Author Archives: Suzanne Montgomery

Lessons From the Garden

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I spent quite a bit of time earlier this week in the cool of the morning, pruning off all the dead canes in my raspberries bushes. Earlier this spring, I thought maybe the raspberries didn’t make it through the winter.  During “snowmegeddon”  this last January, the bushes were completely covered by a drift that was well over the top of the garden fence.  It didn’t melt completely for almost 2 months.  It was a harsh winter and a few other usually hardy plants didn’t survive through it. But recently, I started noticing new growth coming in under the dead raspberry canes.  I just needed to cut away the dead to get to the new.  It was painful since the bushes have thorns.  I wore gloves but even yet I was pricked by many of them.

By the time I had accomplished my task, I had a huge load of canes in my wheelbarrow to go to the brush pile. I was surprised by how green and lush the new growth appeared after the dead parts were removed.  I couldn’t help but ponder as I was doing this, how many dead areas within myself need to be cut away so new growth can be revealed: envy, greed, pride, anger, and unforgiveness- to name a few.  Each one of these keep new growth in my life choked out.  They take energy away that’s needed to sustain me.  It’s not easy cutting away the dead areas but I must push into it as I did with my raspberry bushes and be willing to experience some pain in the process.  In reality, I cannot do all the needed pruning on my own.  Only with the Master Gardener’s help will the job be done properly.  Being willing to hand Jesus the pruning shears is the most difficult part of the task. With His expertise, the ugly habits and dead weight of old baggage are cut away revealing the beautiful person God created me to be.  It’s a work in progress.

The garden is a good analogy for life and the raspberry bush is a fascinating plant within it. They propagate themselves by sending out new canes that root where they touch the ground. Thus they can literally move out from themselves by planting new bushes.  Most plants reproduce themselves by seeds alone but not so with the raspberry. They do have seeds in the berries that when eaten by birds can be carried far away. However, by sending out canes that root to produce new bushes, these new starts remain attached to the main plant.  So we should be with Christ:  going out but still remaining attached.  Our church family is our attachment site.  No matter how imperfect it is, the church is the bride of Christ.  The community of believers sustains and nourishes us.  It is a place of vulnerability but also a refuge of forgiveness.  Without this community we would never fully learn how to love our neighbor as ourselves.

It is no wonder that Jesus told many parables using imagery from the plant world.  He knew that common folk toiled in the fields, observing the coming and going of the seasons and would understand.  We are separated somewhat from the natural world with our automobiles, our office buildings and technology right at our fingertips.  But if we intentionally take the time to observe the sights and sounds of nature, they will reveal to us the Creator.  If we have ears to hear and eyes to see, all of nature is our teacher.

Receiving Gracefully

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For Memorial Day I took my soldier cupcakes.  Garrett still enjoys a little mothering sometimes and home baked goodies usually hit the spot.  We chatted a bit about Memorial Day and all that it means to the military community.  In the course of our conversation, he commented on how many people offer him meals when he is in uniform.  It often makes him feel uncomfortable to accept these gifts. Recently he was out with 7 of his National Guard buddies at a fast food restaurant and a lady offered to buy all of their meals. He turned her down because he thought it was too much to pay for all  8 of them.  The others were a little upset that Garrett didn’t accept her offer but he didn’t feel right about it.

It’s often difficult to accept a gift when you are generally the giver.  A soldier is by nature a servant. He or she would not volunteer for this duty if they didn’t have a servant heart. Much is said in the Bible about giving. ” Be a cheerful giver!”  “Give and it will be given to you!” We are encouraged to give sacrificially. But what about when you are the receiver? How best is it to respond in a situation like Garrett’s?

Jesus is a great example of what it means to be a gracious receiver.  Let’s be honest. Jesus doesn’t really “need” anything from us but it gives him great joy to receive the gifts we offer Him.  When he was dining at the home of Simon, a teacher of the law, a woman of ill repute crashed the party and began to anoint Jesus’ feet with a jar of expensive perfume.  The others in the room couldn’t believe that He didn’t scold her and send her away. In contrast, He praised her actions as she honored Him with her gift.  Jesus said that she would be remembered for all time for what she did for Him that day.  By accepting her gift, Jesus accepted her.  At that moment, she must have felt truly loved.

