Power, power, wonder working power

There are so many benefits to life off the main highway: beauty, privacy, quiet (can you hear it?) to name just a few.  But, as with anything, there is also a downside. Aside from enjoying the beauty, privacy and quiet, almost everything requires a lengthy drive and  sizable time commitment.  To provide just a bit of perspective, the nearest Walmart is 75 minutes away.  

Another rather vexatious drawback to this rural life is the dearth of skilled tradesmen and thus the fossilizing wait time for service. It is a small miracle then that, after almost a full year of anticipation, our upstairs privy is finally finished!

But wait, before we light off the celebratory fireworks,  let me add one caveat - everything is finished EXCEPT the electric. The wiring is there. The ceiling fan is gathering dust on the floor. We are simply missing the outlets and pot lights. Oh.... and the electrician to connect it all!  It all looks so good - especially in the dark or by flashlight!

I find myself becoming increasingly philosophical these days - mining for the hidden lessons in life's vagaries. It's cheaper than therapy.  The other day, as I rejoiced in the flushing facilities and how nicely everything had come together on a reasonable budget, I couldn't help but moan "but there's no power!" It looks great. It's functioning. But there's no power.

To the casual onlooker everything looks just swell. All shiny and clean.  Colour coordinated. Functional - until you go to turn on the light or use a hairdryer.  In the day time, I can almost trick myself into believing that everything is working just fine. I don't have to turn on the light until it's dark outside or we are enduring one of the notorious "Grey" county days. Even then, we are accustomed to using a flash light now. It seems almost normal. 

My spiritual life can be just like the bathroom. Everything looks great. Partially functioning. Quite convincing to those looking on. In fact, I can even get used to not having power - in the good times. It's not until facing the darkness that I realize just how disconnected and powerless I am. At those times it matters little how things LOOK. It matters how things ARE. Am I connected to the Power source or aren't I? 

An old hymn of the faith reads:
Would you be free from the burden of sin? There's power in the blood.
Would you be free from your passion and pride? There's power in the blood.
Would you do service for Jesus your King? There's power in the blood. (Lewis E Jones)

I don't know about you but I'm tired of living life by flashlight.  I want to live connected to the Light of the World every day. Every moment. I need that power!

As we enter Advent 2017 and ponder the mystery of  Emmanuel "God with us", lets take some time to reconnect to the source of all power The Lord Jesus Christ.  

Again. Or maybe for the first time.


"The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine." (Isaiah 9:2)



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Under Construction ...

As I write, I'm sitting in our snug living room, tea at hand, fire blazing, relishing the gleam of polished wood and the light scent of clean... Ah...perfection. At this point you should be hearing the screeching rewind of the tape. Yes, I'm sitting in our snug living room, tea at hand, fire blazing. But the rest? The rest is pure fiction - a happy place to which I escape in my hopeless attempt to resist writing this blog in the drywall dust which coats every surface, every item, every fiber of our humble abode. We are officially "UNDER CONSTRUCTION".

The whole sad story began over a year ago when the room upstairs containing a bathtub and ONLY a bathtub, (Don't even get me started!) started to leak.  So the dilemma was: do we create chaos to fix this "bathroom" or do we create chaos to make it into something that would actually be usable and add value to our home? We landed on the latter. We had the perfect plan (don't we always?). Except it wasn't.  Fast forward through spring, summer, knee surgery and Haiti preparations - nothing. You guessed it, two weeks before Don was to travel to Haiti with "That All May See" and as I tottered on my new pins, the walls started tumbling down. Now, what feels like years later, the walls are up, the bathroom is taking shape and there is a whiff of hope that there actually may be an end point. There may actually be a functioning bathroom .... UPSTAIRS! There may actually be furniture under all that dust and I may, one day, sit down on the couch or the bed without convulsing with sneezes. The end product might eventually be worth the pain.

As our home has endured the paroxysms of renovation, I have felt similar reverberations as my character has been chiseled and pounded and shaved.  For one who chases but never quite achieves the spotless, nigh on sanitary home of my childhood, the upheaval and chaos of  the last few months has been approaching unendurable. But the timing of this mess, on the "heals" of major surgery,  is  completely within the Lord's hands and for some reason, the collision has been designed thus. A collision of my rights with reality.

Could something as mundane and possibly even virtuous as my desire for a clean and orderly house shine a glaring spotlight on my reluctance to release ALL my rights to the One who has total right to me? In a world where I am blessed beyond measure, could a protracted renovation really erode my contentment and the love, joy, peace, patience and long suffering which are to be the hallmarks of my life in this world ?

