Faithblooms

If you see something unusual, you need to say something!

These days this phrase is familiar to all of us. If we see something suspicious or out of place, such as an abandoned suitcase or bag, we are told to tell someone because it might contain something that will harm people. It’s sad that our world is at that point.

I take this phrase seriously. So there have been two times in the last few years I have “said something.” Once was at a restaurant. A friend and I were about to go inside, and I noticed a black case sitting outside, all alone. So I went inside and told a staff member about it. He said — oh yeah. That stays there. It had something to do with the setting up of the outdoor seating (I never understood it.).

Then there was the time I was at the mall. A man dressed in fatigues, wearing a backpack and carrying a camp stool walked into the mall and was hanging around a seating area. He was looking around and acting strangely. Looked suspicious to me! So I talked to security. They came and talked to him. As it turned out, he is a veteran that just likes to put on his uniform, complete with camp stool, and hang out at places.

So . . . I’m not as motivated to “say something” as I have been in the past!

But recently I SAW SOMETHING, and I’m going to SAY SOMETHING!

My father was in the hospital, declining, and he was seeing something! He wasn’t talking much any more. I have a video of him looking up and to the right part of the ceiling. His eyes were clearly seeing something, and he had a look of awe on his face. At that point he wasn’t able to tell me what he saw, but I knew it had to do with God and angels.

To me this is evidence of the love of God and the fulfillment of his promises. As Christians, he comes for us when our life is finished so that we can be with him. In a perfect world. No more tears or pain!

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 21:4

Seeing what my dad was experiencing and reading this verse produces so much joy for me! It should for all of us because of the hope God gives us.

Now my dad is seeing the face of God! Imagine that!

Have you heard the song, “I Can Only Imagine?” (by Mercy Me)

“I can only imagine what it will be like when I walk by your side. I can only imagine what my eyes will see when your face is before me. I can only imagine.

What will my heart feel? Will I dance for You Jesus or in awe of you be still? Will I stand in Your presence or to my knees will I fall? Will I sing hallelujah? Will I be able to speak at all?”

I CAN ONLY IMAGINE!

Recently, I tried to log on to my laptop, but I couldn’t get it to come on. It should be working, I thought, since I had been on it the day before. After being frustrated for a few seconds, I decided to plug in the cord that charges it. Obvious, right?

Nothing happened. Frustrating.

Next. I went from the laptop cord to the power adaptor, which connects to the power cord that plugs in to the outlet. Whew! So many connections!

That’s where I discovered the problem. That cord was so loose that it could have easily fallen to the floor.

I immediately thought about my connection to God. Interesting how he planted that seed so quickly! My spiritual connection was feeling a bit shaky, like it could completely disconnect any time.

I thought about the self-discipline needed to keep a strong connection to him. If I don’t keep tabs on it, I can easily feel weak and disconnected from him.

In reading over this, it seems like what I wrote is so simplistic. We know about the importance of these computer connections, as well as spiritual ones. Most of us have heard similar analogies before.

It’s really simple to stay connected to him, isn’t it?

That day I was feeling spiritually depleted. And why was that? Had I neglected my responsibility to maintain the “connections” — spending time reading his Word and praying?

Yes, I had. It is so easy to get distracted by everything going on around us, no matter the season of life we are in.

It seems like Jesus knew this about us long ago because he left us a message!

I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit, for apart from me, you can do nothing.” John 15:5

Do you ever listen to yourself?

What are you thinking?

You should do it sometime. You might be surprised at what is going ’round and ’round in your head!

Recently, I was listening to myself think. I didn’t like what I heard. Negative thoughts had taken over in my mind, and I wanted to change that.

I was prayerful about the situation because I knew that if my mind had been on God, not the things going on in my world, it would be a more positive place!

My go-to when I want to change my thinking is

Philippians 4:4-9.

Especially verse 8 —

” . . . whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.”

Dwelling on each quality can be very helpful. For example, what does “true” mean? Is my self-talk “true?” What do I find lovely? Beautiful, bright flowers immediately come to mind. What is something I can think about that is excellent or praiseworthy?

Turning around my thoughts, with the help of the Holy Spirit (He was sent to be our “helper,” right?), can be such a relief.

Backing up to verses 6-7 — “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understand, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

This verse has always been a favorite of mine because releasing anxious and negative thoughts to the Lord, in every situation, gives me peace.

As I pondered these verses and asked God to help me think in this way, I glanced to the side table beside my chair. On it, I had placed a jar of Bible verses my sister-in-law gave me. On the jar it says, “Read me when . . . I’m happy, thankful, anxious, etc.”

I picked up the jar and plucked out a verse. Guess what it said?

“And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Phil.4:7

God cares about what you think. Just listen . . .

When I started this blog in September of 2020, Covid had just begun. None of us knew at that time what was in store for us and the world. It felt daunting.

But God knew what was going on and what would happen.

I felt Him encourage me to start this blog as a reminder for friends and family (and anyone else that came across it) that God was with us. We could have hope as we lived in this changing world!

As you know, it’s still changing.

Lately, I have found myself becoming discouraged. When I’m out running errands, I often see or experience angry, sad people. Watching or reading the news is depressing.

A couple of days ago, during a very discouraging time, God put this hymn on my mind.

HIS EYE IS ON THE SPARROW

Do you know that hymn? It is based on Matthew 10:29-31.

This is the context: Jesus was sending his disciples out into the world to minister to lost people. He told them they would be like “sheep among wolves.” He went on to tell them not to be afraid of the people they encountered because God, their Father, would be with them.

Verse 20 says, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father… So don’t be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

When I feel discouraged now, I find this hymn comforting.

“Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come? Why should my heart be lonely and long for heaven and home? When Jesus is my portion, my constant friend is He. His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

“‘Let not your heart be troubled,’ His tender word I hear, and resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears; Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see; His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.”

“The Lord Himself will fight for you.

JUST STAY CALM.” (Exodus 14:14)

When God told the Israelites, through Moses, that He was going to rescue them as they fled from the Egyptians, they were skeptical and afraid.

“But Moses told the people, ‘Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The Lord Himself will fight for you.'”

JUST STAY CALM.

If you aren’t familiar with the story, read it in Exodus 13-14. It is fascinating!

What is going on in your life right now?

GOD SEES YOU. And you can trust Him.

Remember this story! It’s one of God’s great promises to us.

Today while I was walking at the mall, I saw some grandparents with their two-year old granddaughter. You know you can spot a two-year old from a mile away!

It looked like the three of them were there for a stroll for the grandparents and a run for the little girl! She seemed so excited to be there and have so much space to run in.

But when they got to the end of the corridor by a large store, she spotted an escalator. I could see it in her body language — Wow! I want to see that up close!

So she started running in that direction. The grandfather was yelling at her to stop, but she didn’t! When she was a few feet from the “down” side, he caught up with her. Both grandparents were obviously relieved.

Seeing the little girl running reminded me of times when I decide to go full-force ahead with my own plans. Sometimes not even having direction — just going for it. While the outcome varies, I know that God is with me. If I ask him for direction, he gives it. But if I choose to ignore his prompts, he lets me.

Father, Help me not to just run ahead with my own plans. As I seek what you want me to do for you, help me to be attentive to your Holy Spirit’s prompts.

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!