Climb On

April 19, 2023 by  
Filed under Daily Devotions

By Anne C. Johnson –

 

I sat in the lobby of our motel in Estes Park Colorado. The view of the mountains was glorious. I couldn’t believe this was the last day of the Colorado Christian Writers Conference I had been attending. For three days, I led a group of conferees in an early morning devotional. However, this morning I had a strange butterfly feeling in my stomach. I wasn’t nervous, rather, unsure. I didn’t think the topic I had prepared to share about was correct. I asked my thirteen-year-old daughter, Moriah, and my nine-year-old son, Christopher, to pray for me.

 

Twelve conferees found their seats in the lobby and after a moment of greetings, we prayed. One of my cherished friends, adopted Grandma Louise, began praying. I offered my own silent prayer.

 

“Amen.” As my mouth repeated the words, my mind went blank. Help me Father, I don’t know what you want me to share.

 

During the week I explained how J.O.Y. ought to be a Christian’s perspective in life. “J” stands for the journey we all take; the good and the bad. “O” stands for an optimistic outlook, because as a Christian, we are Heaven Bound. So no matter what happens in life we should look ahead eagerly. “Y” stands simply for “Yes.” We are to say, “Yes, God. Your way and not mine.”

 

I stared at those gathered around me. My tongue felt weighted down as if stuck in a pair of cement galoshes. Out of the corner of my eye I saw my son’s hand raise into the air. Oh boy. I don’t needs this. I can’t even focus on what to say, and now this.

 

The butterfly feeling returned, and a wave of reassurance washed over me. “Yes, Christopher,” I said.

 

“Well,” he began, “I was just thinking how our Christian life is like rock climbing on a steep mountain cliff.”

 

“How so?” I asked. All eyes turned toward him as I watched in awe as God used my son to convey the morning’s message.

 

“When you start climbing, you have a harness and rope on that give you a sense of security. But in fact, these things are the sins in our lives that we hold to instead of trusting fully in Jesus. To say, “Yes to Jesus,” we need to be willing to take the rope and harness off. When we do, we fall down to the bottom of the mountain and land in a pool of Jesus’ blood. We are washed clean by His blood, forgiven and strengthened by His grace to take the next step and climb on.”

 

Christopher paused and looked around. All eyes were on him. Some people nodded, others smiled. Grandma Louise encouraged him, “Go on.”

 

“As we begin our climb with Jesus as our harness, the rocks that we are stepping and grabbing onto become little Bibles. When we falter or feel lost or weary, we can pull out God’s word and get His advice or strategy or strength for continuing.”

 

More nods of understanding. Christopher shared how reading scripture daily was needed to strengthen our spiritual climbing muscles. He also said during the tough, scary, unsure times, we need to grab hold of God’s word and submerge ourselves in His presence. The Bible becomes a spiritual energy bar.

Christopher received hugs and encouragement from those gathered in the lobby. Wrapping the week up, I prayed that everyone would walk optimistically through their lives’ journey and never give up but continue to “Climb On.”

 

“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14 NIV).

God’s Ways

April 4, 2023 by  
Filed under Daily Devotions

By Anne Johnson –

 

I ran to find the ringing phone and breathlessly answered. “Hey sweetie,” my mom said. “Is Matt home?” It was an odd question. My husband Matt and my mother get along well, but in the ten years we had been married, she had never called to talk to him.

“Yeah, why?” I asked.

“I want to talk to both of you,” she said.

We continued our conversation as I searched around the house for Matt. When I couldn’t find him inside, I headed to the garden. “Here he is,” I declared, “playing in the dirt.”

Matt looked up from the row he was weeding. “What’s up?”

“My mom wants to talk to both of us.”

I put the phone on speaker, “Okay Mom, we’re both here.”

I heard my mom clear her throat before she started. “I just received news from the doctor. He found a cancerous lump in my breast. I need to have surgery and radiation soon.”

My eyes teared. I felt Matt’s arms encircle me. Leaning against him I found the strength to ask my mom the myriad of questions that rolled like a tumbleweed through my mind. We talked for a while.

