“If someone bows to you, return the gesture, making your own slightly deeper and longer, just in case.” This advice comes from Nancy McDonough, who for many years was an English teacher in Japan. Bowing to another person remains an intricate part of Japanese culture, while westerners most often greet each other with a handshake. A bow communicates more than most handshakes do, and at its best becomes an act of humility.
            The Japanese bow expresses many things: respect, gratitude, remorse, sincerity, “Excuse me,” an apology, goodbye, or deference to status. “In general, the longer and deeper the bow, the more emotion or the greater the difference in social standing between the two parties,” says McDonough. Men bow with their hands flat against their sides, while women bow with their hands flat on the front of their thighs or crossed and flat. The back is held straight and eyes downcast.
            The angles of bowing range from a shallow fifteen degrees to a full forty-five degree angle, with the deeper and lengthy bows reserved for dignitaries. A person making a telephone call might even bow even though the other party can’t see them. Passersby may see an automobile driver acknowledge another driver’s courtesy with a slight bow. Friends greet each other with a quick bow. The bow also remains a part of the martial arts as a sign of respect. McDonough’s final advice to those who plan to travel to Japan, “Don't worry about doing it right -- just be sure to do it,” and she further said, the Japanese easily forgive a faux pas from a non-Japanese.
            I’m not planning a trip to Japan, but I am especially interested in the custom of bowing, dating back thousands of years. Because of this column’s emphasis on humility in 2012, a detail in Jacob’s return to his homeland leapt off the page and caught my attention. In the Old Testament, you recall how Jacob deceived his twin brother, Esau. Esau despised his birthright when he was famished, and Jacob greedily traded a bowl of soup for right of firstborn. Later, on another occasion, Jacob agreed with his mother’s plan and went to his aging and blind father disguised as Esau, so he could lay claim to the blessing of firstborn.
            When Esau found out about the deception, he grew angry and plotted to kill his brother. Rebekah, their mother, sent Jacob away to her family before murder became another family sin. While living and working with his mother’s relatives over twenty years, Jacob gained two wives, two concubines, twelve sons, and flocks, cattle, camels, and donkeys. Finally, he planned to return to his homeland.
            He sent a messenger ahead to alert Esau of his arrival. The messenger returned saying Esau was coming to meet him with four hundred men. Jacob, “in great fear and distress” (Genesis 32:7), arranged his family in two groups, if one was attacked, at least one group might escape. That evening, he sent ahead a lavish gift of flocks, herds, camels, and donkeys.
            Jacob spent a restless night and time in prayer, during which his hip socket wrenched. The next morning, Jacob organized the four mothers of his children into family groups. Please picture the next scene in your mind: Jacob went ahead of his family, and as he approached Esau, Jacob bows to the ground seven times, in pain, he advances and bows on the ground and toward his brother. Seven times his knees hit the ground in humility.
            John T. Willis makes these observations about the humility and exchanges in the two more mature men: Jacob bowed seven times, called himself Esau’s servant twice, called Esau “lord” four times, sent an extravagant gift, insisted that Esau keep the gift, and said, “to see your face is like seeing the face of God” (33:10).
            Willis says about Esau: he brought four hundred men to provide Jacob with travel assistance and protection; he ran to meet Jacob, embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him. He offered to give back the gift; he addressed Jacob as ‘my brother,” and he finally accepted Jacob’s gift which in the day’s custom amounted to a pact of friendship.
            God’s timing, testing, and fine-tuning over twenty years caused these twin brothers to embrace the roles God planned for each of them. Through their stories, we see the continuing development of humility. May God grant the same growth to us.
            Hunger for Humility (4): “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).
            Cathy Messecar welcomes comments or story suggestions at writecat@consolidated.net

Matching Speech to God's Standards

When asking for a snack, my four-year-old grandson Adam forgot to say “please.” I responded traditionally with, “What’s the magic word?” He thought for a long moment then hesitantly said, “Abracadabra?”

            Although “abracadabra” wasn’t the word I was listening for, it worked magic with this grandma. Skilled language and good manners are vital to children and adults, and some adults need refresher courses in speaking with humble words, low-key enough for the youngest ears.

            Plugged In Online is a Focus on the Family endeavor giving up-to-date reviews of movies and television programs. In one review, Plugged In reports on “the animated brats in ‘South Park’” a “series about a group of foul-mouthed third-graders.”

            The dialogue is a “near-constant flow of profanity” and “includes hateful exchanges.” The scripted lines apparently come from the dark recesses of adult minds. 

            Before the show debuted, “Newsweek” quoted its creator Trey Parker, “I can guarantee it will be the raunchiest thing on television.” In one interview, creators Parker and Matt Stone spoke about the show’s profanity. “It’s made us a lot of money.” I guess I have to ask where the adult-size bars of soap are when you need them.

            To point a blaming finger at propagators of filthy language is the easy way out. The difficult discipline remains closer to home, to match one’s speech to God’s standards. “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Ephesians 4:29).

