YOUR TESTIMONY - AMAZING OR ORDINARY?

One of the outreach ministries of our church is the senior’s ministry.  Each month we have a luncheon for the senior members of our church and community at a nominal cost.  Each luncheon includes a short spiritual devotional message as well as a special speaker who addresses different topics of interest to seniors.

Back in the spring I was asked if I would be one of a few who would share my testimony at the September meeting.  In Christian circles when you are asked to share your testimony it’s understood that you will share how you came to faith in Jesus. 

I’ve heard some really wonderful and amazing testimonies in my years as a Christian.  There are the testimonies of prominent people like DL Moody, David Wilkerson, and CS Lewis.  There is the testimony of the man who set out to prove that the resurrection of Jesus was a myth, only to reach the end of that journey with a complete change of heart and a deep faith in the One whose resurrection he first rejected.  There are the testimonies of the drug addicts, prostitutes, and criminals, whose lives were dramatically changed when they came face to face with Jesus. 

Then there is my testimony.  It couldn’t be more ordinary. 

We weren’t a consistent church going family as I was growing up, so when it came to exposure to the gospel of Jesus Christ, I didn’t have a consistent spiritual influence.  My earliest recollection of church was when I’d stayed overnight at an aunts and she took me to Sunday school around the holidays.  Boxes of hard candies were given out and there wasn’t one for me, but thankfully that didn’t have a particularly negative influence. 

When I was in the first and second grade there was a Baptist church on our block.  I remember my mom getting me up to go to Sunday school but I don’t remember my parents going along.  I remember learning to sing “Silent Night” in German for a Christmas program and attending Pioneer Girls (sort of a Christian based Girl Scout group) with my mom helping out.  My fondest memory was of Vacation Bible School and being taught Bible stories on a flannel graph (if you’re familiar with this then you’ll know I must be ancient!).

When we moved to another apartment in the same city I decided that I didn’t just want to go to church because my parents sent me.  I wanted to go to church because God was there.  So began a quest, encouraged by my dad who accompanied me, to find a church we could all attend.  We settled on a Methodist church only a few blocks away, pastored by a wonderful young man who loved Jesus so much that just speaking of Him in a sermon would move him to tears.  His passion struck a chord and we began attending.  We stayed there for some time.  While I loved going to church (and youth group by that time as well), and I loved the pastor’s passion for Jesus, I had no such passion myself.  Church was very much a feel good experience, comfortable, accepting.

More moves, more churches, until I reached the end of my college years.  I sat under the preaching of a godly pastor and his wife, taught Sunday school and sang in the choir, but somehow I still didn’t know Jesus.  I didn’t even know that I didn’t know!  Then, once I married, Jim and I spent years not going to church at all until the Lord began to work in me.

So many people can trace back to THE day when the light of God’s truth dawned.  It was not like that for me.  The only way I could describe it is that God drew me, gently, slowly, with chords of love. Over some time He created a desire to know Him in my heart.  He used the gospel preaching of a radio pastor I listened to on my way to work to help me SEE the truth for the first time and then He opened my previously closed mind to my need for Jesus.  And over time my love for Jesus grew and the entire direction of my life was changed.

I feel a bit weird sharing this testimony.  It doesn’t fit the “pattern” of having a moment when I realized I was a sinner, repented then and there, and was saved, and it isn’t spectacular.  I wasn’t freed from drug abuse or healed of a deadly disease.  No, compared to that kind of testimony, mine is thoroughly ordinary, and yet is it really?

There really is no such thing as an “ordinary” testimony.  Every story of how the Lord changes those about whom He says:

·        “There is NO ONE righteous, no not one”

·        “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God”

·        “All our good deeds are as filthy rags”

is thoroughly AMAZING, and a testimony, not to the worthiness of the person changed, but to the depth of God’s love for those so mired in their own self-centeredness and sin that they cannot help themselves.

It’s amazing because God knows how trapped we really are in our desire to do our own thing and leave Him out!  Only He knows how helpless we are to help ourselves, to say no to sin, to live a life of loving Him and loving others.  Without Him we have no power, no desire to live any differently.  And yet, amazingly:

God does the seeking of those undeserving of His love.

God does the work – of satisfying His wrath against sin – by paying the penalty – death – Himself through the death of His Son on the cross.

Then God opens the heart to believe by His grace through faith in Jesus, and transforms the sinner from someone who could not NOT sin into someone who can say NO to sin. 

Sin’s penalty paid, sin’s power broken, eternal life beginning in the here and now.  A life made new, a life transformed – a testimony of God’s amazing grace.