Another example of graceful receiving, is the apostle Paul, as he offered appreciation for the gifts given him by the Philippian church while he was in a Roman prison.  He wrote, “…not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need.  Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account. I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent.  They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.  And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus.”  Paul was not demanding of gifts from the church but he accepted their gifts whole heartedly as their offerings to God.  These sacrifices were credited to their account in Heaven.

These examples show us that it is just as important to be a good receiver as it is to be a generous giver.  When we accept a gift, we are accepting the person giving the gift. We are validating their care and concern for us.  We allow them to experience the joy of giving and the credit given to them in heaven for their gift.  The woman who anointed Jesus’ feet just wanted to thank him, in the only way she knew how, for the greatest gift anyone could ever give her:  Eternal Life.  The woman in the fast food restaurant just wanted to thank Garrett and the other soldiers for the gift of freedom that is ensured by their willingness to serve, in the only way she knew how, by paying for their meals.

So the next time Garrett is offered a meal as thanks for serving in the military, I encouraged him to accept it.  By accepting the gift, he validates the person’s motive for giving and allows them to experience the joy that follows.  He should never take advantage of his position or act as if he is deserving of more, but humbly acknowledge the gift and the giver.  Sometimes being the receiver can be the most difficult thing we ever have to do. Our culture encourages us to see ourselves as independent, in control and not in need.  The greatest gift ever given was paid for on a cross yet most people never accept it for this very reason.  Ultimately, humbly receiving that gift is the most important thing we will ever do.

 

May Peace Prevail

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A sign post stands outside of the chapel in Oakwood Park on Lake Wawasee boldly proclaiming, “May Peace Prevail on the Earth.”  On each of its four sides, it is written in a different language. As a teen, I came to this site and to Epworth Forest just south of here, for church retreats with my youth group.  How often did we voice this sentiment as we sang a familiar tune saying  “let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me”? In our idealism, we really believed that we could make this happen.  Time and age have jaded our youthful faith in humanity.  We see too much in our 24/7 nonstop news of violence everywhere in our world.  We’ve seen a huge increase in murders in the city of Indianapolis since the beginning of this year. Recently over two hundred young girls were kidnapped by terrorist in Nigeria to be sold in the ever increasing human trafficking market.  I have read that there is more slavery now in the world than at the height of the slave trade in the 1800’s.  In 2014, peace is more elusive than it has ever been.

What then can we do given the magnitude of the problem? We could choose to ignore it. The violence hasn’t really touched us individually. Our lives are peaceful. Are they not? The answer to that question depends on how you define peace.  Peace is not just the absence of violence.  Peace is a state of mind.  When anxiety and worry invade our lives, then there is no peace.  When we worry about a burglar robbing our home, then we have been robbed of our peace.  When we are anxious that we might lose our job, then we have lost our peace.  Peace of mind can be as elusive as world peace.

In the letter to the Philippians, the apostle Paul encouraged his readers to “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!  Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” You might think that given what Paul was saying that everything was great for the Philippians, but it wasn’t. Violence was all around them.  Believers in the early church were being persecuted and killed on a regular basis.  How were they to be thankful in their prayers when their circumstances were so bleak?

Paul went on to tell them, “Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things.  Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me-put into practice.  And the God of peace will be with you.” Paul had learned to see beauty in the small things. He was content with where he was and what he had, no matter what.  His advice was sound.  We cannot ignore the violence all around us but we can choose to not focus on it and to not let it overwhelm us.  We can choose to see the good all around us as we continue to pray to God for deliverance from the bad.  Then and only then, a supernatural peace will envelop our heart and our mind as a gift from God.

If we allow worry and anxiety to hold us captive and we focus only on our troubles, we are worthless to the furtherance of world peace.  Unless we have peace in our own heart and mind, we have nothing to offer anyone else.  Peace, real peace, starts from within.

