Matters of the Heart

Five years ago this month:

“The surgery went well! Your husband is resting in the recovery room.” This message, conveyed by the cardiac surgeon, was the outcome Doris had been anxiously seeking from the Lord as she prayed in the family waiting room of the Hamilton General Hospital. “How many bypasses did he have?” she asked. “Six”.

It had come so unexpectedly. It seemed unthinkable that he, of all people, would require open heart bypass surgery. She had known him her entire life. He had run marathons. He had been a competitive swimmer. He competed in track and field. Not only in his youth, but throughout his life he had maintained a physically active lifestyle. Even last year, the year before his surgery he had bicycled more than 3000 kilometers, and each time he went out, it seemed that it was a new race.

“Dr. Chu,” she said “You have given my husband a new heart. Will the new heart love me as much as the old one did?”

Often, when I went on a bike ride, Doris would ask, “Do you have identification? Do you have your cellphone? You could be lying in a ditch somewhere, with a heart attack, and I wouldn’t know where you are.” “Doris,” I assured. “We all must die some day. But one thing I can say, I will not die of a heart attack.” Of course, that was foolish talk, for we do not know what tomorrow will be (James 4:14).

And then in September 2018 towards the end of a typical ride, it felt as if an ice pack had been placed on my chest. It was merely a feeling of discomfort, which recurred in subsequent bike rides. In May, the following year, an angiogram revealed multiple blockages – 30 % up to 100%. And nine months following the initial episode, I was having open heart surgery.

Not alone

Never has the privilege of being a child of God become so vivid to me as during this time of crisis.

First, we are not alone. Alone, and feeling isolated was one of the great lamentations during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, I felt surrounded, supported, and not alone during this health crisis. In a telephone conversation with a relative, I heard, “We are praying for you every single day.” Among the many emails I received, one arrived shortly before the surgery, “We are praying!” Just three simple words! Nothing more. Yet what a message of comfort and support! “And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it” (1 Corinthians 12:26). Not alone.

A few days before the surgery, following a church service, a sister in Christ, visibly moved, shared with me her struggle with God. In her right hand, she held a quivering sheet of paper. On it were listed eight reasons why God can not take me home yet. Just as king Hezekiah had done when he spread out before God the threatening letter from the King of Assyria (2 Kings 19:14), she had spread out this sheet before God, praying for a successful surgery and recovery. What a privilege to be a member of the family of God, and I include in that my own family who fasted and prayed. “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you” (Philippians 1:3). Not alone.

Comforting as it is to be supported by the family of God, of even greater comfort is God’s assurance that he is with us in the midst of life’s hottest fires. He so vividly demonstrated this by informing us, in Daniel Chapter 3, of three young Israeli men living in exile under King Nebuchadnezzar. The king had given the order that all should fall down and worship the golden image he had created, but they refused to worship any god but the one true God. They were bound and thrown into the fiery furnace. When King Nebuchadnezzar peered into the fire, he was astonished and leapt to his feet saying, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? Look! I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” Not alone.

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4). Not alone.

Peace

Above the other experiences in my time of crisis, inner peace stands out. This peace is not something we earn. It is a gift of God. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27). Peace.

At a church convention in Aylmer, chatting at lunch at the table with a dear friend, he wanted to know, “What thoughts go through your mind as you consider that in two days you are having open heart surgery?”

“I am totally at peace in God’s will” (Philippians 4:6,7). “I am 80. I have had a good and long life. If I were to die now, I would see Jesus, my Savior. I would be reunited with my parents, and all those friends who have persevered and gone before. For many years now, my prayer has been that God would call me home before I would become a burden to anyone. And, so it would be. Can you imagine a more favorable outcome?”

Tapping me on the shoulder, Doris protested, shaking her head. “I don’t like it when you talk this way.” Ashamed of my selfish perspective I added, “I believe God will add a few more years to my life, and that the surgery will go well. But, no matter what happens, in life or in death, I am in God’s care. And God is good! Are we, as God’s children, even able to fully comprehend the privilege of being a child of God?” I continued.

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God” (1 John 3:1). The birth certificate is received – “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:19). Truly, this is the genesis of our peace. Peace with God. The outcome – “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). Peace.

How could I have been so wrong?

Two controllable factors for good health are exercise and a healthy diet. I adhered diligently to both. The seat of my strength and my stamina was my heart. Had I not taken the stairs (as was my habit) rather than the elevator to the 4th floor office of my cardiologist? Never did my heart fail me, nor would it ever fail me, so I thought. And then 2 days later, the angiogram. How could I have been so wrong?

A healthy heart is critical for our spiritual well-being. How can we apply this to our spiritual health? The Bible uses the metaphor of man’s heart as the seat of his thoughts and actions, and warns, “Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts” (Hebrews 4:7). It warns of lip service to God – “These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me” (Mark 7:6). Jesus, speaking of judgment, warns that there will be many who will have deceived themselves with the condition of their hearts. “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” (Matthew 7:22,23). How could they have been so wrong?

