Category: Stories

A Home for Love

Jessica’s Story

Jessica’s parents never wanted kids, but when they discovered their relationship would be blessed with a child, these two parents diligently prepared for their baby’s arrival. The room was ready and filled with toys and clothes.

It was during prenatal visits to the doctor, the mother and father discovered their daughter had Down Syndrome. This young couple knew in their heart they were not prepared to care for a special-needs child, so they chose to surrender their daughter for adoption.

A Child with Special Needs

Suzie and Mike, parents of three children, had decided they wanted another child. This time though, they decided to adopt a child. Their third child was a daughter born with Down Syndrome so they decided to adopt another child with special needs.

It took time, but Suzie and Mike completed the paperwork and home study to be able to adopt their next child. When they were finally ready, Suzie began calling adoption agencies to introduce herself and find the child that God wanted for them. She made call after call only to find out there were no children to adopt.

For weeks, Suzie called different agencies but each time she was told the same thing. There was not a child to adopt. She even called adoption agencies in several different states but was unable to locate a child to welcome into their family.

Suzie finally surrendered. It was clear this path was getting her nowhere. In prayer, Suzie shared her frustration with the Lord. He encouraged her that there was a child for them.

The months passed. Suzie’s birthday arrived. As a gift to their mom, Suzie was told to stay in her room while Mike and the kids cleaned the house. They let her know that she could come out when they were done.

Your Child Has Been Born

Suzie complied and spent a comfortable morning in her room. About 10:30am, Suzie heard the Lord speak to her. “Your child has been born.” Those words filled her with hope.

Two weeks later, Suzie was contacted by an adoption agency. On her paperwork, Suzie had said that she did not want to speak with the birth-mother. The adoption agency said that they had a child that needed a home, but the birth-mother wanted to know about the adopting family.

Suzie did not want to connect with the birth-mother but the adoption agency said that she was very specific. The birth-mother wanted to know that her daughter would go to a home that had a special needs child already. She wanted to make sure her daughter was going to a home that would love her and care for her, so Suzie relented and spoke with the birth-mother.

The conversation went well. Suzie felt this child would be right for their family. As the call came to an end, Suzie asked the birth-mother one last question. “What is your daughter’s birthday?” The answer to this question would tell Suzie if the Lord was involved.

The birth-mother said that November 12^th, was her baby’s birthday. That finalized it. Suzie’s birthday, the day she spent in her room, the day the Lord spoke to her and said that her baby had been born, was November 12^th.

Go Where the Lord is

When you pray, it is often very hard to know if the Lord is involved. Our wants often deceive our hearts and convince us the Lord is in control when really, we are the ones controlling our lives. The cure for that is to go where the Lord is.

Do you feel the Lord is often absent from your life? Let me comfort and assure you that Jesus Christ is always with you. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 366 days a year, Jesus watches over you, loves you and cares for you. It is not that the Lord is absent from your life. If your needs are met and you have comfort, He may not need to be that active in your life.

If I may be so bold as to say that Jesus Christ is most active where there is the most need. Jesus once shared a parable about 100 sheep. In this parable, the shepherd was missing one of the sheep. He left the 99 sheep to search for the one that was lost. That meant the 99 sheep had everything they could need. The shepherd didn’t abandon his sheep. He knew the 99 would be safe until his return. But he wasn’t active in their life because they didn’t need anything. It was the one lost that needed his care. It was the one lost where he was most active.

“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.” Luke 15:4-7 NKJV

God is Working Miracles Big and Small

If you want to see the Lord active in your life, then you will need to go where He is most active. God is working miracles big and small in the lives of those who have the most need.

Is your life comfortable? I spent decades building my comfortable life, but at the end all I felt was empty. It was not until I learned that I was created for significance and needed to leave my comfort zone that God started really moving in my life.

Significance requires sacrifice. Getting out of your comfort zone and meeting the Lord is not easy but it is fulfilling. And the closer you are to need, the more you will be filled with the strength and resources you need. Give it a try. There are opportunities everywhere. All you need to do is find one and participate.

Suzie prayed for a child who had great needs. Do you know what she got? A child with great needs. The real blessing though is not meeting the needs of her daughter. It is the love that her daughter gives that is the true blessing. Now an adult, Jessica loves like a child. It is possibly the purest form of God’s love here on earth. And it found its way into the hearts and lives of Suzie, Mike and their family.

January 7, 2023
The 12-Fold Wisdom of Jacob Marley
“Business! Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were all my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!”
Jacob Marley “A Christmas Carol,” Charles Dickens

If you’ve never read “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens, I highly suggest you move it to the top of your list for reading. It is a quick read and you will be better for it.

A Glimpse at His Own Failed Journey

The story reveals the miserly, Ebenezer Scrooge; a man so caught up in his own life that he quit caring for other souls. Scrooge, relentlessly rejects his fellow man and the needs of others. It takes an intercession by three spirits to show Ebenezer the true importance of life.

Ebenezer’s chance to escape a grim fate through the three spirits, is shared with him by his 7-year-deceased partner, Jacob Marley. Jacob meets Ebenezer on Christmas Eve to tell him about the visits of the ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Future.

In their dialogue, Jacob Marley challenges Ebenezer to believe and gives him a glimpse at his own failed journey through life as well as the pain and regret he carries. It is Jacob’s hope that Ebenezer can escape the path that he now suffers.

Man of the Worldly Mind

Jacob’s discourse has several points for each of us to consider. When Charles Dickens, wrote “A Christmas Carol,” it was his desire that he could write a story to make people think but still be light-hearted in its effort. After all, the discussion of death, dying and hell are heavy topics. I will try to maintain Dickens light-hearted approach, but Marley’s message is valid and painful, so please forgive me beforehand if things get serious.
- “Man of the worldly mind, do you believe in me or not?”
Life is a matter of faith. Faith is believing there is a world we cannot yet see and a God who came in the form of Jesus Christ to save us and give us a path to eternal life in heaven when this life is over. If we pay attention, there are testimonies of the unseen world and the truth of a living God who loves us and wants us to spend eternity with Him. How much do we have to see before we believe?

