BENEFITS

A very dear friend of mine who is a retiree of a major airline mentioned to me not long ago that the company is reducing some of their retiree benefits. Together we lamented that she won’t be allowed “companion passes” anymore for travel, and even her own travel passes will be restructured to favor the company more and the retiree less. (BTW: She and her husband are traveling as much as they can before those benefits are cut!)

Talking about benefits reminded me of Psalm 103, where the Psalmist David wrote: “Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.” (verses 1 and 2)

A list of some of those benefits follows: complete forgiveness; healing; redemption; a life crowned with God’s lovingkindness and tender mercy; satisfaction and renewal. The rest of the Psalm elaborates on even more of God’s benefits. As I thought about my friend’s reduced benefits, I saw a stark contrast between her plight and God’s benefits towards us. Hers will be reduced; God’s benefits will increase and continue on throughout future generations! Look what David expressed in verses 17 and 18:

“But the mercy of the Lord (BENEFIT!) is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children (BENEFIT!) to such as keep His covenant, and to those who remember His commandments to do them.”

Isn’t it reassuring to know that His mercy is a benefit that will never be reduced? Isn’t it encouraging to remember that his righteousness is a benefit that will cover even our children and their children…and their children…and their children….? Understanding how God multiplies His benefits causes me to bless the Lord along with the Psalmist and praise Him – the Faithful Giver of abundant, everlasting, generation-to-generation benefits!

SEEING GOD MORE CLEARLY – Insight from a Nonagenarian

Mom reading at 94 yrs. of age

My husband Jorge and I returned to Northeastern Ohio to live after 27 years in Argentina and 1 year in Puerto Rico, partly to live with my parents and help them out; they were nonagenarians at the time. (Nonagenarian: somebody 90-99 years old) By that time, Mom’s mind was not clear; she was 94. She had dementia and very often confused people, dates, and places. She didn’t know who we were most of the time; even so, she enjoyed reading. Mom was an avid reader since her childhood, and to the end of her life here on earth, she would often sit at the kitchen table with a magnifying glass, reading her Bible or a favorite book. Sometimes I would read to her. On one of those occasions, she suddenly had a few moments of clarity and remarked: “I think sometimes God takes things away from us in order to have us see Him more clearly.”

Mom was right; loss isn’t always a bad thing. At the time she made that statement, she had lost her independence; she lost her ability to even dress herself; she lost many of her family members who passed on to eternity; she no longer enjoyed her mobility. Macular degeneration took its toll on her vision, and if she didn’t have her hearing aids in she couldn’t understand us even if we shouted. Her coherent mind was a thing of the past. She had a lot taken from her… but she was OK with that, because she saw God clearer!

Job agreed. After all the loss he suffered, coupled with tremendous physical pain and accusing friends, he was in the restoration process when he declared to God: “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You.” (Job 42:5) Sometimes when God takes something away from us, it paves the way for a clearer vision of Him, His work in and around us, as well as His love for us.

Don’t think loss is always bad. When God takes something away from you, be on the lookout! It might well be that He wants you to see Him more clearly. And that is good!

FROM THE LOWEST PIT

The prophet Jeremiah served God’s people for over forty years, but his warnings were not taken seriously. He was put into prison, cast into a well, and exiled against his will. Rejected by everyone around him, Jeremiah stood alone and obeyed God faithfully. In chapter 3 of the book of Lamentations, attributed to Jeremiah, we read some of his most comforting words of testimony that encourage Christ followers  even today, after so many centuries. One in particular stands out:

“I called on Your name, O Lord, from the lowest pit. You have heard my voice: ‘Do not hide Your ear from my sighing, from my cry for help.’ You drew near on the day I called on You, and said, ‘Do not fear!’ “ (Lamentations 3:55-57)

Many of us have not experienced the trials and pain that Jeremiah had; probably nothing even close to them! But when we are in our “lowest pit” (whatever that might be), these words give us comfort and assurance! Remember this:

GOD KNOWS all about that LOWEST PIT!
GOD HEARS ME when I call on His name from the LOWEST PIT!
GOD DRAWS NEAR ME when I call on Him, even from the LOWEST PIT!
GOD SAYS “DO NOT FEAR!”  when I’m in that LOWEST PIT!

