Unwrapped Presents

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It is said that good things come in small packages. I’m not sure about the validity of that statement, but I do know that the best gifts are the ones that I call “unwrapped presents”. I’m referring to presents that can’t be gift wrapped and put under a Christmas tree.

After my youngest son graduated from high school, he decided to join the Air Force. Elijah was stationed miles from home, so for Christmas he planned to celebrate with us by telephone. The family was gathered around the tree in the living room when he called, but as I was talking with him the doorbell rang. A little perturbed, I questioned who would be coming to see us on Christmas morning! I kept talking on the phone to Elijah as I went to answer the door and was shocked to find myself talking to him face to face! He had called us from our front porch and surprised us all by coming home! I don’t remember anything else I got for Christmas that year, but I do remember that my son came home. It was the best present I received!

One year my other son, Greg, wrapped up a litter box and gave it to me for Christmas. I wept when I realized what it was. The gift wasn’t the litter box. It was the kitten that would be coming later. But to me the gift went even beyond that. I realized that this was not just a gift from my son, but it included my husband’s approval as well, because he did not like cats. (Or so he claimed.) This gift from my son was also a gift of my husband’s love for me. His love could not be wrapped up as a present, but I was totally aware of the ‘unwrapped present’ that he was giving me that Christmas morning.

But the best unwrapped present I ever received was a gift from God. The Bible calls it an “indescribable gift.” God’s gift came naked into this world and died naked on the cross. It can’t be bought or boxed up with a pretty bow on top, because “the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) This is not the kind of gift that we grasp with our hands, but rather we receive it with our heart. God offers His gift to us with love. He gives it to us with grace and mercy when we accept it by faith. “For by grace you have been saved through faith…it is the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8) And here’s the exciting part! He offers this gift to everyone! It’s yours if you want it.

God’s gift doesn’t come in a pretty package. It can’t be seen or handled or opened, but God’s ‘unwrapped present’ is the best gift you will ever receive! Have you accepted the gift that God has for you?

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
–John 3:16

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Blessings of Grace

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My oldest grandson recently bought a house. He is a single, young man who works as a mechanic. He doesn’t have a lot of money, but by living simply, staying out of debt, and saving his money, he was able to buy a small, older home. It’s going to require some work and renovation, but Cody is capable. However, because he is not a wealthy man, he lacked what was needed to make the house a home. But not for long!! An abundance of household goods was given to him! I am not just talking about the usual dishes and pots and pans. He received nice used furniture, expensive tools and equipment, good quality materials and supplies, and groceries, too! These things were given to him, not just from friends and family, but from mere acquaintances and people he barely knew. One day as he was recounting to me some of the things he had been given, I said to him, “God sure is blessing you.” He responded, “Yes, and I don’t know why!” His response made me smile, but there’s a lot of truth in what he said.

It reminds me of an interaction my son once had with his father. When my husband passed away four years ago, my son shared the story in the eulogy he gave at the funeral, so I am quoting him. (Note: his father was also his pastor.) One service many years ago I came up to this altar and was balling my eyes out. Many times I have given my heart to the Lord and many times I have fallen away, and this particular time I was just beating myself up because I could not get around the fact that I didn’t deserve God’s grace. Pastor, my Dad, seeing I was struggling and with his hand on my shoulder, asked me what was wrong. And upon hearing me say, ‘I don’t deserve this’…he laughed! He chuckled and responded ‘None of us do!’ And that was just what I needed to hear. Not just those words, but his laugh, too.

Indeed, if we deserved it, it wouldn’t be grace! And the same is true of God’s blessings. The blessings we receive are from God’s goodness, not ours.

