“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “Tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
Matthew 14:28-29 (NIV)
“You can’t walk on the water if you don’t get out of the boat.” I first saw this in an Upper Room devotional. Like Peter, we all want to walk on the water. But do we have the faith to step out of the boat? Years ago, I was in a job crisis. My job was ok but not what I was supposed to be doing. I knew I needed to find something else but that was scary. And who likes to job hunt? All those interviews and rejections – not me! But then I read this devotional and realized that I could “walk on the water,” but first I had to get out of the boat. I have framed this saying and keep it by my desk to remind me every day that “walking on water” is possible but only if I have the faith to step out of the boat in the first place.
Prayer: Our most gracious heavenly Father give me the strength of faith to step out of the boat and walk on the water. Amen.
Jeremiah, a young man and possibly a teenager, heard this from the Lord: “I formed you in the womb and sanctified you before birth. I ordained you as a profit for the Nations. Jeremiah replied: “but I cannot speak, I’m just a youth!” Although afraid, he listened to God. God instructed Jeremiah to go to the Nations and speak to the people. God admonished him saying, “do not be afraid for I will be with you.” God touched his lips, and said, “I have put words in your mouth! You will be over the Nations and Kingdoms. You will tear down and destroy evil. You will build and plant anew for all the ages.”
Years later Jesus was teaching in a home when an observer told Him that his mother and brothers were outside. He looked at those around him and asked, “Who is my mother and my brothers? Whoever does the will of God is my mother and brothers.” Near the Sea of Galilee, Jesus was preaching to the multitudes when he was forced into a boat to finish his sermon. He told his followers that they would learn through parables. He then told the story of a sower of seeds. Some seeds fell by the wayside and birds devoured them. Others fell on stony ground. They sprang up quickly, but were scorched by the sun and blown away to die. Others planted in thorns were smothered by the rapid growth of thorns. Seeds planted in fertile ground yielded a healthy crop producing some tenfold and even thirtyfold. A sower of words who preached the gospel experienced the same fate. Some words fell by the wayside; others fell on hearts and were taken away by Satan. Those sown on rocky ground instilled joy, but did not last, as few had a strong faith. They stumble and the word is lost when they face challenges. These words sown like seeds in thorns are overcome by cares of the world, riches, and excessive desires. These words are lost and their meaning forgotten. Words that fall on open minds and hearts are accepted. These people have faith; they believe in the word and are nurtured by the word of God.
As God’s people and His workers, we are obligated to build a foundation of faith in Jesus Christ and the gospel He preached. This faith will resist even fire and survive any challenge. Those who believe will be justly rewarded.
Prayer:
Our Heavenly Father, we pray that You will give us the faith of Jeremiah. Help us to resist temptation and sin. Let our faith grow and become strong in the spirit of Jesus Christ. Bless us and show us the paths of righteousness. Amen.
He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it.
On July 7, 1997, my husband had a severe heart attack, and the doctors gave him 30 minutes to live. He prayed to God to give him 15 more years, and he lived until July 7, 2012.
A few years that followed the heart attack he was diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus. He was operated on, and the doctors removed all the cancer. Then in 2007 he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and suffered much pain from chemotherapy and radiation, yet he never complained; instead he talked about his love for God.
Then in 2011 he was diagnosed with cancer of the bladder, and it had to be removed in June of 2012. My husband had to have someone with him 24 hours a day, so my son, daughter-in-law, and I took turns caring for him. On July 7, 2012, at 3:00 a.m., the Lord spoke to me to take my son’s shift, so I was able to be with Herbert when he died that morning at 4:20 a.m.
Before he died, he had asked the hospice nurse not to cover his face when they took him out of the house because he was merely asleep in the Lord, not dead. So, I thanked God for all the love Herbert gave me and for all the love he gave my son. Then I sang a song of praise to God and told Herbert that the glory of God was so bright that it lit up all of heaven. He looked forward to heaven and smiled and did indeed go to sleep in the Lord.
