Lord Make us Courageous

One of the things that remains clearly in my memories of Zach was at the very beginning of his cancer treatments. He was in a wheelchair. His left leg had already been amputated. He had endured several rounds of really strong chemotherapy. He looked at me with frustration and said “I just want to go back to the way it was.”

I think that is a sentiment a lot of us share. At the same time I find many of us including myself tend to be quite fickle. We get bored with the everyday. We hunger for change even if it comes in the form of a weather change. Anything would be better than what we are currently experiencing. Zach’s diagnosis is a reminder of how important the mundane is. When something tragic strikes, we often do want to go back to what it was like before that happened. A good lesson to remember is to give God praise in all things. To give Him the glory and thank Him for each day to glorify Him in what we say and what we do. That will help us with the mundane and the strength to get through those really dark periods.

My son Zach would have celebrated this coming Saturday as his 30th birthday. My sweet family is coming to celebrate his life and remembrance. We decided to serve his favorite foods. I am looking forward to hearing stories that I have forgotten in the 12 1/2 years that he has been in God’s presence.

One of the things that strikes me is how time has changed my perspective so much. After Zach’s death, I struggled with God and whether I believed He truly existed. Afterall, we believed that God could heal Zach and Zach seemed to have a lot of faith. We stood on the scriptures that so many “faith preachers” stand on. It did not make a difference. We cannot control God. What kind of God would He be if we could? My son Michael once told me and I wanted to end with this. He said it in response to this question I put to him. Do you think God is real? He answered, “mom that’s your head talking. You need to listen to your heart because your heart knows the truth.” I did not doubt or question after that because he was right.

In America we recently had a Presidential debate. It appears it may be the only Presidential debate as both sides are dug in and wanting as moderators those that favor their side. Sadly fair journalism seems to be a thing of the past and that has always been the case. It is amazing also how part of the electorate can be persuaded by one side just based on a few vague terms if pollig is correct. Whether one side can out perform the other side speaking should not be a criteria for winning an election. Actions should always speak louder than words.

In my opinion the only source of words that should be respected are those written in the Holy Scripture. Actions back up the words in every example. God did everything He said He would do and still continues to this day. Jesus did what God sent Him to do and His Words express the importance of that. Now it is up to us. Do we follow the culture because they speak words we thing are more fair than God’s or do we trust in Him alone? We truly are not worthy of all Jesus did for us. Please be one of those who trust in God’s Word backed up by His actions. Trust your eternity in His hands.

One of the things that is always consistent throughout humanity is our desire to rule over ourselves. It got Israel into trouble into it’s early years and it has been repeated throughout history regarding all nations. What I am describing is our unwillingness to submit to the one true God. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

We often look into our lives and our culture and wonder what is wrong. It is very simple. On this day back in 2001, a tragedy struck this country. Many wondered how it could happen. Tragedy occurs on this side of eternity constantly. Our focus should not be on this side. Our focus should be on serving the One who created the world and looking forward to the joy that is to come once our days are finished on this side. To trust in God in all that occurs. To submit to His authority readily. He is our greatest hope and for those who do not believe him, their greatest fear.

This morning I read one of the parables that Jesus told regarding the unjust judge. He had no fear of God nor respect for man but decided to exact revenge on behalf of a widow so she wouldn’t keep pestering him. That is me paraphrasing scripture. Jesus’ point was how much more our Father in heaven will do for us because He is just.

Often I think in our society we will believe God exist if He does our bidding. We believe we know what is best for ourselves such as that one person we have been eyeing for quite some time or that job we feel we deserve much less new clothing, car, house, cruise etc. When we don’t get one of these possessions, we moan in our spirit and decide that God cannot be real. Real faith is trusting that God is real and wants the very best for us when we do not get what we desire. Real faith sees us through cancer diagnosis, other health issues, the death of a child or the death of someone else we have loved deeply. Do not let your faith be shallow. Grow in it. Learn who God is through His word. Be courageous.

Throughout History many have thought we are getting close to the time Jesus returns. There have been so many instances in History where people literally sold their possessions and waited on a mountain for the Lord’s return. Now that is confidence!

In today’s world many anticipate Jesus’ return. They cannot imagine that this world can last much longer. These articles and predictions often lead to fear for many others. One thing we can be confident of is that the world will at one point end because the Bible says so and that we have no idea when that will happen. The Bible makes that clear also. We are supposed to live each day as if it were our last. We are witnessing a lot but we are not to walk in fear. Walk in confidence when you are God’s beloved. It is may not smooth. Will probably not be easy. However you were created for such a time as this to give God the glory in how you react to the world. Be strong. Be confident. Be courageous.

