Happy Birthday, Mary!

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Party timeToday my sister turns 71, and it’s tempting to wish we were back last year at this same time. None of us knew then about the deadly cancer that was just around the corner, and we celebrated her 70th with the assumption her life would continue for many years, maybe even decades. After all, Dad and Mom both lived to 92, so why shouldn’t she?

But this year, short of the Lord’s miraculous intervention, a different scenario is unfolding for Mary. Whatever her future looks like, though, it’s really a future that belongs to God, because decades ago Mary handed over the reins of her life to him. That’s the one-and-only reason she can nod and say, “It’s ok by me, Lord.”

Actually it’s more than just ok. Mary has let God do the choosing for her all the way along (not just with cancer but with everything), so she’s fully on board. If God flat-out gave her a choice, she might prefer to go the distance like Mom and Dad, but at this point all indications are he’s got something else in mind for her.

This seismic shift has been a challenge to accept, and those of us around her have had a harder time with it than she has, proof that she has totally abandoned herself to her heavenly Father’s will.

IMG_4973Mary was a compliant child, a person who loved to please. That character trait has continued through her life, first wanting to please her earthly father, then her heavenly Father. The key has been trusting them both wholeheartedly, sincerely believing that their ideas, first her father’s, then her Father’s, were always the best ones, whether painful or painless. And when we’re sure something is for the best, it’s easier to accept.

Several of Mary and Bervin’s children and grandchildren came to town to make this birthday a very special one with a swimming party, dinner out, gifts, and lots of memory-making.

But as always, Mary’s main concern on her birthday was that they all had a good time.

“The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness all who keep his covenant and obey his demands.” (Psalm 25:10)

Praising and Praying with Mary

  1. Thanks be to God for a very happy day receiving birthday phone calls and texts from loved ones, and spending time celebrating with family.
  2. Please pray that my energy levels will be high enough to enjoy all the upcoming holiday fun.

 

Slippage

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When my sister, brother, and I were teens, Mom used to say, “If I start slipping mentally, I want you to let me know.”

After that open-ended invitation, every time she’d forget something, I’d say, “There you go, Mom. You’re starting to slip.”

Thankfully with Mom it remained just a joke, since she never did slip mentally in her 92 years. She was on top of everything, always, and did much better at remembering stuff than I did at half her age.

I never invited my own teens to let me know if I started to slip, because ignorance has been known to be bliss. But once in a while I get a vague feeling I’m on the way. Like on Thanksgiving Day.

After we’d all assembled at the table but before the meal began, Louisa casually mentioned it was a good thing she’d gone back to the stove for hot gravy, because two of the electric burners had been left on (guess who). And if that wasn’t enough, I’d tossed two potholders on top of them.

OopsThough Louisa got points for not wanting to embarrass her mother (discreetly setting the potholders aside), I jumped from my chair to see if it was true. Yup, burn-marks indicated we had narrowly avoided a Thanksgiving flame-up.

I laughed it off by saying it was a fitting coincidence that I’d just purchased a fire extinguisher the week before. Of course it was in the basement, still sealed in its box, with directions still unread.

Sometimes when we need something in a hurry, we can’t readily access it, whether it’s recalling someone’s name, remembering an appointment, or being prepared in an emergency.

One more instance when accessing information is important is in our claiming God’s promises. This is especially important when we find ourselves in a crisis. For multiple reasons, it’s easy to slip-up here, maybe because we don’t understand what God offers at a time like that. Or we might not remember his promises when we need them. Maybe don’t know how to apply them. Or, saddest of all, we might never have learned of them in the first place.

ReadyFortunately, Scripture is always available to us. We can get into it any time we feel like it. We don’t even need potholders to handle it, though studying God’s promises will definitely warm us. And leaving that kind of “burner” on is always a good idea.

“Train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” (1 Timothy 4:7-8)

Praising and Praying with Mary

  1. I’m praising the Lord that my symptoms aren’t bad yet
  2. Pray that I will “…number my days aright, that I may gain a heart of wisdom.”

Keep on Keeping On

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Scripture promises that God will watch over his family and “keep them.” (That means us.) But how do these promises of tender care jive with the facts of cancer and other maladies, especially those that resist treatment and then threaten to kill?

I love the word “keep.” It implies being held closely, protectively. In relation to an adult keeping a child, it’s a picture of putting self between the defenseless one and danger.

From the perspective of the one who’s doing the keeping, it means taking on a serious responsibility and implies that the role was assumed willingly without any “have to’s.” From the view of the one being kept, it promises safety.

Many of the Bible’s word pictures show us this kind of “keeping.” God says he will:

  • Keeping.keep us under his feathers.
  • cradle us in his everlasting arms.
  • engrave us on the palms of his hands.

Scripture also shows us what happens if we make a choice to “keep” ourselves rather than letting God do it.

In Matthew 23, Jesus has been teaching in Jerusalem’s temple and suddenly becomes overwhelmed with emotion. He looks out at the city and expresses deep, loving longing toward the Jews living there, speaking especially to those who don’t believe he is the Messiah.

Jesus senses their rebellious hearts and paints a word picture of a mother hen gathering her chicks beneath her to warm them and shelter them from harm. In other words, to keep them. It seems to break his heart when he says, “…but you were not willing.”

The Lord never forces himself on us but waits for an invitation. But he won’t water down his message to make it seem more appealing. He tells the whole truth and challenges people to believe he is who he says he is. If they refuse? Then, he says, “Your house is left to you desolate.” (Matthew 23:37-38)

God is keeping...I’ve been thinking of all this in relation to Mary. Despite her cancer, I believe God is “keeping her.” But how? Jude 1:24 says he’s “keeping her from stumbling,” which I take to mean stumbling spiritually. And it’s that faith in Christ that will carry (keep) her through even the most difficult cancer-days.

Another way God promises to keep her is on those days when she finds herself in great need. He says he’ll “keep the needy safe.” (Psalm 12:7) He also says he’ll “keep her mind and her heart” through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7)

For Mary (and really, the rest of us, too), when our time in this world finishes, the Lord promises to keep us from all harm as we “go” from Earth and “come” to Heaven, even if it’s by way of cancer.

“The Lord will keep you from all harm — he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” (Psalm 121:7-8)

Praising and Praying with Mary

Please continue to pray for peace of mind during the night. Pray also that I’ll get better and better at taking just one day at a time.