How can we evaluate our spiritual health? King David requested an angiogram from the Lord. “Search me O God and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23,24). There will never be a better time than now to ask the Lord for a spiritual angiogram. And if that should highlight issues with the conditions of your heart, the Great Physician declares Himself ready: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26).

With heartfelt gratitude:

      A new Heart.

      Not Alone.

      Peace.

The Family of God

“So, then, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household” (Eph 2:19).

The language of being members of God’s household is familiar to most people who have grown up going to church: We have heard the sermons. We all know how the song goes: “I’m so glad I’m a part of the family of God!” But, do we understand, on an instinctual level, what it means to be a part of the family of God?

I know where I fit in in my family of origin – in my parents, sisters, and now brothers-in-law. We have a shorthand, a comfort. We fit comfortably into a life we’ve created together. Can we say the same for our church family?

Humans need to belong somewhere. Any number of studies on this topic suggest that an increased sense of belonging leads to success in school and work, improved mental health, and even better physical health. For as long as humans have been on the earth, we have needed other people: “It is not good for the man to be alone…” (Genesis 2:18). We were created for community.
In the early days of the pandemic, I studied a lot on the case for the local church. When we were forced online and the in-person connection that I was accustomed to changed overnight, I found myself wondering what the purpose of the Church was, if we couldn’t meet. I could go online and find any number of amazing and inspired speakers. The church I grew up in was often frustrating, challenging. I had different taste in music than other people. I made better coffee at home. Why continue pouring into this imperfect place?

I read books and blogs, listened to podcasts and sermons, and came to two very important conclusions:
1. Anyone who knew me when I was 16 and still loves me is worth keeping in my life, and my local church is full of these people.
2. The local church was not designed for perfection – it was designed for faithfulness.

One of my favourite podcasters is a woman around my age, deeply embedded in church leadership and community. Every week on her podcast she reminds us about how beautiful it is to be a part of a church family. She delights in teaching, in serving in the nursery, in attending events and holding babies. She often says of her church family, “You belong to me, and I belong to you.”

I am grateful to belong to this community. I am grateful that this community belongs to me. Like my family of origin, it isn’t perfect or free from frustration, but it is where I belong. I have the privilege and responsibility to treasure this community that I’m a part of, to encourage its growth and its fulfillment of the mission of Christ. That’s what it means to be a part of the family of God – to view imperfections as opportunities and to pursue love. I’m so glad to be a part of it.

Relationships, Longevity, and Happiness

In five provinces in Canada the third Monday in February has been declared an annual holiday to celebrate the family. It is known as Family Day.  And what is family if not relationships?

A Harvard study1—the world’s longest study of adult development—examined the connection between relationships, longevity, and happiness.  In this link, study director Robert Waldinger provides the data-backed answer to what makes people live happier and longer lives.

It turns out that there is a common factor. “The people who were healthiest as they aged, the people who lived the longest, were the people who had the warmest connections with others. In fact, good relationships were the strongest predictor of who was going to be happy and healthy as they grew old.”  One might expect that good relationships would bring happiness. But good health?

Given the outcome of this fascinating 85 year-long study, it is tempting to ask:

• In our society, women have a longer life expectancy than men. Might one factor be that they tend to be better at forming lasting relationships? 
• Being married was associated with a 15% overall lower risk of death from all causes.2 Relationships?
• A Pew research study provides evidence that religiously active people tend to be happier.3 Relationships?

But back to Family Day and family relationships. Scripture gives specific and helpful instruction on relationships in the family. When a new family unit is established, “a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Gen 2:24). This does not imply a break in the relationship with mother and father. It does however demand a switch in allegiance. The new family unit is now the priority. The focus. Not mother! Not father!  Mother and father too, are addressed by this scripture. They are instructed to accept this new relationship. To recognize and to respect it. Warm relationships do not prosper and flourish in the rocky soil of interference.

And then, for the new family unit, scripture has this to say. “Children obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.  I see in this not just a responsibility for children, but for parents. Is there a better place to teach obedience and respect than by demonstrating these qualities in the home? Personally, demonstrating respect? Exemplifying obedience to law and to God? Raising law-abiding children? Raising children obedient to God? Obedience not out of fear, but out of love? And so, God’s word reminds fathers, “do not provoke your children to anger” (Ephesians 6:4). “Husbands love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Ep 5:25-33). That speaks to sacrificial love. Unconditional love. “And let the wife see that she respects her husband.” Family relationships.

But warm relationships go beyond the family. “Strive for peace with everyone” (Heb 12:14). And not to leave us guessing how to achieve warm relationships with others, Scripture is literally brimming with specific instruction. It speaks of forgiving, as Christ forgave us. It speaks of seeking forgiveness and of reconciliation and of restitution. It speaks to anger management and humility. There is not a situation in relationships on which the Bible does not instruct.

