“E” is for “Even a child…”

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“Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.” –Proverbs 20:11

I remember learning this verse when I was very little; I particularly recall thinking the term “doings” was a funny word. Again, I didn’t have any problem accepting the truth of these verses in the ABC book when I was young. I understood that I was supposed to behave, and people would know I knew Jesus because of how I acted–this was another truth that I believe helped shape my childlike faith and establish its foundation in the Word of God.

This verse reminds me of other verses that allude to our bearing fruit if we are abiding in Christ. John 15:4 states, “Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me.” In other words, adults, too, are known by their “doings.” I have struggled at times with what “remaining” in Him looks like, but in reality, when I revisit the simple origins of my faith, it is clear that I just have to take Him at His word. He says to read His Word and pray–sounds simple enough. Of course, life presents a thousand ways of distracting from this all-important focus.

Just prior to this verse in John, Jesus said, “Every branch in me that does not produce fruit he removes, and he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit.” Pruning has never been a desirable experience for me; He allows this often painful ordeal in order to bring about an ultimately valuable result. None of us like painful experiences, but they are a fact of life. I cling to the credence that there is a purpose for it all, regardless of whether I get to see the outcome or not.

I have gardened most of my adult life, and therefore, have pruned many types of plants, shrubs, and trees. Sometimes I didn’t know what on earth I was doing, but I typically learned from my mistakes, though sometimes the plants didn’t survive my ignorance. Thankfully, I know I can trust that when God does His pruning, He knows what He is doing and has a plan for my good (Jeremiah 29:11). He doesn’t waste any of the pain He’s allowed in my life, and though I’ve struggled through so many times of pruning and may not get to see the ultimate results, I still believe He is good. Life would be a dismal prospect indeed without the foundation of His goodness.

Psalm 30:5b says, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” I love this verse; it reminds me that not only is He with me through the hard times, but He will also restore me when the time is right. This is a lifelong learning curve; sometimes in the midst of the “weeping,” I’ve had to give the pain back to Him as often as every five minutes. From the physical pain of an abscessed tooth to the emotional pain of losing someone I thought I couldn’t live without and every type of “pruning” in between, God is faithful. I take comfort in 1 Corinthians 10:13 as well: “But God keeps his promise, and he will not allow you to be tested beyond your power to remain firm; at the time you are put to the test, he will give you the strength to endure it, and so provide you with a way out.” I pray, little one, that you, too, will know God’s goodness from a young age and unwaveringly trust in Him.

“D” is for “Draw near…”

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“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” –James 4:8

This verse seemed so attainable to me as a child; I remember having such a simple faith that allowed me to just accept that I could pray anytime, anywhere, and He would hear me. I had no doubt that I had His complete and unwavering attention. As I got older, though, and life began to reveal its undesirable potential, I often found myself drawing closer to other things–not to my loving, sovereign God.

Several years ago when I was studying to become a teacher, I remember being introduced to a graphic organizer for learning about analogies, and one of the concepts for students to consider about an idea was “what it is not.” In other words, exploring the concepts that may seem to correspond with the chosen idea, but in reality are anything from a close misconception to a complete opposite of the desired concept. I have since pondered applying this idea of “what it is not” to walking by faith. If I’m not drawing near to God, then I’m drawing near to something He is not–either something I don’t perceive as bad and often unintentionally replacing Him in my life, or something completely wrong that is counterproductive to everything He wants for me in my life. 

This idea also corresponds with being grateful–when I focus on what I have and the many blessings I have enjoyed and continue to enjoy and look forward to enjoying, I experience a peace and contentment that is not common in this life, though it is always there if I just choose it. When I focus on what is not there, i.e. what I don’t have and continually long for, I am miserable and prone to live in a perpetual state of dissatisfaction. It seems a basic concept, yet I’ve struggled with keeping the priorities of my focus in order! My challenge to you, my sweet blessing of a grandchild, is to cling to your childlike faith throughout life. Be encouraged that we all struggle, yet God is always near, whether we “feel” it or not.

Now for a real-life example: I pray every week for guidance in what to write to you, and this morning prior to the church service, there was the usual scrolling of pictures on the screens while people were getting seated. One of those pictures was of a group of preschoolers in a classroom, some of them with their arms raised and all with smiles on their faces. I immediately was transported back about ten years to a time when I was helping out in a nursery at a church I’d attended for many years. A little boy about three years old was chatting up a storm in the next room over, and his voice sounded so much like my little boy had sounded at that age that I suddenly found myself overwhelmed, and unwelcomed hot tears streamed down my cheeks. I withdrew to the restroom to pull myself together because I didn’t want people to know how much I had yearned for more babies, to experience family in all of its wonderfulness. I’d struggled so long to accept that this long-held desire was apparently not God’s plan for me. It was easy to traipse down this road toward self-pity and wallow in my pain. 

