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God’s Goodness in Times of Emergency
Author: Linda DeLay Wallace
All Fall Down
While I do not see children playing this game now, when I was a child we played Ring Around the Rosie. The poem went like this: “Ring around the rosies; Pockets full of posies; Ashes, ashes, all fall down!”
When we got to the end, we would all fall down on the ground and then get up laughing. While some attribute this to a macabre ritual from the Bubonic plague days, in actuality there is evidence that it dates back to more playful origins in Europe. Needless to say, when we recited this as children we were not thinking about any plagues!
I have taken a lot of falls in my life–both figuratively and literally. There have been sprained ankles, broken elbows, paint chips embedded in my forehead when I fell and hit the corner of a wall, and more. But the falls that you cannot see are probably the ones that have left the most marks on me. The failure to meet someone’s expectations, the breaking of a promise, the crashing of a ministry I loved, and more, litter my life. Some of the falls were a result of my own carelessness and others were things out of my control.
There is a magnet I keep on my refrigerator. It reads: “You fall, you rise, you make mistakes, you live, you learn. You’re human, not perfect. You’ve been hurt, but not destroyed. Think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive—to breathe, to think, to enjoy, and to pursue the things you love. Sometimes there is sadness in our journey, but there is also much joy. We must keep putting one foot in front of the other even when we hurt, for we never know what blessings are waiting just around the bend.” –Anonymous
When we fall we have choices of how we respond. Do we learn valuable lessons? Do we dust ourselves off and move on? Do we allow someone to help and lift us up? Or, do we stay on the ground and wallow endlessly in the pain? Do we blame everyone else for our fall, sometimes neglecting to see our role in it?
We all fall. After all, we live in a fallen world–one that was perfect until Satan entered the picture. But we do not need to wallow in the fall. God has given us everything we need to rise up and overcome the hurts, the disappointments, and the agony of falling.
Micah 7:8 says, “Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me.” In Psalm 37:24 we are reminded that God holds our hands even though we fall. “Though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand.”
We all fall. But the Lord will help lift us up so that we can continue on our journey and grow closer to him.
More verses to reassure us that God has us when we falter and fall. Psalm. 37:4; 2 Corininthians 4:8-9; Proverbs 24:16; Isaiah 43:2
The Cost of a Candy Bar
Today has been one of those days where paying $1.79 for a Snickers candy bar is worth it. Under normal circumstances I cannot bring myself to pay that for a candy bar. But today? Well, let’s just say I needed that addictive sugar. I have been on an eating-healthy lifestyle change and while it has not been a stellar journey by any means, it has been an improvement. One of the things I have learned on this journey is that stress = carbs. And most of the time, I do pretty good keeping that under control. but not today.
There is a saying that bad things happen in threes. I honestly do not believe in superstitions, but today, I am almost convinced of that one!
My day started with learning that the hoarseness and vocal difficulty I am having will never go away. A tough pill to swallow for someone who does public speaking. I am a talker–I understand that about myself–and yet I have found my ability to talk for extended periods of time hampered by my vocal issues. I was discouraged as I walked out of the doctor’s office. But, I figure that God still has a plan for me. Even though I am highly disappointed, God can still use me in ways I have yet to discover.
However, that was not the worst issue faced today.
It is not my place to share the specifics of one of the things I learned today. But it is significant and life-impacting for several people. It was hard to hear and I will continue to pray for that situation.
The hardest thing I faced today was the sharing with a dear friend who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness. That one has left me devastated. Once again, it is not my place to share her news on social media. The people who need to know will.
During my conversation with her, she reassured me she is at peace. She knows her Savior and she is looking forward to meeting him face-to-face. I am pretty sure she comforted me more than I comforted her. My heart is aching and my tears have been flowing off and on all afternoon. They are rolling down my cheeks even as I write this.
I am sure that one day I will share a whole lot more about my friend–once her journey here is done and she is rejoicing in heaven where there is no more pain and sorrow. But for now, I am going to let myself indulge in more tears and spend some time praying for her and her family.
