It Might Take a Miracle!

My wife and I spent the greater part of the afternoon yesterday with our older daughter Jamie.  We had a heartfelt time talking about the events of the last few weeks, reminisced about many of the fun times that we had when all the kids were home and in point of how her Mom could turn any event into a special time with lots of laughter, bonding and learning!  We also looked through a digital photo album that David her husband had recently put together consisting of various pictures that they had of Piper since their early dating days.

At one point we decided that we needed a break so we bundled up Piper and stepped out back so we toss the ball for Fiver.  One of our neighbors across the road from us has two little dogs that are normally out in their front yard.  They have an invisible fence so the dogs are constrained to limits of their property.  And even though they can’t see us through the trees on their property and ours, those dogs always start barking when they hear Fiver running around the back yard… I’m pretty sure that the loud squeaking of his various toys also draws their attention!

Well, as you can imagine, their barking usually distracts Fiver and he likes to run back and forth to peek through the picket fences on either side of our house.  Yesterday had the extra caveat in that Jamie was also here and that caused him to be a bit more exuberant than normal.  At one point he uncharacteristically leaped up the stairs to the deck where Piper and Jamie were standing and ran right into the house so he could look through the glass storm door in the living room.  There was one problem though… the screen door wasn’t open!

So with a surprised look on his face (& Jamie’s as well), followed by a boom and a snap… all 60 pounds of Australian Shepherd/Great Pyrenees mix tore through the screen and in he went!  But he didn’t get too far as he looked quite confused and shocked!  Once in the dining room he immediately turned around and went back through the large hole in the screen and made a quick retreat to the back lawn!

From where I was standing outback, I thought that he had just ran into the door and stopped liked he used to do when I first installed the new door this summer.  When I inquired this of Jamie she gave me the bad news.  In retrospect, I guess I had an opportunity to try out a scripture that Piper and I have been praying lately…

Colossians 1:9-14 is one of Paul’s prayers that we pray quite often.  We usually personalize verse nine saying: “Papa God, Piper and I ask today that you would strengthen us by your glorious might with all the power we need to patiently endure everything with joy.” (God’s Word ©)  At that moment in time yesterday afternoon, I needed a touch of patience as I remembered how much time and effort it took me to get that door properly aligned and mounted when we first bought it and considered the time it would now take me to fix the screen and readjust the door!

As far as the joy part goes… Well, I have to admit that I wasn’t really upset as I couldn’t help but laugh when I saw the surprised look on the dog’s face… come to think about it… the look on our daughter’s face was pretty priceless as well!  I am also sure that if she knew what had happened, that Piper would have been laughing so hard that it would have made it difficult for me to be upset at all!

I think a big part of the success of this particular verse in our lives lies in our attitude toward life.  My natural inclination when I came up on the deck and looked at the broken door close-up was to be upset, but as I quickly assessed everything that is going on in our lives right now, recalled the time that I re-screened a door for a client a few years back and then measured the importance or weight of this incident compared to everything else, it didn’t take much time to simply laugh off the whole event and choose to not even worry about it!  Besides it was nothing that a few strips of the white (to match the color of the door frame) duct tape that I have wouldn’t rectify until such a time as I could get some more screen for the door.

You know… when times get tough or things start moving a little too fast around you, the best attitude to have is to keep foremost in your minds that truth that God is strengthening you with all the power you need to be patient and full of joy in the midst of ANY situation!  The word “might” in this verse is the Greek word “dunamis” from which we get our word dynamite.  Strong’s defines it as “force, miraculous power and by implication a miracle itself.”

When I saw that definition I began to rejoice for I understood that God has the power to do anything including a miracle in order to help us stay patient and loving no matter what someone says or does to you… no matter how frightening the situation at the moment may seem to you… no matter how big that hole in your new screen door looks!

Wow!  Think on that for a moment… God can and will provide a miracle for you if that what it takes!  With that in mind… I think I will be less likely to be upset with others or even with myself when things go awry… wouldn’t you agree?  So keep that in mind on this very important day here in the US as President Elect Donald Trump will be sworn into office as the 45^th President of the United States in about a half hour.

Isn’t God good?  Have a great weekend, and as you do, keep asking yourself… “Is there anything that you are expecting that can stop you from being patient and full of joy?” (If so get rid of that lie!)

