What? It’s Not About Me?

By Charlotte Riegel –

The audience at the live theatre production of The Book of Jobes, was challenged to consider why bad things sometimes happen to good people. The play was based on the true story of a woman born with cerebral palsy.

It began with the young woman standing before the courts of heaven pleading her case to take her life because frankly, she’d had quite enough of the misery. The various scenes skipped through her life of challenges, and indeed, most of the audience could empathize with her plea to ‘be done already with all this misery’.

Nevertheless, each time she presented another grievance to the presiding judge of heaven, she was reminded of God’s provision for her during that trial. His comfort and guidance usually came in the form of another person….a classmate in grade school, a college professor; and always her mother was there supporting her, encouraging her, and believing in her daughter, convinced God had not made a mistake.

The final ordeal of her life, an assault, brought her to the point of ‘I can’t take any more of this, God. Please remove me from this earthly hell.’ An intruder into her apartment left her body and spirit battered and bruised, lying on the floor beside her wheelchair.

Frequently throughout the story’s telling, the ‘judge’ confronted her with, “You have so much to say and you know so little.” Near the end of the performance he asked, “Whose prayer would you have God answer?” She then silently, slowly, maneuvered throughout the many different characters on stage, not the least being the young man who assaulted her. Quietly she studied all their faces, and finally returned to face the judge not knowing how to answer his question. His final words to her were, “Maybe it’s not about you.”

At his trial, the young man who assaulted her confessed his intention had been to rob and kill her, however, while in her apartment beginning this deed he saw a very bright light and fled in fear. He was caught and sentenced to time in prison. His trial revealed a very troubled childhood including abandonment. He had become a fugitive. Perhaps it was his encounter with this disabled young woman that began his journey to healing and restoration.

Audience members left the play asking questions like, “When I feel hard done by and think God has dealt me a bad hand is He actually wanting me to influence someone else for His Kingdom by shining His light into their world?” “Is God using me for His greater purposes of which I am blissfully unaware?”

Yes, indeed, I often whine and complain and say too much when I know so little about the big picture. Please forgive me, Lord. I desire to shine Your light into the lives of others.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NIV).

Leftovers

By Cheri Cowell –

Today’s restaurant portions are so big I almost feel like I should order the to-go box when I order the food. This is not a problem for me because I love leftovers. It is so convenient the next day to just grab it and go. Even if there is a little bit from this dish and a little from that one I can usually make a meal of it.

How often do we do this with our resources for God? I have to admit that I can easily fall into this trap. I’m not talking about church things; rather I’m talking about the time we spend growing our personal relationship with Him. It is tempting to give God my leftovers after I’ve spent my most valued time on other things. I’m really good at taking a little bit here, adding a little bit there, and passing this off as a whole meal with God. However, God doesn’t want my leftovers no matter how good I am at dressing them up. He doesn’t want yours either.
“A son honors his father, and a slave his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?” says the Lord Almighty. “It is you priests who show contempt for my name. “But you ask, ‘How have we shown contempt for your name?’ “By offering defiled food on my altar. “But you ask, ‘How have we defiled you?’ “By saying that the Lord’s table is contemptible. When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice lame or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?” says the Lord Almighty” (Malachi 1:6-8 NIV).

Malachi was a prophet called to preach to the Israelites. Here he is accusing them of just going through the motions without joy from a heart filled with adoration. Verses 6–8 refer to the requirement of a perfect animal to be sacrificed, which in the New Testament becomes Jesus Christ, the perfect sacrifice. We now know that our lives are to be our sacrifice, and therefore, should be the best we have to give. How are you doing in giving your best to God?

PRAYER: Thank You, Lord, for Your gift of the perfect sacrifice, Your perfect Son. Help me discover new ways to give You the best sacrifices of my time this week.

Snoopy’s Heading East

By Charlotte Riegel –

“Snoopy’s heading east,” I told my husband on a recent trip to the city. He was baffled until I pointed to a cloud in the sky. “See, his ears and hair are streaming out behind him indicating he is moving very fast.” I smiled and my husband reminded me he was driving and could not examine the cloud to which I referred.

I love looking at clouds. Living on the Canadian prairies where sky scenes abound offers many delightful opportunities to see cloud formations that resemble dinosaurs, bears, rabbits, funny faces with long hair, warriors, pretty ladies in long dresses, Snoopy and angels.