Beyond This Mortal Life
- “It is required of every man, that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellowmen, and travel far and wide; and if that spirit goes not forth in life, it is condemned to do so after death. It is doomed to wander through the world and witness what it cannot share, but might have shared on earth, and turned to happiness!”
While I have not yet walked the path beyond this mortal life, I don’t think we will walk on this earth forever after we are gone. I do believe there is a heaven and hell as described in the Bible, but Jacob’s point here is to care for our fellow man while we still have a chance. There is scripture to confirm this.

Isaiah 58:6-11 says:

“Is this not the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; when you see the naked, that you cover him, and not hide yourself from your own flesh? Then your light shall break forth like the morning, your healing shall spring forth speedily, and your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ “If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, if you extend your soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, then your light shall dawn in the darkness, and your darkness shall be as the noonday. The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.”

I Wear the Chain I Forged in Life
- “I wear the chain I forged in life. I made it link by link and yard by yard; I girded it on of my own free will, and of my own free will I wore it.”
Free will is a tremendous gift from God but it comes with great responsibility. Do we casually walk through this life and ignore the life to come? Life exists beyond this mortal life. Each of us must carefully consider the life to come. When this life is over then our choices are confirmed and the benefits or consequences solidified.
- “Or would you know the weight and length of the strong coil you bear yourself?”
Do you know the weight of your own sin? Sin is ultimately what separates us from God. Jesus Christ came into the world to pay the price for our sin. God made it so simple. All we must do is believe that Jesus Christ is God and that He came into the world to save us and we will be saved.

It’s Mortal Life too Short
- “No rest, no peace. Incessant torture of remorse.”
I won’t hide the fact that Jacob Marley is a pretty dark character. After all, he lives in hell. How many preachers have used the threat of hell to coerce people to believe in heaven? The idea of the next life may be so scary and its implications so profound that we neglect to consider Marley’s regrets. Jacob is telling us that outside of heaven, there is no music, creating or creativity, no intimate relationships or any good thing. Outside of heaven, there will be no rest and no peace. Only the regret of wrong choices.
- “Not to know that any Christian spirit working kindly in its little sphere, whatever it may be, will find its mortal life too short for its vast means of usefulness.”
You are capable of doing so much good. There are not enough years to accomplish the good things you can do. God has prepared works beforehand for you to walk in. He wants you to do good things and He wants your efforts to last forever.

“I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain.” John 15:16

Don’t Let Time Get Away From You
- “Not to know that no space of regret can make amends for one life’s opportunity misused.”
Each day that goes by is a day that can be used for good. If we neglect today and the opportunities it offers to do good to another, what regrets may we carry from our choice? Don’t let time get away from you.
- “Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence were all my business. The dealings of my trader were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!”
Society needs this more than ever today. We have forgotten that we are all on the same side, the same journey. People are increasingly critical and hostile toward their fellow man. We need to relearn patience, kindness, mercy and helping others.

In Greater Need Than Ourselves
- “At this time of the year, I suffer most.”
Once again, we see Marley’s regrets. He goes on to say, “Why did I walk through crowds of fellow-beings with my eyes turned down and never raise them to that blessed Star which led the Wise Men to a poor abode! Were there no poor homes to which its light would have conducted me!” I don’t know about you, but I am guilty of this behavior. Let us remember there are others in greater need than ourselves.

A Glimpse of the Suffering World
- “How it is that I appear before you in a shape that you can see, I may not tell. I have sat invisible beside you many and many a day.”
How often has Jesus Christ or an angel been with us and we did not know it?
- “I am here tonight to warn you, that you have a chance and hope of escaping my fate.”
It is the same chance we all have; to make a choice for Jesus Christ. As long as it is still called “today”.
- Marley beckoned Scrooge to approach, which he did. He became aware of confused noises in the air; incoherent sounds of lamentation…
With Marley’s final gesture, Scrooge was allowed a glimpse of the suffering world. Ebenezer was allowed to witness the fatal regrets of souls who had gone before him.

May it not take so much for us to consider the heavenly world.

Resources

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
December 17, 2022
The Great Final Secret of all Life

His father went to debtor’s prison when he was only 12. What an idea. Put someone in prison until they repay their debt, but don’t give them an opportunity to work and earn money to repay that debt. It must be why young Charles was so influenced by it.

Play in an Old Castle

Early life, before his father went to prison, was good. Charles had the freedom to wander the countryside and even play in an old castle. I imagine this is the point in his life where he saw the beauty of family, being the second oldest of 8 siblings. He would go on to father 9 of his own children and it was said of him that family and domestic life were important to him.

When his father went to prison, Charles stopped going to school to work in a boot-blacking factory. Working long days, Charles earned 6 shillings a week which is roughly $1.50 a week in 1824. Calculating currency from the 1800’s and converting it in today’s numbers that we can understand is imprecise, but either way, $1.50 a week was not much money for a family to pay off debt and live on, so I’m sure Charles learned first-hand what poverty truly was.

When his father received an inheritance and was released from prison, Charles went back to school, but by age 15, he was forced to quit school once more to work and help the family.

The World May Have Never Known

It is quite astonishing that a young man with so little schooling would go on to become a journalist and world-renown writer. The job that Charles took after leaving school the second time would be pivotal in guiding him to that career in writing. It is possible that had he never been forced to quit school a second time, the world may have never known the name, Charles Dickens.

Dickens was very much influenced by the world around him. Upon a simple internet search, you will find a plethora of information on his life, writings and how his writings were influenced. It is not my goal to add another essay about his general life. Instead, I want to look at one genre of his writings.

