Monday, September 21, 2009
A Dangerous Prayer
I prayed a dangerous prayer this morning. I prayed that God would give me more opportunities to share my faith with others. Sometimes I feel very protected within my home, within my family, within my ministry...I do not feel as though I have been greatly challenged to "give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have" (I Peter 3:15). I don't often find myself in situations where people ask me questions about my faith, where I have the chance to clearly profess who it is I believe in and why I believe in him.
And I want to have those opportunities.
Over the past several years, I have seen God take me on an incredible journey of discovery. He has taken me through mountains and valleys, he has taught me so much about Himself and about myself. And about us together. I know that there is so much more to be learned and discovered - I've only just scratched the surface of the iceburg!
But I'm beginning to feel like the Dead Sea (located in the Middle East)... which takes in the fresh water but has no outlet for the water to flow back out. The water there is stagnant. Nothing can live or grow -- which is how it got its name.
I need to have an outlet for all that God has shown and taught me. I want to be able to share God's love with others -- to tell them that they too can be reconciled with a holy and righteous God, that he can lead them through this life with peace, joy and hope. I want to share that Jesus Christ became the one and only sacrifice necessary for that reconciliation, and through his death and resurrection, we can be saved.
I know that there are many who would hear and not respond, but I also know that there are many who are seeking answers, searching for direction and purpose in their lives. There are many who are seeking for their answers in the wrong places -- wrong religions, wrong doctrines, wrong direction. They need Jesus. We all need Jesus.
So, that was my prayer this morning. God, please take me out of my own little comfort zone, my own little cocoon of security, and put me in a place where the rubber can meet the road. Put me in a place where my faith in you can be proclaimed. There are so many Christians in other countries who are literally putting their lives on the line to share their love of Jesus Christ. They are sacrificing so much just to say that they are Christian. May I never take my standing with God for granted.
It's a dangerous prayer, because I know God will answer it. I will have to speak up for Jesus. I will have to let others know where I stand in God's grace. It may cost me a little, it may cost me much, but whatever there is to lose here on earth is to be gained richly in heaven. To God be the glory.
Psalm 146 (New Living Translation)
1 Praise the LORD!
Let all that I am praise the LORD.
2 I will praise the LORD as long as I live.
I will sing praises to my God with my dying breath.
3 Don't put your confidence in powerful people;
there is no help for you there.
4 When they breathe their last, they return to the earth,
and all their plans die with them.
5 But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper,
whose hope is in the LORD their God.
6 He made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them.
He keeps every promise forever.
7 He gives justice to the oppressed and food to the hungry.
The LORD frees the prisoners.
8 The LORD opens the eyes of the blind.
The LORD lifts up those who are weighed down.
The LORD loves the godly.
9 The LORD protects the foreigners among us.
He cares for the orphans and widows,
but he frustrates the plans of the wicked.
10 The LORD will reign forever.
He will be your God, O Jerusalem, throughout the generations.
Praise the LORD!
And I want to have those opportunities.
Over the past several years, I have seen God take me on an incredible journey of discovery. He has taken me through mountains and valleys, he has taught me so much about Himself and about myself. And about us together. I know that there is so much more to be learned and discovered - I've only just scratched the surface of the iceburg!
But I'm beginning to feel like the Dead Sea (located in the Middle East)... which takes in the fresh water but has no outlet for the water to flow back out. The water there is stagnant. Nothing can live or grow -- which is how it got its name.
I need to have an outlet for all that God has shown and taught me. I want to be able to share God's love with others -- to tell them that they too can be reconciled with a holy and righteous God, that he can lead them through this life with peace, joy and hope. I want to share that Jesus Christ became the one and only sacrifice necessary for that reconciliation, and through his death and resurrection, we can be saved.
I know that there are many who would hear and not respond, but I also know that there are many who are seeking answers, searching for direction and purpose in their lives. There are many who are seeking for their answers in the wrong places -- wrong religions, wrong doctrines, wrong direction. They need Jesus. We all need Jesus.
So, that was my prayer this morning. God, please take me out of my own little comfort zone, my own little cocoon of security, and put me in a place where the rubber can meet the road. Put me in a place where my faith in you can be proclaimed. There are so many Christians in other countries who are literally putting their lives on the line to share their love of Jesus Christ. They are sacrificing so much just to say that they are Christian. May I never take my standing with God for granted.