Let’s praise God for these comforting words – even if we are in the LOWEST PIT!

SEEK, SET, RENEW AND LET!

If the apostle Paul would be here in person to give us advice regarding New Year’s resolutions, maybe he would sum it up in 4 words: SEEK, SET, RENEW, LET…because he knew that what we put into our minds is very powerful! He understood that we can’t change our behavior without letting the Holy Spirit change our thoughts.

Everything we do – or don’t do – starts in our mind. We get a thought and mull it over until it shapes our behavior. So what should we focus on? Let’s see what Paul says:

SEEK: “Seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.” (Colossians 3:1)

SET: “Set your mind on things above, not on the things on the earth.” (Colossians 3:2)

RENEW: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2)

LET: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:5)

Hmmm…I think there is a pattern here. Paul is pointing out the importance of focusing on eternity, because that is what really matters. When eternity is our focus, our behavior will change.

Unfortunately as the years go by and I look back, I’m ashamed to see how many things disturbed my mind that didn’t really matter; how many times I got caught up in trivialities and how often worry invaded my peace…because I didn’t follow the apostle Paul’s advice. I wasn’t seeking those things that are above, and I didn’t set my mind on them. I didn’t renew my mind, and I didn’t let Christ’s mind be in me.

I don’t know if you made any New Year’s resolutions, but I did…to SEEK, SET, RENEW and LET!

No Excuses! A Lesson Learned at the Gym

It was probably because I didn’t have my headset on as I power-walked around the indoor track at the local “Rec Center” today that I was unusually observant. As I observed, I thought about the people who were also going around the track, and others I’ve seen there before. For them, working out isn’t an option; they don’t make excuse, even though some of them could have very valid ones due to the obstacles they face.

• The young man hobbling on crutches, never allowing his injured foot to touch the floor…
• The young lady who is paralyzed from her waist down, exercising her arms by wheeling herself around the track in her wheelchair…
• The young and strong who sprint by me (lots of them!)…
• The busy, full-time employees who carve time out of their already overloaded schedule (I’m one of them)…
• The elderly who shuffle along with the help of their cane or walker. (Not there yet, but I hope I have their stamina at their age)…

These “athletes” have a “No Excuse” commitment.

The apostle Paul encouraged young Timothy to “exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.” (1^st Timothy 4:7,8)

The people at the gym are a great example of the kind of commitment that Paul may have been referring to. I can almost hear him saying: “Be committed to godly living. No excuses! Working out at the gym is good; but it’s way more important to exercise yourself in godly living, even if you have obstacles that need to be overcome. No excuses!”

WHAT DOES GOD DO WHEN I PRAY?

If you ever wondered exactly what happens in heaven when you pray, here’s some of what goes on….

HE DELIGHTS IN IT! “The prayer of the upright is His delight.” (Proverbs 15:8)

HE HEARS! “The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.” (Proverbs 15:29)

HE PAYS ATTENTION! “He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and shall not despise their prayer.” (Psalm 102:17)

HE SUSTAINS ME! “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you….” (Psalm 55:22)

HE STAYS BY ME! “He shall call upon Me and I shall answer him; I will be with him in trouble.” (Psalm 91:15)

HE GIVES ME HIS PEACE! “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be know unto God’ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6,7)

God takes our prayers very seriously; they move Him to compassion and to action. We are invited to enter His throne room boldly to find grace in time of need. Let’s delight God by praying more!!

P.U.S.H.

I’ve had this essay for a long time, and it encourages me every time I read it. I don’t know who gave it to me, or who the author is, but it is full of God’s encouraging truth!

A man was sleeping at night in his cabin when suddenly his room filled with light, and God appeared. The Lord told the man he had work for him to do, and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin. The Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might.

