Month: June 2017

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6).

 This verse was read recently just before the communion service and as I often do I looked back at the preceding verse.  The words from verse 5 sort of jumped off the page as I read them. “. . . God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”  The verb, poured, is such a vivid picture in my mind. The Apostle Paul didn’t use dripped, sprinkled, or even served. He said poured. I think of a full, flowing stream that never ends. God’s love continuously flows into our hearts. That’s a powerful thought!

Love is not the only fruit of the Spirit that should be evident in my life.  Looking back at Romans 5:1-5 I  see the source of peace and joy as well. With Jesus’ death on the cross and His resurrection I am justified through faith. I stand in God’s grace just as though I hadn’t sinned.  I can certainly rejoice in the hope I have in knowing I’m forgiven.  Then Paul continues by saying we also rejoice in our sufferings.  I don’t rejoice very much when I’m suffering. I’m sure no one does.  So I thought about these verses some more.  Verse one says we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. I think it is this peace that helps us rejoice in our sufferings, not because we are suffering, but because Jesus is working in our lives.

“Suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Romans 3b-4).  The Holy Spirit helps us through our suffering, building and shaping our character, making us useful in His Kingdom. I find it takes a great deal of trust to allow God to work through my suffering. As I trust, He leads a step at a time, giving me hope that He will never leave me to go through life alone.  I find peace through my suffering-peace that is a quiet assurance of God’s faithfulness and love. Peace follows love-the love poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit.

Peace also follows prayer. Philippians 4:6 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” I have found the more I suffer, the more I need to pray. Prayer is my lifeline and the way to peace.  “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).

Jesus suffered on the cross. That brought me peace with God. I am no longer an enemy of God when I accept His offer of peace.   Just before Jesus’ suffering on the cross He made this promise. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27).   Jesus lives today to prove we need not be troubled or afraid. Praise God!

“You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.”       Isaiah 26:3

The following memories were printed and tucked into my Dad’s Father’s Day card today.  Thanks for allowing me to share them with you. Today Daddy is 93 years old.  If you are blessed to still have your dad with you, take time to thank him. You may want to share some of your memories with him.

Memories with Daddy

Father’s Day 2017

I remember:

• Going to church at Bethel and falling asleep with my head on his knee-wearing a scratchy, wool suit.
• Daddy singing in Christmas programs at Bethel.
• Daddy teaching my Sunday School class at Bethel and having us memorize much Scripture including much of Luke 2 and Matthew 28. To this day I can quote most of it.
• As a very young girl, Daddy holding me up to see a pig-a very big pig in my little girl eyes!
• Following barefoot behind Daddy as he plowed the field with the horses.
• Riding one of the horses as he led it down to the creek to drink and feeling like I’d fall off when the horse reached down to the water.
• Going to the creek with the whole family and Ivory soap during the summer months.
• Riding an inner tube and Daddy pushing me out to the deep water where my feet didn’t touch the bottom-I was scared!
• Riding with Daddy on the mowing machine pulled by horses. Did Mama really allow that?
• The cozy feeling in the barn during the winter when the sheep came in at night. Little lambs walking across the mothers’ backs as they munched hay.
• The thud as we threw down hay bales from the haymow.
• (Before hay bales), watching Daddy thrust the hay fork into a bunch of hay and the horses pulling it up to be dropped into the haymow.
• Later years, watching the bales move up the loader to be stacked.
• Mama packing lunches and meeting Daddy at the hayfield to eat together.
• Walking with Daddy through a field one day, looking at a white cloud, and Daddy talking about when Jesus comes back in the clouds.
• Seeing Daddy read his Bible every morning.
• Daddy holding Mama on his lap after supper.
• Daddy teaching me to drive; I was driving home from church one Sunday and turned too short and hit the edge of the bridge. Daddy raised his voice and apologized later. (One of my many mess-ups!)
• Daddy being present for the more emotional days; my baptism, high school graduation, college graduation, my wedding day!
• Daddy taking time for my girls whenever we visited.

Thank you, Daddy, for the memories and for being there for me throughout my life.  I will always love you!

 

August 1967

                      June 2017                                     

“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior” (Habakkuk 3:17-18).

Please, allow me to reminisce for a bit.  My older daughter chose to spend a couple weeks with me on the anniversary of her dad’s death.  This is the second year and I don’t think it’s any easier than it was last year.  We decided last year to spend the day at Coopers Rock State Forest.  It’s a beautiful forest with amazingly huge rocks with hiking trails to walk among them.  This year we visited Seneca Rocks, Seneca Caverns, and Blackwater Falls.  Fifty years ago this August Wayne and I spent a couple days in that area on our honeymoon.  I had hoped we could revisit it this year.  Since we could not, I was hoping my daughters and families could plan a trip there, but schedules wouldn’t allow that.

Marianne and I, along with grandson, Braidon, spent two days exploring the sights in and around Monongahela National Forest, driving many of the same roads Wayne and I had traveled 50 years ago.  Those mountains are a wonderful example of God’s handiwork.  It was interesting to compare pictures from 50 years ago to the ones we took on this trip.  The trees were taller around the Blackwater Falls and the lodge.  A rock at the bottom of the falls was smoother on one side than it had been before. Time changes many things.  Of course the biggest change was that Wayne was no longer by my side.

These two years have been difficult and memories often bring tears.  Grief has unanswered questions, at least in this life, and I try not to spend much time trying to figure out why I’m suffering such a great disappointment.  God is still in control. Death was not His intention. His creation was pronounced  good and  very good.  It was mankind’s sin that brought death. It is God’s Son that makes life possible again.  In fact, as I mentioned in my last  blog, God planned for our salvation even before creation!

I don’t often read the book of Habakkuk, but recently it was referenced in a Bible study I attend.  Habakkuk was a prophet of God who had to tell God’s people of their impending doom due to their idolatry and disobedience.  Habakkuk knew terrible times were coming for the people, yet he chose to praise God and trust His mercy. He says, “Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy” (Habakkuk 3:2).

Habakkuk’s trust in God was amazing as is evident in the verses I referred to at the beginning.  Habakkuk is determined to rejoice in the Lord no matter what has happened or what he is lacking.   I’m not there yet. I do find joy in the Lord but not in my circumstances.  I’m still working on that and praise God He is with me and helping me through the struggle.  One day, I may be able to say, “Though Wayne no longer lives on this earth and I spend my days and nights alone, ‘yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.’”

I like the way Habakkuk closes his book.  His words give me hope and encouragement.

“The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,  he enables me to go on the heights”  (Habakkuk 3:19).