Spirit & Mind

Our one-hundred-fifty-year-old farmhouse had withstood decades of rain, snow, wind, and sun, but it was no match for an electrical malfunction one frigid January evening. We had the clothes on our backs, the slippers on our feet, and the family all safe. The house, however, was another story.

The aftermath of our fire devastated us. Our home was a soggy, frozen mess. Plywood boards covered the once beautiful but now broken windows, the roof sagged pathetically over the family room, and black charred walls showed evidence of the firefighters’ battle. Our home, furniture, clothing, and toys were burned or ruined. Our routine was broken. Nothing was in its regular place. The slightest smell of smoke sent me into tears and panic mode. Daily, I just did the next thing as I attempted to reestablish normal.

The insurance company provided a mobile home for us to live in. A skillful truck driver maneuvered it into a lot next to our old house. We wearily moved in a mishmash of borrowed items. Meanwhile, snow melted into gigantic puddles everywhere. Our yard was a soggy mess, and the space around the trailer looked like a moat.

As I searched God’s Word for comfort and courage, phrases from Isaiah soaked into my weary soul. God walked us through a fire without being burned. He was with us as we splashed through water day after day. How reassuring to find words to set my mind on. I read them repeatedly as my thoughts shifted from fear to assurance. God had been and would continue to care for our family.

Are you worn down by circumstances that consume your every thought? Does fear shadow your days? Don’t fear. God has redeemed you and will be with you.

(Photo courtesy of pixabay and phmaxiestevez.)

Young children enjoy their family, friends, games, toys, and leisure in the comfort and security of a fenced backyard. Often, when first introduced to this setting, a child might cling to a parent or only venture so far. As time passes, however, confidence develops, and the child is free to explore and experience the joys that await them.

Adults and guardians, sensing this newfound freedom, explain the importance of remaining within the fenced area so they can fully appreciate these pleasures and protection. And how our hearts shutter if one of them fails to heed and disappears from the safe spot.

But imagine no bike lanes, guard rails, goal posts, or assigned lanes for competing runners and swimmers. Before the brilliant inventions and early developments by African American Garrett A. Morgan or Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot of France, traffic jams and safety concerns were rife.

God—our loving, protective, all-wise, and all-knowing Father—establishes guidelines within His enormity of grace, freedom, and love. He fully understands the havoc, insecurity, guilt, shame, and destruction of the consequences we will reap without His boundaries. In the perfect setting of Eden, He lovingly protected the first couple. Later, the Law, Ten Commandments, and Scripture were written for our well-being to give us a wholesome, right relationship with our Maker, our neighbor, and ourselves.

God’s love mirrors His boundaries. Often, we question, resist, rebel, kick, and scream about the boundaries, yet we know they are necessary and beneficial. We would run wild and self-destruct because of sin in us and the world without firm boundaries.

God is our mighty, merciful, and loving Lord who sees all. He is not simply waiting for us to mess up so He can crush us. He establishes the boundaries to keep us on paths that are for our good and His glory. When we cross them, He gently guides us, sometimes with a firm hand. God’s grace—an extension of His equally huge heart—allows limitless plans for us. He provides a wide and high canvas on which we can draw, write, color, and even scribble.

Let God’s boundaries teach you to trust God, perceive right from wrong, develop, grow, establish your identity, and prepare for the future.

(Photo courtesy of pixabay and Willypomares.)

I have often wondered why God doesn’t heal the ones we love. As a hospice nurse for many years, I watched many people die. As a Christian, I’ve also prayed for healing for friends and family, yet witnessed them die anyway.

I have wrestled with the concept of why for a long time. I watched a sixteen-year-old boy, a five-year-old boy, and my godly friend who had cancer not receive healing. My brother suffered for years from heart disease and diabetes through no fault of his own, but died young.

When I had my second bout with cancer, I comprehended the enormity of our prayers as I prayed for my healing. One day, feeling lousy from the chemo, I talked to God to fill Him in on the whole deal. How foolish that I thought He needed to know how I felt.

But then something happened to my prayer. It went something like this: “Lord, You know I want to live. You know this chemo is making me feel terrible. The Bible says that Your plans for me are good, so if You plan to take me to be with You, that’s what I want.”

I couldn’t believe I said it was okay for me to die. Was I sincere? Sitting in my sunroom’s dark shadows, I realized I did mean it. I lost my firm grip on this world and turned to eternal life with Christ.

Many godly people don’t receive healing on this side of heaven, but God assures us that He hears our prayers. I’ve started praying the following prayer for others: “God, You know our desire is for healing, but if You have a better plan for them in glory, then that is what we want.”

Thirty years later, I still don’t know how God chooses whom to cure on earth and whom to take to heaven. I’ve seen miraculous cures and tragic deaths. But I don’t have to know. My job is to pray and trust that His decisions are correct.

When you pray for others, pray for God’s will to be done.

(Photo courtesy of pixabay and thiagosnot23.)

As I thumbed half-heartedly through the magazine I had received in the mail (one of those free promotional offers), I was catapulted off the couch and to the mirror by one advertisement.

Botox as an age reversal seemed a miracle answer. The lines I saw in my reflection screamed, “Old!” Questions popped into my old brain: Should I call the phone number, visit the website, or email right away? And since the advertisement mentioned no price, I wondered if it would be exorbitant and beyond my means.

But would removing the signs of age solve any problems? Would this magic procedure make me younger? The negative answers reverberated like a heavy door slammed shut. Would I find a new purpose, hope, or more positive outlook? Would people view me as a younger, more vibrant person? Would I be worthy of more of their time? Would more opportunities be opened? As my heart sank, I remembered this verse: Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

The daily renewal is what benefits us. Inward, spiritual renewal refreshes our hearts and spirits. It is not a trick, like wrinkles, that hides the truth.

The procedure for this inward renewal involves prayer and Bible study, which rejuvenates us from the inside out. By doing so, we gain instead of losing.

Make time to open your Bible and heart to God so you can be renewed daily.

(Photo courtesy of pixabay and TungArt7.)

As a young adult, I joined a church league softball team. I typically played third base but was assigned to first base or other positions as needed. As a rule, our coach expected me to swing as hard as I could when I batted. Occasionally, he told me to bunt. Sometimes, he urged me to run as fast as my legs would go. But at other times, he cautioned me to stay on base.

All our players spent time in the game. Generally, we used that time productively. Occasionally, however, we wasted time complaining, wishing for different positions and hurting the entire team. We grumbled about practice, our coach’s calls, the hot weather, and our schedule—not the best example for nonbelievers watching from the stands.

Most games were over before we knew it. Nine innings, with an occasional overtime, do not last long.

Life is similar. God has given us positions and a limited time to play them. We can perform our positions well—including the ones we didn’t choose—prepare for and practice for our positions, make the most of our circumstances, and adjust our schedules to meet the needs before us. Or we can spend our time complaining and wishing for different assignments, requirements, surroundings, and expectations. In so doing, we hurt ourselves and others, particularly those we serve and lead in ministry.

So, follow God’s leading to find purpose in every position, play well, and work as a unified team member with other believers. The game of life will be over before you know it.

(Photo courtesy of pixabay and cherylholt.)