Despite what our lives looked like before Jesus saved us, whether He saved us miraculously and seemingly instantaneously, or quietly and gradually, every single testimony is amazing because it is complete and final, and not a one of us did a thing to merit it. 

God saves.  God saves through the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus, by His grace and through faith because of His great love.  God does FOR us what we could never do for ourselves.  And that IS amazing, every time, in every way, with every person!

So don’t let a seemingly ordinary testimony keep you from celebrating the most amazing thing that has ever, or will ever, happen to you. 

Every testimony is a testimony of God’s amazing grace.

POST TRANSPLANT REFLECTIONS

If you’ve been following my blog posts then you know that almost two weeks ago now I donated a kidney to a friend from church.  I’ve wanted to write some follow ups but just haven’t had the physical or mental energy. Despite my sometimes flagging energy, I can’t believe that I feel so good so soon after major surgery. 

Jennifer, my kidney recipient, has received glowing reports about her health. The doctor told her her recovery has been remarkable!  We are SO thankful that the Lord continues to be faithful and answer prayer.  If you are one who has been praying for us, then thank you so much and may the Lord bless you abundantly!

One of the things I did do this week was attend worship at church.  Wow, what a welcome home I received!  Not long ago I wrote a blog about the beauty of the Body of Christ. Jennifer and I have had a front row seat on the receiving end of their love.

Jennifer and I had been the recipients of the love of our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ long before the transplant, but since the surgery they've swung into high gear.  They have certainly prayed for us, but they also ran to the airport to collect family members.  They have made and delivered delicious meals, fit for royalty, and in abundant supply.  They have sent cards and brought flowers.  They have visited.  They have stayed overnight to see to Jennifer’s needs. One of them in the media industry even put us in touch with TV news so that Jennifer and I could get God’s story “out there”.  Our church family has loved us with the love of Jesus in every way.  They are an awesome, living demonstration of the way the unity of the Body of Christ is supposed to be lived out.

But the true Star of our faith experience has been the Lord Himself.  In this week  of enthusiasm dampened by discomfort and weariness, of disrupted sleep and a foggy brain, I’ve just been resting in His nearness and the comfort of His presence.  Being in church yesterday, singing the praises of Jesus, lifted my spirit to remember Who IS all, and above all, and I worshiped:

God who is sovereign.  Sovereign over 66 year old kidneys that looked and worked like 35 year olds! Who knew???  I certainly hadn’t done a single thing to whip those kidneys into good physical shape!

Sovereign over diseased kidneys that didn’t give out until a donor was in place.

Sovereign over the lives of two people – one who need a kidney and another who “happened” to be in the same church and could part with one.

God is sovereign over events, and time, and place, and people.  He would be sovereign whether or not we ever “saw” or acknowledged His sovereignty, but when He gives us a glimpse of it, we are awestruck!

God who is faithful.  Faithful to hear and answer the prayer of His servants.  Jennifer and I have not been carried through these months, and especially these last 2 weeks, because people have been faithful to pray.  People HAVE been faithful to pray, but we were carried through because God is faithful to answer.

He faithfully answered prayer.  He faithfully met us at every single point of need – whether spiritual, emotional or physical.  He faithfully provided through His people, so that we could rest, have rides, have someone to change bandages, guard our rest, see to it that we and our families were fed. 

God who is the Prince of Peace.  The Old Testament prophet Isaiah, in chapter 9, the passage we have all heard around Christmas time, describes the Messiah as, among other things, the “Prince of Peace”.  Jesus says, “My peace I give to you”.

In Philippians 4:6-7 the Apostle Paul says:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Our God, who is faithful, proved the reality of Paul’s words in Jennifer’s heart and mine these last few weeks.  He was our peace when we were both facing surgery.  His peace defied human understanding.  We enjoyed peace when fear would have been the human and logical response.  His peace guarded our hearts and minds keeping us focused on Jesus.

The perfect illustration of that was on the day of surgery when two emergency transplants during the night pushed our surgery from 1:30 to 5:30 PM.  Instead of worrying or entertaining second thoughts, we visited and joked and loved on one another and our families.  The pre-op time was filled with joyful anticipation.

It has occurred to me that some of you reading these blogs might be thinking –Why would I want to follow Jesus if He asks people to do things like donate kidneys? 

Well, calm down. The truth is the vast majority of Christians have never been given the opportunity to donate a kidney!  But following Jesus IS a commitment – a commitment of a life, a commitment of a lifetime.  A commitment to a Savior and Master.  A commitment to follow where He leads wherever that is, and surprise of surprises, finding that when you do, there is joy, and peace, and a deep sense of satisfaction, and a knowledge of Jesus - not just in your head, but in your experience - that makes Him REAL!