            Language atrocities range from filthy to flippant. Even indifferent responses leave impressions: Who cares? Whatever! No Problem. Oh well! When looking to Jesus as our model for humility, behavior, and language, it‘s difficult to picture him rolling his eyes and responding, “Whatever.”

            We adults can give ourselves a personal speech test by asking how much of our vocabulary hits the cutting floor before entering a church building, a house of worship. In everyday life, toes get hurt, hammers hit fingers, dishes slip and break, but profane words don’t have to spew.

            Brash, braggadocios words directly oppose humble language. Prayers and purposeful screening of television shows can create barriers to keep harsh communication from entering homes. To young ears, wholesome language, affirmations, and gentle corrections become antidotes to street-language. In addition, old ears don’t need to hear course language either.

            In the office, at home, and on the street, use magic words: those that benefit listeners. When we speak, remember God hears not only our prayers but also the useless words we utter. Let’s speak as though our sweet grandmothers were listening and we’ll develop humble language.

            Hunger for Humility (3): “Throw out the mocker, and fighting goes, too. Quarrels and insults will disappear” (Proverbs 22:10).

            Contact Cathy at writecat@consolidated.net

Self-Imagined Greatness

            In last week’s column, I introduced our topic of conversation for 2012 – humility. Last week’s “assignment”: When you enter any room, think of yourself as the least, and look for ways to serve those present. How did you do? Did you find it tough to do? I certainly did.

            We’re embarking on this journey to deeper humility because Jesus called us to be like him, a servant. He set the perfect example and can inspire us to live as he did. One of the ways we’ll do that is to focus every three weeks or so on one of Jeremy Taylor’s (1613-1667) nineteen rules for humble living.

            The privileges you were born into or now have, do ever feel pride rise up because of them? If so, then consider Mr. Taylor’s first rule of living humbly: “Do not think better of yourself because of any outward circumstance that happens to you.” I was born with a plastic spoon in my mouth. That’s one way of saying I was well fed but my family wasn’t the wealthiest on our block in Houston, Texas. However, compared to a child in an impoverished country, I had more than enough.  

            Consider some of the implications of Mr. Taylor’s first rule: If you are a whiz at math, do you get credit because your parents got together and created a mathematical genius? If you were born into a royal family, could you boast that personal achievement would eventually put you on the throne?

            Jeremy Taylor uses the example of a horse that can run faster than other horses. Triple Crown winner 1973, Secretariat was such a horse. A lot of circumstances and opportunities combined to put him in winners’ circles. Self-imagined greatness did not make him a winner. Good athletes’ usually have great DNA and opportunities that contribute to their successes, but how fast they run, swim, or swing a tennis racquet isn’t their true make up. The true make up of a pauper or king is on the inside.

            Richard Hagburg in a June 1996 issue of “Fortune” magazine relayed a story that a wealthy executive told him: The executive and his wife stood in line at a driver’s license bureau to get his license renewed. After a rather lengthy wait, the husband exclaimed to his wife, “Don’t they know who I am?”

            His wife replied, “Yeah, you’re a plumber’s son who got lucky.”

            Naaman, a leper, commanded Aram’s army, but pride almost thwarted God’s intended healing for him (2 Kings 5:1-19). Naaman’s wife had a maid, a young Israelite girl, who said, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” Through a series of inquiries and letters, Naaman finally found his way to the Prophet Elisha’s home. The commander arrived with gold, silver, chariots, horses, and servants.

            Elisha didn’t even answer the door when this officer arrived; he simply sent a message for him to go take a bath in the Jordan River. Everyone knew -- even foreigners -- that the river wasn’t more than a muddy canal. Naaman had imagined the man of God waving his hand around and making a big commotion as he invoked God’s healing. After hearing the prophet’s instructions, Naaman departed “in a rage.”

            However, a lowly servant displayed common sense. He reasoned with Naaman: if the man of God had asked you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? When Naaman ditched pomp and pride, dipped seven times in the murky Jordan River, that’s when his skin became healthy. When pride rears its ugly head, it always casts a shadow on right thinking.

            A French proverb says, “The surest way to be deceived is to think one’s self more clever than others.” For the next couple of weeks, look backward in examination of your upbringing, and if extra attention, awards, or applause comes your way in the next few weeks, remember Jeremy Taylor’s rule for living humbly, “Do not think better of yourself because of any outward circumstance that happens to you.”

            Hunger for Humility (2): “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3).

         

                                     

                

Humility--Nothing to Brag About

I find truth in what Tim Hansel says about Christians living out our beliefs, He says, “We must take our Theology and make it our Biography.” Through this column, we’ll embark on a journey to do just that in 2012.

            Last year, I read many books. However, one book and several of its reminders really stuck in my mind. The book is “Soul Work: Confessions of a Part-Time Monk” by Randy Harris, who teaches at Abilene Christian University. Randy is part preacher, part stand-up comedian, part professor, part mentor, but wholly dedicated to serving God as a single Christian man.

