Being Present

 “He raises the humble and protects those suffering." ~ Job 5:11

Cristian, the Children’s Hospital Chaplain, offered spiritual guidance and pastoral care to patients and their families. Most regarded him as serious and kind, yet the staff probably thought he meddled too much. Parents expected him to be more like Mr. Rogers. But the kids had an amazing capacity to see through it all and ask the big questions.

"Where was I before I was born? What does God look like? Why does God let children get sick?”

Today the attending physician asked him to minister to the parents of a 3-year-old who’d been diagnosed with terminal cancer. When he arrived at their room, he found Dad weeping. Mom was answering phone calls, holding her world together in her own way.

Cristian encouraged them to share what they loved most about their son. Mom’s response came quickly. “His curiosity. His energy. His laughter.”

Angry eyes told the young Chaplain that Dad was about to explode. “My son doesn’t deserve this!” he cried. “I know God has a plan, but this is a crappy one!”

Seminary taught Cristian that when anger boils, take the pot off the heat and open the lid. You gotta let that steam exit safely into the heavens.

The room fell awkwardly silent.

"I don't know why this is happening,” Cristian confessed, “but I'm thankful I can witness this part of your story. May you know love amid your loneliness, pain, fears, questions, and your doubts.”

In truth, he didn’t know if the toddler’s cancer or recovery was a part of God's plan. He didn’t know if any of the infants in the NICU unit or the chemo patients awaiting remission news were part of His plan either. All the theology degrees in the world couldn't answer that question.

Why children get cancer may be less a search for reasons and more an expression of lament. And in grief, there’s no reason, explanation, or reflection.

It wasn’t his place to justify their pain, nor refute the ways they made sense of this crisis. He did want to tell them everything was going to be OK. That God works in mysterious ways. And that it will get better.

But for now, he accepted both anger and skepticism. This all brought to mind the biblical book of Job. But the questions Cristian most want to explore weren’t about theodicy or what God was actually considering or dismissing. This wasn’t about what he believed spiritually. Right now, was the time to be present for parents in agony… and simply remaining present.

They had a good conversation. They talked about their son, their support system, and what they planned to do when they settled back home. Nobody felt the need to talk about God's plans or what their son deserved; remaining present didn't demand it.

God, save me! I’m in over my head, quicksand under me, swamp water over me; I’m going down for the third time. I’m hoarse from calling for help, bleary-eyed from searching the sky for You. (Psalm 69:1:3)

He Will Carry You

 “I made you and I’ll care for you, even when your hair is white with age." ~ Isaiah 46:4

Ronnie’s daily seizures from a rare form of epilepsy delayed his cognitive and speaking abilities. Endless medications, daily feeding tube nutrition, and an inability to move around further complicated his social interactions.

The sleepy little boy woke up hard each morning. His Dad should encourage the 7-year-old to walk down the stairs. It’s something they work at in physical therapy. But with drowsy eyes and a weary heart, Joseph didn’t want to start off the boy’s day with a difficult task. So, he carried him.

After breakfast, there’s dressing, teeth brushing, and off to a school for kids with special needs. Later, Ronnie struggled down the school bus’s three large steps, ever anxious to be home again. Joseph gave him a loving hug and a reassuring word. Then Joseph carried him inside to play.

Ronnie had been directed and redirected, pushed and pulled throughout the day. Even at dinner, they worked on table manners and holding his utensils correctly. He’d had enough.

Storytime always brought welcome relief. With a stretch and a yawn, Ronnie snuggled right into Joseph and fell asleep. So, Dad carried him back upstairs.

The challenges don’t stop the family from taking trips to national parks and hiking on trails. Joseph simply straps on a Kinderpack with his son safely in toe.

“It looks a bit odd,” he admits. “His feet dangle past my waist. He’s getting taller, and at 60 pounds now, it sometimes hurts my back. But we’re determined to show Robbie cool places.”

To date, they’ve visited 13 states and 24 national parks.

Besides having enormous fun, the pair have also been a source of inspiration for other parents with special-needs children. Robbie loves exploring using “daddy’s legs.”