Is the clamber for health and happiness not a universal pursuit? What a variety of avenues are engaged to achieve good health and happiness! Not all lead to the desired outcome. The Harvard study cited above concluded that good relationships are the strongest predictor of who was going to be happy and healthy as they grew old. When I became aware of this study, it was the impetus for me to put “pen to paper” to thank family and close relatives on Family Day for the role they play in my happiness.

There is an often-overlooked relationship that deserves further attention. And that relates to Christians. The Pew research study cited earlier provides evidence that religiously active people tend to be happier. Some Christians speak of a personal relationship with God. Does that, plus their relationship with other believers in church, explain why religiously active people tend to be happier?

In the year 2019, I found myself on the operating table for open-heart surgery.4  Not one bypass, not two, not four, but six bypasses!  For me and for everyone around me, it was completely unexpected. Before this valley (simultaneously mountain-top) never had I experienced such comfort, such peace, such support flowing from warm relationships with family, with fellow believers, and above all with my heavenly father.  

Already in the first few pages of the Bible, in the account of creation, we read how God was in the habit of coming down in the cool of the day to commune with man.5 Seeking a relationship. As then, God seeks a personal relationship with his creation. With you. With me. Today! 

That personal relationship which God sought with his creation was destroyed by sin, with all its ugly consequences (Ge 3:1-19). And none of us escaped the consequences, for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Ro 3:23).  But 1 John 1:9 guides us like a GPS to the restoration of that personal relationship with him: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”.

King David expresses his relationship with God and with fellow believers this way. “A day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere” (Ps 84:10). A modern Bible translation, The Message, attempts to put this quote into a modern context: “One day spent in your house, this beautiful place of worship, beats thousands spent on Greek island beaches”.

Warm relationships don’t just happen. Relationships are built. God grant that the relationships we build among family, our neighbors, with fellow believers, and with our loving God, are warm, abundant, and intentional.

Endnotes: 

1. https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-on-books/author-talks-the-worlds-longest-study-of-adult-development-finds-the-key-to-happy-living 
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21526396/
3. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/01/31/are-religious-people-happier-healthier-our-new-global-study-explores-this-question/
4.  https://www.thechurchofgod.cc/matters-of-the-heart
5. See Genesis 3:8.

A Long Season of Waiting

We are all, of course, familiar with rain and water. We use water on a daily basis in so many ways. As humans, over half of our physical composition is actually water. And rain is a key part of the ecosystem–something that we may take for granted. 

There’s an Old Testament story of a prophet named Elijah that is particularly intertwined with rain, or rather the lack thereof. I was struck by the many parallels between Elijah’s experiences written in 1 Kings 17 and 18 and our own experience as a church family over the last few years of “waiting for the rain”. 

In Elijah’s story, it did not rain for three and a half years. 
Three and a half years parallels our own experience and timeline as a congregation while we waited for a permanent pastor. 

We know little of the experience of drought that the people faced in Elijah’s day, but it would have been grim, to say the least. Undoubtedly life went on as normal for a time, yet eventually there would have been alarm, concern about the lack of rain, and then food and water rationing began. Over time grasses, plants, and trees would have withered and died. There would likely have been mass die-offs of animal life.

The sense of hopelessness would have been indescribable. The land was parched and barren, withering away and dying. These are times we can’t even begin to imagine. 

As per God’s instruction, the prophet Elijah fled to live in a ravine. He wouldn’t have had any sense of the testing ahead of him. Yet despite the severe drought, Elijah was not abandoned by God. We read that wild bird—ravens–were sent to feed him bread and meat, twice daily. 

At some point, Elijah’s water source – the ravine – dried up and he was directed to seek out a certain widow. She was in dire straits, facing death, and preparing a final meal for herself and her son with the little she had left. Despite her need, she shared the last of what she had with Elijah. Amazingly her food supplies were replenished, and she was able to provide for herself, her son and for the prophet Elijah.

God had provided. 

That didn’t end the drought.  After this miraculous experience (see 1 Kings 18), the LORD sent Elijah to King Ahab to let him know that God was going to send rain. Elijah got up and went to see the king, even knowing that Ahab hated him and would possibly kill him. 

As Elijah stood before Ahab he issued a challenge to the king and the people. They should set up two altars, both with wood, an offering, but make no fire. Elijah would call on name of the Lord, and the people should call on Baal, the god they worshipped. Elijah told them that “the god who answers by fire is indeed God.” 

Baal’s prophets failed to summon their god despite hours of extreme attempts, but when Elijah prayed, the entire altar, even its stones, were completely consumed by the fire from heaven. There was nothing left!

The fire from heaven came before the life-giving rain. God did not simply provide rain for the parched land. Indeed, there was a monumental turning, a purging and a revival among the people. A radical transformation took place. The people “fell on their faces” worshipping and saying, “The Lord indeed is God”. 

As I reflect on the time we experienced as a church without a permanent senior pastor, I see parallels. Not only were we without a pastor, but during the same period we experienced the stress and uncertainty of an unprecedented pandemic. 