            He is part of an accountability group. As a group, they also have goals, one being when any of them enters a room that they see themselves as the least in the room. Whether they are the author with the most books, the scholar with the most credentials, or the preacher who has the highest salary, they long to heed the calling of Christ to be the least.

            What do you typically think about when you enter a room where there is one person or several people gathered? Do you think about the enjoyment you will get in their company? Alternatively, do you think how much fun others will have being around you? Maybe you are concerned that your attire matches the occasion. Maybe you have a few cute or fun stories you want to tell, real attention-getters. Or maybe it’s a group of people where you can shine, network, and get a payoff from the contacts in the room.

            How many of us typically walk into a room and ask ourselves, “Who may I serve in this room?” Harris’ practices, guidance, and thoughts challenged me. These words define humility:  humbleness, unpretentiousness, modesty, self-effacement. Self-effacement means looking at other’s needs before considering your own, much like the mother who sees one piece of pie left and declares she never liked pie anyway. Rick Warren said, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less.”

            Harris’ gives advice, lifted from the mid-1600s consisting of nineteen rules, Christian disciplines that help his readers develop humility. Jeremy Taylor (1613-1667) was a cleric in the Church of England, who remains best known for his devotional works: “The Rules for Holy Living” and “The Rules for Holy Dying.” Among free spirits, rules are often snubbed as being out of fashion. However, we all live under rules. Try running red lights and stop signs and see how free you’ll be.

            Everyone has a personal rulebook. As a Christian matures, his or her list develops and governs their lives such as, always pray before meals, attend worship on Sundays, and meet at other times through the week with Christians. We have other rules we make to increase the order and harmony in our lives: make your bed every day, never let your gas tank get below one quarter, etc.

            A quest for humility opposes the quest for more power, more money, and more status. When we seek humility, that’s when we say to God, “Put me to work wherever you will.” One might serve breakfast to the homeless at the House of Prayer in Conroe, Texas, one might preach for 30 to thousands, or one might tuck three children in bed at night. James said, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up” (4:10).

            In this column through the next twelve months, our focus will be on humility. Each week, a scripture tagged “Hunger for Humility” will guide us. Again, I encourage you to write them in a notebook or on index cards and keep them near, so you can memorize and reflect on them. Every three weeks or so, we’ll discuss one of Jeremy Taylor’s nineteen rules for living humbly (I’ll introduce the first one next week). Randy Harris said he wrote the chapter on Jeremy Taylor’s nineteen rules because he’s “brilliant at looking inside of us and catching us.” So was Jesus. With the help of Jesus, nineteen tried rules, and scripture, we may ring in the year 2013 as more humble people. Although you realize, it will not be anything to brag about.

            Hunger for Humility (1): “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time” (1 Peter 5:6).

            You may contact Cathy at writecat at consolidated dot net

Borrow the Language of God

Borrow the Language of God

“What language shall I borrow to thank you, dearest Friend, for this, your dying sorrow, your mercy without end? Lord, make me yours forever, a loyal servant true, and let me never, never outlive my love for you.” These lines come from a Medieval Latin poem, and the writer had found that language alone failed to show his love for Jesus and his grace. Today, as back then, many find difficulty in expressing their love in language alone. Lip service remains empty of love unless accompanied by caring actions.

            This year, my home congregation’s scripture theme calls us to think on excellent things, which in turn leads us to virtuous living, a language those around us understand. As we think about New Year resolutions, new church goals, and caring for those within our circle of acquaintances, let’s consider the visionary resolutions God has already outlined for his people. At the end of this article, read how one Puerto Rican woman exercised the language of love and obedience to comfort one of God’s babes in his kingdom.

            A vast difference lies in doing more for Jesus and being more like Jesus. God calls us to resolve to be his love where we live: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength . . . Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:30-31).

            Right before the resurrected Jesus returned to the Father, he also charged and challenged the faithful: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19-20).

            Resolutions made for a lifetime and sanctioned by God are much better than weak human resolutions carried out through sheer will power for two weeks or a month. Why not try the lifetime, God-approved ones. If every reader resolved to love his neighbor, in language and actions, this year would bring the comfort and care many need.

            A true story from Charisma magazine (1996) illustrates the power of such love: A Puerto Rican woman became a Christian in the United States, and even though she didn’t speak English, she longed to express her new faith and love for the Lord. The church minister asked her to ride on one of their buses each week. Soon she only wanted to ride one bus because she’d found a tiny, neglected boy who tugged at her heart. Each week, she held him on her lap and said the only English words she knew, “Jesus loves you. I love you.”

            For weeks, the boy never spoke a word to her. Yet, Sunday after Sunday, she gathered him in her arms, held him, and in beautiful broken English said, “Jesus loves you. I love you.” One Sunday, he finally stammered back, “I . . . I love you, too.” That same Sunday evening, authorities found his body beneath a staircase at a rundown apartment building. His abusive mother had finally beaten him to death. Some of the last blessing-words he heard that day were from an obedient woman who simply gathered the child in her warm arms and assured him of God’s love and her love.