It's a dangerous prayer, because I know God will answer it. I will have to speak up for Jesus. I will have to let others know where I stand in God's grace. It may cost me a little, it may cost me much, but whatever there is to lose here on earth is to be gained richly in heaven. To God be the glory.
Psalm 146 (New Living Translation)
1 Praise the LORD!
Let all that I am praise the LORD.
2 I will praise the LORD as long as I live.
I will sing praises to my God with my dying breath.
3 Don't put your confidence in powerful people;
there is no help for you there.
4 When they breathe their last, they return to the earth,
and all their plans die with them.
5 But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper,
whose hope is in the LORD their God.
6 He made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them.
He keeps every promise forever.
7 He gives justice to the oppressed and food to the hungry.
The LORD frees the prisoners.
8 The LORD opens the eyes of the blind.
The LORD lifts up those who are weighed down.
The LORD loves the godly.
9 The LORD protects the foreigners among us.
He cares for the orphans and widows,
but he frustrates the plans of the wicked.
10 The LORD will reign forever.
He will be your God, O Jerusalem, throughout the generations.
Praise the LORD!
Monday, September 14, 2009
It's Amazing How Quickly Life Can Be Re-arranged
Proverbs 16:9 says, "In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps."
It was almost two years ago that David and I made the decision to take our ministry full time. It was a huge step to take. But as we grew to rely more and more upon God and His provision for our NEEDS (not necessarily our wants), the foundation of our faith has grown stronger and stronger. We could fill pages describing the times that God came through with His provision at the last minute. David sometimes kids that if there weren't that 60th minute in an hour, we'd never hear from God!
While we know that God has indeed called us to this ministry, and we still have a roof over our head, a vehicle to travel in, and food to eat, it has been a huge burden financially to make ends meet. We continue to see God reach people through our ministry, and it is our faithful desire to continue to serve Him until He calls us home, either through death or by catching us up in the Rapture.
We've constantly sought ways over the past two years to decrease our financial obligations and live as frugally as possible, and I think we've done a pretty good job in cutting expenses, but despite our strongest efforts to increase our monthly income, we've continue to fall behind.
We made the decision to sell our house based upon several factors, some of those being - 1) Finding someplace to rent for significantly less than what we pay in our mortgage would help us cut even more expense, and 2) Putting ourselves in a position of becoming more "mobile" - freer to pick up and go where God wants us to go.
We've gotten rid of our car and replaced it with a used van, eliminating a monthly car payment.
And we've made the decision to move to the Kansas City area where we can be more "centralized" for our ministry, being able to reach much of Missouri, Kansas and Iowa within a three to four hour drive. This location will also allow us the ability to present ministry events at more than twice as many Awana clubs (the mainstay for our ministry) than where we are now, not to mention more churches and Christian schools.
Several weeks ago, we were down in Kansas City to teach some creative ministry workshops at an Awana Leadership Conference. We went down a day early just to look around the area and see if this was truly where God was leading us. We decided to go and visit a church that David had once attended in Raytown (a suburb) many years ago, and so we headed down that way. As we were driving along in a residential area near the church, I happened to look to my right and I saw a house down a side street with a "For Rent" sign. David turned around and we drove up to the house to take a look. A ranch style house with a two car garage in a nice quiet neighborhood looked rather appealing.
David called the number on the For Rent sign. I was able to hear both sides of the conversation as David began explaining to the woman on the other end of the line (Barbara) who we were and that we were interested in renting their house. As the conversation progressed, we found out that this couple was Christian and attended the church that we were going to look at (charter members in fact!). I heard Barbara tell David that she and her husband had just been praying the evening before that God would lead a Christian couple to that house to rent it. When I heard this, my heart just lept! I hadn't told David this yet, but on our drive down to KC that morning, I had quietly been praying in my heart that if God wanted us to move down to the KC area, that He would lead us to a house, that it would be owned by Christians, and, wouldn't it be such a neat thing if we could be the answer to their prayer. God is so cool in the way He answers prayer.
So we arranged with Barbara and Jerry to see the house later that afternoon. After spending the afternoon exploring the area, we met with them at the house and they showed it to us. It seemed like it would work, price was right, and timing for availability was right.