Yet we adapted as a church. Progress was made, talents were uncovered, responsibilities shifted, seeds were sown and I think we grew closer during this time. 

God provided for us during this period on so many levels. 

Everyone will have their own perspectives and unique experiences, but it’s fair to say that there was an abundance of blessings throughout that time, perhaps even to the extent of what might be viewed as miracles.  

Perhaps we can ponder our own state of affairs. 

As a church we experienced what felt like false starts, wrong turns or dead ends in our search for a pastor–especially when it seemed that we were so close to a solution. For a long while, it seemed we were out of possibilities, with little reason to have hope. Nothing made sense. From a human perspective, to have faith during those times was challenging! 

God did send rain finally. Elijah told King Ahab to prepare, while Elijah prayed. They waited for the rain to come. When it came, it was not merely a shower, but rain, truly a heavy rain…after three and a half long and trying years, in God’s perfect time, the rain had come. 

And so it was also for us as a congregation – after a challenging three and a half years, during a period of time with many parallels to Elijah’s experiences, God answered our prayers for a pastor. We thank God and praise him as we welcome our new pastor and family.  

The Eyes of the Lord Are in Every Place

“My son, you are at an age, where your parents no longer can keep constant watch over you. Remember, wherever you go, whatever you do, God sees everything.” With that pronouncement, repeated at appropriate times, my father transitioned me from parental control to independence. Independence with oversight. “Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see hIm?” declares the Lord. “Do I not fill heaven and earth”? (Je 23:24) – The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good (Pr 15:3).

The theme “The eyes of the Lord”, brings to mind an interesting study entitled Artificial eyespots on cattle reduce predation by large carnivores*. The four-year study took place in Botswana and involved hundreds of cattle. Farmers there suffer significant loss due to ambush predators such as lions and leopards. These big cats stalk their prey retaining the element of surprise. Might eyespots painted on the backside of cattle give these big cats the impression of having been detected? Might that dissuade them from continuing with the ambush? Of course, no one actually knows what goes through the minds of these big cats. But the outcome of this study is fascinating. Artificial eyespots painted on the rump of cattle successfully deterred ambush carnivores (lions and leopards) from attacking cattle. So effective was this that “none of the 683 painted “eye-cows” were killed by ambush predators during the four-year study”. Amazing! Isn’t it?

We also, in our spiritual journey, contend with a stalking predator. Be sober-minded, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him firm in your faith (1Pe 5:8,9). What do you think? Might living in the constant knowledge that the eyes of the Lord are upon you everywhere, give you the strength to overcome the roaring lion? – that boost needed in severe temptation to successfully resist the adversary? – a life, not in fear of God, but in the fear of God? – not in fear of punishment, but in fear of grieving the object of one’s love?

But there is another dimension to “the eyes of the Lord in every place” that beckons attention. To His disciples, Jesus said, In the World you will have tribulation (Jn 16:33). This makes clear that tribulation is inevitable. We are vulnerable in tribulation. Our adversary, the devil seeks an opening. Resist him firm in your faith, says the Apostle Peter. We can overcome when we live in the constant awareness that the eyes of the Lord are in every place. His eyes are on our struggles, our sufferings, our tears. He knows our pain. He understands our anxieties, our fears, the burdens we carry. He sees our longings, our discouragements, our labors. Even a shared cup of water does not go unnoticed (Mk 9:41). The eyes of the LORD are in every place.

More than the casual observer, God stretches out his mighty arm to make a way. To give safe passage. For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him (2Ch 16:9). – The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry. As loyal followers, clothed in His righteousness, we have God’s assurance that He sees, He hears, and He acts on our behalf. Be encouraged. Stand confidently on His promise. And know that, the eyes of the Lord are in every place. Keeping watch…  (Ps 34:15).

* https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-020-01156-0 

I HATE CHANGE

Have you ever had to hold on to God for dear life while instability and change surrounds you? This has been my life over the last year. I hate change. I’m scared of change. I love my house, my neighbourhood, my family, my church family, and I just wish things would always stay the same and never change. Through my faith walk with Christ I’ve been tested on whether I ‘would I give up what I cling to if Christ asked me.’? Do I love Christ more than anything in this physical world?

Unsettling changes surrounded my life this past year. It began when the start-up company my husband had given his blood, sweat, and tears to for 13 years, went bankrupt. How often had I prayed and fasted that God would prosper that business and bless the owner, and now it was over. Months of disappointment, confusion, sadness, and anxiety followed, but at the time I was studying the life of Joseph, and the verse that stuck out to me, was “What [man] meant for evil, God meant for good”. I trusted that God was still in control, and this was part of His plan, even though things didn’t turn out the way I desperately hoped and prayed for.

