Good Grief

“Don’t live as those who have no hope. All our hope is found in him.” – Trust His Heart by Newsong

This last week has been extremely challenging. One friend passed away. Another’s in the hospital at death’s door. And another, who is like my sister, is in a hospital hundreds of miles away fighting a serious infection. To make matters worse, Friday was the 6^th anniversary of Mom’s homegoing. No matter how much you rejoice that a person is no longer suffering, it still hurts to lose them. And all of the sadness and suffering this week compounded those feelings of loss.

Still, in the midst of all this, I am reminded of Paul’s admonishment “don’t grieve as those who have no hope.” (1 Thess. 4:13). Notice he didn’t say, “don’t grieve.” Grief lets us know we’re compassionate and loving and like our Savior who grieved at the loss of Lazarus. While I think Jesus grieved in part for all who loved Lazarus as well as for His own loss, I think He also grieved because when He made the world, death and suffering were not a part of His plan. Isaiah refers to Jesus as a man acquainted with many sorrows. (Isaiah 53:3) And Jesus Himself promises, “blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.” (Matt. 5:4)

So I know as I grieve today, He is grieving with me. And I know since my hope is found in Him, I will also receive the gifts of His joy and peace. And ultimately, I know there will come a day when He will wipe away every tear and none of us will ever have to grieve again. (Rev. 21:4)

The Boys in Jesus’s Boat

Daniel James Brown’s book Boys in the Boat tells the story of the 9-man crew team from the University of Washington who took gold in the 1936 Olympic Games amidst the backdrop of Hitler’s Germany. Before I read the book, I knew little to nothing about the sport. But with Brown’s vivid word pictures, you can hear the swoosh of the water under you and feel the wind on your face as you strain to help the team finish each race. He draws you in with poignant backstories of the team members and his narrative relates the rare moments of complete unity of spirit and synchronicity of movement the team experienced, an occurrence which Brown suggests led to their unimaginable Olympic victory.

While quite a riveting story, the tale cannot compare with the story of twelve men in a boat 2000 years ago who left everything not to chase a gold medal but to chase the Master of the wind and waves. Many of Jesus’s disciples were fishermen who became fishers of men. As such, they made many boat trips with Jesus including the one where Peter walked on water. During Jesus’s earthly ministry, his closest friends bickered about power and position, the sons of thunder asking who would sit at Jesus’s right hand when he came into his kingdom. But after Gethsemane and Calvary and the Upper Room, they became like the “boys in the boat.” The result was Pentecost.

“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.” Acts 2:1-2

The chapter continues with Peter’s dynamic preaching in the public square, saying: “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.” Acts 2:41 (KJV)

So I’m wondering: just how much can we the body of Christ achieve if, like the "boys in the boat," we put aside our pride, our selfishness, our stubbornness and just try to row the boat in synch with one another and with our Master?

Impromptu Worship

One day last week my nine-year-old friend told me that I’m predictable. Ok, I accept that. No one will ever accuse me of being impulsive or call me spontaneous. But sadly, when I hear the word predictable, I think “translation: boring, dull, stodgy.”

The next day, in the pouring rain, I ran back and forth the length of my driveway with my surrogate niece who’s three. Not bad for “Predictable Paula.” There’s something to be said for those times where we forget ourselves and get lost in the thrill of the moment. What I’ve found to be just as valuable are the times I do this with personal worship.

Last Wed. night after hearing a woman’s testimony at church, I began to worship spontaneously (and silently) in response to her stories of God’s faithfulness to her and her family. This week I had other moments of spontaneous worship where the time and place permitted me to sing aloud my praises to the same God who has shown me such faithfulness. I thought about the times such worship is portrayed in scripture: when David dances before the Lord (and the kingdom) as the ark is returned to Israel; the one leper who returned to thank Jesus for his healing and fell at His feet; Mary breaking the alabaster jar to anoint Jesus before His death. When we choose to respond immediately with praise and gratitude in impromptu worship to God, we’re in very good company. And while I will probably continue to be fairly predictable, I pray that my worship never will be.

