Category Archives: Submitting to God

Stop the bleeding.

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Sharp!Baby Emerald was injured this week. As Birgitta and I were bent over an old photo album with her sitting between us, in a flash she’d stuck her finger in a Coke can and sliced it on the opening. Birgitta tried to hold a Kleenex on her tiny finger, but Emerald was quick to yank it away, and blood began dotting the clothes on both of them.

To speed the clotting process, we chipped some ice and put it in a baggie, but holding it next to her petite finger proved impossible. The only thing to do was bandage it tight, despite the smallest Band-Aid being far too big. As the bleeding continued, we taped two fingers together, placing one bandage over the tops and another around the knuckles, but immediately Emerald put both fingers in her mouth. Choking on a bandage would only compound our problems.

Emerald's wound

We decided to put Emerald in her front pack and take a walk while Birgitta held onto her hand, giving the wound a chance to seal. But every so often she’d yank it away and shove her fingers into her mouth. Her powerful baby-sucking, even for a few seconds, increased the bleeding, and her Band-Aids quickly soaked with fresh blood.

Our last idea was to find a shirt that was too big for her, pull the sleeve over her hand, and pin it closed. But as we watched, the sleeve and safety pin went right to her mouth. Choking on a pin would be even worse than on a Band-Aid.

The sleeve remedy

Meanwhile Emerald kept bleeding. So I got my sewing kit, and while Birgitta held her injured hand tightly, I stitched across the end of her sleeve. She immediately put the whole thing in her mouth, but after we insisted she suck her pacifier instead of her shirt, the bleeding finally stopped.

Neither of us would ever hurt Emerald intentionally, and seeing her bright blood on the tissues and clothing caused great alarm. Yet there we were, mopping up after she’d been injured in our care.

Bleeding fingers have much in common with bleeding hearts. We try to live uprightly, but then something happens that makes us “bleed.” We hurt badly and desperately want the pain to stop, so we try all kinds of remedies: surrounding ourselves with people, or isolating ourselves; going on a shopping spree, or being unwilling to leave the house; eating too much, or not eating enough; refusing to face our pain, or thinking of nothing else.

But do we take advantage of the best way to stop a bleeding heart? Right after the injury we should pour our pain out to the heavenly Father, because his healing power trumps anything we could do on our own.

As for Emerald, we removed the shirt and Band-Aids at bedtime, and healing had begun. Of course we all know who was the One behind that.

“The people all tried to touch Jesus, because power was coming from him and healing them all.” (Luke 6:19)

Study it.

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Thank you noteRecently Birgitta and I received several pieces of thank-you-mail from 4 year old Skylar. She had carefully crayon-ed the words, “Thank you Midgee!” (minus the “g”) and written out the letters of her signature. Then she’d worked hard drawing 7 colorful pictures. The gifts she was thanking for were only tidbits from the dollar store, but her thanks was enthusiastic and much appreciated at our end.

Shopping trip

Studying a child’s drawings is a window into the heart and mind of the artist. For example, Skylar drew four people, all girls (note the eyelashes) on a shopping trip. It’s not clear who is who except that the girl in the middle is probably her, with her hair carefully styled in the side ponytail she often favors. The baby in the stroller is most likely her little sister Autumn, who’s been made comfortable with a pillow, blanket, and her favorite stuffed animal. The shoppers have filled a grocery cart with goodies, including the bottom rack, and seem happy with their purchases.

Coffee Break

A second drawing depicts two ladies, most likely Linnea and me, sharing a coffee break. The coffee is flowing freely, and the women are enjoying themselves. Another picture shows children at a playground, swinging, climbing, sliding and enjoying a blue-sky day.

The playground

 

As I studied the pictures, I had many questions about the details and wished Skylar was at my elbow with the explanations. But she was 1200 miles away.

Sometimes I feel the same way about biblical word-pictures, especially those that come through the mouth of Jesus. It can be frustrating to read the parables as he taught them, never absolutely sure what he meant. It makes me wish he wasn’t so far away but was at my elbow with clear explanations.

The Bible can be confusing, and many people won’t look into it because they can’t figure out what it means. But setting it on a high shelf and giving up completely is a sure way to gain nothing from it. I believe Scripture’s testimony about itself, that if we sincerely seek God through its words, we’ll definitely find him. And finding him is strong motivation to keep looking into his book.

I only know one person who fully understands Scripture, and that’s Jesus. When he studied as a youngster and then a 20-something, he understood it all. That’s probably why those learned religious scholars of the day gave him their undivided attention when he talked to them in the temple. He had explanations none of them had yet found.

The rest of us may still be in the dark about some of the Bible’s words, but God has given us understanding of others. And eventually, in the hereafter, we’ll understand it all, just like Jesus.

Meanwhile, I might just give Skylar a call. The artist

“What shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding. I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding.” (1 Corinthians 14:15)

Keeping Secrets

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DeterminationBirgitta has been a most diligent mother during the last 5 months since Emerald came along. Adding university studies in January forced her to get organized in a way that stretched her limits, and a baby doesn’t sympathize with additional work loads. But Birgitta never once complained about any of it, including the evaporation of her pre-baby social life.

In addition to the many radical changes she’s experienced in the last few months, she also “lost” her sister Louisa to a 2 year commitment to Youth With A Mission. Six months would pass before they could be together again, which amounted to one more difficult adjustment for Birgitta.

But in Montana at the YWAM base, Louisa was feeling it, too, and began praying about a possible visit home during spring break. Nelson counseled her to “try to do it,” and when she unexpectedly walked in our door last night at midnight, Birgitta couldn’t have been more shocked… or delighted!

Klaus had retrieved Louisa from the airport, and since I’d been tipped off to the surprise, I worked to keep the exhausted Birgitta from heading to bed before the arrival. But finally she said, “I’m going to bed,” and I wasn’t sure what to do. Louisa had texted, “Ten more minutes!”

I tried to stall her. “Why don’t you stay up just a few more minutes?” I said.

“Why?”

“Because Klaus is on his way over with a surprise for you.”

“What?” she said. “Now? What is it?”

Stunned...

Unwilling to spoil things I said, “You won’t want to miss it!” And a few minutes later when she rounded the corner and saw her sister, she was dumbfounded.

Keeping a secret is difficult and requires a good deal of self-control. It’s exciting to reveal something only you are privileged to know, and the temptation is to let the news slip out prematurely. In my case I fully intended to keep the secret but came close to spilling the beans several times, by mistake. For 6 weeks I was nearly bursting with anticipation of how Birgitta was going to love the surprise and could hardly wait to have her know.

Maybe that’s how it is with the Lord. He’s got secrets galore about what’s ahead for his children. I envision him bursting with anticipation for us, knowing how delighted we’ll be when we finally see all he’s got waiting for us. And yet he’s a pro at self-control and won’t reveal too much too soon. All he’ll say is, “Just know it’s beyond your wildest imaginings!”

A thrill

Watching Birgitta experience Louisa’s big surprise last night was well worth the weeks of silence, and when I saw that, I was glad I hadn’t spoiled it by letting her know too soon. God doesn’t want to spoil it for us, either, and is surely anticipating our joy, knowing his “reveal” will make us deliriously happy.

“We declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.” (1 Corinthians 2:7)