May 18, 2016

God Can Do Anything

40 A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”

41 Jesus was indignant. He reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” 42 Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed. -- Mark 1:40-42

Every day I ask God to heal a dear friend. She has ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. It is not a pretty disease and the outlook is grim.

But Jesus can heal anyone from anything. I reminded Him of that this morning. My friend is blessed in that she can still do much of what she wants to do. She must be on a breathing machine four hours each day and she has a feeding tube, but she can walk and do so many things.

What I miss, though, is talking to her. We text but it’s just not the same. She even has a voice program on her computer. But it’s not the same. Sometimes when I read her comments I can hear her voice in my mind. I miss it.

God can restore her voice. He can restore her health. He can. So I asked Him. I know. He usually doesn’t restore health in cases like this. But He can. He can.

I wonder how many times we fail to ask for what we really want in life because we’ve already determined that God will say no. But the answer will always be no if we don’t ask.

Prayer is such a powerful thing. God hears His children. The same Jesus who healed the leper can heal my friend. If He is willing.

Why do we limit God? Why do we ask for the small, the unimportant, the generic things rather than the specific big things that really matter? Maybe it’s because we’re afraid He’ll say no. Then what?

Maybe we somehow think if we don’t ask, it won’t hurt so badly if God doesn’t heal, doesn’t provide, doesn’t show up like we planned. It will.

Here’s the thing: God always shows up. He’s always with us. No matter what His answer, He is present with us. He does know best even if His answer breaks our heart. It’s breaking His heart even more.

It was never God’s plan for all these diseases to be part of our lives. He didn’t want this fallen world. That’s why He had a plan to save us, to send His Son to shed His blood to pay for all our sins. One day we’ll go home. But for now we face some heartbreaking things. Like ALS.

I know the odds aren’t great. I do. I lost the ability to live in a fantasy world a long, long time ago. But I also know that my God is great and mighty and He can do anything. If He is willing. So I won’t stop asking. Because, who knows, maybe one day He will be.

April 14, 2016

Prioritize God

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”

-- Psalm 46:10

Our world has gotten so crazy. We’re always busy, running to catch up to a place that can never be our destination. Why? Because by the time we get there, it will have moved.

Yesterday I had a long conversation with a dear friend. We did it by texting. The conversation lasted over an hour, though we did have breaks. We could have talked and said the same things in 10 minutes. Or, at least, we could have once upon a time.

She has ALS. You’ve probably heard of it. The disease is sometimes called Lou Gehrig’s disease, after the baseball player. It is a cruel disease that manifests itself different ways with different people. In her case, she has lost the ability to speak and swallow food.

There is good in slowing down, in savoring a conversation with a dear friend. In cherishing the moments that one day won’t come. So why do we wait until life forces us to slow down to savor it?

I’ve been told by more than one cancer survivor that it ended up being the best thing that ever happened to them. Why? It reordered their priorities. It shined a bright light on what was really important and what was just stuff.

Why do we allow ourselves to get so caught up in all the activity of life that we miss what’s important? Maybe because it’s safer. It’s easier. Less messy. We don’t have to allow ourselves to be as vulnerable, even with the people we love. We don’t have to risk ourselves because we’re filled with excuses that occupy our time.

One dear lady -- a two-time lung cancer survivor -- told me her illness has made her less patient with the drama that surrounds so many people. She fills her life with people that matter, people who laugh, are trustworthy, and who have their priorities in order. She treasures those people and keeps a distance from those who drain her time and energy.

It all comes down to priorities. I wonder how many Christians really take time to quiet their minds and their lives to allow God access to their hearts. Be still, God tells us. Feel His power and His love. Just be still in His Presence. Make God your priority. It has a way of reordering your focus onto what really is important.