The goodness of God is that which disposes Him to be kind, cordial, benevolent, and full of goodwill toward men. He is tender hearted and of quick sympathy, and His unfailing attitude toward all moral beings is open, frank, and friendly. By His nature He is inclined to bestow blessedness and He takes holy pleasure in the happiness of His people.
–A. W. Tozer

Blessings cannot be earned. I realize there are principles and promises in the Bible that those who seek and serve God will be blessed, but this does not mean we are entitled or deserve to be blessed. It is always God’s love for us that sends blessings our way. This is why we come to Him with humility and gratitude. The blessings we receive from Him are because of His grace and mercy towards us. The answers to our prayers, the unexpected surprises and precious moments, the unexplainable peace and abundant joy are all blessings of grace!

“Praise God from whom all blessings flow!”

The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.
–Psalm 145:8-9 (NIV)

Oh, give thanks unto the Lord for He is good!
–Psalm 118:1

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Repurposed

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It all began when my husband came home from a trip to New York City with a dragonfly lamp. Since then I have accrued quite a collection. Not just dragonfly lamps, but dragonfly stuff! I have necklaces, bracelets and pins, purses and shirts, bookmarks and magnets, and other various dragonfly doodads. Even my checkbook features dragonflies. I have a ‘thing’ for dragonflies! So when I was visiting my daughter in Hastings, MN and saw this unusual sculpture of a dragonfly I had to take a picture:

The man who created this work of art used scrap metal and other old materials to make something special and unique. He gave something that had been discarded a new purpose!

There is a restaurant in Lewiston, NY located by the Niagara River called The Silo. It’s called that because that is what it is. (Or should I say was?) Back in the1930’s the area was popular because of The Great Gorge Railway and the silo held the coal that fueled the trains. With the demise of the railroad, the silo lost its purpose. But someone had an idea and turned it into something wonderful! When I recently had lunch there, I picked up a pamphlet about the restaurant and discovered that much of the seating in the restaurant was made from old refurbished church pews.

The last line of the pamphlet reads: “The Silo itself, and the old train caboose now serving as the ice cream bar, have been rescued, recycled, and repurposed!” I like that word ‘repurposed’.

Sometimes life gives us the unexpected. And when it does, the unexpected can change the direction of our life or bring us to a dead end where we are left with questions and uncertainty. When the unexpected is a tragedy or difficulty, we may feel betrayed or discarded or lost. When the job we relied on is suddenly gone or the position we expected is given to another, we spend restless days and nights in worry. When a physical affliction or a dreaded disease strikes, we fret with fear and anxiety. When we lose a loved one and our life is forever changed, we wonder if it’s even possible to go on. And in all of this is the underlying question: What do I do now?

In the past few years my situation has changed and my role in life has been disrupted. With the death of my husband who had served as a pastor, I not only lost my mate, but I lost my role, my position and my home. At times I felt unneeded, useless and even discarded. It seemed I had lost my purpose in life. Have you ever felt that way? Like maybe you’re obsolete, like a piece of scrap metal or an empty silo.

In his book, What If It’s True, Charles Martin makes this beautiful observation, “The sovereign hand of God leaves me shaking my head, but gives me great hope. In His economy, nothing is wasted.” NOTHING IS WASTED!! What does this mean? He always has a use for you. He can take the scraps of your life and give them a purpose. When you think your purpose in life is over, He can and will give you a new purpose. You can be repurposed!

Romans 8:28 is a familiar verse: And we know that all things work together for good to those that love God, to those that are the called according to His purpose. Notice that phrase according to His purpose. Not only does He work things out for good, but He does it with purpose. We can trust that God still has a use for us, no matter the circumstances. He gives us purpose! It’s a comfort to know that we still have purpose, but it is also a responsibility. We need to discover that purpose and pursue it! I focus on this one thing: forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on… (Philippians 3:13,14-NLT)

Your life isn’t about what you’ve done.
It’s about what you’re doing.
–Bassa Mawen

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I Like You!