When it came time to apply for new jobs, the question was “where does God want us?” My husband, who originally immigrated from Germany, wanted to apply in both Canada and Germany to leave all options open. I don’t claim to know the will of God, so my change-averse heart reluctantly, anxiously accepted this plan. Sleep was minimal. Stress was at an all-time high. I love my house, my neighbourhood, my city, my church family, plus my aging parents are here! Yet through it all, a Bible verse cropped up again and again “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding”. I choose to trust you, Jesus.

Over the next months I was challenged and shaped by God to give up my own plans for my life and trust His. Song lyrics encouraged me that I could do this, if only Jesus was walking beside me. He brought me to the point where I realized that everything earthly that I cling to is meaningless if it is not in God’s will. I had wonderful support from our Tuesday morning ladies bible study who loved on and prayed for me through my struggles.

My husband prayed that he would only get one job offer to make God’s will clear. I was convinced this was a ridiculous prayer, as he had many personal work connections who were highly interested in him, 15 headhunters contacting him, and the job market in both countries was hot! But in the end, there was only one clear job offer from Germany. I could not but follow this clear leading, and I can report that Jesus has been faithful to help smooth the many hurdles. 

As it stands, I have a one-year leave from my job, and we have rented out our Canadian house for a year. We will continue to trust His lead. He is faithful, He is good. He has us in Germany for a reason right now. I pray God could help me to learn what He wants me to learn, grow how He wants me to grow, and be a blessing to whoever He puts in my path here. 

Be encouraged to follow Jesus courageously wherever that may lead. His love is steadfast, His faithfulness is great, and His mercies are new every morning to those who trust in Him with all their heart.

A THANKFUL HEART

In most Canadian provinces, October is the month we celebrate Thanksgiving. We usually give thanks for the dinner that most families have on Thanksgiving Day. On any other day we seem to forget that all the food on our table is really a gift of our gracious Lord God from whom all good things come.

Thanksgiving should not only apply to food. I think of a good job, a warm home; many of us drive a nice automobile. Many of us have friends and when we are in need of a helping hand there is always someone at the other end of the telephone line who is willing to help out.

And then I think of our government. I know our government is not perfect, but I consider that all the freedoms we enjoy in this country far outweigh the little things that irritate us about our government.

Have we ever considered what it means to have freedom of association? That is a right we enjoy in Canada. I was a child during World War II living in a country where there was no freedom of association. We were suppose to shun those people whom the corrupt government deemed inferior. Have we ever thought to thank God for the privilege we have to freely move around—and no spies are going to report on us?

Another valuable freedom we enjoy in this country is the freedom of religion. Isn’t it wonderful that we can worship our Lord and Saviour in peace and quiet? The leaders of the country I lived in during World War II would not even allow us to gather in church or even in private homes with other believers. Our Bible was quickly hidden when an uninvited person came onto the yard. We were afraid that the unfamiliar person might possibly be someone who would report our parents to the authorities. It was a country without God. And what a terrible mistake that was! I consider freedom of religion the most important freedom a country can give its citizens.

World War II — the war I lived through—was supposed to be the end of all wars. Sadly, that is not the case. For example, the media is full of sad stories of brutality and suffering in the war currently taking place in Europe. The people of the two countries currently at war are suffering in many ways; many God-fearing people do not wish to be in this conflict.

I believe it’s impossible to imagine what it is like to live through a war and through the aftermath of a war— unless you’ve experienced it yourself. I know from my own family’s experience that the innocent suffer with the guilty. If it were not for my mother‘s loyal devotion towards God, her life would not have been spared. It is only by the grace of God that our family had the privilege of reaching freedom after two and one half years of suffering.

In Jeremiah 29: 11 it says “For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope”. That thought is so encouraging for us today. God still wants to give the world his peace, hope, and a future. I believe that our world needs to hear this. He offers us peace, hope and a future. It may be dark and so hopeless in our world, but God is there to lift us up so that we can enjoy our future.

meet me in the dust

This spring, my small group embarked on a study of Job. We all know the basics of the story: Job loses everything, debates his friends for 40-odd chapters, and in the end is blessed even more richly than before. The beginning and the end of this story are written in prose, and in the middle, there is poetry. The debates and laments are written in poetry because the depth of emotion is too strong for us to comprehend. As our study guide put it: “The reader, along with Job’s friends, is meant to sit in the dust next to Job and grieve with him.”

I am somewhere around the 10-year anniversary of being diagnosed with clinical depression. It was a newly named shadow over me when I graduated high school and moved away to university. It has been with me through moving across the world, career changes, failures, successes. It is something I carry with me wherever I go, and will carry for the rest of my life. 

When you’re a person who lives with chronic suffering, of any kind, you tend to get used to it. My illness is a part of who I am and I imagine that many people don’t know what I’m carrying with me. I’ve gotten very good at putting a brave face on – but sometimes I need someone to come join me in the dust. 