The folks we met the next day at the Awana Conference from various churches in Kansas and Missouri were all extremely positive about our potentially moving down to the area. As a matter of fact, the Awana missionary for that area said that he already had a place for us on his ministry team if we moved down. After a couple of days of praying and talking about it, we let Barbara and Jerry know that we wanted to rent their house, and the final decision was made that we would move down to Raytown on November 1st.
This past weekend, we were to drive to Newton, Kansas, for another Awana Conference, so to break up the trip, we went as far as Kansas City again a day early. During our previous trip (as with most of our trips to Kansas City), we stopped at U.S. Toy Company which has a large magic shop in the back. David once worked there for a few weeks many, many years ago, so he knew one of the owners who was still there. Just on a whim, David asked Phillip if there were any part time positions available in the magic shop. Phillip told him no, but they were looking for a full time manager for both the magic shop and the adjoining costume shop. Initially, David didn't give it much thought because we were still not considering full time employment to be an option for us. But just for "grins and giggles," he did go online and fill out an employment application.
He received a phone call early last week from the HR director and was asked if he'd be willing to be interviewed for the position. Because we were heading back down that direction, David said that he would be available on Thursday to come in for an interview. The day after the interview, David was offered the full-time salaried managerial position for the magic/costume division, with full benefits and enough flexibility that will allow us to continue to book our ministry events on Sundays and Wednesdays (which is when most of the Awana clubs take place anyway). They will also allow David the time off necessary for our missions trip to India in January. This job seems like a "natural" for David. He has the experience to manage the inventory and employees, plus he has the love and talent for magic to be able to demonstrate the products for customers.
Initially, I struggled with the decision of David taking on a full time job because I thought it was telling God that we didn't trust Him any more for our provision. However, I'm coming to see this as a way of God providing for us and still allowing us to continue effectively serving Him. As a matter of fact, in looking at most of our contemporaries who are doing what we do, at least one spouse has a full-time job or other source of steady income. I'm reminded on the story of the man sitting on the roof of his house in the midst of a massive flood believing that God was going to save him. To shorten the story, after rejecting two boats and a helicopter attempting to rescue him, he dies and goes to heaven. "Why didn't you save me?" the man cried to God. "I tried," God said. "Didn't you see the two boats and the helicopter I sent?" I guess I now see this job opportunity for David as one of those vehicles that God has sent to us to help us in our ministry. He may chose to send another type of "vehicle" again down the road.
We will still be able to maintain our ministry, but with the financial pressure being taken off, we will be in a position to run our ministry more for ministry sake than for having to make this payment or that payment.
As for what I'll be doing when David is working at the magic shop??? I think I'm going to be busier than ever! I am still planning on doing preschool shows by myself during the day, and I've developed a whole new character for those performances - her name is "Miss Trixie Pockets." I've got several different show ideas in mind, and with the experience David and I have had doing the preschool shows together this year, I know that I'll be able to put something together that the kids and teachers will enjoy.
I will be working on writing - I have three very distinct outlines for books in mind already. I also want to continue developing opportunities for speaking to women's groups, as well.
Seeing how God directed us to a new home and a new job, we are looking forward to Him directing us to our new church home. It is going to be difficult to leave Olivet. We've developed some very special relationships with our church family, and our ministry was "birthed" (commissioned) there. We've received such incredible support, both through prayerfully and financially, from our church family over the past several years. But the goodbye will not be forever. After we return from our missions trip to India, we plan on making arrangements with Olivet to be able to make a presentation to our church family. We want to be able to share with those who have supported us in this endeavor what God was able to do in us and through us. We are so looking forward to that.
We will also miss being so close to my family here in the Des Moines area. It's been such a blessing to have been able to be a part of their lives in such a close way for the past seven years. And we will definitely miss being a part of the regular Saturday morning breakfasts. But we know we will be returning on a fairly regular basis for ministry events and other performances, as well as special family events. It's really not that long of a drive between here and Kansas City.
So that, dear family and friends, is what is happening in our lives these days. Sometimes it is hard keeping all of the details straight. I know that I have not been sleeping well over the past couple of nights just because my mind won't slow down with all of the planning and organizing that needs to be done. But we are excited about the fact that God is in this. These kinds of "coincidences" cannot be random happenings.