My Glimpse of the Spirit Life

My first introduction to Charles Dickens, was reading “A Christmas Carol” when I was a boy. At first, I didn’t want to read it because it wasn’t science fiction or fantasy, two of my favorite genres, but it didn’t take long to fall in love with this small book. I was moved by my glimpse of the spirit life as shared in this Dickens classic.

Dickens’ work in “A Christmas Carol” reflects the unseen world. The unseen world is what we will see when this life is over. It is a world that is living and vibrantly active. We don’t see that world now, but there are evidences of it in the lives and world around us. “A Christmas Carol” brings that unseen world to light in a beautiful way.

More to Our Existence

The idea that a hard-hearted and unrepentant man could be shown his faults in a loving but firm manner is an idea worth sharing. If only we could all have the opportunity to see how we impact the world around us, we might be more concerned with how we present ourselves.

But it is more than how we act toward our fellow traveler’s because there is so much more to our existence than just what meets the eye.

What Point does a Coincidence Become a Miracle

The unseen world exists, but so few are aware of it. I understand that seeing is believing, but have you never seen a miracle? Miracles themselves are proof of a world we do not see. How can a miracle be special or supernatural unless it comes from a higher power? And if there is a higher power, then it must be God. And if it is God, then why don’t we believe His word in the bible?

At the very least, have you ever had a coincidence so wild and crazy that it made you wonder if there was more to life than this?

Some call miracles a coincidence. If you are prone to call miracles a coincidence, then at what point does a coincidence become a miracle?

And what about everyone who passes through the veil of this life before us? Have you never been to a funeral and wondered if this is all there is?

The Great Final Secret of all Life

Charles Dickens wrote “A Christmas Carol” in 6 weeks and created a new literature genre in the process. Christmas stories are now a vibrant part of our life and they had their origin in a 31-year-old-man’s process of understanding and communicating life. After publishing “A Christmas Carol” in 1843, Dickens wrote a Christmas book every year (except 1847) until 1867. There is a reference that when Charles Dickens died, it was asked, “Then will Father Christmas die too?”

“The great final secret of all life” is a line from Dickens book “Little Dorrit,” which was written, reflecting on that time in his life when his father was imprisoned for debt. What an astute way to refer to the grave and what lies beyond this physical life we all see. Life after death is a great mystery and the last secret to be revealed, one which none of us will know until we take that final step through the curtain to the other side.

There are evidences of the unseen world that can be found today. If you want to know more, then a great place to start is by reading the bible. If I may encourage you, start by reading the gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. You will find the original Christmas story in there and a whole lot more.

Resources

https://www.biography.com/writer/charles-dickens

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charles-Dickens-British-novelist

https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/Little-Dorrit/315262

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Dorrit

December 10, 2022
You Were Saved for a Purpose
Anna’s Story

If ever there were daily habits, Anna’s days must have been filled with them. Being the mother of five children and wife of a successful lawyer and businessman, Anna’s days were filled with the tasks of life. Undoubtedly, she focused on her rituals to get her family through the day. But even the strictest routines could not prevent the death of her youngest and only son.

Grief Never Takes a Holiday

He was four when Scarlett Fever took his life. If you have suffered the loss of a child then you can understand the grief this mother suffered. Yes, she also had four daughters but that is no consolation. One child cannot replace the loss of another.

Was Anna able to get back into her routines? She must have, even if it was only by the necessity of continuing to care for her daughters and husband. Since grief never takes a holiday, Anna certainly carried it with her as she labored to care for her family.

It was a year later when fire broke out in the city. It would be called “The Great Chicago Fire” and it devastated the city. Her friends, Dwight and Emma, lost their home in the fire so Anna gladly took in their children to give her friends time to find a new place to live. Now Anna had six children to care for in addition to coping with the substantial loss of the property she and her husband owned.

Two years passed. Life was settling down. It had been three years since the death of her son and two years since the fire. Dwight and Emma’s kids had gone back with their parents. Now it was time for a holiday.

12 Minutes

Anna’s husband arranged a trip to England for the family. A vacation would do them all good. Their friends, Dwight and Emma, would be there and that just added to the anticipation of getting away.

The trip was set. They would travel by ship and be gone for almost a month. As their departure date approached, everything seemed to be coming together, but at the last minute, problems arose with her husband’s business which forced him to stay behind.

Anna boarded the ship with their four daughters and the promise that her husband would follow as soon as he was able. The daily routines for Anna and her daughters continued although altered by the life of the ship.

On November 22, 1873, all routines were irrevocably altered when the vessel Anna and her daughters occupied was broadsided by another ship. 12 minutes is not much time to get to safety but that was all the time Anna had to save her children. Sadly, it was not enough. When rescue came, Anna was found unconscious on a plank of wood, without her daughters.

Saved for a Purpose

Anna’s message to her husband said, “All is lost. I alone am saved.” Devastated at the loss of her children, Anna could not deny that in her grief she heard the quiet voice of the Lord say, “You were saved for a purpose.”

Dropping everything, Anna’s husband rushed to be with her. There were no airplanes and the journey by ship took days. As the ship passed the spot where his daughters died, he was moved to put the thoughts of his heart on paper.

Once Anna was reunited with her husband, the two grieved the loss of their children. One can only imagine the depth of their pain and the words they shared behind closed doors.

In time, Anna and her husband had three more children. Would you think that tragedy would be behind them? Surely, they had suffered enough. But once again, their only son died at the age of four, like his brother.

In August, 1881, Anna and her husband, moved to Jerusalem where they helped homeless children and all who were in need.

In October, 1888, Anna’s husband died from Malaria. Anna stayed in Jerusalem continuing the work she and her husband started until her own death in 1923.

Journey Through this Life

History doesn’t record much about Anna Spafford. Her husband, Horatio, wrote the beloved hymn “It Is well with my soul” after passing the location of the loss of his daughters. History does record that during the loss of her children in the sinking of the ship, Anna once said, “God gave me four daughters. Now they have been taken from me. Someday I will understand why.”

