I Love You Jesus

Sunday morning, September 1, 2013

I sat on my front porch gazing up at the awesome blue of space. You know the space that goes on for eon of miles.

 Some say that Jesus lives far away beyond the blue space.  “But, Jesus, I know you are not far away for You live in my heart.” I said. The thought was overwhelming. How could it be that the creator of the universe could abide in me, just a weak worm of the dust?   My eyes filled with tears, I breathed out, “I love you, Jesus.”  Then my mind went leapfrogging from scene to scene of experiences we had together.  “I have loved you since I was five years old,” I whispered. “I loved you before you came to live in my heart.”

I don’t remember much of my early childhood.  However, I do remember that Jesus became real to me just before my sixth birthday.

In April of that year, I had polio (poliomyelitis) and it left me crippled. Two bouts with pneumonia that winter had weakened my immune system. Therefore, when an epidemic of polio broke out in Oklahoma City, I became a victim.  After the fever and suffering ended, I wanted to get up and play. Mamma helped me out of bed, but I could not stand. Later I realized that I could not crawl. I could only roll to get where I wanted to go. Mamma would carry me out on the porch so I could watch other children playing.

My biggest disappointment was thinking, I would not be able to attend school. I had wanted to go to school since my sister Bob started two years ago. During the days as I lay on a quilt and watched other children playing, I hoped to play again someday. That September day in 1941 when I walked to school, and ran with the other children during recess, I knew Jesus was real. He had healed me.

 He came into my heart two years later when. I was eight years old. We lived in a two-story house and my bedroom was on the second floor. I crawled out of bed and went downstairs to my mother’s bed.

In the darkness, I stood beside my sleeping parents. Those parents I loved beyond measure. I hated to awake them, because they were tired from working to care for my three siblings and me. Now they were resting. I hesitated and almost turned to leave, when my mother sensing my presence spoke, “What you want, Dink?”

Trembling, I said, “I wanta be saved?”

Mamma prayed with me and Jesus came into my heart that night. Oh, the lightness and happiness I felt as I returned to my bed!

That was 70 years ago. I thought at the time that I couldn’t love Jesus more, but my love for Him has grown with every experience until now my love is too deep to express. How desperately I wish I could help others understand the depth of my love. However, I cannot, for there are no words to express it. 

The only way to understand  my relationship with Jesus is to experience it.

“Thank you Jesus, for loving me all these years.”

Too Much Food and Time

Meditation 9/8/2013

Have you heard the Bible story about two cities, Sodom and Gomorrah? It is found in Genesis 13. It says, “the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord.” Eventually like an erupting volcano, hot brimstone fell from the sky burying both cities.

Did you ever wonder what was happening in these cities before they became so wicked? In another place, the Bible tells us: “…this was the iniquity of … Sodom, pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness ...neither did she strengthen the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.” Ezek. 16:49 & 50 A wise proverb of King Solomon is, “Pride comes before a fall and a haughty spirit before destruction.” Pride, plenty of food and idle time was what caused the inhabitants of Sodom to fall into wickedness. If they had changed some things in their lives, perhaps they might have avoided the catastrophe.

Are we allowing our children to follow a path toward wickedness when we keep them full of food and give them time to be idol? An old wise saying is, “An idol mind is the devils workshop.” Shouldn’t all children have responsibilities equal to their ability? Even small children can be responsible for keeping themselves and their room clean, doing school homework and helping with family chores. Other responsibilities should be added as they grow. By the time, they are young adults they should be working and paying for some of their clothes, their car, insurance, gas and repairs unless they are devoted to studying. When parents supply their needs, they have more time to experiment with sin. Parents are in essence giving their children “fullness of bread and abundance of idleness” the very things that caused Sodom to decline. A busy child will be tired at night. He will sleep instead of staying awake doing things that are not constructive.

