Monthly Archives: February 2013

When God Is Not Enough

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Have you ever been disappointed in God? Angry with Him? So upset with your current and continuing situation that you tire of talking to Him? Or maybe you’ve sometimes felt separated from God, like a couple who lives together but doesn’t communicate closely. You are in good company. King David felt all this and more! Furthermore, David sinned grievously against God, before repenting. And yet God called him “a man after my own heart,” because ultimately David trusted Him.

God values communication. He is big enough to hear all our woes, our anger, our disappointment, even our lack of passion for Him. Like a patient parent who willingly tolerates the complaints of a child who yells, “Unfair!” God continues to gently and compassionately love us, unconditionally in and through every situation we face.

Some situations seem to be unconquerable: Chronic pain, cancer, a loveless marriage, a lost child, hopeless finances, betrayal, isolation from others, a lack of a best friend, frustrating work, or the inability to work at all. (All of these seem insufferable to us and yet most of us don’t know anything of the pain of persecution, torture, true hunger, inescapable abuse, or the presence of constant war that others face.)

When we do cry out to the God we ask Him to take away the pain, the suffering, and the discomfort. But we often remain comfortable with living in a way that separates us from the Holy God we seek to rescue us. Or we remain faithful but still discontent. The weight of the troubles seem greater than the weight of His grace.

The truth is, that when we are done making excuses, done with our pleas, and done with our constant striving…when we are ready to just ‘Be still’ before God, we find Him always waiting for us. He takes our hand in the midst of the trial and offers something we cannot earn or discover or manufacture on our own. At the time when it seems that God is not enough, He offers grace that is sufficient for our situation. It covers our weakness and it brings us strength to carry on, renewed hope, and unexplainable contentment, even joy.

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
2 Corinthians 12:9

Stop Striving

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One of my favorite stories is that of a young reporter who was sent on assignment to interview a local man who had turned 100 years old. The reporter, armed with questions, asked the old man, “So, to what do you attribute your living to be a hundred years? Did you exercise faithfully or commit to a healthy diet? Did you live cautiously to avoid danger or adventurously to keep you young?” The old man paused a moment replied simply, “Well, I’ve just tried not to argue with people.” The young man looked surprised, and said, “Surely, it must be more than that!” The old man smiled a bit and answered, “You know, maybe you’re right!”

There is a time for standing your ground for what is right. But how many times do we find ourselves ‘arguing’ or disagreeing with others for no good reason, over some detail that just doesn’t matter. Through 40 years of marriage, Marcia and I have learned to decrease this nonesense, but still sometimes find ourselves caught up in some senseless debate until one of us has the wisdom to end it with, “Maybe you’re right!”

Sometimes we strive with each other. Sometimes we strive with ourselves and God, which is okay. God welcomes any honest discussion with us. For example, I was talking with Him about my slow recovery from the last round of chemo. “You know God (as if He had somehow forgotten), this is the 70th day since I started chemo and it’s been 44 days since my last chemo ended. My body should be producing enough good blood cells by now so I wouldn’t need more transfusions. I should be getting better quicker so I could meet with more people.” You get the idea. It was mostly a one-sided discussion.

But at some point along the way, whether you are talking to yourself, others, or The Almighty Creator himself, it makes sense to stop striving. Stop striving to be right about something that ultimately either doesn’t matter or you have no control over, and instead find the peace that is available to you right now. Peace for you and for those around you.

“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Romans 12:18

The Secret of Life

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In the movie City Slickers, the tough guy Curly turns to Mitch and asks him, “Do you know what the secret of life is?” Holding up a finger he answers his own question saying, “This.” Mitch asks, “Your finger?” Ignoring him Curly replies, “One thing. Just one thing. You stick to that and the rest (doesn’t matter at all).” (Paraphrased) Mitch presses on asking, “But what’s ‘the one thing’?” Curly answers, “That’s what you have to find out.”

Have you discovered ‘the one thing’ in your life? That thing which, at the end of life, and through it, matters the very most to you?

Leadership guru and former pastor John Maxwell talks about how our lives are summed up in just 6-7 words…those words that will fit on our tombstone. He adds, “You can either let someone else choose them when you die or you can choose them now and live your life by them.”

I used to have a book of Yankee epitaphs, real inscriptions on the tombstones of New Englanders. Some of them were silly and some were serious. One said, “I TOLD you I was sick!” Another one was a boulder that simply said, “This one’s on me.” One of my favorites was the one written about John Pease who enjoyed MORE than seven words:
“Under the sod and under the trees
Lies the body of Jonathan Pease.
Pease is not there, there’s only the pod.
Pease shelled out and went to God.”

If someone else looked at your activities, how would they summarize your life?
Sure made a lot of money.
Was a dedicated worker.
One of the busiest people in town.
Keeper of a cute and tidy house.
Best bridge player in the community.
Devoted to family.
Loved unconditionally.
Loved God – Loved Others.
Faithful – Beloved- Missed

What words would you choose to reflect your ‘one thing?’ Choose these now and live by them and you might just discover the secret of life.

