Thanksgiving Shoes

"Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done." (2 Chronicles 16:8)

This year I put on my "Thanksgiving Shoes" with greater gusto and joy than in some years. The simple reason is illustrated in the above photograph. All five of my wonderful children as well as my two bonus children (in-laws) were in our home from Wednesday through Sunday afternoon! Our house was as stuffed as the turkey I roasted on Thanksgiving Day. For a glorious five days there were more dishes in the sink, extra shoes by the door, more food to prepare, games to play, family movies to watch, lots of laughter and extra hugs. Simply put, it was heaven on earth!

As on previous Thanksgivings, our family took the time after dinner to share what we were especially thankful for as we reflected on the past year. Several themes began to emerge as we shared around the table. The first included expressions of thanks for various relationships: family, husband-wife, friends. The second featured testimonials to God's provision and faithfulness. Among these were employment,  places to live, scholarships, internships, and new church families. Together our family rejoiced and thanked God from whom ALL blessings flow.

In the NIV Bible there are 150 references using some form of the word "thank". We are instructed to thank God with our offerings, for others, using a harp, with choirs, in song, with shouts, for God's goodness, to Jesus Christ our Lord, and in all circumstances. Once we start down the road of Thanksgiving we will find that the road has no end! There is always one more thing to add to the list. Along the road, another discovery will be made as well. As we give thanks, our attitude about everything begins to change. Giving thanks recognizes God's continual work in our lives, reminding us that he is always there, always knowing, always loving, always faithful. Thank you God.

" Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness endures through all generations. (Psalm 100: 4-5)

Friendship Shoes

"A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." (Proverbs 17:17)

There is a common axiom frequently expressed in gatherings of pastors and their wives : "One cannot have true friends within one's own congregation." As a young PW I refused to agree. "Our experience will be different," I thought. The years of ministry passed and I began to understand the reason for the axiom. My heart did not want to agree, but my mind had to face the facts.

And what were the facts? During our time of ministry we experienced abandonment and betrayal. Friends chose to leave the church. At an especially difficult time I confided with one I considered a friend only to learn that my confidence had been shared with another. The result of this betrayed confidence was a biting email written to my already beleaguered husband and the closing of my heart to any intimate friendship. Too much pain. Finally, my husband was wrongly treated by one who had described him to be "like a brother". Result? Twenty-five years of ministry at the same church ended. The common axiom rang true.

Thankfully, the story does not end here. A ray of light pierces through the pain. I have a friend - a sister who was born for adversity and understands the job. As my husband and I endured the tragedy of being  ripped away from a church where we had given of our hearts, our time, and our energy, there was a friend in whom I could confide. I'm not talking about our blessed friend Jesus - I'm talking about an earthly friend. This earthly friend provided a sounding board for me. She prayed with me, called me to see how I was, and encouraged me. She kept her word to not share with others what I had shared with her. More than a year later, she continues in the work of a true friend.

Dear sisters, if you are a PW please be careful before you wear friendship shoes. Be aware that you may be hurt. Observe the character of those around you and choose carefully. Once you have found a friend, wear your shoes proudly and with gratitude. Be the friend you desire her to be. Such a friend is rare. Enjoy the blessing! If you are not a PW, consider being a friend to one. Be willing to persevere and not demand. Listen and keep your tongue from gossip. Be ready to pray at a moment's notice. When adversity comes, stay on the job.

In closing I want to thank my dear sister in Christ. You know who you are, and I want you to know of my gratitude. You are a gift from God and I am greatly blessed.

Museum Shoes

"Then Moses said to the Israelites, 'See, the Lord has chosen Bezalel son of Uri,the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill and knowledge in all kinds of crafts - to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver, and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic craftsmanship. And he has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahismach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as craftsmen, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers - all of them master craftsman and designers....' (Exodus 35: 30-35)

Last week I had the wonderful opportunity to view some of the work of the seventeenth century Dutch master Rembrandt van Rijn. The exhibit was entitled: "Rembrandt and the Face of Jesus" and was the first exhibit of the artist since 1932. The museum had never before displayed the series of paintings depicting the face of Christ. Etchings and drawings by the artist were also on display - all with the focus upon one subject: Jesus.

I purchased my ticket and eagerly took my place at the end of a long line. The entrance and exit of visitors was carefully controlled and monitored. While in line I received a set of headphones to enable me to hear commentary about the exhibit. Finally, it was my turn to enter the exhibit area. I turned on the headphones.

As I looked and listened, tears came to my eyes. The commentator spoke of the life of Christ, quoting directly from the Bible. Passages discussing sin, Christ's miraculous healing work, and His resurrection were not ignored. They were stated as factual information.

I slowly walked through the exhibit, taking time to move within inches of the various etchings and paintings. The details and energy of the lines was beautiful. The use of light and the portrayal of Christ? Glorious! My heart was encouraged with the mastery on display.

Driving home later that day I continued to marvel at the exhibit. Lines of visitors came and stood patiently to see Rembrandt's work. Why? Rembrandt was "filled with skill and knowledge of all kinds of crafts" given to him by the greatest of all creators - God. Rembrandt used his artistic skills to the fullest and as a result God was glorified. Hundreds of years later, God continues to be honored and glorified by Rembrandt's artistic genius.

Dear sisters if you are skilled with "knowledge of all crafts", do not minimize those gifts! Use them. Develop them. Work at them. Enjoy them. They have been given to you by God. Glorify Him by using the skills given to you. May others see your work and glorify our Father - even hundreds of years from now!

Stand Firm Shoes

"Be on guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong."

Two weeks ago I did something that I had never done before. In all the years that my children attended public high school, I never hosted a breakfast for their friends on the morning of "See You at the Pole". I would not have thought about it this year unless the idea had been posed by my son's youth leader.

