And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem. – Luke 2:38
Anna showed up at just the right moment.
It was not all that surprising, because she had devoted the years of her widowhood to prayer and worship. She was in the temple so much, that she might have seemed like an anachronism to some and an annoyance to others.
She was just “always there.”
Yet, she could have missed the moment if not for one thing. God wanted her there and arranged for her to be there to see the Baby King.
She hoped for the redemption of Israel and, once she had seen Him, she told people who were like minded.
There is always an audience for the message that God entrusts to us. There are always those who share our longing, hope, and dissatisfaction with the status quo.
God prepared Anna and He prepared her audience.
Have you been so infused and enthused with redemptive hope that you know you have to share it? He has prepared some people who are ready, willing, and anxious to hear your testimony.
Do not grow discouraged thinking no one is interested. You just haven’t found them yet.
Do not expect everyone to be responsive. Some folks have grown cold and indifferent. Others have never thought beyond the present time with all of its thrills and carnal gratifications. They are living for now and are satisfied with their listless lives.
That very well may change for them, but for the moment, they are at different stages of listening and longing.
You are looking out for those who are thirsty. Keep your good news handy, because when you are willing to share, they will start appearing.
And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. Luke 2:34-35
Simeon is an example of a biblical character who loved his country and prayed for its well being. He was devout and he was waiting for a promise that God would deliver to his people, Israel. He was a patriot.
He was also a man who understood that what his country needed most was a baptism of truth and righteousness and that only God’s Messiah could do for his nation what it really needed.
It must have seemed like a strange sort of blessing to Mary and Joseph as he spoke it. Many would rise. Many would fall. As a sign, the babe would be spoken against. He would bring out the best and worst in people as their very heart thoughts and motives were revealed. As parents, they would have their hearts pierced. It was a strange blessing indeed.
Freedom itself can be a mixed blessing. It comes at a price and required continuous vigilance and responsibility.
When Jesus comes, sweet and unassuming, precious, cute, and giggly as a little baby, it is hard to imagine that the planet has just been invaded by a force to contend with. He does not tread lightly. There will be no lasting indifference in His regard. He will not be non-controversial. He defines controversy. He confronts us, shattering our prejudices, exposing our biases, showing us what our religious hypocrisies really look like in the light of His truth.
And so He comes to you and to me, dear friend, amid the noise of confusion and the beating waves of doubt an anxiety. His words speak truth and courage to our hearts, but it is His touch that is life giving and life affirming, Fear not! He threatens our stasis. He shatters our well-formed opinions no matter how many proof-texts we have arranged to support them. He is Lord of all and every notion is subject to His interpretation.
We are not guaranteed safe passage through the sorting out process. We may well be sifted. Nor are those close to him guaranteed that we will not be broken on the wheel of pain and discomfort.
And yet, He is blessed and we will be blessed through Him. By being in His circle of relationships, the sifting experiences will be blessings and the piercings will be blessings too. We need His awful mercy and His harsh healing to be made whole. Strange as the blessing may be, a blessing it is. He is the blessing that our nation most needs today.
Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation ... – Luke 2:29-30
Sometimes it seems that we are just hanging on, waiting for something big to happen.
We hang on to money because we know that either a great opportunity or a rainy day is on the way.
We hang on to an idea because we know that someday, it will be useful. Some day, other people will buy into it and come alongside of us.
We hang on to life because we know that God is not done with us and that all He has promised has not yet come to pass. We hang on because He is hanging on to us and because to shortcut the process would be to cheat Him and to cheat ourselves.
We hang on to hope because we believe that God is the God of hope and that everything He promises will come to pass. We know deeply that He is not forgetful, nor is He remiss. He will fulfill His Word.
Therefore we live on tiptoe. While resting in His promises, we do not entirely relax. We stay alert. We watch. We pray. We actively seek any sign of His coming, any indication of His acting out of His purposes in our time.
We may not know what our roles may be, but we stand at the ready to play them. If it is only to witness His power and trustworthiness, we will do so with joy and gratitude.
Simeon could not depart in peace until the moment came and when the moment came, he knew it.
“Any time now, Lord. I have seen what you told me I’d see before I died. I’m ready now.”