We all need someone to carry us to get us through the next hard thing, to love us through our good, bad, and weak moments. “When he’s reached his limit, I’m close to my own,” Joseph confided. “But when I carry him, Ronnie somehow carries me, too."

Caroline watches her husband smile as he does it, never hesitating or complaining. “I see the way strangers react to them on the trail,” she said. “Initially, our goal was to show Robbie the world, I soon realized the world also needed to see Robbie.”

And so too, our Heavenly Father carries us. Our problems and circumstances are never too heavy for Him. We all get discouraged at times. It’s part of being human but the Lord doesn’t let us go down the rabbit hole of hopelessness. His hope pushes us forward.

Things get better. Things change. Things improve because He carries those who abide in Him. Have courage. Stay strong. The Lord will carry you and get you to the finish line.

Almighty Father, we take comfort that You love us and promise to carry us when our legs fail and be with us till the end of time. You’ve carried us this far. You are the Rock on which we stand. Amen

The Doves of War

 “The Lord’s faithful promises are your armor and protection.” ~ Psalm 91:4

It was December 1941; America’s isolation from war just ended. For the young men from a little church in the tiny town of Seadrift, Texas, something truly miraculous was about to happen.

When World War II began, fifty-two men (one-fifth of the village’s entire population), joined the service to defend both the United States and our allies from the Axis powers. They served in combat divisions in every WWII theatre. Every branch of the military was represented.

Pastor Robert Caddell, along with the mothers, wives, and those too old and too young to enlist in the military, started a prayer meeting every Tuesday at 10:00 am. The weekly prayer meetings quickly turned into daily prayer meetings.

Families brought pictures of those men to the church where they were placed in a simple frame and hung on the wall. The collage of photos helped everyone remember the names of those currently serving.

The parishioners, including the children, drew comfort from the 91^st Psalm, reading it aloud at each meeting. It reminded them that God was ultimately in control of the situation and the circumstances of every person involved in the war effort.

Mothers and fathers prayed for their sons, wives for their husbands, brothers and sisters for their siblings, and thus the name, Seadrift Intercessors. Some participated in D-Day, the rescue of the Philippines, and island hopping across the Pacific Ocean. Heartbreaking rumors and stories surfaced about the conditions of war, but that only strengthened their resolve to fervently continue praying.

Take, for example, the Gaines brothers - Lonnie and Ora, whose young faces smiled from the prayer collage. Lonnie's ship had one of the most heart-rending jobs in the Pacific - searching for survivors of ships sunk in battle. Prayer did see him through. "We never lost a man off our ship," he said, "but we came damned close."

Meanwhile, his brother was on a huge tugboat that sank quickly off the Alaskan coast. Seadrift intercessors were praying for him that day too. They all managed to escape the frigid North Pacific waters unharmed. “God spared our lives that day,” he said. “It’s the only reason we survived.”

When Germany surrendered and Japan was defeated, every Seadrift soldier returned home alive and uninjured, even though hundreds of thousands of Americans were killed on those battlefronts.

The little church continues its prayer mission to this day. The picture collage still hangs on the church’s wall in Seadrift, reminding them that God still hears and answers prayer.

Men from this same church served courageously in every major military conflict since then: Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf Wars, and the Liberation of Iraq and Afghanistan. Each time, the church prayed. God responded. And they all came back home safely.

Lord, I come to You today, grateful for the privilege of praying for others. I've been the recipient of others' prayers so often; I know how powerful intercessory prayer can be. Through your name, I pray with confidence knowing that You will hear me. Amen

The Game of Life

“Be thankful.  Pray, sing, and dance to God with gratitude in your hearts." ~ Colossians 3:15-16

For Allen, the end of November is supposed to be a time to give thanks... unless you're a golfer living year-round in Michigan. As he stowed his clubs away for another season, he wondered why a game that makes grown men cry and toss their clubs like toddlers is cause for celebration.

He recalled streaks of bad holes where he watched the ball lip out for infuriating 3-putts. There were rounds where he couldn’t seem to find the fairway no matter what club he chose. Don’t even mention the “shank” he caught thin out of a greenside bunker that landed inches from the group on the next tee box. Yikes!

