A Peek at My Journal

Struggling here, and I sense I’m not alone. Bear with me as I share some private thoughts. I am still sorting things out in these unchartered waters (journaling helps). May we encourage one another.

This will not be a debate about face masks, but I hate them. I really hate them. I hate the fear I see in the eyes of many people wearing them. I hate my own rebelliousness toward wearing them. I have hated people who shame me into wearing them. Yikes! Did I say that out loud? I understand what Paul meant when he said, “I die daily.” That old nature keeps wanting to rise from the dead. It has been a conflict of values for me: Knowing I must set aside my freedoms for the good of others and obey those in authority, and not wanting to bow the knee to tyranny. (I realize some do not think it is tyranny to be required to wear a face mask but let us not go there today.) I have asked the Lord to help me do what is right with a good attitude, but the path has not been easy for me, nor clear. It is a complicated issue in my mind.

Along with some other ladies you may know, I have been doing a Bible study from the book of Titus. Titus is a short, timeless letter packed with wisdom – and conviction. I wrote these verses in my journal:

Titus 3:1-3, “Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, 

to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, 

to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.

At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved 

by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, 

being hated and hating one another.”

I also wrote this: “Mercy, am I guilty! I’ve been rebellious. I’ve maligned others. I’ve not shown consideration for others…It has been hard to admit my sin and to be honest about this… ’God, I don’t have it in me (to bow the knee).’” His mercies are new every morning, amen?

I can relate to a line from Keith Getty’s song, “Christ is All I Have,” that says “Now, Lord, I would be Yours alone and live so all might see the strength to follow Your commands could never come from me.” In my struggle to obey externally as well as internally, the Holy Spirit reminded me of God’s promise to make a way of escape when we are tempted to sin. For now, my daily prayer is, “and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.”

Based on what He has been teaching me, my plan is to submit to God and the authority He has placed over me, to enjoy my freedoms where I am allowed, to rein in those freedoms for those who are scared or at risk, to ask God to deliver me from the temptation to have a rebellious spirit, to remember from what He has already delivered me in an effort to be patient with others, and to trust Him to handle any tyranny however He sees fit. All of it in the power of Christ in me.

Maybe your struggles have nothing to do with face masks. Maybe it’s another area where you struggle to submit to authority – something that really “sticks in your craw.” Maybe there is a rule at work you think is ridiculous or your husband’s leadership doesn’t make sense to you. Along with our pastor, maybe you feel speed limits are just suggestions! J What’s your plan? Have you wrestled with God? I sure have! In the submitting to Him and those He has placed over us and trusting Him with the outcome, we find peace at last.

joyce hague

Serendipity

Serendipity: Finding or experiencing pleasing things that one had not been expecting. A pleasant surprise.

 

Isaiah 55:8-9 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”

 In a way, this verse hints at serendipity. God, in His wonderful and loving thoughts, surprises us so many times in our lives. All of us can count those times. I had a moment like that just recently.

 Years ago when my husband Bob (who is with the Lord)  was pastor in Indiana and I a school teacher, our dear friends Ken and Elaine left the pastorate to go to Kenya as missionaries. While there she contracted malaria. They did not know at the time that God had placed a research doctor in their area who was from America - researching cures for malaria! They did finally have to return to the USA...she was so ill.

 The other night in this year of 202o. I was looking in an old Bible cover. There was a letter from Elaine, written from Kenya, shortly after her diagnosis of malaria. THE LETTER WAS TYPED ON THE BACK OF THIS POEM BY JESSIE! The year was 1991!!!

 As I read Elaine’s letter and then turned it over and read Jessie’s poem, written so long ago, it dawned on me - Elaine has no idea that Jessie is my dear friend and has encouraged me so much just as Jessie’s poem had comforted this dear missionary far away in Kenya. Here is her poem that almost 20 years ago touched my friend who was ill way over in Kenya. After reading it, I couldn’t get away from the fact how many of us can say “I am waiting, Lord.” Oh, how hard to wait! Jessie gave me permission to share.

 

 

Working in Your Dance Clothes

A few days ago, a friend sent me a video of her small daughter folding laundry. The little one’s enthusiasm and skill were charming, but what struck me was her “work clothes.” She was wearing a blue tutu – to do laundry! The idea really set me back. Suppose we did our work in our dance clothes?  

 Growing up poor and on a farm, we had to be careful with our “good clothes.” They were only for church and weddings. And we couldn’t wear our school clothes to do farm work. All of us, even the firstborn (me), had to wear hand-me-downs, even for “good clothes.” To this day, I struggle with the idea of wearing new or decent clothes at home. Shouldn’t I be saving them for a special occasion? And now, in this pandemic, there are no special occasions, but it still bothers me to wear my nice things without a reason! I “have to” wear grubbies at home. That’s their proper place.

 The little girl’s good example reminded me that we could wear what makes us happy, even on ordinary days. I could wear my tutu when I cook and my mermaid outfit to do laundry. And when I write, I’ll wear my Anne of Green Gables jacket and long skirt (I LOVE those!). I don’t actually have any of those, but I could imagine. I’ll do dishes in my purple sequined medieval dress with tall pointy hat, which I do have. But I would wear it only in my imagination, because I wouldn’t want to get dishwater on it. (Oh, boy, here we go again.)