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Some of my grandchildren live far away from me, so I don’t get to see them very often. We do have frequent video chats and those calls end with blowing kisses and their exuberant voices saying, “I love you, Grandma!” But not too long ago I was able to make a trip to visit with some of those distant grandchildren. One day, while I was there, I was surprised when my four year old granddaughter leaned against me, softly touched my arm, and whispered, “I like you.” Now that made me feel special!

Love is seen as the stronger emotion. The Bible tells us “the greatest of these is love”, and God Himself is love. We are instructed to love one another, to love our neighbors, and to love our enemies. This kind of love looks beyond the other person’s faults. It has been said that we love someone ‘in spite of’ and that we like someone ‘because of’. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Liking someone because we have common interests and similar values leads to friendship.

Just as we all need to be loved, we also want to be liked. This is why young people follow fads and strive to be popular. It’s why people of all ages succumb to peer pressure. We want to be accepted and liked.

Fred Rogers recognized this innate desire we all have and tried to meet that need on his children’s program. He wrote and sang this little song:

It’s you I like,
It’s not the things you wear,
It’s not the way you do your hair–
But it’s you I like
The way you are right now,
The way down deep inside you–
Not the things that hide you,
Not your toys–
They’re just beside you.
But it’s you I like–
Every part of you,
Your skin, your eyes, your feelings
Whether old or new.
I hope that you’ll remember
Even when you’re feeling blue
That it’s you I like,
It’s you yourself,
It’s you, it’s you I like.
–Fred Rogers

But to like someone you actually have to know them. Frequently during my marriage, I would look at my husband with a smile and tell him that I liked him. I loved him in so many ways, but I also genuinely liked him. I enjoyed being with him and laughing together. He wasn’t just my spouse, he was my friend. We don’t often tell people that we like them. It’s actually easier to say ‘I love you’. After all, we’re supposed to love everyone, right? I’ve had people who don’t really know me tell me they love me. But to tell someone you sincerely like them seems a bit more awkward. (I’m not sure why that is the case. Perhaps it’s because that phrase is often associated with childlike infatuation. That’s not what I am talking about!) It might be difficult to literally say ‘I like you’ to your friend, but there are other ways that we can express our feelings to those we care about. And we should!

When my oldest grandson was a little guy, he looked at me one day and said, “Thank you, Grandma, for being Grandma.” More recently, when I was struggling to do some little task by myself and didn’t want to ask for help, this same grandson, who is now an adult, scolded me for not asking him to help me. When I explained that I get tired of having to bother people, he exclaimed, “Grandma, you’re not a burden!” What was he telling me? He was letting me know he likes me.

To know we are accepted, appreciated and liked is a treasure. It gives us a sense of value and improves our self-image. There’s a children’s ditty that says, “Nobody likes me, Everybody hates me, I guess I’ll eat some worms…” This silly song actually has a message. The person who feels estranged from everyone and thinks that nobody likes them struggles with liking themselves. They might as well eat worms!

Not everyone will like us–and we won’t like everyone! We are not intended to. We don’t need to seek everybody’s approval nor do we need to be friends with all the people we know. But if there is someone who means a lot to you, who you appreciate, who you enjoy, and who you simply like as a person, don’t be afraid to let them know! The sentiments my grandchildren expressed to me have stuck with me. They have stayed in my heart. Who knows what your words of encouragement might mean to your friend?

A sweet friendship refreshes the soul.
–Proverbs 27:9 (MSG)

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A Lesser Role?

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Do you read the credits that are shown at the end of a movie? Most people don’t. And sometimes the words are so small and they scroll by so fast you couldn’t read them if you wanted to! At the beginning of every movie, sometimes even before the title is given, larger credits are displayed announcing the actors who are playing the lead roles, as well as the directors and producers. These are the important people! But those in a lesser role and those who work behind the scenes are acknowledged at the end. People don’t care too much about them, and yet, without them there would be no film. A lesser role is not an unimportant role.