I can’t help but think about how Jesus felt when his friend Lazarus died. He wept. He knew that Lazarus would be resurrected, both in his body and someday again in his spirit, and yet he wept because of the sorrow Martha and Mary experienced. I cannot help but think that maybe he weeps a little bit with me today as I experience the sorrow of knowing I am going to lose a dear friend and sister in Christ.
It has been a difficult day and I am sure that later in the day I will regret giving in to that candy bar. But I am not going to beat myself up for it because the cost of $1.79 is little in the scheme of things. I wish all of life’s problems could be solved with a candy bar.
Beckoning Me
It sat on my kitchen table. All alone. With only a pen and highlighter to keep it company. You see, I had gotten away from using it every day. Distractions. Busyness. Neglect kept me company even as I glanced at what was beckoning me with every look, every glance, as I passed that way.
Then I found that I could no longer ignore it. As I walked by, I almost physically heard it calling to me.; bidding me to just take that step and open it.
Finally, one day I sat down and it felt like I was spending time with an old friend. Strength and wisdom flowed. Encouragement and admonishment both spoke to me as I continued to peruse the pages. And each time I listened to its beckoning it satisfied me down to my very soul.
You see, I had let myself get away from daily time spent in God’s Word. Oh, I was still going to church, still participating in my small group, but I had neglected to really seek out the word of God on a daily basis. It had become a hit or miss time in my day.
Have you been there? Has it become easy to let the habit of studying God’s word drift away? I allowed myself to become distracted by the busyness of life and the siren call of social media–too distracted.
But what I have found since I have been back to opening my Bible every day and studying through the book of Psalms, is God has been speaking to me more. He whispers his love and encouragement into my life more. He helps me praise him more, seek him more, petition him more, and be thankful to him more. Those were all the things I neglected along with neglecting to spend that quiet time with him.
I am glad he beckoned me, almost cajoled me, to stop walking by and listen to his call.
What about you? Are you spending your day setting aside time to immerse yourself in his word? Or are you just walking by when he beckons you? Are you ignoring the good things he has in store for you?
I am beckoning you, with an outstretched arm and an earnest look, to hear the call. Stop the busyness. Stop the excuses. Just listen to the call and open the Word of God.
Psalm 119:130 “Understanding your word brings light to the minds of ordinary people.” (CEV)
Hebrews 4:12 “God’s word is alive and powerful! It is sharper than any double-edged sword. His word can cut through our spirits and souls and through our joints and marrow, until it discovers the desires and thoughts of our hearts.” (CEV)
Food and Friendships
In the past few weeks I have had meals with some of my closest friends, some of my long-time see-you-every-once-in-a-while friends, family, and church friends. There is something about gathering over food that develops into more than eating–it becomes a way to connect with people and share life with them.
In all honesty, it doesn’t matter if we are eating hot dogs and beans at home, or a great steak in a restaurant; the important thing is we are sharing together. We have discussed families, memories, good times and hard times. Some of us have hit upon those dreaded topics of politics and religion–civilly, even when we may disagree. We laugh together, cry together, rehash stories we have told over and over again through the years, and just share. With many of my friends, we talk about Jesus.
Jesus shared meals with people, and in doing so we see some more facets of who Jesus is. In Luke 19, he told (didn’t really ask) Zacchaeus that he was going to his home. The fact that he went to the home of a tax collector was not unnoted. I am sure people who knew Jesus were astounded that he would have anything to do with a Zacchaeus (but maybe not his disciple, Levi).
Jesus shared meals with Lazarus and his family–sisters Martha and Mary. While Mary saw the value of sitting at Jesus’ feet, Martha was more concerned with preparing the meal. Having prepared many meals for company during my lifetime, I can certainly identify with Martha! We also see a time when Mary anointed his feet with perfume and wiped them with her hair. Sometimes meals lead to amazing actions.
Jesus shared meals with Pharisees. They may have had their own agendas in inviting Jesus, but he certainly used those opportunities to ask his own questions, share his own stories, and even show compassion to others. This was shown when a sinful woman entered the Pharisee’s house, only to anoint Jesus’ feet with rich perfume, much to the dismay of his host. She washed his feet with her tears and her hair. This was the ultimate submission, and took place where Jesus had come to dine.