So, this the man did, day after day. For many years he toiled from sun up to sun down, his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with all of his might. Each night the man returned to his cabin sore and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been sent in vain.

Since the man was showing discouragement, the Adversary (Satan) decided to enter the picture by placing thoughts into his weary mind: “You have been pushing against that rock for a long time, and it hasn’t moved.” Thus, he gave the man the impression that the task was impossible and that he was a failure.

These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man.

Satan said, “Why kill yourself over this? Just put in your time, giving just the minimum effort; and that will be good enough.” That’s what the weary man planned to do, but decided to make it a matter of prayer and to take his troubled thoughts to the Lord.

“Lord”, he said, “I have labored long and hard in your service, putting all my strength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after all this time, I have not even budged that rock by half a millimeter. What is wrong? Why am I failing?”

The Lord responded compassionately, “My friend, when I asked you to serve Me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push against the rock with all of your strength, which you have done. Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it…your task was to push. And now you come to Me with your strength spent, thinking that you have failed. But, is that really so? Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back sinewy and brown; your hands are calloused from constant pressure, your legs have become massive and hard. Through opposition you have grown much, and your abilities now surpass that which you used to have. True, you haven’t moved the rock. But your calling was to be obedient and to push and to exercise your faith and trust in My wisdom. That you have done. Now I, my friend, will move the rock.”

At times, when we hear a word from God, we tend to use our own intellect to decipher what He wants, when actually what God wants is just a simple obedience and faith in Him. By all means, exercise the faith that moves mountains, but know that it is still GOD who moves the mountains.

When everything seems to go wrong…just P.U.S.H.!

When the job gets you down…just P.U.S.H.!

When people don’t react the way you think they should…just P.U.S.H.!

When your money is “gone” and the bills are due…just P.U.S.H.!

When people just don’t understand you…just P.U.S.H.!

P = PRAY
U = UNTIL
S = SOMETHING
H = HAPPENS

EVEN THOUGH…

Looking at some “though” passages in the Bible, we get an idea of how to react to bad – even astoundingly horrible – situations. Three examples stand out in my mind. What these men of faith were committed to, and how they handled their “though” situations inspires me every time I read them.

Psalm 46:1-3: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea, though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling.”

THE PSALMISTS KNEW GOD: “OUR refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” That’s why they confidently declared that whatever happens, (even if bad goes to worse) “we will not fear”! Later in the same Psalm we are encouraged because “The Lord of hosts is with us”, and God Himself quiets our fears even today with some very assuring words of compassion: “Be still and know that I am God.” Do I know God well enough to declare, like the Psalmists that “I will not fear”?

Habakkuk 3:17-19: “Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls – yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength…”

HABAKKUK KNEW GOD:  He referred to Him as “The God of my salvation; my strength”, testifying that no matter what the situation and even if everything else is lost, he still has reason to rejoice. Habakkuk committed to rejoicing in that which no one can ever take away: the God of his salvation. He understood that having the God of our salvation living in us, we have it all! Do I really know the God of my salvation and strength, like Habakkuk, to the point that I can say “no matter if I lose everything else, it’s OK, nothing can steal my joy, because I have Him?”

Job 13:15: “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him.”

JOB KNEW GOD: he knew that no matter what, God was worthy of his praise, as he immediately declared when he heard of all the catastrophes that fell on his family: “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord”. Job also knew that God could be trusted, and was committed to trusting Him even in the worst case scenario. When I face destruction, devastation and death in the magnitude that Job did, will I know Him well enough to say “I’m still going to trust Him, because He is trustworthy”?

These giants of the faith motivate me to want to KNOW GOD more. They lay out the pattern for getting through those “even though” situations…because to KNOW GOD more and more is the key… to “even though”!

GIVING THANKS – AN AFTERTHOUGHT?

