Moving On

Have you ever had anything stolen from you? I have, more than once! Here’s how I responded.

First was the theft of my little blue Corvair. I had parked a couple of blocks away from work. At the end of the day, I walked back and couldn’t find my car.

I walked around a couple of blocks before calling the police. Later, they called saying someone had used my car to commit a robbery, then returned it close to where it had been taken. Surprise!

Years later, our VW camper was stolen. After dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant, we were shocked to see our van missing! I waited while my husband walked around a couple of blocks. I understood how he felt.

He drove the area for days before the police informed him it was parked behind some apartment buildings. It was nice to get it back, but it was stripped of all our camping gear, right down to the bare bones. We sold it not long after.

Twice we had our home broken into. The first time, I went overboard on engraving our possessions. I remember thinking nobody’s ever going to steal from me again! Wishful thinking!

We moved to another state, and it happened again. This time, we reported stolen goods; however, nothing ever turned up when the police asked us to check out recovered items.

I decided it was time to move on. First, I poured out my heart to God. Then I asked for His peace and protection. I released the things we had lost and thanked Him for what we had.

If you’re wondering what brought these experiences to mind, it was John 10:10: The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. The thief is Satan.

On the other hand, the same verse says that Jesus has come to give us a better life. Unlike Satan, He will never mistreat us.

A New Year is coming. Has everything gone well for you this past year?

I doubt it, because troubles come to all of us. The question is, will we hang on to disappointments and frustrations, or will we move on and seek God for better things to come?

Why not pursue healthy spiritual growth this year with a daily reading of His Word and Prayer? Have a happy NEW year!

Unsplash by Boliviainteligente, Ano 2026, ano Nuevo2026.  

Weep With Those Who Weep

Doesn't it seem like lately we've had way too many opportunities to do this? Worldwide Covid-19 deaths, Hurricane Ida flooding, plus the Afghanistan situation have created plenty of tears. Plus, today was 9/11, complete with memorials for the unsuspecting citizens, twenty years ago, who were held hostage on rogue flights they never planned.

One of those planes hit the Pentagon. I saw a review of that tragedy on Friday. Today I tried to watch the other two memorials.

I started with the one near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, Flight 93 National Memorial. As names were read of brave citizens who acted in solidarity to bring the rogue plane down, I couldn’t help it---I wept.

I tried switching to the memorial in New York. It only brought more tears. Twenty years have not erased the impact of this tragedy.

While listening to names read at Ground Zero, I had one question. Why did so many people have the same last names?

I was satisfied with the information in an article titled “The World Trade Towers Collapsed on Will Jimeno. How Did He Survive?” You can find this article by Garrett M. Graff (09/10/2021) on the web.

Never having been to New York, I did not know The World Trade Center actually consisted of seven buildings on sixteen acres. The Twin Towers famously dominated the skyline. Statistics say there were more than 50,000 daily occupants and over 200,000 daily visitors.

Will Jimeno, a NY Port Authority Police Officer trapped for thirteen hours in rubble between the two towers before he was rescued, has written a book: Sunrise Through the Darkness.

In his article, Mr. Graff, historian, journalist, podcaster, and author of a NY Times Best Seller (The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11), gave Will Jimeno’s book a thumbs up: “It’s the most hopeful and inspiring story from that day I’ve ever found.”

After speaking engagements, people usually say they can’t think of a worse thing to happen. Will, having dealt with physical injuries, survivor guilt and PTSD still has the heart to weep with those who weep (Romans 15:12, NLT).

He says, “Whatever tragic event is happening in your life, at that moment, you have your own World Trade Center. It isn’t comparative or competitive. At some point, in all our lives, we’re going to feel like the World Trade Center fell on top of us. It’s what we do in that moment---and who we are after---that matters most.”

Thanks, Will, for your example of bravery and compassion.

  

A Basket of Lemons

One day I was looking at a basket of bright yellow lemons and pink grapefruit. I happen to enjoy pink grapefruit, but I prefer lemons in cheesecake or pie.

You’ve probably heard the slogan When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemonade. It sounds good, but really it’s a rather messy time-consuming process.

I was intrigued by a basketful of lemons in scripture. Six problems were listed with two common denominators: 1) cause of stress, and 2) need for a timely solution.

The lemons listed in Habakkuk 3:17 included non-budding fig trees, fruitless grapevines, olive crop failure, fields yielding no food, plus empty sheep pens and cattle stalls.

