Being sick, I have much more free time in my day than most people. In fact, I would venture to say that more often than not, my free time significantly outweighs the time I spend doing things I must do. Some days I value all the time I have to myself, but other days I long for more structure, for something that I have to do. Today has been a nice balance of both.
The three things I absolutely had to do included calling in a refill on a prescription I needed, getting in touch with my doctor about adding in more antibiotics, and connecting with my admissions counselor at Messiah College (where God-willing, I’ll be attending in the fall!). By two o’clock in the afternoon I finished everything! Most of you probably won’t be able to understand, but small feats like that are big accomplishments for me. Although my To-do List each day isn’t very long, it usually does take all day to complete everything.
Once that was done, I pretty much had the rest of the day to do with as I pleased. My activity of choice was reading. I do love to read, especially when I learn valuable lessons from the wisdom of the authors who I respect greatly. Last night I had read the first ten chapters (they were very short chapters) of Passion and Purity by Elisabeth Elliot. I had always wanted to read her books because she spelled her name the same way I spell mine--with an ‘s’ instead of a ‘z’—and this one caught my eye as I was looking through our church’s library one night a couple weeks ago. The book is due this Sunday, so I thought it’s time I get to reading it if I want to finish it on time.
So far, it has told the beautiful story of Jim and Elisabeth Elliot’s relationship as they waited on the Lord for many years before they announced their engagement and were married. All throughout the chapters, Elisabeth includes timely scripture and portions of journal entries and letters she’s received from various people asking for her advice. Her wisdom is profound and she writes in a way that makes me want to keep reading more.
However, after finishing chapter 18 which is entitled, What Providence Has Gone and Done, I paused taking it all in and I knew I had to write about it. So I forced myself to put down the book, made a strawberry and pineapple smoothie, and here I am, about to share with you the incredibly insightful words I just read. Are you ready?? It’s good stuff. A “spiritual yummy” as a dear friend of mine likes to say. Mhmmm. ☺
Ahhh where to start? I wish I could copy the whole chapter so you could read it, but I’ll do my best to summarize. Forgive me if I write too much. Summarizing is not one of my gifts. Here it goes….
Jim and Elisabeth have professed their love for each other but must spend a great deal of time apart. Elisabeth has described her agonies of the soul. She is lovesick; yet, not reluctant to do what God wants her to do. She is determined to obey, but wonders, “Is it absolutely necessary for God to yank out of sight whatever we most prize, to drag us into spiritual traumas of the severest sort, to strip us naked in the winds of His purifying Spirit in order that we should learn to trust?” She admits that she’s overreacting over her love life and considers the real tribulation of the Apostle Paul. “Talk about lessons in trust,” she writes. “Have a look at what [he] suffered: shipwrecks, flogging, public lashings, imprisonment, chains, stocks, starvation, nakedness—all heaped on a man who, in spite of years of having persecuted Christians, had been transformed in an instant into God’s faithful servant.” And yet Paul’s testimony of trust is unwavering. In Romans 8:31-39 Paul declares,
“31What can we say about all this? If God is on our side, can anyone be against us? 32God did not keep back his own Son, but he gave him for us. If God did this, won't he freely give us everything else? 33If God says his chosen ones are acceptable to him, can anyone bring charges against them? 34Or can anyone condemn them? No indeed! Christ died and was raised to life, and now he is at God's right side, speaking to him for us. 35Can anything separate us from the love of Christ? Can trouble, suffering, and hard times, or hunger and nakedness, or danger and death? 36It is exactly as the Scriptures say,
"For you we face death
all day long.
We are like sheep
on their way
to be butchered."
37In everything we have won more than a victory because of Christ who loves us. 38I am sure that nothing can separate us from God's love--not life or death, not angels or spirits, not the present or the future, 39and not powers above or powers below. Nothing in all creation can separate us from God's love for us in Christ Jesus our Lord!”