So it's not just the walls that are under construction here. No, I find my character under construction; my contentment under construction; my ability to release every circumstance into His hands without grumbling or complaining under construction. As each day passes and the  peace and order of "home" remain elusive, I am brought face to face with the dust and mold lying under the surface of ME.

Mercifully, as painful and frustrating as this process is, God's word assures me that

 " ... God who began the good work within (me), will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. (Phil 1:6 NLT)

While I am still dubious that there will be an endpoint to these earthly renovations, I look forward to the finished renovation of my character on that day! Until then, along with the apostle Paul and with the Spirit's help, I am learning

"... to be content [and self-sufficient through Christ, satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or uneasy] regardless of my circumstances" (Phil 4:11 AMP)

Ummm.... does anyone have a vacumn? 😬

                                                                                       
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Fear Factor.... more than a creepy TV show!

There are T-shirts sold at a little shop in Lion's Head with the caption: " If you don't like the weather in Lion's Head wait 5 minutes". Today is fair. At least for the current 5 minutes. This summer has been something else! Fair skies can change to fog and showers in the time it takes to put out the patio cushions. So, we are trying to seize the fair moments as they arrive. On the bright side, the vegetation has never looked better!

Today, there is a mist of anxiety creeping over me - again. A hospital bed  assembled in our living room is a stark reminder of things to come. As my Father used to say "The great big saw draws nearer and nearer." Tomorrow morning that saw is set to connect with both of my knees and quite frankly, I'm terrified. Okay, maybe terrified is a bit of an overstatement but I can't deny owning a respectful understanding of all that awaits me. Sometimes being a nurse is not helpful!


Will it be successful?
Will I be able to manage the pain?
Have I bitten off more than I can chew?

And it takes nothing for a tsunami of "What if's" to assault me mind, body and soul.

But who controls the Tsunami's? Who brings the rain and clears the skies? And, probably most important: Is the One who gave His life for me faithful to walk with Me, with US, as we go through the inevitable storms of life?

Isaiah 43:1-3 is is a great place to anchor during these storms.

"...Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel your Saviour. " 

Isaiah 41:10 jolts me to put my money where my mouth is.

"Fear thou not for I am with thee.  Be not dismayed for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee. Yea, I will help thee. Yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness"

His right hand. The hand of power. In other words, He's got this!

For me and for those brothers and sisters who are the redeemed, (bought back), of the Lord, this is a refresher course and a call to apply what we should already know. For those who are attempting to traverse troubled waters on their own steam, those who do not know the Holy One of Israel as their Saviour,  the outlook must be bleak. In those solitary moments, when fears are most likely to overwhelm, there is no One to lean into. All the props we tend to use evaporate in the dark, as elusive as the thoughts that torment.

He is there waiting for us. Longing for us to climb up on to His lap to receive comfort, strength and courage. He is, as the song proclaims "My Lighthouse".  Is He yours?

 

Learn more about Don and Karen's ministry here

Exactly who AM I ?

 

Over the last month, I have come nose to pane with the issue of identity. Everywhere, people are fearlessly and proudly declaring who they are and what they stand for.

In Canada and the US, national pride was on display this past weekend as both countries celebrated their histories and identities. Canada Day was uncharacteristically elaborate as the sesquicentennial or 150th birthday was marked. Canadians are beginning to take pride in our flag (something our neighbours to the south have refined to a sharp edge). Egged on by Molsons and our "national" beer, we are prodded to declare
 "I AM CANADIAN". Yes, I am. And Don is American. And while we  use these terms to describe something about us, those labels and any others we might take or be handed, do not comprise our identities.

Mid June, Don and I stopped briefly to minister in Williamsport PA.  I was taken with the tasteful and prominent bronze statues marking the city's main intersection. Baseball - the birthplace of little league. The atmosphere oozed passion and pride in this claim to fame. This identity.

Recently streets around the world were filled with those celebrating "Pride".  Reflection on the use of that term and the symbol chosen to declare it must rest for now. Suffice it to say that many marched exuberantly to identify with the  LGBTQ community. Unabashedly people paraded their identity as gay or lesbian or trans gendered or declared their solidarity.

Each of these identities and so many other things on which we tend to base our value and stake our territory here on earth are just that: earthly, temporal, superficial, evaporating, divisive.