While talking about Thanksgiving Day with a co-worker this past week, he mentioned a family tradition that he and his wife have always had. On the way to Grandma’s house for their Thanksgiving Day meal, they engage their 2 children (who are now high school age) in a conversation about what they are thankful for. He chuckled when he remarked that as they mature, the things that they are thankful for have evolved from being “thankful that Christmas and Santa are coming soon” to more important things that reflect a deeper awareness of a correct value system.

That got me thinking. Sometimes we fall into a trap of forgetting what Thanksgiving is all about…it’s about GIVING THANKS! It’s just that simple!…but we complicate it by getting caught up in menus, turkeys, travel, family gatherings, centerpieces, decorations, overeating, football games, and even Black Friday – that starts on Thanksgiving Day! Somehow, GIVING THANKS gets shoved into the background and becomes nothing more than an afterthought, or one more thing to check off our “to do” list.

We still have a few days before Thanksgiving, and that gives us time to reflect and elaborate our own list of things we’re thankful for. Let’s do that! Thanksgiving is the day. GIVING THANKS is the heart attitude that honors God, the Giver of all good gifts!

“Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.”
Psalm 103:1,2

PHYLLO DOUGH?…PUFF PASTRY?…No thanks!

Today I did something that I’ve been wanting to do for a very long time. I made homemade strudel. As I gently stretched and pulled the tender dough around the kitchen table, I realized that I have a long history of strudel. I thought of all the “Strudel-Makers” who were part of my life, and what I learned from them.  Let me share that with you.

Sometime between 1913 and 1920 when my paternal Grandma passed away, she made a lasting impression on her youngest son, George. Not only did she make “the cake that you walk around the table to make” (The way he referred to strudel in his childish language), she taught God’s Word to my Dad – and no doubt to her other three children also – with a huge, illustrated German Bible. Even in his 90’s, Dad would get teary-eyed each time he related that she read that Bible and sang “Who Is He That Careth For Us?” with him on her lap. From the grandma I never knew, a Strudel-Maker, I learned the importance of teaching God’s Word to the little ones He loaned to us.

In the 1960’s, my maternal Grandma, originally from Austris-Hungary, taught my sister to make strudel. She made apple strudel and nut strudel. Grandma always had a generous heart, and was known for making an extra pie or whatever she was baking  – to give away! From this Strudel-Maker, I learned how important it is to share what God’s given us.

Early 1970’s: I was in college when Aunt Katy was in her 80’s. Aunt Katy was my Dad’s aunt, “famous” for her incredibly delicious strudel, so I asked her if she could teach me how to make it. She was thrilled that she could teach me something that no one at the University of Akron could! Aunt Katy’s health was very precarious for many years, but when asked “How are you doing, Aunt Katy?” she never failed to respond with an emphatic “Thankful”. An elderly Strudel-Maker with a grateful heart taught me how important thankfulness is, in every situation.

In the 1980’s and 1990’s, living in Argentina among a largely German population, making strudel was very common. What WASN’T common was the love that Ema put into every batch of strudel she made, even for our youth camps with 100+ in attendance. Ema was the cook at the Peniel Bible School where young men and girls studied to be missionaries, evangelists and pastors. Ema untiringly served them, knowing that she was serving God. From the example of Ema, an unforgettable Strudel-Maker, I learned how important it is to serve God’s people, and to do it with a real servant heart.

While living in Argentina for 27 years, there was another Strudel-Maker who left a tremendous impression on me: my mother-in-law. Born and raised in Yugoslavia, strudel was almost a staple for Ana. It was no big deal for her to whip up a double recipe. She made quite a variety of strudel: apple, squash, ricotta with sautéed onions, potato, cabbage, ham and cheese. When making strudel, she always made sure she had enough of each kind to be able to send some to each of her three children. Ana taught me that when love is the motivation, no task is too big. She also gave me the recipe I use, which I cherish.

So as I thought about my “strudel history”, remembering all of these Strudel-Makers, I thanked God for each of them. They all impacted my life. Don’t I want to use Phyllo dough?… Puff pastry? …No, thanks!

P.S. My strudel came out YUMMY!