Anna knew that sometimes life cannot be understood in the moment and often it is not until we look back over our life that we begin to understand the events of our life. Indeed, some of the darkest valleys we may not understand until we reach the green, Son-lit fields of Heaven.

As for the purpose Anna was saved for, who can tell? We know that she served people in all their deep need, even as she carried the weight of her own substantial loss. Perhaps Anna’s purpose was not in great events like writing a beloved hymn, as her husband wrote, or preaching to great audiences like her friend D.L. Moody. Maybe Anna’s purpose was in the quiet and selfless love she expressed daily in a life of service to Jesus Christ as she ministered to her fellow travelers on their journey through this life.

Story from bethelripon.com
1. Horatio Gates Spafford – The story behind the hymn “It is well with my soul” — Bethel (bethelripon.com)
November 19, 2022
A Well With No Bottom

Solomon and the two harlots.

Have you heard the story about the two harlots? If you don’t know what the word, harlot, means, some synonyms for it are; prostitute, hooker, hustler, sex worker, streetwalker and more. The term “harlot” is used in the Bible. Our story comes from the Bible in 1 Kings 3:16-28. Believe it or not, the story is about love. Yes, prostitutes do love. And no, I do not know this from personal experience.

As King Solomon sat on his throne, two women were brought before him. They needed his help to solve a problem. Both women were prostitutes, both women had newborn babies and both lived in the same house with their infants.

One night, one of the harlots accidentally laid on her infant and suffocated him. Waking and seeing that she had killed her son, she quietly took her dead infant and put him in bed with the other woman, while taking the other woman’s live son for her own.

In the morning, the other woman awoke to find her son dead, but after examining him, she realized it was not her son. It was evident that this child belonged to her roommate and that her own child had been taken by the other woman.

As they stood before the king, he considered their problem. One child was alive and one child was dead. The living child had been supposedly taken from his real mother by the mother who had the dead son.

One Person’s Word Against Another

How would you solve this problem? There were no finger print records to check. You could not do a DNA test. It was one person’s word against another.

King Solomon commanded that a sword be brought and the living child be divided in two and that one half should be given to each woman. The woman whose son was the living child immediately begged the king that her child be given to the other woman and not be hurt. The woman whose son had died said to divide him and that he would not be the son of either woman.

King Solomon rightly concluded that the woman who was willing to give up her living son so that he could live, was the mother. He could tell that her self-sacrifice was born out of love for her child. Therefore, he gave the living child back to his real mother.

An Expression of Love

Have you felt love? What does love look like to you? In the story of the two harlots, love is exemplified by the sacrifice of the living child’s mother. She was willing to give up her child forever so that he might live.

Love has the capacity to give to the point of self-sacrifice. Each time you deny yourself to allow someone else to be first, you are practicing self-sacrifice. The result is an expression of love.

Two Moms

The sacrifice the harlot was willing to make before King Solomon is still happening today. Standing before King Solomon, one mother loved her child so deeply that she was willing to let go of her baby forever so that her child could live and have a good life. There are mothers today who face the same, heart-wrenching decision as that mother so long ago.

There is a woman who chose to give up her child for adoption. She loved her daughter and cherished her. She waited for her daughter to be released from the NICU so that they could go home together. In her heart though, the pain of poverty and struggles she faced as a drug addict were not the gifts, she wanted to give her beautiful girl.

With an act of self-sacrifice that was reminiscent of that mother so long ago, this mother chose to give up her daughter in the hope that her child would live and have a better life.

What this mother could not know was that her choice would touch the life of another woman who had dreamed of a third child for twelve years. This woman longed for more children but never considered adoption to fulfill that desire.

Unable to have another natural child of their own, this mother finally turned to adoption with her husband. Her fear that she would not be able to love an adopted child as much as her own had prevented her from seriously considering adoption.

Speaking God’s Language

What are the characteristics of love? The Bible says, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

The expression of love from the heart is pure, even if your life has been defiled with the refuse of the world. The world cannot take away the gift of your love. It cannot say your love is meaningless. There is nothing in your life or the world around you that can hide or diminish your acts of love.

The Lord made the heart. Each time you show an act of sincere love, you are speaking God’s language. He hears and sees a love that is pure and undefiled. God is love and His love is found in us, in that one place in the heart that can’t be satisfied by the world. It is the one place that only God and His love can satisfy because it is the source and fountain of life that God put there when He created us. If you look close enough, it is where you will find Jesus Christ and His life.

No Earthly Bottom

When the path of these two mothers crossed, the first found the hope she was looking for in her daughter’s safety and welfare. The second mother found the hope she was looking for in the opportunity to love another child. Both mothers saw the hope of a better path for this little life. Is it any wonder this beautiful girl was named, Hope?

The second mother also found that she loved this child so deeply that she realized the well of her love was deep enough to drown in. That’s because the well of love begins with Jesus Christ and there is no earthly bottom to it. Have you given up your child for adoption? Is there a sacrifice you have made that cost you so dearly you felt as if your heart was torn from your very chest? That same well of love is there for you. God sees your sacrifice and He remembers the sacrifice His Son made 2000 years ago. It is the sacrifice of denying yourself for the sake of someone else. It is an expression of the deepest, most abiding love that is buried deep inside each of us.

April 16, 2022
A Servant of God Among Men
He would be called the greatest evangelist of the 19^th century. Presidents would honor him. A ship would even be named after him. But as a boy, no one of his family, friends or acquaintances would have predicted a life that was accorded these honors. In fact, there was nothing in his young life that could have revealed the impact he would have on the world. Unless it was the struggles he would endure in those first years of life.

Born February 5^th, 1837, in Northfield, Massachusetts, Dwight was the 6^th of 9 nine children. His father passed away when he was four and his pregnant mother would deliver twins a month later.

With the family heavily in debt, “creditors came and took everything, including the firewood and kindling”¹. Refusing to break up the family, Dwight’s mother told the kids to stay in bed until they went to school, so they could try to stay warm. An uncle cut and split more firewood for the family. A young Dwight would remember it as the “biggest pile of wood he had ever seen”².

