Deciding to Forgive

 "Forgiveness is not a feeling.  It is a decision."  This is what the minister in the mini-podcast that I listen to in the mornings said today.  I don't know about you, but the idea was very thought-provoking to me.

I try not to struggle with forgiveness.  I try to give it freely...in most instances...but there are a few cases in which...well...I wrestle with it quite a bit.  I'd rather not go into details, but there's been times when I have decided to forgive the same person more than once. It's like I forgive, but something happens, and I find myself picking up the hurt again, which makes the grudge tighten in my throat until I realize I'm choking because I'm rescinding my forgiveness...then I remember how Jesus Himself told us...forgive and you will be forgiven. (Luke 6: 36).  Sigh...and after a deep breath, I decide to forgive again.

I don't know for sure, but that might have been what Jesus meant when He had this exchange with Peter:

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. Matthew 18: 21-22

I believe Jesus knows us so well, that He recognizes that often the damage is so profound, that we will find ourselves having to forgive the same person over and over and over again.  He also realizes that we are so full of pride, that when our ego is bruised, we tend to withdraw our forgiveness...until we remember that we are supposed to forgive to infinity and beyond.  

How do we make the decision to forgive, be it once or repeatedly?  Do we do it only because we're afraid that we won't be forgiven if we don't?  I guess that's a big part of it.  But like in other situations, decisions made out of fear usually don't run deep.  It is the decisions we make out of love the ones that grow roots that help them stick.  It is when we decide to love others the way Jesus loves them: as His precious creatures, that we would be able to forgive for real.  Once I begin to see my "special case" with the eyes of love and care...the same eyes that Jesus looks at them with...I might arrive at a point when the memories of the pain don't hurt anymore and I'm more concerned with the well-being of the person than with protecting my pride.

I pray that this season of Lent gives me the ability to love others the way Jesus loves them...and me too:  undeservingly.  In His Precious Name I pray.  Amen!

Running the Race

 Lately, I've been trying to use my treadmill less like a thing to store junk and more like what it was originally designed for...but boy, am I out of shape!?  I have been trying to walk...but everything hurts, so I had to take a break for a few days, LOL.  I tell you, if I ever had to run for my life, just kill me know, because I'm not going to make it 😂.  

My feeble attempts at getting in some sort of fitness related shape came back to mind this morning when I was reading a short devotional that used the last part of Hebrews 12: 1 as its inspiration,

...let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.

The writer of Hebrews uses a great analogy here.  Running requires endurance.  It is impossible to run if we don't have the stamina to perform this most difficult (and unpleasant if you ask me) process without giving way.  The power of staying on task...without giving up...that's endurance, and that's what's needed to remain in the race, the road, the plan that God has set before us.  Regardless of how challenging it is, just like Jesus did.  He who, 

For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12: 2b

Jesus is our model, our perfect example of how to endure the pain of the race, for the reward is a spot by His side, and what more could we ever desire?! But, how do we ever get that power to stay without faltering? How do people like me, weak in every sense, ever get the needed endurance to run the race?  Well, just like Hebrews 12: 2a says:

...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

Keeping our eyes on His face is what makes us walk on water!  Like Jude 20-19 also says in its call to persevere:

 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

That's the recipe to stay in the race, enduring the pain, hurdles and obstacles that do show up on the track, by keeping our eyes on the Prince who is the price, by building each other up, by praying and staying in constant connection to the Holy Spirit, and by keeping ourselves in God's love...waiting and trusting in His mercy in the hope of eternal life.  This is the only way to run.

May the One Who Designed the Race for each one of us infuse His endurance in us so we have the power to stay in it until He calls us home to give us our price.  In The Precious Name of Jesus the Author and Perfecter of all we are.  Amen!

Reminders

Do you ever "know" things, but you need to be reminded?

We were playing a trivia game the other night called "I Should Have Known That." Men, is that an appropriate name for that game... There were things that I knew, I knew...but then...I couldn't remember enough to produce an answer that was satisfactory.  As soon as I'd hear the correct answer, I'd be like, "I knew that!!!" But of course, it didn't count that I remembered it after the fact.  It's soooo frustrating!

I was reading through the book of Jude in the New Testament.  I don't think I've ever actually read it through and through.  I don't really have an excuse for never reading it.  This short little letter can be read in a couple of minutes...but for some reason, that's one of those books in the Bible that are easily skipped.  At least for me.  At any rate, I read it this morning, and WOW!  It is packed full with important admonitions and information...but for some reason, there was this one half a verse that really spoke to me:

Though you already know all this, I want to remind you...Jude 5a

I don't know how many times I've been in the middle of a "moment" when someone or something would remind me of one of the many promises of God and of the fact that they are true, no matter what.  It usually happens when I'm allowing fear to creep in and pierce my very soul...then, a song would play on the radio, or a passage from Scripture would pop into my mind, or someone would say something in real life or in a show or podcast...and I'd be reminded...though I already knew all of it...but I'd allowed my thoughts to wander off track and I'd forgotten...

