Author: admin

It’s 9:40 in the evening.  For me this is not prime time for blogging. Today the morning hours escaped me and when that happens, I don’t  find the time to write, my  ideas aren’t sharp,  and words hide in a closet somewhere.  So, I’m calling it a day and returning tomorrow.

Love. Joy, Peace.

A dear sister friend died this morning. In hospice for the last several weeks, she finally breathed a last adieu and headed home. A faithful and faith filled
Christian believer, I know the angels heralded her arrival with song and great joy. Someone who stayed the course was victorious!  I’d wager the welcome party lasting into the wee hours!

I could hear sadness in the voice of the sister-friend who called to share the news. And though my initial emotion was not sadness, but rather  relief that my friend’s suffering had ended, a somber tone seems to be carrying the day. Having to drop off my eldest grandson for his return home after only a two day visit following  two years of not seeing him didn’t help. Neither did the story of the mother released from custody of the authorities only to be told she has at least another month’s wait before she can be reunited with her young son from whom she was separated when she came to this country seeking asylum. She waits now in the home of people who offered her hospitality as the government goes through its bureaucratic protocols.

Two of the three sermonic points from yesterday’s pulpit message spring to mind. We must be “Persistent in Prayer” and “Persistent in Faith.” This is especially true during  times when circumstances can derail us; shake our belief system; make us lose hope; make us sad. Times like today. So for the balance of time that comprises this 24 hour period, I shall recall the words offered  us in Philippians 4: 4-7.  I will rejoice in the Lord! I will not be anxious. I will present my prayers to God with thanksgiving. With prayer and faith as my linchpins,  I will turn my somberness  into joy!

Love. Joy. Peace.

 

Yesterday, my teenage granddaughter picked up the tab for tickets for us to see the latest Jurassic Park sequel.  For a couple of hours we enjoyed the new movie trailers, shared popcorn, jumped and screamed as the latest dinosaurs raged across the screen and smiled at my nine year old grandson’s preferred movie seat: my lap! It was our first Nyanya-grandchildren outing this summer. And though we shared the usual laughs and remembrances, it was tempered by the reality of the times. On the way to the theater and on the way home, we talked about the children who were separated from their parents and are being held in camps and facilities across the country. As I tried to explain the whys and how of this national tragedy to a nine, twelve and sixteen year old in a manner that emphasized that this treatment of children was not in keeping with the faith we embrace, that it was wrong, my heart ached. Here we were, returning from a carefree fun-filled afternoon, while thousands of children were lying on thin Mylar blankets, bewildered and afraid. Part of me felt it was wrong that I could enjoy my grandchildren’s presence while the parents of these children were desperate to just know the whereabouts of theirs.

Thankfully the outrage and protests continue around the nation. More and more individuals and organizations are pursing strategies to address this moral crisis that undermines the faith of this Christian nation. God does not expect us to be perfect; He knows we can not be. But He does expect us to press onward toward perfection, to throw off everything that taints our efforts and gives the enemy a foothold into our souls. From my perspective, that pressing onward includes legislation that prohibits separation of children from their parents in scenarios like the one we’re witnessing. And it most surely includes expending whatever government resources are needed to reunite parents and their children who languish in holding centers, tents and other facilities.  And though this is not a natural disaster that we would be responding to with the full weight of the country’s resources, it is still a disaster. Albeit a one man-made disaster, it should be responded to in no less a fashion as would the other.

 

“These are the times that try men’s souls.” Those words of Thomas Paine’s “The American Crisis” came to mind as I contemplated the ongoing crisis of the immigrant children separated from their parents. It is deeply troubling that the policy was set in the first place and added to that ill-advised decision no  apparent plans developed to keep track of the locations of the parents and the children so that at some point they could be reunited. Such ineptitude and lack of compassion have made me rail against the government and more alarmingly,  look askance at God and say, ” Where are you? Now is a good time for you to show up and show out.” I’ve been engaged in written rants for several days, inching closer to questioning the Lord’s handling of this situation.  But wouldn’t you know it. Right on time He stepped in to save me from myself. The June 22 devotional in Sarah Young’s Jesus Calling, was written just for me. I refer it to you. The first line reads, “Thank me for the very things that are troubling you.” My first reaction was, “Lord, you have got to be kidding! Beyond the usual things that trouble me, you want me to be thankful for the most troubling right now: this nation’s inhumane treatment of these immigrant children and parents? How can I do that?”

