Canaan's Rest

“You didn’t ask how church family has impacted my life, but I feel compelled to tell my family’s story.

Our family lived on a dairy farm.  In 1949 my mother was in a serious tractor accident.  She had several spinal fractures.  The spinal cord was “hanging by a thread.”  Mother had to be hospitalized for nearly 5 months, leaving all of us minor children home alone to run the household and the farm.  (My father had passed away before my birth.  We children were now ages 17,16,12, 10, and 5) The church family immediately stepped in to help us in various ways, including finishing the upstairs to make bedrooms. They also helped with meals and many other tasks. (Neighbors and relatives from afar also assisted us, but the “church people” were the backbone of our support system.)

At the time of my brother’s passing in 2009, we learned this from a lady from our church.  Her father was the main impetus behind the help our church family gave us. He was very concerned that the county would step in and break up our family, as we were all minors.  Praise be to God that did not happen!  By God’s grace through the help of our church family, we got through this crisis.  Our family remained intact.  After being flat on her back in the hospital, Mother got up and walked. (She told me when she was in her 80’s: “I made up my mind I was going to walk, and I got up out of bed and I walked.”  This was of course after the doctor gave the okay.)

It cannot be overstated what a huge positive impact our church family had on our family.  I don’t want to think about what could have happened to our precious family without them.

Challenge for today: Read the following P.S. from this grateful friend:

”We sometimes would ride with the milk hauler into town to visit Mother. (John had gotten a hardship driver’s license at about age 14 sometimes after Dad’s death.  Mother never had a license.)  So sometimes John would drive us all into town to see Mother.  A few times the nurse would lift me up onto a chair by Mother’s bed (so I was at her level) and I would sing “This Little Light of Mine” with actions.  We’d bring her bouquets of wildflowers.  She would sign checks so the bills could be paid.  Maria, then 16, became the chief cook, and learned how to make bread.  She would sometimes have me help her in small ways.  All of us took part in the farm chores.

I got 3 new jobs:  Bed the cows with straw, carry pails of water into the house, carry the chunks of wood into the house.  I was so proud and happy to be able at my young age to be useful—no complaining!   Mother never wavered in her faith that she would heal and be back home again. Her trust in the Lord was unshakable.  I don’t remember ever being afraid.  My sisters became great mothers for me.

It was truly a remarkably difficult and miraculous time in our family!”
Blessings on your day and grateful prayers and love, Judy

None of us go through life free of pain or problems. Just read the the Psalms, where the authors share their sorrows and despair, but also their hope and joy in knowing God is present. We may have tears as the writer of Psalm 126 shares, “Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! He who goes out weeping bearing the seed for sowing shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.” When we go to the Lord in our tears and sorrow, something often happens to us: we begin to sense hope rising in our hearts. We may not know what God will do, but we put things in His hands and we have to be ready for anything.

The Lord listens to the cries of our hearts, but He is also in charge of the larger story of our lives. He does what is best and according to His Father’s plan, and we need to patiently wait. In Rom. 8:25 we are reminded, “But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” It is quite amazing how the Lord can take even our past and weave it into our larger story, strengthening us for the future. God’s love for us is gives us hope no matter what we go through in this life, for we have all of eternity with the One who died and rose again for us.

So much in life we really can’t control, and we often have to wait and be patient. We see this every day when we are waiting in the check-out line, or to get into a concert, or waiting for a diagnosis from our doctor. We may recognize anger and resentment in the times we don’t get our way and circumstances are not what we would choose. We may get irritable, frustrated and sometimes even blow up!

We might say patience is surrender to disappointments, frustrations and limitations. We accept what is and endure it. Jesus showed great patience as He endured so many trials and knew He would be going to the cross. He was patient with His disciples who didn’t always get what He was trying to teach them and often failed. Many times, they must have all required patience when they were hungry, tired, and had no time to eat and rest because of the crowds.

We all have need for patience, and such times demand the giving of ourselves for others. We surrender in love to their needs and wait in trust that the Lord will supply all of our needs…and He does, often in such recognizable ways that we know it can only be Him. So let patience do it’s work in our hearts, as we trust our needs will be met in due time and in His way.

Challenge for today: May you put others first and yourself second as you allow the Lord to do a beautiful work in you.
Blessings on your week and prayers and love, Judy

Hopefully we are nurtured by the people of God as found in the church, which is an expression of God’s presence. We learn to love as we are in loving relationships and experience the Body of Christ as we learn to give of ourselves. Sometimes it is also challenging and frustrating as there may be conflicts but learning how to handle them helps us to grow. Pastor Richard Plass and Paster James Cofield share ways that can help us to live well in community, rather than idealize it and be disappointed.