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (and the case of the broken barrel)

I received the last toy of my childhood from my parents on my thirteenth birthday.  As it turns out, I later found out that my parents actually had an argument over the purchase of this gift.  My Dad thought that I was getting too old for toys and my Mom insisted that I needed one more… and you know… I sided with my Mom’s train of thought!  As I expectantly tore open the gift and joyfully squealed and salivated over the Super-Spy, Man From U.N.C.L.E. Napoloen Solo Gun, my Mom triumphantly turned to my Dad at the kitchen table and smugly stated: “I told you!”

As I look back now, I think that this “last” toy was one of the best toys I ever received!  I can’t tell you how many “secret missions” my friends on the block and I went on as we played together after school and over the weekends.  I mean you have to admit… it was a cool toy gun… and maybe, just maybe, I looked a little like Napoloen Solo with my dark hair and Italian features! (although I actually felt more akin to Illya Kuryakin… who was your favorite character?)

Let’s face it, Junior High (or Middle School today) was and is an interesting time for growing children.  In many respects you’re still a kid but yet there are the beginnings of many physical, mental and emotional changes going on in you.  I can remember when the Parents of Youth group that we had organized at the first church we ministered at as Youth Ministers, asked if we would teach their Junior High kids on the subject of Sex Education from a Biblical standpoint.  

Once we started the series with the younger youth, we quickly realized that we were speaking way over the heads of most of the boys as they would sit on the floor in the youth room and toss paper wads at each other while the young ladies hung on every word with a rapt attention.

Once again, I remember my own experiences in Junior High.  I mean, I was becoming “Mr. Cool” in seventh grade (or so I thought!).  I transferred from six years of Parochial school to the public school where my Dad taught and was a little overwhelmed by everything.  But I quickly made some friends and began my transition from just “okay” to “Cool!”  As it turned out, my first acquaintances that year were from a little… shall we say “rougher” back ground than I was used to.   

But at the time I thought they were “hip” so I got my dark green suede boots (come on… this was the sixties!), my tight pants (or as tight as my parents would let me get away with… which wasn’t very tight!) and I learned to walk with a swagger with my hands dug down into my front pockets!  (My Dad wasn’t too keen on my new look and when were together in public places he would always remind me to “take your hands out of your pockets for you look like a punk!)

 

So I was “Mr. Cool” on the weekdays at school and a pretend “Secret Agent” at home among my neighborhood buddies as my closet friend in the neighborhood still attended Parochial School and didn’t know the “other” me!  Anyway… I digress… That Super Spy gun was fantastic and was the envy of the neighborhood until I had the extended barrel attached one day and slipped while running for cover and leaned on the gun (against the sidewalk) for support.  Well… guess what?  The plastic extended barrel snapped and I got some nice cement burns on my arms and face!  

When I put my weight to the plastic it gave and my gun was never the same again!  I guess you could say that it failed me when I needed it the most.  Which is exactly what the Lord was showing me this morning just before I got out of bed.  Somewhere around 5:30 AM I thought I heard Piper make a noise so I got up to check on her.  She was fine and in fact, I think it was actually the dog snoring on his bed that made the noise!  But when I got back into bed I suddenly found myself repeating Proverbs 3:5-6 over and over again saying: “I trust in the Lord with all of my heart, and do not lean on my own understanding, but in all my ways I acknowledge him and he makes straight my paths.” (English Standard Version – personalized)

When I finally fell back asleep, that confession continued to reverberate within my sub-consciousness.  It was still there when I got up at 7:00 AM and I automatically took it over with the confession of my lips.  Then as I was getting dressed I began to see my trust in the Lord likened to a thick steel rod that would definitely support me and never bend in times of trouble.  I also flashed back to that traumatic time in 7^th grade when my bestest ever toy gun broke!

Over these last nine years since the beginning of this journey with Piper’s health, we have repeatedly found ourselves “leaning” on the solid, strong and unbending rod of our trust in Papa God and His Word… and you know… It has always carried the weight of our needs through each and every adverse situation… and even though things sometimes look totally impossible, I plan to continue trusting that Rod as much as I can.  I have seen His support through all kinds of very hard physical and emotional experiences and I choose to believe that it will not fail me now!