But understanding golf addiction is simple. At the end of the day, golfers forget about all the horrible shots. What brings them back is the one shot that convinces them that the weekend green fees were worth it.

It could be an 18-foot putt on the last hole to save par. Or a chip-in over a trap that bounces once, hits the flag, and drops for your first birdie of the day. Maybe it's reaching the green in two shots on a long par five with a perfectly struck three-wood.

The memory of that one shot inspires them to come back again trying to make another great shot.

Allen couldn't help but compare that thought process to how he approached work and life. Rather than focusing on the one good thing that happened each day, he sometimes pined over the dozen things that went awry. Instead of thinking about his successes, he replayed his failures.

His thoughts returned to Thanksgiving. For him, it wasn’t about the turkey but about family and the chance to kick back and celebrate how wonderful his life was. Being able to gather around the table and thank God – that was just magic!

So, as a new golf season begins, he vowed to forget the wayward shots!

There will always be at least one moment that may help you find your purpose, or at the very least, the courage to try something new, the confidence to keep moving forward, and the drive to finish the round. He’ll work harder at celebrating the one great conversation, the one selfless act of compassion, and any special moment that made him smile, laugh, and cheer.

Springtime is a time to consider your dependence on God’s gift in His Son Jesus. It’s a time to express thanksgiving for our many blessings, for friends and family, for our jobs, and for the many unexpected surprises in life that bless us. Actually, it’s also a time to thank God for our “blades, whiffs, and shanks for they cause us to grow in godliness and dependence on Him.

“Today, may we learn to walk more as Jesus did, with an appreciation for His duty of service to the poor. That He sought not to comfort His own ego, but to raise the glory of His wise words of love.” ~Angela Abraham

Out on a Limb

 “Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths." ~ Psalm 25:4

It had been another long, rough winter here in the mountains enclosing Newfound Gap, a mountain pass in the Great Smoky Mountains. High winds, heavy snows, and now drenching rains hit residents hard, taking its revenge on people, power lines, and thousands of trees.

Charlie headed home after a day with his great grandkids. Entertaining three rambunctious children is both exhilarating… and exhausting. His head felt foggy, as if every eyelash weighed 10X more than it should.

A late winter had dropped a foot of snow and that was rapidly melting. Runoff from the hills had swollen rivers, filled ditches and puddled in the road. Broken tree limbs scattered the mountainside.

Rounding a blind curve, Charlie saw a very thick tree branch up ahead that had fallen into the road and big enough to wreck his car. Freeze, fight or flee? He instinctively pounded the brakes, lit the emergency flashers, then sat for a moment to gather his thoughts just short of disaster.

The road was just wide enough that he could drive around it. Flight seemed the most sensible option for the octogenarian. He needed to get home, wanted to get home.

But the sun was losing its last silver streaks before twilight beckoned the stars. It’ll be dark soon. Sunlit, the mountains are a celebration of artistic forms and colors. Except for the galaxy of distant stars, pure blackness comes at night. “Cancel flight,” he grumbled.

Charlie opened his car door into the pouring rain. There’s a quality of rain that lifts one’s soul heavenward. Amidst the heavy downpour, he felt cleansed and humbled – as if embraced by the arms of his loving Protector.

He went about trying to pull the limb off the road. It was risky; much heavier than expected. But with a little prayer and much grunting, it started moving. By no more than a few inches, Charlie succeeded in clearing it to the road’s shoulder.

He stood briefly to enjoy the victory, offering praise to the partner God that’d help boost his energy. Just then, a small red car sprinted around the curve, hit a pool of water, and splashed his already-soaked pants. “Ungrateful little buggers,” laughing at the absurdity of it all.

Sometimes we all do good things only to get “splashed” for our trouble. When this happens just remember that the real reason you do good is because of the love inside you. The real reason is because you are good.

“Do all the good you can then, everywhere you can, and every chance you can.” (John Wesley) Do good and make the God who watches over you, walks beside you, and lives within you - smile.

Remind me, Lord, of your faithfulness in the past. Help me to remember Your goodness and grace. Help me to trust You even when I’m hesitant. Today, I offer You all that I am, use me for Your purposes. May I even be willing to be a fool for you! Amen