A well-known phrase in the acting world declares “There are no small roles, only small actors.” It emphasizes the importance of every role in a play or film. No matter the size of the role, an actor needs to perform it with dedication and diligence. The seemingly insignificant can have great impact. This is true in life as well.

When Jonathan Groff, an actor on Broadway, accepted his Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical, among the people he acknowledged and thanked was his seventh grade teacher! She was the one who first saw his potential and encouraged him to try out not just for his school’s productions but also for roles in their local theater. What an impact this woman who was simply a teacher had on his life!

Ordinary people have greater influence than we often realize. Consider this quote, which is the last sentence in the book Middlemarch by George Elliot.

…the growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been, is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs.

I have often wondered about Andrew. Andrew was one of Jesus’ disciples. He was also Peter’s brother. In fact, it was Andrew who told Peter about Jesus. But it was Peter who became part of the inner circle that stayed close to Jesus. Not Andrew. It was Peter who was commissioned to lead the church. Not Andrew. It was Peter who preached in the book of Acts and authored two of the epistles. Not Andrew. Andrew had a lesser role. But if it wasn’t for Andrew, where would Peter be?

Back in the 1930’s, an evangelist named Mordecai Ham held meetings in Charlotte, NC. A farmer in the area loaded up his truck with neighbors every evening and transported them to the services. One of those neighbors was a teenage boy who heard the sermons and finally responded to the message. That boy was Billy Graham. We might credit the evangelist with the impact he had on Billy’s life as well as all those lives that Billy Graham reached with the Gospel. But what if there had not been the farmer?

The day will come when Jesus will give the rewards, and He makes no mistakes, although some people may wonder how you came to merit such a reward, as they had never heard of you before.
–Streams in the Desert

Sometimes we feel overshadowed by people more important than us. We feel small and inadequate and surrounded by those who are bigger and better than us. But our contribution to this world and to those around us is not measured by fame and wealth, or leadership and personality. God has a different standard and a more accurate perspective than we do. Jesus made this clear when he admonished his disciples by telling them, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last and the servant of all.” (Mark 9:35) We need to remember it’s not about recognition nor is it even about a heavenly reward. It’s about being all we are meant to be, doing whatever we can, shining our light in whatever role God has placed us–even if we think it’s a lesser role!

…God has put each part just where He wants it…
In fact, some parts…that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary.
–1 Corinthians 12:18,22 (NLT)

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Is an Invalid Invalid?

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I like to read and I read a lot. Recently I have been reading The Librarian of Saint-Malo. Set in France in the early 1940’s, the main character is suffering from tuberculosis. Early in the book, she makes the statement, “Staying home tended to make me feel useless and invalid.” I stopped and read that sentence several times. Was she saying that staying in made her feel like an invalid or was she saying it made her feel invalid, as in unnecessary? Perhaps the author intended it to be a play on the word, giving it a double meaning. It was this sentence that led me to ask the somewhat nebulous, but thought-provoking question:

Is an invalid invalid?

The word ‘invalid’ has two different pronunciations and more than one meaning. As a noun it refers to one who is sickly or severely disabled. But as an adjective it refers to something that is ‘not valid’, meaning it is without legitimacy and is of no consequence. If something is invalid it has no purpose and is useless, no longer needed. So is an invalid invalid? Do they have purpose and do they have value?

I was twelve years old when I was admitted to the PA State Hospital for Crippled Children. (This hospital no longer exists and it was okay to use the term ‘crippled’ back then.) I was placed in a ward that held about thirty girls with varying degrees of disabilities. My bed was next to a girl who was not only physically disabled, but she was severely mentally challenged as well. She could not walk or talk, so she sat in her bed, rocking back and forth while making disturbing sounds of groaning and whining. She also had the habit of biting herself. I was warned that she might try to bite me. She was a big girl and I was afraid. Did this girl have any value?