Dear friend, never be afraid of joining your life to that of Jesus.  There is no other life worth living.

 

 

 

 

CLIMBING EVEREST

The week before I went into the hospital for the kidney surgery I finished a book entitled, “Into Thin Air” by Jon Krakauer.  It tells the story of the author, an avid mountain climber, who was approached by a popular climber’s magazine to go on an expedition to the base camp at Mt. Everest in order to gather information for an article on the commercialization of the climbing of that mountain.  

 

The offer rekindled Krakauer’s dream to climb Everest himself and so he agreed to do the article on the condition that the magazine pick up the tab for the climb, not just to base camp, but to the top of Everest, and they agreed.  And so, in May of 1996, he and his team, plus several other climbing teams set off to climb Mt. Everest.  Their trek would have tragic results when a fierce, unexpected storm strikes just below the pinnacle, wiping out many of the climbers in his party as they tried to make their way back down to camp.

Not being an avid climber, jogger, hiker, golfer, __?____ (fill in the blank with anything physically demanding), reading or hearing stories like that, the immediate question that forms in my mind is, “Why?”.  Why would anyone, especially someone with a wife or husband or children, take that kind of risk to do something that can, and too often does, end in tragedy?

Everest climbers seem to be a breed of people passionate about mountain climbing – the physical challenge of it, the technicality of the climb, the competitiveness of doing something other climbers have done, as well as the challenge of climbing a mountain you’ve never climbed, persevering over exhaustion, high altitude, and weather.  Many of them had already climbed other extraordinarily high peaks and Everest was just the last of the greats for them.  Even after the tragedy of that May 1996 many of the survivors, despite having lost friends that year, went on to climb other peaks.  They know the dangers but they can’t resist the challenging of doing it anyway.

I don’t understand the kind of passion that causes people to want to climb physical mountains or push to accomplish some other physical goal, but I do understand passion – the kind that prompts one to do the unexpected, the challenging, the adventurous, the extreme.  I do understand the passion that motivates someone to step outside their comfort zone, to say yes when no seems like a much better idea, to see challenge as opportunity, to keep their eye on the goal even if there is pain along the way.  

I’ve seen this passion in missionaries, serving long years in remote places, away from family and friends, with few of the creature comforts most of us take for granted, in order to bring hope and life to people who have never heard about Jesus.

I’ve seen it in pastors laboring in inner city parishes, or in remote regions of our country and our world, who keep on keeping on, often without ever seeing results in the lives of those to whom they minister. 

I’ve seen it in the Bahamas among those who faithfully minister at a camp for those with HIV/AIDS, providing clean water, meals and medicine to those who could never hope to give back and who are too sick and disabled to do so, even if they could.

One of the things I noticed about the climbers of Everest is the motivation for their passion – sometimes it was fame, sometimes money, sometimes it was some personal goal they wanted to reach, sometimes it was just because Everest was THERE, and why not climb it  – for these things they risked their lives, their health and well-being, and their future earning possibilities and the well being of their families – for what to me just seems like bragging rights. 

Isn’t it amazing then when Jesus says, “He who would be great among you must be the servant of all”?  Not - at the top of his class, the most intelligent, well educated, most degreed, most influential, most powerful, most physically fit? No, in the economy of Jesus the greatest is the servant.

So what do you think of when you think of a servant?  I think “Downton Abbey”.  I think, setting aside what you might want to do to care for others.  I think, living “downstairs” in the humblier quarters.  I think, working all hours of the day and night at the beck and call of your master.  I think, living to make your master look good, not you.  I think, “Yes Sir, whatever you wish Sir”. 

 That’s the topsy turvy nature of the kingdom of Jesus.  His is the last shall be first, the greatest is the servant, sort of kingdom.

Those who belong to Jesus know about passion – not for fulfilling some personal best, or gaining notoriety. 

Missionaries will give their lives for the passion to serve their Master and the people He loves to whom He sent them.  They will serve for no reward but the pleasure of the Lord.

Pastors will labor in spiritual vineyards their whole lives, many seeing only a glimpse of the harvest.  But they don’t work for the harvest, they serve at the pleasure of the Harvester.

The Kingdom of Jesus is a topsy turvy one when compared to what is valued in this earthly one.  But, as a bumper sticker I read once said: “the rewards are out of this world”. 

