"Why Me?" "Why Not Me?"

Do you every go through something and think, "Why me?"?  Or do you ever see someone else going through something and think, "Why them?"?

I once heard or read something that simply asked this question, "Why not me?"  Ouch!  Makes me think, how about you?  It's true, though, why not me? Why shouldn't I go through something? Why shouldn't you?  We're all alike.  We're not too high and mighty to have calamity.  I'm not too special to have some major catastrophe in my life.  None of us are.  We're all the same.

Dear friends, don’t be surprised by the fiery troubles that are coming in order to test you. Don’t feel as though something strange is happening to you, but be happy as you share Christ’s sufferings. Then you will also be full of joy when he appears again in his glory. 1 Peter 4:12-13

Most likely nothing we will go through will even compare to what Christ went through, yet when we are hurting and suffering, we can reflect back to what he went through.  The verse above says we can "share" in His sufferings.  Perhaps as we "share" them, we will appreciate them even more.

It's really hard to see people suffer.  It's hard to suffer, ourselves.  But oftentimes, the suffering brings us closer to the Savior, and that's right where we need to be.  

 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed because the Spirit of glory—the Spirit of God—is resting on you.

If you suffer, you shouldn’t suffer for being a murderer, thief, criminal, or troublemaker.  If you suffer for being a Christian, don’t feel ashamed, but praise God for being called that name.  1 Peter 4:14-16

Satan's Darts

Have you ever had one of those days that nothing seemed to go right?  Did it ever continue into two days?  I'm sure you've all had bad days that never seemed to end.  Tuesday and Wednesday were days, for me, that everything seemed to go wrong.

I'm going to make a little timeline....not for you....but for my future reference.  Who would want to forget two days of bad?! Ha ha!

Tuesday morning:
Youngest son sick....stayed home from school.
I'm working on my ladies Bible class lesson about being compassionate.
About 10:00 a.m. I get a call that the tablecloths ordered for our Jr. Sr. banquet came in all wrong. Instead of 14 black rectangle cloths, we have 125 white rectangle cloths.  And the napkins that are supposed to be white are black.
I tell one of the sponsors not to worry.....use my motto of "no stress" - and assure her that I'll take care of the table issue. Start working on that and figure out that the 12 inch centerpieces I ordered, but hadn't even opened the box or looked at, were actually 25" wall hangings!
I get stressed!  I don't like to be stressed. I tell sick son that we have to drive to Hobby Lobby - about an hour away.  On the way, I call H.L. to see how many of these 12 inch centerpieces they have. They have 4. I call another on - about another hour away. They have 3. I call two others that are about 2 hours and 15 min. away, but where my daughter goes to school. Those stores have 3 and 4, and I would be seeing her the next day. The total 14 I need!
Win!  Yay!  But, they're all full price - $20 each - instead of 1/2 price like the box of huge ones were. And now I'll need to return the huge ones to get reimbursed for them.
While in the other towns, we go to Sam's Club and purchase black rectangle tablecloths that can be cut in half and used as table toppers.
Okay.....the day is almost over! I get back home and start working on my lesson again.