Unfortunately, this is a really hard thing for most people to do. Humans are, by nature, action oriented. We, like Job’s friends, want to fix things. They spend many chapters telling him all the possible reasons behind his pain and offering advice to him on how he can end it. Job’s suffering has no human cause, though, and therefore no human solution. He just has to live with it, for a while. It’s hard to accept that there’s not always a solution. In fact, offering a solution when there isn’t one can wound people, no matter how well-intentioned you are (see again: Job’s 40-odd chapter debate with his friends). What Job needs, and what many of us need, is just someone to sit with them.

It has taken almost ten years of my living with a mental illness to have the courage to talk about it openly with people. For most of my life, I felt like I needed to put on a brave face and smile and tell people I’m doing just fine, thanks, when that’s not always true. Church was one of the places I pretended the hardest (even though nobody ever told me I had to).

I was well-supported by my doctors and my family, and there was no doubt that I would learn to be okay. But depression is a lonely disease. I was doing everything right, clinically, but in the depths of my dark periods, I didn’t feel like I could ask people to listen to me. I was afraid to be a burden and I gradually curled into myself, away from the friends I had grown up with.

I can’t imagine what a difference it would have made for me if in my early twenties, I had been bold enough to invite people into the dust with me. If I had known that I can ask people to help carry these burdens. 

I’ve thought about this a lot as I have learned to live with my illness over the last decade. I can’t turn back time and change the way I have interacted with others, but I can extend the grace and compassion I have needed for almost half my life and sit in the dust with them.

I know of some churches that brand themselves as “happy church,” which has never quite sat right with me. A happy church does not leave room for open conversation about suffering and grief, and for many people, me included, that is no longer an authentic experience. I don’t want to go to a happy church, I want to go to an honest church. An open church. A place where we can join each other in the dust.

Church should be a safe place to experience all of what life throws our way, good and bad. We love to rejoice and celebrate with each other, and that is a beautiful thing. We also love to support each other when we know how to help.  But let’s not forget the other side and keep space to grieve together, even when there are no solutions. No expectations, no judgement. Just a community of people meeting and welcoming and loving people where they are. A community of people, all gathered together every week because we love Jesus, and we love each other. 

We have never been promised a life without pain. This is a fundamental part of being human. John 16:33 says “In this world you will have trouble” and Isaiah 43:2 says, “When you go through deep waters.” Suffering isn’t anything to be ashamed of. To live is to experience suffering.  Sitting in the dust with someone, we are privileged to be the tangible reminders to the one who is suffering that those verses have a second part.   Our suffering will not be forever, because Jesus has overcome the world (John 16:33), and until then, God has promise to be with us through it all.  (Isaiah 43:2)

Proverbs 4:23

I love the book of Proverbs! The wisdom it contains is often not only spiritual but also practical. The author of the book of Proverbs is thought to be King Solomon, who has the prestige title of “the wisest man that ever lived”. And Proverbs also contains one of my favourite bible passages in chapter 4:  “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it”

Why do we need to guard our heart above all else? In Luke 6:45, Jesus gives us the answer. Here he says “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of”.

A while back I had the privilege of attending a marriage seminar. The speaker was explaining that we are not responsible for the wellbeing/happiness of our partner. But we are responsible for the choices we make that allow us to be complete, happy, and fulfilled in our Lord Jesus Christ.  When I first heard that I thought to myself, that doesn’t seem right, afterall, aren’t we supposed to be one and therefore required to make the other happy? The speaker further explained that if we are not “happy” with ourselves, we cannot make anyone else, including our spouse, happy either. But happiness starts in our own hearts. No wonder it is important to “guard our heart!” 

In the seminar I attended, we were advised to be aware of our own emotional, spiritual, physical, and mental state. I find that I need to guard my heart’s state by staying close to God. I can do that by:

• being strengthened by reading daily in God’s word, by praying daily, by asking God for His strength in my life. 

• being careful about my entertainment choices.  Are they in line with what honours God? Or will I say afterwards that I shouldn’t have watched that movie—or read that book?

• by considering my behaviour towards others. Here’s a biggie for me, where I often fail—my attitude towards other drivers on the road! 

It is my prayer to God to continue to grow in guarding my heart. I want to become more Christ-like in my daily walk.  I need more of Jesus in my heart so that more of Jesus can come out. The world really needs to see Jesus in each of us, today more than ever!

*Bible verses are taken from the New International Version (NIV).

Quiet for my soul

If there’s anything we’ve all become aware of in the last few years, it’s that life sure throws a lot of curveballs. And they’re never what you expect! Just over a month ago I noticed some little irregularities with my vision; I had my eyes examined and found out I’d need to have an emergency surgery the next day––and recovery would be a long unpredictable road.

Recovery from retinal surgery is a long process. Right after surgery, I needed to be face down for ten days (that includes while sleeping!). I can assure you after ten days face down I was thrilled to leave behind the “floor view” for a new one-eyed view from my window.  The trees sprouted leaves in the intervening weeks while I couldn’t see them! 