            Sometimes words fail us. We simply aren’t capable through language alone to reach others. However, when the language of love combines with the language of active kindness, God can multiply that kind of offering to feed one or a multitude.

            In 2012, borrow the language of God. Ask him to write it on your heart, and then watch for opportunities to serve. Your service may be something as innocent as taking a scarred child into your lap and whispering, “Jesus loves you. I love you.”

            Index card verse for week 52: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with me” (Revelations 3:20). You may contact Cathy at www.cathymessecar.com   

Fed with Human Kindness

A true story to warm your heart this Christmas -- I met Robert Reid, at Summit, the annual September Bible Lectureship at Abilene Christian University. In his story, I saw a faithful, determined, and humble man, reflecting the image of Jesus Christ. 

            Robert, wheelchair bound, faced challenges all his life and wrote about them in his memoir: “Bursting with Life: Cerebral Palsy.” In 1942 in a small West Texas town, he was born two months prematurely after 27 hours of labor. Not many expected him to live, but God had other plans, as Robert wrote in the opening of his book, “I am the central character of this true story, God is the author.”

            Even when released from the hospital, he couldn’t nurse, so his mother fed him with an eyedropper. By the age of two, Robert still wasn’t crawling and kept his fists clenched. Eventually, doctors gave a correct diagnosis of cerebral palsy.

            Robert explains about degrees of cerebral palsy, saying he is in the middle range: “I am able to talk (although not plainly) and use my feet, but I’m in a wheelchair and can’t use my hands.” His childhood filled with doctors’ differing advice and therapies, both good and bad. His mother and father never gave in to those who wanted Robert institutionalized. Until the age of 12, his parents carried him in their arms everywhere they went, so he could experience all they did.

            That year, he grew so fast that a wheelchair became necessary. Because of the damage to his body and his spastic movements, many wrongly assumed that Robert also had brain damage. Reading his story, I realized once more how many wrong judgments people make. One occasion at a popular barbeque restaurant in Lubbock shows this: his parents got his food first and sat him at a long bar with a row of stools. A couple came in to eat, and the woman asked him to move down one spot so they could sit down. He told her he couldn’t move, thinking his handicap obvious, but she responded by calling him a “spoiled brat.” Robert remembers that he would have loved to be able to move and run around the restaurant like a spoiled brat. Despite similar incidents, Robert knew the blessing of his parents taking him to public places and for never hiding him at home.

          Told by many professionals that he’d never get proper schooling, Robert pushed to get into public high school and enroll in college. In college, living away from his parents proved challenging since he couldn’t write, dress, or feed himself. Always dependent upon the kindness of others, fellow college students used carbon paper to make copies of their class notes for Robert.

            Two driving forces kept Robert going: he knew an education would benefit his future, and he knew without a doubt that God had a plan and a purpose in all “my struggles” Robert recognized a calling to Portugal as a missionary. He mastered Portuguese, and with the invention of Velcro, replacing buttons and zippers on his clothing, he could dress himself but it still took a long time to dress.

            While in Portugal, Robert continued studying the Portuguese language in classes and through private tutoring. Another dedicated young man, Clay, was his roommate, and fed Robert his meals. Later, his roommate, Clay, returned to the United States, but Robert wanted to remain in Portugal. His first time to live alone gave him great freedom even though he had to crawl to the bathroom. Each morning, a kind man helped him down the flights of stairs to the street.   

            One of the things Robert most enjoyed about the culture in Portugal was their relaxed way of living and their compassion for his disability. In restaurants after ordering food, a waiter would see his struggle to pick up a fork and would offer to feed him. Because many servers knew him, he summoned the courage to ask if they could feed him. They treated his requests with the “greatest respect and dignity.” They only asked that he arrive before or after the lunch rush. “I don’t think I could have managed without such compassion,” Robert said. Eventually, he married Rosa, and they have an adult married daughter.  

            From the nurturing family who fed Robert with an eyedropper to the waiters who fed him in restaurants, I found an echo of the story of Jesus Christ – the bread of life. When we are fed by Jesus, his compassion becomes ours, enabling us to love and care for others. Robert’s story reminds us that we all have disabilities – overcome best when the spirit of Christmas rules our hearts all year long. Merry Christmas, dear readers.

            Index card verse for week 51: “Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life” (Jude 1:21).  

           

A Better Recipe for Hope

A few weeks ago, I wanted to bake a cake my mother used to make, but I didn’t know the name of the cake. I only knew it contained pecans, coconut, and crushed pineapple, and Mother always baked it in a Bundt pan. Since mother passed, I asked my dad if I could look through her recipes. He happily handed over her cookbooks and handwritten recipes. My sister, Sherry, and I hurriedly copied and assembled our families’ favorites into a recipe booklet for the holidays. Even though I recalled some of the ingredients in the cake, I had to reach back to the original recipe to find measurements, correct ingredients, and directions.