There were no regrets in Simeon’s life, no unfinished business, no unfulfilled plans, no lost dreams. God had done the great thing for which he had been “hanging on.”
Maybe he lived many more years; maybe he died the next day; we don’t know. What we do know is that when the time came for him to make the final departure, he was ready. He was ready from that moment on.
And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.– Luke 2:28
What has the Holy Spirit shown you?
Is it audacious to make claims of divine revelation? Is it theologically correct to do so? Might it not be considered presumptuous?
In the first place, this was not general revelation for all people. It was personal disclosure for Simeon’s personal consumption and encouragement. The Holy Spirit had assured him of the promise and he had embraced it.
There is no indication that Simeon had gone about bragging on his “special revelation.” He had not used it to elevate his status or to appear hyper spiritual.
He had not developed and marketed a seminar entitled, “How I Received a Revelation from the Holy Ghost and How You Can Too.”
He simply received a promise through the still, small voice of God and he clung to it with all his might. He did so in complete trust and confidence that God would bring it to pass.
Perhaps you believe that the Holy Spirit has shown you something about your future. It is OK to entertain the thought. None of us is a perfect receptacle for words from God, but He does still whisper promises in our ears in the form of assurance, calling, and encouragement. Do not be afraid to receive these words.
Could you be wrong? You might, but if you are, God will clarify that for you and show you something better in due time.
You will most likely discover that God was indeed speaking to you, but that you did not fully understand what He was trying to say. It stretched you and challenged you and through the experience, you grew.
If the Holy Spirit is speaking to you, it is most likely about you. It was about Simeon that he would live to see the Lord’s Christ and it was about Christ Himself. There were many ways God could have chosen to fulfill those words, but the way He did turned into a blessing for all who believe. What is He whispering in your ear?
"And, behold, there
was a man in Jerusalem,
whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the
consolation of Israel:
and the Holy Ghost was upon him."
– Luke 2:25
Simeon was in the right place, in the right frame of mind, living a righteous life, and doing so in right relationship with God.
He was a ready receptacle for God into which God could deposit a gift. He was also ready to be used to make a great declaration to the world.
The Holy Ghost was upon Him – what a magnificent state in which to be!
To be in Jerusalem, the city of God was the first of his blessings. That meant that he lived within eyesight of the temple and could go there regularly to worship, pray, and hear the Torah. Proximity to God and His people opens us to blessings beyond our imagination. Stay close.
He was just. When given a choice between doing the right thing and the wrong thing, he chose the right thing. He did not ask, “Which is easier or has a better payoff?” He asked, “What is right?”
He was devout. His heart was turned in the direction of God and He was an earnest God-seeker. Such a man or woman is ready for God to move.
He was waiting for the consolation of Israel. He was not a grumbler about the times, but he knew that something better was coming. He lived in anticipation, waiting for a great movement and intervention of God in history. So may we.
The Holy Ghost was upon him. Whatever else might be said of him, there was this invisible, unexplainable, beyond-the-ordinary dimension to his life that nothing could account for but the Holy Spirit. It was the S Factor – S for Spirit.
The Christian life is a spiritual life. It is to be lived spiritually in the power of the Holy Spirit and under His constant influence. When that is the case, whatever else might be said of us will not be enough to explain the extraordinary hope, confidence, insight, and authority of our lives.
The S Factor is available to each of us. Are we available to Him?
"And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him." – Luke 2:33
God isn’t calling know-it-alls to play a significant role in His program.
He is not looking for those whose motto is, “Been there, done that, got the t-shirt.”
God is calling men and women who are capable of marveling over that which is marvelous.
“Business and usual” is not in His order of the day. He is full of surprises. The mundane is not His domain; He shakes things up.
When God speaks directly through His prophets to us, His Word goes straight to the heart with recognizable veracity and piercing honesty. We are amazed.
Joseph was a man capable of relishing the marvels of God. He was not jaded by boredom or dulled by cynicism. Joseph was caught completely off guard by the wonder of God’s power and He basked in it.
To marvel at the spoken word means that we have truly received it – deeply and with a willingness to let it shape us. We have rejected the superficial responses that tend to dismiss the unusual as a something merely strange and we have chosen to let God speak.
It is no small thing to receive such a word.
