He Knows Me

Psalm 13:1-2 “How long, LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?” Have you ever felt like the Lord has forgotten you? Do you long for Him to see you, to understand your situation, that you are at the end of your rope and barely hanging on with a thread? Sometimes it feels like the world is crashing down around us and we often wonder, where are You Lord? Do You see me? Do You know me? Have You forgotten about me and this deep valley I am in? Do You not see my tears? Am I not Your child? How long must I suffer? Are You hearing my prayers? He knows you. Psalm 139:2-4 says, “You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely.” He knows our every move, He knows when I rise and when I lay down, He knows my thoughts and is familiar with all my ways. He knows what I will say before it even comes out of my mouth. If He knows us this well, why does He allow us to feel disconnected with Him? I saw a poster with a woman and she was sitting on top of all her beautiful luggage in the middle of the desert and the caption read, “Where did you go, Lord?” He has never gone anywhere. He promises us that if we shall call upon Him in our time of trouble, He will answer us and that He will deliver us. He is near to all who call upon Him…He also will hear their cry and save them.” (Psalm 145:18-19) He promised that He would never leave us or forsake us, but we often pack our bags and go away from Him, sometimes we get angry at Him and we just leave, but even during that time, He promises that His is near to us. There is nowhere you can go from His Spirit; you cannot flee from His presence. (Psalm 139:7) Why not just give in and allow Him to rescue you, to save you and to hide you safely beneath the shadow of His wings. Why do we not allow Him to comfort us, to hold us gently in His arms? Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble.” Our soul should silently wait for God for He is our salvation and He alone is our strength and when we rest in Him, we will find peace. – Melody

God's Call to Empathy

From Psychology Today, person to person, “empathy is the ability to recognize, understand, and share the thoughts and feelings of another ... Developing empathy is crucial for establishing relationships and behaving compassionately. It involves experiencing another person’s point of view, rather than just one’s own, and enables pro-social, or helping behaviors, that come from within, rather than being forced.” Webster adds to those thoughts with noting the ability to be empathetic comes “without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner.” Another statement that caught my attention said, “The ethic of empathy is the Golden Rule: do unto others, as you would have them do to you.” That made a lot of sense, and it brings us to the biblical command to love others which is joined with the command to love God intensely, passionately, dependently, and with our choices. I shared with a friend the grief my own heart was heavy with. She had been praying since I had made her aware of the crushing health needs of the one who eventually succumbed to those needs. And she had prayed even while she coped with health needs that were much closer to home for her. She understood the pain another was suffering. She understood the difficulty of giving and giving in the darkness of a very uncertain future. She also knew the reality of her ever-present God, the One who carries us when just to walk demands a strength we know nothing of. And she was able to give from her own pain to lighten the pain of another, both mine, and the family of one who had died too young. Umbrella Ministries defines itself as a support ministry reaching out to the hurts and hearts of mothers who have experienced the loss of a child. How are we able to do that? 2 Corinthians 1:3,4 answers the question. All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. Like my friend, the mothers of Umbrella Ministries share a very tragic need, but they have also found that Jesus’ Father is our Father too, and He is the Father who gives with understanding, compassion, and comfort. Many of the moms of Umbrella Ministries have and continue to have, a very deep, experiential knowledge of the comforting compassion of our Father. And, yes, it takes empathy to unimaginable levels sometimes when the grief of another becomes our own grief, not in the exact same way as the one who has recently lost, but still in a very sharing, responsive way. And God calls all of us to a similar empathy – to truly feel the hurts, pains, struggles and difficulties of another, especially in those areas in which we have a story, a history, even a present time of still walking through, that bears a strong resemblance to the other who is hurting. We can do it in all kinds of ways, but giving our presence when needed, dominates. We can assure another of our prayers, help with meals, or housework, or child care, be a listening ear, give comforting, encouraging words, and sometimes even challenging words. But whatever we “do,” it flows from a heart that has known the comfort of our Father, and a compulsion that can do no less than respond to another. – Bev (Related Bible reading: 2 Corinthians 1:3,4)

God’s Certain Hope

Psalm 146:5 “But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God.” “Fallon, Grandma is getting a little forgetful. Are you going to be seven or eight?” This is a question I asked my youngest granddaughter. She looked at me with this look of concern. “Grandma,” she replied, “apparently you don’t know me as well as you should.” I had to laugh. Time is passing so quickly; I can’t keep up. I know this little girl pretty well. I love her to pieces. Yet there is someone who knows her better than I do. He watched her being formed in utter seclusion as she was being woven together. He infused some intelligence with a hint of sassiness into those genes. He also created her with an overabundance of funny bones. He loves her even more than I do. He created everything about her. He knows when she sits and stands. Her creator knows everything she is going to do. He knows everything she will say before she says it. As I think of the world this little girl will grow up in, I am fearful for her. The evil one will be on the prowl to destroy her. What gives me hope? Psalm 139 tells me all I need to know. It gives me hope. He will go before her and follow her all the days of her life. He will place His hands of blessing on her head. She can never escape His presence. His hand will guide her, and His strength will support her. His thoughts about her are precious, and they cannot be numbered. He will also not be forgetful, unlike her grandma. He will always know the number of her days. What hope that is for all of us! As I know my days are numbered, and I think of future generations, we can hold on to the promises of God’s Word. We can never escape His Spirit or His presence. When we go to Heaven, He will be there; in the grave, He will be there. Nothing can separate us from His love. – Michele