Which of these lemons could be turned into lemonade overnight? None! Each one would require time and perseverance to improve or overcome.

The most fitting advice might be Winston Churchill’s famous quote: “Never, never, never give up.”   

The writer of Habakkuk was certainly realistic about his lemon list. What is interesting is his recipe for lemonade.

In verse eighteen it begins with trust in God. That attitude gave him a joyful spirit. He would persevere in processing his lemons because his strength would come from God.

We could declare Covid-19 a basket of lemons. They differ in size and amount from person to person and even country to country; however, they have brought new life to a poem I wrote several years ago.

Perhaps it will inspire you to persevere in making some personal lemonade:

ONWARD TO VICTORY

By Darlis Sailors, 2016

Life is bitter, where once it was sweet.

Faith feels worthless, and prayers seem weak.

But faith is not feelings, so onward you go

Into battle with power to meet every foe.

God’s Word gives you hope; His presence empowers.

There’s victory ahead, just not at this hour.

The timing is His, but joy will be sweet

When testing is over---your victory complete.

  

Little Blessings

Children, whether your own or those of others, can be little blessings. In my case, it turned out to be those of others.

When my husband and I married, we planned for a family. It's a long story, but it turned out to be an empty dream. In fact, neither of our families was very prolific in the baby department. But children were still important to us.

In my teens, I volunteered as a Sunday School teacher. My class of preschoolers was so much fun. Then after college, I taught in primary grades.

As Ministry Associate in a growing church, one assignment was to organize Sunday School and Children's Church. At that point, I was a teacher of teachers. But it was a pleasure to work with volunteers who truly cared about children.

My personal passion was the children's choir. Two moms were great assistants. One was always ready to play the musical tracks, and the other prepared the snacks.

Our thirty children presented a mini-concert one Sunday morning each month. The impact of these little blessings was obvious. Adult attendance became noticeably larger.

Little blessings, however, did not always come in big groups. My husband and I were blessed by the friendship of a young family with three children. Two little boys and their younger sister helped us create many happy memories.

We were also blessed with a Goddaughter. A family we had known for four generations honored us with this addition to their family. That little baby grew into a lovely young adult and we're still in touch.

One year, during a sabbatical, we lived with best friends for six months. The little blessing there was their three-year-old granddaughter. We enjoyed our daily interaction with her.

People have different reactions to Psalm 127:3,5. It speaks of children being a blessing from the Lord. My advice is, "Be open to little blessings, no matter how they come to you." 

 

Perseverance, Courage, or Both

If Only World Problems Could Be Handled Easily

Around the world COVID-19 is still an issue. As a pandemic, it’s a widespread life changer.

Have any of these changes affected you?

 

1) Schools are closed, and homeschooling and online classes fill in

2) Business challenges abound with “work from home,” jobs cuts, and layoffs

3) Food Banks are overwhelmed, and churches and civic organizations are trying to help

4) Social distancing is a given, masks are becoming more of a requirement

5) Group size limited to 10 has affected weddings, funerals, and celebrations of all kinds

6) Hoarding has caused shortages in necessary goods and food supplies

7) Needed Personal Protective Equipment for hospitals and first responders is in short supply

8) With a few “essential businesses” left open, the economy is ebbing low

9) Shelter-in-place requirements have curtailed travel and closed the hospitality industry

10) Streaming Online and ZOOM have joined Skype and FaceTime as “personal” connections

I could go on, but you probably have your own list. What we have in common is this: Life will not return to our “old normal.”

Your "New Normal" May Puzzle You

Major events always create a “new normal.” That’s why I am focused on perseverance and courage.

Older citizens may think I’ve got a handle on this. Younger ages may think someone else will cover for me. The truth is, perseverance and courage are personal qualities needed at any age:

Perseverance: continuing to do something in spite of obstacles or challenges; patient effort; persistence; adherence to some action, purpose, or belief.

Courage: the attitude of facing and dealing with anything recognized as dangerous, difficult, or painful; no withdrawing from it; brave.

The apostle Paul wrote that suffering produces perseverance and perseverance produces character (Romans 5:3-4).

The phrase “be strong and courageous” appears often in the Old Testament---Joshua 1:6-9, for example.

Make A Positive Difference In This World

So . . . how are you dealing with the challenges of COVID-19?

Hopefully, your answer will be, “I’m hanging in there” (perseverance), and/or, “I’m looking for ways to deal with it” (courage).

We need both.