A Matter of Will

We are born with the ability to choose. It's a matter of will.

Proverbs 20:11 says, "Even a child is known by his deeds, whether what he does is pure and right." This is true of adults, as well as children. 

Of course, deeds are not always pure and right. Despite the negatives, I think our will is an ability worth celebrating. That's why I wrote the following:

Dear Will,

It's a pleasure to write this letter. I appreciate having you in my life.

Thank to you, I can make thoughtful decisions. You make it possible for me to choose what to do, where to go, and what to say.

I appreciate the freedom you give me. You wait patiently as I review information and search things out. You always desire that I make a good choice.

I'm captain of my own ship, in many ways, because of you. Storms of life may cause me grief and troubled times, but I don't have to bob along on unsettled waves. I can decide which life-saving actions to pursue.

Experience has shown me that you can be quite flexible.

If I need strength and boldness, you rise to the occasion and people call me "strong-willed." If I shrink back, letting circumstances and others' choices control me, I get labeled "weak-willed." Either way, you stick with me.

Others may threaten to affect my life in uncomfortable ways, trying to pressure me to do their will. You respect me by waiting in the background. Then when I've made my decision, you help me follow through.

Thank you for being a companion, not a dictator. When wrong choices cause discomfort, you remain loyal, hoping I will see the error of my ways.

I thank God for you, Will.

Not only have you helped make me who I am today, but you will continue to impact my life right to the end. 

The Balance of Three

   

If you believe in prayer, you've probably heard a lot about it lately. I've been familiar with the National Day of Prayer for years, but this year held something new.

Jonathan Cahn, the author of The Harbinger, written after 9-11, has a current book called The Harbinger, Two. Along with the book, he organized a National Day of Prayer called The Return. 

Today was the day: September 26, 2020. Not everyone could get to Washington, DC, of course, so people were encouraged to sponsor community-wide events in their own areas.

A few weeks ago, a friend invited me to our local event. I wrote it on the calendar and determined to go.

I heard there would be several speakers and I wondered how there could be much prayer? I was pleasantly surprised. Meaningful prayers were offered by each speaker as they closed out their personal story, or shared their involvement with some social concern.

We had been encouraged from the start that this was not a spectator event. We were asked to join in a personal prayer of agreement with each speaker.

Some people stood, some sat, and some knelt on the grass. There was no pressure to pray in a certain position, or even to pray out loud.

This event was based on 2 Chronicles 7:14. It's a direct call to people who call themselves Christians. I see it in three parts:

1. Humble yourself before God
2. Pray and seek His face
3. Turn from your wicked ways

My concern is that we will do the first two, but skip the third. That's where it gets quite personal.

After 9-11, there was great interest in spiritual things. Churches were full overnight, but looking at society's issues and actions today, there was obviously a lack of deep, lasting spiritual commitment.

Thank God for every person with a heart to pray; however, two things are needed: (1) Don't limit this prayer to one-day events, and (2) observe the balance of three.   

                                  

Good Medicine

The right medicine can do you a lot of good, and some really good medicine is free. There's a catch, though . . . you have to look for it. 

Proverbs 17:22 (NIV) says, "A cheerful heart is good medicine." You could take that a couple of ways:  (1) Instead of floating through your day with negative thoughts, make it a point to think positive, or (2) be on the lookout for humorous events and conversations around you.

A cheerful heart is a very individualized medicine. I learned to look for it daily while undergoing chemo, surgery, and radiation for breast cancer in 2007. I found this medicine so enjoyable that I kept on taking it.

People are always happy to get free medicine samples from their doctor. Here are some samples of my own:

    (1) I shared this one with a friend just the other day. I was once taking sermon notes when I heard the pastor say, "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord---even if it's bad breath!" He was quoting the very last verse in the book of Psalms, but every time I remember his tagline I have to smile.

    (2) In a thrift store one day I was musing over some colorful floral-motif plates. Without thinking I said aloud, "I wonder if my husband would eat off these?" A lady nearby said, "It probably depends on what you put on 'em!"

    (3) A friend shared this one: She overheard her grandson call a playmate "Stupid!" She called him in and said, "You can't call somebody stupid. It's not nice." He said, "I'm sorry, Memaw," and went back outside to play. He surprised her by rushing back in a little while later asking, "But what if they really are?"