So, if you are so inclinded to pray for us, here are our specific prayer requests...
1) David begins his job next week, and so he will be commuting between KC and here for a couple of weeks (coming back on weekends and for performance events). Pray for travel safety for him as he goes back and forth and for the van to stay in good running condition.
2) Our move date has been changed from November 1st to October 15th because of David beginning his new job. There's much to be done in the next few weeks to be ready for this move. Pray that the details would come together to make this move as smooth as possible.
3) With this new job, we will be able to save up the rest of the financing we need for our trip to India. We are so thankful that David's new bosses are allowing him the time off (of course, this was non-negotiable, but we appreciate their cooperation all the same). Once we get moved, we will start the process for our visas. Pray that this will go without any hitches.
4) Pray for us as we seek a new church home. This is such an important step. We want to go where we can be used of God and where we can be drawn closer to God.
If you made it to the bottom of this loooong post, THANK YOU! We appreciate you and love you as dear friends and family.
It was almost two years ago that David and I made the decision to take our ministry full time. It was a huge step to take. But as we grew to rely more and more upon God and His provision for our NEEDS (not necessarily our wants), the foundation of our faith has grown stronger and stronger. We could fill pages describing the times that God came through with His provision at the last minute. David sometimes kids that if there weren't that 60th minute in an hour, we'd never hear from God!
While we know that God has indeed called us to this ministry, and we still have a roof over our head, a vehicle to travel in, and food to eat, it has been a huge burden financially to make ends meet. We continue to see God reach people through our ministry, and it is our faithful desire to continue to serve Him until He calls us home, either through death or by catching us up in the Rapture.
We've constantly sought ways over the past two years to decrease our financial obligations and live as frugally as possible, and I think we've done a pretty good job in cutting expenses, but despite our strongest efforts to increase our monthly income, we've continue to fall behind.
We made the decision to sell our house based upon several factors, some of those being - 1) Finding someplace to rent for significantly less than what we pay in our mortgage would help us cut even more expense, and 2) Putting ourselves in a position of becoming more "mobile" - freer to pick up and go where God wants us to go.
We've gotten rid of our car and replaced it with a used van, eliminating a monthly car payment.
And we've made the decision to move to the Kansas City area where we can be more "centralized" for our ministry, being able to reach much of Missouri, Kansas and Iowa within a three to four hour drive. This location will also allow us the ability to present ministry events at more than twice as many Awana clubs (the mainstay for our ministry) than where we are now, not to mention more churches and Christian schools.
Several weeks ago, we were down in Kansas City to teach some creative ministry workshops at an Awana Leadership Conference. We went down a day early just to look around the area and see if this was truly where God was leading us. We decided to go and visit a church that David had once attended in Raytown (a suburb) many years ago, and so we headed down that way. As we were driving along in a residential area near the church, I happened to look to my right and I saw a house down a side street with a "For Rent" sign. David turned around and we drove up to the house to take a look. A ranch style house with a two car garage in a nice quiet neighborhood looked rather appealing.
David called the number on the For Rent sign. I was able to hear both sides of the conversation as David began explaining to the woman on the other end of the line (Barbara) who we were and that we were interested in renting their house. As the conversation progressed, we found out that this couple was Christian and attended the church that we were going to look at (charter members in fact!). I heard Barbara tell David that she and her husband had just been praying the evening before that God would lead a Christian couple to that house to rent it. When I heard this, my heart just lept! I hadn't told David this yet, but on our drive down to KC that morning, I had quietly been praying in my heart that if God wanted us to move down to the KC area, that He would lead us to a house, that it would be owned by Christians, and, wouldn't it be such a neat thing if we could be the answer to their prayer. God is so cool in the way He answers prayer.
So we arranged with Barbara and Jerry to see the house later that afternoon. After spending the afternoon exploring the area, we met with them at the house and they showed it to us. It seemed like it would work, price was right, and timing for availability was right.
The folks we met the next day at the Awana Conference from various churches in Kansas and Missouri were all extremely positive about our potentially moving down to the area. As a matter of fact, the Awana missionary for that area said that he already had a place for us on his ministry team if we moved down. After a couple of days of praying and talking about it, we let Barbara and Jerry know that we wanted to rent their house, and the final decision was made that we would move down to Raytown on November 1st.