The Apostle Paul describes the nature of these passionate servants of God’s kingdom like this in I Corinthians 1:26-30:

“Brothers, think of what you were when you were called.  Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.  But God chose the foolish things of the world (the servants) to shame the strong.  He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things – and the things that are not – to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before Him.  It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God – that is our righteousness, holiness and redemption.  Therefore as it is written: ‘Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”

The servants in the Kingdom of Jesus will be passionate about something.  They will be passionate about Jesus – about His glory, His work, His kingdom, His reputation.  If a servant is going to lose his life for anything, let it be about Jesus because in His kingdom, to lose one’s life for His sake is to gain eternal life. 

When I was being interviewed by the psychiatrist at NY Presbyterian Hospital in preparation for qualifying as a kidney donor, she wanted to know if I saw the kidney donation as some kind of “personal best”, the culmination of my walk of faith.  I thought that was really funny.

The “personal best” of the servant of Jesus is magnifying Jesus, making the Master look good, while the servant blends into the background.  If that's accomplished by this or anything else, then yes, it's a personal best!

KNOWING THE WILL OF GOD

How does one know the will of God?  I can remember, almost 40 years ago now, as a young Christian, wonder whether this thing or that was God’s will for me. I found it endlessly confusing and was always hoping He would make His path straight for me so I wouldn’t make the wrong choice.  I don’t find myself losing sleep or peace so much anymore wondering what the Lord’s will is. 

If you’ve read my blogs before then you know how much I love Oswald Chamber’s devotional book, “My Utmost for His Highest”.  The book was edited by his wife after his death and contains his writings and teachings on all sorts of subjects important to believers in Jesus.  When he speaks of the will of God he speaks in terms of our unity with Christ.  He says things like:

“Never let a hurried lifestyle disturb the relationship of abiding in Him.”

“Whenever there are competing concerns in your life, be sure you always put your relationship to God first.”

“The goal of my spiritual life is such close identification with Jesus Christ that I will always hear God and know that God always hears me.”

“Sometimes there is nothing to obey and our only task is to maintain a vital connection with Jesus Christ, seeing that nothing interferes with it. . .  most of our life is not spent in trying to be consciously obedient, but in maintaining this relationship - being a friend of the Bridegroom”.

“The Cross is God exhibiting His nature.  It is the gate through which any and every individual can enter into oneness with God.”

“The only responsibility you have is to stay in living constant touch with God, and to see that you allow nothing to hinder your cooperation with Him.”

What Chambers has to say about the importance of relationship is what Jesus said in John’s gospel, chapter 15:1; 4-5 :

“I am the True Vine and my Father is the gardener. . . Remain in me and I will remain in you.  No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine.  Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. . . .

Knowing the will of God so that we might do it, occurs in the context of relationship with Jesus – abiding, or remaining, in Him.  It assumes that the most basic of spiritual relationships, that of receiving Jesus as Savior for the forgiveness of sin already exists, and that the importance of cultivating that relationship is present.

One of the ways Christians remain in Jesus is by reading and studying the Bible because it is in the Bible (especially the New Testament) that we see the person and work of Jesus revealed. (If you’re looking for it, you can also see Jesus throughout the Old Testament as well, since what is concealed there about Him is revealed in the New.)

Years ago when I was first married my husband was stationed in Viet Nam in the conflict there.  Back then our only means of communication was MARS calls (transmitted by ham operators all over the country), the occasional call Jim made by standing in line all day for a turn, and the more frequent and reliable snail mail. 

Letters could take two weeks to get to me.  But I longed for those letters because they communicated Jim’s love for me while we were separated.  That’s what the Bible is like. It is God’s Word, communicating His love for me in the person of Jesus, through His Words until I see Him in heaven.  Reading God’s Word, getting to know Jesus personally, leads to a deeper love relationship with Him, the abiding or remaining Jesus speaks of in John’s gospel.

This past week I had surgery to donate a kidney.  One of the pieces of paperwork I had to complete was a proxy form.  On that form I had to list the kinds of life saving measures I did, or didn’t, want performed in case something went wrong in the surgery and I couldn’t make decisions for myself.  I designated my husband as my proxy to make those important decisions in my stead.

After 43 years of marriage, however, we probably didn’t need to write any of my preferences down.  Six years ago when my mom died we each talked about what we did and didn’t want in terms of lifesaving measures, and we have talked about it since.  I wouldn’t really need to ask Jim and he wouldn’t really need to ask me.  We each knew what the other wanted based on our long standing love relationship.

I believe that’s the way the Lord works in terms of His will.  There are things God specifically says in His Word that are His will, and those we obviously need to obey.  But in those life situations where He hasn’t specifically said, do this or don’t do that, if we’ve been walking closely with Him in relationship, then it’s not so hard to figure out what He might want us to do.

