Tag: Hope

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