This past weekend, we were to drive to Newton, Kansas, for another Awana Conference, so to break up the trip, we went as far as Kansas City again a day early. During our previous trip (as with most of our trips to Kansas City), we stopped at U.S. Toy Company which has a large magic shop in the back. David once worked there for a few weeks many, many years ago, so he knew one of the owners who was still there. Just on a whim, David asked Phillip if there were any part time positions available in the magic shop. Phillip told him no, but they were looking for a full time manager for both the magic shop and the adjoining costume shop. Initially, David didn't give it much thought because we were still not considering full time employment to be an option for us. But just for "grins and giggles," he did go online and fill out an employment application.
He received a phone call early last week from the HR director and was asked if he'd be willing to be interviewed for the position. Because we were heading back down that direction, David said that he would be available on Thursday to come in for an interview. The day after the interview, David was offered the full-time salaried managerial position for the magic/costume division, with full benefits and enough flexibility that will allow us to continue to book our ministry events on Sundays and Wednesdays (which is when most of the Awana clubs take place anyway). They will also allow David the time off necessary for our missions trip to India in January. This job seems like a "natural" for David. He has the experience to manage the inventory and employees, plus he has the love and talent for magic to be able to demonstrate the products for customers.
Initially, I struggled with the decision of David taking on a full time job because I thought it was telling God that we didn't trust Him any more for our provision. However, I'm coming to see this as a way of God providing for us and still allowing us to continue effectively serving Him. As a matter of fact, in looking at most of our contemporaries who are doing what we do, at least one spouse has a full-time job or other source of steady income. I'm reminded on the story of the man sitting on the roof of his house in the midst of a massive flood believing that God was going to save him. To shorten the story, after rejecting two boats and a helicopter attempting to rescue him, he dies and goes to heaven. "Why didn't you save me?" the man cried to God. "I tried," God said. "Didn't you see the two boats and the helicopter I sent?" I guess I now see this job opportunity for David as one of those vehicles that God has sent to us to help us in our ministry. He may chose to send another type of "vehicle" again down the road.
We will still be able to maintain our ministry, but with the financial pressure being taken off, we will be in a position to run our ministry more for ministry sake than for having to make this payment or that payment.
As for what I'll be doing when David is working at the magic shop??? I think I'm going to be busier than ever! I am still planning on doing preschool shows by myself during the day, and I've developed a whole new character for those performances - her name is "Miss Trixie Pockets." I've got several different show ideas in mind, and with the experience David and I have had doing the preschool shows together this year, I know that I'll be able to put something together that the kids and teachers will enjoy.
I will be working on writing - I have three very distinct outlines for books in mind already. I also want to continue developing opportunities for speaking to women's groups, as well.
Seeing how God directed us to a new home and a new job, we are looking forward to Him directing us to our new church home. It is going to be difficult to leave Olivet. We've developed some very special relationships with our church family, and our ministry was "birthed" (commissioned) there. We've received such incredible support, both through prayerfully and financially, from our church family over the past several years. But the goodbye will not be forever. After we return from our missions trip to India, we plan on making arrangements with Olivet to be able to make a presentation to our church family. We want to be able to share with those who have supported us in this endeavor what God was able to do in us and through us. We are so looking forward to that.
We will also miss being so close to my family here in the Des Moines area. It's been such a blessing to have been able to be a part of their lives in such a close way for the past seven years. And we will definitely miss being a part of the regular Saturday morning breakfasts. But we know we will be returning on a fairly regular basis for ministry events and other performances, as well as special family events. It's really not that long of a drive between here and Kansas City.
So that, dear family and friends, is what is happening in our lives these days. Sometimes it is hard keeping all of the details straight. I know that I have not been sleeping well over the past couple of nights just because my mind won't slow down with all of the planning and organizing that needs to be done. But we are excited about the fact that God is in this. These kinds of "coincidences" cannot be random happenings.
So, if you are so inclinded to pray for us, here are our specific prayer requests...
1) David begins his job next week, and so he will be commuting between KC and here for a couple of weeks (coming back on weekends and for performance events). Pray for travel safety for him as he goes back and forth and for the van to stay in good running condition.
2) Our move date has been changed from November 1st to October 15th because of David beginning his new job. There's much to be done in the next few weeks to be ready for this move. Pray that the details would come together to make this move as smooth as possible.