So...I just love that half verse from Jude.  Jesus knew and knows we need constant reminding.  He knows how our brains work and how easily we lose focus.  He knows how anything can and does distract us, making us take our eyes from Him and begin to sink.  He knows we know He is Love, and Peace, and Truth, and Light, and The Way and The Life...but he knows that we also are forgetful and that we need to be reminded.  How Merciful is Our Savior!  Our Lord, in all His Glory, tucks away in little, modest books like Jude, tiny phrases that pack an incredible punch, just when we need them.  And unlike in our trivia game, it does count! Even if at first we didn't remember, and we have to be reminded...it counts!  We don't have to always produce the right answer to win.  We have already won...even if we need help.

Even though we should have known it...the Bible is our constant reminder that God is Love...that He is Present...and that He is Able.  May we find evidence of Your Faithfulness all around us, always.  In the Precious Name of Jesus.  Amen!

The Power of Music

 Research indicates that music does have great powers.  It is increasingly used to promote healing and to reduce stress.  At SRU we have a Music Therapy program that is booming.  The program claims that  it provides the skills necessary so future graduates would become professionals who could offer therapeutic support to people of all ages with a wide range of physical, intellectual, emotional, behavioral, developmental, sensory and social needs. Like one devotional reading I read this morning commented, God knew about that all along.  He designed it this way.

Back in the Old Testament, we see young David playing the lyre for King Saul when he was tormented by demons, resulting on Saul feeling refreshed and at peace, and the evil spirits fleeing from him. (1 Samuel 16: 23)  In the New Testament, Paul tells us to be careful how we live our lives.  He said to not be foolish, avoid debauchery and to speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 5: 15-20)

Music can be a formidable force for good when composed for the Lord.  It can move us and renew us as part of worship.  It can transport us to a place of praise and peace.  Have you ever sang a song at church that touches you so deeply that you can't stop the tears from freely flowing from your eyes? The Spirit within us rejoices and stirs inside manifesting Himself in ways beyond our comprehension.  It cleanses us, clears the clutter in our mind and hushes the usual, daily noises that keep us from hearing the One True, Holy Ghost speak directly to us.  Like with Saul, music was the instrument God used to chase the evil spirit away, so the Spirit of Peace could take hold and release his tortured soul.   

The same way, I believe, music can incite to violence and darkness too.  Therefore, we should pay attention to the music we let into our brain.  "Be careful little ears what you hear..." we tell our kids...well...there's a lot of wisdom in that song.  Like everything else, music's power can be used for the wrong purposes.  Music created as an offering to the Lord should be the priority in our play lists.  I know it is difficult to exclusively listen to Christian music all the time.  But at least we should strive to enjoy a big dose of it on a regular basis.  We should share it with others when we hear one that makes us think of someone who would benefit from listening to it.  We should have our go-to-songs for all occasions.  I know I don't always take notice of my own advice...but ever since I discovered Christian music not quite 20 years ago, I can testify it did change my life.  And I pray it changes yours as well.

May the Lord Who Sings Over Us, teach us the way to keeping music as a part of our worship and praise.  In His Precious Name I pray.  Amen!

Encourage One Another

 I always give up too soon.  I lose confidence too quickly.  I just throw my arms out and quit.  Like this evening, we were playing a board game.  We got it as a gift from good friends for Christmas and had been waiting until the 4 of us were home to play it.  It was actually fun and educational at the same time.  It was kind of a trivia game so it tested our knowledge of ... everything!  

Every time it was my turn to answer a question, though, my first reaction before I even had a chance to really listen to the question, was to say stuff like:  "there's no way I know this." Most of the time, however, thanks to Dan's encouragement, after thinking about it for a moment, I could actually figure out many of them.  If I hadn't had anyone encouraging me to pause and concentrate, I would have ended up with no points on the board.  Left on my own, I'd just do what I always do: quit.

I wonder if that's one of the things Paul had in mind when he wrote 1 Thessalonians 5: 11,

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

I tell you, without the help of those along my way, it would be very difficult for someone like me to do life.  Sometimes I wonder, though, if I ever make a difference in anyone's life the way my encouragers do in mine?  Am I allowing my life to be of any benefit to others at all?  My own kids complain about me all the time: "you're too harsh! You have no patience!  You expect too much!"  Those phrases don't sound like thank you notes to me.  Am I forgetting this command to encourage and build one another up?

