Month: May 2012

Good Out of Bad

| Karen

Praise God!  Daniel has been hired as the full time music pastor at a church close to our home!  We thank God for this answer to prayer.  The people here reached out to us and made us feel welcome  – I see unity, love, and the Holy Spirit drawing hearts closer to Him.  We feel privileged to be invited to the work God is already doing in this body of believers.  Thank You Jesus for providing this opportunity to be involved in Your work.  Thank You in advance for using us.

God has been faithful.  This season of suffering seems to be nearing a close.  Not only does Daniel have a job, but the full time ministry calling that we began praying about over a year ago is now a reality.  Our home repair is in the final “touch up” phase (after the tree fell on it), and Dad is cancer free.  Again, Thank You Jesus.

Should I say, “Ok God, I got it from here”?  No – the lessons God taught us during this time would go to waste.  Instead, God taught us to live each day in full dependence on Him – whether our next paycheck seems certain or not, whether others love us or oppose us, whether we are healthy or sick, whether our possessions are secure or shattered.

And God has brought so much good out of this hard time!  I listed a few below:

1. He proved faithful to His Word in the Bible – He never left us, never turned away from us.  He even used Logan (3 years old at the time) to confirm my own feelings when Logan whispered in my ear “I see angels” just days after Daniel lost his job.

2. The boys have grown so much closer to Daniel – in his previous job, he worked every weekend and sometimes up to 80 hours per week – the boys had to stay up late just to see Daniel each day.  Now He’s been home with them for these 4 months of unemployment – and their bond is incredible.  Sometimes they even run to Daddy instead of Mommy now to kiss their boo-boos! 🙂

3. Financially, we are wiser – we cut out some unnecessary costs, used coupons, spent less.  Even with this, we still would have lost our home but God provided – He was faithful.  In fact, God used the tree falling on our house to actually provide some extra finances since Daniel possessed both the skill and the time to do much of the labor himself.  I didn’t want the tree to fall – in fact, if it had fallen at 9pm instead of 4am we would have been sitting right on the couch that ended up getting crushed.  But the tree ended up falling at the “right” time and in the “right” location so that no one was injured.

4. My extended family has always been close, but we pulled even closer through Dad’s diagnosis of cancer.  It reminded us all how much we love each other – and our frequent laughter became even more precious.  Thank You Jesus for using surgery to remove all the cancer.  Please let Dad remain cancer-free.

Jesus, thank You again – for Your faithfulness in the past and the privilege of living Today.  Please don’t let me forget the lessons You have taught me during this time but continue to live in daily dependence on You.  I can do nothing on my own – especially be trusted with the ‘easy’ times of life.  Here I am – please work through me today in Your way, for Your glory.

Halloween in May

| Karen

Our son Logan (4) dressed himself for church this morning in a Wolverine Halloween costume complete with 3-inch-thick chest muscles and a perfect 6-pack of abs.  The color s bright yellow with blue shoulder flares.  We were headed to a new church where Daniel was the guest worship leader.  What would you do?

I agreed that Logan could wear the costume on the long drive to church; however, I had to take off the “muscles” so his seatbelt fit securely.  He was devastated.  Occasionally he can be stubborn or even defiant, but today was different.  He was insecure.  The thought of trying a new church again made him “need” those muscles – “need” that disguise.  So we agreed to let him wear it into church.

Since we arrived one minute ahead of schedule, Daniel had to run into church while I got the boys to their classes.  Uncertain which side entrance would usher us unnoticed into the children’s building, I cautiously stepped across the manicured lawns in my heels, Wolverine clinging tightly to my hand.

Unfortunately, just as we reached the sidewalk, the entrance to the 165-year-old building opened, and the early service attenders engulfed us.  At first I felt too embarrassed to look anyone in the eye.  But I finally mustered up my courage and felt pleasantly surprised as all of the church members greeted Logan with enthusiasm.  “Wow, don’t you have big muscles?”  they asked.  “Tell me about who you are today.”  Logan opened up immediately, proud to show off his strength and boast in his superhero qualities.

In Sunday School, I was greeted with a warm smile and, “So YOU’RE the one with the Wolverine son!”

I cannot tell you how much this church’s acceptance of my son – my whole family – meant today.  They could have easily lectured me on the inappropriateness of my son wearing a Halloween costume to church; they could have “tsk tsk’d” me and shook their heads behind my back.  Instead, they showed Christ’s acceptance of children, as Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them…” – even if they are wearing a Halloween costume in May.

We never know what others are going through, or how a small courtesy can speak volumes of love.  I thank God for these ‘small’ blessings, and I pray that I will always show these ‘small’ kindnesses to others so they know how Jesus loves and accepts them too.

Peace, Even in the Little Things

| Karen

The doctor was uncertain if my son Caleb would be able to breathe, but they had to deliver him ASAP, 5 1/2 weeks early due to my severe pre-eclampsia.  Knowing that white male preemies fare the worst, a Neonatal Team stood in the Operating Room, ready to breathe for Caleb as soon as he was born.  There had been no time to give me steroid shots to mature his lungs.  However, I had peace.  After 2 long seconds of silence, Caleb let out a hearty cry, and I thanked God with a new mother’s overwhelming gratefulness.

How can I go through such a life-and-death situation with peace but feel such unrest in moments of routine busy-ness?  I read this question in my Beth Moore study “Breaking Free” last week.  The answer?  Because we depend on our own strength for the day-to-day tasks and only turn to God for the big things that are “beyond us.”

As God often does when He’s teaching me a lesson, the topic also surfaced this week in a book called “Extreme Church Makeover.”  The author says that God never told us to produce fruit (love, joy, PEACE… in Galatians 5:22).  Instead, He simply told us to abide in Him.  The fruit comes naturally as a result of abiding in Christ.

What a load lifted!  I don’t have to produce peace on my own.  So this week I practiced abiding in Christ by giving each “small” thing to God – a large work project (completed 30 minutes before deadline), decisions about Daniel’s next job (and great things are happening), discernment with concerns affecting my children (more good news there too).  Even when I couldn’t see a clear solution at first, I felt peace before the answer came.

Is this ‘bothering’ God with the little things?  Should I just “do my best and give God the rest?”  No.  He wants all of me – all of my life – even the little things of today, even my stress, even my “less than perfect” efforts.  Pride says I should hold on to the things that I can handle on my own, but peace comes in knowing only God can best handle my life – even the “little” things.