3) With this new job, we will be able to save up the rest of the financing we need for our trip to India. We are so thankful that David's new bosses are allowing him the time off (of course, this was non-negotiable, but we appreciate their cooperation all the same). Once we get moved, we will start the process for our visas. Pray that this will go without any hitches.
4) Pray for us as we seek a new church home. This is such an important step. We want to go where we can be used of God and where we can be drawn closer to God.
If you made it to the bottom of this loooong post, THANK YOU! We appreciate you and love you as dear friends and family.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
The Ultimate Sacrifice
Some time ago, my husband and I heard a story (we've been told that it is a true story) that tore at our hearts and really made the image of God's sacrifice of His Son very vivid to us. The story went something like this...
There once was a bridge operator who had a young son whom he dearly loved. They were inseparable. The young boy often asked to go with his father to watch him work - to watch him raise and lower the draw bridge, allowing the boats to pass under or the passenger trains to cross over. One day the father relented and allowed his son to come with him.
"Stay here at a safe distance," the father warned the boy, "while I go and raise the bridge for the coming boat." The boy stayed where his father had left him and watched the bridge as it slowly lifted up in the sky. Suddenly, the boy heard the faint cry of an approaching passenger train - coming quite a bit sooner than had been expected. The father, up in the control room, could hear neither the whistle of the train nor the warning cry of his son.
The boy saw the train racing closer and closer, and he started to run along the platform to reach his father. Knowing there was a lever he could pull near the operating gears of the bridge, the boy ran to the door in the platform and tried to lower himself down to reach the lever. Losing his balance, he fell in to where the gears came together and was caught.
At the same time the father saw his son fall down into the hole in the platform, he saw the fast approaching train. In horror, he realized that if he didn't start lowering the bridge immediately, it would not be down in time for the train to pass safely. The train would crash into the river below killing hundreds of innocent people.
The man was faced with an unimaginable dilemma - race to save his son at the cost of hundreds of lives, or sacrifice his son to save the passengers on the train.
He made the only choice he could and pulled the lever to lower the bridge. In spite of the noise of the descending bridge and the oncoming train, he still heard the anguished screams of his beloved son being crushed to death between the gears of the bridge.
The father ran to the platform as the train was passing by. Most people on the train simply ignored the man crying on the platform. Others looked out of the window and stared, totally oblivious of the unspeakable sacrifice that had just been made on their behalf. They gave no other thought or concern to this man who had just given up what was most precious to him so that they could live.
Do you see the parallel? Can you understand the picture this story paints?
The sacrifice of One offers life to all. God did not take pleasure in watching His Son die. It had to have been agonizing for God to stand by as Jesus died covered in the intense darkness of all of our sins. There was no choice...it had to happen. The sacrifice had to be made in order for us to be able to live.
And like those people on the train, we have the choice regarding what we will do with that sacrifice. We can choose to ignore it - to ignore God - not even bothering consider what God did on our behalf. We can choose to look at God briefly - to glance in passing - and then continue on with our own priorities and plans. Or we can acknowledge what it was that God sacrificed to give us life. We can embrace it and accept it on our behalf, and choose to live our lives for God.
Where are you on that train? Can you see the anguish in the Father's eyes as you pass by? Do you know that He offered His greatest sacrifice so that you could live? Will you accept it? Will you choose to give your life to Him because of what He gave for you?
There is a short movie that was made in 2003 called "Most," which means "the bridge" in Czech. It depicts this story so vividly. I'm attaching a link to a brief video that someone made for his church using clips from this movie... http://www.tangle.com/view_video.php?viewkey=13a4a045cd290bc2ae2d&sp=1.
You can also learn more about the full length movie (which is only about 33 minutes) at this site... http://www.mostthemovie.com/.
This story and the video moved me. I hope it moves you as well.
There once was a bridge operator who had a young son whom he dearly loved. They were inseparable. The young boy often asked to go with his father to watch him work - to watch him raise and lower the draw bridge, allowing the boats to pass under or the passenger trains to cross over. One day the father relented and allowed his son to come with him.
"Stay here at a safe distance," the father warned the boy, "while I go and raise the bridge for the coming boat." The boy stayed where his father had left him and watched the bridge as it slowly lifted up in the sky. Suddenly, the boy heard the faint cry of an approaching passenger train - coming quite a bit sooner than had been expected. The father, up in the control room, could hear neither the whistle of the train nor the warning cry of his son.
