The Miracle Business

The Miracle Business

Our daily world is filled with obligations and demands.  We rush here and there only to slow down for a minimal second.  We wait impatiently for the microwave to finish our prepared meal.  We honk at the car in front of us who hasn’t moved fast enough at the stoplight.  We even pay to have something delivered to our homes overnight from across the continent.  It is no wonder that we are not patient to wait for God’s miracles.  

Anyone who knows me well can tell you am I self proclaimed geek and lover of all things tech related.  I love to see how gadgets have evolved over time.  A computer that used to be as big as a room in the mid-twentieth century can now fit into the palm of my hand and be stored away in my pocket.  This advance in science and technology has led us to be more demanding of results and constantly seeking man made solutions and explanations.  What once was based on faith and hope is replaced with machines and scans.  Don’t get me wrong, I am in awe of the people who followed their calling to heal and I know the One who put them there.  Yet we are not patient in waiting for God’s timing.  We want the miracle on our schedule and we want it now.  

In the Gospel of Matthew Jesus encounters two different people with serious medical afflictions.  In Capernaum while preaching to the crowds a group of friends brought their dear friend, who is paralyzed, to Jesus for healing.  “When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the man, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’”  He saw their faith. They waited for their chance encounter with the One True God believing this is what could heal him.  It was their faith that made it possible.  Later in chapter nine a woman who suffered for 12 years with a bleeding condition merely wanted to touch the edge of Jesus’ garment to be healed.  She knew in the depths of her soul that a touch would be all she needed to receive healing.  She waited and waited, for 12 years. 12. Long. Years.  I can’t imagine waiting 12 months with a serious health issue, let alone 12 years.  Yet it was her faith that sustained her and ultimately provided healing.  

It wasn’t their timing that was the solution.  It wasn’t her constant worrying that healed her.  It was waiting on God and having faith that He was the solution.  If it had been left up to us to solve we would have found an answer in man made methods.  Without waiting we would have never seen the glory of the end of the story.  

It was the faith of those around them that brought Jesus to their need.  He still performs miracles and plans where people need to be to allow those events to occur.  Our world tries to diminish the wonders of miracles or even question their existence.  It is time for us to share with the world that God is not out of the miracle business, it is us who are out of the waiting business.  

Twins

Twins. A word that indicates the sharing of at least a single outstanding characteristic. People pray for twin children to be born safely. Co-workers show up in matching outfits without planning. Students trick their teachers in matching outfits and trade seats. Yet the thing I could never imagine is twin heartaches.

Just weeks apart two sweet friends are picking up the pieces shattered by the six letter word - cancer. They are bound by something no one should ever have to face once, let alone twice. I see them taking on this battle as only women can do, with resolve and faith. Maybe in the quiet stillness of their home they may admit their fear but to the world, they are conquerors. No one can fathom the anxiety that lurks behind their eyes.

Cancer is the enemy that we just cannot figure out. It does not choose a victim by demographics, by social status, or by divine provision. It just is. There are no words one can use to describe the giant survivors confront. We talk all the time about finding cures for cancer. We walk miles through the night for this very solution. But sometimes what we need cannot come from the medicine but a healing within our hearts.

I sat with my friend and listened to her wonder about a faith walk I take for granted every, single day. In my heart I ache so deeply because I cannot guarantee her a pain-free existence. She is seeking answers I do not have. I have no idea what I would do if I were placed in her shoes and asked to walk this journey. Still the stirring in my soul tells me it isn't the healing of her body that matters as much as the spirit. Little by little it is being repaired, one prayer at a time. God glorifies those who turn their fears and panic over to him each and every single moment.

If you know a person walking a long road alone, don't just say you'll pray for them.  Ask to carry that burden for a minute, a mile, or a moment. We were not created alone on this earth. You may never know the pain caused by this cruel world that another person suffers. However we do know the joy another can bring in the midst of heartache. We are gifted with something that someone else needs. It is our job to seek out that need and not wait for the person to ask. Waiting for the right time may never come and your blessing will be lost.

We thank you Father for the glory that comes through those tender moments of heartache. May we always find You in the middle of our needs.