That’s how it was with this kidney donation.  When I saw Jennifer’s link on Facebook suggesting a place to look in the event anyone was interested in being a live donor, God the Holy Spirit simply nudged me and I thought, “Wow, look at that.  I wonder if I might qualify as a donor.”

Once that happened, I took it as a sign of God’s will for me to pursue the idea and just see what would happen.  If it was truly God’s will, I knew He’d keep me moving in that direction, and if it wasn’t, somewhere along the line things would break down. 

When I completed the first step of checking to see if she and I had the same blood type and discovered that we did, I simply took the next step of having more blood drawn to discover if we were a cross match.  So when Jennifer called to give me the news that we were INDEED a perfect cross match, I could say, “Well, of course we are!” because that was my confirmation that the Lord was doing the leading. And of course, in terms of a kidney transplant, the rest as they say “is history!”

This is the life of faith I have always longed to live.  A life in relationship with Jesus – my Savior, and also my Master – the One who loves me enough to die for me, and the One who calls the shots in my life.  A life of letting Him sit in the driver’s seat while I sit on the passenger side. 

Do you want to know the will of God?  Then simply enter into a relationship with Jesus, stay close so you can recognize His “voice” when He calls, and vow to do whatever it is He says, and you’ll know.

I’m never sure where His will will take me, but I’m sure it will be an exciting adventure of faith and trust. 

TRANSPLANT SUCCESS!

For those of you “out there” in cyberspace who just might want to know what happened with the transplant, here is your update.

Jennifer and I both arrived at the hospital before 11 AM on Wednesday, Aug. 14 and filled out our paperwork. Family members were there to support us and from then on that waiting room became prayer central!  Jennifer and I prayed for one another, my brother (who is a pastor) also prayed with us.  Then our churches’ pastor of youth and family ministries came and he did some more praying. With all this praying it’s not surprising that Jennifer and I were pumped!  We were just so excited that our day had finally arrived!

Originally our surgery was scheduled for around 1:30 but because of an emergency transplant during the night, all of Wednesday’s procedures were pushed back.  So we spent four hours waiting in the pre-op area!  If I had had a single doubt about going ahead with the plan to donate my kidney those 4 hours of waiting could have changed my mind!  But I never did, ever, have a doubt, with so much confirmation from the Lord that He was directing my life in this.

Jennifer and I and our families did some traveling from one pre-op “room” to the other, encouraging one another and just occupying our time as best we could.  And there were many photos taken as well.

Finally I was ushered into the operating room for the surgery and didn’t know a thing until I woke up in recovery.  I was actually alert enough to see Jennifer rolled in just before they took me up to my room.

The doctor told my husband that I had the kidney of a 30 year old.  Now that kidney is occupying Jennifer’s body and since Wednesday has been working perfectly, producing urine without any sign of rejection.

I came home yesterday and, apart from the expected discomfort, I’m managing on Tylenol and rest.  Jennifer has been given the news that she’ll be going home tomorrow.  She is overjoyed that she finally has a good working kidney!

We marvel – at the amazing plan of God – because we would NEVER in a million years come up with adventures like the ones He has for us!  And we marvel – that He chooses to use ordinary mortals like us to display His power, strength and majesty! 

Our God is an awesome God!

AND THE BLESSINGS KEEP COMING - GLORY TO GOD!

So, are you sick of hearing all the amazing things the Lord is up to with this transplant thing?  I hope not, because I think there will be many more reports like this one. 

The excitement is building to a fever pitch in Jennifer and me as we await our big day, tomorrow, Aug. 14 at 11 AM!  I didn’t mention it to her, or my girls either, but all week long I have been battling vertigo, the kind that sets the room spinning every time I move too quickly or get in and out of bed.  And it has sometimes been accompanied by nausea.  So if I was anxious about anything this week it was that.  I drank lots of water in case it was caused by dehydration, but it didn’t help much.

More than anything in the world I did not want to even entertain the idea of postponing the surgery.  Jennifer’s daughter flew in from Montana this past Thursday to be with her mom and will only be here a week, so the surgery had to be this week!  Finally, after waiting and hoping it would just go away on its own, yesterday I went to see my primary care physician to see what was going on.

I admit I spoke to the Lord and assured Him I was not going to postpone the surgery unless He made it abundantly clear to me that I would be in danger, or that, for reasons of His own, He wanted it postponed.  But after my doctor took an EKG, my blood pressure, and blood work, he determined that I’m probably suffering from recurring positional vertigo – no medical emergency – although he said I might not feel well.  Whew!  Confirmation from the Lord that we are still a GO!  Actually, now that I KNOW it's not serious, I feel a bit better!