He never went to bed angry, and we both said we loved each other when we woke and before we went to bed. We committed to go on a date every Friday.
Before Herbert’s death, he was totally blind in one eye and only had enough vision in the other to follow a shadow to get around the house by keeping the lights on. I could tell that he had complete vision in the sight of the Lord.
Prayer:
You are the perfect healer and give sight to the blind. You are my comforter and hope. I am not afraid to die because I know when I get to heaven, I will be in the presence of my Lord. Amen.
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Tug and I moved from Dallas to my hometown in 2007. We gave up our retirement plans to help my deceased son’s wife and two small children. Those plans didn’t happen. We loved our church in Dallas and were looking forward to finding our forever church home. We prayed! After a couple of visits, the decision was made. We started attending FUMC Killeen in 2008.
This is where my story begins! One day I made an appointment to speak to the Senior Pastor to discuss where I could best serve God and this church. I had been praying but was at a loss. He immediately replied, “We need someone to take over the Prayer Team.” Yikes! Now what was I to do? I had prayed all my life, but I couldn’t pray out loud or in front of anyone! I told him I would have to think about it, maybe responding, “I would pray about it!” I called the pastor the next day and hesitantly agreed to “try”
to lead the Prayer Team. Joni Lien and Sue Teinert, who had been leading the prayer team, were great mentors. Why am I sharing this now? I thought I needed the pastor to tell me where I should serve. All I needed was to have the confidence in approaching my Heavenly Father, knowing He listens and waiting patiently for His response. Trust in the Lord with all your heart!
Prayer:
Gracious God, thank You for loving me even when my words and thoughts are simple and my confidence waivers. In Jesus’ Holy Name I pray. Amen.
“Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.”
My thirty-year marriage to George ended with his surrender to Alzheimer’s Disease. Alzheimer’s is a great teacher.
I first realized George had Alzheimer’s when we were towing a 35-foot Avion trailer. Far from home he stopped on a two-lane, paved highway and refused to go over the next hill. I directed traffic while he walked to the top of the hill to see if the road continued. My world shifted that day. I grieved the loss of the man I could trust to make sound decisions for us both and accepted the man who needed me to step up as a more vocal partner.
A couple years later, the police stopped George after he went through a stop sign. George explained to the officer, “If everyone stops, no one will get anywhere.” I sold his car and became sole driver.
Alzheimer’s teaches us to grieve each loss and fall in love again and again and again. I loved the adult and then lost him to his twelve-year-old mentality. I lost my twelve-year-old to an eight-year-old who rescued a bird that flew into a garage window. We spent the day taking the bird to a veterinarian and buying birdseed.
My eight-year-old left me, and I fell in love with the four-year-old sorting nuts and bolts for me again and again. He loved to take walks and eat fast food. By his last Christmas, he was a one-year-old playing with shoes on the floor. I experienced existential joy on the floor beside him.
Grief and joy are the same lesson.
Years ago a friend who had just lost her husband told me, “I am looking at this as a new adventure. I have never been here before.”
This new day requires me to find joy in a new relationship(s). There is more than one season to each life.
Prayer:
Our Father in heaven, Mother of cardinal, earth and sky, Great Spirit of wind and prairie grasses: Teach us the lesson of holding on and letting go, holding on and letting go. Teach us to love unconditionally. Teach us to give ourselves permission to live anew in joy. Amen.
God Restores Us and Protects Us with Important Purposes
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned and the flame shall not consume you.”
I overheard this Bible verse in my first year of college when I was seventeen years old. Two very concerned female students were discussing it and were frustrated that they did not know what it meant and had to discuss it for a class. They kept repeating the verse over and over. My heart was pounding inside of me while I stood at the other side of the library cubicle wanting to help them, but I never did. I was ashamed of being born and raised in church and was self-conscious.