Here’s the point of all this…. “Paul did not escape trouble. He was not exempt from human woes…Yet he was able to say he was winning the victory through Him who has proved His love for us. How? How had he proved His love? – Our vision is so limited we can hardly imagine a love that does not show itself in protection from suffering. The love of God is of a different nature…The love of God did not protect His own Son. That was the proof of His love—that He gave that Son, that He let Him go to Calvary’s cross, though “legions of angels” might have rescued Him. He will not necessarily protect us—not from anything it takes to make us like His Son. A lot of hammering and chiseling and purifying by fire will have to go into the process.”
Those are some strong words. But that’s total truth right there. Elisabeth speaks from years of experience, and continues by applying this truth to her love life dilemma. “Perhaps matters of the heart would seem like little things to Paul. I have a haunch they would. Well then—what about those? Can they put us beyond His love and redemption? The point is that we have to learn to trust in little things, even in what may seem like silly things, if we are ever going to be privileged to suffer in the big things….It’s no use trying to measure suffering. What matters is making the right use of it, taking advantage of the sense of helplessness it brings to turn one’s thoughts to God. Trust is the lesson. Jesus loves me, this I know—not because He does just what I’d like, but because the Bible tells me so. Calvary proves it. He loved me and gave Himself for me.”
Well, I think Elisabeth said it all. This was perfect timing for me, especially with Good Friday and Easter coming so soon. It served as a good reminder for me, and I thought it’d be easier to share it this way. I hope you’re blessed by it as well.
Luke 16:10 ~ “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.”
<3
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
The Best TastyKake Ever
I felt a little guilty afterwards, knowing I'd pay for it later, but it was so worth it. The highlight of my day even. So much so that I'm writing about it now, on my blog that I rarely feel inspired enough to post. But it was just that good. And the whole ordeal got me to thinking.
As sinful human beings, we are more prone to give into temptation when we are weak, run-down, tired, and hurting--although rainy days don't help either. It's times like these that we lose sight of the goal and fail to persevere toward the finish line. This seems to go in cycles too. I can at least speak for myself that it does. One day I'll be strong and able to resist temptation, whatever it may be--even as simple as avoiding sweets because they're bad for me--and then the next day I'll be weak and indulge in the best TastyKake of my life! I've been thinking about this all day. Like many things, I knew there was a deeper, spiritual meaning just waiting to be uncovered, because "everything is spiritual" as Rob Bell would say.
Just a moment ago, I found this online devotional posted on a friend's Facebook page, and I clicked on it, hoping to read something inspiring, refreshing, strengthening. I believe it satisfies my quandary. Here's a little excerpt:
"Know of a surety that thy seed shall be sojourners in a land that is not theirs; . . . they shall afflict them four hundred years; . . . and afterward they shall come out with great substance" (Gen. 15:12-14).
An assured part of God's pledged blessing to us is delay and suffering. A delay in Abram's own lifetime that seemed to put God's pledge beyond fulfillment was followed by seemingly unendurable delay of Abram's descendants. But it was only a delay: they "came out with great substance." The pledge was redeemed.
God is going to test me with delays; and with the delays will come suffering, but through it all stands God's pledge: His new covenant with me in Christ, and His inviolable promise of every lesser blessing that I need. The delay and the suffering are part of the promised blessing; let me praise Him for them today; and let me wait on the Lord and be of good courage and He will strengthen my heart.
--C. G. Trumbull
Is God delaying something in your life? If so, be encouraged and take heart because delay is part of His pledge. We will be tempted by the TastyKakes in our lives to give up on God's plan for us when we are in the midst of the battle; yet, the hardship is part of the blessing. This is not a masochistic philosophy. However, I've learned that although pain comes when God prunes away the dead branches from my heart that bear no fruit, when I abide in his loving arms, He faithfully restores me and I thrive as a result (John 15). Even when we can't see Him working on the outside, we can have faith that he is doing a good work within us. That's the other part of the blessing of His promise to his children.
God is the potter. We are the clay. Our job is to be moldable. He is constantly working to refine us, and it's easier if we listen and open our hearts to His. In what areas is He desiring to mold and refine you today?
"Yet, O LORD, you are our Father.
We are the clay, you are the potter;
we are all the work of your hand."
Isaiah 64:8
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