If you have been reading these kidney transplant blogs then you know how much Jennifer and I want to bring glory and honor to the Lord Jesus in everything we say and do during these days of adventure.  So she’s been writing her column for the local paper expressing her faith and I’ve been writing my blogs, doing the same.  We’ve told nurses, transplant coordinators, psychiatrists, social workers, lab tecs and doctors – anyone who will listen – about how the Lord has led us in this together.

And today we were presented with another opportunity.  Jennifer had a call from her transplant coordinator asking if he had permission to give her number to the hospital public relations rep who wanted to speak with us both.  As it turns out, she would like to interview us so that we could tell our story! 

What an opportunity – on public media – to share how the Lord has been at work in this adventure in which He has invited us to participate.

Yes, we ARE having surgery tomorrow.  Yes, we ARE excited!  More excited than scared, more trusting than worried.

We have a GREAT and AWESOME God and we are anxious to tell others about His greatness!

“I will extol the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips.”

Psalm 34:1

 

SUFFERING IN THE CENTER OF GOD'S WILL

Some time ago a very kind friend, out of concern for me, cautioned me to think carefully about donating a kidney because of the potential danger to myself. My answer was that the Lord Himself had clearly led me to do so and I couldn’t say no to Him.

I can imagine that there might be those, who when they hear that someone is about to donate a kidney to someone they barely knew before they said yes, would think that person was absolutely CRAZY!  From a human perspective, they just might be!  But this is where the incredible, often topsy turvy nature of the kingdom of God comes in.  The truth is that sometimes God asks us to do what seems contrary to our human nature, and that “something” just might include craziness!

Today I was catching up on my reading of Oswald Chambers’s, “My Utmost for His Highest”, my favorite devotional.  In the reading for August 10 he says:

“Choosing to suffer means that there must be something wrong with you, but choosing God’s will – even if it means you will suffer – is something very different.  No normal, healthy (believer in Jesus) ever chooses suffering; he simply chooses God’s will, just as Jesus did, whether it means suffering or not.”

Chambers goes on to say:

“Look at God’s incredible waste of (His children) according to the world’s judgment.  God seems to plant His children in the most useless places.  And then we say, ‘God intends for me to be here because I am so useful to Him.’  Yet Jesus never measured His life by how or where He was of the greatest use.  God places His children where they will bring the most glory to Him and we are totally incapable of judging where that may be.”

On Wednesday of this week, in obedience to the will of God, Jim and I will drive into New York City where I will donate a kidney to my now dear friend Jennifer.  It will definitely result in some suffering, I know that going in. 

As I prepare my heart to take this incredible journey, I’m so encouraged by what David says in Psalm 34:

“I sought the Lord and He answered me and delivered me from ALL my fears!”

“Those who look to the LORD are RADIANT!

“The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and He delivers them.”

“Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the (wo)man who takes refuge in Him.”

“The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and His ears attentive to their cry.”

“The LORD redeems His servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in Him.”

Someone has said that it is better to be in the heat of dangerous battle in the CENTER of God’s will than to be in perfect peace outside of it!

I might be walking right into suffering, but there is nowhere else I’d rather be than in the center of God’s will!

The standard by which to measure what is about to happen is not, “is this the best use of me”.  The standard is, “Is this the place where God will get the most glory?”

If this is the place where He has led me, and I firmly believe it is, then I pray that His glory WILL be revealed in every way.

 

THE BODY OF CHRIST AT WORK

Today at church we had the privilege of hearing our teens share their experiences on a missions trip to West Virginia from which they recently returned.  Having been on three missions trips with many of them, I couldn’t wait to hear how the Lord had worked in and through them while they were away.  And I confess I was more than a little sorry that I had not gone.

Back in the late spring I was having a rough time.  I had two infections at once and was exhausted.  Then the medication I was given messed with another I was regularly taking making me feel really out of it and not up to some of the things I was doing.  One of those things was ministering with the senior high youth group. 

I love those kids (I’m not supposed to refer to them as “kids”, but they’ll always be kids to me!).  They are fun and energetic and passionate and laid back and just plain great to be around.  Working with them keeps me young in my thinking, helping me to see things from their perspective, which is invaluable in the body of Christ, and essential for those of us drawing close to the end of ministry while they are just beginning. So while I knew it was time to step away from a physically demanding missions trip, I had very mixed feelings about doing so.

Today they shared how the Lord used them, not only to build, and that they did, but also to encourage the physical and spiritual strength of the team already on the ground.  That team, young adults working with Next Step Ministries, had already been working for 7 weeks, welcoming youth teams from all over who came to build. 

