I don’t know about you, but I am tired. Weary of many things, many circumstances I expected to be better by now, back to “normal”. It is times like these, times of seemingly endless waiting, that the promises of God we daily take for granted are our only hope. Here are five I am meditating on today. I hope they encourage you as much as they did me.
We have salvation in Christ alone.
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
2. God gives us strength when we are weak.
Isaiah 40:29-31
He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases his strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up on wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
3. Nothing can separate us from God’s love.
Romans 8:37-38
. . . in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
4. God gives us rest when we are weary.
Matthew 11: 28-29
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
5. God has overcome the world.
John 16:33
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.
As a public school teacher, I have had the privilege of meeting some remarkable individuals. It never ceases to amaze me, the determination some of my students show as they face disabilities, neglect, abuse, mental illness, death, etc. . . . At such a young age, they just keep moving forward, fighting for their futures when most of us would have thrown in the towel.
In March of this year, I fully believed the yard signs posted saying, “This Too Shall Pass”. I honestly posted comments to my struggling students saying, “This won’t last forever”. But it seems “this” is going to last a while. And we are tired. There are those who have always had to endure hardship. From the day they were born, they have struggled just to survive, but for me, the verse, “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed, perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:8) has been a mere abstraction. Most of my struggles have truly been “momentary”.
So, now as I parent two boys and teach teenagers, I feel such a burden knowing that I can no longer assure them that the stress they are feeling will soon be gone. I can’t tell them when life will return to “normal” or if “normal” will ever return. School, activities, work, even church are all different and will be, for the foreseeable future. So, how do I teach them to persevere when I’m not even sure how myself?
Recently my students read “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King, Jr. In this well-known piece from the Civil Rights Movement, he mentions the perseverance of the prophets, Paul, Martin Luther and Christ himself. In Hebrews 11, Paul mentions the faithful fathers of our faith. From Abel to Noah, and Abraham to Jacob, the blind faith of these men is listed one by one. This passage is filled with phrases like “yet unseen”, “not knowing where he was going”, and “as good as dead” and reminds us that “These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth . . . Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city” (Hebrews 11: 7-16).
As I review these verses I am reminded that I am failing miserably. Failing to choose faith instead of despair as these men did and to model that to those around me. Failing to realize that this “light momentary affliction” is a part of God’s plan to “prepare” me “for an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Corinthians 4: 17).
Lord, I do not have the strength to persevere in faith during these trying times. I am weary and prone to despair. Please give me the faith to pray “help me in my unbelief” (Mark 9:24) like the father in Mark so that I will not only persevere but display the truth that you have already “overcome the world” (John 16:33).
It happens every four years. And no matter what we told ourselves after the last election, we all fall for the lie again and add at least one “Savior” to our list-at least until the election. They say history repeats itself, and elections are a vivid example of this. We all saw it four years ago, conservatives and liberals alike, the absurd way we let the election run our lives, strain (or ruin) our relationships, overrun us spiritually. We worshipped an idol-some politician who God definitely wanted, maybe even had “ordained”.
And many of us vowed, to ourselves or others, that we wouldn’t do it again. “Next time I won’t get so involved, allow my perspective to be so skewed by the hype and abandon what I know to be true: I already have a savior, and he is more than enough”, we told ourselves.
Then, six months ago, COVID showed up with its shutdowns and quarantines, accompanied by police brutality, protests turned to riots, and cities were burned (not to mention the entire West coast). And here we are again, four years later. Sadly, we haven’t learned. We see the unrest, the violence, the continual destruction, and we can’t help ourselves. We know that we promised ourselves the last time, but the draw is too tempting, too seductive, and we just have to partake. Because how could God allow all of this to happen? Could his plans still prevail with “so-and-so” in office? Surely, he needs our help convincing those around us to see it our way. Heaven must be a twitter with concern, dreading the outcome of this ever-important election. Not to mention, the election scandals already taking place. Then, what will God do if “His man or woman” doesn’t win? And the gospel goes out the window again, at least until November 5th, or 6th.
While New Testament is filled with reminders to the church to return to Christ, its “first love”, admonitions against getting caught up in “civilian affairs”, much of the church in America justifies complete idolatry in this season. Sure, we know the greatest commandment is “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30). We have heard the warnings saying, “Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you . . “ (1 John 2:24), and “ . . . you have abandoned the love you had at first” (Revelation 2:4), but we are so convinced, so blinded by our circumstances that we “exchange the truth of God for a lie” (Romans 1:25) and put a politician or ideology above Christ, above the gospel.