               When I reread Isaiah 9, it refreshed my memory of all the good things that would accompany the birth of the Messiah. Listed in verses one through seven, are delectable, detailed blessings under the chapter heading, “To Us a Child is Born.”

               God foretold through Isaiah that he would someday honor Zebulun and Naphtali, “Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan” (v 1). They would become privileged to live during the time when Jesus walked the earth, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned” (v 2). That beam of light continues to shine through the ages.

               Isaiah also foretold the reaction of joy in those who would participate in and see the miraculous works of God done through his servant-son, Jesus, “They rejoice before you as people rejoice at harvest” (v 3).  We know that an abundance of rejoicing did take place – from the birth of Christ to his resurrection from the dead, and between those lavish happenings, joy occurred because many were cured of illnesses, evil spirits, and dull faith.

               Isaiah also revealed that in the day of Christ a new rule would be set up, a kingdom not of this world, governed by a loving Godhead, God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. This government could happen right alongside any man-concocted form of rule, and those who would choose to be under the personal governing of Jesus would have as their constant help, “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (v 6).  Those are only a sprinkling of the identifying characteristics of Jesus. The Bible text attributes over 200 names and titles to him: Lord of Hosts, God with Us, Morning Star, the Way, Light, Rock, King, Wisdom of God, Bread of Life, Alpha and Omega (Beginning and End), and more. Want reminders of more: Bridegroom, Word of Life, Servant of Rulers, Root of David, Rock of Offense, Only Begotten, Redeemer, High Priest, Judge, Lion of Judah, and Good Master. See Nave’s Topical Bible for a full listing.

               The part that most thrilled my heart in Isaiah 9 was this, “Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end . . . . establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever” (v 7). Revealed within that verse are so many full and time-honored promises of an ever-increasing reign of Jesus in hearts. This reign would happen from the time of Christ until now and on to an appointed time when this old world shudders and shuts down.

               That means, even with the dreary newscasts of doom and financial gloom, that something good will continue in 2012. Jesus’ government and peace will increase in the hearts of humankind, founded on justice and righteousness, and going on forever.

               If you long for a better recipe for 2012, reflect on and believe in the ingredients of Isaiah 9:1-7. Filled with promise, they offer hope because “To Us a Child is Born.”

               Index card verse for week 50: “And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us” (1 John 3:23).

  

Hold the Door Open for Hope

A few years ago at Thanksgiving, we hosted the family meal at our home. All our guests chipped in by bringing tantalizing dishes of food. We had the usual turkey, southern cornbread stuffing, gravy and mashed potatoes. In addition, we had all those other good things that most adults enjoy, fresh cranberry relish, a garden salad full of crisp veggies, candied yams, the traditional green bean casserole, and other favorites such as deviled eggs, sweet yellow corn, and yeast rolls. All of that and we haven’t even strolled by the dessert table laden with pies in flavors of pecan, lemon meringue, pumpkin, cherry, and chocolate.

            About thirty minutes after the meal, when we adults cleaned the kitchen, sipping on our final cup of coffee to top off our very full stomachs, my grandson, 6-year-old Adam, came into the kitchen. His appetite more matched to McDonald’s menu than Grandma’s Thanksgiving feast, he opened the refrigerator door, and took his time looking over the bounty of leftovers.

            He stood there long enough for the cold air to seep across the pine floor to where I stood. He looked but saw nothing to satisfy his appetite. He finally shut the door, and said in a voice full of resignation, “Grandma, do you have anything to eat in here?” Adam had bypassed a feast that day and thought that my home held nothing tasty within it.

I’ve told you that story before, but I wanted to mention it again because many who have suffered this year may relate to Adam’s statement. A death in your family, job loss, a devastating personal relationship – if you’ve suffered greatly, you may feel that life doesn’t hold as many good things. Perhaps you, like Adam, hold the door open and long for something better, but you most often see only leftovers. 

A Bible proverb states: “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life” (13:12), or I like Eugene Peterson’s paraphrasing of that proverb: “Unrelenting disappointment leaves you heartsick, but a sudden good break can turn life around.”

Some refer to life as having mountain moments and valleys, but life is really more like a railroad track. Right alongside, parallel of sad things are such good things as your next breath, friendships, a pasteled sunset, a family dinner, or the giggle of a child. We’ve all experienced twofold moments of sunshine and rain.

During this joyous time of year when many in the world remember the birth of the Savior Jesus Christ, you may lack the joy to join the celebration. If so, I encourage you to do two things: Start a list of your thanksgivings and take yourself to a Remembrance or Blue Christmas Service.         Author Ann Voskamp wrote a book “A Thousand Gifts,” but long before the book was published, Ann learned to write a list of daily Thanksgivings, she started doing that because a friend suggested the exercise because of an early trauma Ann had experienced. As Ann wrote down her thanksgivings, her life became less fearful and more joy-filled.

