Content

Warm, sunny days, warm rainy days either is okay. Cold days or warm days, either is okay.  In the house or outside the house, either is okay.  Working or resting either is okay.  Eating at home or eating out, either is okay.  Church in the church building, or church at home, either is okay. Lots of food or meager food, either is okay.  Bananas or no bananas (can I say it?), either is okay. Why can I say this?  I can say this because whatever happens God is in control.  Really God is enough!  I can be content because I have a relationship with the God of the universe.  That overshadows all the inconveniences I experience day to day.  It overshadows all other joy I experience day to day.

Now, I must confess I am quick to forget this truth.  I become focused on temporal things and forget that there are more real things.  So I want to be content with the eternal blessings and not fret the temporal.  The temporal is fragile and fleeting, changing ever.  So, Lord, help me center in You!

Learning in the Time of "The Virus"

What am I learning at this time of “The Virus?”  Well, I have learned that routine is easily upended.  My routine and personal desires are not sacred.  Life contains much outside my little box.  I can choose to be a blessing or be a big pain.  Being a big pain does attract attention, but maybe not the attention I like.  Trying to get my own way usually ends in misery for me. 

I am finding my world more and more restricted. As the virus continues its course, activities are gradually waning.  I see my parents, and my parents, and my parents and my parents.  I love them, and they are usually pleasant on the eyes, but even I need variety.  We are working hard at spending quality time, but they still have many responsibilities, and so I am learning to be mature. I should have learned this long ago, but I did not like the learning. It is hard and unpleasant at times.  Being immature is easier.

This is a good time to work on growing.  I need to take the challenge and rise higher.  I can hone new skills and add others. I can pray and meditate on Jesus.    Time for me to make good choices, and increase my faith.  Help me be growing, not stagnating!

Do not Fear!

Oh, how deserted our street has become.  We see houses but no people.  Everyone is inside trying to evade “The Virus”. We go out to the garbage site.  There are bags of garbage that may have walked there on their own.  We occasionally see a neighbor but they are far away and only call a brief greeting. It makes for a hard time. 

It is no coincidence we are reading Joshua at this time.  Joshua was instructed to be strong and courageous.  I need to remember that!  Do not fear!  Whoa, that is hard.  God never told Joshua to be foolish.  He did not call him to be unwise.  He called him to obey and be strong and courageous.  So right now in Japan we follow the rules. We are still able to go to the facility for the disabled if we follow the rules, so we go.  We pray vigorously before, during and after.  We show a calm, loving spirit, and trust God to take what we can give and multiply it.  We go with courage.  When and if we are told the facility is locked down what will we do?  We will obey and pray, pray, pray!  We will trust God to work!  We will not fear or be dismayed.  We will trust God to take care of it.

Shelter of His Wing

Here we are in Japan watching varying degrees of fear as a new virus is doing a worldwide tour.  It is sometimes hard to keep perspective as the situation changes day by day.  Old habits and routines must be laid aside.  New routines must be implemented leaving us sometimes unsure and insecure.  In my daily Bible reading I find God assuring me He is in absolute control.  This is not too big for God.  He invites me into His refuge, into the shelter of His wing.  Into His unchanging self.  Now that is a place I want to be.  Don’t you?  Come join me under the shelter of His wing.  It is warm, cozy, and secure.  Come get to know Him better, where evil cannot touch your soul.  Come on, there is plenty of room.

Eternal Perspective

The last couple of weeks have been hard for me.  A dear friend has been diagnosed with cancer and entered hospice care.  I have prayed for his healing for years as he is also disabled.  From a human standpoint this stinks!  Big time!  I have had so many emotions pouring through my heart.  I want to scream at the enormity of this situation.  It seems more than he could bear.  More than his parents and family can bear.  More than I can bear!  But then I have to pull back and look at a more eternal viewpoint.  No one can bear this.  None of us can do this.  God is not asking me to bear it.  God is asking me to trust Him to bear it for me. He is ready to take this burden.  He sends friends to pray with me in my grief and pain.  He sent me a special cousin to share the burden, to understand.

But even more God is reminding me real, complete healing for my friend is near.  I did not think it would come like this, but God is answering my prayer.  For when my friend takes his last breath here, his next breath will be his first breath as a completely healed man.  No pain, no disability. Complete healing.

So Lord, help me keep Your perspective, and anticipate seeing my friend at the Throne someday!

The House Is Ready, Is My Heart?

Here we are in advent again.  Mom and I put up our tree and began adorning it for our celebration.  Just need to string popcorn for the tree and drape it on.  The window is festooned with wreath and blinking lights.  It looks festive in our living room!

We have begun our daily advent reading to begin to prepare our hearts.  We have stimulating discussion after breakfast as we discuss advent themes. 

 I have finished my Christmas shopping, also.  For those of you in the know, that can be an extremely stressful time for me.  This year I tried being more prayerful as I went.  Mom made gentle suggestions, but my parents made me take the lead, and I was determined to be mature and not meltdown.  God gave wisdom and protection.  I made it!

In the following weeks our schedule will be really busy with worthwhile celebrations.  But, we cannot lose sight of Jesus, God’s only Son, coming to our world to save us.  The awe of that must be supreme above food, gifts, and decorations.  So I must focus on the advent and keep focus, every minute on God’s gift to me of salvation through Jesus!  I trust you will join me in reflecting on the wonder of salvation this season. 

Moon Gazing

When I was little my mom sometimes took me for an evening walk in our neighborhood.  I cannot count the times she would point to the sky and say, “Jeffrey, do you see the moon?”  It sometimes took me a long time to see it.  She always had a thrilled quality to her voice as she beseeched me to see the moon. 

Last week she opened my window as she was bidding me good night, and asked, “Jeffrey, do you see the moon?”  I saw it and we did a bit of moon gazing together.  It is a simple thing, but an experience we can share.  I hear the shine of the moon in her voice, and see moon dazzle in her eyes.  I can even imagine her saying to her parents, “Look, the moon!” It always makes me smile. 

As I read the Psalms, I read passages about the Creator and how He holds all creation in its place, even the moon. I begin to understand my mom’s thrill at seeing the moon.  Even on a bad day God is holding the moon in place and Mom, too. He is holding me in place, always.  It gives her peace and me, too!