The File Cabinet...

I did my little happy dance yesterday afternoon as I stepped away from my desk and knelt down in front of one of my office cabinets in order to put away a file labeled “Property Tax” for yet another year.  As I pulled open the top drawer, I reflected on how it good it felt to have completed that project.  This was the second and final payment.  The first payment came due at the end of last year and had sort of taken me by surprise, forcing me to dip into savings to pay it.  But this time around, I had a very calculated plan and was able to take care of it without touching anymore savings!

I felt a little like Hannibal Smith from the ‘80’s TV series The A-Team when at the end of the show he would exclaim, “I love it when a plan comes together!”  So, I had a pretty big smile on my face as I ran my fingers over the tops of all the other files in the drawer on my way to the “P” section.  When I got there, I pulled back the files previous to it and was stumped for a moment and my heart skipped a beat when I saw the various files with the title of “PIPER” written on the top label.

Those various files contained everything from her birth certificate to her death certificate and a whole lot of things in-between!  I grabbed a couple of the files, sat down on the floor in front of the cabinet and began to go through the information included within the manila folders. 

As one might imagine, a whole different mix of feelings and emotions flooded me as I leafed through the various legal forms, benefit applications, medical reports, detailed notes and records of just about everything else that I pursued for her during the last eight years of her life.  I couldn’t help but break out into my patented crooked grin as I began to see just how much work and effort I had put into her care. 

But, believe me when I say, that I am not writing any of this for a slap on the back because at the time, I never thought about the work that was entailed in her care, but simply did it out of my love for her, because I felt it was my responsibility as her husband in fulfilling Jesus’ command in Ephesians 5:25 when Paul said, “Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave his life for it.” (God’s Word ©) and because of the covenant we made together on July 12, 1975 where we both sealed the deal when we said “I Do!” 

I also smirked because it reminded me of all the negative input that I had to plow through during those difficult times.  As I am sure that I mentioned on other occasions, I quickly had to learn in the early days when the changes in Piper’s health really began to go downhill, to put aside the criticisms, the complaints, the mis-information that was discussed as fact, and all the “helpful” advice that was anything but helpful!

Some of the best advice though, came from my Biblical training and in particular scriptures like I Peter 5:5-7 where the Apostle taught us saying, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.  Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares about you.” (EMTV)

I learned that my job was to “humble myself under the mighty hand of God” and answer to my faith in Him and not to the voices of people.  And as part of that process, I had to get really good at “casting all my cares upon Him, because He cares (for and) about me.”  An interesting tid-bit to this transaction between us and God, is knowing when to “cast” our cares and/or anxieties upon God. 

In the original Greek, the word “cast” or “casting” means “to throw or place upon,” and comes from the Greek words describing “the superimposition of time, place and order” and “to fling” those cares off of you “in a sudden motion, denoting a deliberate hurl!” (Thayer's)  Which in plain English is instructing us to quickly and deliberately fling every care, every worry and any anxious thoughts upon Him as soon as they occur… at any time and in any place… whenever they try to come your way!  (whether they originate in your own head or from the lips of someone else!)

It took a while, but I learned to keep what I was doing to myself and not allow myself to be moved by the conflicting and oftentimes incorrect conversations or “advice” that I was constantly bombarded with!  I really believe that this was one of the practices that greatly assisted in keeping me sane and on an even keel with all the things I did as witnessed by the many “Piper” files in my office cabinet!

When I finally got all the various files re-organized and placed back in the cabinet, I sat there on the floor in my study, leaned back on my desk next to the dog who was comfortably slumbering in the footwell under the desk, blew out the breath it seemed like I was holding the whole time and contentedly praised the Lord for not only helping me through it all, but also for helping me to know that I did my best for my sweet wife!  I guess you might even say that I had a hand in escorting her up to the veil between heaven and earth!  I can’t think of a higher honor for a spouse than that!

So… now that she is on the other side and I am still here… what do I do?  Well… I take my own advice and continue to “humble myself under the mighty hand of God.”  I keep seeking first His kingdom ways and directions for me… and through it all, I also continue to quickly and constantly “cast all of my cares upon Him” and let Him carry them for me!

What do you think?  It that some advice that could work for you as well?  According to the Word of God, it is… and it would be another accomplishment for you to file in the personal files of your life!

Have a great rest of the week, and as you do, keep expecting God’s best for your life!