Meals with friends, meals with sinners, meals with self-righteous Pharisees, a meal for 5,000–Jesus used all of them as opportunities to teach, to show compassion, and to fellowship with others.
Amazing things can come of sharing meals together. In my own life I have found that it is a time to catch up with long-time friends, a time to make new friends, and a time to have some meaningful conversations. I am not positive that there will be a banquet in heaven, but some scriptures allude toward it (Isaiah 25:6, Matt 8:11, Rev, 3:20). So when I get to heaven, I look forward to sitting at a banquet table and having a meal with Jesus. I eagerly await that day!
The Christmas Cactus
My mom had a Christmas Cactus that was prolific when she was alive. After her death, my sister inherited it. And goodness, that plant has continued to thrive. She has given so many people a start from it. I have one and I have started at least five more from what I have. This cactus, with lots of love and care, has thrived and multiplied many times over the years.
However, I noticed that my plant was starting to look a little peaked and not as healthy as it was. My sister suggested that it was probably root bound and needed to be transplanted to a larger pot. She noted that I would need to take it out, gently shake off as much dirt as possible, and lightly trim the roots before repotting. I would need the proper drainage, so I needed sand in the bottom of the pot and cactus soil over that.
As I was in the process of trimming and repotting, I thought about how similar this was to the way the Lord works in our lives. Occasionally in our Christian walk we grow peaked. We are not thriving, growing, and multiplying.
Sometimes God needs to repot us by shaking up our environment, cleaning our roots, and depositing us in a place where we will thrive and grow. The process may be a little different for each of us, but the fact is God is a master gardener and knows exactly what we need to become the healthiest person we can be.
John 15:1-4: “I am the real vine, and my Father is the gardener. He breaks off every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and he prunes every branch that does bear fruit, so that it will be clean and bear more fruit. You have been made clean already by the teaching I have given you.Remain united to me, and I will remain united to you. A branch cannot bear fruit by itself; it can do so only if it remains in the vine. In the same way you cannot bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine, and you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will bear much fruit; for you can do nothing without me.” (GNT)
Modern Day Dilemmas
Recently, I experienced a full two days of not having internet access at my home. It was an interesting time to say the least. It is hard to realize how dependent we have become on technology, until we no longer have it! No internet meant no computer internet access, no Alexa, no television streaming, no telling my RoboVac Bradley to clean.
It is kind of sad that I have become so used to these amenities that I no longer appreciate them like I should. I take them for granted and when they disappear I am made acutely aware of how heavily I rely on my modern day conveniences. Luckily, I enjoy reading or doing crafts so while I was home I did that. But I did miss my internet access.
It would seem that while technology is great for us, in becoming dependent on it we have lost some very precious gifts. I only need to look around at an event or in a restaurant and I see people constantly looking at their phones. Research has shown that excessive screen time creates additional anxiety and depression, interferes with our social skills, and disturbs our sleep patterns–just for starters. For teens, cell phone usage becomes a minefield, especially if the teen is portrayed negatively by peers on Instagram, TikTok, and SnapChat. Suicide rates have rocketed and I believe some of that can be attributed to cell phone usage without being judicious about what you are reading.
In the past, societies built relationships with one another by spending time together, working alongside of each other, and having immediate and extended families in a somewhat close proximity. Today when I watch families together, many of them are sitting in the restaurant with their phones out. Instead of talking with one another across the table, they frequently text instead. I confess it is refreshing when I see a family who has their cell phones put away during a meal together (including Mom and Dad!).
So as Christians how does this impact the church? It is great being able to use technology to communicate with church members and visitors alike. There is no doubt that during the Covid epidemic, churches keeping in touch by using technology and streaming their services live, was a huge blessing. Unfortunately many churches never reached their pre-covid attendance when things started going back to normal (whatever normal is!). Luckily my church not only did that, but we also have been having a very healthy church growth spurt.
The fact that we are raising generations to depend on technology is kind of frightening. Many newer homes are built as “smart” homes, with locks that are voice activated, and lights that come on automatically when programmed. Even stoves and ovens can be programmed with cook times and temperatures now.