Scripture records the blessing of children. It tells us that “the fruit of the womb is He reward.” That is so true and unfortunately it is something most of us as parents don’t truly recognize until we have our first grandchild. Today I have the privilege of watching my youngest granddaughter in the morning time. Her name is Ava. She has the specific challenge of dealing with autism. She is a nonverbal level 2. We all adore her. Challenges with this condition are true. There is no getting around that. The joy of seeing the incremental steps of improvement not appreciated with our grandchildren are truly rewarding.

In a lot of ways all of us are born with a condition – a sin condition. We tend to believe that we are 100% in charge of our destiny. In fact we truly desire it to be that way because no one can do for us what we can do for ourselves. In reality we need to realize the opposite. We can do nothing without God. It is exciting to see the incremental steps of realizing that in our own lives and those of the people we love. God is the perfect parent. He is loving and compassionate. He waits for a season in His good timing. However His timing is limited based on Romans 1 and at some point of His choosing, we are turned over and our future is set – fire and brimstone for eternity. If you are not familiar with the Bible, please read it. Read it and desire to get to know the God of the Bible, the true and only God. Look for those incremental steps of growing. Eternity is what matters the most always.

Yesterday my husband and I went for two visitations at our local funeral home. Blessedly both took place at the same time and at the same location in two different rooms. One individual lived to 106 in relatively good health and his mind functioning pretty well and the other lived to 88 1/2. Neither visitation was sad. The family of the 106 year old seemed to recognize the blessing of living that long. There was much laughter. The visitation of the 88 year old was also filled with laughter. This family is made up of members who trust Christ with their eternity and trust that their mother/grandmother/great grandmother did the same. The laughter around her would have pleased her tremendously. Her son said her death was not sad nor bad. She had struggled with poor health for the last 5 years of her life though she did not complain about it.

That phrase that he used really struck a cord within me. It is the attitude that we should feel if we believe the Bible to be true and we worship God and trust that Christ is who He said He is. Under those circumstances it truly is not sad nor bad when we depart from this side of eternity. As we enter into this Labor Day weekend, if you have not trusted Christ read His Word. God’s Word truly tells you who He is. I pray that you will look at it, study it and truly seek. If you trust Christ, your visitation can truly be a celebration of life, both this side and the one just starting on the other side.

Seven years ago Texas experienced a very powerful hurricane named Harvey. I live 70 miles west of Houston so hurricanes are not unusual for me to experience. What was unusual about Harvey that stays in my mind is that there was another kind of storm going on in our family at the same time. My dad had been sick for a little over a year from a very rare blood cancer. It was a form between leukemia and lymphoma. 99 cases out of the entire country are diagnosed yearly and he was one. That is a very rare cancer. His final days on this side of eternity would be lived during the height of that storm. He died on August 27. Flood waters had prevented hospice getting to us and my sister and my mother and myself navigated through those final days without them. We administered drugs we thought would help during the day and were on our knees in the evening pleading for our Lord to take him home to end his suffering. In His mercy He did.

Whatever storms we are experiencing if we truly trust God with all things, He will give us the strength to see them through. We were never promised an easy time. None of us were guaranteed a long life though my dad had one. None of us were promised perfect health if we just believe. What we are promised is that we will not be alone and we will be strengthed to face what we must face and do what we must do. All that we do is to glorify the Lord. It is not about us but about Him! Praise God and thank Him for the strength He has given you this day.

The parable of the sower has always intriqued me. I believe it explains perfectly why some people fall away from Christ and it also explains why some never come to that point of accepting grace. It is so very important to be mindful of which type of seed are each of us going to be. The part that describes the seed falling among the thorns and the thorns choke out the seed can too closely resember each of us. Receiving a cancer diagnosis or experiencing the death of a child can really test us in that area. Blessedly and through grace alone, God carried me through each of us so I could rest completely in knowing that His perfect plan was still being woven and perfected in my life. He absolutely carried me through both.

It is eternity that matters above all us. This life is going to be difficult. There will be times of joy. There is afterall a time of sorrow and a time of joy. Heaven will not be a place of sorrow. Revelation states specifically there will be no more tears. I cannot express enough how much that carried me and filled me with hope the weeks and months after my son’s death. Please let it be enough for you. Let it fill you and give you hope as well as rest.