One might think a girl like that would be forsaken and forgotten, but she wasn’t. Her family came to visit her and they loved her. They gave her value. She was also a child of God, created by Him and for a purpose. It might be hard for us to see any purpose in a life like that, but as disabled as she was, her existence was a valid one. I think maybe part of her purpose was to affect me. My fear turned to concern and compassion. My heart became more tender because of her.

Is the elderly mother with dementia who has forgotten the names of her children and thinks her son is her husband no longer a person of value? Is the man who fought many battles and was considered a hero, but is now too weak to crawl out of bed simply to be forgotten and neglected? Does that person who has grown into an adult, but mentally is still a little child have no worth? Has society labeled them:

God doesn’t see people like we do. He views things from another perspective. His value system is different than ours. Jesus told His disciples that the first would be last. He instructed them that if they wanted to be the greatest then they needed to be the least. In 1 Corinthians we are told that God uses the foolish to confound the wise. And God told Moses that He was the One who created the blind and the deaf and the dumb. We place our value and validation on our abilities, our appearance, our intelligence. God doesn’t. The people we disdain, mock or neglect may actually be some of God’s greatest treasures.

All have their worth and each contributes to the worth of the others.
–J.R.R. Tolkein

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Struggling with Suffering

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I wanted Pop-Tarts for breakfast, but I had a problem. The Pop-Tarts were kept on top of the refrigerator along with all the breakfast cereal and I couldn’t reach them. No one was home to help me, but the box was near the front so maybe, just maybe, I could figure out a way to get them. I stood up out of my wheelchair and leaned against the refrigerator for balance. Reaching up, I stretched my arms as far as I could, but I couldn’t even touch the box. So I figured it was time to get my grabber tool that helps me get things that are out of my reach. But it didn’t quite work. This time as I tried to maneuver my arm up toward the elusive box of Pop-Tarts, the added weight of my grabber made it difficult for me to raise it high enough. I plopped back down in my wheelchair. I was tired of the struggle. In fact, I was so upset I actually cried in frustration. Let me clarify. It wasn’t the lack of Pop-Tarts that was upsetting me, it was my lack of ability. Things I used to be able to do I no longer can. As my hands and arms have weakened and lost some mobility, my way of life has changed and it isn’t always easy. So on this particular morning I gave in to the struggle. But as I sat there venting my frustration by sobbing, I heard a little voice in my head say, “Is this helping?” And when I admitted to myself that it wasn’t, just like that the frustration and self-pity were gone! And I had to smile at my own foolishness. I realized some years ago that frustration doesn’t help the situation, it only makes me unhappy. But sometimes I forget!

Recently I came across this thought provoking question:

In this season of difficulty, are you wasting your suffering?
–from Seasons of the Woman’s Heart

What kind of question is that?! What does it mean? I understand the concept of wasting time and wasting money and wasting food, but what does it mean to waste suffering? To waste something means that we are not using something properly. It implies that the thing being wasted has value and a purpose. And there it is! Suffering has purpose. And this is part of the struggle we have with suffering. We don’t always understand the reason behind it, and we ask the question, “Why?” How is it even possible that something so hard, so painful, so devastating can have a beneficial purpose?

The Bible reveals several reasons for our suffering. It might be God seeking to get our attention and to draw us to Himself. Sometimes it is God working to improve our character or to build up our faith. The purpose may be to use us to touch someone else’s life or to bring God glory. But the real struggle with suffering isn’t about discovering the cause or the reason. The more urgent question is how will we respond to it. Will we be victorious in our suffering?

The whining, murmuring pang never does anybody any good.
–from Streams in the Desert

I am reminded of Joni Eareckson Tada, well-known quadriplegic, who has touched thousands not just with her testimony and talent, but also with her delightful demeanor and dedication to the Lord. Then there is Nick Vujicic, a preacher without arms or legs, who inspires many with his courage and humor. Evangelist Dorsey Ross, born with Apert Syndrome, encourages others to “overcome life’s obstacles”. These are just a few examples of what victorious suffering can accomplish!