Every Penny Counted

Days after giving birth to her twins, the landlord would berate and curse Dwight’s mother for not having the mortgage payment ready. With her husband’s recent death, she had not the money for it. Although family members came to her aid and paid the mortgage for the year, she would “cry herself to sleep at night”³.

In Dwight’s family, every penny counted and that is just what little Dwight earned. Having to work before he was 10 years old, Dwight earned one cent a week tending cows. At 10 years old, he walked 13 miles with his older brother to another town to work. Dwight felt as if he had “walked around the world”⁴. Supporting the family was a habit he kept into adulthood, regularly sending money home.

Dwight did go to school but paid little attention. As a result, he was barely literate and spelled words the way they sounded. His atrocious spelling endured for more than half his life.

Although Dwight was baptized at the same time as his siblings, he had little desire to pursue a faith in Christ. He preferred instead to cause trouble and have fun at other people’s expense.

Nothing is Wasted

Is it ironic that God uses the circumstances of one life to reach others? Nothing is wasted when God works.

After accepting the truth of a living and loving God, Dwight’s ministry began with the children on the streets of Chicago. Precisely because of the circumstances of his own childhood, Dwight was able to speak with the children of Chicago’s streets. Those children in turn, found someone they could trust. Dwight understood them.

Beginning a Sunday school in an abandoned saloon, Dwight’s kids grew to 1500 strong. The work among these children was becoming known. President-elect, Abraham Lincoln, even visited the school.

Dwight worked hard at serving. He spent long hours every day doing what he thought God wanted. It wasn’t until the Great Chicago Fire in 1871 that Dwight stopped working in his own power.

After the fire, Dwight and his family were destitute. Their home and belongings were gone. They barely escaped with the clothes on their back and what little they could carry.

His Inner Man Was Suffering

For months, Dwight was lost. While he helped where he could, he had no strength in him for ministry. He went about his business but it was the ordeal his inner man was suffering that consumed him. It was during this time that the Lord showed Dwight about himself. He realized that he had been serving himself and not Jesus Christ. Upon the realization that his heart had been in the wrong place, Dwight’s true anointing began.

Dwight Lyman Moody, also known as, D.L. Moody, would go on to become a famed evangelist and leave a legacy that continues today. He applied himself to be a servant of men, but instead became a servant of God.

You May Be the Bolt of Lightening

We could speak more of Dwight, but what about you? While your own life may not resemble what Dwight endured, you have a story all your own. You may think the circumstances of your life aren’t useful for anything, but God is the Master Artist. He will take what you have and do miracles in others that you never thought possible.

You may be the bolt of lightning that Jesus Christ uses to illuminate the darkness or penetrate another’s soul. But as Dwight learned, it is God’s power, light, direction and penetration that so masterfully changes the lives around you.

I would like to leave you with three verses that sum up what Dwight learned.
- “’Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty.” Zechariah 4:6 NIV.
- As the apostle Paul said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13 NKJV.
- Jesus said it best. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 NKJV.
Are you happy? Are you living a fulfilled life? Do you feel like you make a difference? Or are you filled with regret at squandering so much of the life God has given? Turn to Jesus Christ in prayer. There is still time. Even the ministry of Jesus Christ was only 3 years long and look what came of it; eternal life for all who believe in Him and what He did.

References
1. Kevin Belmonte “D.L. Moody, A Life”, pg. 21.
2. Ibid., 21-22.
3. Ibid., 22.
4. Ibid., 26.
5. Ibid.
April 9, 2022
Not as the World, Do I Love You

I almost always, only see men at the corner asking for money, so I was surprised to see a woman sitting there. As she approached my open window and outstretched arm, I could see her makeup was applied too generously. I wanted to scoff at her attempt to look pretty, until I spotted it. The telltale sign of a black bruise under her right eye that the makeup couldn’t hide.

The sadness in this young woman’s eyes wounded my heart. As our eyes met and she took the bill from my hand, I felt empty. I knew that would be the only interaction we would ever have. I also knew that the pain of her struggle would not be so easily comforted by my contribution.

When My Heart Cries Out

As I drove on, I became angry. I wanted to gather armies to deliver this unknown fellow traveler of life. I wanted to charge into her life and rescue her from all who would abuse and harm her. No one deserves that abuse under any circumstance.

After our meeting, I couldn’t stop thinking about this roadside soul. Part of me wanted to shut the thought of her off so that I could forget her pain and mine. To have the knowledge of another’s suffering and be unable to heal it is devastating. I was tormented by the circumstances of a person I interacted with for only a few minutes. I wanted to heal this person’s hurt and comfort her affliction. I wanted to give her hope for a better future. I wanted her to have peace and joy. The merciless truth is that I have no wand to magically transform her life and it makes me feel helpless. Our brief exchange left me broken.

In the end, when my heart cries out, all I have for her are tears. And my prayers. But the God I know is the One who has captured my tears in His bottle. He treasures each one. And I know that my prayers, shrouded in my heart for a storm-battered soul, will not be forgotten before Him. He remembers and will not forget.

He sees her shattered life and cares for her. He knows how the world has risen against her. This world is not what He intended, so He has made a new one. It is a place of peace, love and friendship. It is a world where each person cares for the other and no one will be harmed ever again.

Not of This World

You see, He is not of this world. The world didn’t make Him. He made the world. You will stand in His presence and He will dry the tears from your eyes. He will comfort you and give you hope.

Do you not know Him? He has many names. Some are, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace and Jesus Christ.

Have you suffered extreme pain? It may be difficult to suffer and believe in a living and loving God. Whatever path brought you to the point of suffering in your life, know that what you have suffered is a taste of the death of this world. Every act of violence, every word that is designed to wound and every intention of the heart that purposely takes from another human soul are forms of death that we experience and endure in this world. But it is not that way with Jesus Christ.

