Are we there yet?

 

 

Somewhere in time, every day, in every city, in every country, some child is asking a parent – are we there yet?  We are less captivated with the journey; instead the focus is on the destination. I’m so bad when I travel somewhere, I don’t like to stop for any reason. The destination is the goal and I don’t want to be sidetracked.  The same is true for events.  I know when I have a vacation planned, the days working to get to the vacation are a struggle, I want the vacation to come sooner.

The problem for many of us is a lack of patience.  We don’t want to wait, we want what we want and we want it know. 

Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV) “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

God listed patience as a spiritual virtue because he knew that some humans, me for example, would struggle with this.  He wanted us to know that it’s important.  How can we show love, joy, peace, kindness when we are impatient?  

The minute we are born, we set out on the journey that God as designed for us from before the world began.  He knows the times we stray from the path he lay out.  He created another path to get us back on track.  He plans for us to learn and grow and love him more. God is very patient, never giving up on us and always giving us opportunities to learn more. Many times we are so busy just moving through life, we forget to enjoy the journey or appreciate what God is teaching us.

This week, I have been rushing through work. I have so much to do, but I want to take a week off, so I am inpatient for this week to end. God has a lesson for me this week and sometimes when God wants to tell me something, he has a song run through my mind.  I tend to perk up when a song catches my attention.

The song on my mind this week was about our journey to Heaven. As Christians, if we think about it, our journey ends in the ultimate destination – Heaven. It struck me as odd that this seems to be the one destination we aren’t in a hurry to arrive at even though it will be better than anything we can imagine.  If we are not in a hurry to reach heaven, then what else should we be in a hurry about? 

All my hurrying to get somewhere or do something many times has little to do whith my eternal journey. This song reminded me that I am a pilgrim passing through.  My journey here should be more about what I can bring into my eternal kingdom, than what I can leave in my earthly one. The point of my life’s journey is to discover in what ways I can demonstrate the goodness of God to those around me.  By doing this, when I arrive in heaven, I will come bearing gifts for the heavenly King.      

Steven Curtis Chapman - Long Way Home (Slideshow with Lyrics) from steven-curtis-chapman on GodTube.

Discouraged

 

 

Somewhere in time, January 12, 2010 a massive earthquake struck Haiti with catastrophic results.  Haiti was already an economically depressed country, so the homes were not built to codes common to homes in America.  The epicenter was Port Au Prince, Haiti’s capitol.  Three million people were affected by the earthquake, most left homeless, and a little over three hundred thousand dyeing as a result of it. 

I was recently out shopping and I found a book called “Unshaken” by Dan Woolley.  Dan is an employee of Compassion International.  He was in Haiti to take pictures and film the work done with Compassion’s Child Development Programs.  The hope was to encourage people to give to their efforts so they could reach out to more children.  Sounds heart wrenching to see people so poor, but it helps to see them getting aid and a chance to better their lives.  I don’t think Dan expected and eventful trip, but yet, the unexpected happened.

His Haitian drivers had just dropped him off at the Hotel Montana.  He was going to rest before heading out to dinner. He had just left the lobby and went towards the stairs. When he heard what sounded like an explosion and the world rocked.  The building came down around him.  Dan came to in total darkness, his head was bleeding and his leg badly injured.  He couldn’t see anything, but he could feel the warm sticky blood on his hand as he touched his head.  An aftershock struck and more debris rained down. Using his camera to get a small amount of illumination, he decided to head for the elevator by crawling and dragging his injured leg.  With the aftershocks rocking Haiti, the elevator may off some form or protection, the area he was in was very unstable. 

In the elevator he wondered if he would survive.  He wrote letters to his family, reminding his kids not to blame God for the tragedy and expressing how much he loved them.  There were other people trapped, not with him, but around him:  A person in the next elevator shaft and a group of five under debris in the lobby and another woman in another part of the lobby.  It helped having people around; they could talk, and encourage each other.  He was even able to lead the young man in the next elevator car to Christ.   It was a good way to pass the time, but they didn’t expect so much time to pass.

After about 48 hours after the earthquake, a team of rescuers were able to rescue the six trapped in the lobby and the rescuers promised to send help for Dan.  Hope, he had hope.  People knew he was there, people were coming.  Minutes drug by, then hours, but no one came.  He again began to wonder if he would make it out alive and he became discouraged.

Discouragement gets all of us at one time or another.  Discouragement is the lack of hope.   Reading this story, I really identified with his discouragement.  I’ve never been trapped in an elevator under six stories of rubble, but discouragement isn’t that picky.  It can strike you wherever you are.  When you feel stuck in a situation and see no way out, you face discouragement.  When you are trying so hard to get ahead and you only seem to fall farther behind, that discouraging.  Lasting discouragement leads to depression and that is much harder to battle. 

Today, I want to give you hope if you are feeling discouraged.  Life gives us time of discouragement, but God never leaves us.

Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV) “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.

Dan, at his lowest point, would feel the need to give praise to God.  Whether he lived or died, it was up to God and he was amazed at how much better he felt when he offered praise.  It raised his spirits and returned his hope.  It’s amazing that when we are able to get our eyes off ourselves and our circumstances and concentrate on our God and Father, Jesus Christ, as least for the moment, our discouragement will be lifted.

Dan did make it out, after almost three days, 65 hours, trapped with no food or water, but God never left him or forsook him.