It is no small thing what God wants to do in us, through us, and within proximity of our lives.
When God sends a Simeon or an Anna into our lives, He has a reason. While no human being is capable of a consistently infallible representation of divine will, God is able to speak through the frailest, most errant person to say what we need to hear.
And while we are not witnessing the creation of new scriptures in our time, the Lord is still taking His scriptures and placing them on the lips of men and women He chooses to apply them to our lives in ways that cause us to marvel.
“For unto you is born this day ..” – from Luke 2:11
For the most part, Christmas is past. The season
continues, even on the Christian calendar, the lights are still up, and the
malls still resound with carols, but something has passed of the wonder,
excitement, and joy. In fact, all artificial joy has faded and most of the
world is experiencing an emotional letdown at this very moment.
But the Christian is not subject to deflation in the
economy of joy. Real joy is something deeper and non-circumstantial.
A New Year is about to dawn. Assessing the old year
may bring a feeling of disappointment, but tomorrow is filled with hope and
promise. Resolutions for how this fresh opportunity will be embraced are even
now forming in our minds. Our hearts are turning slowly to the promise of
tomorrow.
But what of today? The psalmist declares that this
is the day that God has made. Yesterday is passed. Tomorrow may or may not come
as we expect it. Today is now. It s a new creation. It is full of promise and presence.
God’s promises are eternal and His presence is a cause for celebration. It is
still Christmas and will continue to be Christmas every day we awaken with a
heartbeat. Then someday, we will awaken without a heartbeat and we will be in
His perfect presence. That will be Christmas indeed.
In the meantime, we have one great task each new
morning before any other is performed. We are called to rejoice and be glad, to
offer up the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, and to meet God in the day
as if it were the only day He had ever made.
This is the day He has made. Let us rejoice! Let us
be glad!
“ … I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all
people.” from Luke 2:10
God’s joy is of universal
application. There is much talk today about “inclusiveness.” We are told that
the church must use inclusive language and that inclusiveness means accepting
certain behaviors as within the realm of “normality.” That is not what the
gospel proclaims. The gospel declares that something outside of ourselves,
outside of language and theology, outside of our political beliefs, outside of
our self-worth and self-justification has invaded the world with good news.
The good news is that whoever you
are, whatever you believe, whatever you have done, whatever your opinion of
yourself may be, however you choose to identify yourself, you are the object of
God’s love and grace. The news is that Jesus has come to and for you and that
you are no different than anyone else in this regard.
The news is a call to respond in
faith and obedience. It is a summons to come and worship, to bow down, to seek
out the stable and the manger and the child and fall down before Him. It is a
call to leave behind our false pride, self-sufficiency, and stubborn ways and
follow the way of the cross.
Inclusiveness means, for the
believer, a missionary calling. It means that this good news must be heard by
every human being. It means that when we tell it, we are not condemning people,
but affirming their value to God. When we tell it, we are not excluding them,
but inviting them to the table of grace. When we tell it, we are not being
obnoxious, but following the clear and gracious compulsion of love.
This kind of inclusiveness does
not mean condoning sin, but seeing sin as a common condition that separates men
and women from the God who passionately loves them and deeply desires their
healing and restoration. There is no day on the calendar with any greater
missionary relevance than Christmas. When God said, “for all people,” He meant
it. Can we mean less? Let us reach out with joy to spread the goodness of joy
to all people.
“I bring you good tidings of great joy.” - from Luke 2:10
The literary giant, C.S. Lewis
said that joy is the serious business of Heaven. There is no sadness, nor are
there tears, or pain in Heaven. Every moment is an occasion for rejoicing and praise.
Joy is, indeed, the serious business of Heaven.
The angel brought news, and it was
goo, but it was goodtidings with a
specific end in sight: Great Joy!
To continue the theme from the
previous portion of the verse, there is an appropriate emotional response to
the message of Christmas. It is joy!
If we do not jump for joy at this
news, we have somehow missed it. We cannot embrace the Word of God that came to
the shepherds without an overwhelming experience of joy. If we refuse joy, we
refuse grace; if we refuse grace, we refuse God. It is the harsh but simple
truth of the matter. Joy is built into the equation and is as clear and
compelling evidence of spiritual conversion as exists.
