Faithblooms

He had two more days to live.

But he didn’t know that. None of us did.

As I walked past my brother’s room on my way to bed, I glanced in to check on him. At this point he was in a hospital bed. Having been diagnosed with cancer several months earlier, it seemed that the time was drawing near.

When I looked in his room, He was rolled onto his side, toward the window with closed blinds. He had a lamp on, and I could tell he was reading something. I knew what it was. I didn’t know the name of it, but I knew.

He had always been an avid reader. In fact, I remember him reading the encyclopedia for entertainment when we were teenagers!

As the years passed and he became increasingly committed to his faith in God, he spent a lot of time reading the Bible, books of prayers, and other writings to get to know his Savior, Jesus.

So when I saw him reading in bed, I knew it was something spiritual. During the weeks and months we spent together during his journey, Mike, his wife, Mary, and I spoke often about God and His plans. Mike was completely surrendered to Him and was ready to meet his Savior face-to-face.

He and Mary had planned his memorial service, and Mike had chosen the music. One song was, “Just a Closer Walk With Thee.” As his friend sang it during the service, I listened carefully to the words of the familiar tune.

“I am weak but Thou art strong; Jesus, keep me from all wrong; I’ll be satisfied as long as I walk, let me walk close to Thee.

Just a closer walk with Thee, Grant it, Jesus, is my plea.
Daily walking close to Thee, Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.”

I wept as I listened because I knew that was ALL Mike wanted in his life. The most important thing to him was following Jesus.

God, may I desire what my brother had — A closer walk with you.

“When my feeble life is o’er, Time for me will be no more; Guide me gently, safely o’er To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore.”

When I was a social worker, I often went into assisted living facilities to visit patients. Sometimes I would refer people to one if I thought it could be a good place for them to live.

One facility in the area was called Palm Pointe. It was a nice place, so I often told people about it. It was an attractive building, was clean inside, and had a nice, caring staff.

But one day Palm Pointe was no longer there! The building was there, and people were inside, but the big sign out front had a large canvas draped over it with a different name. I later found out another corporation had bought it, and that’s why the name had changed.

“You should go visit Palm Pointe,” I’d say to someone. “No. Wait. It’s called Lakeview now.” The phone number had changed along with the name, so it took some searching to get in contact with them.

A few months later I drove past Lakeview. As I glanced at the building, I saw that it wasn’t Lakeview anymore! I wondered how the staff kept up with the name of their workplace.

At this point I had to tell people, “You know that big building on Pine Avenue, near the intersection at Main Street? I’m not sure the name of it because a new corporation bought it and changed the name. But you should stop in there and look at it. It’s a very nice place!”

This facility had lost its identity. As a result it was difficult to refer people to it. I wondered if “they” even knew who they were!

What’s your identity?

I want mine to be in Christ, meaning my significance comes from being in a relationship with him. I don’t want my identity to ebb and flow with life’s circumstances. When I get to know someone, I want my identity with Christ to be what they remember. (I’m still working on this . . . )

Several scripture verses point to this relationship with Jesus.

2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away and the new has come.”

John 1:12 “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”

I know my identity won’t change, and that gives me peace and joy.

As for that facility? I drove by it last week and guess what?

A new name.

My first experience with a hurricane was very memorable.

It wasn’t just because of the weather, though. I worked for hospice. It was after-hours, and I was called to a home. At that point the weather was cloudy, windy and it was sprinkling.

As I walked up to the house, I saw and heard a large group of people. The house was so small, and so many friends and family had arrived, that they spilled outside into the front yard. The patient had just passed away, and there was lots of crying at the realization that the matriarch of the family had died. I met up with the chaplain who had arrived before me. We just stood and watched as the group comforted each other.

Did I mention the house was small? Children were running underfoot, food was being brought into the kitchen, and there was complete chaos.

During the evening a lot happened, but the most memorable was when a young woman passed out and an ambulance was called. Watching four firemen and two paramedics, with all of their gear, work their way through the crowd and down a very narrow hallway to a bedroom would have been entertaining if it were under different circumstances.

They somehow got the young woman onto a gurney and headed outside. I was glad they were taking care of her because we had enough to deal with.

When the paramedics got her to the middle of the yard, the woman suddenly jumped off the gurney and ran back into the house! She didn’t want to go to the hospital, which was her right. But now she was back in the thick of the situation and becoming faint again.

Family members wanted to take her home, but she wanted to stay. A big argument took place in the yard, with the wind picking up and the rain increasing! Someone finally got her in a car and left.

The hurricane outside, the chaos inside, and the family refusing to let the funeral home representative take the body, made for a very stressful situation.

It was so hot in this house with all the people, that I opened a side door to let in some fresh air. The wind grabbed the door and threatened to rip it off its hinges! I managed to get it closed and realized I would have to endure the heat.

When the funeral home reps finally forced the family to let them take the body, a crowd followed them to the hearse. As it drove away, I watched as several little girls ran after the hearse, screaming.

As you might know, social workers like to fix things. But I realized early on in this situation that I wouldn’t be able to. Comforting family and friends was important, and I tried to do that.