So Lord, let your peace begin with me.  Everyday I pray to be released from my worries. I know that trouble is with me now and will be with me all the days of my life in one form or another.  I cannot ignore it.  But I also know that each and every day, there will be joy, beauty and something for which I can be thankful.  Help me focus on the latter.   Let your perfect peace invade my heart and mind so that I can pass this peace on to all I meet.  May peace prevail on the earth, one person at a time.

Leaving Room in My Garden

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One of the things I love best about spring is the opportunity to eat breakfast out in my back flower garden.  It’s still cool early in the morning before my day starts but the days are longer so the sun is up.  The birds are back and their singing is music to my ears . They love this time of day!

My garden is wild and rambling.  It’s often difficult to keep it under control. I have wildflowers planted within the same beds as the perennials. Many of the plants I have would like to takeover and push out the others. I have one big leafed plant given to me by my uncle Richard that I believe is hyssop.  I fight with it constantly. Every year now I cut the tops off before these plants bloom to prevent them from spreading further. The roots are too deep to dig out completely.

Anymore, I find that rather than pulling out weeds, I am thinning out these  invasive perennials. Some like the Hyssop, I wish I had never allowed in my garden in the first place. If left alone, this one plant would dominate my whole flower bed and I would have nothing else to enjoy. This would be very boring indeed.  So I pull out what some would call “good” so I can have a beautiful, varied garden that has different blooming plants all summer. It’s a constant job but well worth the effort.

I could apply this same principle to my life. Often I’m pulling up what appears to be “good” to have “better.”  What does it take to not let one good thing invade my whole being?  It takes partially uprooting my old life to move on to better.

On May 1st it was the one year anniversary of my new job with IU Health and it’s been a satisfying year.  I was literally pushed out of my old job by an intolerable situation and extreme stress.  The harder I worked to make it right, the worse it became.  God opened a door, giving me the opportunity to leave for a position still practicing medicine but for fewer hours and at a much more relaxed pace.

A year ago, I walked through that door and had to decide what to do with the extra time I suddenly had before me.  I had been so overwhelmed with medical work that I literally had to force other activities into my schedule. I was exhausted all the time and not worth much to myself or others.  It was painful to leave my old patients since many of them had become like family to me. I know they must have felt the loss as much as I did.  But I had come to a time that it was necessary to pull up the good to have a better life. Nothing was inherently bad about what I was doing previously. I don’t regret my past work but it became too much of the same thing. It crowded out other parts of me that needed to bloom.

Since that time, I have been able to read more and develop my passion for writing.  I’ve had more time to spend with others and deepen those relationships.  I have space to add activities that would have been impossible to fit in before. I can be tempted to fill in this extra space with one activity after another and end up in the same place I was a year ago. If I say yes to everything, then I will be on the go all the time and not have space for quiet.

Everyone needs quiet space away from the noise and busyness of everyday life.  Even Jesus did.  He often retreated to a quiet place to pray.  My garden is that quiet place.  But even here, it can be difficult to quiet the mind.  I need to just listen for a while without thinking of everything else that needs to be done.  I need to leave space for Jesus. He desires a relationship much more than works.  I can go, go , go, doing and saying the right things but it I don’t spend time building a relationship with Jesus then I have missed the whole point.

It’s much like the situation of Mary and Martha in the Bible.  Both of them were deeply loved by Jesus and they each loved Him too.  But Martha was caught up in “doing.”  Mary knew how to just “be” with Jesus. She chose the better thing.  I need to cultivate “being” with Him in my garden. My life is much more conducive to quiet time now.  But I have to learn how to shut off my mind from having a constant banter of thoughts.  I pray for Jesus to help me learn the art of quietness of spirit so I can know Him intimately as He desires to be known.

