Tag Archives: faith

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First Responder

Lincoln and candle

 

“Now I lay me down to sleep,

I pray the Lord my soul to keep,

God bless Mommie and Daddy,

And Garry and Gayle and Gregg,

And keep us safe from the communists.”

 

and keep us safe from the communists?

 

I was a freshman in college and we were sitting around one night talking (as we often did) and the subject came up about memorized prayers. (those late night talk sessions covered a vast array of topics) Several of us started reciting our bedtime prayers from childhood and when I said the last line from my prayer, we all stated to laugh.

Where did “keep us safe from the communists” come from?

I had no idea. I hadn’t thought of that prayer in years. So I went to the source of all things childhood and asked my mother.

“It was the time of the Bay of Pigs invasion and your older brother was concerned about communists invading our country. I suggested he pray about it, so he did. Of course you and Gregg copied his prayer,” my mom informed me.

I have two thoughts about that prayer looking back –

  1. when global events concern us  – pray about them
  2. where is the communist threat now?

If we are paying any attention to global events right now – there is certainly cause for concern. There are threats to peace and security on every continent, some are the most brutal threats I can remember in my lifetime. There is little we can do as ordinary citizens about these concerns – there is even less a child can do.

This can bring fear into our lives and fear into the lives of our children and grandchildren.

We can pray.

Not only is that enough, that is the most important thing we can do. God is in control even when things appear to be in chaos. These awful situations are the result of sin. Mankind’s desire to be in control leads ultimately to death and destruction.

Prayer does change things, most of all it changes us. Prayer adjusts our focus from suffering to the Lord God who loves us and gives help in time of trouble.

Philippians 4: 6-7  (TLB)

6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs, and don’t forget to thank him for his answers. 7 If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus.

I love these verses. God’s peace is FAR more wonderful than the human mind can understand! The peace comes from trusting  in Christ Jesus, not in our ability to fix things ourselves.

Our daughter’s pastor encouraged us to ask ourselves what our first response is to concerns we face. Do we worry, call a friend, get angry? Our FIRST response should be to pray.

It made me think about first responders to disasters like earthquakes, fires, or floods. Those are the people who arrive on the scene first, assess the situation, and then determine a plan of action.

I realized how much better my response to any concern would be if I prayed first – asking God what my plan of action should be. Prayer centers my vision on God and His will for me in every situation – big or small. Then I should determine my response.

I want to be a first responder when it comes to prayer – pray first – then act. I want to model that for my children and grandchildren as well.

 

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All Alone

twins 1
A loud cry of distress came from the bedroom where our daughter had just put her twin sons, aged three, to bed. They were staying with us for the weekend and the boys were pretty worn out from playing outside.

She opened the door, quietly entered the bedroom and realized that, in spite of some significantly loud crying, one twin was already asleep.

“What is wrong?” she asked between his sobs.

“I’m all alone!” he wailed.

“No, you are not. Amos is right here in bed with you,” his mom replied.

“He’s all alone, too!” came the answer.

Needless to say, we laughed about this situation and the irony of the little guy feeling alone with his brother next to him in the same bed.

Yet aren’t we guilty of the same response at times? We may be facing a difficult time in our marriage, with our children, or in the congregation where we fellowship. People are all around us, even in the same room, yet we feel all alone.

Mothers of new babies often feel this sense of isolation. This can be especially true if the new mom is staying home with the baby after having a job where there was social interaction on a daily basis.

I remember moving to Kentucky so that Phil could start seminary when our first child was just 3 months old. I was alone in a new community where I didn’t know anyone – with a baby who didn’t communicate verbally. Three months earlier I had been teaching kindergarten with 23 students who loved me and often told me so.

Now I was all alone

…with a baby.

I remember thinking about the best time to go to the laundrymat. When would I have the greatest chance to meet other moms of young children?

I was so lonely.

I wasn’t alone, though. My Heavenly Father was with me. I was so focused on my feelings of isolation that I did not recognize His presence. Just as Tyler did not feel the comfort of his brother’s presence, I did not sense that God was right with me in that new location.

Psalm 16:10-11 (NIV)

10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
nor will you let your faithful one see decay.
11 You make known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

God’s promise to us in Psalm 16 is that God will not abandon us – leave us alone. Verse 11 assures us that in God’s presense is FULLNESS of JOY!

When I feel alone, isolated, or think that I am “the only one who….” I must recognize that God is with me – I am NOT alone.

Our challenge as daughters of our Heavenly Father is to recognize God’s presence even when we don’t feel it. When we open ourselves to sensing that God is with us every moment of every day – that will become our reality.

God has not moved.

He is still on the throne.

He will never leave us all alone.

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Where is Your Treasure?

Nana singing to twins

The idea of finding hidden treasure is something that has always captivated the imagination of people. Think of finding a Honus Wagner baseball card in perfect condition in an old cigar box in the attic!

Treasure hunts are exciting. Find a map with an “X” and all you have to do is follow the clues and dig up the treasure. Unless of course the map is a fake or someone else found the treasure before you. Phil and I like yard sales and flea markets. I like to think of these excursions we take as “treasure hunts” although our sons-in-law have discovered the truth – we are Christmas shopping.

Soon after moving into our current home, Phil was repairing a floor in the barn and came across a cardboard box. I got all excited thinking it might be something buried that belonged to someone from the Great Depression Era when they didn’t want to put money or valuables in a bank. It turned out that the box had glass coffee mugs in it. We washed that “treasure” up and use those mugs each time we have company. They probably originally cost about $1.00 each.

At the beach this summer, I drew a map and buried some treasure in the sand on the beach. Our grandsons followed the map and dug up the treasure – packs of gummy bears!

Treasure holds fascination for us no matter what age we are. Jesus used the idea of treasure in several of the parables He taught.

Matthew 13:44-45

44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
What is of such great value that these men sold ALL THEY HAD to purchase the treasure or the pearl?

The Kingdom of Heaven.

Knowing Jesus as Savior and Lord, allowing Him to reign in our lives is of immeasurable worth. The Kingdom of Heaven is that place where Jesus rules. That place needs to be our lives.

Our children and grandchildren are fascinated with finding treasure. Are we doing all we can to help them see what REAL treasure is?

Matthew 6:20-22 (NIV)

20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.Whatever we value most is our treasure. As parents and grandparents we should examine our hearts – ask ourselves – what DO we value most? If we see that we value a house, a career, education, or material things the most, that is our treasure. If so, our treasure is not of eternal value.

We only have to look at where we invest our time and resources – that is the true test of what we value, what we treasure.

I am blessed by the fact that the parts of the Church our daughters fellowship with puts a high priority on ministering to children. Their pastor recently preached “…”imagine the difference we can make in the next genreation if this one class of Confirmands (one of which is our eldest grandaughter) is taught the Bible, the ways of Jesus, and the lessons of faith learned by those who have preceded us.” (Pastor, Bob Thompson)

Another daughter has helped begin a MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group where they fellowship. The previous location closed it’s doors to this group of young mothers and children so our daughter’s part of the Church has taken them in. I was so blessed to hear that.

Jesus taught that children are precious in God’s eyes. In fact, we must become like children to enter His kingdom!

So – where is our treasure? Is it our children and grandchildren? Do we value them enough to invest our lives and our resources in their growth as followers of Jesus?

That has eternal value.