But God (there’s that phrase again…) had given me this incredible son to raise, and though I couldn’t always see it at the time, raising him brought me such contentment and fulfillment in my life that I didn’t always appreciate my situation as much as I wish I had back then. Looking back now, I can see the blessing he was to me, and God knew what He was doing. God always knows what He is doing. I constantly try to get back to that place of childlike faith and draw near to God–letting go of how I think things should be and accepting how He has orchestrated them. It’s a journey; I am grateful that He has brought me through that vulnerability to a stability that only He can give. That is only one of the many long-term shifts in perspective through which He has guided me; I hope to share many more with you in the months and years to come. 

“C” is for “Children…”

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“Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.” –Ephesians 6:1

I struggled with where to begin on this one; there are so many angles from which to approach. Each page in the ABC book includes a brief paragraph on the side to help children understand better, so I decided to start there. This one points out that obeying one’s parents may not always be easy, but it is right. It continues by saying that God has planned for children to have a mother and father to love and care for them. Upon reading this, I instantly knew where to begin.

God’s design for this world became blemished when Adam and Eve sinned, and all of us followed suit, resulting in the flawed world in which we live. The innocence of youth is eventually tainted by our experiences in this world. I had always dreamed as most little girls do of getting married and having a family; eventually, as I matured I imagined creating memories of hayrides and holidays around fireplaces and camping trips–the whole “Currier & Ives” meets “Precious Moments” lookbook. I never dreamed of being a single mother and struggling to raise a child alone–more like Paradise Lost meets Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Day. 

As a little girl, I tried to obey my parents as I should, but as I mentioned last time, I also formed this paradigm in my mind that being good would ensure everything working out as it should, aka, the way I wanted it to. I’m still learning that everything works out as it should because God uses the many layers of incidents, choices, relationships, and everything else in our lives for our good–to those who love Him (Rom. 8:28). Fast forward to my young adulthood, I started seeing that circumstances weren’t always turning out how I’d expected, which opened my mind to the possibility that maybe it didn’t necessarily matter how I acted since being good wasn’t panning out. 

I eventually questioned what my motivation was in doing good, but in the interim, I made some foolish choices that laid out the trajectory of my life to come. On the other hand, I also learned that my making mistakes didn’t mean that God was no longer in control; He always knew what I was going to do and loved me anyway. He showed me that I couldn’t mess up His plan. 

All that to say, obeying one’s parents and following the Bible in general must be for the right reasons–to bring glory to God, not to achieve something via earning brownie points. By following His Word, we show our love and devotion to Him. Life is unpredictable; trusting God with our “going out” and our “coming in” (Ps. 121:8) is the only way to find peace and really find purpose in this life. I could write an entire book (maybe even a trilogy!) on the tapestry God has woven in my life despite all of the chaos, drama, and sin–as I get older, it comforts me to see some of the beauty that has arisen amidst the destruction I’ve inadvertently created and endured. Not in vain does He allow the pain that we bring upon ourselves. 

“B” is for “But God…”

by BetsyFaithPosted on 5 Comments

“But he was wounded for our transgressions…” Isaiah 53:5

“B” could stand for many things; I opted to go with “But God” because regardless of the BURDEN I carry, the BITTERNESS with which I struggle, or the BROKENNESS that afflicts me daily, the BATTLE is the Lord’s. He is sovereign over all of the circumstances in my life; the greatest burden is that of sin. The picture next to the verse in the “ABC” book shows the child kneeling at the cross and his burden falling from his back. One of the first things I need to remember is that He loves me with an unfathomable love that led Him to pay the price for all of my burdens, my transgressions–my sins. This verse actually comes before the “A” verse that stated we all have gone astray–we all have sinned. 

