Helpless…

     Ever feel…helpless? To heal the broken heart, to right the wrong, to tell the boy he will be a good man and someday this will be okay…

Helpless when we’re in the forest and all we see are trees breaking in the lightening bolt – lives broken in the selfishness of others’ habits, greed, lostness.

But are we helpless – “I lift up my eyes…where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1-2 NIV italics mine) The Maker of me and of you and of all. The Giver of good and Sustainer in the bad.

“Sometimes God allows what he hates, to accomplish what He loves.” Max Lucado

“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16 NIV italics mine) Grace is the hand of God lifting our eyes, carrying our burden, and openly taking the nail – that when we think we are helpless it is then that He is in control.

So, yes, you and me on our own – helpless. But with Jesus we are never on our own…

The hands that spun the universe on its course, put whiskers on the kitty, and soft ears on the puppy – those are the same hands you can trust to bring you safely home. “When we put our problems in God’s hands, He puts His peace in our hearts.” (from PowerPlug! Motivational Quotes)

I look at the boy – not yet a man, no longer a child – and cling to the promises that are trustworthy: “The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace.” (Psalm 29:11 NIV)

The world is anything but at peace – but the world does not have our hearts, they belong to Him our Peace…

 

 

 

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October 13, 2014 Thought Life…

     One day a family with two handsome sons moved into Ruth’s neighborhood. She heard that the farmland where the family used to live had dried up and they were starving. Over the years Ruth and her good friend came to know the boys and their family well. When all of them were grown the two young men took Ruth and her friend to be their wives. Not long into their marriages each of the young men became ill and within a short time died, as did their father. The girls had come to dearly love their mother-in-law, knowing she was heartbroken and was talking of moving back to her homeland, they offered to go with her. Although the mother-in-law was able to dissuade one of the girls, she could not convince Ruth to stay. They began the long, dangerous journey…

My mother always said “Into each life a little rain must fall” – but into some lives torrents drench. In our story today, when everything fell apart in Ruth’s life, despite her fears of the unknown and the dangers lying ahead, she committed to be there for another. What enabled her to do that? The simple answer: her thought life. Instead of looking for troubles that were not yet happening,  she focused on being there for someone else.

So it is with us, our thought life can get us into the doldrums of trepidation – if we let it.  Right now I know of a little 6 year old boy diagnosed with Leukemia. Lots of big needles, and painful treatments have already happened and the years ahead are full of the same. But, through the wisdom of his God loving parents, his thought life has been directed outward. He is focusing on how he can raise money for orphans in India. He came up with the idea of getting friends and family to donate a little bit of money for each of the 65 shots he will receive between now and January. (Go to:   http://teamquiverfull.com if you would like to read more about him or donate.)

 “…take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2Cor. 10:5 NIV) Live braver in your thought life…