At the end of the evening, the chaplain led the large crowd in prayer and Amazing Grace. The people seemed comforted.

I was comforted.

Because in the end, God wins.

Hurricane and all.

It was a very difficult year for our family.

Actually, the challenges began the previous year.

Just before my dad’s 90th birthday celebration on March 17th, 2022, I sensed God telling me that our lives were about to change drastically. “But I will be with you,” he said.

We had a wonderful party for my dad, attended by our immediate family and my dad’s only living brother, Dalton, and his wife, JoAnn, and daughter, Deanna.

Three weeks later I received a call that Dalton had died in a plane crash. It was such a shock to us all, of course. He and my dad were very close. Now Dad was the only (and oldest) of the five brothers left.

In the midst of the grief and shock, I remembered what God had said to me, and I felt His presence and comfort.

The next year, on April 3rd, which happened to be my oldest son’s 30th birthday, my mom had a massive stroke. She passed away two days later.

I felt God’s presence and comfort then, too.

My brother, Mike, had already been diagnosed with cancer before Mom died. I was able to be with him and his wife, Mary, as he fought the disease. He passed away on Christmas Eve morning.

As a family, we felt God’s presence and comfort then, too.

Even more changes have occurred this year, but we know that God is with us. He comforts me and reminds me of His promise to be with me.

In this fallen world, we all will go through challenges, grief, and various things. But God’s promises are for us all.

“So do not fear for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10, NIV)

“I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.” (Psalms 16:8, NLT)

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9, NIV)

And one day we will see God face-to-face, as my mom, brother, and uncle have. What a promise!

“Do you need an ambulance?”

I had been walking my dog in a church parking lot when I saw a man lying near a tree, in dirt. I wondered if he was alive even. He didn’t move at all.

I thought about telling someone at the church, as there were people around, several yards away. But then I thought, why can’t I just go check on him?

So I did.

As I got closer, I said, “Sir? Are you o.k.?” He woke up and squinted at me. I repeated my question. He replied that he wasn’t all right. That’s when I asked if he wanted me to call an ambulance.

“Oh. No. I don’t need that. But I could use a cold drink!” He smiled.

My suspicions were confirmed when I saw his glassy eyes and heard him slurring words as he talked. When he moved, I saw a liquor bottle sitting on the ground beside him. He was drunk.

I knew there was no use talking further, as he probably didn’t even know where he was, nor would he remember the conversation. So I told him I hoped he felt better and went on my way, feeling badly that he was at that point in his life. (I did give him a soft drink. He was polite and said thank you.)

The fact was that I couldn’t solve his problems. He had arrived at that point through a series of poor decisions. In my work as a social worker, I’ve learned that usually people like this know the resources in the community, including the shelters where they can sleep. Often, they don’t want that kind of help.

So what do we do/how do we respond as Christians? Have you ever encountered this type of situation?

Practically speaking, I did what I could. I checked to see if he needed medical help. I gave him a drink.

He chose to stay there, in the dirt, and went back to sleep.

The Bible addresses people who choose this kind of life. I’ve met lots of them who do not want to work. Or they are too sick with substance abuse issues and cannot work in that state of body and mind. But they often don’t want to do the work that would help them make changes in their lives.

The Bible addresses this.

“There is profit in hard work, but mere talk leads to poverty.” (Proverbs 14:23)

“Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands . . .” (Ephesians 4:28)

And when we have the ability to help someone, not in an “enabling” way, the Bible says this —

“Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.” (Proverbs 19:17)

How do you handle these situations?

Leave a comment!

Several years ago at Bible Study Fellowship, we studied about idols. A children’s program coincides with the adult study.

The week after we all studied idols, one of the women in my group told us about her four-year old granddaughter’s expression of idols following the lesson. After attending BSF, they had been home for a little while when she noticed her granddaughter walking around the house with a flashlight. When she asked the little girl what she was doing, she had said, “I’m looking for idols.”

Of course, we thought that was funny.

But we also thought she was on to something!

We see lots of examples of idols in the Old Testament. When the Israelites moved from place to place, they often took their man-made idols with them.

But did idols end in the Old Testament?

Unfortunately not.

To make God our main focus in life is often a challenge. But it’s not impossible. In fact, the verse in Luke 1:37 says, “Nothing will be impossible with God.”

I remember reading about Billy Graham’s wife, Ruth, and how she focused on God as a mother of five whose husband was often gone. She put her open Bible on the kitchen countertop, and then she frequently looked at it as she passed by.

Of course, we aren’t all home during the day. I’ve mentioned note cards in the past — verses written on index cards and posted where we will see it often. By our computer, in a prominent place in our car, etc.

What a great way to get our minds back on Him — and away from any idols –as we go through our day!

Periodically I go to a nail salon in our local mall. After I had been there a couple of times, I noticed a little “scene” in the front window. A large Buddha is sitting there. I noticed some items in front of him on the floor but couldn’t figure out what they were.

Then one day I was there when they first opened, and one of the managers was coming from the back of the salon, carefully balancing a bowl of water in one hand and some kind of food in the other. I asked the woman doing my nails what he was carrying. She kind of shrugged and said he does that every day.