Christmas, though not biblically
mandated on the calendar, is clearly a God ordained, ongoing response to the
incarnation of Divinity into the realm of humanity. It is not a day; it is a
frame of mind. It is not a season; it s an attitude of the heart. It is not an
event; it is an emotional response to God with one’s whole being.
Joy to the world; the Lord is
come!
Where do you get it? You receive
it in the exercise there of. Confess joy and express joy and God’s joy will
fill you. Like any act of faith, the sensation may tarry, but act in joy from
the depths of your spirit and you will begin to experience its manifestation
within. Fully engage yourself in the worship of Jesus Christ this season.
Rejoice. We have some great news!
Christmas is about good news. It
is the gospel message delivered by God’s messenger to all who will hear.
There was nothing frightening or
negative about the message the angel brought to these shepherds Nor was there
any indication that they received the word because of any particular merit or
worthiness on their part. It came to them by grace and God knew that they would
respond with spontaneous, childlike faith, and inquisitive wonder.
God knew that they would receive
the message as good tidings.
How do we receive words from God?
To be more specific: How do we receive the Word of God that comes to us with
great regularity and is always available to our eyes, ears, and hearts? Have we
grown cold, indifferent, and spiritually grumpy in our familiarity with the
good news?
It is no mere concession to
secularity that we should say, “Merry Christmas!” It is the ancient wisdom of
the Word of God that says,”a merry heart doeth good like a medicine …”
(Proverbs 17:22) God has
diagnosed the essential disease of humankind and has sent forth His healing
balm in the person of His only begotten Son.
The very presence of Jesus is good
news. It is cause for celebration, merriment, and singing. It dispels fear and
brings smiles to the faces of all that honestly and openly receive the news. It
is good tidings in that it overshadows all the bad news of the day. It
crucifies the curmudgeon inside each of us and wipes out our negativity. Even
the Ebenezer Scrooges of the world have to confess that we live in the day that
the Lord has made.
Receive God’s Word today as good
tidings to your soul. Even if it brings correction, rebuke, and conviction, His
good news is sent to bring you healing and grace.
And the angel said
unto them, “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings…” Luke 2:10
We live in a generation beset with fear where security has
assumed a greater value than freedom. We want secure stocks, secure airports,
and secure streets. We seek out secure jobs, secure families, and homes so
secure that no one can get in or out.The same bars that lock burglars out, entrap residents in the even of a
fire. We are obsessed with safety, security, and fear.
It was an uneventful night when an angel invaded the
darkness of complacency, security, and safety that defined the shepherds’
existence, Explosive light called them to attention. A voice they had never
heard summoned them with these words, “Fear not!” Their restless contentment
had for too longed masked their anxious resignation that things would always
continue as they had been. They rested secure in the routine existence to which
they believed they had been assigned until they were disturbed by a great light
and an authoritative voice that called them to revive their expectations and
renew their hope.
Life would become delightfully
dangerous and spontaneous again as they redefined peace and realigned their
hopes with a promise they could neither control nor verify. They were being
called to a new kind of life where they would sneer at fear and move out in
faith to a place they could never find on their own. In a few moments, they
would receive all of the evidence they needed to say, “Let us go even unto Bethlehem
and see this thing which has come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto
us.”
And so, they would move out with a
new kind of urgent haste – unlike the haste of other days. This urgency would
have no root in fear or distress. It would be the haste of child to the
Christmas tree on Christmas morning, the hurried pace of a soldier returning
home from battle to his loved ones, the sprint of an athlete in the last lap of
a race for Olympic gold. It would be the end of fear for the shepherds and for
all who would embrace the promise given to them and to us that night: “Behold!”
(Luke
2:7)And she brought forth her firstborn
son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because
there was no room for them in the inn.
Everyone
knew what a manger was and it was no place for a king. Everyone knew what
swaddling clothes were and that they were unfit garb for the Lord of glory. Nor
should he have been relegated to a barn.
But
they just didn’t understand and we are still having a hard time “getting it.”
“Away in a manger, no crib for a bed.”
This
is His poverty, His willing emptying of Himself, His lowliness and love to
identify with the least and the lost among us.