He Who Watches Over Me

Psalm 142:3 “When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who watch over my way.” When I was growing up, even though I had an earthly biological father, the memories of him have never been good; in fact, to the contrary, there were traumatic events that happened in my childhood that caused me to feel overwhelming fear, anxiousness, and at times I felt abandoned and extremely unsafe. Gentleness and tenderness were never characteristics I remember as a child and, as a result, trust does not come easy for me. As a child, I learned to retreat into a world of my own when I felt unsafe and I would talk to myself out loud and even then, in those times when I felt so incredibly alone, I knew instinctively that I was not alone. From a very young age I always felt there was a presence who watched over every single thing that happened. It was almost as if I could see that girl crying, but I never really connected with her. I was always reaching out to something bigger, wondering who could see me, who could hear me, who really cared about me, and I knew that someone did, and as a small child, in my loneliness, that is where I drew my comfort. I love the parable of the mustard seed, "What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade." (Mark 4:30-32.) Developing faith and trust in our heavenly Father is a very slow process and it takes a very long time; in fact, for most people it takes a lifetime. I began to develop a trust in something greater as a very young child and that little seed that the Lord planted in me as a child has grown over the years. If you look at the rest of this scripture, in Mark 4:34, it says, that Jesus “did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when He was alone with His own disciples, He explained everything.” It has always been when I am alone with Him that the Lord has shown me His greatest insights, has given me my most significant epiphanies. Always it has been when He has taken me aside and shown me how to examine my heart, how to give Him my fears, how to lay down my doubts, that He has given me back in return every time I get alone with Him. He gives me a little bit more tenderness, a little bit more gentleness, a little bit more peace, a little more understanding, things that the world has never been able to give me. It has taken a lifetime for me coming to a place where I am finally so comfortable with Him that I long to be alone with Him every opportunity I have. In Hebrews 13:5, Jesus says, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." He will never abandon me, He will always be with me, He will always see me and track with me. He will be that consistent friend who will never forsake me or disappoint me. But the best part about my heavenly Father is that he is giving me what my earthly father never was capable of giving me, tenderness, sweetness, gentleness, patience, goodness, kindness, comfort, peace, security, healing, adoration and most of all the love that I have craved my entire life, and it is only found in One place. And His promise to me is that “surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matt. 28:20) That alone for me is the best source of comfort I will ever have. – Melody

Sacrifice of Praise

Hebrews 13:15 “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” Today is Labor Day and it doesn’t just mean a day off work; for me it is a holiday that represents the coming of the end of the summer and the beginning of the fall season, which leads into Thanksgiving and Christmas. Since I have always worked full-time, I usually had something fun planned for this particular three-day weekend; it would either be a weekend getaway or an invitation would go out to friends and family for a barbecue or pool party. But things in my life are much different now. I’m no longer married and my disabled son now resides in Heaven, I’ve moved from San Diego to a rural town in East Texas and it is days like this that cause me to feel isolated. I have never minded living alone, but holidays are always hard when my entire family have lives of their own and live in different states. I try not to look ahead and just enjoy the day off, but if I’m honest, the thought of facing another holiday season without solid plans with a significant other or my immediate family is just agonizing for me. Isaiah 45:3 says, “I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.” As I open up God’s Word this morning, He reminds me that I am not alone and that this is not just another amazing day in the beautiful life that He has given me. Yes, it may be that today represents the end of one season and the beginning of another, but so it also is with the seasons in my life. Each new day, each new chapter, represents hidden treasures, riches that are stored in the secret places of my relationship with the Lord and in the moments He allows me to be of service to Him and to others. All I have to do is to recognize what those treasures are and I am immediately reminded of who I am and why I am here on this earth. My life is to be an act of worship to the audience of One and instead of looking at what I don’t have at this very instant or in the near future, I will trust God’s will and plan for my life. As I turn on some praise music, those feelings of loneliness disappear as I offer a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to my Lord and Savior and just like that, His Living Water flows into my heart and soul and the fullness of His Spirit causes me to have an attitude of gratitude for this extra day off and for the person of Jesus who has blessed me so richly and when I share that gratitude with another, I know that He is pleased. -- Melody