There is definitely something so very tender about sharing love with another person who knows your history.  We take the good, the bad, and even the ugly when we have that person by our side.  They may even be the cause of some of the bad and the ugly but more than likely they are a lot of the good.  Nevertheless, I am reminded that although the time we share maybe short, it is the constant memories and inward laughter that propels me towards that love.  History is a story about a journey in life.  During that journey the hills we face may seem like mountains but it is that love, never ending and enduring , that our hearts yearn for when facing the next incline.  Our time is truly limited here on Earth, yet with each memory our time then becomes limitless, without an end, forever.  If you are currently holding a pen in your hand to help me write this chapter of my story, thank you.  Or you may be the words left there from another time, a script that is forever stamped on my heart.  This may not be a book worth reading to some but for me it is a best seller.

Need to Reboot?

One of the first things someone using a computer learns is there are times you'll have to "reboot". Though frustrating, it is not time to get angry. You have to stop, turn it off and then start it again. What a great metaphor for life. Stop, take a breath and reboot. Sure, if I don't like how this situation is going, I am not likely to react with a cheerful disposition. In fact I might even lose a little respect from others around me when I show them the underbelly of the monster who resides within. But being a blessed child of God my reboot comes with a spiffy redeemed heart. What if the written word of God came during this fast paced time of technology? Would Jonah realize that God was sending him on an adventure because his life needed a reboot? A giant smelly belly for three days screams reboot. Jonah didn't listen and neither do I. Yet three words can save me from the torment and chaos I create. "Father, forgive me." Simple yet redeeming, choosing to reboot a life full of crashes and malfunctions. I shall seek You in the morning and learn to walk in Your ways. Thank you Lord for the gift of starting over. Time to reboot my "heart" drive. Are you ready to do the same?

Following is leading

Does it ever make you stop and think that in order to lead one must also follow? Today I learned that a woman who lead so many of our children through their first encounter with Christ is now celebrating and dancing at the Savior's feet. Miss Linda was much more than a Sunday School teacher. She chose to follow Christ when He called her to teach. Miss Linda followed God to through the toughest battle against a deadly disease. We look at that battle here on Earth and often say, she lost her battle with cancer. But she won! No more do those chains bind her. We know that her choice to follow Christ lead her to a victory no one Earth is good enough to earn on their own. So tonight I take this time to thank the Lord for people who boldly follow a path that has been laid out before us. May the leaders we uphold be the same people who choose to follow.

Holy is wholly

I've been struck lately by the meaning of the word holy. It is used before the word Bible, as the divine writings of my God. It is used to describe men and women who seek God continually. It is an adjective in front of the land that Jacob claimed for God's chosen people. But in our English language it has a homonym; another word sounding like it but spelled differently. Consider the word wholly. As I sat here for a while I noticed that the word wholly is never used in connection to those who serve God and seek His will for their lives. I looked up the word wholly in the online dictionary. It remarked people often confuse it with other words like HOLY. This is just me thinking out loud but I don't think this is a mistake.

The definition states: whol-ly adverb: entirely; totally; altogether; to the whole amount. I cannot imagine a word that demonstrates what we must do to be HOLY. We must give ourselves entirely, totally, to the entire amount of our being in order to even be considered holy. To serve our HOLY Lord, I must give all of my being; not part of me one day and more or less the next simply because I had a bad day, late start, no time to pray, or ____________ (fill in excuse here).

Instead, I seek to be complete in God and then I will be wholly His. Maybe then I can be considered a holy child of God.

Don't be scared, jump right in

I may not be the best at everything but I want to be the best at something. So today let me be the best at being a humble servant. I've sat here many times to wonder what my impact would be. Now I have it- to serve others. That is a no-brainer. What has changed is the how. The "how" comes from the people who are in need. It might be a meal for someone hungry or comforting a hurting soul. Most of all it is listening to voice that stirs deep within me asking me to step forward on faith. I am excited to learn that my legacy doesn't have to be tied into having offspring or a big family, job or status but my willingness to be humble to show others with God's love through actions.

Your challenge: Serve the Lord with gladness and thanksgiving. Are you willing to step forward and make this your legacy?