Would You Want to Know Your Future?

Here's an interesting question, "If you could know what your future holds, would you want to know?" I ask that because it's on my mind today.

Someone asked me once, "Why doesn't God just tell me how long I have to wait for ______?" (Sorry I can't fill that blank in to protect the asker but surely you can fill it in for yourself.) This person went on to say that it would be so much easier to know the date or time when God would end our suffering, answer that one prayer, whatever. It caused me to pause for a minute before I could answer.

Here's my conclusion. No, it wouldn't be easier. Often there is such a big journey from point A to point B that we would be scared to death if we knew what the end result would be. And yet God gets us there, one step at a time and all of a sudden, it's not scary at all. Secondly, and probably most importantly is if we knew all that is to come we would not have any need to depend on God and trust him for today. In our demented minds we would be self-reliant. My personal experience is that when I rely on myself, I get messed up--and quickly too. The point of life is that we live today because we don't know what tomorrow will bring or if we'll even have tomorrow. The gift of time is such that by not knowing, we are obedient today and live life to the fullest today.

So as you ponder that, what do you think?

Snap Judgments

Steve's Bible study lesson yesterday was on Matthew 7 and we spent a great deal of time as a class discussing the meaning of this passage as it relates to judging others. The basics are this: first, we should not judge the heart or motives of what somebody does; however, we can judge what is right and wrong based on scripture. Secondly, we are not to judge the unbeliever because that is God's job.

Don't get me wrong, this is NOT about being tolerant of any and every behavior. We are called to distinguish between right and wrong, hate the sin, but always, always, always love the sinner.

This morning my devotion was about how first impressions are frequently wrong. I have to stop and ponder if God is trying to tell me something! I admit that I am quick to make judgments but not about what people drive or wear, etc. No, my judgments are more sophisticated than that (as if judgments can be sophisticated). I frequently find myself making assumptions about why a person did something. Most of the time I conclude it is to bother me, exclude me, make fun of me, and guess what? Most often, I am wrong. I spend precious time thinking poorly of someone only to find out I was the doofus.

There is hope though. I am learning to to ask questions like "What does that mean? Is this what you intended? Please correct me if I'm wrong but did you...?" It's making a world of difference too. Giving people the benefit of the doubt...HHHMMM...what a novel idea...

Still Tired...But All is Not Lost!

Another late night yesterday so I'm not nearly as refreshed as I had hoped to be today. However, I'm blessed to have a great imagination and an even better memory so I've pulled back into the archives and brought forth a time when I was truly at rest to get me through the day.

While Steve was in Iraq I went to visit my friend Sandra in Tennessee. She has the dubious honor of longest friendship (we met in a junior high girls Sunday school class and I have loved and respected her ever since). She allowed me a reprieve from life during that time and I am forever grateful she did. On the Sunday night I was there she had a prior engagement with a friend so I got to hang out in her quaint southern home, free to be or do whatever I wanted.

It was a chilly October day so I sat down in her over-sized chair and ottoman positioned in front of the fireplace with a blanket, book, Bible, journal, my thoughts, and a roaring fire. I read a while, wrote some, then stared outside at the gray evening or into the fireplace, then back to book, and so on. I got out from under the blanket only long enough to put another log on the fire and then snuggled up again to resume my aforementioned activities. It was incredible. It was one of those times when my soul was completely rested and in the midst of a very difficult, strange time in my life, I was at peace. I literally had nothing else to do but what I was doing and I could have done absolutely nothing had I chosen to do so.

No house to clean, no dog to look after, no meal to cook, no laundry to wash, no work duties to perform, and nowhere else to be. I don't recall ever experiencing such freedom before and while I've not been able to replicate it since, I certainly long for it. Perhaps that's why the memory is so special - it is unique. The timing, location, and circumstances of my life were all unique to that day, that moment. I seized the opportunity and lived completely in that moment alone. Even recalling it gives me an overwhelming sense of contentment.

