Category Archives: Life of Jesus

Lighting Up

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Last night as Jack and I took our final walk of the day, the skies were lighting up like I’d never seen before. Chaotic lightning illuminated only the tops of a wild-looking cloud cover that spread from west to east, bursting bright as much as remaining dark. Jack and I stood in one spot for quite a while, mesmerized by the dramatic display.

Lightning in cloudsLightning fascinates us because of its power, and most of us were raised to respect it. Dad told us never to run under a tall tree for shelter since “lightning searches for a way to get to the ground and will strike the highest point in its path.” We all took him seriously when he said, “Run home instead.”

As Jack and I walked along looking up, my mind wandered to biblical passages about lightning, and once at home I looked them up. It was fascinating to read about God “owning” lightning. He “scatters it” and “unleashes it” at will. Job 36:32 says, “The Lord fills his hands with lightning and commands it to strike its mark.”

I learned that God has control of lightning in a place from which he dispenses it and “makes the lightning flash.” I loved Job 38:35 that says all lightning bolts “report to him.”

Phone callAlthough most of us haven’t been struck by lightning, flashes of sudden bad news have hit us with the same kind of force, such as a cancer diagnosis or any other shocking surprise. When we first hear the words, whether in a doctor’s office, on our front doorstep, or over the phone, we feel as blindsided as if a bolt of lightning had gone through us.

RunningDad told us to “run home” when lightning flashed, and when unwanted news hits, we adults feel like running, too. But where? God has a place. He says, “Run to Me.” As in Proverbs 18:10: “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runs into it and is safe.” Other translations say he’s “a strong fortress” or “a place of protection.”

In other words, as soon as a lightning burst of terrible news touches us, we should fast-dash to the Lord. He’ll tell us what to think when our minds are swirling and will give instruction on what to do, once we are in his place of emotional safety.

My mini-study of biblical lightning also let me know that in the end times, Jesus will return to earth with “an appearance like lightning.” And this: “As lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” (Matthew 24:27)

Maybe the dramatic east-to-west display Jack and I witnessed last night was a preview of what the sky will look like when we see Jesus returning to earth! And after that, we’ll never be struck by bad news again.

“Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge.” (Psalm 62:8)

Praising and Praying with Mary

  1. Praise for a Michigan sunset tonight
  2. Praise for a surprise in the mail, another well-stocked chemo care package, sent anonymously
  3. Pray for eyes to see the good in every day

A Firm Foundation

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Today began with an event I’ve been looking forward to ever since we bought our Michigan cottage 14 years ago: the first stage of building a back yard deck.

CottageMost people would have either built the deck or given up by now, but complicating factors prohibited either one. In 2009 when we moved here full time, we hoped to retire and become part of a much quieter, slower lifestyle.

But as we were getting settled, Nate’s terminal cancer appeared, changing everything. Even so, I remember the day he and I walked from room to room talking of improvements we hoped to make in our home. It was a future-oriented conversation we both enjoyed while quietly knowing it wasn’t going to happen before he was gone.

Door to nowhereAs I moved into the sadness of widowhood, renovation plans were shelved, including the deck. It wasn’t until years later that it seemed right to pursue the list Nate and I had made during our house-walk. And now, a deck is about to be born outside our “door to nowhere.”

Since our property is on an incline, the boards will be 6 feet off the ground and in need of solid underpinnings, 4 X 4 posts set in 42” of concrete.

Digging holesAlmost immediately today the workmen ran into trouble. A foot below the surface, their tools hit a mysterious concrete barrier. Trying to dig it up proved futile, as did breaking through it.  So the men had two options.

One was to set shorter posts into the holes, hoping the new concrete would sit firmly on the old. The other was to reconfigure deck plans enough to relocate the holes. Eventually they decided that taking a chance on a wiggly foundation was a bad idea, and they rearranged the plans to where they could dig new, deep holes instead. A quality structure depends on a sure foundation.

In one sense that’s what Mary is doing with the misery of chemotherapy. She’s building the firmest foundation possible toward good health. She could have chosen a short-cut, skipping chemo and hoping the surgery she had would be enough to keep cancer away.

Instead she made the more difficult decision with a higher emotional and physical price tag. All of us who love her are exceedingly thankful. The firm foundation she’s building (requiring 18 infusions) will yield the strongest result.

Someone else who sacrificed absolutely everything to build a firm foundation was Jesus Christ. His goal wasn’t physical health but spiritual health, making a way for us to become righteous through him. And there’s never been a higher price to pay than the cross. As a result, we can base our faith on him with rock-solid confidence it will never wobble. His foundational promises are actually what Mary is standing on daily as she lays her own groundwork toward good health with 6 months of chemo.

And not too long from now, I hope she’ll find herself relaxing on a new, wiggle-free, firmly-founded deck.

“God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: ‘The Lord knows those who are his’.” (2 Timothy 2:19)

Praising and Praying with Mary

  1. Praise that the chemo infusion today (#2) had less wait-time, and blood counts were still in acceptable ranges.
  2. Pray blood counts will stay high enough to receive infusion #3 next week, completing the first round of six.
  3. Pray against infection as white blood cells continue to drop.
  4. Pray against nausea, which was a struggle today.

Arms Wide Open

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There’s no friend like an old friend. As the world is shrinking and people become more mobile, maintaining old friendships gets tougher. Hanging on requires a deliberate effort to stay in touch, and not just through social media. There’s nothing like putting your arms around a good buddy to nourish a friendship.

???????????????????????????????This weekend seven of us recharged some long term women-friendships. For 25 years we’ve worked to stay current with each other, but recently it’s become increasingly difficult. A decade ago we met monthly, rotating in and out of each other’s homes for evenings of conversation, laughter, and good food. These days, however, finding monthly dates has been impossible, partly because we’ve become grandmas with 43 grands between us.

When we finally do get together, though (this time after 7 months), something special happens. And we’ve just had a very special 24 hours. This was the first time we’ve been together since Mary’s cancer, and during our prayer time today, voices were catching and tears were falling.

Sunny friendshipsBut one of the reasons old friends stay friends is the absence of secrets. Looking around the table at breakfast this morning, it struck me that we seven know virtually everything about each other. We can ask any question and know we’ll get a thorough, honest answer. No subject is off limits, no games are being played. No one is trying to impress another, and there’s no one-up-man-ship.

ConnieThese are the friendships that mean the most to women, and I think to God, too. He wants us to set aside the goofy notion that we can hide something from him or keep him from knowing the whole truth about us. He’s hoping for transparency.

In the Gospels Jesus invites us into open friendship with him, offering to reveal his true self to us. After such a magnanimous offer, how can we refuse to “wrap our arms around him,” preferring arm’s length instead?

This weekend we began to understand that maybe the Lord wants us to view earthly friendships as a hint of what’s waiting for us in Paradise. One day we’ll have a camaraderie with Jesus that will far surpass even what we seven had this weekend. And it will satisfy our longing in an overwhelming way to finally be able to put our arms around Jesus, our true Friend.

5 of 7“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:15)

Praising and Praying with Mary

  1. Praise for a nourishing weekend with old friends, for sunny weather, and for feeling wonderful
  2. Pray for Monday’s chemo infusion. Mary said, “I know chemo is the right thing to do, but it’s a reminder of the difficult truth that I have cancer.”
  3. She said, “Pray I’ll find the right mental balance between denial (when I’m feeling good) and negativity (when I’m feeling nauseated).