A New Fence, New Life and Peace!

I have a crew out back closing in the open side of my backyard.  Due to my proximity to the golf course, that side of the yard has a four-foot iron rail fence.  It is nice if you want to sit out back and look across my neighbor’s yard to the beautiful golf course next door, but not so peaceful for me when the neighbor’s pit bulls and Fiver get into a barking match through the see-through fencing.  Plus, I just wanted a little more privacy and solitude in my backyard!

And wouldn’t you know it… they hit rock on the very first hole they dug and the very last!  So, I brought them a couple of cold Coke’s for their extra trouble… and sweat!  I am thankful that there is a slight cloud cover and a nice breeze today that is helping to keep the hot temperature at bay. 

With everything going on in my life over the last year and a half after losing Piper, I have really come to appreciate the reality of the verses of Scripture that talk about having God’s life and peace.  I could say that I had the mis-fortune of having first hand experience with those who just didn’t seem to be able to find any amounts of life and peace as they personally dealt with Piper’s sickness over the last eight years of her existence on the earth.  But you know?  I am actually thankful and, in many respects, fortunate for the experience because of all I learned through their negative involvement.

I believe that it has made me a better man and more able to help others who might find themselves facing similar situations in their lives.  God’s Word is pretty clear about the reasons behind those negative reactions during some of the most difficult seasons of life.  I wish that I had known what I now know, back when I confusingly found myself in the midst of those terrible times.  It definitely would have saved me some gut-wrenching heartache!

I once had a Pastor that I was working under tell me that I was one of the humblest men that he had ever known.  At the time I wasn’t too sure how to receive his comment because I didn’t necessarily see myself as being tremendously humble.  But through the ups and downs with Piper’s and my journey, I’ve come to see that for me… a big part of being humble is simply keeping your mouth shut in the midst of turmoil and then continually seeking the Lord for His answers… all while not relying on your own opinions! (See: Proverbs 3:5)

Romans 8:6 tells us that “the mind-set of the flesh is death, but the mind-set controlled by the Spirit finds life and peace.”  (The Passion Translation)  In some respects, that sounds rather blunt… but from my personal experience… it is right on target!  The one’s who seemed to let God’s life and peace escape from their grasp were focused on a path (in their eyes) that only could lead to death!  While Piper and I looked death in the face every single day… and only saw life… God’s life existing within her spirit, where the hope and expectation of God’s best for us came in and bolstered His peace as we walked through those most difficult of days.

I remember telling our Hospice Social Worker a few days before Piper passed through the veil, that I was getting the feeling that the worst for me was yet to come, when I’d wake up to an empty house without Piper’s sweet and powerful presence there anymore.  And, I was right!  

So, what do I do?  Well… I just keep doing what I was doing the whole 48 years that Piper walked at my side.  I continue to seek the Lord without reservation, listen closely for His direction and leadings and then follow them with unreserved boldness… no matter what anyone else around me suggests!  It worked for 48 years… so why change a good thing now!

I’ve been reading Psalm 91:16 multiple times a day for the last few months.  This is a Psalm of protection and promise, where the Lord says to those of us who stay dedicated to Him, no matter what the world dishes out, that: “You will be satisfied with a full life and with all that I do for you. For you will enjoy the fullness of my salvation!”  (The Passion Translation)  But every time I read it, I get a different twist on the words written before my eyes.  When I see this verse, I hear that small-still-voice on the inside of me saying, “Jim, know that you ARE being satisfied with a full life because of all that I am doing for you.  And that you will once again, Jimmy, behold and then enjoy the fullness of my salvation.”

Hearing that gives me great peace and a sense of comfort that I have been lacking ever since I woke up at 5:30 on that Sunday morning in September of 2018 and immediately noticed that the glow of life was absent from Piper’s eyes.  When I hear Him use the term, “Jimmy” I can’t help but think of His promise of beholding and then enjoying the fullness of His salvation, as being in direct comparison to my greatest honor of beholding and then enjoying Piper for those 48 most wonderful years of my life.  I mean WOW!  How good can it get!

So, what more can I say today?  I’ve got a new fence going up, I’m experiencing a new life and I am carrying within me… a new sense of peace.  And (maybe) minus the fence, you could probably say the same thing as you yield your life to the things of God, discover His life and peace and in doing so… walk in the beholding and enjoyment of the fullness of His salvation!

Have a great week and as you do, think about what it must be like to expect the fullness of His salvation operating in your life!