Tag Archives: faith

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Thankful … to Whom?

Alice, our great granddaughter, is 14 months old now and beginning to do so many things. She is walking, running, climbing, clapping, and starting to say recognizable words. One phrase we say to her often is “thank you”. Alice will pick up a toy or piece of food and each out to give it to us. Sometimes she even lets go!

We always say “thank you” wanting to model for Alice polite behavior. Yet even more importantly, we want Alice to know from this very early age that SHE is not the source of all around her. We are modeling what appreciation means and teaching thankfulness in a very basic way. When someone gives you something – you say “thank you”.

I have heard more and more often recently people thanking the “universe” when they receive an award, appreciate the beauty of the world we live in, or even feel lucky. Who is the universe? Does the collection of matter around us choose to bestow favors or things on us? I looked up the definition of universe and this AI generated result was a summary of several results – “The universe is a simple definition for everything that exists, including all of space, time, matter, and energy. This encompasses everything from planets and stars to galaxies and the smallest particles.”   This definition describes what exists yet it does not include any level of intelligence or feeling that would bestow blessings on deserving individuals – or even random individuals for that matter.

I get the sense that when someone “thanks the universe” – they realize there is something else out there – some source for the beauty, blessings, and goodness they have seen or received. The individual realizes that they feel thankfulness in their being and they need to express that – but to whom?

I would propose that the source of our existence and all that makes up the universe is infinitely more than space, time, matter, and energy. Something – SOMEONE – is the source. Our universe is too complex, interdependent, and magnificent to just have exploded into being.

God.

God, the creator and sustainer of the universe is the Source. One of the great minds of the 20th Century – G. K. Chesterton – came to faith in Jesus Christ because he felt thankfulness and realized that he needed to know who to be thankful to. Chesterton became a clear voice for Christianity and relationship with God.

Psalm 100

1 Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth!
2 Worship the Lord with gladness.
Come before him, singing with joy.
3 Acknowledge that the Lord is God!
He made us, and we are his.
We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the Lord is good.
His unfailing love continues forever,
and his faithfulness continues to each generation.

We want Alice to know from an early age how to be thankful AND to whom she is thankful.

This Thanksgiving we must all be clear about who we are thankful to as the Source of all creation.

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Seasons of Change

I recently heard someone say – “The only person who likes change is a baby with a dirty diaper.” I have the blessing of keeping our great-grandchild while her mother is taking college classes. So yes, change is a good thing when it comes to diapers.

We all relate to that, don’t we. There are some people who seem to thrive on change, even chaos. Yet for most of us there is comfort in the familiar. We like to know what we may face ahead so we can plan accordingly. Yet change is a part of life whether that change is by choice or not.

I have learned in my almost 74 years that changes I sometimes fought against turned out to be blessings I would never have imagined. God knew. His ways are not our ways.

My father taught high school biology for 40 years. He taught 33 of those years at Wheaton Central High School in Illinois, took early retirement, and taught for 7 more years in Taichung, Taiwan at an English speaking mission school – Morrison Academy. Dad once told me that change at that time in his life was transformational in so many ways. Instead of “hanging on” during his last few years of teaching, he had a whole new set of plants and animals to share with students. The tropical environment of Taiwan was a new learning experience for him that challenged him to keep at least one step ahead of his students. How he enjoyed those years!

The change allowed my father to thrive in his final years of teaching in a way that staying in his comfort zone would never have done.

Change is hard. It challenges us to give up the comfortable and familiar for the unknown and uncertain. This can be especially difficult when the changes are imposed on us. Our own physical limitations, illness of a spouse, or a change in living situations can challenge us to face changes we didn’t anticipate or want.

Paul shares the “secret” to facing change in whatever circumstances we face in Philippians 4: 10-14

10 How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but you didn’t have the chance to help me. 11 Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. 12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. 13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. 14 Even so, you have done well to share with me in my present difficulty.

The “secret” is that Paul learned to be content in whatever situation he faced. He accepted that situation – comfort, illness, abundance, prison – because he KNEW his life was in God’s hands and ultimately God was accomplishing His plan in Paul’s life. Paul suffered greatly at times, yet he knew God was faithful.

May we apply Paul’s secret to whatever we face today.

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Stick to the Plan

I, along with so many others in our community, are cheering on the Seattle Mariners, even though they are over 3000 miles away from our mountain home in North Carolina. Why? Because Cal Raleigh is our home town player!

Cal was born in Jackson County, North Carolina. He attended Smoky Mountain High School where I taught, and his mother was my co-worker. His father is the former head baseball coach at Western Carolina University located down the road in Cullowhee. We are all SO proud of Cal!

My husband Phil, a life long baseball fan, has been a bit disconcerted with my avid interest in baseball lately. We have visited 19 of the 30 major league baseball parks over the almost 50 years of our marriage, but my personal interest in baseball has been nominal at best. Then Cal was drafted by the Mariners. That changed everything.

Cal was a part of our Fellowship of Christian Athletes leadership team (along with his sister, Emma) at Smoky Mountain High School of which I was a faculty sponsor. Cal had his senior prom pictures taken in our yard (because of our vintage barn and rock walls). He was, and is, a fine young man and we are proud of his recent accomplishments and are cheering him and the team on in this run to the World Series.

My friends Carol and Alice Marie and I text each other during Mariner games and our college friends on the west coast are cheering for the Mariners as well. We have recruited fans!!! Carol and I attended Seattle Pacific University so we have dear friends in the Seattle area. I have NEVER watched baseball games this closely since our son Benjamin played Little League.

I have been listening to interviews with the players and a reoccurring theme post-season voiced by Cal, a team leader, and other Mariners players is – Stick to the Plan.

The pressure during playoff games is incredible. They face the reality of “win or go home”. There may be two outs, two on base, and a full count … what pressure at that moment!!! and then they say – “stick to the plan.” The ultimate plan is to win the World Series and each player has a role to play to get to that victory.

Stick to the Plan – sounds easy doesn’t it? Yet when the pressure is on, in a game and in life, it is difficult to stick to the plan when you feel like reaching the goal is all up to YOU. The key appears to be understanding your role, doing your very best to fulfill that role, and leaving the rest to the team.

For years Phil has drawn parallels between sports and our spiritual life in his teaching and preaching. So I am following his lead. I see a clear connection between “stick to the plan” and facing pressure spiritually.

  • know the plan – Matthew 22: 37-39 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
  • know my part in the plan – I John 4:7-8 7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
  • stick to the plan – don’t get distracted Hebrews 12:1-3 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. 3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.

Love the Lord our God

Love our neighbors

Fix our eyes on Jesus – the One who initiates and perfects our faith.

By God’s grace may we Stick to the Plan