 God’s dress code has nothing to do with whether we wear rags or sequins. He’s not impressed with our fine clothing nor disgusted with our worn-out things. In fact, He tells us not to be concerned with what we wear. He offers us a better wardrobe than we can imagine.

 In Isaiah 61, the Savior claims the Spirit of the Lord gives Him the power to bestow relief and gifts to the poor, the brokenhearted, the captives and the mourners. He gives this promise, “To those who mourn in Zion, to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit.” Is 61:3

 The response from the blessed one is gratitude.

 “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.” Is 61:10

 He says our garments of salvation and righteousness are represented by the beautiful clothing of a bride and groom. The clothing He gives us is perfect and eternal, not in the sense of “future" eternal, but in the here and now and forever.

 Do we think about this clothing God has provided? If pretending to wear a tutu or a medieval dress lifts our spirits and makes us smile, how much more would the recognition of the reality of God’s perfect, gorgeous dress for us change our mindset in this present daily life? We are daughters and sons of the king, and he has provided royal dress for us. Could anything be better than salvation and righteousness, to replace our own “righteousnesses (which) are as filthy rags?” Is. 64:6.

 If we lose awareness of our royal clothing, we might carelessly slip back into our old rags that cause us discouragement, weakness, discontent, and sorrow. His provision is not our “pretend” clothing; in fact, it is a tragic pretense for us to think we are still in our former filthy rags, unworthy, unlovable or useless.

 We are not idle princesses, strutting in our finery. We have work to do. As Jesus left His disciples on earth, He gave them “the promise of My Father” and told them to wait until they were “clothed with power from on high.” Luke 24:49. Our work clothes are our dance clothes -- salvation, righteousness, praise and power – the finest and most beautiful pattern, fabric, and jewels available!

--Lynda Shenefield

A Call for Dependence

            We are a nation that values independence. After all, our nation’s founding rested on a desire for it. We were a people under unjust rule by England and wanted to be free to govern ourselves. We wanted independence. So, when many of us today hear the word independence, we think of the American flag, the pledge of Allegiance, July 4 parades and barbecues, and a general pride in being an independent nation.

            I have been thinking the last few days about how that emphasis on independence has impacted us as a people, even as individuals within this nation. We see a focus on self and self’s desires above all. The slogans of today are You be you! Do what makes you happy! Create your own destiny! Be yourself! In other words, don’t let anyone else tell you what to do or how to live. We don’t just want independence as a nation or independence from unjust rulers, we want independence from everyone. Listen to these words from the iconic song from the Disney hit Frozen, “It’s time to see what I can do, to test the limits and break through. No right. No wrong. No rules for me. I’m free.” Isn’t that the cry of the people today as we move away from any sense of abstract truth, the truth outside of ourselves that doesn’t change based on our desires to live as we please? Everything in our culture is being redefined as man seeks to not be bound to any law that goes against his desires. Perhaps in America we value our own autonomy more than in other cultures.

            Yet surely we Christians know better, right? We understand that we are to follow God and that His truths are unchanging. Oh, but isn’t there still a bit of a rebel in each of us, a desire for no one to tell us what to do? We don’t want others to point out the sins they see in us that we may be blind to. We chafe against following government rule when it doesn’t make sense to us or when we fear it is taking away our ‘freedoms.’ We don’t want to serve when it’s inconvenient on our time and resources. We understand that we must watch our mouths, but on social media, we feel we can type or forward the most vitriolic comments – after all, aren’t we a nation of free speech? In our desire for independence, we strive to control our own lives, to make them turn out the way we want them to, and we can even grow angry when things don’t go our way. For independence doesn’t work; following our desires and doing things our way will not keep us happy, successful, and healthy. It does not bring life.

            Sisters in Christ, there is a better way. It is the road of Dependence. Yoking myself to the One who is my Master, not an unjust taskmaster, but a Master nonetheless who demands my very life (Matt. 10:39). Who takes away my perceived independence and binds me to Himself as His servant. And this yoke, He promises, is lighter than the yoke of the life that fights for her independence (Matt. 11:27-28). This is a yoke, a dependence, that leads to true life. However, it requires the greatest cost: sacrificing our own desires so we may live a holy and acceptable life to God, allowing Him to transform every aspect of our lives, from laying down the rights we feel we deserve to not using our freedom of speech in this country to slander those we don’t agree with (Rom. 12:1-2). It includes thinking of what is best for others before ourselves (Phil. 2:3-7), and in all things obeying Him over our desires (I Peter 1:13-16).

            Interestingly enough, God would not have us be dependent only on Him, though He is obviously our greatest source of dependence. He also created us to need one another in the body of Christ. As a matter of fact, the body functions rightly only when everyone does his or her part (I Cor. 12:12-27). I need you, my family in Christ, to encourage me in the faith, pray for me, and confront me if you see sin I’m not dealing with. I, in turn, need to serve you as well with the time and resources God gives me. We in the church are dependent on one another and cannot choose to live selfishly.

This life is not about me and my rights.  And on this Fourth of July, our nation’s Day of Independence (for this is when I am typing this), I will boldly declare that I am not independent and will fight against the desire to be so. Today, I declare my Dependence.

--Amy O'Rear