The boy saw the train racing closer and closer, and he started to run along the platform to reach his father. Knowing there was a lever he could pull near the operating gears of the bridge, the boy ran to the door in the platform and tried to lower himself down to reach the lever. Losing his balance, he fell in to where the gears came together and was caught.
At the same time the father saw his son fall down into the hole in the platform, he saw the fast approaching train. In horror, he realized that if he didn't start lowering the bridge immediately, it would not be down in time for the train to pass safely. The train would crash into the river below killing hundreds of innocent people.
The man was faced with an unimaginable dilemma - race to save his son at the cost of hundreds of lives, or sacrifice his son to save the passengers on the train.
He made the only choice he could and pulled the lever to lower the bridge. In spite of the noise of the descending bridge and the oncoming train, he still heard the anguished screams of his beloved son being crushed to death between the gears of the bridge.
The father ran to the platform as the train was passing by. Most people on the train simply ignored the man crying on the platform. Others looked out of the window and stared, totally oblivious of the unspeakable sacrifice that had just been made on their behalf. They gave no other thought or concern to this man who had just given up what was most precious to him so that they could live.
Do you see the parallel? Can you understand the picture this story paints?
The sacrifice of One offers life to all. God did not take pleasure in watching His Son die. It had to have been agonizing for God to stand by as Jesus died covered in the intense darkness of all of our sins. There was no choice...it had to happen. The sacrifice had to be made in order for us to be able to live.
And like those people on the train, we have the choice regarding what we will do with that sacrifice. We can choose to ignore it - to ignore God - not even bothering consider what God did on our behalf. We can choose to look at God briefly - to glance in passing - and then continue on with our own priorities and plans. Or we can acknowledge what it was that God sacrificed to give us life. We can embrace it and accept it on our behalf, and choose to live our lives for God.
Where are you on that train? Can you see the anguish in the Father's eyes as you pass by? Do you know that He offered His greatest sacrifice so that you could live? Will you accept it? Will you choose to give your life to Him because of what He gave for you?
There is a short movie that was made in 2003 called "Most," which means "the bridge" in Czech. It depicts this story so vividly. I'm attaching a link to a brief video that someone made for his church using clips from this movie... http://www.tangle.com/view_video.php?viewkey=13a4a045cd290bc2ae2d&sp=1.
You can also learn more about the full length movie (which is only about 33 minutes) at this site... http://www.mostthemovie.com/.
This story and the video moved me. I hope it moves you as well.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Stepping into the Unknown
One of my favorite Bible verses is Joshua 1:9: "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." (NIV). I came across it again this morning during my quiet time. It had been a while since I had given it much thought.
God was getting Joshua ready to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. Joshua was facing a lot of brand new challenges - leadership (Moses had recently died and Joshua was now "in charge"), entering a brand new land (they had a taste of what it was like from the spies, but going there to start new lives had to have been daunting), to name just two.
I am sure that God's reminder of His presence to Joshua was greatly comforting and greatly motivating to Joshua and the people of Israel.
One of my favorite parts about this verse is that it is a COMMAND. It is not a suggestion. God commands us to be strong and courageous - and then He encourages us by telling us why. HE will be with us wherever we go. That is where our source of strength and courage lie. In God.
David and I are facing some uncertainties right now. We know that God is moving us, but we just don't know where for sure. We have a sense of direction that we are following until God closes the door, but there are enough variables involved that our sense of surity has not yet kicked in. We know that God still wants us in this ministry. The stakes are just too high to walk away from it and fall back on what the world thinks is reasonable and logical.
As we move forward in faith, again believing that God opens the doors no one can shut and shuts the doors no one can open, we can do so with strength and courage. Because God is with us wherever we go. But as Joshua knew he was going where God was directing, so David and I know that we will go where God is directing us. And with that knowledge comes the strength and courage to go forward.