 

Love Never Fails

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We recently returned from a fun-filled, busy week-end celebration of the marriage of my daughter, Rozie and her husband, Marcus in Las Vegas. The actual ceremony was held in the historic Graceland Chapel in the old section of town and included an appearance by “Elvis.”  Amongst the laughter and fun, I was thankful that the minister officiating the vows discussed the seriousness of making the choice to love day in and day out and included a reading from 1st Corinthians 13: The Love Chapter.  From personal experience, I know that it is difficult to keep love alive over the long haul. But if God is placed at the forefront of a marriage right from the beginning, the marriage will be stronger and have a better chance of survival. King Solomon wrote in the book of Ecclesiastes that a cord of 3 strands is not easily broken.  When God is intertwined in the relationship of 2 people, their love becomes a mighty cord that will stand the test of time. I pray for Rozie and Marcus, as they move forward together in their lives, that they recognize the Holy in their midst and depend on Him to guide them every day. I know my prayers will be joined with those of other family members and friends to lift them up daily to the Lord.

Las Vegas was quite a backdrop for the events of the week-end behind me.  I am struck by the contrasts in this city of glitter.  The sparkling lights can be intoxicating.  Everything in Vegas is “over the top.”  I loved the beauty of the botanical gardens and the fountains at the Belaggio.  The beaming light from the pyramid at the Luxor is claimed to be able to be seen up in space! The grace of the nimble acrobats of Cirque de Soleil was a sight to see.  Wow!

I met so many wonderful people during our stay. People have settled in Vegas from all over the world, serving those that come here to vacation. Our photographer was from Poland.  Her energy and enthusiasm were amazing. The sweet lady at the front desk of our hotel had lived in Kokomo Indiana at one time when her dad was based at Grissom Air Force Base. I was thankful for the sense of welcome they gave to each one of us.

But it’s sad to see the shear number of people trying their luck in the casinos in every hotel. You can’t go anywhere without passing through them. There are even slot machines at the airport. A group of young men on our plane played cards the whole flight to Vegas practicing their skills for the tables. It doesn’t take much insight to realize that the house wins the great majority of the time or Las Vegas would not exist. Hopefully they did not lose more than they could afford but unfortunately many people do.

My heart went out to the middle aged Latino women handing out cards on the street for “escort” services to whomever would take one. I wondered if they even were aware of what the cards said. Were they that desperate for money to promote prostitution in this way or were they forced into this lifestyle by circumstances beyond their control? Interspersed with them on the sidewalks were costumed characters vying for customers to take their pictures for cash. Darth Vader, Wonder Woman and numerous Minions worked the crowds giving the streets a carnival like atmosphere.

On a busy street corner, a man with a megaphone shouted out warnings of judgement to anyone who would listen as people rushed by.  Yes, Jesus did come to save us from our sin but I have yet to see someone respond to this Good News by words of condemnation. Where are the acts of kindness? Where is love that bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things? This is the love of Jesus that never fails. I have heard it said before that Christians are the best case for and against Christianity. We often are the noisy megaphone that everyone ignores because we don’t live out His unfailing love in our day to day lives. But I admit, I don’t know this man’s life. I hope with all my heart that he witnesses with a life of love, not just his megaphone.

I can speak of love with my newlyweds but If I don’t live it then I too am nothing but worthless noise. The best encouragement I can give to Rozie and Marcus is to be loving to them and to everyone around me. I can’t talk to them about marriage unless I am an example of compassion and forgiveness myself. Respecting my husband and cherishing him as my very best friend and companion, is the best wedding gift I can present to them this day and all the rest of my life. A strong strand of 3 cords in a marriage is an everlasting witness of the Grace and power of Jesus now and forever.

In Las Vegas, all that glitters is not gold. What appears beautiful, can sometimes be ugly inside. What words would I offer to the people of Las Vegas if I was handed a megaphone?  I would tell them that our God is a God of second chances. First and foremost, He loves and forgives us. Yet, there is sin and it touches us all.  But Jesus offers us a life with Him where there is no more sin, no more tears and no more death.  Human love is imperfect and will disappoint us always but Jesus gives us love that never fails.

Mary Did You Know?