Now don’t get me wrong. We are to be concerned about our country and communities, and we should vote. Some of us may even be called to politics. The error lies not in our participation in our communities but in our hearts. In seasons such as this, we must ask ourselves and others who our savior is, remind each other that we have already been completely redeemed. We don’t need saving. Not only are we “free” in Christ, our Father in heaven is in complete control of our circumstances, even this all-important election. As Lamentations explains, “Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and bad come? Why should a living man complain?” (Lamentations 3:37-39). Simply put, God’s sovereign plan to redeem his people will continue, even if our favored politician, our “savior” doesn’t win.
So, in this season of great division and emotion, my prayer is that this time, this election, I will remember my first love, love my neighbor (regardless of their political leanings), trust God’s sovereignty, and vote. I want to wake up the day after the election without regret, knowing I trusted my savior faithfully, keeping my eyes on his throne instead of one inhabited by another man/woman I temporarily abandoned him for.
It took me a while to notice. I mean, the first week back at work was such a whirlwind with new protocols, last minute schedule changes and the typical business of a new school year, and I’ll admit, I was fairly inward-focused, drowning in all I needed to get done. In the midst of this, one of my former students came to drop off a book, and stayed. He honestly didn’t like my class much last year, but he wanted to talk to me, tell me about his new schedule. He was happy to be back. And it kept happening, students stopping by just to say “Hi” and catch up a bit, some I hadn’t seen in a year.
It took only one day since the students had returned to the building, one day of staring at masked faces grasping at any semblance of normal life, and I had an epiphany-people are struggling. They are lonely, insecure, looking. Looking for direction in an uncertain world where everything they have known has changed, and any plan can be cancelled on a moment’s notice. And I felt a wave of responsibility. While I am wallowing in self-pity while trying to adjust to a “new normal”, I am missing maybe the most opportunity I’ve had in years to be salt and light.
While we were all filling our lives to the hilt with work, sports, activities, vacations, even church, society could easily turn a blind eye to the things of God. But we have entered a new era, an era where our activity-packed lives can no longer fill the void, and people are looking. Now more than ever, believers must heed this advice from Colossians 4 to “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. 6Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person” (Colossians 4: 5-6).
I’ll admit, I have been failing miserably, but my prayer is that I won’t be side-tracked by “civilian affairs”. I pray that instead of fear, I will display faith in God’s sovereign plan; instead of anger, I will display a peace which “surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7); instead of hate, I will display love remembering that my enemy isn’t of “flesh and blood” (Ephesians 6:12), despite what the political ads say. For, in a time of unrest and uncertainty, it is more important than ever that I embrace 2 Timothy 2 which states, “No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him” (2 Timothy 2:4). For while the COVID era may seem a burden, it is definitely an opportunity. It is a distinct possibility that much of my spiritual preparation is “for such a time as this”. Lord, help me remember.
The first week my boys and I were home as a result of the COVID-19 quarantine, we watched the movie The End of the Sword. A life-long Elisabeth Elliot fan, I am not sure how I never read this book or saw this movie, but along with a deep emotional reaction to such a stark picture of forgiveness and redemption, I was reminded of how the story of Elisabeth Elliot captivated my friends and I as young college girls. We may have even “snuck” into a locked football stadium at the University of Oklahoma to journal and pray, just to be like her. In the reading I did after graduating from college, I somehow came across a devotional written by my still favorite author called Keep a Quiet Heart. As a single girl just beginning my teaching career, I was struck by the practical ways she demonstrated how to focus on God’s peace in various life-circumstances. There was one short devotion, however, that made a lasting impact. The title of this chapter was “Do Not Forecast Grief”. In it she recalls a chance meeting with a young mother who confided in Elisabeth all of her anxieties from finances to the health of her family members. In one portion of this devotional, she warns, “Today is mine. Tomorrow is none of my business. If I peer anxiously into the future, I will strain my spiritual eyes so that I will not see clearly what is required of me now”.
Many times in my life this phrase, “Do not forecast grief” has come to my mind: marital difficulties, pregnancy, motherhood, a new job, the threat of school shootings. There are so many times when we can expect the worst. I remember when, during my first pregnancy, a friend gave me several books on pregnancy. As a person especially susceptible to anxiety and depression, I finally had to quit reading them, not because some of the information wasn’t good, but because the chapters on all of the possible complications threw me into a panicked state, worrying about all that could possibly go wrong. Add the possibility of SIDS, autism, and leaving my child while I went to work, and there have been plenty of times I have recalled this phrase, coming back to the promise that God is in control and any pain is known by and allowed by him alone.
In this time of COVID-19, I am of course recalling these words again, as we “re-enter” a society riddled with fear and anxiety. The news and social media are rampant with people acting as if “all” people who contract this new disease will die. Some of us are so anxious, we cannot imagine that we might have to go back to work or school, even attending church is beyond our understanding at this point. I will not even attempt to address the statistics out there on COVID-19. While the studies of countries who are on the other side of the outbreak state it is no worse than the flu, projections in the U.S. vacillate wildly depending on who is reporting. In the end, the statistics do not negate God’s plan.
