Good Intentions vs. Commitment

This season of Lent that just ended reminds me how important commitment is.  You see, I intended to write a bit each day of Lent in my blog, but I didn't actually make a commitment to do that.  Without the commitment and stick-to-it-ive-ness commitment brings, I only jotted a couple of daily notes in my blog.  My commitment was to read the book I wrote daily and I believe there was only one time I had to "catch up on" a day that I missed.  Commitment was the key. I knew I had about 50 people reading along with me, and I wanted to be faithful to the commitment, just as they were.  

What a reminder for our lives.  I am certain we all have good intentions that just never get followed through with.  It is such a human trait.  I don't feel overwhelming guilt for not writing in my blog this Lent, though there is just a twinge of that.  The key would have been committing to it.  I didn't.  

So - what am I committed to?  

Number one is faithfulness to God.  Basic to that is my commitment to God's Word as the written authority over my life. My goal is that my relationship with God will be reflected in my relationships with others.  Only God will know if I succeed in mirroring Him. One day I will stand before Him, and His grace to me will cover the times I didn't succeed. 

Two is faithfulness to and unconditional love for my immediate family including the very dear "chosen people" they bring to the family through marriage.  

Three is to extended family, people I "adopt" as family, and to my dearest friends. 

Beyond that I am committed to trying to be kind in every circumstance.  Kindness is not to be confused with nice.  Sometimes kindness means being forthright and honest even when it isn't welcomed.     

The Covid-19 Pandemic has been very strange in its isolation.  One of my most salient commitments prior to the Pandemic was the Biblical mandate:  Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together, as the manner of some is, even so much the more as you see The Day approaching.  (Not sure that is the exact word-for-word quote so I am not putting it in quotes.) I haven't been in church since early March  2000. I quarantined on March 8. But my desire to be in worship corporately is not forsaken.  I "go to church" online, and while it is wonderful to have that opportunity, it does not take the place of congregational worship and connection with others who are in worship. Worshipping together is powerful. It gives me pause to think about how things have changed.  

It is good for us to think about what our true commitments are and actions speak louder than words.  Food for thought!  

DAY 23 – COUNTING TO ASCENSION

FOCUS, FAITHFULNESS & FOLLOW-THROUGH

In May 2008 when I first went to my friend’s church as a “safe haven” it was called Faith Assembly of Lacey (aka FAL).  During the first years I was there FAL had annual themes:

2009: YEAR OF imPOSSIBILITIES:
God intervening to make the impossible possible by HIS power!
The im was crossed out – by a cross – symbolic of the reality that it is only through the sacrifice represented by the cross of Christ that the impossible can become possible. 

2010: YEAR OF COMMITMENT:
The theme was accompanied with a reminder that who we are is the sum-total of our commitments, and that first and foremost we need to have a full and complete commitment to serve and honor God. 

2012:  YEAR OF TRANSITION:
2012 year marked the passing of the baton from the Founding Pastor to the former Associate Pastor, who was definitely called, mentored and nurtured to become the new Senior Pastor.   

During those years the motto of the church was “Live Well.  Die Ready.”  I would have preferred “Live Holy. Die Ready” or “Live Ready. Die Ready” but the point was still made – even if it required an explanation.  

I’ve never attended a church that had themes – or a motto – but they are good. They provide focus. There is no wandering blindly wondering. It is faithfulness with intention and direction. And, God is honored in the process. That’s the key. 

The current pastor went through a very respectful process to change the name to reflect what the focus of the church most profoundly professes under his leadership:  Truth and Grace, thus the new name of the church – True Grace.  We may not always succeed as well as we’d like – but it is good to have the stated intention reflected in the name.  Good intentions matter because they are the seeds of achieving reaching that goal.  And, the name literally serves as a motto!

The day prior to my original writing of this entry I was sitting in a medical facility waiting room, waiting for someone who was having a procedure done, and I had the joy of talking with a stunning lady who was seated a few chairs away from me. Our conversation covered a lot of territory, but it reminded me that God is the God of fortuitous circumstances. Sometimes we also refer to those as Divine encounters – but generally only in retrospect if we see something good that came from the conversation. 