They were responsible for the work sites and the training of many teens who had never done things like dry walling, or spackling, or putting a roof on a new building.  They bought the food to feed them all and were responsible to supervise its preparation. They were up before the kids and to bed much later. 

 

So when our team arrived, these young adults were tired and discouraged.  So not long after our kids got there, they saw that the Lord had something else in mind for  their mission, not “simply” working, but building encouragement into the lives of others.  I have no doubt that they were a huge blessing and it gave me such joy to hear how the Lord had used them. 

That would have been blessing enough for any worship service but this one ended in a way that added blessing upon blessing.  At the end of the service the young woman sitting next to me suggested getting together a group of women to pray with me and Jennifer, the woman to whom I will be donating a kidney this coming Wednesday, August. 14. 

So there we both sat, surrounded by the women of our church who laid their hands on each of us and prayed for us.  We felt so moved, so loved, and so abundantly blessed by these, our sisters in Christ. 

I have often written about how ministries like missions trips and Vacation Bible School bring the body of Christ together. I have commented about how that togetherness in ministry knits us together as people of faith as we serve the Lord.  And I saw that again today as our young people gave their testimonies about their trip. 

But working together isn’t the only way in which the Lord reminds us of our connectedness as the body of Christ.  Prayer also reminds us that we have a common Heavenly Father and a common Savior and that we are a family of believers and praying is what we do. 

On Wednesday Jennifer and I will each set off for the hospital where we will be surrounded by strangers who will perform surgery on us.  At the same time, the body of Christ, wherever they are, all who know about us – maybe even YOU reading this blog in some other nation in the world – will be united in prayer for us as well, and our God, who is Almighty and Loving, will hear and answer for Jesus' sake.

What a privilege to be part of the body of Christ!

 

THE CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR WHO WON THE MEDAL OF HONOR

Last night Jim and I watched a fascinating documentary about a man named Desmond Doss.  Desmond Doss, like thousands of other young men, enlisted in the military shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The difference between Doss and the others is that he enlisted as a conscientious objector.  He passionately wanted to serve his country, but he made it clear from the start that he would not take the life of a fellow man and he would not carry any weapons.  His plan was to become a medic so that he could save life and not take it. 

So (and if you ever you served in the military, you’ll appreciate the irony of this), the Army assigned him, not as a medic, but to the infantry division. The idea seemed to be that if he was forced to do so, Doss would have to use a weapon to defend himself.  But the Army hadn’t reckoned on the tenacity of Doss’s convictions. 

Doss was a Christian and as such, he firmly believed in and obeyed the 10 Commandments given by God to Moses (see the book of Exodus, chapter 18 in the Bible), in this case the one that said, “You shall not kill”.  Carrying a weapon presumed you'd be ready to use it if necessary.

Under extreme pressure from commanding officers, one of which demanded that Doss take a rifle from his hands or be court martialed, Doss stood firm.  Not even threats to run him out of the Army, or abuse from fellow soldiers could turn his resolve.  In the end, the Army relented, trained him as a medic and even allowed him to forgo wearing a 45 pistol as a side arm. 

Doss carried out his plan “to save life and not take it” well.  A fellow soldier described how at night, after a day of fierce battle when the men were told to hunker down in foxholes, Doss would crawl from hole to hole treating injured men. But it was in the battle on Okinawa in the South Pacific that Doss supremely distinguished himself. 

The military was assigned the task of taking a ridge occupied by the Japanese.  The battle raged for days with the US army taking the ridge and then losing it again, with great loss of life. Men who served with Doss described how, with bullets whizzing through the air and wounded men falling all around, Doss crawled out onto the battlefield, dragging injured men to the edge of the ridge and then over it to safety.  When all was said and done, he had done this for 75 men without regard for his own life, even saving some of the men who had been so hard on him before for not carrying a weapon.

Others described how at later time, when Doss himself was wounded, he insisted in getting up off the stretcher on which he was being carried in order to dress the wounds of another injured man on the battlefield.

As a result of his heroism, Desmond Doss was recommended for commendation and awarded the Medal of Honor. Throughout his entire time of service he had never lifted a weapon even to defend himself.

One of the questions some of the men who served with him asked while describing the extraordinary sacrifices Doss was willing to make for others was, “Why would anyone do that?”.  The answer is: For love.

Desmond Doss’s story is a love story.  It’s the story of an ordinary man’s love for an extraordinary God.  It’s the story of an ordinary man’s conviction to demonstrate that love through obedience to God’s Word, unwaveringly, and at great cost to himself. And it's the story of an ordinary man following His Savior in pouring out love and service to his fellow man.