Several years ago I had the privilege of attending a Christian Writer’s Conference in New Mexico. Three other ladies from my church also attended and we travelled together between airport and conference grounds and return, a two hour trip each direction. On that return trip we stopped at the edge of the conference grounds for some final pictures of a rustic homestead and the breathtaking scenery around us. While sharing a prayer for safety in our travels and gratitude for the amazing time we had experienced at the conference, I looked up (I often pray with my eyes open) and saw a cloud that looked like an angel. After the ‘amen’ I pointed to it and said to my companions, “Look, there is our guardian angel for this trip.” They looked, and teased me, having gotten used to my cloud pictures, but not totally convinced it looked like an angel.

About thirty minutes down the road one lady asked the driver to stop so she could get some better pictures. While she was out of the vehicle I looked to the sky and saw the guardian angel cloud, still keeping watch over us. I also saw the face of a woman in that cloud and drew the other’s attention to it. They all saw the face and were in awe.

I have learned it’s possible to train someone else to see things I see when at first they don’t. My husband used to tease me as I pointed out cloud pictures to him. It delights me now to have him drawing my attention to cloud pictures he sees before I do.

In the same way we can train others to focus in on God and a relationship of faith and close communion with Him by repeatedly drawing their attention to His work in our lives and in the world around us.
“You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16 MSG).

Downsizing

By Gillis Killam –

Over the past three months my wife and I have been downsizing. In the past we have moved a number of times, but this last move was very different. Moving to a smaller space made us look at everything we possessed, and decide what we needed. We found that there were many things that were no longer useful although good in their day. There were memorabilia: pictures, videos, DVDs, letters, cards, poems from special occasions; then there was furniture we didn’t have room for so asked the family and others if there was something they would like. Some items were taken but most people already had their houses filled and didn’t want any more.

We decided that a good piece of advice to others would be to not wait until you are in your late 70’s to do this. One should do it year by year, or at least every other year! We had to get rid of a lot of things that for years had been just taking up space and were no longer needed. We took most of it to organizations that distribute items to those in need.

This caused me to think that we should not wait to the last minute to clear up our lives from grudges, feelings, and thoughts that have cluttered our minds over the years. We should make sure we are right with God and have our sins forgiven (1 John 1:9-10). We should ask forgiveness of anyone we have wronged; we should do the things we should have done many years ago.

We all accumulate unresolved relationships, practices or habits that we know we need to put away because they are not God’s will for us. There may be things that are not wrong in themselves but take up too much of our time and occupy a place that should belong to God or our family. The writer to the Hebrews said, “…let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles” (Hebrews 12:1 NIV).

I was reminded of the scripture which tells us to put off the old life and put on the new which is renewed in righteousness. “And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Ephesians 4:24 KJV).

Prayer: Search me, O God; help me to remove those things which hinder Your will in my life.

Wright on Right and Wrong

By Hally Franz –

Harold Bell Wright wrote “The Shepherd of the Hills,” published in 1907, while living in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri. His novel tells the story of a man named Dad Howitt, who leaves the city and trappings of success to live in the mountains where his artist son (believed dead) had worked and fallen in love years earlier. Dad goes to Mutton Hollow to right wrongs and become closer to his son, if only in spirit, but his true identity is not known to those in the community. Dad develops a friendship with Grant “Old Matt” Matthews; however, Old Matt would never have accepted Dad if he’d known who he really was. There is romance, tragedy, and a shoot-out with Baldknobbers. Ultimately, though, there is forgiveness that replaces hatred and repairs pain.

Branson, Missouri is the home of the stage production of “The Shepherd of the Hills.” The play has been seen for over fifty years now at the very homestead where Harold Bell Wright penned his famous novel. My family and I had the opportunity to see the production this past summer. Our tour guide told us more copies of “The Shepherd of the Hills” have been sold than any other work of fiction. I’m not 100% sure of that statistic, but I am certain of the enduring appeal and importance of stories like this one.

Life is about gaining and giving, learning and serving. It’s a process of growth that comes from making mistakes and making them right, both with people we’ve hurt and our Heavenly Father. Sin and repentance, forgiveness and redemption—these are themes we ALL connect with.

God gives us time in this space to have experiences landing all over the joy and pain continuums, so that we may gain wisdom and grow faith. It’s all in preparation for eternity in His place. That process is quite an adventure! It’s a romance! And, it’s real-life stories very much worth telling and hearing.

Let’s seek out stories in print and on television that offer something of value to our families. And, if I may, let me give a shout-out to Branson, MO—famously family-friendly, profoundly patriotic, and courageously Christian.

PRAYER: Merciful and Mighty God, walk with us as we encounter and endure challenges in life. May each be a cherished story in the furthering of our faith and relationship with You.

“They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:10-11 NIV).

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