But this is the thing. God made us to be relational people. He created Adam in order to have a relationship with him and then created Eve so that Adam would have companionship. Mankind has been shown to be relational through the generations. Sometimes those relations have been good, and occasionally bad once sin entered the world, but the fact is they are important.
It amazes me for all the technology in the world, you still have to be connected to something that drives the technology in order to communicate via cell phone, computer, or tablet. There must be a power source.
It just reminds me that our power source is God. By his death, Jesus tore the veil of the temple and became our high priest. He made it possible for us to come into the presence of God through our worship, prayer, and praise. We can be connected to God by prayer, not by anything electronic, but by the power of God’s Holy Spirit.
So when I am surrounded by people who are attached to the phones like it is another appendage, I am grateful that I have a relationship that is not dependent upon technology, but rather upon truly fostering one-on-one relationships, and most of all, a relationship with God.
Why Don’t We Meet Goals (or resolutions)?
It is the end of the year and I have sat down and evaluated how well I have done on meeting the goals I set at the beginning of the year. I confess, I have been sidelined a lot this year with multiple illnesses. But illness aside, I still struggle completing my goals. I wonder if most people are like me? So that got me to thinking. Why don’t we meet goals and how can we do a better job?
There are a multitude of articles published on why we don’t meet goals and how to achieve them. According to a research by the University of Stanton, 92% of people do not meet their New Year resolutions. I am going to try to do a brief summary of the ones that apply most to me–and maybe to you also.
- We are setting the wrong goals. Not only do our goals need to line up with our values, but they also need to be goals that will enhance our lives when they are met. If the goals are not reflective of our values or our ability to achieve them, then we may set ourselves up for failure. Chris Porteous, CEO of Grey Smoke Media, has the following to say: “You’re picking the wrong type of goals if they are: Not in line with your life goals; Aren’t motivating or inspiring; Too big and overwhelming, Unrealistic”1
- We need to identify why we are setting the goal and what will happen if we do not achieve it. If I am setting a goal to get healthy, that is an admirable goal. But in setting that goal it also helps to define what will happen if I meet it, and what will happen if I do not. An on-line article in Wanderlust Worker had this to say: “Things like love, family, country, freedom and security are compelling reasons. But you have to state just what those reasons mean to you if you don’t want to fail to achieve your goals. When you state what it means to you, and it’s deep-rooted enough into who you are, your determination won’t waver, and you’ll end up seeing things through.2 If you lose sight of why you have set your goal, it is easier to end up not completing it.
- We need to identify the actions needed to accomplish the goal and define the necessary steps to achieve it. Identifying a goal is great, but it helps to break it down into pieces to see the steps needed to have a strong finish. Failure to focus on these steps often leads to frustration because it is more difficult to reach the goal than anticipated. Sometimes you will fail but remember to keep striving toward your goal. Winston Churchill said, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
- We make excuses as to why we do not accomplish our goals–it is not convenient, there is not enough time, we are too busy, The fact is for most individuals, life is busy. We need to evaluate what things are important and what things are expendable to help us meet our goals.
- We have a fear of failure. For many individuals, a fear of failure holds them back from pursuing their goals. This is especially true for the perfectionist who thinks it must be done perfectly or not done at all. Any successful person can also tell you of their failures. If you learn to look at failure as a learning opportunity, it can be a positive outcome for your goal setting.
- We do not anticipate the potential obstacles and the hard work. The soccer star Pelé said, “Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.” Sometimes it takes all of our mental, emotional, physical and spiritual energy to put in the work to have a successful completion of our goal. If you know that going into the process, it helps immensely.
There are so many other things that can obstruct us from completing our goals; failure to set deadlines, listening to negative voices (ours and others), lack of focus, procrastination, and established bad habits. But the fact of the matter is, we need to have a desire to see our goal to completion for the right reasons in order to succeed.
The most important goal to me is my spiritual life. It is the one goal I always take seriously and each year I become more focused on my desire to serve God and grow in maturity of my faith. “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.“– Philippians 3:14.
So here is to a New Year and new opportunities to improve our lives by developing positive habits for the right reasons. So, make your spiritual, physical, and mental goals for the coming year. Even if you get side-tracked, you can always come back to them.