As Psalm 121 states:
I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.
Are we promised a carefree life, free from disease and calamity? No. Clearly, Elisabeth Elliot suffered greatly when her husband was killed very early in their marriage, but just as God’s promises were true for her even in her time of grief, his promises are also true during this current pandemic we are navigating. He is not at a loss. As we are being “sent out” into a vaccineless world full of uncertainty, it is good to remind ourselves of Christ’s “sending out” of the disciples in Matthew 10. In this passage, he warns them that they will face certain persecution, even flogging. But despite these dangers, he warns them, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28) for “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father . . . Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows” (Matthew 10: 29, 31).
Just as Christ asked the disciples to enter a world of danger, he is asking us to do his work without fear. For many of us, this work will include interacting with a world potentially infected with this unknown virus. Is grief a possibility during these uncertain times? Absolutely, but, just like before, God has plans for us, plans that require us to live as he asks us to, plans that cannot be carried out if we allow ourselves to “forecast grief”. As Elliot suggests, “If my life is once surrendered, all is well. Let me not grab it back as though it were in peril in His hand but would be safer in mine.” During these uncertain times, it is tempting to want to “grab” our lives back, retreating into ourselves for protection from the unknown. God help us resist this temptation to “forecast grief” lest we miss the blessings he has not only for us, but for those he brings into our path.
Independent, productive, brilliant. Yes, these are some of the words to describe the teenage years, but these are not the usual terms. Hormonal, moody, difficult, and quarrelsome? Those are the words I hear more often. My teen years were all of these-wonderful and difficult- and after over 20 years of teaching teenagers, I would like to tell parents a few things from my point of view. Am I an expert? No. My son is only 12, so we are just beginning our journey, but as a high school English teacher, I would like to give some encouragement to parents. After years of reading journal entries and essays written by your teens, there are a few things you should know.
You are important. I know, they are prickly. They don’t give too many warm fuzzies. I spend 7 hours a day with them, but I recently had them write a letter of appreciation to anyone of their choice on Valentine’s Day. Yes, there were a few notes to a boyfriend or girlfriend, but hands down, 50% wrote a letter to one or both of their parents saying how much they appreciate them. One letter stands out in my mind, though. A boy, 10th grade, wrote that he appreciates his parents, and that he wishes he could tell them that despite the rough times they’ve had in the last few years, he really appreciates what they’ve done for him. It was clear, he would not deliver this letter, so just know. You are more appreciated than you will ever know.
They want you to pay attention to them. Again, I get it. They are always on their phones, and they act annoyed when you ask them to get off, but they actually do want your actual attention. They write about you being on your phone when you are all out to dinner, so, yes, they do it too, but they want you to put down your device and try to spend time with them. They are also touched by the fact that you come their events. Sports, music, drama, all of it. They want you there. Will they say, “Thank you?” Probably not, but they will remember, and they might tell me about it in their journal. So, continue to be there, eat with them, go to their 20th band concert. Even if they don’t act like they appreciate it. They do.
They are capable of a lot. They are so talented and brilliant in so many ways. Trust them to try things, make decisions, and mess up. They want to help others, succeed, even change the world. Treat them like the “almost adults” that they are. Don’t “turn them loose” yet, but allow them to make as many decisions as possible. And if they have challenges, like a learning disability, autism, traumatic pasts,or other challenges, trust them too. The good majority of my teaching career has been working with at-risk students. Recently, I spent time with a group of former students, now 22 or 23, all at-risk, and I am happy to report that they make it. They grow up, work, find love, have children, all of it. So, even if you are desperately worried about their special challenges, God has a plan for that too. So, trust them also. These students are some of the most hard-working, caring people I know. They are capable of great things, and many are my heroes.
So, why am I writing to you? These teen years are difficult, but they go so fast. Keep caring, trying, talking and being there. They notice, and they still need you to spend time with them, care, and tell them they are doing a good job, even when things are a little rocky. You may never know their appreciation, but it is there. I am a witness.
I never tire of the mountains. I want to be in them every day-rain, snow, sun-it doesn’t matter. While we don’t own a mountain get-a-way, we only live one hour away, so we try to go as often as possible. And the lack of organized activities this year has allowed for a bit more of that, I’m happy to say. Our dear friends do own a cabin, however, and let us stay from time to time. So, my boys and I snuck up there for a night to be in nature, escape wifi, and hike. It was the first time we’d been there without either their grandparents or my husband, and it was fun but different. Having no screens, my older son-who is a music freak-played the keyboard most of the night after a small attempt at board games. I’ll admit, I was a little put out. I wished someone else could have come and that my older son would happily play board games with us, but it didn’t happen that way.