“Live a life worthy of the calling you have received.”
Ephesians 4:1b

Love Is For Every Day

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Valentine’s Day. . .the day chocolate and flower sales soar along with Hallmark greeting cards.

It’s good we set aside certain days for special celebrations, including the celebration of love and respect. And it is probably good that we get plenty of reminders from the media, lest we forget and find ourselves embarrassed…or worse! 🙂

But how would life change if we decided to celebrate this most essential aspect of all of life EVERY day? What ONE thing could you change in your daily life routine that would demonstrate to others you love them, that they are valued, and respected?

And what if your one single, intentional gesture was not returned? What gift might still be found in the day by day giving of unconditional love?

Have a Happy Valentine’s Day, today…and every day of your life.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
John 13:34-35

The Desires of Your Heart

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What do you enjoy thinking about the most? If your private thoughts were made into a movie, who would be the star and what would be the plot?

The bible and science agree that we become what we think about. We think about the desires of our hearts. We all seek our own happiness. Whether by indulging our own senses, wallowing in delusion or pity, or living sacrificially toward some honorable goal, our thoughts and desires lead our lives. Do you wrestle with the conflict of thoughts and desires in your own mind? We want to do what we shouldn’t and don’t want to do what we should. Sometimes it seems we seek everything except that which brings us true happiness.

CS Lewis said, “It seems that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are too easily pleased.”

Think of something you really enjoy doing now and how your desire for that has increased over time. It could be a hobby, a planned vacation to a favorite destination, the drive for achievement, or spending time with the one you love. The more you think about your desire, the stronger it becomes and the more you want to fulfill it.

Of all these things we desire, where does desiring God fit in? The law of thought and desire still applies. The more we think about God, His character, His Word, His great plan for us, His power, His love and compassion for us; the more we desire Him. The more we desire Him, the more our heart is delighted. The things of earth, even the reality of cancer and heartache and grief, grow strangely dim as our desire for God increases.

We can choose to remain like the child making mud pies in the slum, or realize we could enjoy a holiday at the sea. Having the desires of your heart begins with delighting in God.

Isn’t time to enjoy life fully by pursuing God’s best for you?!

“Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4)

Standing Firm In The Storm

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There is strength in standing on the promises of God because it is a firm and unmovable foundation, unlike the shifting sands of our turbulent emotions and desperate self efforts. God’s promises are always true and history (His Story) is filled with examples of the extraordinary measures He takes to rescue His people, and to bring His light to overcome the darkness in our lives.

Mighty armies are decimated by smaller numbers because He makes it so, “against all odds.” A sea parts to reveal a dry path to escape. Unlikely and quite ordinary people become amazing leaders and victors when He calls them. He brings peace in the middle of a storm and boundless hope in the face of certain adversity. The sick are healed, the blind see, the hurt are restored, the lost are found, and freedom is brought to those in slavery. New life is given to the dead.

Yes, we sometimes stumble when we take our eyes off the goal and focus instead on the distractions of our circumstance. Yes, sometimes everything seems hopeless. If I were to look only at the numbers of and statistics of this cancer, I could be (and have at times been) easily distracted. But such anxiety does not lead to peace. (Does yours?) And even nights of such uncertainty and quiet desperation find hope in the new morning light.

The key is knowing and believing Jesus and asking Him to live in you. Only when we surrender do we find victory. Only in our own weakness do we find His strength. Only in dying to self do we find a new life filled with a dependable promise.

Only when His character is reflected in us do we find who we were meant to be.

“What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.”
Philippians 3:8

Despair Or Hope?

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What would others who know you say characterizes your life: despair or hope? Okay, likely it is some of both, but we all tend to lean more to one or the other.

Years ago, we were invited to dinner at the home of one of Marcia’s students, a Russian physicist who was learning English. We enjoyed a delicious meal and the company of our gracious hosts. After dinner, I asked the husband how Christian churches were doing in Russia. He quickly advised me that he was a scientist and engineer. He said that he was proud to believe only what he could see and touch. I also shared my belief in the one true God, who loves us so much that He sent His Son Jesus who came to pay a debt He didn’t owe because we owed a debt we couldn’t pay.

In the course of our conversation he talked more about the science of atheism and I shared more about the loving God who created science. And after some while, I felt that we would just not come to really understand each other. But then he made the most interesting and revealing remark. He said, “You know Bryan, there IS one thing you Christians have that we atheists don’t. You have HOPE.”

How many of us get so comfortable with our own pain, grief, sense of self-reliance and hopelessness, that we become numb to the possibility of discovering real hope for living better now and eternally!

The message of Go Light Your World is that there IS hope, that God’s best for you is available now. Yes, there WILL still be pain and sorrow and grief, and maybe even cancer, in your journey. But there is also real power for living beyond the problems and circumstances that beset us.

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”
2 Corinthians 4:7-9

Problem Or Opportunity?

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Trouble surrounds us, danger lurks at every junction of our lives, and bad things readily happen to all kinds of people. Chronic pain (physical, emotional, and spiritual) continually gnaws at our souls and makes us anxious. Disappointment visits even solid relationships, and paths that appeared straight and comfortable take a sudden and violent turn. Some problems are simply beyond our control.

But we are encouraged. Why? Because there is opportunity to to walk THROUGH the problem. You will not be in this situation forever. I believe God will bring me THROUGH this cancer. It may take a number of months or a couple of years or maybe a lifetime. But it won’t last forever. Whatever problem burdens you won’t stay the same forever. One opportunity of an unsolvable problem is the perspective of hope.

And we are encouraged because we are not alone! If God has provided you with friends, family, or mentors to walk with you through life’s most challenging problems, be thankful. But unlike all others, Jesus is a friend who will never leave you even if it seems He abandoned you. He alone has the power to walk with you through the darkest valleys of your life. His power, His grace, His perspective, His comfort, His strength, His comfort, His peace, love, joy, and hope. . . These are available to anyone who simply believes in Him and submits their life to Him. Of course He is a gentleman and will not force Himself upon us. We can choose to live in the problem or try to solve it by our own efforts, or we can rely on His power and mercy to sustain us through the problem.

Can’t see the opportunity in your problem? There is someone who can help.

“Yea though I walk THROUGH the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4

U of I Update: Feb 9

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image Several folks have asked about the results from our consultation with the University of Iowa. They took 11 vials of blood (!) and pretty much confirmed what we knew and filled in more details about this journey with cancer.

My particular Leukemia is a very resilient one. But we’re told that I am a good candidate for bone marrow (stem cell) transplant which is my only realistic medical option. They suggest a transplant offers me a good chance of living another two years, if I don’t have a relapse or get a severe infection or other potential complications. Patients who make it to year two can still have relapses, but also could live for many more years, with or without complications.

As we quoted Dr. Steve in an earlier post, statistics are pretty much insignificant compared to the plan of God. We believe, and are responding accordingly, that God intends to bring us through this valley together; that the plans he has established for us are not yet complete.

Meanwhile, I will get more chemo, monthly for 3-4 months to keep me in remission. I will continue to get blood and platelet transfusions because my body is not keeping up with production demand. There will be both harder and productive, rewarding days ahead.

We think we are doing a better job of being attentive to the numbers but also not being controlled by them. We are challenged by this daily but God continues to graciously bring our attention back to Him.

This is of course one of the life lessons from this ordeal: regardless of the trial you face (cancer, chronic pain, relationship problems, financial, work, over eating, etc), the solution always is to take our focus off the problem and turn to the One who can lead us through it. It is not enough to know the truth; we have to practice it many times daily.

Thank you for prayers. As God is using this time to draw us even closer to Him, we encourage you also to draw close to Him. He always is ready to listen to us and to speak to us through His Word, through circumstances, through His people, and through His Holy Spirit. Seek Him for the very best adventure of your life.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 15:13

On The Lighter Side

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We continue to ponder the depths of our discussions with the Medical team at the University of Iowa yesterday concerning our limited options to treat this Leukemia. It was a lot of weighty information to process. (More to follow.) But God gave us both sufficient strength for the day (and today too) compared to my weaker days of the past week. We give thanks for that. And in the midst of the heavy discussions there were lighter times, even greatly needed laughter.

“Does this cancer make me look old?”
I encountered someone this week who I hadn’t seen for a long time. At first they didn’t recognize me without my hair. I asked them, “Do you think my bald head makes me look older?” “Well, yes I think it does,” she replied. We laughed at the honesty of friends.

But I’m not completely convinced. After all, this chemo makes me kind of feel like a teenager…I only have to shave once every couple weeks or so…if that. Those 14 whiskers that survived are very slow to grow!

I looked at my bride over the restaurant table yesterday and, contemplating the calorific menu items said, “The good thing about cancer is you can eat whatever you want!” (Except fresh fresh fruit and veggies)

Chemo brain is a term used to describe a physiological phenomenon that causes the patient to experience a loss for words or words are sometimes interchanged. Last night I told Marcia I was thinking about some of “the funniest life events in my imagination.” (I meant ‘in my memory‘.) As I write this I wonder if some of the funniest moments of life ARE in my imagination! 🙂

As it turned out, the funny moments in our life weren’t so prominent in our memory (or imagination). They are however, like the seams of your shirt. They don’t draw much attention but they certainly are essential to the structure of things.

Whatever numbers you are crunching, whatever heavy load you carry, whatever fears may visit your door, whatever relationship strains you experience, may you find the strength to laugh, and the joy of knowing that circumstances do not determine your response to them.

“(There is)…a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance…” Ecclesiastes 3:4