Category Archives: Life’s disappointments

True Freedom

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Attending the “True Woman 12” conference in Indianapolis turned out to be 3 productive days of discovery and challenge. One of the most impacting moments happened on the first day when a parade of conference volunteers entered the expansive convention center floor carrying something unusual: a paper chain, nearly half a mile long.

As we watched over 100 women snake their way down the aisles and around the perimeter carrying the colorful construction-paper chain, we were told that the name of each person attending the conference was written on one of the links, along with a prayer specifically written for them. Those prayers had been prayed over us during the last month by 150 women who hoped we would be nourished and uplifted by “True Woman 12.”

Since there were 8200 of us at the conference, that meant each of those women who made the links, wrote the names, recorded the prayers, and prayed them, did so for over 50 women apiece. But most significant was that these women were praying from their prison cells at a correctional facility in Arkansas.

As we took in the magnitude of their gift, those 150 women wanted to connect with the 8200 of us in one more way, too. Some of them recorded prayers for us on video, and we watched as they passionately asked God to bless those of us sitting at the convention center. I was so bowled over by their kindness toward a mega-crowd of strangers I can’t even remember what they said. But God heard and began acting on their requests well ahead of our arrival to Indianapolis.

We had one more gripping surprise, a real-time greeting from these same women. As the video screens clicked on, suddenly we saw them and they saw us. These sisters in Christ, who would have loved to attend the conference in person themselves, didn’t let that “not” get in the way of blessing all of us, waving their arms wildly in a greeting.

Making that chain and praying those prayers wasn’t rational and, by the world’s standards, made no sense. But 1 John 5:1 says, “Everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.” Because of that, these prisoners reached out to us with the love of the Father, which was absolutely spilling out of them. We were delighted, and surely God was, too.

Humbled and stunned by their depth of caring, we were amazed at what happened next. Two women came on stage with gladness and joy written all over their faces, telling us they had both been prisoners with the incarcerated women on the screen. Taking the mic, the first woman said something I’ll never forget. “I was in prison for 12½ years…. the best years of my life.”

She could say that for only one reason: while she was behind bars, she met Jesus Christ. From that moment on, no chains could bind her, and by her own testimony, he had made her a free woman.

“If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36)

Lest You Fall

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Psalm 91 includes an interesting promise about God’s care. He says he’ll command his angels to protect us from danger to the point of making sure we don’t even stub a toe on a stone. (vv. 11-12) Taking this literally as a child, I figured invisible angels would make sure I never got hurt.

But experience said otherwise. I got hurt lots while growing up, and never once saw an angel, much less felt one rescue me. So what could those verses mean?

As I’ve gotten to know the Lord over the years, I’ve seen how occasionally he allows hurtful experiences and at other times shields us from them. Our frustration comes in not knowing when he’ll do which. But rather than questioning the when, where, or why of his rescues, we should thank him for the “saves” we recognize as his doing.

Recently I learned of a spectacular one.

Hans and Katy had been entertaining another couple in their home, and after putting the 3 children to bed upstairs, the four adults were enjoying quiet conversation. Suddenly a neighbor from across the street ran into their front yard, visible from the living room window. He was waving his arms, shouting, and pointing to the second story.

“Something must be wrong upstairs,” Hans said, and bolted for the steps. Bursting into the children’s bedroom, he saw 2 year old Evelyn kneeling on the window sill with her hand on the wide-open swing-style window, leaning out (no screens). The neighbor, having just pulled into his driveway, had seen the situation and come running, not knowing if he should head for the front door or stay below the window in case Evelyn fell out.

Hans grabbed Evelyn from behind, preventing a fall to the pavement below and a sure death. “But,” Hans concluded as he told me the story, “she didn’t fall, Mom, and everything’s fine.”

After we said goodbye, I began to tremble all over, visualizing that precious child hitting the ground in a terrible accident. It wouldn’t only have altered her life but the rest of ours as well.

“Lord!” I cried. “How could you let her get on that window sill and open the window? It could have been a disaster!”

But God quickly chided me. “Who do you think arranged for the neighbor to arrive home just then? Who do you think had Hans and Katy facing the front window when he came running? Who do you think kept Evelyn anchored to the sill till her daddy reached her?”

Of course it was him, saving her from dashing her foot and the rest of her against the stones below. And suddenly I was ashamed of my accusations.

Within hours new key-locks had been installed on the windows, and Hans’ family was praising God for his rescue. As for me, after that initial dip, I could praise him, too.

“He will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways… lest you strike your foot against a stone.” (Psalm 91:11-12)

 

Comfort Zone

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Everybody needs comforting now and then. I think back to each of my children and remember how they consoled themselves with pacifiers, or a thumb, a special blanket, a stuffed animal.

Hans attached himself to a pale blue flannel blanket edged in satin, the perfect wrap for a fall baby. When he outgrew the need, I packed it away, a little worse for wear but still a serviceable blanket.

Then, in the blink of an eye, Hans was a daddy with his own comfort-seeking little ones. I passed along the blanket, and in my recent visit to England, got to see what happened to it. Two year old Thomas has bonded with it and lovingly named it MipMip.

The satin is long gone, and he’s literally loved it to pieces. (Think shreds.)

When Katy realized it was gradually disappearing, she took the larger part of it to her mum for creative reinforcement. Sarah used pieces of an old blue nightie to strengthen MipMip, cutting the last of it in two chunks, one to comfort and one to wash.

Whenever Thomas needs soothing, he calls for MipMip. At bedtime, it’s MipMip he cuddles. If life gets unfair, MipMip is the solution. He’s consistent in his devotion and trusts in his chosen comforter.

If only grown-up tensions could be as easily assuaged. Interestingly, though, when we call on God to comfort us, he always knows exactly how to deliver what we need. Maybe that’s why the Bible is such a big book, inviting us to thumb through its many pages to find relief there.

One of its most familiar passages, Psalm 23, describes a strange kind of comfort: “Your rod [Father], and your staff, they comfort me.” (v. 4) How can a rod and staff bring comfort? In other places in Scripture, a “rod” represents discipline: “Spare the rod and spoil the child.” But can discipline comfort?

I remember a “Little House” episode in which one of the young boys lied and cheated in school, secretly suffering emotionally afterwards. When he was finally exposed, his father said he’d have to punish him “with the strap” (i.e. rod). The boy said, “That’s ok. It’ll make me feel better.” We get that. Paying a proper price sets things right.

But what about a staff? A shepherd uses the crook at the end of it to pull wayward sheep back to him, just as God sometimes abruptly tugs us the same way. Being pulled that way doesn’t always feel good, but to be reunited with him brings comfort.

So, comfort comes in many forms, and of course Thomas’ MipMip is one of them. It’s important to note that if the larger chunks of his blanket can’t be located, one of the tiny shreds works almost as well. Thankfully, though, the Lord never skimps on comfort. He gives it in abundance:

“As we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.” (2 Corinthians 1:5)