July 15, 2023

 

Do You Truly Know Jesus

 

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” – John 14:18

 

A woman I knew years ago just lost her father. Her mother passed a year ago. She is reeling with grief and a new reality. Her father is no longer in pain and she is grateful for that. But she is also starkly aware that she is now an orphan.

 

She is not alone. Her husband walks beside her on this journey of grief. Her children strengthen her. But it’s not the same thing. It’s a new season of life.

 

Jesus knew that we would suffer great loss in our earthly lives. He understood that people die, they leave, they break our hearts. But Jesus promised He would never leave us as orphans. Jesus always keeps His promises.

 

In this passage, Jesus explains about the Holy Spirit. I doubt His disciples could fully understand what Jesus meant. How could they? Jesus called Him the “Spirit of Truth.” He went on to say, “The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” (John 14:17)

 

It’s the difference between truly knowing Jesus and knowing about Jesus. Many people know about Jesus. They can answer the questions. Maybe they grew up in church, participating in all the activities, but never truly accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior.

 

This woman will see her parents again. They are with Jesus, as she will be one day. Faith gives us strength to walk through grief. In the years between the here and now and what’s to come, the Holy Spirit will comfort her.

 

Do you know that comfort? Have you surrendered your life – all your todays and tomorrows – to the only One who can save you? Or are you simply going through the motions of faith? Don’t wait to figure it out. Time passes quickly and one day it will be too late.

January 31, 2018

Care For Others

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. – James 1:27

They would come if it was necessary. One would have to take sick leave. The other would have to make it a long day because she couldn’t leave her dog. At least they offered. The third sibling didn’t even do that.

Their special needs sister was in ICU at a hospital more than 100 miles from their elderly parents. The flu had placed all the area hospitals at capacity. It was the closest available ICU bed to the facility where she lived.

This sister had lived at home until seizures destroyed her memory. It became impossible for her parents to care for her and they found a wonderful facility 32 miles from them. Her mom especially had devoted her life to this daughter’s care. This forced separation was tearing her apart.

This 86-year-old woman called me. Could I drive her to see her daughter? Absolutely. I never considered anything else. I was glad to do it.

Let me explain a little bit about my life. I am self-employed. If I don’t work, I don’t make money. There are no paid sick days or vacation days in my world. I also have a farm with animals that must be cared for whether it’s convenient or not. In fact, I called on a dear friend to stop by and check on the animals while I was gone that day.

I should also explain that this mom and her daughter are family. I know what it’s like to try and care for someone you love with no physical support from the people who should step up and help.

It isn’t always possible to hire someone. It isn’t always practical. And, frankly, it isn’t always what needs to be done. A loving family member can accomplish so much more.

At the hospital that first day, I was the one asking questions. I was the one helping the medical staff gently explain that this was not going to have a happy ending. While this illness might not kill her daughter, the mom needed to prepare herself because her daughter was nearing the end.

Maybe God planned it that way. I knew what to ask because there are lessons you learn as a caregiver that really can’t be forgotten. Experience can be a painful teacher. Preparation does help when the days near their end.

But there was another part of me that was angry at the other children for not being there for their mom. She shouldn’t have had to ask them to come. She shouldn’t have had to explain that she needed them.

I think of a sweet friend who used to travel to Arizona several times a year to give her brother and sister-in-law a break from caring for their elderly mother. Yes, they had sitters around the clock. But they rightly wouldn’t leave their mother without another family member there to supervise and monitor the situation. It makes a difference. It really does.

She gladly did it. She gave of herself, at great financial sacrifice, because it was the right thing to do. Was it easy? No. But she did it anyway.

Sometimes we are called to sacrifice of ourselves to provide care for those we love. We shouldn’t need to be asked. And we shouldn’t let someone else do it for us. It’s our responsibility, whether it’s convenient or not.

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Some Days Just Hurt

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” -- John 14:18

I hate Mother’s Day. There. I’ve said it. It’s the one day of the year I wish I could bury my head under the covers and not emerge until the day has past. This day, above all others, is a reminder of what I am not and what I never had. It hurts.

The day never seemed that big of a deal until I returned to the Deep South. In this part of the country it seems that every woman is a mother. And every mother loves her children to pieces. Her grandchildren even more. Well, that’s not reality but it’s polite to pretend.

My reality isn’t so sweet. I once dreamed of a family of my own, with lots of children, laughter and love. I gave that dream up a long time ago. For a while I replaced it with the hope of a child who needed a home. That hope is gone too. A sadness remains, an aching that reminds me of what will never be.

Most days I know God made the best decision. How could a woman raised by a mother who hated her ever be enough for a precious child? Oh, wait a minute. A few years ago she decided that she really doesn’t hate me. She just doesn’t like me. Gee. That makes me feel so much better.

No. I’m not getting out the violins and launching into a self-pity party. It’s tempting but I’ve been down that road before. Nothing changes and there really is no point. Life is what it is. I’m very aware of all the many blessings I have in my life. I am grateful.

So, I’ll smile and nod as I face this day. I’ll force myself to remember that everyone means well and that, for some, this truly is a day of celebration. And I’ll remember that I’m not an orphan, no matter how I sometimes feel.

God is with Haiti

"Jesus said, "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." -- John 14:18

The devastation is beyond imagination. The death toll is 50,000 and rising. The children -- who make up almost 40 percent of Haiti's population -- have experienced more than children ever should.

On the television screen a 13-year-old boy cried out in anguish, "Why? Why? Why?" He feels abandoned by God. There are no answers.

But we do know that Jesus is with that child. In fact, shortly afterward the filming stopped the journalist said the boy's grandmother found him and comforted him. A family tie in a country where so many families are just gone.

Our hardened world has rushed into action. People are donating money to the American Red Cross and other organizations. Christian relief workers are already on site. The U.S. military is doing all it can to funnel water and food to those who have nothing. Our hearts are broken for those who have lost more than anyone could ever imagine.

For just this short period of time, we are focused collectively on the people of Haiti. There are no orphans among us. We are all God's family.