No
crib - no bed – no amenities – no
sanitized conditions – just a trough where the livestock were fed, just rough
clothes to cover Him and keep Him somewhat warm. He became as the lowliest
among us.
“The little Lord Jesus lay down His
sweet head.”
He
was there, helpless and sweet, all God and all man, emptied of all the riches
and prerogatives that were rightfully His, poor and needy like us. Who couldn’t
love such a baby? Who wouldn’t?
“The stars in the sky looked down
where He lay.”
No
one standing by would have known how all of creation that night was subject to
that little bundle of new life. Humanity has no capacity tonotice when millions of angels bow and
worship. And yet, it was happening all around them.
“The little Lord Jesus, asleep on the
hay.”
God
grant that we not miss Him lying there. May we not overlook Him, take Him for
granted, or minimize His importance. He is so easily discarded and disregarded,
but He cannot be ultimately ignored.May
your heart today become His manger, your flesh, His swaddling clothes, and your
heart like the stars in the sky that bow before Him
Life has been filled with details ... the sorts of things one usually takes for granted ... but it is about adjusting to a body that has changed. I give thoughts to things that I put into my body. I am looking for balance and wholeness.
In the process, not only appetites, but attitudes are being reshaped.
Fears and pain are generally passed now. I am making friends with my one ounce sized new stomach and am enjoying experimentation with flavors and savoring each bite.
I am taking walks.
I am drinking water and broth and whatever is good and helpful.
I am easing back into work and ministry.
What is surprising me is that, while I am writing, I am not writing as much as I thought I would during this respite. I will, but there is no frenzy or desperation.
Instead, I am thinking ... praying ... wondering.
In preparation for the new year, I have decided to read, yet again, "My Utmost for His Highest" daily. The December readings are speaking to me as if I had not read them many times before.
Next week, I hope to return to hospital ministry and a few other activities. I have already conducted one funeral and will do another on Friday. I have been driving for a week.
One reality in post-gastric-bypass-surgery that is surprising is how meaningful it has been to me to stop before my meals and give thanks. It is with new meaning that I thank God for the very nutrients of life and ask Him to bless them to my body for His glory.
I finally read "The Shack" and realized what some of the criticism may have been about, BUT ... I think it was about the images. And the images were merely the vehicle to communicate the deeper realities. The theology was orthodox and the story ignited something in me that has been very refreshing for my faith.
Story often does that for me.
I have lost over 30 pounds.
I am not hungry.
I am listening to Paul Potts sing "You Raise Me Up" in Italian. One day over a year ago, I went on YouTube and listened to that contemporary "hymn" by every artist who had recorded it in recent years.
I may have a new favorite.
I have an indelible picture in my mind of this gentle man, Potts, singing in that competition and audaciously proclaiming his dream to sing opera. He was undaunted by the derisive laughter and presented himself with precision, grace, and heart .... whole-heartedly.
As I prepare to turn 55 in a few weeks, I am looking at a new day of physical and spiritual health.
The true meaning of Christmas? I may not use that phrase this year. Perhaps the Incarnation is most about what it means for the Christ to be born in each of us in ways that are so personal, intimate, and immediate, that there are no words or ornaments to express the significance of it all.
If the essence of Christian theology is found in encounter, then Christmas is an in-your-face opportunity to gaze upon the face of God and make of it what one will. In turn, we encounter ourselves and each other.
Deo Gloria!
December 13, 2009
"Life yields only to the conqueror. Never accept what can be gained by giving in. You will be living off stolen goods, and your muscles will atrophy." Dag Hammarskjold
There are 34 references to the word, "taste" in the New International Version of the Bible.
While several boos used it three times, the most frequent user was the author of Job. Job uses the word four times:
Is tasteless food eaten without salt, or is there flavor in the white of an egg? Job 6:6
Does not the ear test words as the tongue tastes food? - Job 12:11
"As surely as God lives, who has denied me justice, the Almighty, who has made me taste bitterness of soul - Job 27:2
For the ear tests words as the tongue tastes food. - Job 34:2-4
The book that is most about sorting out who and where God is in our experience of pain, speaks the most about this sense that can detect sweetness or bitterness.