The scriptural reference answered that question for me. “I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord.” (Psalm 116: 17) Summoning the will to thank God for the trials and tribulations you face is difficult, often impossible for some. To do so seems nonsensical. Yet it is only when we can offer up as a sacrifice a thankful spirit for even the trials we face that we know the peace of His presence. Sacrifice is the ultimate expression of what is most important. Jesus’ sacrifice of his life showed us what He held dear: salvation for all who believed in Him and eternity with the Father for that belief. Thanksgiving for the tribulations that bring us tears and anguish requires a similar sacrifice. And  it is only when we offer it freely that it “overshadows all our problems.” (Jesus Calling) The devotional ends with the words of Philippians 4:4-6. I shall  allow them to help me during the days ahead to trust God’s control of this situation; to not lose hope; to be thankful that even this evil in our land will not destroy the Lord’s ultimate victory over the devil’s designs; to know that prayer works and God is faithful.

I prayed for Mary A. Potter of North Carolina this morning. I called her name aloud as I lifted her to the Lord. Now, I don’t know Mary, but she shared her story of being a widow in a devotional I read. When I finished it, I paused to pray. Perhaps it was because we share the bump in the road aptly termed widowhood. Perhaps it was because in that moment I was reminded of how we who profess Christ as Savior are to “always pray,”; to “pray unceasingly.” And not just for ourselves, but for those who share the journey with us. For those like Mary. And when we can, to call their names “out loud.”

Many years ago, my son’s godmother told me that in one of their conversations about the faith, he asked her to “call his name out loud” whenever she prayed for him. No silent mouthing of “Quentin,” but a clear pronunciation of his name to the Lord. Over the years, she has often repeated that story,  and never fails when sending her greetings to remind me to tell him she’s still calling his name “out loud” in her prayers.

Of course I’m not suggesting that calling aloud the names of those for whom we pray is a prerequisite. Many times we don’t know their names, just their circumstances: the babies, the toddlers, the young children, the teenagers currently housed by our government in internment camps; the continuing victims of oppression, violence, war, racial hatred here and around the world; and other manifestations of sin having its way.  Praying for others by name or not is a mandate for us as Christians. Somehow, calling aloud a name lends a personal connection and I like that. So I suggest when you can, do that. Who knows but in that moment when you say their name “out loud,” the person for whom you pray may feel a touch from the Savior.

Sometimes it is the simple things that make all the difference.

Love. Joy. Peace.

“Tender Age” centers. The euphemism for detainment facilities for babies and small children  separated from their parents by our government. Yes, the government that shakes its head in despair over the practice while steely insisting it will continue until 45 has his wall. Try as I might to think of this as just another of our country’s new norms under this administration, I can’t. What mother can? What father can? What grandparent, aunt, uncle, sibling, godparent, cousin can? Anyone who has  or had any relationship with children can hardly sit silently by at the reporting and images of the tents and cages and warehouses in which these children, whose numbers grow daily, are being interred. Yesterday, I returned my attention to James Cone’s challenging book, God of the Oppressed. It’s not easy reading because it confronts us with the truth of who Jesus championed during His earthly ministry. He sought and ministered to the “least, the lost and the last.”  And as I’ve referenced before, He was clear in His message regarding the welfare of children. Go back to Matthew 18: 1-6. Anyone who thinks this experience of being separated from their moms and dads and placed in these facilities will not negatively impact these children’s development is sadly mistaken. As I write, these children’s’ personalities are being altered; emotions are being shaped by this ungodly policy.  Woe to those responsible for authoring this harm to God’s most vulnerable – the children, “the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

Bear with me today. Two rather dissimilar musings are rattling around in my head. I think there’s a link between them. You can make up your own mind.  For those of you for whom history is lost in the maze of the contemporary, know that today is an American holiday. It’s Juneteenth or Freedom Day and it marks the day the slaves in the state of Texas heard the news that slavery had been abolished. Yes,  President Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation two years earlier. But if we’ve taken to calling today’s postal service “snail mail,” you can imagine how slowly such an announcement traveled in 1863. Anyway, today’s a day of celebration in Texas and in many other states that embrace its significance. I grew up in Dallas and remember fondly that Juneteenth was as much a holiday as the 4th of July; for many even more so. The prayers for freedom from the chains of bondage were finally answered (kinda sorta as continuing history would bear witness) but at least in that moment and on that day, the slaves could exhale! God had responded to the prayers of the oppressed. Hallelujah! That’s musing # 1.