Tired = Defeated

Have you ever noticed when you're tired that nothing seems right in your little world? That's how I feel today. Having the holiday in the middle of the week has messed me up. I need at least 8 hours to be functional but by the time I got home from my brother's last night, fed the dogs and gave them some "out" time (they'd been in their kennels for 7 hours), it was 1:30 a.m. before I got to bed. When the alarm went off at 6:30, there was no possible way I was getting up! So, 30 minutes later I literally forced myself out of bed and I'm exhausted. Okay, maybe I didn't force myself as much as Steve forced me out when he got home from work at 7 a.m.! As you might imagine from that little time table, I did not get my quiet time in this morning so that makes for a double "UGH!"

It's days like these that all those evil little thoughts penetrate my brain. Things I know to be lies are truth to me today and I'm too tired to whip my mind into shape. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about, things like "man, could you be any more stupid?", "You're weak!", "You're failing at everything!", "You'll never have victory." And those are just the ones I can make public:)

I'm hopeful that I can fill my day with enough activity to keep my brain from making a trek into the desert of lies. Surely tomorrow will bring an oasis of spiritual and physical refreshment.

Free At Last

Happy 4th, enjoy your liberties, and remember our fallen heros! I think the appropriate words for today come from The Declaration of Independence. In an effort to shorten it a bit, I've left out the list of specific issues against the King of England.

INTRODUCTION

In CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America.

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands, which have connected them with another, and to assume, among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

PREAMBLE

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain Inalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.

That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

CONCLUSION

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

Freedom Isn't Free

The first truth about freedom is this: FREEDOM ISN'T FREE. Obtaining freedom always costs, and maintaining or protecting freedom always costs. Many lives are sacrificed for freedom's sake. For those who have given to that cause, I am grateful. For 232 years thousands have given the ultimate sacrifice of their life for freedom in America and abroad. While we cannot repay their debt, we can honor them by carrying the torch, continuing the fight, and remembering their sacrifice.

The second truth is this: FREEDOM COMES WITH RESPONSIBILITY. We must continue to fight, to vote, and to sacrifice. Freedom is not ours to hoard. We must help others who are oppressed and unable to help themselves. We must look outside of ourselves and recognize that many long for what we have and they deserve it as well. We will be held accountable one day for what we did with our freedom and what a shame to be found lacking.

I'm honored to be married to a Marine -- to somebody who gets what this is all about and is completely willing to die for the cause of freedom. I'm also unbelievably thankful that he returned from Iraq as so many have not. Before Steve left we had a conversation driven really more out of my own fears than anything else. I said to him one night, "you know, you might not come back. You could die." He replied, "Yes, I know that and I'm okay with it." I burst into tears. He said "You're not crying for me - you're crying for you. Don't worry about me. If I live I'll be fine and if I die, I'll be fine because I know where I'm going." He went on to ask me, "What better honor is there than to die for your country? It's not such a bad way to go." At that moment, in my sadness, I found joy.

I'll leave you with one last thought today. If we wait until the wolf is in our own backyard or on our porch, it's too late. We lose. Freedom is no longer ours. If you need further proof, reflect on September 11, 2001.

What is Americanism?

Being fiercely patriotic, I am excited for the 4th of July! I love this holiday, not because it's a day off or some extravagant fireworks celebration, but because of what it means. FREEDOM. SACRIFICE. INDEPENDENCE. What beautiful words! As you ponder those words consider the quote below from Theodore Roosevelt. (Note: the picture to the right is Old Glory flying in Iraq. This is our personal flag that Steve sent up the pole when he was there. Way cool...)

“Americanism means the virtues of courage, honor, justice, truth, sincerity and hardihood—the things that made America. The things that will destroy
America are prosperity at any price, peace at any price, safety first instead
of duty first, the love of soft living, and the get-rich-quick theory of life.”

My heart aches as I read the last sentence of that quote. If anything describes current-day America, that's it. I wonder if this is how Jeremiah felt as he wrote the book of Lamentations. Written between 586 and 575 B.C. he was eyewitness as Judah was being utterly destroyed by the Babylonians; surely he understood this aching. In verses 3:22-23 he writes:

"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions
never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."