If Tears Come

When the doctor told my husband and I just before our daughter was born, that she was not going to live, that her survival would only be counted in minutes or hours, the suffocating darkness of grief, and guilt, and emptiness, descended. The darkness encapsulated my world, and I begged God for understanding and hope. I knew if any answers existed, they would be found with Him, and yet, although my tears and darkness continued to cry out to God, it would be years before I realized the answers He had for me. In time, I found His answers of comfort and hope, and even the beauty He wanted to bring from the tragedy of Tonia’s death. He strengthened me, helped me to understand His answers, and shaped me to be a voice of comfort for others. Tonia still had a big place in my heart, a heart that still pulsed for her, remembered her, and wanted to honor her. And sometimes still the tears would come, and sometimes, they still do, especially at weddings. God blessed us after Tonia’s death with three healthy boys, all of whom I am proud of, all of whom have loved us, and given to us. But Tonia was the daughter her Daddy would have delighted in walking down the aisle at her own wedding. I think my tears at weddings started when I began to realize I was now going to weddings of young girls who would have been about Tonia’s age. I knew for Tonia, her delight was now, and had been, in all the perfections of Heaven and in the presence of Jesus. But still, for me, the tears came........ But God also gives daughters-in-love, the bride who by marriage, also becomes part of our family. Again, we have been blessed, but we have the youngest of our sons, who has looked long and hard for that special one, and in a couple of weeks, Rebecca will become our daughter-in-love. It has been a special joy to start welcoming Rebecca into our family, and to realize the gift she is to all of us. And then, only a few days ago, Rebecca let God give us another gift. She connected with our granddaughter, Emily, who had just bought a beautiful dress for the wedding, and asked her to be her bridesmaid. She would be the only one. Emily excitedly replied with a yes, but Emily’s excitement was echoed by her parents and her grandparents. It was then I cried my tears, but they were tears of joy. Joy that reminds me God never forgets. God sees and knows and cares, and softens the heart that can still feel pain decades later. Joy that burst forth in gratitude to our God who never quits giving. Joy in ALL of my daughters. Each a priceless gift. Each a song within my own heart. Each a reflection of our loving, caring God. I may still cry at Rebecca’s wedding, but if the tears come, they will be tears of joy. After hearing Emily will be Rebecca’s bridesmaid, and experiencing my response, in my thoughts, I was briefly in Heaven, talking quietly with Tonia. I asked her, “Did you suggest all of this to God?” And Tonia just smiled. – Bev (Related Bible reading: Psalm 40:1-3)

He Who Watches Over Me

Psalm 142:3 “When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who watch over my way.” When I was growing up, even though I had an earthly biological father, the memories of him have never been good; in fact, to the contrary, there were traumatic events that happened in my childhood that caused me to feel overwhelming fear, anxiousness, and at times I felt abandoned and extremely unsafe. Gentleness and tenderness were never characteristics I remember as a child and, as a result, trust does not come easy for me. As a child, I learned to retreat into a world of my own when I felt unsafe and I would talk to myself out loud and even then, in those times when I felt so incredibly alone, I knew instinctively that I was not alone. From a very young age I always felt there was a presence who watched over every single thing that happened. It was almost as if I could see that girl crying, but I never really connected with her. I was always reaching out to something bigger, wondering who could see me, who could hear me, who really cared about me, and I knew that someone did, and as a small child, in my loneliness, that is where I drew my comfort. I love the parable of the mustard seed, "What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade." (Mark 4:30-32.) Developing faith and trust in our heavenly Father is a very slow process and it takes a very long time; in fact, for most people it takes a lifetime. I began to develop a trust in something greater as a very young child and that little seed that the Lord planted in me as a child has grown over the years. If you look at the rest of this scripture, in Mark 4:34, it says, that Jesus “did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when He was alone with His own disciples, He explained everything.” It has always been when I am alone with Him that the Lord has shown me His greatest insights, has given me my most significant epiphanies. Always it has been when He has taken me aside and shown me how to examine my heart, how to give Him my fears, how to lay down my doubts, that He has given me back in return every time I get alone with Him. He gives me a little bit more tenderness, a little bit more gentleness, a little bit more peace, a little more understanding, things that the world has never been able to give me. It has taken a lifetime for me coming to a place where I am finally so comfortable with Him that I long to be alone with Him every opportunity I have. In Hebrews 13:5, Jesus says, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." He will never abandon me, He will always be with me, He will always see me and track with me. He will be that consistent friend who will never forsake me or disappoint me. But the best part about my heavenly Father is that he is giving me what my earthly father never was capable of giving me, tenderness, sweetness, gentleness, patience, goodness, kindness, comfort, peace, security, healing, adoration and most of all the love that I have craved my entire life, and it is only found in One place. And His promise to me is that “surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matt. 28:20) That alone for me is the best source of comfort I will ever have. – Melody