Wednesday morning:
I finish it and the outline at 1:00 a.m.  But guess what? The new software on my Apple laptop has a different saving system and the lesson didn't save!  It was now blank. I have my outline, but that isn't how I teach.  So, at 1:00 a.m., I go searching for something to teach.  And I have to wake up at 4:00 a.m. to get ready and go to a golf tournament.
I find a lesson about Attitudes.  I think God directed me to that - knowing I was going to need it!
I go to sleep at 2:30 A.M.  I hear my boys up about 3:30 a.m.   I wake up at 4:00 a.m. and get ready.
The golf tournament starts almost 30 minutes late, no big deal, but makes us later getting home.
My daughter, whose college is 10 or so miles from the golf course gets lost trying to get to the golf course because the GPS puts SOUTH in the address instead of NORTH.  Mine did that, too, but I got it changed. She didn't know that, though. I wait at the clubhouse for 30 minutes for her to get there.  Finally she does.  I'm getting sad that I've missed so much of the tournament.
We go to find our team - spread out over the course.  WE LOOK FOR 1 1/2 HOURS BEFORE FINDING THEM!  I am NOT kidding!  One and a half hours of driving a golf cart all over a 3 1/2 mile course!  Could NOT find them. Craziest thing ever!  Finally. Finally. Finally.  We found them. I was really almost in tears.
Not a minutes after we found them, a cheap black bead bracelet - with a Tiger paw print - I was wearing happened to catch on the mini pencil that is inserted in the golf score card section of the steering wheel in the golf cart. The bracelet broke in pieces sending beads and the paw all over the cart path! That was actually funny and helped lighten up the day!
We eat with my daughter. One of my boys rides home with me and the other is still with the team. We head home.
On the way home, I decide to call a party store that is about an hour from home and half-way between where I am at that time and my home.  About 6 weeks ago I ordered a LOT of stuff for a big alumni banquet we are having for my husband work - the children's home. We are celebrating its 90th year of existance.  Would you believe that the party store, after telling me they had to order that much, and it needed to be done way in advance, is now telling me that they were just planning to get it off the shelf?  That they had 9 in stock??  And I need more than 30 of everything?!!  They have none of the paperwork. They are positive they can have it when I need it by Monday, but they will have to call and get it. They wanted to know how much I needed, but I didn't have the information with me. It was at home. I just was hoping the box was in, and since I was going through - I could stop by and get it. But they have NONE of IT and no record of it. The manager vaguely remembers something about plates.  Oh boy!  I was nice, but obviously frustrated about the whole situation.  And still am.  They are supposed to be getting me 50 of everything, then I will buy what I need from that stock.

I got home at 6:20 and got to the church building at 6:45....made copies of the outlines for class....rearranged the classroom to how we need it for Wednesday night....and was wearing thin on my few hours of sleep.
Just wow.

The Attitude lesson went well and helped me. The songs we sang during the devotional time helped, too. Prayer helped.  I was beginning to just laugh at the two days I had had. And then, thinking about people who are undergoing serious health problems made me realize that my two bad days weren't all that bad.

On the way home I talked to my husband on the phone. He's been away for work related childcare meetings for a whole week. I said, "I think Satan's throwing darts at me!"  He said he thought Satan was just looking at me and laughing, thinking, "Look how busy she is and how that's all she's doing." Now, there may be some truth to that, but I still think he's throwing darts because if all of that had gone as planned, the busyness wasn't really that much.  It was the problems thrown in to the situations that made them bad.

Satan throws his darts, but I decided on the way home yesterday that Satan couldn't hurt me with his darts, just as long as I kept my Armor of God on. If I took it off, that was when I would be hurt by his evil deeds.  My Armor stayed strong!  Satan was defeated!  Praise the Lord! And today is a new day!

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

Ephesians 6:10-18

A Mark of Maturity - Faith in Trials

There's so much going on in the lives of other people - people we know who are going through trials and pain.  A couple adopted triplets and one passed away....the other two fighting to survive, surrounded by loving and caring parents, family, and hospital staff.  A two month old baby diagnosed with leukemia, beginning treatments today.  A middle-aged former-coach of mine having a heart attack and in critical condition.

It's easy to get down about these trials, even if they are not in our lives, but in the lives of others. It's easy to begin to think that everything is bad, and that there's nothing good...that it's all pain, but no joy. But, you don't have to look very far to see good.  People helping people by giving financially to help others in a time of need, people preparing meals to hungry teenagers or for a basketball tournament hospitality room, people helping clean up a basketball gym so that the cleaning personnel doesn't have to do it alone, or with only a couple of helpers.  There is good all around, despite the sadness and heartache.

As a Christian, one of the key marks of maturity is found in the trials of life.  When we are able to see beyond the pain of a situation, and keep focused on our strong faith in God, even when we may be hurting inside, that is when we will know that our faith is mature - or at least maturing.  When we may want to fall apart, we don't, because we are clinging to The One who can make us strong and help us cope.  We can do nothing on our own, but we have power in Him.  Our trials come to prove our genuine faith.  It comes so that we will give praise, glory and honor to Him.  If we 'fall apart', we're not showing our faith in God to a lost world, and we're not proving to Him that we believe He will do what He says He will do.  We have to learn to say, "The LORD is my strength.  My heart trusts in him, and I am helped."

In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 1 Peter 1:6-7

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

Psalm 46:1

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.  The LORD is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.