I already know there was something good that came out of the chance meeting: I met an amazing woman who has very good intentions toward her employees, and does something about it – even to the point of paying them while they do their homework if needed so they can succeed in school. Her work ethic puts people first. Her stated goals for her employees include what is good for them – even over what might be good for her financially – and in the process, what is good for them turns out to be good for her, too.... I hope it is not our last encounter. 


When we walk intentionally in our relationship with the Lord, good is also His goal.

Journey to the Cross 2017, Day 28

Saturday, Day 28                            

[Disclaimer:  This was written 7 years ago in 2010 for my first Lenten Blog but I am leaving it intact in precious memory.  Melanie went to be with the Lord not long after this was originally written.  Her courage still inspires!]

  
Reading for today:
John 12:20-50

When I adopted my ‘reading plan’ I meshed a few different online resources, plus info on the final days of Jesus life from one of the charts in my Bible. It took all day one Saturday to do that. Now I am frustrated that too much is being shared too soon. I had a plan. I wanted it to be a logical, sequential journey toward the cross and beyond....walking in parallel time with what Jesus was walking and experiencing in +-33 AD. But I am in too far to change it now. With that as a disclaimer, I’ll leap into the moment!

My first thoughts today were of a lovely woman in our church named Melanie and her struggle against the ravages of pancreatic cancer. I want her to be healed. I have pleaded with God for that miracle. In my script her healing would honor Him and be a blessing beyond belief. That is true – but it is also true that for she and her husband to maintain their faithfulness to God no matter what the circumstances is also a huge testimony. I grapple with being torn between what I want and what might be. The song that pierced its way through my early morning thoughts was “This world is not my home; I’m just a-passing through....”

Then, when I came to my reading for today, of all things it is this: “The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” It is a statement of relativity. We aren’t supposed to actually ‘hate’ our life – but in comparison to eternity, we have to have a proper perspective. This life is short no matter how long compared to eternity – and we need to have an eternal view for life here to make any sense at all. Life is fragile and transient and without any actual securities. Eternity is forever. For our eternal destiny to be secure is the most important pursuit of this life – the only thing worth pursuing. Jesus' life on earth was a mere 33 years. He knew what it felt like to face human death.

Jesus was about to become the kernel that fell into the ground so there could be a harvest of many seeds. We pray to be like Jesus, and then when things get tough we question why. When one of my dear friends lost her pastor-husband, Paul, one of the silver linings was that there were people who accepted Jesus the promised Messiah as their Savior because of his death. Beauty was born from the ashes. Often, it looks like Satan has won a battle –  only to find that God redeems the sorrow and pain in some amazing way. The pain is still there – but God gives a peace that passes understanding, and the faithful still follow – no matter what the circumstances.

John quotes Jesus’ saying that his heart was troubled. He had to face the cruelty of the scourging and the cross before he could fulfill what He had come for...to be the sacrificial lamb who would take away the sins of the world. While He knew in advance He would be raised from the dead (literally raise Himself, for as God He had the power to lay down His life and the power to take it up again) He still was fully human and faced the dread of what was to happen between about midnight Thursday night and Friday afternoon. He faced His future with resolve, but we clearly see His struggle. It was not easy facing what He had to face – and He was God. When what we have to face is not easy, the wonderful confidence we have is that God walks with us through it, through the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ promise is that He will never leave us or forsake us. It isn’t based on feeling. It’s a fact of faith. We have that assurance from Him – and can hang onto that with confidence in spite of the ferocity of the storms we face.

One thing I note today in this passage is that when God’s voice spoke, some of the people only heard thunder, while others said an angel had spoken to him. Jesus tells them the voice was for them, not for him. Still, not everyone was receptive to hearing the voice.... When God speaks today it is the same. Not all hear.