A mother of six, a pig farmer’s wife, she learned that written thanksgivings brought happiness and restored hope into her chaotic life. Ann says the discipline of writing down her gifts opened her eyes to things unseen before. She worked on her list “one-by-one, up to a thousand gifts. Not of gifts I want,” she said, “But of gifts I have.” Healing begins, when we practice thanksgiving. Start your list. Perhaps you, too, will be surprised by how quickly it can grow to hundreds of written blessings.

Second, Remembrance Services or Blue Christmas Services allow people to gather with others who are suffering. This past Tuesday, Sam Houston Memorial Funeral Home hosted their annual Remembrance Service and “Doc” Hiram Jones, Father Ed Kucera, Jr., and I spoke. Doc and Father Ed shared some very helpful ways for coping with loss during the holidays. Several area churches will host Blue Christmas Services, including Montgomery Methodist Church on December 18, Sunday at 7:00 p.m.

I pray that the God of all comfort gift what you need during this Christmas season.

Index card verse for week 49: “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24).

Mercy in a Manger

Mercy in the Manger

While teaching the scroll-thumping Pharisees, Jesus called them to live out God’s merciful ways. Declining, the judgmental Pharisees charged him with eating with ‘sinners’ and tax collectors. However, knowing their hearts, Jesus challenged them, “But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy not sacrifice’” (Hosea 6:6; Matthew 9:13).

To the always-making-rules Pharisees, this was not a new concept. Through the prophet Micah, God had accused Israel of doing rituals while ignoring the compassion of God: “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).

In February, Naomi and Ruth were the focus of one of my columns. Ruth remains a good example of justice, love, mercy, and walking humbly with God. In four chapters of the book of Ruth, their stories unfold when a famine caused Naomi, her husband, and two sons to move among pagans in Moab. While there, Naomi’s husband died, leaving her the daunting task of finding wives for her sons. Poor. Without social standing. Doing a husband’s job. She searched out two women to marry her sons.

Calm reigned for a few years, and then double tragedy struck -- both of Naomi’s sons died leaving three widows to fend for themselves. Without any resources, Naomi decided to return to her hometown of Bethlehem.

Daughter-in-law, Orpah, returned to her Moabite family while Ruth chose to accompany her mother-in-law and travel to a culture foreign to her. Even in Naomi’s homeland, Ruth would have four strikes against her: she was female, a widow, a foreigner, and barren. She made a crucial decision to cling to her mother-in-law because she’d experienced enough of Naomi’s faith and God to choose him. Ruth made a vow to Naomi to love her God and her people until death should part them.

When Naomi and Ruth returned to the town of Bethlehem, the “city of bread,” their prospects were bleak. They may have felt abandoned and, most likely, had many “why” questions. There’s every indication that these emotions fit their harsh circumstances.

Compared to the story of Job, Naomi’s is the female version of almost complete loss. Left in poverty and deep sadness, she returned to her hometown after hearing how God had blessed the area with good harvests. From a pagan culture, the two marginalized women, Naomi and Ruth, moved back to Bethlehem -- the future scene of a manger.

Carolyn Custis James writes in The Gospel According to Ruth. “When Naomi returned to Bethlehem, she may have felt like a useless piece of driftwood….In God’s eyes, she was still on active duty and the treasure of his heart.” Mrs. James continues, “Her story has purpose written all over it although the signals she receives from her own heart and culture say otherwise.” Naomi “is unaware of the fact that, instead of setting her aside, God is readying her for a strategic kingdom mission” because Ruth will be listed in the genealogy of the Messiah.

Naomi and Ruth chose God and walked justly and humbly with him, unaware of his unfolding plan. They had learned merciful living, shown in their love and care for each other. God, in loving kindness, doesn’t exile these widows to the margins of the Bible. In his mysterious ways, he places them in the middle of the redemption story in Bethlehem, where the truest expression of mercy on earth will have its start in a manger.

Index card for week 48: “Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?” (James 2:5).

You may contact Cathy at  www.cathymessecar.com    

Narrow Escapes and Rescues

Narrow escapes, ever had one? On October 17, a pleasant Monday, Dave and I traveled toward New Mexico in the Peterbilt tractor, pulling a load of pipe. The fresh plowed fields near I-20 in West Texas and blustery wind had already gritted the air, but that dust was minimum, compared to what we experienced after dark.

            A cold front had moved into North Texas, a 75 mph dust storm, called a “haboob,” tossing tons of dirt into the air. “Haboob” is an Arabic word for a massive sand storm, usually occurring only in North African deserts. The storm hit Lubbock during daylight hours, however, by the time it reached our location on I-20, between Abilene and Big Springs, it was after nine o’clock and very dark.     

            Dave said, “It looks like black smoke ahead,” just as a Cadillac in front of us braked suddenly. Dave pulled into the fast lane to avoid hitting them, and that’s when we ran into the wall of black swirling dirt. It obliterated the road. We could barely see a faint glow of the headlights, but no visible road. The high winds sandblasted the truck, and all Dave could do was steer, step on brakes, and start gearing down.

