faith

A Frequent Message

/ Mim

Last week I was dealing with the loss of my sister, but as I also followed the national news, it seemed as if the entire nation was either facing some form of grief or troubled by a personal disaster. The killings at Brown University were especially worrisome to me for a couple reasons. It clouded the memories of some of the happiest days of our marriage, which occurred in Rhode Island, and I have family living in the area.

My daughter told me that the high schools around the university, including my twin granddaughters’ school (which is about 2 miles from Brown), dismissed all extra-curricular activities. Even my one granddaughter’s Christmas concert was cancelled. I’m not usually a fearful person, but I found myself entertaining fearful thoughts, especially since the girls enter college in the fall. My mind seemed to spin with fearful possibilities.

Then when my son and I were talking about the killings, he said, “Mom, you need to be careful. You don’t know who you can trust these days.” I assured him that I was trying not to go to Walmart or the mall at night anymore, but his words of caution made me realize that even he, as a grown man, was expressing fear because of the senseless killings, robberies, and assaults. So how do we deal with fear when the world around us is dangerous? I think God’s Word has some good advice for all of us about handling fear.

The first message of Christmas from the angels was: “Don’t be afraid” (Luke 2:10). Before the angels declared the gospel—“The Savior has been born” (Luke 2:11)—the angels told the shepherds they were not to be afraid. Those men were not simply startled: the New Living Translation of Luke 2 says they were terrified (Luke 2:9). I’m sure my response would have been the same. Prior to the angels’ appearance, the only noise that night was the bleating of a lamb or two that had not fallen asleep. Of course, the shepherds were terrified.

Since the shepherds were familiar with the Old Testament prophecies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel, they probably thought that a message from God meant impending judgment. But this was good news that will bring great joy to everyone (Luke 2:10).

Beginning in the first book of the Bible, the “do not be afraid” message is prevalent throughout God’s Word. God told Abraham, “Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great” (Genesis 15:1).After the Israelites left Egypt, they realized the Red Sea was in front of them and the Egyptian army was closing in on them from behind. Fear gripped them. Then Moses, as God’s spokesman, said, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm” (Exodus 14:13,14, NLT).

God told other Old Testament personalities to not be afraid: Joshua (Joshua 1:1-9), David (Psalm 27:1 and 56:3-4, etc.), Solomon (I Chronicles 28:20), Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:17), Daniel (Daniel 10:12 and 19). One of my favorite “do not fear” passages is Isaiah 41:10: “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”

Besides the angel’s message to Mary in Luke, the “do not fear” message is frequent in the New Testament: After giving the parable about the rich fool (Luke 12: 1-21), Jesus taught his disciples about money and worry. He said, “So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom” (Luke 12:32). When Jesus was preparing His disciples for his death, He said, “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid” (John 14:27).

As recorded in the book of Acts, God told the apostle Paul several times not to worry. So, Paul gave us Philippians 4:6-7, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need; and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

So, I (and you) have a choice in these difficult days to live in fear, which is torment (1 John 4:18, NKJV) or put our faith in God’s unshakable Word, pray about everything, and ask Him to give us His gift of peace. 

In Times Like These

/ Mim

Today has been joyful and I even completed a few chores. I awakened to six inches of snow, which made everything especially beautiful. It’s also meant that the office where I work on Fridays is closed, so I’ve enjoyed a day getting things done in my home. With the help of a friend who knew how to remotely control my computer, my new printer is connected, and I can now receive and send emails again.

I trust you made it through all three holidays without any depression or a “woe is me” day or two. I made it through a Christmas dinner with tables of eight and an empty chair beside me and standing alone as the photographer snapped a picture. With three widows and a couple of husbands and wives at the table, someone would, of course, be next to an empty chair. This time it just happened to be me. It was a great night with good food and wonderful music, so I chose to concentrate on the privilege of being there.

