among troubles, and difficulties, and obstacles.”

Isn’t that an amazing statement? I could stop right there. But let’s think about being “in the midst” with our best example...Jesus.

One of my favorite stories of Jesus is in Matthew concerning his relationship with John the Baptist. Of course, we know John was very important in introducing Jesus Christ to the people. Some background on this relationship:

In Matthew 11, John was in prison. He (verse 3) sent to Jesus and asked if Jesus is really the One they should believe. Jesus did not say, “Go ask John what is he thinking??? Of course! I am the MAIN MAN! Doesn’t he know that???” No, Jesus instead just had the disciples go to remind John “again” about all the good things that had been done. Then Jesus proceeded to say in verses 7-15 that “among them that are born of women there has not risen a greater than John the Baptist.” No criticism of John’s concerns...only praise for the servant he was for Jesus.

Now to how Jesus exemplifies being “in the midst” as Henry Drummond reminds us...

 In Matthew 14, John had been beheaded because of his preaching truth. When Jesus (verse 13) heard about John’s death, He “departed by ship into a desert place apart:” Notice that punctuation after “apart” tells us the verse has not ended yet.

The rest of verse 13 says: “And when the people had heard thereof they followed Him on foot out of the city.”

What did Jesus do? Did He say, “Leave me alone. I need to grieve. I am so weary!”

Verse 14 needs no explanation about Jesus being “in the midst of life...among men...” as Henry Drummond implores us to be:

          “And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them and he healed their sick.”

Of course, we will have times of grief, of rest alone, of “getting away.” We need to be willing to “Keep in the midst of life. Do not isolate yourself. Be among men and things, and among troubles, and difficulties, and obstacles.” God needs us to touch other people’s lives for His glory.

--Maylou Holladay