            Then we felt the truck leave the interstate, our direction unknown. We sensed going down an embankment and up again and crossing different levels of ground. We felt as if we hit 50 things before our 80,000-pound rig and load finally stopped. I was on the phone with our daughter, Sheryle, during our entire wild ride.

            Right before all this happened I told her, “We’re hitting some fierce wind.” She went on the scary ride with us via her cell phone. I'm sure it was very frightening for her as I said, "Oh God, we've left the road. We're having a wreck."

            "Mom, what's happening? Are you okay?"

            "I don't know. We’re still having the wreck...Okay we’ve stopped. We’re okay. I’ll call you back.” I asked Dave, "Where are we?”        "I don't know. I think we hit a bridge."

            He grabbed a flashlight and jumped out to check the truck, having no idea where we were. He later told me he thought we were in the median, partially in oncoming traffic. We actually had missed any surrounding vehicles, crossed in front of the Cadillac and traveled down and off the roadway. We then went up another embankment, crossed the feeder road and ended up in the ditch next to a plowed field. I couldn't even open the door of the truck the wind was pushing so hard. Dirt blew perpendicular to the ground.

            The husband and wife in the Cadillac stopped high above us on the shoulder of the interstate, and the wife braved stinging dirt to check on us. Dave still couldn’t tell where we were, but she told us we were to the right of the feeder going west. By then Dave had inspected his load. No pipe had shifted. We had not blown any tires. Not one scratch on the truck or us, and we were especially relieved that the folk in the Cadillac were okay.

            We counted our blessings, and Dave eased the truck back onto the feeder where we drove several miles until the initial brunt of the swirling darkness died down. Sheryle later texted: “The minute you said you were getting into high wind, I said a quick prayer, “Lord, protect them.”

            Emily, a young mother, related her harrowing close call to me: Her husband and children were meeting family at their farm. Five-month-old daughter, Kaitlyn, had a cough, so Emily took a hot bath, and sat Kaitlyn in her car seat beside the tub, hoping the steam would ease her breathing.

            Emily heard a loud bang and saw pieces of the wall in her bath water. After looking around, the family found a small hole in the wall behind Emily’s back and a hole in an opposite cabinet -- lodged inside a bullet, possibly from illegal hog hunters in the area. The bullet holes were just inches from where little Kaitlin sat and where Emily had bathed. Emily said, “I am so thankful that Kaitlyn and I weren't hurt. God was watching over us.” When rescues happen, we take comfort in knowing God has his eyes on sparrows, paths of big trucks, windstorms, paths of bullets, and us.

            Close calls can leave one trembling. God’s miraculous sparings, through his power and his angels, remind us of at least two things: First, God keeps track of where we are and what’s happening in our lives. Second, if we’re still on Earth, he designated that we have more days. Have you had any narrow escapes this year or in the past?

             On this Thanksgiving in the year of our Lord 2011, knowing that God will protect us until it’s time for him to welcome us home – now that’s delicious food for thought!

            Index card verse for week 47: “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14).

           

Linger, Remain, Stay, Delay and Dawdle--November 18

I’m in love with the word “linger.” Actually, I’m in love with the essence of that word. I’m not talking about forgetful lingering such as when you’re sitting at a red light and you forget to drive when the light turns green. That’s simply not paying attention. I have in mind, a purposed time of taking longer than usual with things of importance, things that sometimes are rushed.

            You’re familiar with the fourteen “time” passages in Ecclesiastes 3, presented as opposites. There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, . . . a time to be silent and a time to speak.”

            Let’s focus on “there is a time to be silent and a time to speak.” What I’m suggesting for this next week of rushed schedules, family gatherings, and baking and eating is to spend some time lingering. Lingering will boost your joy quotient in ways that busyness will not.

            Lingering involves calming and quieting. Quieting means disconnecting from whatever worries assault you at present, giving the mind an okay signal to vacation from your worries for a few minutes.  First, quiet your body. Be still. Halt the noise of your surroundings. Don’t shoot the cheery mockingbird outside your window, but do turn off the television, telephone, and the sound on the internet. Don’t let any pings, rings, or knocks disturb your settling down to relax.

            That’s the easy part. Now try to quiet the noise behind your eyebrows. Turn off the list of stuff that you want to do. Turn off doubts. Turn off questions. Turn off negative thoughts, and practice Paul’s recipe for cleansing the inner person: “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” (Philippians 4:8). A few minutes of quiet lingering can restore your focus, energy, and enthusiasm for life.

            Having practiced stopping and quieting yourself, then carry that spirit of lingering into your noisy, always-on-the-move world. What will “lingering” look like there? It will be time to hold a granddaughter an extra five minutes as you read her favorite book. It will mean taking a deep breath and sitting longer with your hands wrapped around a mug of hot coffee. It means making time to sit by your spouse, hold hands, and simply be, even lingering over a kiss between you.