Psalm 28:7-8

Trust In The Lord - Even When You Feel Like You're Drowning

 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 

in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. 

Proverbs 3:5-6

This is my very favorite scripture, so when I found an app that allowed me to make shapes with words, I thought that this would be a great way to use part of this scripture in a heart shape.  A friend also took the picture to use on Facebook for her page, and she told me an illustration the other day that fit perfectly with this story.

My friend and her family have been going through several trials in their lives for the past several months.  It would have been easy to get down and depressed, but she didn't - they didn't. And they didn't because of their faith in God.  Her older child, now living in another state with a husband and child of her own, asked how she was doing it...how she was surviving with all of these trials in life.  The mother, my friend gave this illustration:

"When you feel like you're surrounded by water and feel like you could drown, keep your faith. Use that time to look around at all you see when you're under the water.  There are different fish and sea creatures under the water that you can't see when you're above. Look at the pretty colors.  Look at all of God's creation that you don't typically get to enjoy.  Finding those things - those good things - will help you get through the times that you feel you might could drown."

Oh, I loved her illustration!  She put into words exactly what this scripture is saying!  She was acknowledging God through her trials and He was/is making her paths....and her families' paths.... straight!  She was finding good through the bad. She was staying positive instead of getting pessimistic.

My friend is finally beginning to come up to the surface, after these three months of being under the water. God has blessed her and her family and she is confident - and I am confident - He will continue to do so.  But things will be changing as a result of this blessing.  My friend and her family will be moving.  That's the part that saddens me because I'm selfish, but the part that shows me that God's plans are higher than our plans.

To further her illustration, I thought about being under the water and resurfacing to find that the land had changed. Where you entered the water may not be where you come up from the water, and sometimes that coming up results in change.  Maybe it's people who have changed, maybe your surroundings changed, maybe the circumstances changed, but maybe, like with my friend, your land has changed.  If so, hold tight to this scripture: Trust in the Lord with all your heart.  Repeat it over and over again.  And He will, without a doubt, make your paths straight....even when you feel like you're drowning.

Joyful and Happy? Seriously?

My brothers and sisters, be very happy when you are tested in different ways. You know that such testing of your faith produces endurance. Endure until your testing is over. Then you will be mature and complete, and you won’t need anything. 

James 1:2-4 (God's Word Translation) 

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 

James 1:2-4 (NIV)

What? Really?  Seriously?  God, you except me to have joy and be happy when I'm in a trial and hurting?  Surely that can't be right!  But God says, "Yes."  And He knows just what we need!

Not one of us enjoys going through pain, trouble, and trials.  It's not fun. It's not easy.  It's not enjoyable at all.  So does God want us to be joyful and happy at these times?  The simple answer is that He knows it will help us. The difficult part is us really doing it.

Going through bad times tests our faith. Instead of relying on ourselves as we sometimes try to do, God allows problems in our lives so that we will grow in our faith and lean on Him even more.  He also knows that in doing so, we are shining our light for Jesus even more.  When we are willing to lean on Him, be joyful and happy, and let our lights shine, we are showing a lost world His Son. Jesus is who we strive to imitate and no one showed faith under trials and pain more than He did during His ministry and through His death.  He remained faithful....unto death.

Is it hard? You bet!  But Our Heavenly Father is right there with us....comforting us....strengthening us.....telling us that we can do it and that He is with us all the way.

The trials in life will come and go, but in the end, when we remain faithful, we will persevere. We will become mature and complete.  Satan will be defeated!  We won't lack anything.  Anything.

If you are going through a trial right now, rest assured that God loves you, and He is with you.  He is faithful to His promises, so put your faith in Him.  His love will never fail you.

I Don't Want To Be Here!

I'll never forget sitting at the table with my husband and the funeral director and thinking, "I don't want to be here!"  And I didn't want to be there.  I shouldn't have been there, but apparently God had other plans for me than what I had for me, because I was there.

As we talked about the funeral arrangements, I kept thinking of all of the things I wanted to be done.....to be said.....past conversations with a friend about what we would do in a situation such as this, never once thinking either of us would ever actually be in a situation like this.

(Read more about why I was at a funeral home HERE.)