That night Matt and I discussed my mom’s condition. The next morning I called and invited her to come and do her radiation and recuperating at my house. Apparently, she had thoroughly talked the situation over with my dad and older sister. They had discussed many options, and reasoned that mom should go to Seattle and stay with my older sister, Maria.

I attempted to persuade my mom to change her mind, “Maria’s not a nurse,” I said.

“No, but you have two small children,” Mom replied.

“Maria has two kids,” I countered.

“They aren’t toddlers.”

“But…” I tried to protest.

“Sweetie, are you really worried about where I’ll be, or about the fact that I have cancer?” Mom asked.

I felt like a cyclone had sucked all the air out of my lungs. My chest hurt, and no words could escape. I bawled.

“Annie,” Mom said softly, “God’s ways are different than ours. I don’t like that I have cancer either, but we must have faith and trust God.”

“I know.”

“Listen, I really think that being in Seattle is the right thing. Everything is going to be okay,” Mom stated.

Her confidence and faith strengthened me. After I hung up, I grabbed my Bible and found the scripture in Isaiah 55:8 that my mom had referenced. I prayed that God would grant me His peace and assurance, and that through this His perfect way would be revealed. Seven years later, when Maria lost her husband to bladder cancer, my niece and nephew turned to my mom for support. If she hadn’t spent those three months with my sister, the deep connection between grandma and grandchildren wouldn’t have happened.

God didn’t cause these events, but through them His good and perfect will shone through. In the middle of the battle it is hard to see the path ahead, but knowing God’s ways are best, I find strength to face life’s challenges.

Two Lame Quarters

March 19, 2023 by  
Filed under Daily Devotions

By Anne Johnson –

 

There were two brothers, Ollie and Sphen, and they did everything together. These two brothers ate, slept, worked, played and went to the two-seater (outhouse) together. One day, Ollie accidentally dropped two quarters into the stool.

“Drat,” he muttered.

Seeing his brother’s distress, Sphen threw a handful of one dollar bills down into the hole.

“What are you doing?” Ollie exclaimed.

“Well you don’t think I’m going down there for two lame quarters do you?”

The people in the van I was traveling with erupted with laughter from the joke. A minute later a quiet voice from the back of the van stated, “I don’t get it.” Again laughter filled the air.

I turned to Molly, a young girl, whose crimson cheeks were glowing, and explained the meaning behind the joke.

“Oh, that was funny,” Molly replied.

My daughter and I had been traveling with her Bible Quiz team heading home from their regional competition in Minnesota. I had spent the last three days with this group of believers and marveled about the different personalities and gifting God had blessed each of them with.  At times, I found myself being jealous of the abilities of the people around me. Silently, I pondered the ways had God gifted me.

I remembered the verse from Romans 12:6, “We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us” (NIV). I reflected about the rainbow of talents of the people around me. Suddenly, a quiet voice interrupted my meditation.

“What are you thinking about, Miss Anne?” Molly asked.

“Oh, I was just wondering what my gifting from God might be.”

Not missing a beat, Molly replied, “The gift of laughter of course.”

Molly had seen in me something I hadn’t ever dared imagine could be a gift from my Heavenly Father. Laughter has always been important to me, a balm for pain and chasing the blues away. And now, God revealed through a child His precious gift He had bestowed on me.

I wanted to crawl over the seat to the back of the van and give Molly a hug. Her words were therapeutic. I find it hard at times to see God’s hand in my life, especially if I am busy comparing myself to others. Depression and self-doubt had begun to build up within me, but with Molly’s words, I felt special to God. Needed. Useful.

And to think it was all started with two lame quarters.

 

Listen First

February 24, 2023 by  
Filed under Daily Devotions

By Anne Johnson –

The smell of sizzling bacon wafted down the hall. Mom had hollered at me to get up and ready for school, but the scrumptious smell was truly my catalyst.

I dressed rapidly, ran a brush through my curly tangled hair and skipped to the kitchen.

“Morning M-” I was shushed before I could complete my greeting.

“Listen,” Mom whispered.