            It will mean not entertaining regrets about spending extra time with people instead of trimming the hedges, dusting, cooking, making out a job bid, or cleaning out the gutters. On autumn days when David and I were newlyweds, he would ask me to go for a walk on our wooded acreage. Sometimes his invitation would come just as we finished supper and before I’d cleaned the kitchen. After declining his invitation a few times, he eventually said, “I don’t mind that the kitchen sink has a few dirty dishes in it. I’d rather have you with me, holding hands, and walking along the creek.” I learned to grab my flannel shirt and his warm hand and go for walks with my beloved.

            Along these thoughts of lingering, I also have in mind a purposeful waiting on the Lord in silence. Again, prepare that sound barrier so you can linger over a psalm, pray, and wait for an answer. A peace beyond comprehension comes from such a meeting between the Lord and you. The Lord counseled hasty, out-of-sorts, and sinning Israel, “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it (Isaiah 30:15).

            Want to have the best Thanksgiving ever?  Quiet your body. Be still. Halt the noise. Linger with a friend over lunch. Take a refreshing nap. Look long into the eyes of the person you love. Postpone an activity in favor of quietness and rest. Remain, delay, stay behind, dawdle, postpone, or reschedule. Take the time to linger. I imagine that you too may fall in love with the essence of the word linger.

            Index card words for week 46: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philemon 1:3).

          

Soldiers and the Arm that Guides the Starrry Host

In the winter of 1777-1778, the Continental Army suffered months of hardship from lack of food, clothing, and proper shoes to keep their feet from freezing. The encampment at times housed as many as 12,000 soldiers. "An army of skeletons appeared before our eyes naked, starved, and sick and discouraged," wrote New York's Gouverneur Morris of the Continental Congress.

            The army’s wintering took place near Valley Forge, so named by a forge owned by the brother of Isaac Potts, a Quaker.  Even though Isaac Potts opposed the war, as most Quakers did, Potts’ family history claims that 26-year-old Isaac lived at the Forge during the winter with his wife to oversee the grinding of the grain that George Washington commissioned from the surrounding farmers to feed his starving army.

            Several who lived during that time wrote accounts of Isaac Potts traveling on foot through a wooded area near the encampment when he heard the voice of one in devotion.  As he drew closer, he heard and saw the commander-in-chief of the armies of the United Colonies, George Washington, kneeling in prayer. Although several men claim to have written what Potts told them about Washington’s prayer, the most accurate account seems to come from a signed, handwritten document by Isaac Potts’ daughter, Ruth-Anna, written later in life at her father’s direction.  

            These excerpts are from what she recorded from her father:  After returning home, he sat beside his wife, and she asked with tenderness, “Heigh! Isaac, thee seems agitated; what’s the matter?”

            “Indeed, my dear, if I appear agitated ‘tis no more than what I am. I have seen this day what I shall never forget.” Her father said that Washington was “interceding for his beloved country . . . With tones of gratitude that labored for adequate expression.” He expressed adoration to God for lifting him to lead a great nation, who fought at “fearful odds for all the world holds dear.” Isaac Potts said Washington “disclaimed all ability of his own for this arduous conflict; he wept at the thought of that irretrievable ruin which his mistakes might bring on his country.”  He pleaded a patriot’s despair mentioning “the interest of unborn millions before the eye of Eternal Mercy.” He then implored the “aid of that arm which guides the starry host.”

            Isaac Potts continued, “Till now I have thought that a Christian and a soldier were characters incompatible; but if George Washington be not a man of God, I am mistaken.” Potts concluded: “And still more shall I be disappointed if God do not through him perform some great thing for this country.”

            Today is Veteran’s Day, when we honor those who place themselves in harm’s way to defend our freedoms. On my Facebook page a few weeks ago, my friend posted photos in her album titled, “My Son’s Military Funeral.” God forbid that any mother should have to remember her son through photos. Her highly decorated son (who helped to recue Jessica Lynch), Army Ranger Kristoffer B. Domeij (Doe-May) lost his life October 21 on his 14^th deployment to a combat zone. He served in both Iraq and Afghanistan, his life ending in Afghanistan when a roadside bomb detonated. He left behind a wife and two young daughters, his mother, and brother, and many other family and friends. He had enlisted shortly after September 11. 2001.

            His mother shared a post from her son’s Facebook page, written on September 24: “Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I. Send me!" - Isaiah 6:8; Thank you for all the love. If I don't get back to you anytime soon....sorry.”

            Whenever you see military personnel, but don’t quite know how to express your thanks, you might adopt the hand signal from www.GratitudeCampaign.org : Place your hand over your heart and move it away from you, palm up, toward the man or woman in uniform. Many also mouth the words, “Thank you,” during the gesture.

            In the Hallmark movie, “Winter’s End” (“Sarah Plain and Tall” series), a doctor who awaited his son’s return from WWI, made a statement appropriate for days when all is well, and for those days when a knock on the door changes your life, “We’re in God’s hand on every side.”

            Index card for week 45: “Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone” (Titus 3:1-2).