The Bible instructs us to respond to our suffering with joy. We cringe at the thought! It doesn’t seem logical or possible. Not only does Scripture tell us to “rejoice always” and “in everything give thanks”, it also says this:

Dear brothers and sisters,when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.
–James 1:2 (NLT)

Perhaps one reason we are to respond with joy is because the Bible encourages us in Nehemiah 8:10 by declaring, “the joy of the Lord is your strength”!

Amid manifold trials, souls which love God will find reasons for bounding, leaping joy.
–from Streams in the Desert.

Does this mean we are always happy? No. Does it mean we never battle our emotions and struggle with frustration? No. (Remember my ordeal with the Pop-Tarts!) But it does mean we can reach up to God and tap into the joy we find in Him!

We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.
–2 Corinthians 4:8,9 (NLT)

(In case you are wondering…I did have my Pop-Tarts the next morning when my daughter was there to get them down for me! Not a very healthy breakfast, I know, but I was quite happy.)

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Open Doors

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When Willow comes to visit, we make sure all the doors are closed. My great granddaughter is an exuberant and active toddler. And she loves open doors. When a door is open, she’s ready to check it out! So the pantry door and cupboard doors, the bathroom door and bedroom doors are all kept closed. But if I go to my room when she is around, as soon as I open that door, she is right there with me, looking forward to going through it! To her an open door is an invitation and an opportunity. And indeed it is!

J. Wesley Clark was a minister. When he heard about a very small church in a very small town that needed a pastor, he and his wife decided to take a drive to see exactly where this church was located. As they drove past the church building, they noticed the front door of the church was wide open. God spoke to their hearts, That open door is for you. I was eleven years old when our new pastor shared his experience with us, and it has stayed with me. I loved the fact that God used a literal open door to show this man the open door waiting for him in his future.

The Lord opened a door of opportunity for me.
–2 Corinthians 2:12

There is a wide-open door for a great work here!
–1 Corinthians 16:9

There are several wonderful doors mentioned in the Bible. In the Old Testament book of Hosea, God sets before his people a “door of hope” and in the book of Acts there is offered to us a “door of faith”. But most exciting of all is when Jesus Himself declares: “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved.”-John 10:9 These doors are not locked and barred. They are an invitation from God Himself to all of us. An open door for us to enter.

The doors that lead us to God are of utmost importance. We don’t want to neglect them! But we have other open doors set before us as well. Doors of opportunity and direction. Will we go through them with confidence? Or does fear hold us back from something that God has planned for us? As we look for guidance in our daily living, we need to check out those open doors.

Sometimes open doors may be hard to recognize. We get so focused on one direction, our own ideas and set plans, that we miss the other opportunities available to us. When hard times come our way and circumstances are not to our liking, we keep looking at the door that is shut instead of finding another door that just might be open!

Often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us.
–Helen Keller

I hope that Willow keeps her enthusiasm for open doors. That as she grows older she will continue to look for the adventure that is on the other side of that door. For that matter, I want that kind of attitude, too! I don’t want to miss out on an adventure or overlook an opportunity by failing to go through an open door that God has put in front of me. How about you?

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I Don’t Want To!

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Moving isn’t easy. When my daughter and her family moved from New York to Minnesota, my granddaughter struggled. The day they left, they came to see me one more time and to say their goodbyes. My seven year old granddaughter clung to me and whispered imploringly in my ear, “I don’t want to!” I responded with “I know” and I assured her that it would be okay.

Sometimes I don’t want to either. I have had to move several times. The more difficult moves were leaving the churches and the people my husband and I had pastored to go to a new place of ministry. I remember on one occasion sobbing in the car and tearfully saying, “I can’t believe it’s over!” –the equivalent of saying, “I don’t want to.” But the most difficult move of all was when my husband unexpectedly passed away. I had to leave the home and life we had shared, and go on without him. My heart silently shouted, “I DON’T WANT TO!”