I’m not ready for this passage yet. It is out of sequence. I’ll leave my fragmented thoughts as written. I am blindsided by today’s message being out of sequence. But, I realize that the issue is my being torn between the joy of Spring – another opportunity for ‘new beginnings’ –  and being thrust too soon into the realities of what Jesus (in linear time) will be experiencing in the near future.... Even in ‘real time’ it was on His mind. He has already predicted His death – and resurrection – 3 times. It is a reminder that I often struggle with the process of life in working toward the final result – and it is a fresh reminder of how much Jesus understands in walking that journey alongside us. My challenges pale in comparison. He bore the pain of the whole world...and then left it up to us to choose whether or not to accept.... The time was drawing near. His destination was on His mind....


Humor for today:
Some years ago before men joined their wives in the delivery room, a man was sitting in the waiting room of a hospital with a few other expectant dads, waiting for the happy news following delivery.

A nurse walked out and said to the man sitting on his left, “Congratulations, Mr. Smith. You’re the father of twins!”

“How about that? I work for Doublemint Chewing Gum.” With that the man got up and followed the nurse back to see his twins.

About an hour later, the nurse entered the waiting room and announced to Mr. Jones that his wife had just had triplets. Mr. Jones was incredulous! “I work for 3M Company,” he proclaimed. And he left, following the nurse.

The 4th man in the room turned very pale, then got up and started pacing the floor – and as he started to leave the room, the first man asked him what was wrong.

His reply: “I think I need a breath of fresh air. I work for 7-up.”

DANIEL

Daniel was likely in his late teens when he was captured and taken to Babylon. The king at that juncture was Nebuchadnezzar, and the year was 605 BC. In about 603 BC, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams that interfered with his sleep, and, ultimately, Daniel (whom the chief of the eunuchs had renamed Belteshazzar), interpreted those dreams for Nebuchadnezzar. In fact, he even had to tell the king what the dream was, as part of the king’s demand.

But in living out the reality of what occurred, Daniel didn’t have the answer when he first asked the king to spare the lives of his wise men and give Daniel ‘a time’ to show the interpretation to the king.

The first thing he did was go ask for prayer! Daniel 2:17 tells us that he went to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah (renamed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego), and asked them ‘to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery.’ God responded by making the vision and its interpretation known to Daniel!

Daniel’s response to God was,

“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,

to whom belong wisdom and might.

He changes time and seasons;

He removes kings and sets up kings;

He gives wisdom to the wise

And knowledge to those who have understanding;

He reveals deep and hidden things;

He knows what is in the darkness,

And the light dwells with him.

To you, O God of my fathers,

I give thanks and praise,

For you have given me wisdom and might,

And have now made known to me what we asked of you,

For you have made known to us the king’s matter.”

Daniel was, at the most, perhaps 20 years old at that point. When he heard the awful news that all of the wise men were going to be killed – himself and his companions included – he went and asked for time to respond – and God answered his plea. Daniel was God’s man in the right place at the right time – and because of him, we have both a wonderful model of one who followed God faithfully in spite of circumstances, and prophecy that took many years to be accomplished…but that comes later.

God is sovereign. Daniel was faithful! I’m loving reading the book of Daniel! (I'm actually further ahead in my reading - but have to catch up with writing!)

DANIEL

After reading Ezekiel, because it was Christmas season, I focused on some of the prophecies that foretold the birth of the Messiah, which were all fulfilled by the birth of Yeshua (Jesus).

Next I was drawn to read the book of Daniel. What great timing. (Thank you, Lord.) I had been fighting discouragement over circumstances I don't have a solution for - and I needed to re-read Daniel! There were a couple of other recent reminders of all I have to be thankful for - but Daniel reminds me that God is Sovereign, is on His throne, and everything is in His very capable hands. I may not prefer His timing - but I can trust Him!

This morning God reminded me that I had not accessed a tool I have often encouraged for others: and that is, simply telling Satan, "Get behind me" when thoughts that are definitely not from God assail. I readily attributed my dismay over this situation to being 'human', and didn't address the reality of seeing God at work - even through difficult circumstances.