For parents anxiously awaiting the birth of a child, losing that baby is something none of them would want to face.  Losing a child at any point is something no one would choose to face, yet here we were.  And many of you have been there, too.  Sitting somewhere saying, "I don't want to be here!"  And yet you are there....for whatever reason.

When trials come our way, as Christians, the Bible tells us to have joy - still.  In the hurt and pain, joy is sometimes hard to find, but it's there.  We just have to recognize that it is there.  It doesn't mean we're happy and joyful about the circumstance that are bringing the trial, but we can be joyful in the fact that we know God is there with us - comforting and strengthening us - during the trial, and that He in His ways will work something about it out for good.  The good may not be for us to see or know, but the good is still there.  It's a promise of God and is only for those who are His children.  We can be confident of that fact and claim that promise!

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.

James 1:2-3

Maybe you are at a point in your life where you're saying to God, "I DON'T WANT TO BE HERE!"  Maybe you're saying, "I want to be over there, God!  Move me away from here! (Or this or that...)" But  perhaps God has you where you are for a reason.  In fact, as one of His children, I'm certain that you are where you are for a reason.....even if you are in a trial.  God WILL use it to work for good in some way.  You just have to believe that.  He IS working in your life.  You just have to have faith in that promise.  And He WILL be with you in whatever it is you are going through.  Trust Him.

I realize not everyone likes to think about God working in this way.  Some want to believe that a loving God will only bring good.  But, my friends, the Bible does not teach that, and we can't deny it.  If we never had bad things come about, we wouldn't cling to God quite as much.  We wouldn't feel the need for His care quite as strongly.  We might even get to thinking all of the good was because of what we had done, instead of because of what HE has done for us.

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.

Hebrews 12:6

I came across this quote a few days ago and really liked it.  It says what the Bible says, in a different way:

Everything happens for a reason. God uses those circumstances to correct you, direct you, or perfect you.

Don't be afraid to analyze your trial.  When I was hospital waiting for the birth of our sweet little Caleb, that I knew had already passed away and whose soul was with God in Heaven, I kept thinking, "What is God trying to teach me through this?"  Never once did I say "Why is God punishing me!", though if you ever have or do, I believe God would understand that feeling.  I believe that God was trying to teach me....to correct me....to direct me....and to perfect me.....into being more prayerful, into relying more on  Him and less on self, and to not be so busy with life (that was our 4th child, and I was busy!) that I neglected time with Him.  I listened.  I learned.  I grew.  I pray that you will, too.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 

James 1:2-4

Nothing's Too Big for God!

From time to time, when people are going through various struggles, I hear or see (on Facebook) others "encourage" them, telling them that God won't give them more than they can handle.  I always read that wondering why that is what many in the world believe.  I think the scripture that this fallacy is referring to is 1 Corinthians 10:13, "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."

A few days ago, this picture came across Facebook.  It explains what the Bible teaches in a great way. Instead of the emphasis being on ME or on YOU, the emphasis is where it belongs - on GOD.  WE can't possibly handle everything we might be given - there is no way you and I could handle some things alone. Only with GOD are we able to make it through the pains and trials that may come and will come in life.  

GOD gives us the strength we need.  GOD carries us through those times.  GOD handles the tough times for us if we will allow Him to do so.  He WANTS us to rely on HIM and not on ourselves.  Perhaps that is why He is allowing us to go through a certain trial.  Maybe He's trying to show us that HE is there and we don't have to do it alone.  

The LORD give strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace. Psalm 29:11

Crushed Spirit

Sometimes you can be going through your day and "BAM!", something happens that knocks you down.  Maybe it's hurtful words from someone.  Maybe it's your own insecurities. Maybe it's just the feeling of failure or the inability to reach what you believe someone expects from you.  Either way, you feel defeated.  Your spirit is crushed.  You've lost your zeal.

It's really, really hard, at times, to not let those roadblocks get the best of you.  It's hard to not allow the hurtful words of others to bring you down.  Sometimes it is hard to rise above and hold your head high.  It's even harder watching this from the outside - as a parent or a friend.  You want to help, but you really can't.  All you can do is to be there for them and to listen to them.

We know that God can help with those who are crushed in spirit.  His Spirit can help us.  His Word can help.   At those "knocked down" times, we can take comfort in knowing that He is there - ready too help us get back up.