Only Christ Jesus can give us an identity that is deep and eternal and unifying. Galatians 1:26 says:

"for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (ESV). 

Race, gender, status, sexual orientation, political affiliation and the inevitable walls that arise from them, fade in the wonder of God's love - the outstretched inclusive arms of mercy to whomever will come to Him through Jesus Christ.

Some months ago, I came across a slip of paper in my father's script. It read "Always remember whose you are". A practical reminder from a taciturn man of his identity in Christ. Now THIS is an identity worth celebrating!

Have you identified as a follower of Jesus or is your identity found in something or someone else?

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Robots and Refreshment

I love Air Miles! Some might say it is simply a cleverly disguised way to tax the many to benefit the few. But I say, "sign up"!  For our friends in the US and elsewhere, I extend my condolences. For those who are not familiar, Air Miles is a rewards based plan which allots "miles" or credit for purchases of certain things, in certain amounts at certain stores. In exchange, these credits can be cashed in for air travel or merchandise. Don and I are avid collectors. We try to take advantage of every opportunity to collect air miles. Its a grand game!

Last year Air Miles announced that any miles collected prior to a certain date would be lost if they weren't used. There was a frenzy of redemption by the brotherhood of collectors all across Canada - done with the characteristic Canadian politeness of course. We were among them as we began our on line search for the perfect free item. Enter Rosie.

Pandering to my obsessive need for clean floors, a robot that would reliably and efficiently clean up the inevitable crumbs and bits that materialize on a daily basis, made me almost giddy with anticipation. I had seen this disc-shaped marvel in action at a friend's home a few months earlier but now, she was to be MINE! And for FREE!! Could it get any better than that?

A short while later, the package arrived and my love affair began in earnest.  She was carefully removed from her cardboard cocoon and immediately set to work but not before she had been affectionately christened "Rosie" after the robotic house help in the 60's cartoon "The Jetsons".  Rosie completed her inaugural spin and then I carefully set her timer to clean at 7 am each weekday.

The next morning my dreams gave way to concern which merged into a smile as I realized that we were not being burgled by a very clumsy invader. Rather, Rosie was up and about her work mapping out the floors and navigating, albeit noisily, around obstacles and under furniture to leave the floors spotless for us to begin the day.  Each morning thereafter we awakened to the faithful sounds of Rosie sweeping our little world clean and the pleasing chime of her returning to her base to be recharged.

Lamentations 3:22-24 highlights another Friend's faithfulness:

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning;great is your faithfulness. "The Lord is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him". (ESV)

Each and every morning, the Almighty God of the universe offers to extend His mercy and grace to us. If we allow Him access, He will sweep away the dust and debris of our poor choices and the cobwebs collected  from living in this fallen world. He does this, not because He is programmed to but because He loves us. He offers us access to His cleansing mercy not just while His battery is charged but endlessly, eternally, faithfully. That's who He is. That's why our souls can say with certainty "I will have hope in Him"!

In her clumsy, electronic way, Rosie is a picture of God`s enduring faithfulness.  But she`s also a vivid example of our own need. We are programmed to return to "dock", plugging into the source of our energy, the Lord Jesus Christ. In Him we rest, are recharged and renewed to serve.  While we are docked and charging in His presence each day, we bask in His steadfast love, His enduring mercy and His eternal faithfulness!  

Time with Him is not optional - its our source of life.  Great is His faithfulness!


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"To see or not to see ..."

With the help of our national partners we clambered into the 4 person compartment and collapsed on the train bound for Nagpur. The 9 hour journey was an oasis of semi quiet before the next ministry burst. Introverts thrive on time alone and there had been next to none.

Quiet. Introspection. Analysis. For weeks, the soil of this introvert's soul  had been drying out and I was feeling frayed, irritable and discouraged. As the train lurched forward, I tented myself in a sheet just for the pretense of privacy from the man sharing our cabin and began to unload my heart. "Lord, what on earth are we doing? We've poured ourselves out for each person coming to the clinics. We've  turned ourselves inside out accommodating to strange surroundings, hard beds, cold baths and food that well, at times, is just plain scary. I'm tired and frustrated. Despite our best efforts at teaching each person, most people wrap their glasses in the little plastic bag, hold them in their hot little hands and stroll our of the clinic unchanged and unseeing. WHAT is going on? Is any of this effort making ANY difference whatsoever? Is this sacrifice of time and energy and resources really worth it? We came here so 'That All May See" and yet so many leave just as blind as when they came, holding in their hands the very thing that will give them sight. Underneath my cotton canopy, the Lord spoke so clearly into my heart that my eyes flooded.