Haiti is still struggling to rebuild and compassion is still at work in the country helping to pull families out of poverty.  I have link to compassion if you would like to check it out.

www.compassion.com 

 

 

Audio Adrenaline - Kings and Queens (Exclusive Music Video Premiere) from audio-adrenaline on GodTube.

My Epitaph

 

 

Somewhere in time, this week, I have been thinking about epitaphs.  What do I want people to remember about me?  I’m not sick or even old enough to be facing death, but each of us face death every day.  We never know when our end will come.  What do we want people to remember about us?  What kind of legacy do we want to leave?  I know is sounds like a depressing subject, but not when you think about it.  Each of us wants to make a mark on the world, some of us in bigger ways than others. 

In Southern Arizona there is a town called tombstone.  It was a rough western town and the grave markers in Boot Hill are somewhat famous for be a little outlandish.

Here lies Lester Moore

Four slugs from a forty-four

No Lies

No More

That's a Boot Hill grave stone.

Another one I found humorous is in Florida.

I told you I was sick

Do we want our parting words to be funny, informative, or inspirational?  I think inspirational.  How do you summarize your most important beliefs and ideas into a few words?  Corrie Ten Boom was able to do that.  Her grave marker reads:

Jesus is Victor

This is my favorite one.  I want people to remember me for my faith in Christ.  I want them to remember that I wasn’t perfect, but I loved the Lord and I loved other people.  There is an old song that was popular when I was a teenager. Some of the words in the chorus are:  She had her father’s eyes.  Eyes that find the good in things, when good is not around.  Eyes that found the source of help, when help would not be found.  I want to take it a step further.  I want to see people as Jesus sees them.  Imagine the amount of compassion filling our lives if we saw people as Jesus does.  If we could love like Jesus does.  I hope I merit a memorial like that.  One that says she had the eyes of Jesus. 

1 Samuel 16:7B (NIV) “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.  Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

I can’t pass on riches, or processions. I can only pass along a legacy of faith, but in the long run, that’s worth so much more.

 

 

 

Brandon Health - Give Me Your Eyes from brandon-heath on GodTube.

Corrie Ten Boom

 

 

Somewhere in time, April 15^th 1892, Corrie Ten Boom was born in Holland.  Corrie grew and lived a simple life.  Her father was a watch maker and they lived in a small home above the shop. In the home she lived with her parents, one brother, two sisters and two Aunts.  She never married, she thought about it once, but the boy’s parents didn’t think Corrie was good enough for their son.  She didn’t need a husband to keep busy.  She taught classes and she enjoyed working with mentally challenged children.  She became the first woman to be a licensed watch maker in Holland.  This was long before women became a common fixture in the work place. 

Her idyllic life came crashing down when Germany invaded Holland.  After a week of fighting, Holland had surrendered.  At first, things seem to return to normal, but then, little by little the persecution of Jews started. At this point in her life there were only three people living in the house above the watch makers shop.  Corrie had just turned fifty,  Betsy was older and their father in his eighties.  She described it as two old spinsters and their father.  What could they do to stop the spread of violence against God’s people? 

They became a link on the underground chain that helped many Jews escape.  Even the underground was a little hesitant about using to middle aged single ladies, but they were persistent.  They spent two years defying the Nazi occupation by hiding Jews before they were caught.  

On February 28^th, 1944, the Ten Boom Family was arrested.  Her brother was visiting, so he was taken in the raid as well as her father, sister and nephew.  Hiding in the house at the time, were four Jews and two members of the Dutch resistance.  The family was arrested, but their special guests made it out to safety after 47 hours of hiding in a small space with little food or water. 

Many of us have heard about the horrors of the Nazi concentration camps, but Corrie’s family would get to experience it first-hand.  Her father, brother, nephew and sister all died because of their imprisonment.  Most not making it out alive.  They were not young, or strong or particularly bold, but they were standing strong for what they knew to be true. 

In the dark prison, where seven hundred women a day died, Corrie felt she had a glimpse of hell.  Betsy’s faith seemed stronger. 

“There is no pit so deep that God’s love is not deeper still.”  “God will give us the love to be able to forgive our enemies.”  These are quotes from Betsy, said while imprisoned. 

Forgiveness – if anyone had a reason to hate, Corrie did.  Four members of her family died in prison just for helping people.  She was beaten and starved.  She was held captive by people who had lost the sense of humanity.  Her family was betrayed by someone for money. They had their own Judas. 

Forgiveness – she chose to forgive.

Matthew 6:14-15 (NIV) “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

Forgiveness isn’t easy, it takes work and it’s a choice. 

After the war, Corrie traveled to over sixty countries talking about her experiences and the power of God to see her through her darkest times.  In addition to that, she made the choice to forgive her captors.

She was speaking at a church in Germany when she saw a former prison guard, one noted for his brutality.  She had forgiven him, but human nature kicked in and she wanted to hate. She wanted to hate him, but God reminded her to forgive.  She walked up to the man after the service, still struggling with the feelings of anger and bitterness, but when she took his hand and looked into his eyes, God allowed the overwhelming peace of forgiveness to flood her spirit and set her free. She was truly free.

The man who had betrayed her family was arrested after the war and sentenced to death for his crimes. Corrie wrote him a letter and told him that she forgave him because Christ forgave her. He wrote back, because of her letter, he had surrendered his life to Christ.

Her story helps me put forgiveness in perspective.  I get angry and frustrated, but I have never been beaten and imprisoned.  I really have nothing to forgive by comparison.   

There is a belief among Jewish people, that those who die on their birthday are doubly blessed by God.  Corrie died on her birthday, April 15^th, 1983.