You don't always need a full-strength, laugh-out-loud belly buster. Good medicine works in smaller doses, too. Just follow these instructions: To be taken multiple times daily, with or without food.

Your Future is Now

Life is full of changes. We have just come through a hot summer. Now, almost overnight, it's time for the heater, not the air conditioning.

There are other obvious changes thanks to COVID. I was telling a friend about a couple of restaurants that had removed all their tables and chairs. Business seemed robust with their take-out options.

I said, "I wonder if they'll ever bring back their seating? I would think their life is simpler without it."

She said, "I think the face of our nation is forever changed." And it's not just us; COVID-19 has changed the world.

I enjoy the devotional thoughts of Sarah Young. Here are a few comments from her book, *Jesus Calling. The caps are mine for emphasis:  So many people dream of the day WHEN they will finally be happy, WHEN they are out of debt, WHEN their children are out of trouble, WHEN they will have more leisure time, and so on."

Dreams and plans are a positive part of our human experience, but there's a major problem. We are not in control of our lives or those of the people around us.  

Life HAPPENS and plans CHANGE. No truthful person would ever say life is easy, but we need to live life in the NOW. It's a choice we can make.

The Apostle Paul explained his approach in Philippians 4:11: . . . I have LEARNED how to be content (satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or disquieted) in whatever state I am (AMP).

People willing to learn are flexible.

Go ahead . . . dream and plan. But realize your future is now, and learn to enjoy life today!

*Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence, Sarah Young, Thomas Nelson, Nashville, 2004, p. 266.

Headlines, Old and New

Headlines are teasers, bits of news to hook our attention. I always read headlines but move right along unless I'm really curious.

In our day we have endless resources for news. Take your pick . . . TV, radio, cell phones, newspapers, magazines, and even social media. No one ever has time to connect with all these, so headlines work hard to grab our attention.

Here's a piece of news: I have seen violence in the city. Day and night they go around it on its walls; iniquity and trouble are also in the midst of it. Destruction is in its midst; oppression and deceit do not depart from its streets.

It sounds like a description of our 2020 city riots: violence, iniquity, trouble, destruction, oppression, and deceit.

In truth, it's really old news, written between 1005 and 965 B.C., by the famous King David. After I read those lines the other day (Psalm 55:9-11, NKJV), I thought people sure haven't changed much over time.

We do have some good news, however. We can follow David's example.

In Psalm 42 David was doing a little self-talk. Times were tough and he expressed his frustration to God.

We can be honest with God, too. He's big enough to handle whatever we tell Him.

Despite what headlines may say, let's appropriate David's words of encouragement: Hope in God; for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God (Psalm 42:11b, NKJV).

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." 

 

Run With Patience

It's funny how you can read a well-known passage, only to have a new thought pop up. I love it when that happens.

Today's reading was Hebrews, Chapter 11, sometimes called The Hall of Faith. It lists people who, against all odds, "kept the faith" to gain an eternal crown of righteousness.

In the next chapter, Paul wrote of a race to be run with endurance. It was a marathon, not a sprint.

If you say, "Runners," I think speed. That's why "run with patience" caught my attention. People usually say, "Slow down!" when they mean stop rushing around and messing things up. It's another way of saying, "Be patient."

Each of us is running our own marathon. Paul wrote to Timothy that he had "finished his race, kept the faith, and was looking forward to receiving a crown of righteousness" (2 Timothy 4:7-8, NKJV).

He was slowed down plenty of times. His short list included shipwrecks, beatings, imprisonment, hunger, sleeplessness, and more (2 Corinthians 11:24-28, NKJV).

In our day, we have been slowed down by a different challenge: COVID-19. Instead of dashing off to work, school or church, we've had to slow down. For some that meant working at home, for others loss of a job, or lack of childcare. 

As we shelter in place and listen to endless reminders for social distancing and healthcare, there's no doubt about it---we are slowed down!

Are you setting an example of running with patience? Are you enduring your challenges without complaint? Are you creatively using your abilities to endure this race with calmness and self-control?

Consider the example of wagon-train pioneers plodding slowly westward. They had no control over the weather or speed of their journey. Their only control, day after day, was self-control . . . their heart set on perseverance to the end. 

Our worldwide pandemic has no end in sight. Like the pioneers, our only control is self-control. It's a daily challenge, but let's run with patience and stay the course.