So… let me ask you today.  What rod do you trust to support you when you trip and look like you’re going to have a close encounter with the sidewalks of life?  Will it be the newest fad that is sweeping the country like that Man From Uncle gun did in 1966 (by the way, I knew I had a keeper when my wife told me years later that she had a Man From Uncle Attaché Case that she also received on her 13^th birthday… You see… it was a match made in heaven!), or will it be the tried and true, always faithful, always able and always strong in every and all situations, Word of God?

Okay… that’s an easy decision.  The hard part comes in the midst of the tough times when you have to turn a blind eye to the circumstances that are screaming to you and grab and hold on to God and His Word!  Have a great rest of the week, and as you do, keep asking yourself… “What rod am I expecting to lean on today?”

490 Times

These last few weeks have been pretty rough on me.  There are just a lot of things going on.  Some of these things are positive while others don’t look so promising.  In the midst of all this turmoil, it can become very easy to find oneself reflecting back on the negative influences around you.  But you know… every time I find myself slipping in that direction, the Lord always sends someone with a message of the goodness and faithfulness of God and the need for me to stick to my confession of faith.

Take for instance the principle of “seventy times seven” that seemed to have come out of nowhere and invaded my mind one night a few days ago.  I had gotten up to check on my wife and when I returned to bed I heard those words bouncing around in my head.  I even remembered the story in the scriptures where Peter asked the Lord “How often do I have to forgive a believer who wrongs me? Seven times? And “Jesus answered him, I tell you not just seven times, but seventy times seven.” (Matthew 18:21-22 God’s Word ©)

If you do the math and complete that equation you’ll discover that Jesus was telling us that we need to forgive someone up to 490 times if necessary!  Over the past few years I have come to discover the fluidity of that command and have realized that it is not necessarily talking about a set number of times that we are forgive someone… but is instead teaching us to have an attitude of forgiveness.  

So instead of getting angry with myself because a new offense triggers a reaction of disbelief and hurt, I now know that all I need to do is to forgive them again… and again (and as many times as is necessary) and Papa God is free to continue His work in the midst of the situation.  But through that middle of the night experience I did some more study on Jesus’ lesson and learned another important point.  Many of you probably know this already but after a little research I noted that the number seventy has a sacred meaning in the Bible.  According to the website biblestudy.org this number “is made up of two factors of 2 perfect numbers, seven which represents perfection and ten representing completeness and God’s laws.  As such it symbolizes perfect spiritual order carried out with all power.”

The number seventy pops up in various places throughout the written Word, for instance, when Jesus appointed the seventy other disciples to go out and evangelize (Luke 10:1) and in the Old Testament when Daniel prophesied “seventy sevens” given to Jerusalem as a time for the people of God “to make an end to their sins.” (Daniel 9:24)

After reading this it dawned on me that the attitude of forgiveness also lends itself to the power of God to work in and around the situation whether it keeps repeating itself or not!  It is all about keeping yourself disconnected with the judgement of the offense and keeping God in the middle of it!  Besides, there is most likely nothing that you or I could do about the situation except make it worse if we introduce our frustration and anger into the mix.

Whew… what a relief!  So… no, I am not a bad person because I have to forgive repeatedly as I deal and re-deal with repeated short comings… as long as I keep releasing them back into God’s hands by my quick attitude of forgiveness!  One of the MANY things I have learned through this difficult time in our lives is that Papa God is very much in tune to the practicality of what we are seeing, feeling, thinking and reacting to all that is being thrust upon us.  And He continues to shower His grace, His lovingkindness and His peace and emotional healing over us throughout it all!

He is not there with a judgmental hammer to beat us down but with His hands reaching down with a gentle, knowing smile in order to pick us up, dust us off and embrace us with His love and compassion.  So where do I focus my attention when times get shaky… I keep looking to Him and discover over and over again that my expectations of Him are always satisfied!

So… Have a great week ahead, and as you do, continue to ask yourself… “Whose expectations am I expecting to have satisfied today?”

Repeal and Replace

Yesterday was an interesting day.  It seemed like we had visitors almost all day!  It began about eleven when the hospice aid came by to help Piper with some personal items.  After that we had scheduled for the volunteer coordinator from the hospice group to come by in the early afternoon to discuss her volunteers and how they might be able to assist us.  But before she came I received a call from one of the agency’s nurses asking if she could come by and check on Piper that afternoon.