Sin manifests a wide variety of consequences, bitterness being one of them. I have temporarily lost battles with bitterness, but God has always provided victory overall. Without going into detail, I would say my most difficult struggles with bitterness involve the failure of my life to go the way I’d always imagined. I’d tried being “good” when I was young, naively believing that my expectations for life would work out how I’d planned because I “did the right thing.” Some people preach that you can obtain whatever you go after if you just apply yourself–that may work out in some cases when it aligns with God’s purpose, but our goals sometimes don’t, and we may seek after selfish pursuits. Sometimes, it’s the actions of others that result in bitter effects for ourselves as well. In any case, Ephesians 4:31 admonishes us to “get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger.” This is a task that requires more than our own strength; even in gaining victory over bitterness, there’s usually unavoidable brokenness left in its wake.

Proverbs 17:22 states, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.” Brokenness is an unavoidable result of sin. Again, even if we attempt to walk the straight and narrow, we all fall down, and the sins of others will also inevitably affect us. Unfortunately, the people who are closest to us are the ones with the power to inflict the deepest wounds that can cause us to be broken and even succumb to bitterness. But God Who works all things together for our good (Romans 8:28)–not just good things–uses the broken pieces of our lives for a much greater purpose. The pain and the sorrow of this world drains us, as the verse says, but it also begins with the beneficial advantage of a cheerful heart. What is the key to a cheerful heart? I’d have to say gratefulness–shifting the focus from what is wrong or missing to what is good and in place. This is a conscious act, a choice I must make. Proverbs 15:15 provides this encouragement: “All the days of the oppressed are wretched, but the cheerful heart has a continual feast.”

The bottom line is this: yes, there will always be struggles in this world, but God knows what He’s doing. He’s never surprised by the circumstances in our lives; His plan is more vast than anything we can comprehend. We can trust Him. One of my favorite verses is John 16:33 when Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” I still wrestle with putting the trials of this life in their proper perspective, and probably will for all my days. It’s human nature to try to handle it ourselves, but God has already made a way. Even when the people we love hurt us or fail us or let us down in some way, God is the only One to fill that void and mend that broken place. He loved us so much that He took our burdens, our bitterness, our brokenness, and our battles upon Himself. We have only to choose to accept Him.

“A” is for All

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“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way.” Isaiah 53:6

We have all wandered like sheep; I understand this clause better today than as a youngster because as an adult I have raised sheep for nearly a decade and witnessed how downright stupid these animals can be. I have been frustrated by some–having spent hours chasing escapees all over the mountainside only to find them eventually back at the fence waiting to enter the pasture. I have been heartbroken by others–-holding a sickly newborn in my arms as it took its last breath. And so much in between…I can understand why we are compared to these animals–the frustration we must cause our Creator, but He still gently holds us in His arms with the tender love of the good Father that He is.

I remember reading the second clause of this verse as “We have turned every one to his own way,” as opposed to, “We have each turned to his own way.” I thought that we were responsible for turning others away from the desired path, which was still a wrong thing to do, but I later realized that the phrasing was intended to emphasize the initial word “all” at the beginning of the verse. 

All of us are in the same sinking boat; each one of us has tried to follow his own destructive path. Of course, the message would be a sad one if it ended there. The surrounding verses expound on Christ’s sacrifice to save us all from our own destructive ends. This verse establishes the basic concept of understanding that we are all lost without Him–the foundation of my faith and appropriately the first in the ABC Memory Book.

Hidden in my heart

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When I was very young, I participated in a program under BMA (Bible Memory Association) that focused on memorizing a verse each week from a publication they had released. The verses were in alphabetical order based on the first letter of each verse, with a few exceptions for some of the more obscure letters like “X” and “Z.” I was unable to find an original copy of the book, but I found one similar from another publisher that is almost identical. With the approach of the birth of my first grandchild (in roughly 26 weeks), I want to revisit a verse in this book each week and share something I’ve learned or clung to, having “hidden” each of these verses in my young heart so many years ago. My hope is to convey something personal and meaningful to her and perhaps share in establishing the same rock solid foundation for her that I was blessed to have in my youth.

I always remembered the picture of the lamb included with the first verse in the book, but I’d forgotten the tear rolling down its cheek. The lamb had wandered off and was lost, and that was why it was sad. Even in my young mind I knew that being lost was a terrible place to be. One of my earliest memories–I was about three years old–involved being dropped off at the house of my babysitter when my mother was helping out in the lunchroom at my brother’s school. I had been dropped off many times, apparently without incident, but the time I recall was when I tried to open the door and it was locked. I banged my little fists on the door and cried and cried, but no one came for what seemed like hours to me. I remember turning back toward the road, looking for someone to help, but no one came. Someone finally opened the door of the house and brought me in, but I don’t remember that at all–only the traumatic experience of being locked out and alone. 