Nothing really counts ultimately as a conclusion in Job until near the end of the book (and beginning of his new journey) when he discovers, experientially, what the psalmist proclaimed:
Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. - Psalm 34:8
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. - 1 Corinthians 10:31 (NIV)
An Ongoing Bariatric Journey - Day 5
It is strange to awaken with such a diametrically unique set of feelings about nourishment and hydration.
Instead of waking up thirsty and hungry, I am somewhat dreadful of the first few swallows. I don't really want to drink fluids, but I know I must.
There has been no shortage of food smells around me. I have prepared meals for my grandson and even watched a couple of cooking shows with the family.
It doesn't smell bad and it doesn't smell particularly good.
My goal today is really the absolute standard: 67.6280452 ounces. That is basically 8 cups. I could have guzzled that much in 3 sittings in the past. Now it is a struggle.
Tomorrow, we start adding protein.
This is for my body, Christ's temple. The pleasure will come later. The desire will reemerge. For now, it is about the basics of cognitively knowing that I must do this and reminding myself to do so.
With all disciplines in my life, there are times when I would rather not bother. Then there are times when they are accompanied by great and serendipitous joy. This is true of scripture, prayer, reading, writing, serving others, and sitting down for meaningful conversation.
Our attitudes toward food, at least mine, have gotten stuck in gratification mode ... until now.
The glory of God is an upward call to a higher purpose. For those whose world-view does not embrace an eternal perspective, higher purpose is still a relevant concept. Behind every something is something greater. The closer we align our own purposes with what is higher, deeper, greater, stronger, and more intrinsic, the greater our genuine joy.
In the hospital, my doctor represented the law, setting the standard below which I should not go (on fluid consumption). A very reassuring nurse represented grace. Her words did not discount the truth of law's standards, but encouraged me to measure progress toward the goal, do what I could, and believe that it would get better.
I have talked to some folks who have taken the grace factor beyond its own functional boundaries and have abused their lee-ways. They have either returned for more surgery or returned to their previous conditions.
I did not do this thing to survive or to return to normal. I was aiming for glory and that is what will get me through it: eating and drinking to the glory of God. That will also work for my good.
On Thursday, I became the proud new steward of a one ounce pouch to substitute for an over-inflated stomach that had ruled my life and undermined my health for a long time.
Now, I am home making adjustments.
I sent the following report to a group of friends who requested an update. I post it here in hopes that it might be a help and encouragement to others:
Thanks for check-ins and continued prayers.
I am home and working at the new regimens that require thought and
discipline such as:
2 liters of fluid a day (one can't get behind and
catch up with a 1 oz pouch!
Breathing treatments to prevent pneumonia.
Walking
Not sitting for more than 45 minutes
Vitamins, calcium, and iron supplements staggered through the day
"Meals" (jello, broth, and tea)
The biggest challenge in the first few days was swallowing. I was
having severe reflux (not expected), but coming home, I used my
instincts (with doctor's permission), and took my Prilosec. That seems
to have gone away ... and some of the swelling has subsided as well.
I discovered that laporascopic surgery does not mean painless
or non-invasive. It is just how they enter. There are six small
incisions, but once inside, you are filled with gas and all of the
cutting and tying is essentially the same.
The staff at Clovis is ready for bariatric patients, professional,
supportive, and attentive. I could not ask for better doctors, nurses,
aids, and educators. The camaraderie with fellow patients in the halls
was also encouraging as we took walks, told our stories, and cheered
each other on. One fellow even said he might drop by the church to
visit a service.
Spiritually, I have been developing dependence on God for the biggest
fear of not being able to take in enough fluids to avoid dehydration
and the new attitude toward the food all around me. I never realized
how much food there was in the house, on television, and in our culture
- and how much was unhealthy. Some that is healthy is no longer healthy
for me.
It is not that I am being tempted or even repulsed. It is just getting
used to what really is a new life.
I had chided myself a bit that this was the "easy way out." I would
never tell anyone that now. It requires all the discipline and adds a
few things to that. In addition, it adds the dimension of pain that
reminds you that you have made an investment that should not be taken
for granted. I have a sense of "no-turning-back."
I knew all of these things going in as I counted the costs, but I know
them better now.
I have had lots of prayer support and I am grateful for this.
In the weeks before the surgery, I had the privilege of meeting a
number of people who had experienced gastric bypass. Some had
encountered complications. Most had not.