If you are feeling crushed or knocked down, pray for Him to help strengthen you.  Meditate on His Words and claim His promises.  He will hear you and He will strengthen you.  He'll help you get back up and help raise your spirits, as well.

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 4:8-9

What Do You Do When You Don't Know What To Do?

Note:  This post is borrowed, with previous permission, and received via email from A Norvell Note.  It's a great lesson for all of us.

  

A Norvell Note

Vol. 13 No. 31  August 2, 2010

What Do You Do When You Don’t Know What To Do?

What do you do when you don’t know what to do? 

You are awakened in the middle of the night by a strange sound. What do you do? 

The lab reports from the doctor come back and they are not what you had hoped for. What do you do?

You get a notice that your job must make some tough decisions and your job is one of the ones being eliminated. What do you do?

You receive a notice from the bank that your account is overdrawn...again. There is no money to deposit. What do you do?

You have called your son’s cell phone for three or four days and still no answer. It’s not like him to ignore your calls. You are beginning to fear the worst. What do you do?

When things are not going well, when life is tough, and when things are not turning out the way you had hoped they were supposed to do, our tendency is to react, to try to fix it, or to resort to our own resources. When things are not going the way we want we assume that we have done something wrong, or someone is out to get us, or that God has forgotten us. When life is not treating us like we think it should be, we may even begin to think that God is not good. 

So, what can we do?

Here’s one suggestion: Be still. Stop as much of the activity as you can. Be quiet. Back off making decisions. Be quiet and listen to what God is saying to you. Remember that God is good. 

Be still and read Psalm 46.

1 God is our refuge and strength, 

       an ever-present help in trouble.

2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
       and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

3 though its waters roar and foam
       and the mountains quake with their surging.        

Stop, be quiet, remember that God is good, and listen to what He is saying.

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
       the holy place where the Most High dwells.

5 God is within her, she will not fall;
       God will help her at break of day.

6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
       he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

7 The LORD Almighty is with us;
       the God of Jacob is our fortress.        

Stop, be quiet, remember that God is good, and listen to what He is saying.

8 Come and see the works of the LORD,
       the desolations he has brought on the earth.

9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth;
       he breaks the bow and shatters the spear,
       he burns the shields [b] with fire.

10 "Be still, and know that I am God;
       I will be exalted among the nations,
       I will be exalted in the earth."

11 The LORD Almighty is with us;
       the God of Jacob is our fortress.       

Stop, be quiet, remember that God is good, and listen to what He is saying.

What do you do when you don’t know what to do? Stop, be quiet, remember that God is good, and listen to what He is saying.

Tom

A Norvell Note © Copyright 2010. Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved.

Blow Ups and Real-Life Tragedies

Last night I blew up my stove top.  I was cooking egg noodles, watching them and stirring them, but then went to put something in the microwave.  I heard the water boiling and when I turned to look, it was boiling over.  That's usually how I know something is done - either it boils over or the smoke alarm goes off (Just kidding, of course!)I immediately turned off the heat, but it kept boiling and boiling.  Then I heard a POP! and my stove top died.

I would like to say that it was the first time I had blown it up, but it's not.  It happened another time, about four years ago.  Sometimes when things boil over, the breaker will blow and after it dries out a bit and the breaker is flipped on it will work.  But this time and that one other time, the breaker-flip didn't work.  The good news is that I get to pick out another stove top.  And, instead of the cheapest thing I can get (like I opted for last time), this time we're spending a little more and getting a smooth, flat top stove top.  I'm hoping that this option will prevent the boiling over "blow-ups" from happening.  I'm sure the boiling over won't stop, but hopefully it won't ruin the whole thing.

So, today I began looking online for stove tops.  My husband was going to go pick one up (nearest stores about an hour away) after I picked it out. However, after I called the store, I was told that the stove top would have to be ordered.  It would take about ten days.  That's not too long, but this week I have a lot of cooking to do.

So I was frustrated.  I was irritated.

And then my dishwasher rack broke.

And then I was frustrated some more.  I was irritated some more.  And I was getting kind of mad.  And I was getting irritable with my family.

And then I stopped to think.  And then I realized I was being very, very selfish.