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Easter is coming but first comes the cross.  The celebration of Jesus’ resurrection brings joy and hope that is only significant in view of the crucifixion. I can’t imagine the rollercoaster of emotions experienced by the followers of Jesus the short week between Palm Sunday and Easter morning: joy, fear, devastation, disbelief, and back to joy mixed with wonder after the resurrection.  My heart goes out to Jesus’ mother, Mary and what she must have felt during this horrific time. When she said yes to the  message delivered by the angel Gabriel as a young girl of only 14, I’m sure she had no idea what lay ahead. The gossip had to be biting when she was found to be pregnant and unmarried.  Thank goodness Joseph listened to the angel in his dream who told him that the baby Mary carried was God’s son. He took Mary as his wife and thus took on the role of earthly father to Jesus.  Joseph protected Jesus and Mary by leaving for Egypt when they were threatened by King Herod.  When they settled back in Nazareth after Herod’s death, perhaps Mary thought things would then be peaceful.  Maybe they were for a time as Jesus grew into a man.  But Mary had been warned of times ahead by Simeon as he held the 8 day old Jesus in his arms at the Temple in Jerusalem when he was consecrated.  In Simeon’s prophesy he told Mary, “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” I wonder if his words came back to Mary as she watched her son beaten and bloody carrying his cross through Jerusalem.  According to biblical accounts, when they nailed Jesus to the cross, Mary was there with the disciple John and Mary Magdalene.  Did she reach up to touch his feet as he hung there?  Did she hold his limp body when he was taken down from the cross?  These were the same feet she had washed, the same body she had held in her arms hundreds of times.  Her heart was certainly pierced that day. She would not understand why this had to happen for 3 long days until the light of Easter morning when the risen Jesus appeared. The hearts of the disciples would have ached for Jesus but the bond between a mother and her child is much deeper.

This bond begins long before a baby’s actual birth.  Most mom’s would attest to this.  For 9 months, this growing life resides within us.  I remember thinking it odd once each of my children was born, not feeling their movement inside me any longer.  It was uncomfortable at times when I would have kicks into my ribs but it was something I grew to love. Birth was like an unveiling of the little person I already held in my heart.  When I was pregnant with my oldest child, Anna, I spent the last 3 months at the VA in Indianapolis as a 3rd year medical student.  I had visions that I would be able to schedule easy rotations at the end of my pregnancy, but this was not to be.  Anna spent every 3rd night with me at the hospital on call. It was pretty crazy but I made it through.  When Anna decided to come a little early, she surprised all of us. My med school friends had planned a baby shower the day she delivered and we had to postpone it. That night Anna and I were alone together for the first time since she was born. Her eyes were open and alert. I drew my knees up as I sat on the bed and placed her there so we could see each other.  I pondered the beauty of this blue eyed, ash blond miracle looking up at me.  I knew then that I would do anything to protect her and would love her no matter what.  Even though each one of my three children is different, the feelings I have for them are the same. By her actions, Mary showed that she also held these same, deep feelings for her son.

The maternal instinct in Mary would have wanted to protect and save Jesus from the suffering he endured.  She suffered in agony with him as he hung on the cross.  She knew as no one else that Jesus was the Son of God but neither she nor his disciples grasped the magnitude of his true mission. Mary couldn’t keep him from the cross because he chose to be there. She couldn’t save him from suffering but he came to save her for eternity.  No one would have felt the joy Mary felt as she beheld her son alive that first Easter morn.  She was the mother of the Savior of the World. What greater responsibility or joy could there be? How could Mary have known the consequences of her choice to accept Gabriel’s words and say yes to God?  She was just an ordinary small town girl singled out for this special role.  She suffered greatly for her choice.  In the long run, making the choice to love deeply, necessitates risking everything. Oftentimes pain is the price paid.  Anyone who has lost someone they loved dearly, knows this pain.  But remember, on the cross, Jesus showed us what it means to risk it all for love. In his eyes, it was worth the price paid to save us all for eternity.

Thy Will Be Done

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After the disciples asked Jesus how they should pray, He gave them what we now call “The Lord’s Prayer” as a model.  I doubt that Jesus meant us to recite this prayer verbatim but this is what’s done in many Christian churches every Sunday during worship.  If you are like me, I’ve repeated this prayer in unison with other believers so many times that I have to consciously think about the words as I say them. The words can be profound if we really contemplate their meaning.  When I pray, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,”  I am taken aback by the magnitude of what I am actually requesting. Am I truly open and willing to allow this to become a reality?