I was wondering this morning if I would advise a friend to follow this
path. I had been noticing that I could not get many people who had been
this way to say, "You should do it." I see why now. I think I will do
what they do. I will live a healthy life, tell my story, and share my
feelings about the process, but they will have to decide if it is worth
it for them. Like the path of faith, it is a hard road and I have only
begun. Unless there is a real sense of desire, commitment, and reliance
on the Source of our strength, it is not doable.
That is about all for now.
I am doing well and I believe this is the right path for me.
Being is what you were meant for, made for, and are maturing into.
You are, after all a being, human and developing.
Be yourself. Be REAL - Responsible, Evolving, Authentic, and Loving.
Be what you are becoming as in what you will COME to BE (BE -COME). Your future is as real as your past and present. There are just more obvious unknowns.
Be strong, courageous, honest, and full of wonder.
And since it is Saturday night ... Be-HAVE Be-CAUSE there is a new day tomorrow and we need you on the team.
I am shutting down online activity for a few days in order to get fired up.
At 5:30 A.M. tomorrow, I check into Clovis Community Hospital for gastric bypass surgery.
For the rest of my life,, I will eat much less and much more carefully.
I am doing it for several reasons:
1. Life is good. Long life is not everything, but I want to live as long as I am useful and be useful for as long as I live.
2. I have a calling and have not been given any authorization as yet for an early retirement to Glory!
3. Man shall not live by bread alone.
4. Getting behind Jesus means denying self, taking up a cross, and following Him. I've done a poor job at self-denial, so I am going to take a big leap all at once. Taking up a cross is bearing others burdens with and on behalf of Jesus. if is harder if I carry around too much of my own burden. Following Him requires an energy level that I have allowed to become depleted.
5. I owe too much money to die any time soon.
6. I love my family.
7. Feeling well is better than feeling bad.
8. It will reduce my rather sizable carbon footprint.
9. I take too much medicine and this will reduce my intake. My doctor told me I should and I consulted with the Lord who seems to have assured me that my doctor is right. My body is Christ's temple.
10. It may be an encouragement to others to take whatever measures are necessary to promote good health.
So, I am going to do it and I will let all of your know of my progress. See you in a fe days.
I found this inspiring and am passing it on to you:
"Many of us can recall a teacher who inspired us to make the most of our strengths and encouraged us to overcome our weaknesses. Show your appreciation by thanking a teacher with this beautiful gift book, The Heart of A Teacher, written by Paula Fox. There are inspirational stories about teachers who made a difference, Paula's beautiful original poems, quotes and a special section with “100 Ways to Encourage a Child.” Enjoy this 3 minute movie that shares The Heart of Teacher poem combined with beautiful photography and music."
"And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying ... And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. ... And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word ... And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord ... " (Excerpted from Luke 1:28-46) "Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? ... Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master."(Excerpted from John 20:15- 16)
Once, there were two Marys, one from Nazareth and one from Magdala, a Christmas Mary and an Easter Mary. Their lives and their journeys overlapped. Each found Jesus in the midst of crisis. Each submitted to the Master in humble consecration. Each loved Him with pure and sincere love.
Mary, the mother of Jesus received an angelic announcement of Jesus' coming. Mary Magdalene received such an announcement of His resurrection - and then, she saw Him! Mary of Nazareth submitted her life as the handmaid of the Lord; Mary of Magdala as a disciple.
Both Marys were shocked and dismayed by their circumstances. Both came to the place of rejoicing and praise through encounter with the Lord. It is always Easter at Christmas for the Christian and always Christmas at Easter. In our dismay and bewilderment with the circumstances of our lives, we receive the Jesus message as a whole package and we submit our lives to Him.
Mary of Nazareth began her journey with Jesus before He was born and followed Him to the cross and beyond to the empty tomb. Mary Magdalene joined Him later in the journey, but had the same quality of encounter with Him. It is the encounter that we must have.
Come to Mary's house today and let Jesus be conceived in your heart. Come to the manger and rejoice at His birth. Come to the cross and let His blood wash away your sins. Come to the empty tomb and receive His life eternal Come to Jesus today, and worship Him.
It's Christmas! Happy Easter!
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