I never wanted my child to experience that terror that I remembered. Though I didn’t consciously think about it, I always had a built-in sense that I needed to physically see my son safely inside any place I took him; he never had to knock and wait for admittance at daycare or school or wherever. Looking back, I believe it’s because of my own experience and consequent determination that no one, particularly my child, should ever have to feel so afraid, especially at such a young age. I believe the lessons we keep from our youth impact us throughout our lives; I will endeavor to explore some of the important ones from my experience in the weeks ahead.

My Own Understanding

by BetsyFaith, LifePosted on 3 Comments

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. –Proverbs 3:5-6

I’ve known these verses practically since I could talk; unfortunately, sometimes when things become too commonplace in my mind, I tend to overlook the most conspicuous concepts. I have often become hung up on the “trust in the Lord” part, focusing on what that looks like in my day-to-day life. I can’t always articulate what I need to do in those times when “trust in the Lord” comes to my mind. What am I to do? Or, what am I not to do? I’ve often returned to the concept that I cannot mess up God’s plan, no matter what I choose in a challenging situation. He uses everything to work together in a most intricately brilliant fashion to bring about the necessary results.

I’ve come to the point of looking beyond the first clause of the sentence to decipher what trusting with all my heart might look like. A theme with which I’ve been wrestling this year is “lean not on your own understanding.” I have no trouble identifying what that looks like in my life; it’s only natural that as human beings, we tend to use prior knowledge and experience to make decisions and form hypotheses of sorts. I rely heavily on my own understanding–but here it clearly guides me not to lean on it. When I link this clause with the previous one, it becomes much clearer that a vital pillar in the structure of trusting the Lord is not to give ultimate credence to what I think I know or can predict or assume to be true or expected. That’s not a simple task, and like so many others, I anticipate I’ll be continuously learning to lean elsewhere for my understanding–on the only reliable source.

When I don’t know what to think or believe or choose, and I discount my own understanding, I sit in that abysmal place of indecision and pray for direction. When I don’t have a concrete plan in place and no viable option seems to stand out among the rest, what can I do? I can finish reading the verse, for starters: “In all your ways acknowledge Him…” What does that mean in the context of the situation at hand? I find peace in acknowledging His sovereignty; He has always come through, sometimes in the most unexpected ways. My encouragement for the new year is this: 1. Hide His Word in my heart. 2. Don’t overvalue my own understanding. 3. Find peace in His sovereignty.

Expiration dates

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When “normal” gets flipped on edge and then flipped again, it’s difficult to tell which way is up.

The concept of normal has been rewritten for all of us–it is nearly unheard of that we can all share the same event, especially at the same time. Though our individual experiences will vary, we are going through this disruption of “normal” together. Such common scenes on television as people enjoying a meal in a crowded restaurant or a packed audience on an awards show have begun to look strange and even unacceptable. When “normal” gets flipped on edge and then flipped again, it’s difficult to tell which way is up.

God wasn’t blindsided by this.

On March 3rd, a tornado ravaged the area where I live and decimated the school where I work. We praise God for the fact that it occurred at night and not during the school day. Although this colossal event wreaked enough havoc in itself, there was always hope–God wasn’t blindsided by this. He had already been working in peoples’ lives in the midst and all around the effects of this ordeal. People from all walks of life had stepped up to volunteer their time and resources to make what needed to happen take place. Several venues were lined up for us to resume school after the break, but then, plans had to be changed again with the attempts to quarantine the virus. Teacher training was then altered to include groups smaller than ten. And now, everyone is working from home, teaching and troubleshooting tech issues via text and email and occasional video conference. 

Waves of hopelessness and disappointment have nearly drowned me in the past.

Spending my days alone in a room day after day, I find that I have to be on constant defense against all of the negative thoughts that can creep in if I allow them. Waves of hopelessness and disappointment have nearly drowned me in the past. Looking at the impact on both the lives of individuals and the global economy, it’s hard to even imagine what the world will look like when the dust settles. In my old normal, I could usually focus on the goal or the end of the ordeal. When there is no concrete date of conclusion and uncertainty rules, it’s rather overwhelming to keep facing each day. 

“When the earth and all its people quake, it is I who hold its pillars firm.”