Peace, Hope, Faith and Love

Jesus Christ wants you to have peace, hope, faith and love. He is waiting to lead you to still waters where you can be encouraged and rest in Him and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that He is real and He has prepared, Forever, for you so that you will never again have to endure the pain of this world.

Do you already believe in Jesus Christ? Then may He rise up to scatter your enemies and strengthen you to endure so that you may stand before Him on the day He calls you home.

Maybe you don’t know who Jesus Christ is. Let me introduce you to Him. He is the One who encourages you to care. He is the One who has taught you to love. I don’t mean giving yourself to another human being during the brevity of intimacy. I mean, He is the One who has taught you to express love in the forms of caring and nurturing for all beings great and small.

Have you ever held a little baby in your arms? If so, know then, that holding an infant is one of the Universe’s greatest, beautiful things in life. True love is made of beautiful things. When you nurture and protect that eternal being in the form of a helpless baby, you are expressing true love. That love, is God in you. God is love and He created you with that love inside you.

This world of death will try to steal that love from you. It will lie to you and tell you that type of love isn’t real, but you were born to love. The world can’t stop that love in you. Love is always waiting to flow from your heart, to your lips and feet and arms. It was put there by God. No one and nothing can take it away from you. You were hard-wired, so to speak, with love from the very beginning of your first spark of life.

Be Not Unbelieving, but Believing

You don’t believe me? I find that hard to accept. Perhaps you have expressed love and didn’t realize it. Here are some examples. As a child, did you ever make a drawing for your mother? Did you ever kiss your father and tell him “I love you, daddy”? Have you ever hugged your sister? Did you ever forgive a friend? How about lending a helping hand to someone in need?

I believe you know these deeds because you have expressed them countless times throughout your life. In fact, you have done these so often, they have become commonplace and almost forgotten that you do them or have done them in the past. You were made to love. You have simply forgotten who you are.

Jesus Christ has not forgotten you or who you are. He is calling you today. He knows the path you have walked and He wants to guide you into a new path. It is the path of life. It is the path that leads home to Him. Can you honestly say the path you are on is filled with love, hope, faith and joy? Does your path give you peace that surpasses all understanding? I know, there are many great and difficult struggles in this life. There is no way around them, but God wants to lead you through them. You will see His hand at work in your life when you turn to Him. When you give your life to Him, you will be able to hear the words He has been saying to you since you were born; “Not as the world, do I love you”.

April 2, 2022
Not Without My Family
Florita buried her daughter, her firstborn, when she was only 12 years old. Lupus showed no mercy when her daughter contracted the disease and died from it. By Flo’s own confession, she was devastated. Who could console this mother’s loss? Who was there to console her? As a single mother without a husband to raise 4 children on her own, Flo was left to grapple with the devastating effects of the death of her only daughter.

The loss of a child is not the normal order of life. It is usually our children who bury us. But there they were. Flo’s three boys. She had to go on for their sake. Eventually, Flo enshrined the loss of her daughter in a special place in her heart so that she could move on. She knew that her daughter would never come back to her. This mother’s faith told her that one day she would go to her daughter.

It was but scant years before death visited once more. This mother of 4, and now 3, had barely learned to live again when she lost a son in a freak accident during boot camp. A truck rolled over during a training exercise and her loss grew to two children. Pride in her son’s courage to join the Army melted into her worst fear and the familiar grief of loss. He was barely 18.

Tell Me, is it True?

They say that time heals all wounds. Tell me, Flo, is it true? I would trust you to know.

Time brought this single mother a new and wonderful husband. Life with her husband and two remaining boys who were now grown men with lives of their own was finally full. Eventually, these boys brought young women for their mother to love as daughters-in-law. Together, these 2 boys and their wives gave Florita grand-children to love. It was time to truly heal. Or was it?

The unfathomable news that her third child had died could not be contained. Circumstances of his death only shrouded her grief in misery and confusion.

Flo’s grand-children and their mother were gathered together with her remaining son, to lower his brother into the ground. This was the day I first met her. Flo sat stoically as the eulogy was delivered for her beloved son. I could not begin to imagine the depth of her pain. It made me wonder, why is it that some must carry burdens so great?

Almost 5 Years to the Day

I won’t hide what happens next. It was almost 5 years to the day. Her last son. Her only son left alive. Her only child left who had been there for each passing of his siblings and the ceremonies that marked the next step in their eternal journeys. This son knew the loss his mother carried. He cared for his mother so much that he chose to give up his love of riding motorcycles to be there for her in her old age. Deciding to sell his motorcycle, he found a co-worker to buy it, just to make sure he would never be in a motorcycle accident that would take him away from his mother. That fateful morning, on his way to work to deliver the bike to his friend, he was killed in an accident. Her last son. Her youngest. Gone. It defies all reason.

Who Could Endure?

Florita must be a strong woman. Who could endure the loss of all of her children? She continued when others would have surrendered. Fortunately, Flo’s husband was there to comfort her. Flo was alone in the beginning, but not now. The years into retirement brought travel together with her husband. There were good times as they toured the country in their motorhome.

Eventually, as it is with all life, our youth passes. We are left aged, even though we still feel young on the inside. It is what is on the outside that drags us down. Old bodies that creak and groan and grumble. Flo and her husband were aging. At the normal time of life that death would come calling, it would have been a mercy for Flo to be the one to go first.

When we received the call that Flo’s husband had passed, I couldn’t stop thinking of her and her journey on this island called, earth. I don’t know anyone else who has endured so much loss. It makes me wonder about who Flo is and what type of person she is on the inside that could suffer so much and go on.

Florita has had 5 family members walk through the veil before her. Rarely must one person suffer so much loss. All who hear Flo’s story will grieve with her at her immeasurable loss. If I could give my life to bring even one of her family back, I would do it gladly.

The only way I can come to grips with the loss Flo has endured is to think of our future self in heaven. In time, each of us will walk the path Flo’s family has taken. I wonder what it will be like to shed this mortal life for immortality; to leave the world we see for the world we don’t see.