1https://www.lifehack.org/880259/why-we-fail-to-achieve-our-goals.
2https://www.wanderlustworker.com/5-reasons-why-we-fail-to-achieve-our-goals/
Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash
The Lord Is Good to All
It has been a while since I have written in my blog. I could make excuses and say it is because I have been super busy, or traveling, or working. But the fact is I have been struggling just to keep my head above water. Have you ever been there?
This year has been filled with multiple health challenges for me and it is starting to take a toll on how I think, what I do, and what I don’t do. So many of my plans and goals for this year have taken a back seat to dealing with physical issues. Since the end of February, I have had ER visits, a hospitalization, CT scans, tests, a biopsy and multiple x-rays—all of it is more than I care to think about. Some of the things were serious bumps in the road, and others just little annoyances. I feel like my life has been consumed by them and I am just now starting to see light at the end of the tunnel. In the meantime, my blog has taken a back seat.
But the thing is, I have learned some valuable lessons along the way. The first one I knew–God is in control and he is good–but I had it reiterated over and over again. No matter how much we think we have it all together, life sometimes gives us curve balls, and the one constant is God. Putting your trust in God during scary diagnoses and unknown territory isn’t always easy—but it is always worth it.
The next thing I learned (and really have always known) is that support of family and friends is important. Although my son did tell me if he was going to be taking me to the ER all the time, I would need to move closer to him, he was willing to go the extra mile for me. My daughter sat with me while talking to the doctor about a potential negative diagnosis (luckily, while it is something rare, it is not life-threatening and didn’t involve chemo!). A good friend has taken me to Urgent Care more than once, and I am extremely grateful that God has put her in my life.
I also learned that I need to take better control of my health. Last year I was able to go off my diabetic medications which is a win, but this year I need to eat even healthier and exercise more! Sounds like a new year resolution, doesn’t it? But seriously, I think God expects us to use common sense and avail ourselves of the resources he gives us.
Like many people with chronic illness, it is easy to dwell on my problems, rather than my blessings. I have always known that if you think more about God and others, and less about yourself, your outlook changes for the better.
So, I think I am on the upswing here, and hopefully, you will see more frequent posts from me in the future. And they won’t involve all of my physical complaints, but instead will focus on how good the Lord is! He truly is, isn’t he?
The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works. Psalm 145:9
Keeping It Real
Last night in our home team we shared about what it means to pray “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” Wow. Did that ever generate some conversation. That is the thing I love about our home team; as a leader all I need to do is guide the conversation a little and they take it and go.
We discussed the great debt we owe God for sending Christ to shed his blood for us. We talked about the amazing grace that covers our sins. And we talked about forgiving others–not so easy to do when you have suffered abuse, lies, and deceit at the hands of others.
We talked about the amazing, freeing power that becomes ours when we are able to offer forgiveness to others, even if they don’t acknowledge the depth of wrong done to us. There is just something about those two words, “I forgive” or “forgive me” that have the power to change our lives.
After I came home from our study last night, I dwelled on our discussion and realized how much this group of Christians means to me. Being with them is like coming home. They come from all walks of life–different families, different personalities, different ways of life–but they all have Jesus in common. Some of them have learned lessons the hard way, some have walked roads that have been filled with heartache and sorrow, or some have been flat on their backs with nowhere to look but up–but we all have been touched profoundly by the love of God.
We all recognize we are sinners. We all recognize the wonderful gift of forgiveness. We all walk in God’s grace on a daily basis. We certainly are a far cry from perfect (although I think there may be one or two who are close!) .
Yep, I love these brothers and sisters who have shared their vulnerabilities, their joys, their challenges, and their lives with one another. I love that we get real with one another and can be honest and open without judgment. I love that we share our joys and our sorrows. I love that we are building relationships that will last an eternity.
What about you? Have you found your tribe? That group of people who know they are living under God’s grace and want others to have the same thing? If you haven’t I challenge you to find the Christians you can get real with–the ones who will love you even when you mess up (and you will). Find the Christians who have a hunger and thirst for the living God. Because I guarantee when you do, you will feel like you are home.
Ordinary People Extraordinary God 