In Ephesians 6:14, we are charged to “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place.” So what truths do I cling to? In Psalm 75:3, the Lord says, “When the earth and all its people quake, it is I who hold its pillars firm.” Do I trust that He is in control? Or was my trust in the familiarity of “normal” that had lulled me into complacency? The whole earth is quaking; nothing is going to be as it was before. Yet, I have a peace that lives in the realm of the unexplained. Philippians 4:7 says, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” I have to go to Him for that peace multiple times a day, and He always obliges. 

I’ve never wanted sour milk so badly in my life. 

Occasionally in the past, I had taken note of grocery expiration dates in relation to looking forward to an event, like “that will be close to Christmas” or “spring will be here by then.” I went to the grocery store about ten days ago, and I found myself evaluating the expiration dates on the milk, wondering if this would all be over by the time the milk soured. I’ve never wanted sour milk so badly in my life. 

Image by Peggy Choucair from Pixabay

Running out of daylight…

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Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1

A few days ago, I decided I would tackle raking the leaves out on the lawn since the neighbors had cleaned up theirs and theirs would no longer be blowing into our yard. I embarked on the task with unexpected energy, sending great piles into the air with every whisk of the rake, onward toward the driveway and the downhill slope beyond. With Christmas music drowning out all other sounds in my ears, I continued on for a couple of hours. December days are short, however, and before long I was working in the dark with an occasional flicker from the solar motion detector light that hadn’t received much charge that cloudy day anyway. I could still see the mound in front of me, and I continued to maneuver the pile down the hill, though it seemed to just keep multiplying the further I went. 

Once I’d lost all daylight, it didn’t really matter how dark it became…

It struck me there in the darkness that although the details of the landscape were lost to me, I still had a general sense of direction. Though a few rogue leaves escaped my swinging rake, the vast majority were caught up together in the journey down the hill. I kept thinking, “Just a little bit longer…” Once I’d lost all daylight, it didn’t really matter how dark it became; I had seen the goal when it was still lit up, and the memory kept me on the path. 

…a prolific lack of confidence and a grain of hope that there’s something solid under my feet…

It seems that when I step out in the darkness, it’s usually with a prolific lack of confidence and a grain of hope that there’s something solid under my feet. I can’t always tell where the path is going, but I have a sense of direction, and just enough faith to keep putting one foot ahead of the other. The details are typically vague and often irrelevant to the overall goal, so I usually have to let those go and fall where they will. It sometimes helps to drown out all other noise with music–not always Christmas music, but pertinent to the season I’m in. I’ve gotten used to raking in the dark, walking in the dark, and sometimes dancing in the dark. Again, it doesn’t matter how dark it is; I still know where I stand. 

For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 1 Corinthians 13:12 

Nothing new under the sun…

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“Thou hast made us for thyself and restless is our heart until it comes to rest in thee.” Augustine (c.354-430)

It’s intriguing to read that people have been struggling with the meaning of life for millenia. Solomon, the wisest man to have ever lived, reflected on the vanity of life in the first two chapters of Ecclesiastes. He chronicled the endeavors he pursued in search of fulfillment in life and purposefully applied his mind and wisdom to exploring the many avenues that people have resorted to for centuries in pursuit of peace, including building houses, planting vineyards and gardens, and accumulating all manner of wealth. He equated all of it to chasing after the wind.

People still attempt to fill the emptiness inside with all manner of work and pleasure, yet with the same futility that Solomon found thousands of years ago. 

After exploring all of the pursuits in life available at that point in time, Solomon decided to “test” the impact of pursuing pleasure. His conclusions were the same; he likened laughter to madness and “the pull of wine” to foolishness. All of it resulted in futility in Solomon’s eyes. Life still deals us monotony and hopelessness today, just as he observed and experienced then. People still attempt to fill the emptiness inside with all manner of work and pleasure, yet with the same futility that Solomon found thousands of years ago. 

Establishing and maintaining the connection to our Creator fills the emptiness and allows us to enjoy what we have here on earth as well as anticipate the rewards of Heaven.

So where does that leave humanity? Are we to settle with lives of meaninglessness and empty pleasure? Solomon goes on in chapter three to reassure the reader that God makes everything beautiful in His time and that He has set eternity in the human heart (v. 11). He points out that people can find enjoyment in life and satisfaction in their work–these are some of God’s gifts to us (v. 12). In the final chapter of Ecclesiastes, Solomon admonishes us to fear God and keep His commandments. Establishing and maintaining the connection to our Creator fills the emptiness and allows us to enjoy what we have here on earth as well as anticipate the rewards of Heaven. Only He can provide the meaning we long for in this life.