The oracle that opens in Isaiah Chapter 43 foretells in its turn the redemption of Israel/Jacob by none other than God. Images from the time of Exodus appear: the water that does not submerge and the fire that does not consume (an echo of Isaiah 1:25 in which Yahweh announces purification through the crucible of adversity). The Lord does not wait for the people to change on their own; he freely transforms the deaf and blind people (Isaiah 42:18) in the nation that proclaims the Glory of God (Isaiah 43:7). The trust that God infuses to the people implies the certainty that nothing opposite to them may shake them as a nation; the strong waters, the turbulent river, the fire and the flame
symbolize Israel’s enemies. The New Testament retakes the certainty that no adversity may overtake the faithful of the Lord. What’s solid about these chosen ones is that God has called them by their name, and they are his personal property (Isaiah 43:1b), thus provided entity to proclaim God’s glory.
I believe God’s grace, redemption, and protection will be with me when I stand for the words of eternal life. I wasn’t courageous enough to stand up for the Gospel in my first year in college, but God has kept working in my life ever since. I believe during this Lenten season and all throughout the year God’s protection will be upon us when we preach, uttering words and testifying with our demeanor as well. I believe God’s protection will be with us when we obey his teachings and encounter turmoil along the way.
Can we trust and be at peace that God is our protector? Can we walk our journey as if we are under the protection of the Almighty? Are we aware that who calls us by our name expects us to contribute to His visible glory? Are we thankful that God provides us second and third chances; that He provides us new opportunities to make up for our shortcomings? With what purposes (or callings) has God redeemed and protected you? Do you consider them important?
Prayer:
God, you create, restore and protect us with the purpose of living lives worthy of repentance and worshiping you. May we be strengthened in our Christian faith when it’s time to learn the hard way and when we just don’t feel like standing up for what we are called to do. Help us, walk with us, protect us as you have promised. Allow us to comprehend there’s no need to rush or flee for you are all we need to smile through tough times and proclaim the good news of salvation where they are most needed. All of this we pray, in the name of Jesus, Amen.
4 “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.”
8 “Love never fails.”
13 “And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is LOVE.”
I always tell my grandchildren to be loving and kind to EVERYONE. What is wrong with our children and youth today? Absolutely nothing! I’ve witnessed many children and youth who are doing great things for our church, for individuals, and for themselves. The children are so alive with joy at Children’s Time, going to Children’s Church, Vacation Bible School, and camp outs. The Children’s Choir performs at church services during Christmas. I could go on and on. This is very good.
The Youth do fundraising to help pay for their mission trips. There they are helping others who are in need. They serve throughout their community. One senior I was visiting with humbly shared with me that he was on a youth council and meets with the Bishop once a year. After I said, “Shut the back door” to him, I told him how proud I was of him. I saw another youth
getting the Pastor’s attention saying, “Come, Pastor, and see all the food we cooked for tonight.” Many of our youth greet at the church’s front door. Children are looking for acceptance, too. One young man walked up to my grandson recently at a stock show asking if he could play football with a group of children playing in a corner of the barn during their break from the show. Sure, my grandson said. Another boy said, “Who is he?” My grandson said, “He’s playing with us.” I whispered, “Does it matter who he is?” “No, it doesn’t matter,” my grandson said. These children had such good manners and were so loving and respectful to each other. My grandson won the Breeding Showmanship Award that day.
The next day was a different story. It was time for the Market Showmanship class. He showed and was not selected to be in the final two. The remainder of the class was asked politely to exit the arena. Before they exited, they must shake the judge’s hands. On this day there was the judge and half a dozen seniors judging. He became emotional because he had not shown as well this second day.
Walking up to shake all the judges hands with head down, fighting back tears, one senior judge put her arms round him, turned him away from the other judges, and walked with him out of the arena. What love and compassion this senior judge showed!
These few stories I’ve shared are examples of the faith, hope, and love which are so desperately needed in the world today.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, Thank You for working in us to share our faith, hope, and LOVE with others. Amen.
“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
Patience
Last year my husband and I bought our first house together. It was a process that caused emotions that I had never experienced before.