So that is how I picture an idol. An inanimate object that people of some religions revere and even worship (and that can do nothing for them!).

It reminds me of the story in the Bible when Moses was up on the mountain recording the Ten Commandments as God gave them to him. When he returned to the Israelites at the bottom of the mountain, he found them worshiping a heap of jewelry they had melted.

Ridiculous, huh?

What do you worship? Is there anything that interferes with your worship of God?

I’ve heard that if we want to know what we worship or idolize, we can look in our checkbooks. What do we spend money on? Do you have any “idols” you give a lot of time/money to?

It’s something we all struggle with to varying degrees. But God wants us to worship Him alone. The Bible tells us this many times, but here are a couple of the verses.

Exodus 20:3 — “You shall have no other gods before me.”

Matthew 4:10 — Then Jesus said to him, ” . . . For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.'”

By the way, yesterday I walked by the salon and there was a bowl of fresh mangoes in front of the Buddha. Hmmm . . .

When I looked up and saw a chicken walk through the living room, I knew this was going to be a different kind of visit.

It wasn’t a pet chicken. There were several wandering around their yard. No one made an effort to get it out of the house. I guess they knew the chicken would come back in!

The only doors in the house were flimsy at best. In fact, inside the house the only doors were curtains that had been put up for a little bit of privacy.

The elderly woman who was my patient was the grandmother of the two children who lived there. A young boy was there, as well as a teenage girl around the age of fourteen.

It seemed like the woman was nice enough to the kids, but I was sure that just about every kind of abuse/neglect had happened to them. They went to school and seemed to have enough food (not that any cooking took place), so I knew other people were in their lives.

In situations like this, it’s sometimes hard to know exactly what to do. I can report them to the state’s child protective services, which I am obligated to do if I suspect current neglect or abuse. Getting families food is relatively easy due to church and community food pantries. And clothes can be provided, if needed.

But the one thing I couldn’t give to these kids and their grandmother was reassurance that tomorrow would be any better. They were stuck in the cycle of poverty, and all I could do was help them with necessities.

Matthew 26:11 quotes Jesus by saying, “The poor you will always have with you.” I know it’s true, but when you see it firsthand, it’s a difficult pill to swallow.

Through the years I’ve realize that what makes a difference is how I help the people God puts in my life. I can’t “save the world,” but I can ensure a family has food for the week and clothes to wear.

One day I was in a McDonald’s, standing in line for my standard Diet Coke. I noticed the man in front of me was dirty, had a worn-out backpack on his shoulder, and just looked down and out. At that moment I felt God whisper to me.

“When he asks for a cup of water, buy him lunch.”

Before I knew it, he was at the counter and asked for a cup of water.

He was so appreciative of getting a hot sandwich and cold drink. I can honestly say the food was from God.

The Bible encourages us to “Be doers of the Word and not hearers only.” (James 1:22) I know that God sometimes puts us in the lives of people to help them. What a privilege it is! I know there are times I’ve failed to be helpful., and that’s very sad to me.

I want to keep my eyes open and be available when he puts someone in my path.

The apostle Paul tells us in Acts 20:35 that “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words of Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.'”

When I was visiting my parents in Louisiana in March of this year, my mom planned her funeral. She had started filling out a book about her plans a few years ago, but this time she was serious about the details. She thoroughly enjoyed the process of choosing hymns, pallbearers, musicians, etc. It was a good day, and she was feeling well.

At the time of her planning, we didn’t know that a month later, on April 5, 2023, she would pass away.

While she was thinking and talking about her service, she suddenly looked at me and said, “I want you to speak at my funeral.” I was very surprised and told her I didn’t know if I could. She didn’t relent.

“O.K., I’ll stand up and recite my favorite poem you wrote,” I said. Mom was known for her poetry, and she knew my favorite one. She agreed that would be fine.

“A frog and a spider went out one day

to write a story and then to play.

But the frog wanted food more than a friend,

so he ate the spider and wrote, “The End!”

Her poetry was a gift she shared with many people throughout her life. She was often asked to write a poem for a special occasion for someone, which she gladly did. As I looked through her writings after she passed, I was amazed at how many poems she wrote for people.

Being a pastor’s wife, a church secretary, and working at the Louisiana Baptist Convention for many years, she had plenty of opportunities to get material for her poems! I don’t know who she wrote this one about, but a friend remembers being in a meeting with Mom when she wrote this one:

“Behold, the speaker standeth, Behold, the speaker speaketh.

He said he draweth from ‘the Well,’ I think his bucket leaketh!”

Mom’s faith was the most important thing to her, and she often wrote about it. Thirty-six years ago at Easter, she wrote this:

“Let us dwell not on Jesus’ pain, Nor call attention to His foes.

Let us be glad and rejoice today! Jesus, our Savior, arose!”

At the end of speaking at her service, I told the congregation I was going to take the advice she gave in this poem:

“If you’re asked to speak a word, and your ideas begin to click,

Just remember they said, ‘a word.’ Speak up and sit down quick!”

We miss you, Mom. But knowing we will meet again makes all the difference.