"See You at the Pole" is a day set aside for students and teachers to gather around their school's flagpole and pray. Students are encouraged to pray for their school, their teachers, their fellow students. The prayer time takes place before school begins. "See You at the Pole" challenges students to stand firm as they represent Jesus at their local school. There is no hiding behind a flagpole. People see you.

Wanting to encourage my son to stand firm, I found myself awake at 5:00AM, preparing a 6:00AM breakfast for my son and two of his friends. At 6:00AM, the two friends arrived, ready to eat. The table was set with cloth napkins and placemats. Breakfast sausages and eggs with cheddar cheese filled the kitchen with appetizing scents. My son prayed over the meal and the boys ate heartily.

At about 6:45 I loaded the three into our van and drove them to the middle school. At 7:00 they walked from the van to the flagpole area. I stayed in the van and watched. Several other students walked to the pole area as well. At first there was an awkwardness in the middle schoolers' body language. Then, one bowed their head, followed by others. Five minutes later some of the students sat down and bowed their heads. It was clear they were praying. They stood firm.

Tired, Old Shoes

The nasty looking shoes in the picture were my husband's before he threw them away yesterday. The shoes are illustrative of the figurative ones that I wore for awhile last week. Tired, old shoes. They are no fun to wear and yet I choose to wear them sometimes.

Such shoes reflect the reality of being involved in full-time Christian ministry. Sisters, I do not want to be negative, but I do want to be real. Ministry can be hard! When one first begins, there is excitement and enthusiasm. The possibilities seem endless. As time continues, the first conflict is encountered. One can feel blind-sided, surprised, and then hurt. After all, you are in the church to serve. How can people be so unkind and unloving?

The answer is simple: the church is made of sinners...redeemed sinners.... but sinners nonetheless. In addition, when you step into full-time ministry you enter the front lines of spiritual warfare. Your marriage is in the crosshairs of the enemy. You will have conflict and trials. This is a given. A common response to such trials is a tendency to withdraw into a "protective" shell. Who wants to be hurt again? So, care is given to avoid any potential occasion or relationship that may lead to pain.

Sometimes it may be necessary to emotionally withdrawal for a time - but not for long. This withdrawal should serve only as a time of spiritual retreat; a time to heal and remind oneself of the Truths of God's Word. Suddenly the Words become real and tangible because they apply to a real-time situation."Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."(Galatians 6:9) What a verse!

Sisters, don't give up! Hold onto the Truth. Get up, dust off your tired, old shoes, and polish them with the Confidence found in God's Word. You do not have to be strong! The Lord God on high is all the Strength you need.

"Praise be to the Lord, for He has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song." (Psalm 28: 6 - 7)

Faith-Walking Shoes

"We will stand as children of the promise, We will fix our eyes on Him, our soul's reward,'Til the race is finished and the work is done, We'll walk by faith and not by sight." (From "By Faith" by Keith & Kristyn Getty)

 Next Sunday there will be a new song sung at my local church. I learned of the song from my oldest daughter and once I heard it I forwarded the song to one of the brothers who leads praise. This coming Sunday I will help to lead the congregation in singing this wonderful song entitled "By Faith", written by Keith and Kristyn Getty. In order to fully prepare to introduce the song, I have been listening to it over and over. My son has installed it on his i-pod. Whenever he and I travel anywhere, it is required that we listen to "By Faith" before he can listen to any of his musical choices. The words have become engraved on my mind as well as in my heart - especially the words of the chorus.

In my fervid preparation, I was unaware that God was using the memorization of the song's words to provide loving support for me. The support was needed when a series of recent events went a different way than I had wanted, planned, and expected. When the final event in the unfortunate series occurred, I immediately thought, "I'll walk by faith and not by sight."

How do I walk by faith and not sight? Trust. Confidence. Assurance. I trust that He will fill me with all joy and peace so that I may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans15:13) I am confident that He who began a good work in me will carry it to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.(Phil.1:6) I have the assurance of history. God has spoken in the past and continues to speak through his Son. (Hebrews 1:1-2) My personal history demonstrates these truths to me.

God is at work!!! We cannot always see. It is not always tangible. But it is very real. Let's remember to walk with trust, confidence, and assurance. Let's walk by faith and not by sight.

"Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge." (Psalm 62:8)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stargazer Shoes

"He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name." (Psalm 147: 4)

Have you taken the time to look at a star filled sky lately? During our recent camping trip, I made time to be still and observe the beauty of the night sky. Late into the night I walked to the lake near our site and gazed at the declaration of God's glory. The view was absolutely breathtaking. There were no commercial or residential lights to wash away the brilliance on display. Stars upon stars filled the sky. The Milky Way stretched across the expanse, reflecting its beauty on the lake. As I stood there with my oldest son and his wife, a shooting star blazed across the sky, trailed by a stream of red and yellow light. The three of us stood still, amazed at the wonder of God's creation.

A few days later I read the above passage in the Book of Psalms. That night I went to the lake again. I reviewed the words in my mind over and over, trying to grasp the fact that God had named each of the stars that I could see as well as the millions I could not see. He knows their number, because He determined it! An overwhelming sense of the Majesty of the Lord filled my soul. The Providence of God  was on display and it brought encouragement. How can I be anxious when the God who made the stars has called me his child? Why should I worry when the One who filled the sky with beauty knows my name? I asked for the Lord of the Universe to forgive me for forgetting Who He is.

Are you struggling to make sense of where things are in your life right now? Put on some Stargazing Shoes and find a place that is removed from the lights of civilization. Take the time to listen to the declaration of the heavens: "God is glorious!"

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world." (Psalm 19:1-4)