Enjoy the Ride

 Since my husband, Bill, drove, I put my head back and closed my eyes. I felt tired. A day after doctors' appointments and errands, we left for yet another doctor’s appointment.

 I dozed. But every now and then I opened my eyes to enjoy the fields and trees zipping by. Basking in the warmth of the morning sun, I felt no responsibility. After all, Bill was behind the wheel. He steered and braked and stayed alert to other motorists. He certainly wanted to provide a safe ride for us. And a feeling of deep peace swept over me.

 As I enjoyed this unusual feeling of tranquility, I thought about my life. I am no more in charge of life than I am in charge of driving when I’m not behind the wheel. (Oh, sure, I “help” Bill drive from time to time, but he is an excellent driver. I trust him.)

 I then realized I should feel such peace about life in general. Yes, I am responsible to do what I can to contribute to a healthy, safe ride through the years. I can’t walk in front of trains and expect angels to protect me. But after I’ve taken care of myself, I can leave my trip, the rest of my days, in God’s hands and be at peace.

 If trouble jumps into my way, God has permitted it and will help me deal with it. I am not immune to accidents. I come in contact with germs, and I will suffer the vagaries of aging. In scripture, Solomon alerts us to what lies ahead: “Your limbs will tremble with age, and your strong legs will grow weak. Your teeth will be too few to do their work . . . ” (Ecclesiastes 12:3 NIV).

 While I don’t like to think about hands that shake and dentures, it’s true. No matter our ages now, we assume we’ve boarded a long trip. Unless we die young, we’re going to grow old. But while we are responsible to eat healthfully and to exercise, we can leave our journey in God’s hands. Psalm 139 reminds us God knows everything about us and plans our trip, down to the rest stops. His hand holds the steering wheel, and His strength supports us.

 “Every day of my life was recorded in Your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed” (Psalm 139:16).

 God shares responsibility with us about earthly matters, so we need not lose sleep worrying. We are not going to live forever. And neither are our loved ones. While we cooperate with God in making wise choices, our temporal future is also influenced by actions far beyond our control.

 As we ponder the day behind and look forward to the day ahead, we can feel as tranquil as I felt that morning as we drove through the countryside. God is behind the wheel.

 Something to think about: Are you trying to take the wheel of your life from God? What kind of bumps have you hit in the road? Are you in need of a rest stop? Are you enjoying the journey? Does your tank need spiritual fuel?

 (The photo shows Bill behind the wheel back in the day. We drove many happy, carefree miles in that 1957 Ford.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Life Puzzles Us

There were only a few slots left in this jigsaw puzzle (first photo) where the last few pieces might fit. But they didn't! It was puzzling. And frustrating. This happened once before with another jigsaw puzzle, and it turned out two identically shaped pieces were in the wrong slots. Hmmmm.

I feel as though life right now is like this puzzle. I feel unsettled. I worry about this and that–health, aging, the world situation. Yet, hey, I’m a Christian and I should not feel this way. Right? Christians know God is on His throne, so all is well.

Well, today I’m unsettled, so I consider how to approach my problem.

I will ask my two Friends of the Heart to pray for me. My problems seem miniscule compared to the problems in the world. There are thousands upon thousands of people trying to leave Ukraine because of war, and they’re stuck in lines or shelters, on foot or in cars.

Here I am. A dot in the grand scheme of things. One little person. But author Sarah Young in MORNINGS WITH JESUS reminds me God cares–even about little dots. Jesus invites us to bring Him our problems and consider them an opportunity to trust Him more. So I will ask my friends to pray for me.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God” (Philippians 1:4 NIV).

I will focus on today, rather than worry about tomorrow. Life is so surprising. When I think back over the things I’ve worried about, I realize how useless worry is. It does not change a thing. And most things never happened. Yet I do need to be concerned enough to deal with some things. God has helped me in the past when puzzling things happened, so I must distinguish between problems to deal with and those to leave in God’s Hands.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him” (Romans 8:28).

I will read God’s Word. I sometimes find it hard to find a personal message in Old Testament passages about laws and rituals and wars. But I keep looking, and there’s always something there to apply to my life. So I will keep reading.

“How sweet are your words . . . sweeter than honey to my mouth” (Psalm 119:103).

 And I will keep on praying. Prayer usually settles my heart. As I bring my needs and the needs of others before the Lord, I can see that my needs are small. I know God will be faithful one way or another.

 "If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

 Just this morning as Kim and I wound up a conversation about the world situation, she said, “We will keep our noses in the scripture, our prayers going up, and we’ll keep on walkin’.”