Last night a family in our small town lost their newly-remodeled and soon-to-be-moved-into home.  This is the third house they've lived in or have planned to live in that has burned down in approximately six months.  Of course, now arson is suspected.  A reward is being offered for any tips about the crime.

Yesterday our nephew had a classmate bring a loaded gun to his school - and he was threatened not to tell.  They're in the 3rd grade.

Recently a close family member lost their job.

Recently a few family friends had their jobs "adjusted" without warning or explaination.

Friends are going through divorce and separation.

A not-to-old Christian friend was diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

A family member and some friends are undergoing cancer treatments.

Serious.  Real. Life. Tragedies.

Nothing like the appliance problems I was having.

When I paused to think of all of the things that were going on all around me, I scolded myself for being selfish and letting the broken appliances control my attitude.

My appliances can be replaced or repaired.  The things I mentioned above are serious.  None of them in any way compare to the inconvenience of not having a stove top or my dishwasher not working for a while (hubby fixed it).

Thankfully we have a loving and forgiving God, who is ready to hear our repentant heart.  I need Him daily!

Rough Seas

Whenever I go to Lawton, OK, I see this quote on a family counseling sign:  Rough Seas Make Skillful Sailors.  It always makes me think.

This quote is really true, isn't it?  When we're having troubles in our lives, we are learning something new.  We're learning to deal with the trial or struggle - maybe juggling a dozen things (or a million!) all at once.  But, it's at those rough times that we rely more on God and less on ourselves.  It's at those times we search for ways to mend what is broken or heal what is hurting. It's God who can calm those rough seas and His Spirit working within us to make us skillful sailors. We must anchor ourselves to Him for strength.

If we went through life with only smooth seas, we would become complacent.  Oh, it sounds like it would be great- just coasting along without any worries at all, but we wouldn't be learning and growing.  And once a living organism fails to grow - it dies.

Remember the story in the Bible when the apostles were in the boat with Jesus and a storm came up?  The boat rocked back and forth in the rough sea and the apostles were scared and worried, but what was Jesus doing?  He was sleeping!  The apostles woke him up and said, "Don't you care that we were about to perish?"  The apostles  Jesus knew that God was in control.  In His own voice He calmed the sea. Because the apostles were scared, they saw that Jesus provided them with safety.  They saw that He was able to save them. 

On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go across to the other side." And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?" And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"

Mark 4:35-41

If the apostles had not been faced with "rough seas" from time to time, they would have failed to see their need for a Savior.  If we never have rough seas in our lives from time to time, we may not see the need for a Savior, either.  Rough seas, do indeed, make skillful sailors and God should always be where we put our anchor. 

YOU'RE FIRED!

Those are the words I heard 16 years ago today. I was 23 years old. My husband and I had been married for almost 4 years, but no children, yet. He was going to be turning 30 years old four days later, on the 30th, and I had a surprise party all planned for him. (We had it, too!)My husband actually worked for the same organization I did, so me being fired from there was a difficult and awkward situation. To make matters worse, we lived on the campus of the organization, and because I was no longer going to be there, we were asked to move. Oh, yes, and I forgot to mention - it was a Christian organization. Needless to say, we were both devastated. Our hearts were hurt and our lives were changed dramatically. It was an extremely difficult time for us.

Why do I tell you this? Why do I bring it up? It's surely not because I dwell on on the past or the pain. I don't. Of course, there was a time that I did. A long time. It's not because I'm bitter. I'm not. Of course, there was a time that I was. Unfortunately, longer than I should have been. So, why? Why tell it? Some of you may be asking yourselves that same question, and I don't blame you at all. I would have asked myself that same question, too. That is, until almost six years ago. Six years ago something happened in our life that made the words "YOU'RE FIRED!" seem understandable. In fact, even made us thankful.

I tell you this story because God moves in mysterious ways. His ways are not our ways as Isaiah 55:8-9 says, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Sometimes things come into our lives. Bad things. Hurtful things. Painful things. And we ask, "Why?". But God says, "Trust Me." "Rely on Me." "Have faith in Me." In times such as these, we want help and we want answers. And, we want it "Now!" But God's time is not our time, and His ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts. So, I tell you this to encourage you. To show you how that when bad things happen in life, it is part of His bigger plan. And sometimes we are able to see the results of His plan and understand them, and sometimes we may never fully understand. But we have this promise: Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."

