Category Archives: Submitting to God

Weeping and Wailing

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Fussin'Nobody can holler like a newborn. They make an abrasive noise-pollution sort of sound much like a crow cawing or a cat in fight-mode. Pegging it perfectly is difficult, but new babies all seem to agree on how it should sound.

Parents agree on something, too: that it should stop a.s.a.p.

Baby Isaac celebrates his one week birthday tomorrow, and like all babies, he has his moments of wailing. Diaper changes are his least favorite activity, during which he voices his opinion at full volume. When that happens, even grandmas are distressed by the crying.

It’s not that the noise level is intolerable. Isaac’s three older siblings contribute plenty of that, but it never reaches the fever-pitch of a newborn’s cry. When Isaac is wailing, we wonder if he’s in some serious pain or is in another kind of desperate need.

But we have to continually remind ourselves that newborns don’t have much to offer between silence and full-on screaming. They haven’t learned anything about that middle ground, whining, and certainly can’t use words. Hard-core hollering is the best they can do, and it’s usually overkill in comparison to their needs, i.e. major outbursts over minor problems.

Sometimes I wonder if God views our flare-ups against him the same way. Of course we don’t see it as “screaming” directly at him and might even say, “Heaven forbid I should do such a thing!” But when we loudly object to the circumstances he puts us in (or allows us to be in), he’s probably thinking, “Major outbursts over minor problems.”

Although baby Isaac has nature on his side when he’s hollering over every need, we don’t. As adults, especially Christian adults, we ought to know better than to rail against situations just because they’re not ideal. When frustrations and annoyances come, God is hoping we’ll resist the temptation to object and will square off with our needs responsibly, improving what we can, and accepting what we can’t.

It’s good to know, though, that God doesn’t put a complete ban on crying. He knows we’re emotional beings that need to show our feelings. If we look to Scripture for guidance, we see all kinds of godly people in tears: widows, mothers, fathers, oppressed people, Jeremiah, Job, Mary, Hezekiah, Peter, Esau, David, Paul, and Jesus himself, to name a few. The difference between weeping that’s welcomed by God and wailing that’s not, is the condition of the heart behind it.

???????????????????????????????God’s heart is always tuned in to what’s going on in the hearts of people… all people. Nothing slips past him, and everything matters. That’s why a bout of crying that emanates from a sincere, unselfish heart is a call for help he will always answer.

As for little Isaac, he’s still under the lovely protection of God’s Grace for Newborns and can wail all he wants.

“During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears.” (Hebrews 5:7)

Flights of Imagination

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???????????????????????????????When I recall my early teen years, I remember that I was often a brat. For example, one day my dad was pacing through the house with a frown on his face, stressed about something at work. In a most inconsiderate way I said, “Dad, you shouldn’t worry about stuff. The Bible says it’s a sin, so you’re committing sin every time you worry.”

I don’t remember his exact response, but at 14, I figured I knew more than he did and walked away thinking I’d delivered the wisdom of the ages. Since then, however, I’ve learned a great deal about worry. First, God doesn’t want us to do it (I had the right idea about that), but second, it can dominate a person anyway, day and night, for weeks at a time.

Recently I’ve worried about a couple of matters to the point of concocting fantasies of worst-case-scenarios. Then I’ve let those imaginary scenes torment me as if they were actually real, especially during the night.

While sharing this with daughter Linnea last week she said, “Mom, God doesn’t give grace to cover our tomorrows or our yesterdays, only our todays.” Of course I knew that, but I hadn’t heard it put quite that way. I’ve repeated that sentence to myself frequently since then, whenever my mind leans into future fantasies.

Frosty windowThen last night as I climbed into bed, I noticed the sub-zero frost outside the window just inches from my pillow. After unrelenting snow and wind for 5 days straight, frosty crystals had formed on the glass next to a ledge of snow, reminding me it was a frigid -16 degrees outside. But I didn’t worry about it. I knew I wouldn’t freeze to death in my sleep, even though the glass was thin, very breakable, and ice-cold to the touch.

How come?

Because my experience has been that windows keep out the weather. So when I slipped under my down blanket, I believed I’d be cozy throughout the night. There was no fantasy about my family finding me frozen to death with a layer of snow covering my stiff body. I had faith in my window.

So why is it so difficult to have faith in God? Since I’ve had plenty of experience with his sufficiency, why can’t I live in my todays without fabricating disasters for my tomorrows?

Son Nelson gave me another helpful quote, this one from Corrie ten Boom: “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength.” Through harsh worry-experience, I’ve learned the truth of that.

BarricadesOur spiritual enemy, Satan, wants us to turn from trusting God to trusting our fears (and fearful fantasies). When I let myself get caught up worrying, I’ve pleased the devil and have (as C.S.Lewis says) “barricaded my mind against God.” That’s the last thing I want to do!

So tonight as I crawl under the covers, I’m going to let that ice-covered window serve as my reminder to trust in God, not in foolish fantasies.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)

Surprise Surprise

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Last Sunday, the first of 2014, our pastor established a new tradition. For many years the kids in our congregation have been treated to their own child-appropriate sermon as part of the morning service. Afterwards they’ve headed for their Sunday school program while the rest of us have listened to the adult sermon.

The children’s sermons have been delivered by a variety of volunteers in past years, but our new pastor has decided to take them on himself. So last Sunday he launched a creative new way to deliver each sermon to our small fry. He’s calling it, “Pastor on the Hot Seat.”

Bag of surprisesPastor Jay introduced a canvas bag into which a mystery item had been placed (the first week, by his own daughters). He explained that each Sunday he’ll pull out the item inside and structure a children’s sermon around it on the spot, connecting it to the adult sermon if possible. Afterwards, he’ll hand the bag to one of the other children and ask them to bring it back the following Sunday with another surprise item inside for the next sermon.

I love his idea and the bravery behind it, even though he might occasionally pull something from the bag and go blank. But of course that, too, could develop into an effective sermon:

  • Blank sin-slate after forgiveness?
  • Blanking out on problem-solving and needing God’s advice?
  • Giving God a blank check to tell us how much to donate?

What to say...Regardless of what’s in the bag each week, Pastor Jay will probably come up with something to say, and I’m sure in his early morning Sunday preparations, he’ll ask the Lord to supply it. God will know what’s in the bag ahead of time and will have the children’s sermon all prepared for the pastor by the time he sits on the hot seat (the platform floor) in front of our youngsters.

Amazingly, the rest of us can take advantage of that same remarkable characteristic of God, since we sometimes find ourselves on hot seats of our own. Every day is like a bag with surprises in it. Maybe a dozen of them. And God sees them long before we do. He knows the best way to respond to each one and will order our thoughts to “create the proper storyline” around them. He’ll also supply whatever resources we need. All we have to do is ask him.

I have a hunch our whole congregation will be eager for the children’s sermon each Sunday, not necessarily to watch our “Pastor on the Hot Seat” but to see: (1) what a child has put in the bag, and (2) what God has put in our pastor’s head.

And if Sunday’s first “surprise sermon” was any indication, this new tradition will be satisfying for all ages alike.

“Wisdom shouts…. come and listen to my counsel. I’ll share my heart with you and make you wise.” (Proverbs 1:23)