I like the last part of the sentence, where Paul says:  "just as you are doing..." I'd like to think those words are also meant for me.  That in itself is an encouraging thought: to know that I might be actually doing it already...even if ever so slightly.  To think that my actions are not a complete waste of energy is encouraging. It encourages me to believe I can do it...and to do more every day.  So, I'm going to claim those words too, and use them to propel me to be better at this calling to encourage and build one another up.  It is part of love.  And in this world where there is so much to be distraught about, a little encouragement goes a long way.

I pray, that the Holy Spirit will fill us up with a desire and an ability to lift people up, to bring cheer and to invigorate others.  And at the same time, to remember that this calling usually comes back two-fold.  In the Precious Name of Our Lord.  Amen.

Wear Your Crown Well

 March 8 is supposed to be International Women's Day.  I don't even want to get into this because it is all so very political...but my sister sent me a video that truly gave me perspective and made me glad to be a woman.  The video is in Spanish, but the gist was this:  Jesus is the real Champion of women.  

The video relates a sample of the instances in the Gospels when Jesus showed the value of women as precious jewels of creation.  From allowing Himself to be humbled to the condition of a baby born of a woman...to choosing women to be the first witnesses of His glorious resurrection, Jesus exalted women to a position of high regard where it had never been.  

Jesus and His actions toward women showed the world the worth of women regardless of what society may have decided.  He sought them out of their sin.  He saved them from being stoned to death by making her accusers realized we are all equal opportunity sinners.  He healed them spiritually and physically.  He let women come to Him and touch the hem of His tunic or wash Him with their tears.  He listen.  He comforted.  He addressed their concerns. He walked with them.  He never dismissed them.  He always gave them of Himself and covered them with compassion and mercy as He enlighten them with His wisdom and knowledge.  He literally went out of His way to meet them.  Nobody took them seriously, but He called them by their name.  He made women a bridge upon which He'd cross to humanity and to the lost. What an amazing inheritance of love.

What a blessing to be counted among the women.  What a blessing to be the spiritual heiress of the women who went before me.  What a blessing to be a bearer of Jesus' design for womanhood. This is the real revolution.  We were born to be His princesses.  I'm proud to be one of them. May we all wear our crowns well. 

Love Doesn't Go Away

 I was watching an episode of Little House on the Prairie...I know, I know...with all the trash that's on the media today, this is about the only show we can watch anymore! At any rate, the episode was about the family losing their dog.  Having gone through that recently, the episode stirred tender emotions in me.  I got sad all over again about losing our Link...I just can't believe he is gone...sigh...I identified with the character of Laura Ingalls because she was so heart broken about losing their dog, that she just didn't want to even consider the possibility of having another dog again.  The loss was too hard to bear.  I'm right there.  I think I even said that, "I never, ever want to have another dog, ever!  I don't want to have to go through this again."

But then, another character told Laura to remember that, though she understood the reluctance to open her heart to another dog for fear of experiencing loss in such an intense way again, it was important to remember that "the hurt goes away, but the love doesn't."

That phrase stayed with me.  I don't think I ever thought of this before.  It is so true, I think of all my loved ones that I've lost over the years.  I think of my Mom, gone almost 23 years ago...the pain of losing her cut me so deeply, I thought I've never get over it.  I think of losing a pregnancy.  I was so devastated, I thought I'd never laugh again.  My Dad.  My Father in Law.  My Step Father in Law.  Dear aunts. Even some friends.  Link.  The intensity of the pain that accompanies loss is deep, indeed.  But eventually, the pain does become less acute.  The intensity of the love, however, never gets dull.  We continue to love them no matter how long they've been gone...always...the love never changes.  Love never fails.  It's true!  I love the Amplified version of 1 Corinthians 13: 8a

Love never fails [it never fades nor ends].

I've read this a million times, but today, I think, I'm finally starting to get it.  Love does endure all things...even loss.  I think back at the memories of Link and of all my loved ones who are departed, and the love jumps, and my heart smiles.  Of course, the raw emotions of recent loss would not allow us to think beyond our hurt...but it does get better...and the love remains, just as it was when they were with us.  WOW! What a great mystery love is, isn't it? It really never ends...like the One Who Is Love.

I pray that we can remember this truth when we face the sting of loss, so the knowledge of the enduring promise of endless love may cover our wounds with a thick blanket of comfort.  In the Precious Name of Our Loving Lord.  Amen!