So I figured what the heck!  Let’s get it all done in one day.  Before she arrived though, we had another set of visitors.  Fiver spotted a red Nissan pulling up in the driveway and began wagging his tail vigorously.  When I peeked out at the car, I thought I recognized the occupants which happened to be the parents of the gentleman that we sold the Buick to (they had driven Russell here so he could drive the car home earlier in the week and we had a nice conversation).  

They were so happy and blessed by our car that they brought Piper and I a homemade lemon loaf as a thank you!  I have to admit… I’d never experienced that before… have any of you?  What a blessing for us!  I think that this was just another confirmation that this whole transaction was set up by the Lord… What do you think?

After they left the nurse drove up followed a few moments later by the volunteer coordinator.  So far everyone we have met from this agency have been wonderful and very sensitive and encouraging to Piper and I.  I did admit to them that I was a little bit overwhelmed at all the resources and available help and that I would need some time to sort through everything and figure out where they can best assist us in this journey.  After all, I’ve been doing this by myself for the last six years and am very protective of Piper and very particular of whom I allow to work with her.

New days, new resources, new helpers, new schedules and new decisions… I guess it is all part of the lives we live!  All of us are faced with new things throughout our lifetimes.  Some of us deal better with potential changes than others, but at some point we are all forced to make decisions concerning which way we want or need to go as the new things come upon us.

The Lord showed me something that can relate to this dilemma in the middle of the early hours of the morning today.  Piper had a good night but for some reason I kept waking up almost every hour beginning around 1:00 and felt the need to check on her.  And every time I checked she was fine, although I did re-position her a couple of times.  Somewhere in between these up times I suddenly began to think about the phrase that has become synonymous with Donald Trump’s presidency.  The words “Repeal and Replace” kept popping up… but not in reference to Obamacare!  

As I rolled those two words around in my thoughts, I finally put the points together and realized that the Lord was telling me that I needed to “Repeal and Replace” the things that were wrong in my life.  That I needed to “Repeal” any allegiances that might still be connected to my old nature and “Replace” them with the truth of God and His Word!

I tell you… that thought continued to bounce around in me throughout the night and is still very vivid to me right now.  The reason that I am pretty sure that this whole line of thought was a divine inspiration was that He also gave me a scripture to back up His directions. Soon after hearing “Repeal and Replace” I thought of Romans 8:2 where Paul tells the church that “The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” (KJV)  That particular verse covers both parts of the equation as it tells us what to “Repeal” and what to “Replace” it with!

“Repeal” the old law of sin and death that used to direct us before we were saved and completely “Replace” it with the law of the Spirit of Life that should now be dominating every part of our lives!  Over the years and especially in our different dealings with a variety of folks that we’ve interacted with in our journey with Piper’s health, I have come to see that the “should be dominating every part of our lives” is a life-long process.

During this walk I have come face to face with areas in my own life that I needed to “Repeal and Replace” with the Spirit of life.  I have also seen this need in others as they were faced with a difficult situation that they had to suddenly deal with.  Once again… it’s all about change!  Just like my needing to change my life around and let others in to assist us right now!  

For us at this point it is more of an informed “one-step-at-a-time” issue and not a lot of totally new things being cast upon us like in the discovery days and months of Piper’s situation.  So for me it is all about staying focused and sensitive to the Spirit of life and the directions Papa God leads me with.  But it still takes an alertness, a willingness and a humble heart to “Repeal and Replace” the old with the new… Does that make sense?

That first bit of advice I received at the beginning of all this from an older gentleman who had lost his wife to Alzheimer’s concerning my need to lose any and all my pride still rings true today… many years and many tough situations later!  It is not about me, it is all about what is best for my loved one… but that doesn’t always come easy!  It really helps me to know that in every decision I am keeping my eyes on the Spirit of life and not on the old nature and the old law of sin and death… that I am “Repealing and Replacing” any of the old me allegiances with a new allegiance… to Papa God and His Word of truth which comes with His peace and His ultimate place of victory!

So… I encourage you this weekend…  every time you hear and or read the news reports of President Elect Trump’s plans to “Repeal and Replace” to think about those areas or allegiances in your own life that need to be “Repealed and Replaced” with “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.”  This kind of change is a good thing for you and helps you to become more pliable for Him and more of a blessing to others… Who knows… you might just want to bake a cake for someone to surprise them with a special thank you gift… it worked for me (and tasted good too)!

Have a great weekend, and as you do, keep asking yourself... “What am I expecting to ‘Repeal and Replace’ in my life today?”