Allowing God’s will to reign on earth necessitates that our individual wills are relinquished and made secondary to His. This is counter-cultural in a world where individualism is actively promoted from infancy.  Society teaches us to be “Me” focused rather than “We” focused.  Inherent in this way of thinking is the need to be in control. Opening ourselves to God’s will, means letting go of this control.  There is an old saying that captures what must happen for this to occur.  “If God is your co-pilot, then change seats!”

I will be the first to admit that I want to be the chief pilot of my life. My parents will attest to this.  As a small child, whatever we were doing, I would say, “I want to do it myself.”  It didn’t matter if I was too small, I wanted to try anyway.  I wonder sometimes if God looks at me as my parents would and says, “I really could help you with that, but if you insist, go ahead and try it your way first.”  How much grief would I have saved myself if I had listened to my parents and to God first? Isn’t it human nature to have to learn things the hard way?

The need for control is an area I’m sure that I will struggle my whole earthly life to overcome.  I have the desire to let go of control but then the micromanager in me comes forth to defeat my efforts.  The times have been few when I have been able with God’s help to calm my inner controller and submit to His direction.  No one really likes the word “submit” but that is really what has to happen for God’s will to be done in my life.  I have to clear out my agenda and ask God an open-ended question: “What do You want me to do, Lord?”

Now I will warn you that it is very dangerous when you ask God this question and truly mean it.  He will send something or someone your way that is absolutely amazing and generally completely out of your comfort zone.  You must be ready to respond at a moments notice.  The opportunity God places before you may pass if you don’t act quickly.  I recall many lost choices over the years that I know were “God opportunities”, but I let them pass me by. I remember the invitation I turned down years ago to join a medical ministry in Jamaica led by a doctor and his wife who happened to be staying in the same Bed and Breakfast as my husband and I while we were vacationing in Kingston.  I will never forget the chance given me by Padre Carollo to adopt an Ecuadorean orphan but I just didn’t think I could do it at that time in my life.  Where would I be now if I had acted on these gifts placed before me?

Over my lifetime, I have said “no” to God’s direction many more times than I have said “yes” to Him. The wonder of it all is that God doesn’t give up on me. He continues to place His opportunities in front of me.  As the Lord says in Jeremiah, “I know the plans I have for you.”  He knows where He wants me to be and has given me the talents and patience for the tasks at hand.  His plans are always perfect. They are for my benefit as well as the benefit of all those around me.   When I have made the decision to say “thy will, not mine, be done,” phenomenal things have happened.  When God placed people in my pathway who led me to Shadrach, a great adventure began that I would never have imagined on my own. I was definitely pushed out of my comfort zone but God was with me all the way. I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything.

Often I hear people say that they aren’t sure what God’s will is for their life so they don’t know what direction to move. I believe they will find their answer if they simply move forward in faith with what they do know. God will be faithful to reveal to them their direction as they need it. In my experience, God is continually throwing opportunity in my path and it is up to me whether to respond or not. The key is to keep trying your best to live a life of grace and love right where you are and be open to God’s Spirit. His will then has the opportunity to intersect with yours and something beautiful will be created. But you must have the courage to say yes.

These opportunities to do God’s will, most of the time will be small tasks. He may ask of you to offer a kind word or a smile to a stranger, a visit to a shut-in, or a meal for a homeless person.  If you have eyes to see and ears to hear, you will recognize God working all around you and you can join in His work.  This is God’s will. As it says in the book of Micah, “What does the Lord require of you but to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with your God.”  So every day be faithful in the small tasks. Someday God may ask you to work with Him on a large task.  When Cori Tenboom and her family humbly worked in their clock shop in Holland, faithfully following God’s will in their lives, they were suddenly asked to step out for a large and dangerous task.  They hid their Jewish friends and neighbors to save them from the invading Nazi’s. They risked their lives being obedient to God and eventually Cori, her father and her sister were sent to the concentration camps.  Cori was the only survivor. Her story is chronicled in her book, “The Hiding Place.”  Day by day, Cori and her family led lives of love and grace. When God’s call came to hide Jews in their home, they were ready to answer “yes” to Him.