So - let's look at Daniel. He was of the nobility in Jerusalem. He was from the tribe of Judah. The King of Judah was Jehoiakim. We aren't told his relationship to the royals, but we do know that the young men who were captured and taken to Babylon were of the royal and noble families (1:3).

Daniel could have been legitimately diverted to many other paths of action - but the one he chose was absolute faithfulness to God, and incorporated within that, faithfulness to serving King Nebuchadnezzar, except when the King's demands thwarted God's requirements.

Daniel makes for exciting reading! My chapter for today was chapter 4. We read these stories knowing the outcome, but Daniel lived them. Even with his enormous commitment and confidence in God, he was human, and faced the struggles associated with his calling - but he was faithful! Hooray Daniel! Thank you for your witness to courage, to faithfulness, to loving the Lord and honoring Him in spite of circumstances! I'm looking forward to meeting you in heaven!

THANKSGIVING-OUT-OF-TIME

Today is November 12. We are having our Thanksgiving dinner today because Al will be gone on a hunting trip over the 'real' Thanksgiving. Last night I set the alarm for 6:01 a m, just in case I needed its help to wake up. I hadn't had a good night's sleep the night before because my grand-dog was here, so I had some sleep to catch up on, and, as I suspected, I definitely needed the alarm this morning! When it so rudely awakened me, alerting me to go put the turkey in the oven, it unceremoniously tore me away from an engaging dream.

My dream segued from being at a large Christian gathering listening to the speaker, to meeting her very soon after next to an old pickup she was filling up with gas. That was when the dream got really interesting. She told me that she had just learned that her husband had breast cancer, and she was devastated, ready to throw in the towel. That moment led me to tell her that God was sovereign. That He might heal her husband here - but He might not - and that her faith in God could not be contingent on her view of what she thought God should do. I actually wish I could remember verbatim all that I told her in my dream, because it was really good - but I don't.... However - it reflected precisely what God has revealed to me in the past during times of being deeply troubled at how things were going in life.

I do remember telling the woman in my dream that Satan's goal every day of our lives is to devour and destroy us. We have to make a decision every day not to cooperate with him! And - that as long as there is life there is hope, and we should continue to pray for the outcome we yearn for as long as life lasts. What I didn't get a chance to tell her was that at the end of each of those prayers we also must pray, "Nevertheless, not my will but Thine be done."

The dream triggered a memory of a time I was really angry with God about the outcome of one specific situation. There was an older man in our church that I absolutely loved. God placed him on my heart, and I was burdened to pray for him. I did. I prayed until the burden lifted - and I interpreted that peace to mean that God was going to heal him. He died 3 days later. I was furious with God. I knew His voice. I trusted it. I also trusted that feeling of peace that came through prayer to mean what I wanted it to mean. I was wrong.

What God spoke to me when I railed at Him was that the death of one who loves the Lord brings perfect healing. We will never be whole here. Only there. God may grant physical healing on this earth when it advances His purpose - but there are times when one who dies, even far too young, touches lives for the Lord by their faithfulness in walking with Him through the journey that they would not have touched by living. It seems so dreadfully unfair - but no matter how long life on this earth is, it is a vapor - fleeting. In the light of eternity, this is just a blip on a screen, and barely a blip.

Ultimately, I have to hold on to just one reality: my life is the Lord's - to do with as He chooses - and my only desire is that it honor Him, in life or in death.

Like the lady 'preacher' I talked to in my dream, far too many people equate God's blessing with things going to their liking. It's easy to serve God when things go well. True faithfulness is revealed when we are faithful when things aren't going well - - even when they're dreadful. It is in those darkest of times, when it would be so easy to give up, that we learn who God really is. He holds us in the hollow of His hand even when we are faithless - when we seemingly have nothing to hold onto. At the bottom of the pit, God is there. When we cry out to Him, and submit everything to Him, He is faithful. He lifts us up. For His glory. For His honor. For His Name.

I hope I don't need that reminder myself too soon!