Through a Mirror Dimly

Flo has lost everyone. All four children and now her husband. Seemingly, she is alone in this life, but Jesus Christ is still with her. He will never leave Flo or abandon her. Jesus Christ has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you” Hebrews 13:5 partial, NASB. He sees Flo’s loss and will restore all that she has lost. Scripture says, “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten.” Joel 2:25. He will turn your mourning into praise and will cause you to rejoice. “You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. LORD my God, I will praise you forever.” Psalms 30:11-12 NIV.

We do not see it now because we see through a mirror dimly. “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” 1 Corinthians 13:12 NIV. Who can see through the veil? It is always before us until we take that step in our journey into eternity. But there are evidences of what lies beyond the veil. Those proofs are found in the bible as well as all around us.

We see them in the flowers, trees, mountains and oceans. It is the perfection and symbiosis of all life and living things. It is in the fact that the ocean goes no further than the beach. The bible tells us that God put an everlasting ordinance on the ocean so that it would stop at the beach. “I made the sand a boundary for the sea, an everlasting barrier it cannot cross. The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail; they may roar, but they cannot cross it.” Jeremiah 5:22 NIV, partial.

We also see and hear these evidences in the stories we tell that remind us of deeds long past. Jesus’ birth, life, death and resurrection are one example.

If you are like Flo and have suffered loss, then let me encourage you. I think that when we enter the veil, we will learn the story of those who have gone before us and we will discover that they entered through the veil with singing and dancing and music and joy and peace and inexpressible love. It is what each of those who have made a choice for Jesus Christ, will experience when they take that next step in their journey.

Are You Unsure?

Are you unsure of a loved one who has gone before you? Take heart. No one knows who will be waiting for us, but with God, all things are possible. God is the one who examines our heart. “I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind.” Jeremiah 17:10 NIV, partial. He is the judge and if there is anyone who you would want judging you, it is the God who is love.

Love covers a multitude of sins. Love endures when all else fails. Love forgives the unforgiveable. You don’t believe me? See what the bible has to say about love.
- “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 1 John 4:8 NIV
- “This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1 John 4:10 NIV
- “No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us.” 1 John 4:12 NIV
- “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8 NIV
- “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 NIV
Flo, isn’t alone. The hosts of Heaven are with her. They mourn as one with her and for her great loss. God will restore her loss and give her time unending to enjoy the fruit she longs for, which is her family.
March 26, 2022
What He Deserves

Dave’s Story

“He deserves what he got!” is the common sentiment when people hear of his sin. It is true that his eyes were too greedy. In one day, he lost his job, his family and his freedom.

When I first heard that Dave had been arrested, I could barely wrap my head around it. I felt the man I know could not be the one who had been arrested. Life had separated us by distance and years and that made me wonder about the man behind the sin.

A Faithful Provider

In the 30 years I have known Dave, this is what I have learned about him.

Dave is a man full of love and kindness. His friendship has been dear. He is self-disciplined, hard-working and a valuable employee and co-worker. All who know Dave like and treasure him. He is a man of true worth.

Dave has been a faithful provider for his wife and two children. When his wife suffered a stroke and was unable to work any longer, Dave worked harder to take care of their family.

On the days we drove to work together, we shared our like-faith in Jesus Christ and often listened to worship music. I have known Dave to be a good man.

Caught in the Very Act

As we reconnected via letters during his time in prison, I discovered the same person I knew before. Only this time I found a man who had fallen on Christ and was broken. He was broken by the same thing that breaks any life. Sin.

I was reminded of the story of the harlot, who was caught in her own sin. Brought before Jesus, the rulers who condemned this woman waited to hear what Jesus would say should be done with her. It was clear in their minds that these circumstances called for her to be stoned to death.

Jesus stooped to the ground, drawing in the sand, waiting for this woman’s accusers to calm down. Finally standing up, Jesus said, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”

They were stunned into silence. It was the older ones who began to leave first. Maybe it was because those of us who are older, have had more time to dwell on our own, past mistakes. No one knows the pain of regret we carry more than our own heart.

Before long, all of the accusers were gone. Jesus looked at the woman and said, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?”

Her reply? “No one, Lord.”

And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go your way. From now on sin no more.” Story from John 8:3-11 NASB

Both the harlot and Dave were caught in the very act of sin. If God did not condemn the harlot, then neither does he condemn Dave.

The Bible is filled with stories of God’s forgiveness, healing and restoration. What makes us so quick to condemn? When people look at our faults or sins, they usually miss the beauty of the life behind the mistakes. But not God.

An Unexpected Chapter

When Dave got out of prison, he found an unexpected chapter of his life being written.

With his prison record, it was impossible for Dave to find work. Without work he could not provide for even his most basic needs. He had been provided a place to stay briefly after leaving prison. From there he began staying in motels which were very costly for someone without an income.

Dave stayed in motels for about 2 months when his money ran out. He was already prepared in his heart to live on the streets when a friend was moved to give Dave some money. That gift of money gave Dave two more nights at the motel. The next day, Dave’s Parole Officer called and told him that he had to leave the county immediately. He could not stay in the same county that his crime had been committed.

Dave’s Parole Officer rushed the paperwork that allowed him to move to another county. Because of this change, Dave was able to move in with his mother and avoided living on the streets. The process took two days. It was the exact time he had left at the motel before his money ran out.

In all of his recent circumstances, Dave has been forced to cling to Jesus Christ. It is a place he has found the most comfort, love and acceptance. And God has not disappointed him. Each week God has provided food and a place to stay.

It was the news that he had cancer that brought the greatest surprise.

Undiagnosed rectal and colon cancer which the doctors said he has probably had for years, spread throughout his body. Now his condition is terminal.

Some may feel this is a judgment against him for his sins and that he is getting what he deserves. If that is the case, then we all deserve this merciless cancer.