As I spent these weeks in quiet, unable to drive or walk much or do any of the simple things I do regularly without thinking, I came across a story that aligned with my own journey of quiet, limitation, and reflection.
While I was face down last week I listened to a meditation about Elijah, a prophet in the Old Testament of the Bible (see 1 Kings 17-19). A man, fervent in his zeal to follow God’s direction, he lived in a time of great turmoil, confusion, and hardship.  After many years of drought, in a country of already minimal rainfall – as the horses and mules were dying of dehydration, he prayed for rain.  A cloud appeared on the horizon and then the life-saving rains came. Before that God had sent him to a brook where he was fed by ravens. God also answered Elijah’s request to provide fire on a water-soaked altar, a miracle witnessed by many. There is a lot more to his story.  But this was a man of service and striving.  The kind of person, who would be revered by many in our culture. He was both a visionary and administrator. 

It looked like Jezebel would be Elijah’s downfall. She was a woman whose name even now, brings up visions of being shameless, impudent, and morally unrestrained.  Elijah crashed and couldn’t go on.  Alone in the desert he wanted to die.  A freshly baked bread and a jar of water appeared. God provided. What happened next is incredible too; he ate this miracle meal twice and then went on to travel forty days and nights—running an “ultramarathon”.

But God is not done with Elijah’s story yet, even after all of these ups and downs.  He speaks to him in a mighty way in a display of power rarely seen.  An earthquake, a hurricane force wind and a fire get his attention. But God is not present in them. Ironically it is in a whispering voice that Elijah hears God. He is directed to get help in the form of an assistant (Elisha), by the whispered voice. 
I read this and thought about God’s voice in my life. What are the mighty earthquakes, the wind, and the fire that block his voice?   Is it the busyness and to do lists, the thoughts that cycle endlessly through my mind or the calls and voices of others on social media? Can I quieten those to hear and listen and understand His words of comfort?  Does it take a prolonged recovery from retinal surgery to make God’s voice audible?  It certainly makes it clearer. 

Lord,
Let me hear your voice, your whisper in my life. 
I crave your comfort in a world that encourages striving and hard work
Help me to quieten my soul in your presence
Amen.

What can you do to hear God’s voice more clearly in your life?

Honour Others

Romans 12:10
Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.

This beautiful verse has much to say to me.  I was thinking – how do we actually honour one another? The word honour is often used to indicate high respect and special treatment, as would be shown to prime ministers, foreign dignitaries or members of royalty.  Honour can also refer to accolades given for significant achievements.

But how do we, as Christians, honour one another in daily life?  It’s quite simple, really.  We don’t need red carpets and trophies.  We can choose to show honour with every-day actions.  We do this when we take time to really listen to one another, and give our undivided attention to someone when they speak.  Even when we refrain from interrupting, or give advice only when specifically asked to do so, we are demonstrating honour.

We can also look for the good in someone and tell it to them.  Then we can tell it to others, too, to support and build someone’s good reputation.  Expressing our thanks frequently, and in multiple ways – verbally, texts, emails, cards, or even through an old-fashioned phone call – further shows honour.  Tell someone how you see Jesus reflected in their life.  Let them know you see the Kingdom work they are doing.  If someone is sad, let yourself feel their sadness.  If someone is joyful, let their joy echo inside you.  To share and reflect someone’s emotion is to honour their heart.

We also reveal honour when we ask for advice from those who have walked with Jesus for a long time.  Older persons have so much to share from their experience! Ask an older person about their story.  Hold what they share with honour in your heart.  Let yourself grow from what you hear.  I’ve certainly seen this in my life, and I’ve learned to deeply treasure my older friends.

Maybe, like me, you ask yourself: why is honouring one another so important? Since we are all created in the image of God, we honour Him when we honour one another.  This builds mutual respect, and creates an atmosphere of kindness and acceptance.  In turn, this builds trust.  And trust builds our faith.  We can trust God more as we grow to trust each other.  When we trust each other, we have the strength to share His healing message, and bring His peace and compassion to those who are suffering.  This is Kingdom work at its finest!  Trusting and honouring one another truly reflects the beauty of God’s character to this broken, hurting world.

We focus especially on the resurrection of Jesus Christ once a year—namely at Easter, but for believers, Jesus’ death and his victorious resurrection are the reason we experience hope and peace throughout the year.  In this post, Wanda shares the key points of the sermon she preached on Easter Sunday. May her words give you comfort and hope today.

He is risen. He is risen indeed!

He is here, Hallelujah.
He is here, amen.
He is here, holy, holy.
I will bless His name again.
He is here, listen closely.
Hear him calling out your name
He is here
You can touch him.
You will never be the same.
~ Kirk Talley

AS WE SING “He is here”, we think of that first Easter Sunday where the angel tells the first mourners at the empty tomb, “He is not here: He has risen!”

Yet the backdrop of the first Easter was seemingly the darkest day in history. The One whom many had hoped would be their Messiah had been betrayed, abandoned, abused, crucified, and then buried.