Most of us will never be asked to risk as much as Cori Tenboom to carry out God’s will in our lives. But you never know what the future may hold.  Be faithful in the little opportunities put in your pathway to show mercy, to act justly and to partner with God in His work.  In this way, God’s will is truly accomplished on earth in every small act of love shown through the lives of each and every believer.

 

The Eye of a Needle

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Recently I went with several friends from my Women’s Bible Study Group on a girl’s night out for dinner and a movie.  We went to see “Son of God.”   It was wonderful.  For what appeared to be a very familiar subject, the producers were able to add details not often included in movies dealing with the life and ministry of Jesus. I saw more personal portrayals of the disciple Matthew, Mary Magdalene, and Pontius Pilate than I have seen before.  I was particularly taken by the characterization of one of the pharisees, Nicodemus.  He was only one of two religious authorities along with Joseph of Arimathea, that we know became followers of Jesus.  As the story unfolds, we see that he is in close contact with the High Priest, Caiaphas.  Nicodemus was a member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish high court.  This is the same court that met at night to put Jesus on trial for blasphemy and then turned him over to the Romans to be crucified.  Prior to this fateful night, Nicodemus had numerous opportunities to observe the teaching and the miracles of Jesus.  While doing so he perceived that Jesus was no ordinary man. And he sought Him out in the secrecy of night to speak with Him.  It is to Nicodemus that Jesus revealed God’s great plan, “For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” When Jesus was condemned by the court and was sent to Pontius Pilate, Nicodemus tried to put a stop to it. But  there were too many other voices against Jesus that night for Nicodemus to be heard.  Later we see Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea in the group laying Jesus to rest in the tomb.  The Bible doesn’t really say what happened with Nicodemus after the resurrection but I would surmise that his life was never the same again.

You would think that more of the religious folk of the time would have recognized Jesus but there were very few.  For most, He was a threat, not an answer to their prayers for a deliverer.   He didn’t meet their expectations. He didn’t come to make Himself a political king as they had hoped. But He came to become the King of their hearts.  Unfortunately most of their hearts were too hardened to let Him in.  But not Nicodemus’ heart. His heart was warmed by Jesus and he sought to learn more about Him.  His decision to do so must have cost him dearly.

The great majority of people who thronged to Jesus were ordinary folk. Many were quite poor and few were of any influence. They had little or no material possessions.  They had everything to gain and very little to lose from a worldly viewpoint.  When a rich young ruler came to Jesus to ask what he could do to gain eternal life, Jesus told him there was one thing he lacked. He should sell his wealth, give it to the poor and follow Him.  The young man couldn’t let go of his material wealth in order to gain a treasure that could not be bought.  Maybe this was why Jesus said it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. But he also added that anything is possible with God.  Thank goodness for grace because otherwise I would be lost.  I see myself in Nicodemus.  By the world’s standards I am in the top 1% in material wealth, education and status along with many others in the United States.   I don’t believe Jesus begrudges wealth when it is used to bless others. But it can be a stumbling block.  When amassing  material possessions becomes our goal, then that is our idol.  We are told in the Ten Commandments to not worship idols.  When we worship money rather than use it for good, we place it above God.

After Nicodemus chose to follow Jesus, I am sure he lost his position on the High Court and the prestige it brought him.  Most of his friends and acquaintances would have seen him as foolish.  His new friends would have been the motley crew of Jesus’ followers who were from all walks of life and social station.  I wonder if his family believed with him or if Jesus became a divide between them.  Nicodemus had much to give up. It would have been a cataclysmic change for him.  But Jesus told him that he must be born again the night of their meeting.  With the Spirit’s power he was a changed man never to be the same again.

I have not been asked to give up much for Jesus. If situations occurred in which I was asked to give up everything, could I?  Would I be like the rich young ruler and walk away or would I boldly let go of it all as did Nicodemus?  I understand how difficult it is to go through the eye of a needle. I count on Jesus’ words:  “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” So I will depend on God’s Spirit to move through me as it did with Nicodemus, no matter what the future holds.