Another sin of Sodom was that they did not “strengthen the poor and needy.” While we are living a standard better than that of kings in former ages, the poor barely exist in there miserable conditions. What are we doing to strengthen the poor? Do we even share our abundance with them? Much of our abundance is thrown in the trash, half an apple, vegetables we don’t like, leftover food, that could be saved for another meal, etc.? What kind of example are we showing the next generation?

Are we using money for unnecessary comforts for our children and those children becoming selfish or experimenting with destructive things of the world, too much entertainment, popularity, drugs, alcohol, gambling, pornography etc.? Sometimes the sacrifices parents make for children are propelling then toward tragedy. Perhaps they would benefit more by seeing their parents helping others and the gospel.

Let us not allow our children to grow up in the sins of Sodom for they may take up the practices of those cities as well.  We can take our sons and daughters into the icy waters of self-denial, and give of our money to help others and by so doing save our sons and daughters. On the other hand, we can huddle in our comforts with them and await the outcome. God help us to save ourselves, and our families from “pride, fullness of bread, abundance of idleness and ignoring the poor.”

God Knows Our Foolishness

Thursday, Aug. 15, 2013

O, God thou knowest my foolishness; and my sin is not hid from thee. Let not them that wait on thee, O Lord God of host, be ashamed for my sake: let not those that seek thee be confounded for my sake, O God of Israel. Psalm 69:5 & 6.

Thursday is my day to bake. I have baked bread and given the profits to missions since we moved from the mission field in Mexico. I go to bed the night before planning my baking day schedule. And, sorry to say, I often get up ready to get into the dough. I say a hasty prayer.  I read a verse or two in the Bible but I don’t take time to meditate on it.

A couple weeks ago, in prayer meeting, Marie Benson exhorted us to take time for meditation on God’s Word. That if we  gobbled it down it will not do us much good, just as gobbling down our food does not do our body as much good as when we relax and eat slowly. I promised myself that I’d do better. I called her the following day and thanked her. “It was just what I needed to hear.” I told her. Since that time, I have taken more time reflecting on God’s words.

As I was getting ready for bed, Wednesday night, I was planning Thursday’s schedule. I would need to finish baking early enough to tidy up the house, bath and be at the airport by 8:00 p.m. We were to pick-up Maria, our granddaughter at the OKC airport. Maria, along with others, was returning from a month long trip to Kenya, Africa. There they helped with a construction project for the Huruma Orphanage Centre.  (Her picture laying bricks is on my first post.)

I promised myself this Thursday would be different. I got up early so I’d have time to do things right, read my Bible and reflect on its meaning.  However, something distracted me and before I knew it, I was mixing whole wheat bread. By 10:00 o’clock, I have four loaves of banana nut bread baked and eight loaves of whole wheat bread ready for the oven. That was wonderful but soon the day turned chaotic. The cinnamon roll dough was too moist and hard to keep in round shapes, I forgot to put almonds on the Sabbath bread, and some of the cookies burned. I struggled through the rest of the day. By 1:30, I was exhausted, when usually I can keep working into late hours. However, God who is always merciful, sent volunteer help. The baking was finished and kitchen clean by 3:30 p.m.

After the helpers were gone, I picked up my Bible to read, and guess what, I fell asleep. When I awoke it was time to make supper. Since my husband, James is not well; I knew it was now my obligation to prepare a meal, so I did. When the meal was finished, it was time to get ready and go pick-up Maria at the airport.

I f I’d had a smart phone, I might have gobbled down a bit of God’s Word while riding to the airport, in that way eased my conscience a little. As it was, I had to admit that I had broken my promise to God..

After returning from the airport,  I opened my Bible to-- you guess it, Psalm 69:5 O God thou knowest my foolishness, and my sin is not hid from thee. My prayer that evening, was, “Lord forgive me for making the foolish mistake of putting my other things before you. I am thankful you are merciful, loving and forgiving. Please, don’t let what I do hinder those around me, for I know others are watching my life. Help me be a better example. I don’t want others to be discouraged in You.”