Those Less Fortunate

In a novel I’m reading, an older, wealthy woman refers to helping “those less fortunate.” She is a Christian and active member of her church and community. And like all of us who have ever referred to others as “less fortunate,” she means well.

But the term hit me as wrong when I stumbled over it so I began to ask myself who is less fortunate than I and who is more fortunate?  Usually, I equate the phrase with material wealth as most folks do. Yet, we all know money cannot heal a broken heart, comfort a grief-stricken widow, soothe a restless spirit or buy a ticket to heaven.

So here’s what I came up with for my list of “those less fortunate”:

People who cannot forgive. Their hearts grow bitter and angry and they poison those around them.

People who refuse to listen to others. They’re missing out on some interesting stories, some good laughs, and some profound wisdom.

Bigoted people who claim to follow Christ but whose narrow minds and cold hearts push others far from the gospel. 

To round out the list, I’d include the thankless who miss communion with God and others, the selfish who miss opportunities to serve and bless others, and the wasteful who fritter away their talents and resources, squander God’s grace and never achieve His purposes.

My prayer for the week is I do as little as possible to be included on someone else’s list of “those less fortunate.”

Easter's On Its Way

I remember as a child singing, “Hippity, hoppity, Easter’s on its way.” The song is a sweet, innocuous children’s rhyme referring to the advent of the Easter bunny. But the reality of Holy Week is quite different. The days that led up to Easter do not depict a soft, cuddly bunny hopping along a jelly bean strewn path surrounded by flowers and butterflies.

The days leading up to Easter are a grim trip along a winding, dusty road surrounded by a bloodthirsty crowd. The trail ends at Golgotha, “the place of the skull,” and a blood-covered cross where hangs a beaten and humiliated King.

Thankfully, though, that’s just Good Friday. Easter morning does evoke all the childhood joy described above because it is the day of victory when Jesus arose from the grave and tore down the walls which had separated God from mankind since Adam and Eve’s fall. When the stone was rolled away from the tomb, Christ’s final triumph over death was finished and He opened the door to heaven for all eternity. Now that’s worth celebrating!

Breath of Life

Job 33:4: “The Spirit of God has made me, And the breath of the Almighty gives me life.”

Often I have wondered why Jesus breathed on the disciples to impart the Holy Spirit to them (John 20:22). The answer should’ve been obvious, but it took a funeral to help me figure it out.

This past Friday I attended the funeral of a dear friend’s husband and was struck anew how the deceased always looks unnatural. The spark of life with which God imbues each of us is gone and the person looks like a wax statue version of himself. Viewing the body reminds me that until God breathed into Adam, he was mere dust formed together in the shape of a man. And Paul tells us we are all dead in our trespasses until the Holy Spirit breathed life into us (Eph. 2:1-10).

So finally, this weekend, I connected the dots. Just as a body without breath is dead, a spirit without the Breath of the Holy Spirit is also dead. Jesus breathed the breath of spiritual life into His disciples to make their spirits come alive. And so it is with the Ruach Hakodesh, the Holy Spirit, who gives new life to all who trust in Jesus as Savior.

Huddle Up

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” Eph. 6:18

I was never good at sports and I can’t stand football. Nevertheless, I am part of a team: we call ourselves “the warriors.” As part of this team, I recognize the importance of the huddle. It’s within the sacred shelter of the huddle that players receive encouragement, direction, and chastisement.

We have a playbook with rules and guidelines, but often our Coach has to call an audible and we’ve been known to lob more than a few “hail Mary” passes. Whenever life gets tough, I call and email the best players on the team asking for wisdom and prayer. Whenever I experience joy or a breakthrough in a situation, I go to them to tell of what God has done.

He uses my teammates to encourage me and support me and yes, sometimes to even chastise me. I think together we make a good team and I am so grateful to have such a group of prayer warriors in my life.