 

 

Open My Eyes

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When I was in the 4th grade you might say that I discovered I needed glasses by happenstance. That year my teacher, Miss Owen arranged the seating in her classroom in alphabetical order.  I am by nature a front row kind of person but since my name started with a “V”, I was relegated to the back row.  I found very quickly that I couldn’t see what was written on the blackboard.  Even though I made a legitimate case for being moved back to the front row, Miss Owen was not going to have any part of it.  This necessitated a quick trip to the eye doctor to find that I was very near sighted.  When I put on my new glasses for the first time, they made me a bit dizzy.  I was amazed on our drive back home that I could actually see the leaves on the trees. Before I put on my glasses, I never realized what I was missing. A new world opened up to me.

How we see the world, very much depends on how we look at the world.  My story is about physical vision but in her poem, “Aurora Leigh”, Elizabeth Barrett Browning describes what it is to have spiritual vision. She writes… “Earth’s crammed with heaven, And every common bush afire with God: But only he who sees takes off his shoes, The rest sit around it, and pluck blackberries, And daub their natural faces unaware…”

I often feel like the one unaware, too busy picking blackberries to notice the evidence of the Holy all around me.  It’s not until I purposely slow down that I am able to look at what is right in front of me. It’s when I look back over my life that I then can see the fingerprints of God all through it.  Being aware has become much more important to me.  Awareness followed by action releases the power of God if we allow ourselves to be attentive to the Spirit. This is repeated over and over throughout the Bible. One of my favorite accounts of new found vision involves the conversion of the apostle Paul.

As Saul of Tarsus was making his way to Damascus with warrants for the arrest of the followers of Jesus living there, he was struck down by a bright light and was blinded. He heard the voice of Christ asking him why he was persecuting Him.  He remained blind for 3 days until he was visited by a believer named Ananias.  While Ananias was praying, he had a vision in which he was instructed by the Lord specifically to go to a certain location and lay his hands on Saul to heal him of his blindness.  Ananias knew who Saul was and feared him.  He questioned the Lord by telling Him that this man Saul, had been persecuting HIs followers.  But the Lord again instructed Ananias by saying, “Go!  This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel.  I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”  Ananias obeyed the Lord and went in to Saul telling him, “Brother Saul, The Lord-Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here-has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”  Immediately Saul was able to see again, was baptized and began preaching about Jesus who had turned his life around. Soon his name was changed to Paul and instead of persecuting the followers of Jesus, he became one of the most vocal of His disciples.

Paul was not only given the gift of his physical sight but the even greater gift of spiritual sight-the Holy Spirit.  This Holy Spirit had already been given to the other apostles and believers on Pentecost.  It came as a holy fire and caused them to speak in other languages so that everyone who heard them could understand.  For quite a long time, I held on to the belief that the Spirit only worked in dramatic ways as it did on Pentecost.  Surely this only happened in the times of the early church and didn’t happen in modern times. However, I have come to know through my own experience that the Spirit most often works in very subtle ways.  The Spirit is the nudge that encourages, the still small voice that instructs, and the warming of the heart that instills compassion.  The Spirit opens our eyes to all that God has prepared for us.  This is the holiness seen in every bush described by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. But it also is the holiness seen in each person, no matter their age, race or social status.  The Spirit opens our eyes to see like Jesus. When we begin to see the world as Jesus sees it, it changes us forever.  Oh yes, we can try to shut off the promptings of the Spirit, but it pursues us in the colors of every spectacular sunset, in the joy of every child’s laughter, and in the beauty of every sacred song.  We begin to see the fingerprints of God in everything.  And when our eyes are opened, we cannot nor want to go back to the way we were seeing the world before.

Just as I could not imagine seeing the world without my glasses, I can’t imagine not allowing the Spirit to open my eyes daily to the world God has set before me.  My vision is faulty. But the Lord is working always to perfect it, just as His vision is perfect.  As in the old hymn, I ask, “Be thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart; Naught be all else to me, save that thou art; Thou my best thought, by day or by night, Waking or sleeping, thy presence my Light.”