My husband and I spent a total of two years looking for our dream home. We were faced with being out-bid, homes not passing inspections, and offers not being accepted. I thought we would never have our dream home.
In August of last year, it finally happened…so we thought. We found a home we both were in love with, and the owner accepted our offer. We had a closing date of September 12th. We scheduled movers and began to pack; come to find out, the loan had not even been submitted. The mortgage company was not returning phone calls or emails. I tried so hard to be calm and patient, but I became angry and upset. Several weeks turned into months. I contacted my realtor and asked for my earnest money; I was done.
My husband told me that God was in control, and He will give us the desires of our heart. We had to leave this in God’s hands. We prayed together. I told God I wanted this house and let His will be done. The next morning I asked my husband to send an email to the mortgage company and our congressman, expressing how we felt mistreated and were having a horrible experience with this company. That following morning, the president of the mortgage company contacted my husband. The president apologized for how we had been treated. He asked if he could resubmit our information.
Within two weeks of the conversation with the president, our loan was approval and a closing date was given for our dream home.
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, I ask that You show me favor, although I am undeserving.Father please continue to give me patience to wait on You. Thank You for assurance that You will never fail to keep Your Word. Amen.
“Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
In the past few months, I’ve had to attend the funerals of dear friends. We raised our children together at our church. These children are no longer children. They are exactly the kind of adults we dreamed of when they were little. Then I thought of the parents that raised these children. The Jeans, the Friddles, the Smiths, the Hammers, the Cartmells, the Rainwaters, and the Frisches. We raised our children at church. We’ve faced challenges of health and losses. We’ve watched our children mature. We are so very proud of the adults that our children have become! Not only are our children strong adults today, but they are also nurturing to each other. Our children live all over the world, but they are still connected. They are connected because of their foundation of faith. They reach out there for each other each and every time they are needed. They are not alone. They have each other! They are also passing these same values to our grandchildren and to those around them.
Then, I look around at our church. I see the Giffens with their 3 boys: Jake, Max and John. I see Leighann and her husband with Iris and Opal. I see Foster and Beau. They are being raised together in church. They are strong representatives of their parents and their grandparents. They will become the leaders of tomorrow because of the values of their parents and grandparents.
By giving our children the foundation of faith, we are preparing them for the challenges and blessings they will face when we are not with them physically. They will never walk alone.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, Thank You for families who teach their children the importance of their Christian faith. Thank You for families and friends who support our children and give them the foundation they need to become strong Christian men and women. In Your Name I pray, Amen.
Easter 2018 was a little bittersweet for me. Yes, I praised the joy of a risen Savior at God’s hands. My disappointment centered around not accomplishing my goal of approaching Lent in a different manner. Little did I realize what was in store for me. My preparation for what change was coming came in God’s time in June 2018. I watched the movie I Can Only Imagine. In fact, I watched the movie two more times. I just didn’t want to miss anything. Knowing there was more to this story, I began to research Bart Millard. I read his book I Can Only Imagine for the rest of the story. I was also introduced to the music of Mercy Me, shocked they had been around 20 years and at the top of Christian Contemporary music for many of those years. This group considers themselves ministers for Christ. Their music opened my heart to the modern words of Contemporary Christian music. The lyrics were so beautiful. The song “I Can Only Imagine” changed my focus to meeting God after life on Earth. In the song “Greater,” the lyrics,
“And greater is the One living inside of me
Than he who is living in the world”
helped me find understanding. I am Redeemed.
With each of the songs and the story I began to understand that before Christ ascended to heaven, He carefully installed the Holy Spirit in each of us. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, our lives change because it is within us to be God’s hands and feet. Christ taught us how to live and died to redeem all. The Holy Spirit within each of us guides our priorities and actions.
My approach to Lent is different because I am free and redeemed to do God’s will
Prayer:
Dear God, Thank You for Jesus whose example we followed. We live in grace because Christ died for the sins of the world. Thank you for this grace and help us understand it. Amen.