First of all community confronts our selfishness and exposes it. All of us have a selfish bent and it begins to show itself when with others in a close way and we need to acknowledge it. Also as we live with others in soulful relationships we learn to surrender and serve and be patient and to also forgive and pray and love. Others ahead of us in the journey can teach us much if we are open. We learn to suffer as well and find comfort in community. When one suffers we all suffer! We learn how to bear one another’s burdens and our moral character is internalized. We can’t fool others when we are in community as our false self will be exposed, and so we live in humility and gratitude. Others see us as we are and still love us in the Lord. We are all dependent on God and in humility we say Thy will be done, not mine.

We are all called to live not for ourselves but beyond ourselves and to show up for others.

Dear Ones,

Hope you have a sunny spring day!  Today I plan to make another new recipe and it is also Donut Day here. Ann may stop in this morning and this afternoon we have Bible Study.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

Recently, I asked the question: When have you had a time when a specific scripture seemed to speak to you in a powerful way to help you through a hard circumstance? I always love when your answers come back, and I am blessed as you share God’s touch on your lives. I want to share a few of the responses with all of you.

“To answer your question: When my husband was going through his difficult time, the Lord gave me Psalm 84:6 ‘When they walk through the valley of weeping, (Bacca) it will become a place of refreshing springs. The autumn rains will clothe it with blessing.’ (It literally was in the autumn, too.) I had previously heard a pastor preach on this, pointing out that “they walk through it”, they don’t stay there, they walk through it and then there is refreshment and blessings! That was so encouraging! The Lord faithfully did that for us after a time of weeping and trials 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼. Thank you, Jesus.”

“In answer to the question: Those decades when I was going 100 miles to Rice Lake nearly weekly (and for emergencies) to care for Mother and brother John, I found myself getting resentful. I did not want that. I asked the Lord for a Scripture. He gave me Psalm 16.  The verse that really helped me was: “The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places, Yea, I have a goodly heritage.” I began reciting it in my heart daily—even until now. It helps me with my care for H & D too, as they are a big part of my music “heritage.”

She is caring now for her former music teacher and his wife. Both need lots of care and I suspect this scripture is also close to her in her present situation.

“There are so many scriptures that have helped! Seems like something changed when I started reading the Bible looking for God’s promises! As far hard times, of course I go back to our son. There were no answers… There were so many promises to lean to! One I recall was 2 Timothy 1:12: ‘He is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.’ I heard that scripture in church and looked up several versions. It was profound! All my needs/fears, God was hearing and working on that day! Glory to God, alone!”

More answers have come in, but may we each be open to scripture promises the Lord gives when we are especially needful.

Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

Reply

Yet, how can He rejoice over us when we fail?  He sees our sins, and yet when we repent He welcomes us into His arms of forgiveness with loud singing and great joy. Yes, He is making us into a new creation, but we are far from perfect in our daily living as we tend to get in the way ourselves. I can only think of our children when they were little and confessed when they did something wrong. I was so glad that they admitted and were sorry for whatever they had done! Sometimes it takes a while to get to that place, as it is easier to rationalize our behavior and even blame others. But when we truly know we have done wrong and ask forgiveness, our souls are forgiven and healed and our relationship is restored.

What about when we sin in our thoughts without actually acting on them? When we bring that before the Lord in honesty and repentance, He rejoices. I want to be an open book before the Lord and not hide or rationalize my sinful behavior. When I am real with Him, it seems my heart knows peace and rest. Just as we love our children even when they are naughty, the Lord still loves us and offers forgiveness and feels joy over us.

 In fact, He wants us to have a Sabbath Rest which is really a holy day. That means one day a week we relax, we enjoy a day of rest from our regular jobs, go to church, take a nap, read a book, watch a game, and be free of obligations. The Lord told Moses in Exodus 31:14- “Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the Lord, sanctify you. You shall keep the Sabbath because it is holy for you.” He goes on to say it is a solemn rest, holy to the Lord. We might say it is a day to enjoy the Lord, pay attention to His presence, and accept the rhythm He has for us. We work 6 days but on the 7^th we rest.

Al and I visited a Trappist Monastery and the monks have 7 scheduled times of reading and singing the scriptures that begin at 3:45 a.m. and the last one is 7:40 P.M. What a beautiful rhythm to remember the Lord throughout our day and into our night. But we also can stop and take a few moments during our day and evening to be mindful of the Lord, like taking a couple 5 minute breaks to center on Him and offer up a prayer.

Challenge for today: Pause several times during your day to be still and know that the Lord is present with you. (Psalm 46:10)
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy