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Remember

They forgot what he had done, the wonderful miracles he had
shown them. The miracles he did for their ancestors in  Egypt, in the plain of Zoan. Psalm 78:11, NLT.
 

How is it that we can forget miracles? Not only the ones God
has done for our spiritual ancestors, but also those he has done in our own
lives? One of the spiritual disciplines is remembering. Jesus poignantly says
at the last supper, “do this in remembrance of me."

As if we could forget the Lord of the universe come to earth. Which, of course,
we do, every day. We forget his great power and love—even what we’ve personally
experienced.

Without reminders, I forget he healed my hearing. I take it
all for granted! How can I do that? Because I’m a fallen creature. Unfallen creatures—angels,
seraphim, cherubim, and others—worship and thank God constantly. God does great
things for me; I thank him and go on my merry way. I forget my fear of losing
my hearing. I take him for granted. I need to be reminded. 

Re-reading my journals is a way I remind myself of all he’s
done. In that record of Jesus’ touches, I read about the time in 1987, when two
pastors prophesied over me. I remember the day we paid off the house on the
same day we took our daughter to college. I remind myself of the courage he
provided as I struggled to fit into the suit of a professional, after growing
up on the farm. Journaling is obedience to the command to remember.    

What do we need to remember today? What touch from God are
we forgetting? What do we need to make records of? 

Holy Spirit of truth, bring to our remembrance all you’ve
done for us. 

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Dignity for All

In 1968, in the Mexico City Olympics, Tommie Smith won the
200 meter gold. He was the first man in Olympic history to run it in
record-breaking time for the medal. He is still the only track and field
athlete to hold eleven world records simultaneously. I didn’t know that until I
read his autobiography. All I knew was what I’d seen on T.V. I was a teenager
in the Midwest, watching as he ascended the victory
platform with his bronze medal-winning teammate, John Carlos. During the
national anthem, they raised their black-gloved fists, creating an enduring
image of the quest for dignity for every person.

In his book, Silent
Gesture, Dr. Smith describes the prices he’s paid and continues to pay for
that single act. At the end of the book, in the acknowledgments, he writes:

“First and Foremost: to my Heavenly Father who chose me to be a
vessel in this season, thank you for giving me the opportunity, the strength,
and the knowledge to Stand Up for Peace, Love, and Equality for ALL.” (1)

The story goes in many directions: the costs of the gesture,
the social consequences, the history, the courage, the kind of man he was. He
says his head was down while his fist was raised because he was praying. He
feared for his life.

One act never tells the whole story. When a friend doesn’t
call, maybe they feel rejected. When we glance out the backyard window and see
one child tugging on the other’s toy, perhaps we need to hear more before we
jump to conclusions. If a person of a different ethnicity does something we
don’t understand, perhaps its time to listen, and learn.

Jesus on the cross was God’s nearly silent gesture. That
image, too, leads in many directions: the costs, the consequences, the history,
the courage, the nature of Jesus and of God. There’s always more to understand.

Jesus, thank you that there is always more. And thank you for those who have contended for dignity
for all and most especially, for your sacrifice, which confers dignity on all.

(1) pg. 259, Silent Gesture, Tommie Smith with David Steele, Temple University Press, 2007

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Stand Firm

In 2 Chronicles 20, when Jehoshaphat is king in Jerusalem,
he is told of a great army approaching, a united front of three enemies. He
gathers all the people of Judah to fast and pray at Jerusalem. As they are
beseeching the Lord, a prophecy comes: “Do not be afraid or discouraged
because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.”
The prophet says Judah will not have to fight this battle. Their responsibility
is to “stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give.”

The next day, as the king and the people begin to sing
praise, the assembled armies start fighting among themselves. By the time Judah
arrives at the battleground, every enemy soldier is lying dead.

As I read this today, I noticed 
Judah’s enemy was obliterated. When we let the Lord fight our battles, he finishes off
the opposition.

Are we in a battle that only God can fight? What’s today’s
enemy? Unbelief? Hopelessness? Indifference? Perhaps our responsibility is to
stand firm in Truth and let the battles be God’s. The truth is God is at work
in our lives. The truth is, if we belong to Jesus, he will have the victory.
God’s great reality will break through into our hearts. Our responsibility is
to stand with our faces toward him and our hearts open. His responsibility is
to eradicate the enemy.


Life is hard, dear Father. Bring your victory today.    

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Grateful Waiting

Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the
desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4, NIV

Visiting downtown Chicago to celebrate 35 years,
my husband and I ambled back to the Metra, looking for sidewalk seating for a last dessert.
I particularly wanted something rich and chocolate. We’d already rejected
inadequate goodies at two coffee shops.

A few blocks from the station, with no open air chairs in
sight, I said, “Well, I don’t really need more food.”

“There’s a point,” Jerry agreed, squeezing my hand. “I don’t
either.” 

“We’ve had a lovely day. The outdoor dinner across from the
Art Institute. Sitting in Millennium Park, watching the wedding parties getting pictures
taken in front of the polished metal sculpture.” I grasped Jerry’s waist, pulling him close.

“Don’t forget the sailboat parade at Navy Pier before the Mackinac
race,” Jerry added, as he hugged my shoulder.

Almost to the train, I glanced south. “That’s a restaurant!”
A hundred black metal chairs stood mostly empty, right along the Chicago River.
When the flourless chocolate cakes arrived, adorned with vanilla ice cream and
perfectly placed berries, I gasped at the purple orchid garnishes. Tears came to my eyes.
“This is wonderful. I really was satisfied with what God
had already given.”   

The dendrobium blossoms are fading now, but the lesson is
fresh. On top of a wonderful day, it was not hard to give up the yearning for
more. The greater challenge is to be grateful for what we have when the day is
not so great. When we long for a gift God has not yet given. When we want a
different life. When we long for a fresh touch from God.

Oh, God. Make us grateful. Help us focus on you as we wait
for you to satisfy our desires.

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God’s Light

Proverbs 18:21:  . . .the
tongue can kill or nourish life.

Theophostic (God’s light) is a type of prayer developed by Dr.
Ed Smith. Satan, particularly when we are young, has used other’s sins against
us to embed lies into our hearts. In Theophostic Prayer, we ask Jesus to first identify
the lies and then speak his truth into those memories.

The untruths may be overt or covert. For instance, when a
young man fails to pull himself up on the rings in gym class, and his father
says, “You’re a wimp;” that’s overt. The father tags the young man with an identity
of weakness, while what actually happened was one particular failure. The lie would
be clear to a thoughtful observer but the son may not realize its destructive effect
for many years.

A mother who is there after school but rarely asks about our
day, usually deposits the lie “You’re not important.” That’s covert. The feeling
of worthlessness is first; putting those emotions into words may also take
years.

Satan seeks those he can devour. He works subtly, lying in
wait for the helpless. Who is more helpless than a child? If a parent speaks lies, either openly or by behavior, a child hears truth,
without stopping to think.

As adults, we can ask Jesus to help us think. When we
find lies, we can ask for truth. Jesus, God’s light, wants us to know truth
in every part of our hearts. Only his truth nourishes life.

See the Theophostic website for more information.

Jesus, thank you for your light and your truth.

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Wanted

I heard about an open house last Friday for our beloved
pastor from the 70’s, so I called the hostess to be sure of our welcome. We
hadn’t seen either our pastor or the hostess for several years. Though I expected
an invitation, I was unprepared for her exuberance: “Oh, did you hear about the
party? Can you join us?” I clicked off the phone and cried. How we long to be wanted!

Especially if we’ve been unwanted. Some of us were rejected
on the playground because our clothes weren’t the latest fashion. We’ve been jilted
by a fiancé. We’ve been the black sheep of our family.
And rejection instills fear. Especially fear no one will really welcome us. 

In his first letter, John says, "Perfect love casts out fear." Only God’s love is perfect. But we
cannot, in this limited life, experience the totality of his perfect desire. But,
once in a while, in a moment of grace, we get a taste. A preliminary savoring
of the celebration that awaits the believer at heaven’s gates. 

Father, this week, we long for a foretaste of your welcoming celebration.

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