I sat at the kitchen listening to the announcer’s voice sounding from the cube shaped radio perched on the kitchen table. My siblings arrived and were also shushed. They plopped down in their chairs as we ate our morning meal in silence.

I have always enjoyed talking. My mom often told people that the only time I was quiet was when I was asleep. To my mother’s credit, she tried to warn me about stranger danger, but if she was with me, I had the confidence to talk to anyone.

I squirmed in my chair, folded and refolded my napkin and glared at the noisy annoying radio. Mom sat seemingly transfixed by the words of the announcer.

“And that is the rest of the story. Good day.”

Mom stood and began to gather the breakfast dishes. I sighed and pushed back my chair, “Well, he sure was a chatterbox!” I declared.

My family burst into laughter. When I was a child my nickname was “Chatterbox”. I had met my match. Some man named Paul Harvey had out-talked me.

After breakfast I pleaded with my mom, “Please, walk me to school today. I need to talk to you. It’s very important.” To my delight, she agreed.

“What was so important?” Mom asked as we neared the elementary school. I gazed at the ground, kicking the little pebbles that were in front of me.

“Well.” Nothing. I didn’t really have anything to say, I only wanted to talk. To have someone listen to the ramblings of my mind. I wanted to…well, chatter.

Mom stopped and knelt in front of me. “Annie, do you know why I wanted to listen to the radio this morning? It was a very touching story about a mother and her children.”

“Oh, but-”

“Want to know something special?” Mom asked.

I nodded. Mom shared a truth from God’s word that had changed her heart. She shared from a verse in James 1:19, “…Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” (NIV).

My mom further explained to me that every word we speak needs to be carefully considered, for by our very words, we have the ability to share God’s truth and love. If all we do is chatter, what do we, or others, gain?

It wasn’t easy to change my habit of yacking. However, I reasoned that listening must be more valued by God than talking, since He gave us two ears and only one mouth. Breakfasts around our kitchen table took on a new tradition as the little cube radio entertained us with moving stories. As I listened I learned to treasure the wisdom and wit of Paul Harvey, but it was the tender moments after when mom asked me what I thought of the story that impacted me most. In this way, my mother was imparting to me the art of listening first before I spoke.

Smiles May Chase the Gray Away

January 26, 2023 by  
Filed under Daily Devotions

By Anne Johnson –    

“It’s been 42 days since we have seen the sunshine,” my high school principal’s voice announced over the school’s intercom. Years later, I sat in my brown recliner wrapped in a heavy blanket. Winter’s dreariness was wearing on me. I physically needed sun and the warmth of its rays to regenerate both my body and mind. I felt as if I hadn’t seen the sun in over 42 years.

“I don’t want to go anywhere today,” I whined. “I don’t feel happy,” I expressed my complaint to God during my quiet time that morning.

There are days it seems impossible to be cheerful and smile. I have experienced times where all I can do is cry, and times when difficulties wear me down and I feel completely overwhelmed. The gray of the day envelopes my heart. However, I need to realize I’m not alone in these feelings.

During these days of sorrow, tears and frowns, I can find comfort in knowing Jesus had these moments in His life too. The Bible states in Isaiah 53:3: “He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain” (NIV).

I realized, Jesus probably didn’t always have a smile on His face or feel happy all the time. I also read, “As He approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it” (Luke 19:41 NIV). No smiling or false happiness there.

I have heard both believers and non-believers express their assumption that Christians should always be happy. But life isn’t easy. There are many days when it seems impossible to smile and find joy in the day. But, I must choose to walk with God through these troubled times and take my pain to Him in prayer. I can’t give in to the sorrow or the grayness around me. My smile may be faded, but my hope isn’t.

When I cling to the promise that I am heaven bound I discover the most wonderful reason to clothe my face in a smile. My heart may be troubled, my mind not feel cheerful, but eternal life awaits me.

A smile can be like a beam of sunshine or a beacon of hope. While sojourning through the struggles of life, God’s promises shine into my heart like the welcomed sun rays of spring. This time of mourning and weariness will fade. So, I choose to smile, to bring sunshine into my world and into the lives of those around me.

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