 Amen to that. I feel better already. And as you can see, the puzzle pieces finally fell into place– although one final piece is nowhere to be found. I will keep on lookin’.

When the Cookie Crumbles

 When the Cookie Crumbles

 Last week, my husband, who barely knows how to fry an egg, asked me to teach him to bake cookies. So we lined up ingredients, and he rolled out a tasty batch of Cream cheese sugar cookies. This week, Bill wanted to make his grandmother’s sugar cookies.

 We cut the recipe to five instead of 10 cups of flour (thank goodness). After measuring, mixing, rolling and baking, several dozen decent-looking sugar cookies line the counter. So we sit back to enjoy a warm cookie. Ahhhh. No! Arrgh! Something tasted off!

 Might it have been the two-years-out-of-date dry buttermilk I gave him to use? They only put those dates on products so you buy more. Right? Buttermilk is nothing more than sour milk, so what can go wrong with a can nestled in my refrigerator for several years?

 As I scooped them into the wastebasket, Bill said, “At least save a few to eat with coffee. That might help the taste.”

 We are now in our 61^st year of marriage. For Valentine’s Day, I’d like to share some ideas with you young ‘uns about what has kept our love light burning through the centuries . . . in spite of sour buttermilk.

 We learned to rely on each other. We both graduated college at the same time, and we had married a year earlier. The first place we interviewed for teaching jobs said because we might have differences and students might sense tension, they wouldn’t hire us.

 Then the superintendent of schools from Alexandria, Virginia, came to Bloomsburg State College to interview. He said our marriage would be no problem. We wouldn’t see each other. I taught at a high school, and Bill taught in a trailer outside an eighth grade school with 800 students.

 Immediately after we graduated, we loaded our car with those wonderful wedding gifts and off we went, three hours from home, to teach summer school. So those first years of marriage we couldn’t go running home to mama when we had a spat. We, who grew up in a rural area, were alone in a big city with one car. You bet, we learned to rely on each other.

 We learned to allow separate interests and find similar ones. Bill likes hunting, sports and woodworking. I like to read and write. But we sit side-by-side to solve jigsaw and Sudoku puzzles.

 We learned to give each other space and grace. When we’re pursuing our separate interests, we like to be alone. But if Bill “visits” my office when I’m writing, that’s fine too. And vice versa, if I interrupt his woodworking.

 We learned to help each other out. I help him find things in the refrigerator. He finds everything I lose, even the back of an earring in a cardboard newspaper box in the garage—months after I lost it.

 We learned to rub our feet and walk on when we stepped on each other’s toes.

 We learned not to criticize each other for mistakes (see opening story).

 I learned I am not always right (see opening story).

 I treasure the pendant Bill gave me for my last birthday. The engraving on the back reads: Shirley, I loved you then, I love you still. I always have, I always will. William.

 We’ve learned to treasure each day the Lord gives us. Life becomes more fragile as you age, and suddenly heaven awaits. But you want to see grandchildren marry and cuddle great-grandchildren. You want to write another book, build another birdhouse. There’s always something that makes you want to live on. And that’s good. But we know life’s going to end.

 So we do our best to leave a legacy of grace and faith, and we wish the same for you.

 Happy Valentine’s Day!

 

 

 

 

Are You Stalled Because of Overload?

 

Do you ever feel overwhelmed? I do. And I suspect you do too. Especially if you’re a young mother and picking up after kids never ends. Especially if you work outside the home and caught between raising kids and caring for parents. Especially if you are older and can no longer care for yourself, your spouse and your home.

One of the things that overwhelms me is the diet my husband’s health requires. There are too many details to remember. He may eat graham crackers . . . and doughnuts. But he may not have pumpkin pie.  He may have canned peaches but not fresh peaches. Besides that, my husband has no appetite. Except for pumpkin pie and fresh peaches. Well, not really. But pretty close. This all overwhelms me.

Both my husband and I have health conditions that limit the amount of work we can do; therefore, cleaning defeats me. I cannot vacuum the bedroom, kitchen, dining room, living room and sunporch in one session. So I don’t vacuum at all. I cannot wipe down the kitchen cabinets in one session, so I don’t wipe them down at all.

The demands of Christianity sometimes defeat me. I read a devotion on being kind, hear a Sunday school lesson on prayer and listen to a sermon on watching your tongue. I can’t possibly remember to do all three, so I just forget about them all.

How can we do better?