But it isn’t Desmond’s story.  It’s God’s story, a story He lived out more than 2000 years ago.

It’s the story of a God who so loved the world that He gave the best that He had – His own son.  And it’s the story of the Son who, out of love and obedience to His Father, laid down His own life for the lives of others. At great cost, so that men and women whose faith rests in Him might not die, but live eternally.

Desmond Doss was an ordinary man who lived his entire life in relationship with Jesus. Desmond Doss determined to follow Jesus in obedience.  In doing so, he lived an extraordinary life of purpose, demonstrating the love of God in his care for others at great cost to himself, and bringing glory and honor to the God who saved him.

That’s the kind of life I want to live, don’t you?

EMMA'S STORY

It was November 1996, a Thanksgiving weekend, and all of my family – my mom and her new husband, my brother and his wife and their four boys, my husband and our two daughters, and one boyfriend and I, were in Massachusetts for a family reunion weekend.  We’d had a great time visiting, playing games at night, going to Sturbridge Village, and browsing through the craft fair that happened to be there as well that weekend.  Everyone was having a great time, except our 16 year old daughter Becky, who was feeling tired and nauseous the entire time.  We encouraged her to come for meals and try and eat something but aside from feeling sorry that she wasn’t feeling well all weekend, the rest of us did our best to have a good time. 

Then on Saturday evening when we were all sitting around after dinner visiting by the fireplace in the hotel lobby, my eldest daughter Amy came to get me.  She pulled me aside and told me that Becky wanted to see me up in our room.

I arrived to find Becky sitting on the side of the bed crying.  I think she began to talk about needing to tell me something but that would make me really mad when I heard it.  I encouraged her that I would be able to take whatever it was, but after just a few minutes of waiting for her to screw up the courage to say what it was, I knew.

Becky had been dating a young guy, a friend of my nephews, for a few months.  I didn’t know for certain that they had had a physical relationship, but I suspected it.  Before the words were out of Becky’s mouth, I knew.  She was pregnant.  After assuring her that whatever lay ahead we’d manage together, I left to find the rest of our family.

First I told my husband Jim, and we felt the full blast of shock together.  We had just lived through some very difficult years and thought that we had at last seen the light at the end of that particular tunnel, only to round the bend and find another one, different but also life shattering.

It was impossible not to tell the family who saw our faces and immediately began wondering what had suddenly upset us so much.  So we told them, and found ourselves as a family weathering the shock and giving support as we could.  We still had an evening together before heading home, but our fun time together had been eclipsed by sadness.

I remember driving home the next day looking back at Becky while she slept and thinking, “She’s so young.  What in the world were we going to do?”

One thing that we knew we were going to do, my husband and I, was to encourage Becky that we would support her in the days ahead, whatever that looked like and whatever it took.  I knew Becky.  She had a soft heart.  I knew she could never have an abortion and I was pretty certain she’d have a very hard time giving her child up for adoption.  And so Jim and I began to talk about what we could do to help her.

Becky was a junior in high school.  We certainly wanted her to finish out the school year, have her baby that summer, and return to finish high school in the fall.  So it was decided that I would continue to work at my job at a large medical testing lab until the summer Becky would give birth and then I would leave my job and stay home with her baby while Becky finished high school.

The months following Becky’s news were so difficult.  She had morning sickness and spent weeks on the couch.  Tutors came to our home so that she wouldn't fall behind in her education.  When she finally did return to school (an all girls school) there was no denying her pregnancy.  She became, “that pregnant girl”, to those who attended her school.  And there were many instances where she drew the stares of others whenever she was out in public.  Yet, I was so proud of her for choosing to carry her baby to term.

There were difficulties with the dad, who was having struggles of his own accepting that he would be a father.  Many long and heated arguments ensued over those months.

Then came the day, August 2, 1997 when Becky entered the hospital to give birth and we were able to see Emma Brooke Elwood, the most beautiful little baby in all the world, for the very first time!

It’s impossible to imagine how our lives would have been without Emma, but I have often wondered, and have come to the conclusion that they would be impoverished. 

From the infant with the black hair and the perfectly round face, to the toddler with the fake (“smile for us Emma”) smile, to the elementary child with whom I played “Roller Coaster Tycoon” for an entire summer, to the lovely young lady she is today, Emma has added so much joy to each of us individually, to us as a family, and to her dad and mom.

Today, impossibly, Emma turns 17.  What a joy and treasure she is to us! 

Thank you Lord for this wonderful child with which you’ve blessed our family.  We cannot imagine life without Emma.  We’re so thankful that we don’t have to!