Musing # 2. A writer always prays two prayers when a manuscript is completed; that a publisher will leap at the chance to publish it and that once published, the book will achieve wide distribution and land in the hands of all who need to read it. My second book, Sonshine: Reflections of Faith, was published in 2017 – first prayer answered. Two recent incidents reflect that God is about the business of answering the second. Several months ago a fellow volunteer bought the book for his wife who was recovering from surgery. She was so impressed she bought copies for friends and family and then went a step further; she took a picture of the cover and shared it on her Facebook page urging her friends to get a copy.  Just yesterday, my AC serviceman asked to take a picture of the cover because one of the office staff wanted to get a copy. I had shared it with him on his diagnostic service call a couple of weeks earlier. He also took my website information to share. Now I consider these incidents proof positive that prayer number two is being answered.

If you’re scratching your head and trying to figure out the link, let me help. Here’s how I perceive it. Ephesians 3:20 reads in part, “Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine…”  I see in these words of Paul the manifestation of just that promise. The prayers of our ancestors who knew the bitter rod of slavery have been answered beyond anything they could have imagined in their time. My prayer for wide distribution continues  in ways I could never have imagined.  God was and is about the business of responding to the prayers of the faithful. That in my mind is the link.

Love. Joy. Peace.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,  “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29: 11-12) When I read this verse this morning, my thoughts drifted back to 2003, the year my first grandchild was born. We used this scripture in the  announcement we sent to family and friends heralding his birth. It is oft used when declaring God’s grace over our children and as an encouragement to them in their faith journey. The prophet Jeremiah however spoke these words from God, not to babies or children, but to His people who were at that time in exile in Babylon. God wanted them to know that He had not forgotten the circumstances which He had allowed: their banishment from their homes and country to a foreign land. But their exile did not mean that all was lost and there was no reason for hope. No, God still had plans for them; plans that would eventually restore them to His promises. I juxtapose this picture of the Israelites at this time in their history  with that of my son in his present exile in the foreign land of a hemorrhagic stroke and its after effects. These words speak to his plight also. Until the Lord shows or speaks otherwise, I will hold onto these words for Quentin’s eventual second chance at  living a God-centered life in a place where, like the Israelites, he will walk in the promises of which this scripture speaks. In everything, I give God the glory.

Love. Joy. Peace.

“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16: 33) Jesus spoke these words to His disciples just before His betrayal, arrest and eventual crucifixion. He  prefaced them with the explanatory remark, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.” (John 16:33) His words are both a reminder and a source of comfort for us in this millennia when we are bombarded daily with print headlines and electronic news scrolls that alert us to the latest “troubles of the world.” Separation of immigrant children from their parents and their placement in detention camps. (Why did I think of Germany of the 1930’s and 40’s?)  Foreign influences in our democratic processes  such that  we have doubts about the legitimacy of the results of the  last presidential election. Cultural divisiveness based upon racism and bigotry running amok. Dr. King’s idealistic dream that his children would one day be judged by the content of their character and not the color of their skin squashed. Surely  the words of  James Russel Lowell written in 1844 as the crisis of slavery confronted the nation are applicable now: “Truth forever on the scaffold, Wrong forever on the throne, – Yet that scaffold sways the future, and behind the dim unknown, standeth God within the shadow, keeping watch above his own.” Now as then we feel the troubles we face are almost beyond our ability to alter or correct. Yet, Jesus prepared us as He did the believers over 2000 years ago for such a time as this. The inevitability of “trouble” is part and parcel of human existence. It is always with us. As believers we must not lose hope, but instead find our peace in the Savior’s victory over the world’s evil by His resurrection.  Because He lives, we can do all in our power to resist the evil of our time imbued with the peace He gives us even in midst of the troubles we face.

Love. Joy. Peace.