God’s word says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23 NASB. It is clear none of us is as good as God.

But let us rejoice in the knowledge that God is love. His Word says it and that should give us comfort.

The Bible says, “The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Thy faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23. NASB

What Jesus Christ thinks about forgiveness is clear in His dialogue with Peter. Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus responded by saying, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.”

What is the lesson of Dave’s story? Everyone makes mistakes and poor choices but God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and trespasses.

What He Deserves

Dave’s body is dying, but his relationship with Jesus Christ is not. He has put complete trust in Jesus Christ. Knowing that death is imminent has a way of burning away the chaff of this mortal life. Dave is now so close to Jesus Christ, it humbles him to tears when he approaches Him in prayer. When God releases Dave from his physical body, then he will get what he deserves. Eternity in heaven with Jesus Christ.

Dave’s journey is a story that will inspire others that they too can have a second chance. Not only can they have a second chance at life, but more importantly, a second chance with God and a place in Heaven with Him. You see, in the end, all of this fuss that we call life, is simply about finding Jesus Christ and securing our place with Him in Heaven where we will finally be able to live without the influence of sin, pain, struggle and tears.

God wants you to know that you will not be judged by what overcomes you. He simply wants you to believe in His son Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ came to earth 2000 years ago to speak to His creation and to offer up a perfect life to pay the price for sin that kept His creation separated from Him. It is a price that none of us could pay.

Dave’s story does not end here. As an eternal being, Dave will live far beyond what this mortal life has to offer.

Are you so burdened with sin that you feel God can never forgive you? Forget what lies behind. Reach toward what lies ahead.

Jesus Christ can help if you ask Him.

March 12, 2022
You Are Beautiful

How often do you think about you and your life? Dale Carnegie in his book “How to Win Friends and Influence People” says we spend about 95 percent of our time thinking about ourselves. In all of that spent mental energy, you have probably considered your failures more than a few times. If you are like me, you want life to be perfect and you hate the blemishes that you see. This may leave you wondering about life and where you are going.

Perfection

A person’s goal is usually to seek perfection about themselves. There isn’t a soul alive that likes failure. This goes back to Adam and Eve. When confronted by God about their choices, Adam blamed his wife, Eve, and Eve blamed the serpent. No one wants to be told they are at fault. Often, if you call out a person’s failure, that person will flat out lie to protect themself.

Our failures can weigh us down in the secret person of our heart. You try to hide them because you have been told those failures are ugly. If you hear your faults enough, they can make you feel ugly on the inside. You dwell on what you think is ugly and begin to believe it. The weight of blame can be crippling. Dwelling too long on your mistakes will eventually rob you of your peace and can attack your mental health.

Let’s say for a moment that you are perfect. You bridle your tongue always saying the right thing. After borrowing something from a friend, you always return it. At work, all you do is perfect and never needs improving. In fact, you never make a mistake. I think we can all say this is not realistic, but if it could be true, how boring! Sure, it would be nice for all of us to live together in peace and harmony. As a society, we need peace and harmony. As an individual on a daily basis though, perfection is rather anticlimactic. Let me show you why.

Imperfection

There will always be failures, mistakes, accidents and general wrong choices in your life, but the beauty of those circumstances is that they are what tell your story. If you are perfect, what is there left to say about you? Can you imagine the conversation?

“Did you hear about the guy who is perfect?”

“No, tell me about him.”

“I just did.”

Really, what else is there to say?

I remodeled a 100-year-old house. In all of my work on the home, the problems of the modifications are what I share most with others. I rarely talk about the finished home. If you walked through my home after it was done, I would tell you about the blocking in the eaves that wasn’t nailed and how a bird was nesting on the insulation above the kitchen addition. I would tell you that the original home wasn’t insulated. Then we could discuss the wiring and how the old wire was spliced into the new wire improperly.

You can be happy in a perfect home but what is its story? Don’t you talk more about the failures and how you overcame those failures to get your home to where it is now? It is like that with you. The mistakes you make are what paint the story of your life, not because they take you down, but by how you overcome them. These are the shades of grey, blue, red, green, yellow and black that paint the picture of your journey.

Your Story

What good story doesn’t have adversity? Aren’t we moved when adversity is overcome? So too is God moved as you overcome adversity. For proof, just look at the people in the Bible. A few examples are Joseph, who was made a slave, Moses murdered a man, Elijah was afraid, and Peter denied the living God. Your failures and how you overcome them are the story that God sees. That is what He talks about. Have you never rooted for the underdog? How many stories are there of someone coming from behind to finish well?

Did you know that God is a Master Craftsman? You are the work of His hands. Your life is a tapestry that hangs in the greatest hall in the universe. It is the Great Hall of Heaven. Are you aware of the stains in your own tapestry? He makes those imperfections part of the tapestry. You may not see the beauty because you are looking at the back side of that tapestry. God sees the beauty because He is looking at the finished work on the front of the tapestry as He works on it and you. Your tapestry is eternal proof that you have overcome and that you are an overcomer.

You don’t have to be perfect. You may make poor choices in this life. We all do. But it’s not about the poor choices you make. It is about overcoming those choices and learning to make better choices. It is about reaching the finish line. Maybe you have a poor running form and won’t come in first. In the race to eternity, it doesn’t matter who’s first. It matters that you make it. Jesus Christ is waiting at the finish line. He wants to tell you personally, “Well done!”.

Imagine Jesus speaking with you. He would say: It doesn’t matter how dirty you’ve been, where you have wandered or how bad your language is. I don’t care that you have turned from Me your whole life. Have you met the thief on the cross? Can you tell which one believed in Me? I do care, that no matter what, you will spend the rest of Eternity with Me. I created Eternity for you. I made a year for every moment you have suffered, a year for every abuse, a year for every tear you have cried. Until you have forgotten the reason for your tears and the painful years you have endured. Forget what is behind you. Look at Me. I see the child you were created you to be.

March 5, 2022