I thought I had passed the season well for another year. But the last day of 2024 at the eye doctor’s office, I unexpectedly felt the sting of being alone. The waiting room was filled with husbands and wives interacting with each other. Most of the patients there expected their eyes to be dilated and would need help returning home. Although I wouldn’t need help, I had no one to talk with and felt alone sitting in the crowded waiting room. I was prepared for being alone at the special Christmas dinner and other seasonal activities, but this caught me off guard and left me with a bit of sadness for the rest of the day.

Sometime during the day, I was reminded of Hebrews 13:5: “…and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’”  Later, I also thought of the last words of Jesus before He was taken into heaven: “And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

Jesus’ last statement was meant to be a comfort to this group of early believers. They would never touch or see Him in this life again. They would never hear Him teach. They may have thought they would never see another miracle and that this phenomenal phase of their lives was over. They had no idea what their future lives would be like without Him. Who would lead them and provide for them? Who would tell them the right way to live?

Since these were normal people like you and me, I think these questions came to their minds. Jesus had told them He would send another Counselor—the Holy Spirit who would be with them always (John 14:16). But sometimes it’s hard to remember a promise when in a crisis.

This “always with you” promise is for us, as well as those early believers. It was the Holy Spirit that reminded me of Hebrews 13:5 that afternoon when I felt so alone. As 21st Century believers, we may not be able to physically see and touch the Lord, but we can sense His presence with us as we are reminded of His promises. In our times of aloneness, we can be assured that He will “never leave us nor forsake us.”

Summer Joys

/ Mim

Summer is here, and almost everyone is complaining about the blazing hot temperatures. The actual temperature on this Monday afternoon is 96 degrees, but with the humidity, the “feel like” temperature is more than 100. So, there may be something to complain about. Forecasters are labeling it “dangerous,” so we do need to be cautious.  I, however, complain about winter’s cold temperatures, not the heat. So, as the saying goes, you can’t please all the people all of the time.

I welcome spring with open arms, and summer is my time to be outside in the garden and yard while especially enjoying my flowers. There’s always something good to report, some part of God’s creation to amaze me, and something to make me smile.

A friend posted this on her FB page yesterday: “Gardening has a way of seeping into your soul, and one day you find yourself, in the words of poet Mary Sarton in Plant Dreaming Deep, spending the first half hour of the morning ‘enjoying the air and watching for miracles.’”

Of course, negatives occur, but it’s counterproductive to concentrate on those. This weekend, I realized I’m going to have a bumper crop of green beans and cucumbers but discovered that a critter ate the tops of all my beets and the tender shoots of my broccoli.  When I was preparing my raised beds to plant vegetables this spring, I found four newborn bunnies hiding in the weeds, so I assume they enjoyed my small, growing vegetables. My Stella D’Oro lilies and irises were more beautiful than ever this year, but I have not one fig growing on my fig tree. So, disappointments and triumphs co-exist.

Gardening is like life itself. As widows we have experienced both the highs and lows of living. And we have learned to concentrate on the positive. It’s not beneficial for us or anyone around us to wallow in our losses or concentrate on what could or should have been. In her book, Lonliness, Elizabeth Elliot, challenges us as widows to accept this new stage of life as a gift. (She was widowed twice.) It’s a challenging assignment, and I’m not sure I’ve arrived at this lofty conclusion yet.

For me, gardening eases life’s lonely moments. As perennials begin to sprout, they speak to me of hope for the future and remind me of God’s great Resurrection when all things will be made new. I get so excited when the daffodils poke through the cold dirt that I call my sisters, daughter, and friends to announce my discovery. I know that soon my back yard will be full of color.

And, just like life, a garden is always changing. The beautiful blooms and leaves wither and die, but that nourishes next year’s growth. Maybe this is why Elliot said we are to receive widowhood as a gift. One part of our life has died, but we should allow the lessons we learned and the joys we shared to nourish our future.

In 597 BCE, the Israelites were exiled to Babylon because of their gross sin and idolatry. Life for the Jews was not easy. They lost everything; heartache surrounded them. But Jeremiah gave the exiles a wonderful promise that every widow can claim today: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11).

As you enjoy this summer’s beauty, remember God’s promise to Israel and rejoice in the future He has planned for you.