"I was poured out in every way for each one. My time and My energy, My precious resource, My Son, literally poured out His blood yet many casually scan the facts, turn and walk away. Unseeing. Unbelieving. I came that All may see yet " wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it" (Matthew 7:13 NKJV). Some refuse out of ignorance Some refuse out of pride. Some refuse simply because they wilfully choose to follow other gods. Together we can work on the first. I will work on the second. Neither of us can help the third -  not when a soul consciously chooses to walk away from the very thing that will bring them sight".

As I lay there, hidden from everyone but God, these realities released me from shouldering responsibilities that were not mine to carry and reinforced my responsibility to simply be faithful. Whether showing the love of  Christ through eye clinics and glasses or sharing the Gospel through words, we are called to be faithful. Can we improve? Yes! Should we strive for better outcomes physically and spiritually? Of course. But ultimately each one of us chooses for ourselves to accept or reject the lifelines that are extended to us.

As Easter approaches, we contemplate the gift of Christ's death on a cross. We may join the crowd and shout "Hosanna"lining up with all the others to cheer the gift. And yet, like many at the vision clinics, we carefully fold up the gift and seal it away never allowing it to impact our lives. Unbelieving. Unseeing.

Jesus died so that we can SEE. Will we?

It's our choice.

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Drilling Down to Redemption

Why is it that mundane tasks can be so incredibly vexatious and yet so replete with lessons? No wonder that Jesus, the master storyteller of all time, used everyday objects and events to drill home His most profound lessons.


This year, preparations for the Peninsula winter have been more sporadic than we would have liked. Amidst plans for India Outreach 2017, we have stolen odd moments to put things to rest outside at 67 McIvor Dr. One of those tasks involves removing screws which secure our plastic Adirondack chairs to the dock. Because our dock is extremely narrow, this was our insurance policy against, in a moment of summer enjoyment, fishing either the chairs or OURSELVES out of the lovely waters of Lake Huron.

Unbeknownst to me, Don decided to remove those screws one afternoon and bring the chairs in for the winter. I was engrossed in some warmer inside task when the door burst open and he flew in crying with unusual intensity "Have you a hairdryer?".  Now the absurdity of this question coming from Don's lips was not lost on me and, assessing that he did not appear to be suffering any personal distress,  with my usual sensitivity I asked, "What do YOU need a hairdryer for?"  The only answer was a repeat of the question. Grabbing my hairdryer I handed it to Don who unwrapped our battery operated drill from it's shroud of sopping paper towel revealing a silty, dripping, sorry excuse for a tool. After 10 minutes of swabbing and drying, sandy water continued to ooze from seams that had been otherwise invisible and the sad story began to emerge.

Having removed two screws,  Don reached out to balance, almost unconsciously, on the chair. In a flash, the two unsecured chair legs flipped up sending the drill, which had been on the seat, rolling on to the dock where it bounced and continued it's journey through the thin skiff of ice into the water and deep into the silty bottom. Surely lost and irredeemable.

Apparently, Don momentarily considered diving in after the drill but quickly reconsidered realizing that he too would end up at the bottom given his propensity to sink like a stone. Uttering a quick prayer on the way back to the garage, he frantically searched for something to fish the drill out of the lake. As he scanned the contents of the garage his eye caught on the garden rake and he knew that God had provided a simple solution. Within moments, the drill was fished out and well, the rest is history.

In that moment, God redeemed an unfortunate accident. He redeemed what Don considered to be his carelessness and stupidity. Without condemnation He took a frustrating, panic inducing situation and turned it into an opportunity to hear His voice. He literally plucked a useless tool out of the muck and redeemed it for it's intended purpose. 

The Jesus of Christmas came to do that for each of us. He takes sin and turns it white. He takes weakness and makes it strength. He takes our humanity with all its foibles and redeems it! He came to redeem us from the muck of our sin and bring us to the surface where, as we submit to Him,  His presence in our lives daily redeems us to fulfill our purpose - To glorify God and enjoy Him forever"

Today in the city of David, a liberator has been born for you ! He is the promised Anointed One, the Supreme Authority!"  Luke 2:11 (The Voice)

Hallelujah Christ is born!

Oh...after three days in front of the fire and a recharged battery, the drill continues to do what it was made to do and the chairs are safely in the garage!

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