Going to India in January can be a very scary thing - especially for me as I have never travelled to such a "foreign" land before. I've been to Canada and Mexico, but I don't classify those countries as "foreign" like I do India. Fear of stepping into the unknown could be enough to stop me from going. But when this opportunity presented itself, I knew that I had to step out of my own comfort zone and experience - even if for a short time - what it means to be a missionary in a foreign land. I know it won't be glamourous, comfortable or even easy. Serving God rarely is. But if God is able to use us to impact even one life over there, it will be worth it. Not only that, it is my prayer that He also impacts my own life - that He strengthens my own "missionary" heart in a way that is completely unimaginable.
So, whether facing the unknowns here in the US as God leads us, or facing the unknowns in India, I can have strength and courage because I know that God is leading the way. Honestly, as a Christ-follower, I have no choice but to be strong and courageous. It is what God has commanded! And I really like that.
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Journal Archive - March 23, 2005 - John 15:17-16:4
Jesus was very repetitive in the things He was saying to the disciples. John wrote many examples of this in this passage: "Ask whatever you will in My name," "Obeying His commands is equal to loving God" and "If Jesus had not come and spoken to the Jews, they would not be guilty of sin."
My guess as to why Jesus was repeating Himself so much is that the disciples were at a very teachable moment, and Jesus wanted to make sure that they caught and understood everything He was trying to teach them. They were about to go through a very dramatic event, and these were things they were going to need to remember as they went on after Christ's death and resurrection.
Lord, I want to be teachable. I want to be in a position where I can hear your voice speaking to me, repeating to me the things you desire me to grasp and understand. Help me, Lord, to hear your voice, to recognize your Word and to hold it in my heart.
God was getting Joshua ready to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. Joshua was facing a lot of brand new challenges - leadership (Moses had recently died and Joshua was now "in charge"), entering a brand new land (they had a taste of what it was like from the spies, but going there to start new lives had to have been daunting), to name just two.
I am sure that God's reminder of His presence to Joshua was greatly comforting and greatly motivating to Joshua and the people of Israel.
One of my favorite parts about this verse is that it is a COMMAND. It is not a suggestion. God commands us to be strong and courageous - and then He encourages us by telling us why. HE will be with us wherever we go. That is where our source of strength and courage lie. In God.
David and I are facing some uncertainties right now. We know that God is moving us, but we just don't know where for sure. We have a sense of direction that we are following until God closes the door, but there are enough variables involved that our sense of surity has not yet kicked in. We know that God still wants us in this ministry. The stakes are just too high to walk away from it and fall back on what the world thinks is reasonable and logical.
As we move forward in faith, again believing that God opens the doors no one can shut and shuts the doors no one can open, we can do so with strength and courage. Because God is with us wherever we go. But as Joshua knew he was going where God was directing, so David and I know that we will go where God is directing us. And with that knowledge comes the strength and courage to go forward.
Going to India in January can be a very scary thing - especially for me as I have never travelled to such a "foreign" land before. I've been to Canada and Mexico, but I don't classify those countries as "foreign" like I do India. Fear of stepping into the unknown could be enough to stop me from going. But when this opportunity presented itself, I knew that I had to step out of my own comfort zone and experience - even if for a short time - what it means to be a missionary in a foreign land. I know it won't be glamourous, comfortable or even easy. Serving God rarely is. But if God is able to use us to impact even one life over there, it will be worth it. Not only that, it is my prayer that He also impacts my own life - that He strengthens my own "missionary" heart in a way that is completely unimaginable.
So, whether facing the unknowns here in the US as God leads us, or facing the unknowns in India, I can have strength and courage because I know that God is leading the way. Honestly, as a Christ-follower, I have no choice but to be strong and courageous. It is what God has commanded! And I really like that.
---------------------------------------------
Journal Archive - March 23, 2005 - John 15:17-16:4
Jesus was very repetitive in the things He was saying to the disciples. John wrote many examples of this in this passage: "Ask whatever you will in My name," "Obeying His commands is equal to loving God" and "If Jesus had not come and spoken to the Jews, they would not be guilty of sin."
My guess as to why Jesus was repeating Himself so much is that the disciples were at a very teachable moment, and Jesus wanted to make sure that they caught and understood everything He was trying to teach them. They were about to go through a very dramatic event, and these were things they were going to need to remember as they went on after Christ's death and resurrection.
Lord, I want to be teachable. I want to be in a position where I can hear your voice speaking to me, repeating to me the things you desire me to grasp and understand. Help me, Lord, to hear your voice, to recognize your Word and to hold it in my heart.
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