I’m not talking about the “I don’t want to” that is a defiant declaration of rebellion and stubbornness, but rather the cry that comes from fear and anxiety. Sometimes we are faced with changes in our lives that are out of our control and we just don’t know how we can go on. The loss of a spouse, the death of a child, a change in employment, or a dreaded diagnosis can lead us to despair and desperation. And we just don’t want it to be true!

But there is Someone we can go to, cling to, and cry to. We can lean into the arms of God and freely tell Him, “I don’t want to.” And He will respond with a gentle, “I know.” But with God there is more!! He not only understands and comforts, He goes with us!! If we lean on Him and trust in Him, He promises to be with us and to help us. No matter the circumstances or changes we are facing, God is right there, too!

Do not be afraid or discouraged.
For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
–Joshua 1:9 (NLT)
For God has said, ‘I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.’ So we can say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear.’
–Hebrews 13:5,6 (NLT)
Be assured, if you walk with Him and look to Him and expect help from Him, He will never fail you.
–George Mueller

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Christmas Movies & Superlatives

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A new Christmas movie was released this year titled, “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.” I haven’t seen the movie, but I have read the book and I’m familiar with the story. The movie centers around the Herdman siblings and their surprising involvement with a church Christmas pageant. A synopsis of the movie explains it this way: The Herdman kids are absolutely the worst. They lie. They steal. They bully…and they’ve hijacked the town Christmas pageant...[They] sneak into church looking for snacks and walk away with the lead roles in the town pageant. And so it appears the program will be ruined! But in spite of (or maybe because of) their unorthodox and unusual presentation the pageant is actually deemed the best Christmas pageant ever!

The phrase “best ever” is a superlative. It expresses the highest degree possible. Superlative adjectives are used to describe something of the highest (or lowest) quality. I remember my mother sharing this little rhyme with me, “Good, better, best. Never let it rest. Until your good is better, and your better best.” Best is the superlative. That’s as good as it gets!

Advertisers and public figures, such as politicians and athletes, are prone to use superlatives declaring they are the best, the greatest, the wisest, and the smartest. But when superlatives are overused they become hyperboles and meaningless. In the Christmas movie Elf, there’s a comical scene that illustrates this very well. When Buddy the Elf discovers that he was adopted as a baby and is not really an elf at all, he travels to New York City in search of his birth father. As he explores the city, he sees a small, nondescript diner with a sign in the window that reads: World’s Best Cup of Coffee. Buddy is ecstatic. He bursts into the restaurant yelling, “Congratulations! You did it!” In his simplistic view, he has no idea that it is merely an advertising gimmick. It is meaningless.

Was the Christmas pageant in the movie really the “best Christmas pageant ever”? Probably not. But I am reminded of an older movie considered a classic called, “The Greatest Story Ever Told.” Is this even possible? What story could possibly be the greatest? There is one! And it begins with the Christmas story! What God has done for us through the birth and life and death of His only begotten Son is indeed the greatest story ever told!

In Scripture, God is often acknowledged as the Most High God, declaring Him to be the Supreme Being over all. And yet it is difficult to use superlatives to describe who God is, because there is no one or anything to compare Him with. He alone is God! God Himself asks in Isaiah 40:25: To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal? and later He declares I am the Lord and there is no other; there is no God besides me. And when we think of what He has done for us and the blessings He gives us, we are often at a loss for words, because as David expresses in Psalm 139:6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand. Nothing in this world compares with what God has done for us! We are given, according to the Bible, “indescribable joy”, “peace which surpasses all understanding”, and “exceeding grace”. Because of Him, we can “abound with hope” and “overflow with confidence”! And so we ponder the thought, Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us that we should be called children of God. (1John 3:1) It’s a love we can experience, but will never completely understand. There’s an abundance to God and His love for us that is greater than any superlative can express!

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!
–2 Corinthians 9:15

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