First, we may need to change our attitudes. Just because we can’t do it all, doesn’t mean we can’t do any of it. Lowly pansies are as pretty as big showy zinnias. And accomplishing one small task feels as good as accomplishing one large one. And in time, the small tasks add up to a large one. With a little planning and God’s help, we can accomplish our goals.

We may also seek and accept help. A dietician is available for consultation regarding my husband’s diet. I can ask why it is that along with unsalted pretzels and graham crackers, my husband may eat doughnuts. And may he eat all kinds of doughnuts—cream filled, raised, glazed or his favorite—iced with coconut and a cherry on top? If we need help to clean the house, we can train children (and husbands) to pitch in. Or we may utilize a cleaning service.

We can take charge of our schedules, instead of letting the hours and days and weeks slip by. In my case, I need to plan small tasks in manageable time periods. This morning I will vacuum the living room and sun porch. Period. With my husband’s input, I will plan one day or even one meal around the diet plan rather than try to plan forever-after.

And finally, we can pick and choose. Of the spiritual input I receive, there are always some areas of my life that need more attention than others. I can ask God where my focus needs to be. God never expects us to do life without Him. That’s why He sent His Holy Spirit to be with us. And in all these areas, God will help and direct me: “I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13 NIV).

So let’s say our prayers and go to bed with a clear conscience. We may not have done all we would, but we have done all we could. And that is all God asks of us.

 

Be Careful Little Eyes How You Read

 

Because of my husband’s illness, we bought an oximeter, a gadget you snap onto your finger to read your oxygen level. My husband’s level read 90. I then clipped the oximeter onto my own finger and looked down. It showed 86. (Read the top number in first photo and bottom number in the second.)

 That alarmed me. I had heard anything below 89 was cause to head to the emergency room. But I felt fine, so I decided just to keep tabs on it. An hour later, I had the same oxygen level. But that afternoon when I checked it, instead of looking down at the back of my open hand to read the device, I turned my hand over and folded my fingers back toward me. And my level was 98.

 What I was reading as 86 was actually 98. I had been reading the oximeter upside down.

 And we may misread scripture as well. We live in the 21^st century, reading Scripture written almost two millenniums earlier in a very different culture. And we read with finite minds, while God, the Author, is an Infinite Being.

 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord” (Isaiah 55:8).

 Some common misconceptions about interpreting Scripture exist. But we can compare Scripture to Scripture, consult online commentaries and discuss our questions with pastors, Sunday school teachers and mature Christians.

 For one thing, we may interpret having the abundant life Jesus spoke of as being healthy, wealthy and smart. But we must always look at the whole of Scripture. Jesus also said that in this life we will have trouble. But even then we experience the abundant life because He has overcome the world (John 16:33) and He walks with us.

 Early Christians suffered persecution, yet they rejoiced they had been “counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the name” (Acts 5:41). God uses struggles to build character, and we encourage others as we share how God helped us through our personal struggles.

 Many men and women have given their very lives for the cause of the gospel. Stephen was stoned to death. Paul and others were imprisoned and many, if not all, of the disciples became martyrs. Hardly living the “healthy, wealthy and smart” life.

 “The blood of the martyr is the seed of the church” is attributed to Tertullian, an early Christian author. Rather than put an end to the spread of the gospel, the death of martyrs inspired others to take their places, and the church grew. God uses even evil for good.

 Another way we misread Scripture is to think that because “slaves” are mentioned, God approves of slavery. But in those days, “slaves” were well treated and cared for, almost as members of the household. Not so with slavery as we know it.

 Then there’s the issue of women. You might say Old Testament women were considered “second-class citizens.” Men could divorce wives for most anything that displeased them. Traditional Jewish rabbis started their day praying, “Blessed are you, Lord, our God, ruler of the universe who has not created me a woman.”

 In New Testament times, Jesus respected and elevated the status of women by including them in His ministry. He allowed Mary to sit at His feet for teaching, and women traveled with Him. After His resurrection, He appeared first to a woman.

 However, since Paul said women should be “submissive” (1 Corinthians 16:16), some assume women must accept ill treatment without refute. But Paul may have been using sarcasm to correct a problem of the Corinthian church where women distracted from sermons by calling out questions.

 These examples show that just like my incorrect reading of my oximeter, I may misread Scripture as well. From the comfort of my easy chair, I may think the gospel is about me inviting God into my world so that I can enjoy the good life. But the more I read, it’s really about God inviting me to get out of my easy chair to join Him in His work. But first, I must properly understand His Word.

 We need the whole of scripture to inform our faith instead of picking and choosing verses that suit our purposes. When we all get to heaven, we may be surprised at the many ways we drew wrong conclusions here on earth.