My 10 year-old, however, did not let that dampen his mood. You see, I am his most favorite person in the world. So, he was more than content, elated really, that he could “play” charades with just me for the evening. This game consisted of him acting out an animal, object, or action and me guessing it. Basically, he was the immediate “winner”. The items were fairly easy, so I could usually guess correctly, but he didn’t seem to care. At one point, he even said, “I must be pretty good at acting.” As he was happily getting new cards and celebrating every time I guessed correctly, I wondered if this is what Jesus meant when he told the disciples “ . . . for to such belongs the kingdom of God . . . Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it .”(Mark 10: 14-15). Children were not considered important in ancient cultures, but Jesus knew differently. Children know the most about absolute faith and complete devotion, those traits needed in the commandment “Love the Lord your God with all of your heart sole, mind and strength” (Matthew 22;37). That night, I was focused on what wasn’t quite right, but he was happy about one thing-spending time with me, the love of his life (for these first 10 years at least).
Aaah, the simplicity of a child’s outlook. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if I could be satisfied or even “delighted” just to spend time with my father? The one who knew me in the womb, created me, called me into relationship with him, and has and will provide me with all I need. What if that was all I needed? Well, the answer to that is that God is all I need. But, I will admit that the admonition of Psalm 37 is a bit foreign to me right now. Oh, it applies exactly to the unrest I am struggling with , the verses stating,
“Fret not yourself because of
evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers!
For they will soon fade like the
grass and with like the green herb.
Trust in the Lord, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the Lord
and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37: 1-4).
Right now, I am immediately convicted by these words, for I am concerned about many things right now. I am angry that evil is celebrated, that I have no certainty about the year to come, that I am uncomfortable with so many circumstances around me, that I feel powerless. And in this moment, I cannot make myself be immediately at peace. I am not “delighting in the Lord” alone like my son delighted in spending time with me that night. As a result, I don’t feel like I have the desires of my heart.
So, what do I do? The Psalm goes on to say,
“Commit your way to the Lord;
Trust in him, and he will act.
He will bring for your
Righteousness as the light and your justice as the noonday.
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
Fret not . . .
Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!” (Psalm 37: 5-8).
Lord, forgive me for fretting, for not looking to you alone, for not delighting in you but in the worldly comforts I can’t have right now. Please grant me the peace I can’t grant myself in these times. Give me the heart of a child desiring only the presence of his perfect father. Answer this prayer in my own heart,
Yesterday, we hiked as a family. My husband and I hiked a lot when we first met and married, and now, after years of training, our boys are old enough to hike almost anything. One of my sons has a hurting heel, so we decided we needed to hike something that didn’t involve too much climbing. We decided on a trail we haven’t hiked in years. It was not only beautiful and peaceful but provided that familiar aroma of unadulterated fresh air mixed with the fragrance of pine. When everyone was hungry for lunch, we decided to walk a little further only to realize that the photo my husband and I consider our “engagement” photo-taken by our 12 year-old niece-was taken on that very hike 17 years ago. It was a great day.
Unfortunately,this past week I have been anything but content. Being out of “work” for the past 6 months, without a schedule and daily interaction with my students and colleagues, coupled by limited vacation options, mask fatigue, and frustration with what I will call “the state of things” in general has caused a general sense of “unrest” in my soul. So, today, as I perused the many verses about thankfulness, I realized something. These verses, many of which I have known for years, do not have the “If . . . then” option. For example, when Psalms 7:17 states, “I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness” and Psalm 100:4-5 states, “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise . . . For the Lord is good and his love endures forever”, nothing is provisional. David’s thankfulness does not hinge on how free he feels, if his life has been disrupted or the lack of unrest in his country. It is based on the character of God alone. In fact, much of the Bible is wrought with oppression, unrest, even slavery and imprisonment. Nevertheless, thankfulness is not an option.
So, today I am thankful
Thankful for my family
Immediate and extended
For their health and support
For the extra time I’ve had with them
For my pastors
Who are shepherding their flock
Through such uncertain times
For my church family
And the ability to worship WITH them
When some are forbidden (even in the U.S.)
Even when singing in a mask is less than ideal
For less scheduled activities
(Though I hate to give them up)
And more time to chat
or take a walk with someone
For smaller, less stressful vacations
Hikes, day drives through Yellowstone Park
The opportunity to appreciate
The beauty that is close to home
For my job
That I have one and that it allows me
To do what I love the most
In whatever form I can
For personal safety
And the police that put their lives on the line
To ensure that
And School Resource Officers
Who make my community and its schools a safer place
For access to healthcare and those who make that possible
