The Tough Truth

Posted on July 21, 2013 by Margaret

Some babies are born into sporty families and begin their careers with pint-sized golf clubs, tennis rackets, or baseball bats. Others arrive to parents who love horses, and their children are taught to ride before they can sit up. Still others come into musical homes and learn to read music before reading words, developing into prodigies.

Babies born into our family have it easy. All they have to do is love the beach.

Later this week Emerald will turn 9 months, and in her short life she’s already become a water baby. She never gets enough of Lake Michigan and today had us all spellbound with her antics.

While she was sitting in our beach creek, her mommy slowly poured a bucket of water out in front of her from 2 feet in the air. At first Emerald did what most babies do, grabbing at the stream. Then suddenly she surprised us all by leaning forward and going full-face into the water, soaking her eyes and nose, and filling her mouth.

She did it again and again, after which she would pull back and laugh with gusto. Birgitta poured bucket after bucket in front of her, and she never stopped ducking into the water and laughing afterwards. Getting dunked was her her passion of the moment.

Maybe it’s possible to develop spiritual passions in our children the same way families develop passions for sports, horses, music, or water, by starting young.

My parents began spiritual training with my sister, brother and I early in our lives, just as Nate and I did with our children: Sunday school from infancy, youth groups, summer camp, service projects, and mission trips. Most importantly, we tried to practice what we preached at home. But that last one, living out an example of Christ-like-ness, is the toughest.

Some youngsters, when taught something from the get-go, develop a natural proclivity for it and get good at it because it comes naturally. But righteous living? That doesn’t come naturally to any of us.

I think of Billy Graham, one of the most prominent preachers of all time. His life has been scrutinized from every angle without finding any skeletons in his closets, and most of us would call him a “righteous person.” Yet he told an interviewer he struggles daily with the temptation to sin, resisting only with God’s supernatural help.

Those of us who think we have a passion to follow God will never succeed at it unless we enlist his ongoing partnership. We can start early with our training, practice like Olympic athletes, and insist our passion will carry us, but all of us are (as one God-fearing missionary put it) “…only two steps away from disaster.”

Good thing God understands that. Although he appreciates our efforts toward righteousness (and expects us to try), he lets us off the hook on perfection. And we can be forever grateful for his reason:

“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” (1 Timothy 1:15)

Healing Powers

Posted on July 15, 2013 by Margaret

When I was growing up in the ‘40’s and ‘50’s, my friends occasionally disappeared from school for 2 weeks at a time, and sometimes I did, too. That’s because we all had to suffer through the debilitating diseases of mumps, measles (several kinds), chicken pox, flu, and several others.

These days children are blessed with vaccines. They can breeze through childhood skipping almost everything except the common cold. Well, that and a few other things.

Today Birgitta and Louisa brought home two amoxicillin prescriptions after slogging through 3 days of 102 fevers, razor-sharp sore throats, and nausea. I was certain they had strep throat, but with today’s lab reports, we learned they have a strep-lookalike called pharyngitis, an inflammation of the tube that connects the nasal passages, throat, and esophagus.

Sometimes, the doctor said, pharyngitis is a precursor to strep, and so she wrote the prescriptions. It’s my opinion these meds will perk them both up, and I hope they’ll feel better soon.

Scripture has a number of things to say about healing. In the Gospels we watch Jesus speak words of wellness over people that bring instant good health. How thrilling it would have been to be part of the crowd that witnessed this phenomenon first hand! If we’d have been there, we’d also have noticed Jesus connecting his healings with belief in God. He forgave their sin. Or taught of God’s character. Sometimes he challenged people to live righteously from then on. And he often made mention of their personal faith in him.

Jesus also talked of healing of another kind, the healing of broken hearts. As we move close to him during times of sadness, he promises to mend us. And compared to physical healing, heart-healing is probably the more important one.

The Bible also says something else about healing. The wounds Christ suffered when he was tortured and put to death are somehow the cause of healing within us, healing from sin. Isaiah 53 says, “With his stripes we are healed.” Although we can’t fully comprehend how this works, we take him at his word and accept that his crucifixion wounds are what will allow us to be healed (and sinless) throughout eternity.

Although Jesus can certainly affect physical healing in people today, we don’t see much of it in our country. Maybe that’s because the more important bottom line is not how vigorous we feel in the here and now but how healthy our life after death is going to be. And whether we’re hale and hearty in this life or find ourselves battling illness, it’s eternal health that God wants us to focus on most.

Meanwhile, Louisa and Birgitta continue to swallow with difficulty and hope their antibiotics kick in soon. Though each had to pay a doctor’s bill today, their expenditures were miniscule compared to what Jesus paid to make sure they can have good health everlastingly.

“O Lord, if you heal me, I will be truly healed; if you save me, I will be truly saved.” (Jeremiah 17:14)

Good to Go

Posted on July 14, 2013 by Margaret

Yesterday while babysitting Emerald, I thought she might like a quick trip to the beach. The weather was perfect, and a short stroller walk there would add to our fun.

Normally I take a well-stocked backpack to the beach, but this trip I wouldn’t need those adult things. Instead I opted for a smaller tote just Emerald-sized. Gathering #50 SPF lotion and a clean towel, I figured we were, as grandson Micah says, “good-to-go.”

But then I wondered if Emerald might want to get wet and went back for her swimming suit. Together we rummaged through drawers till we found it, along with a sun hat, which I would have forgotten. And where was her beach cover-up?

Reaching toward the back of the closet with Emerald in my other arm, I found it, price tags still hanging from the sleeve. I passed her changing table in my search for a scissors and realized I’d almost forgotten to pack a spare diaper. Wipes, too, just in case.

Then while dressing her, it occurred to me I should probably bring something for her to drink. As Emerald began to feel heavy in my arms, we thawed some milk in hot water and made a bottle.

Just before we left, I decided to change her diaper and found it poopy, though I couldn’t find the wipes (which of course were in the beach bag). So, picking her up diaper-less while trying not to spread her mess, we retrieved them and finished the job, remembering to repack the wipes. Now we were definitely good-to-go.

But oops, I’d almost forgotten her beloved pacifier. Together we hunted, finding one on the floor (and washing it). But wait. I wanted to take my camera, so upstairs we went, baby, bag and me, on another hunt.

And finally….

….we headed for the door, but not before I decided to pack a few toys. Kneeling down with Emerald still in my arms, we chose her favorites from the basket, stuffing them into our now-plump, heavy bag. It had taken more time to prepare than we’d anticipated, so we swapped the stroller for the car and were, at long last, good-to-go.

I’m often caught unprepared, wondering why I didn’t think of this or that, or at least make a list. But one of my closest friends is Jesus Christ, and he’s just the opposite of me. He’s always prepared. As a matter of fact, he’s currently preparing something very special for me: a place in the hereafter. Sometimes when I’ve tried to prepare and failed, I think of the thorough job Jesus is doing, and I’m thankful it’s him and not me. Nothing will be forgotten, and my eternity will be glorious!