When Jesus said “it is finished”, his followers heard “it is over”.

At that moment their hope was gone, buried in a borrowed tomb.
But then, even as the women arrived with spices to anoint Jesus’ dead body, that darkest night became the brightest, most glorious, radiant day of all time!

What happened?

All four gospels report that the stone that sealed the tomb had been rolled away. The grave was empty! As we visit the resurrection scene in our minds, we too see the stone is rolled away.

I have had this thought that the stone was rolled away, but not for Jesus to come out.  Afterall, he entered rooms with closed doors. No, the stone was removed so that we could  go in, so that we could see an empty grave, and so that we might believe.

Easter is about having access. The stone was rolled away and we are invited to come along—to enter in—to see and believe in the risen Lord.

As was the tradition of the time, the women came to the tomb to anoint the dead. As the gospel writer Matthew reports, it was just as the new day was dawning.

Indeed, a new day was dawning! The old day—the old way of access to the Most Holy Place described in the Old Testament was changed!

Access was provided with a new and Living Way, just as it says in Hebrews 10:19-20: “…we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way.”

The curtain of the temple was torn from top to bottom when Jesus died, giving us—you and me—access any moment of any day into the very presence of God. Access that formerly had only been possible once a year by a high priest. We have access into the very Throne Room of the Eternal King!

Yes, the barriers have been removed—the stone rolled from the tomb and the torn temple curtain speak of access for us all. We have personal access to enter into His holy presence anytime, any day.

As we think of Christ’s resurrection, I urge you to consider if there are any stones blocking your access to entering in and believing. Could relationships, past experiences, guilt-ridden failures, memories, fears, disappointments, be blocking your access? There is good news! Christ’s resurrection has made a way for the stone or stones in your life – whether real or imagined – to be rolled away today.

What does this mean for you and me?

“How can it be, that thou my God would die for me?” I sing these words with the greatest gratitude that He conquered death so I could live eternally with the promise of a heavenly inheritance.

The risen Jesus loves us and wants a personal relationship with us.

The first Easter reminds us that Jesus calls us by our name  showing us who He is, speaking peace into our confusions, sharing our joys and sorrows walking with us on life’s journey. (See John 20. 11-16)

Jesus, the Founder of the universe wants to be our friend and has extended an invitation for a relationship .

He sends each of us a “friend request” and requires our response – our RSVP.

He loves us.  In fact, according to Romans 8:34, we are on his prayer list and he intercedes for us to God the Father.

We are part of something beyond our ability to imagine.

Huge!

Church, happy Resurrection!

If recent events have shown us anything, it’s that times are always uncertain and our lives in this world are far less stable (predictable?) than we might wish.  Right now, the world feels like a scary place.  This should not surprise us.  Jesus warned his disciples that it would be like this.  In John 16:33 he said, “In this world you will have trouble, but don’t lose heart. I have overcome the world.”

This world has been filled with trouble since Genesis 3 because it is filled with sin, and Christians are not exempt from any of the resulting pain or problems.   Jesus was born into this same sin-filled, pain-filled world. But by his death and resurrection, He has overcome the world, and that means we do not need to fall apart in uncertain times.

Living with uncertainty is hard. Human beings crave information about the future in the same way we crave food.  Our brains instinctively interpret uncertainty as a threat.   I have  observed–so often–that the fear of losing a job or the fear of an anticipated diagnosis is harder for people to cope with than the actuality.  We don’t all react the same way, but few people react well to uncertainty.  

I typically try to hold tighter to what I can:  if I can’t control what’s happening in Ukraine or how busy it is at work, then I can at least control whether my family leaves their stuff lying around.   And in defiance of logic, I sometimes even try to change things that are completely beyond my power to control.  Neither of these efforts generally end well.  

Others respond by seeking escape in television, social media or anything else that has the ability to numb the worry and anxiety.  Unfortunately, escape does not provide better relief than grasping for control.

So how should we as Christians respond to  uncertainty?  How do we process the chaos of a pandemic,  the fears of war, or the agony of personal crisis?  Does God’s Word give us relief for the pain and fear we may be experiencing today?   Oh, yes – it does.  

Open your Bible to Psalm 46 and underline some of the comfort in these words:

God is our refuge and strength,
    an ever-present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
    and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

though its waters roar and foam
    and the mountains quake with their surging.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
    the holy place where the Most High dwells.

God is within her, she will not fall;
    God will help her at break of day.

Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
    he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

The Lord Almighty is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Come and see what the Lord has done,
    the desolations he has brought on the earth.

He makes wars cease
    to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
    he burns the shields with fire.

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth.”

The Lord Almighty is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.*

We can respond to every situation and uncertainty with the truth of God’s sovereignty.   God is our refuge, and knowing that, we can be still and trust Him.  Yes:  in this world, we may have trouble, but Jesus has overcome the world.

*‭‭Psalms‬ ‭46:1-11‬ ‭NIV‬‬.