Immediately after I lost my job, I went to work at a craft store in a nearby town. Luckily for me the "country craft craze" was a big thing in southwest Oklahoma, and probably elsewhere, too! Some friends needed someone to manage their little store. It was a fun job and I enjoyed it, but worked six days a week, which I had never done and sure didn't like! I had only worked there for three weeks when I read an ad in the paper for a "scribe" at an ophthalmologist's office. To tell you the truth, I didn't know what an ophthalmologist was at the time, but I had heard of a "scribe". They have scribes in the Bible! I applied for the job and got it. I was so excited!

I worked for "Dr. K" for seven years as his "scribe", writing in the patient's charts as he examined them. I worked three days a week and enjoyed the job tremendously. I enjoyed meeting the patients and the medical field, in general. "Dr. K" and the girls were great to work with, too.

I had my first three children during those years, but quit to be a full time mom in May, 2000. Our forth child, Tyler (A.K.A "Biscuit") was born in December, 2002.

Jump ahead to the last week of June, 2003....10 years after hearing those words, "You're Fired!".

Our children were 9, almost 7, 5, and Tyler was almost 6 months old. We were outside a lot and I had noticed Tyler squinting in the sunlight, but didn't think too much about it at first. Our three boys all have big eyes like I do and I'm really light sensitive, so figured he was. But then, one day, I noticed he was only squinting one eye. I remembered "Dr. K" saying something about children squinting only one eye, that it could be a sign of amblyopia (one eye weaker than the other). I really looked closely at Tyler's eye and noticed that the left eye's pupil couldn't be seen. His eyes are dark brown, but this was even darker and the eye looked bigger.

Immediately after calling my husband, I called Dr. K. It was a Saturday, but he told me to drive to Altus (21 miles away) and meet him at his office. When I got there and he examined Tyler, he said that it was one of two things: glaucoma or an ocular tumor. Glaucoma could be corrected with surgery. The ocular tumor would be fatal. Of course, we prayed that it would be glaucoma.

Dr. K was going to have his office manager call Monday morning for an appointment with a Pediatric Ophthalmologist. I knew if we waited on the call and then had to get ready to go, we might not see the doctor until Monday afternoon or even Tuesday, but I didn't want to wait. My husband and I went to Edmond, OK, a suburb of Oklahoma City, on Sunday afternoon. That evening we went to worship services with his brother and our sister-in-law and their family and stayed the night with them. At their congregation there is an ophthalmologist and an optometrist, who both said they would help in any way they could when they found out the reason we were visiting. I think I began calling early Monday morning, not even waiting for anyone else to make an appointment. We got Tyler in immediately and were so relieved when the doctor said it was juvenile glaucoma and that Tyler would need immediate surgery. However, there was a possibility his vision wouldn't be very good in that eye.

The surgery was performed the next day on Tuesday, July 3. Dr. S checked Tyler on the 4th of July when his office was closed. This picture was taken that morning, July 4th, 2003.

Tyler remained on glaucoma drops for a few months, but eventually he was able to stop them. He got glasses when he was 18 months and has had two muscle surgeries. His left eye is very, very nearsighted now, due to the glaucoma.

Both our pediatrician and the pediatric ophthalmologist have told me that if I hadn't noticed his eye when I did, Tyler would be blind in that eye. In fact, they both said most parents don't notice congenital glaucoma until the child is running into furniture.

So, you see? That is why I am thankful that I was fired! If I had never gone through that time in my life, I never would have worked for Dr. K. And, if I had never worked for Dr. K, I wouldn't have learned a lot about the eye and known about certain symptoms of diseases or problems. God worked in His time and something bad turned in to something good!

Tyler sometimes looks in the mirror when he has his glasses off. He'll say, "Mom, my eyes look different." I tell him, that, yes, God made him that way and that is a way he is special and unique. I am thankful that Tyler's vision is great, between 20/20 - 20/30!

Yes, God does work in ways we sometimes don't understand. But God is faithful to His promises and we must trust in Him, no matter what. He will never leave us or forsake us as His children.

Thank you, God, for blessing us in ways we may not fully understand. Thank you for your patience and love. Help us to realize that you are in control and that we should put all of our trust in you, even during pain, trials, and sadness.
In Jesus' Name, Amen.