When Hard Times Come: Pressing On

On this date in 1994, the ice storm had already done its dastardly best. It left behind downed power lines all over this portion of our state. Since my house was off the road, and my lines only served one house, I was one of the last to have power restored.

That sad news meant I was without electricity for more than two weeks. With a toddler in diapers. Cloth diapers. No electricity meant there was no running water and no heat. 

I used oil lamps for light, continuous fires in both fireplaces for heat, and hauled water from the lake for flushing. I bought jugs of water for drinking and cooking and hauled water from a generous neighbor for bathing. We let the livestock into the lake pasture so they could get a drink.

It was a lot of work.

It was also a grand adventure and I still look back on the jambalaya in the dutch oven, simmering in the corner of the fireplace, with fond memories.

I wouldn't want to do it again, but I could if I had to, because the ice storm of 1994 trained me.

Two years ago at this time, we had a rare snow, the water to the barn froze, and I found myself hauling water again. This time for livestock.

It was a lot of work, but I'd had a harder time in 1994 and survived it. I persevered.

This week, the skies have been blue, the days have been pretty, and not a snow flake in sight. 

The aftermath of the 1994 storm seemed interminable, but it wasn't. The days of frozen water pipes in 2014 seemed interminable, but they weren't.

The Apostle Paul knew more than he wanted about hard times. He was beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, and imprisoned. He was hungry, thirsty, cold, and uncomfortable. Life after Christ was more difficult than I can imagine, but he didn't whine or complain. He didn't curse his circumstances or struggle to break free. 

Instead, Paul counted it all as a small inconvenience in comparison to the gift of Christ and praised God for the opportunity to suffer for Him. He understood one important fact.

All the hard times we face are temporary. 

When hard times come, and they will, we have several choices to make.

Will we whine and complain, or will we respond with good humor and rejoicing in our adversity?

Will we persevere or crumble under the pressure?

Will we look for a lesson to learn, a skill to gain, a witness to demonstrate in the midst of our trial?

Will we see God's hand of blessing in the midst of our hard times, or only see the difficulty?

Let's use our hard times as an opportunity to glorify God in our response. Like Paul, let's press on, persevere through, and rejoice in whatever comes our way. No matter how long.

"I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus..."  (Phil. 3:14 nasb)

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Our next Friday Night with Friends guest blog will post at 6 pm TONIGHT. You don't want to miss it!

In case you missed one of the past week's posts, here are the links:  The Temperament Test and Married Oneness, Leaving a Legacy: Choices That Last for Generations, Jumping to Conclusions: The Terrorists That Were Not, Nothing is Impossible: Ayman al-Zawahiri,  Morning Quiet Time: Who Speaks First, and Changing the World: What One Man (Or Woman) Can do
#presson #hardtimes #upwardcallofGod #disciple

The Grateful Heart: The Hard Times

One of my characters in my current novel-in-progress, Carter Price, is an FBI agent who is drawn into the lives of two young doctors when they find themselves in the midst of a terrorist attack. I'm not sharing the actual events because I want you to be surprised when you read it for the first time, but many terrible things happen. After all, what is a suspense novel without suspense? 

At one point, Carter says, "It's a good thing all this happened..." Those who took the brunt of the attack are not so sure, but Carter reminds them of all the good that came from their trial.

In a way, of course, I'm writing from my own life. When I look back at the hard times, I find that they were more than simply difficult. They were a drawing ground to bring me to Christ. They were a refining fire to burn out the impurities in my life. They were a training ground for a woman of God. 

Hard times will come to us all, but, if we allow them, they can be much more than something to survive. 

I read the story of Jacob this morning and found something I'd never noticed before. God appeared to Jacob when he came from Paddan-aram. He blessed him and changed his name from Jacob to Israel. Jacob, however, was still Jacob until he encountered one of those hard times.

His beloved wife Rachel, for whom he worked fourteen years for Laban, was pregnant with Benjamin. They were on their way to Bethlehem (Ephrath) when she went into labor. The child was born, she died, and was buried. Circumstances spiraled out of control. Tragedy struck when Jacob least expected it.

Genesis 35:20: "And Jacob set up a pillar over her grave..."
Genesis 35:21: "Then Israel journeyed on..."

The man Jacob watched his wife die. The man Jacob buried his wife and set up a pillar over her grave. The man Israel rose from that grave and journeyed onward. In the midst of his suffering, Jacob was transformed.

In one tragic moment of grief, Jacob became the man God intended him to be.

The question is not whether hard times will come, but in what way we will respond when they arrive? Will we allow our circumstances to mold and shape us? Will we allow the refining fire to burn out the impurities in our lives?

Just for a moment, let's take a look back at the hard times we've encountered. How were they used to make us better, more like Jesus, than we were before? 

Hard times will come to us all, but they can be much more than a trial to endure. If we allow it, they can become the defining moments of our lives. 

Hard times can become the place where we become the man or woman God created us to be. 

"In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:7 nasb

In case you missed any of the past week's posts, here are the links:  Persevering for Paris, Resisting Evil, Praying for Peace, Answered Prayers in Disguise,  Grateful Heart: Mizpah, Nigerian Nightmare, and Grateful Heart: Maggie Protects her Master. 

The most read post of the last week: Praying for Peace.
photo courtesy of freeimages.com #blessingofadversity #trials #hardtimes #disciple

Whispers in the darkness

Under these circumstances, after so many thousands of people had gathered together that they were stepping on one another, He began saying to His disciples first of all, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. Accordingly, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed upon the housetops. (Luke 12:1-3 NASB)

In the original language, "what you have said in the dark" indicates something spoken in secrecy. "Heard in the light" references the illuminating light that makes things clear. This verse can be taken two ways, and I believe both are correct.

First, when we whisper secrets that we don't want heard, they will, all too often, find a way out and become public knowledge. If we don't want it known, we should not say it. 

Secondly, this is likely a prophetic reference to the time after Jesus' resurrection, when the disciples would be gathered together for prayer until the day of Pentecost. What was spoken of Christ in secret, in the hidden room where they sheltered, would be proclaimed for everyone to hear. The illumination of the Holy Spirit would make all things clear. When the Holy Spirit empowered them, the disciples would not hold back. They would share Christ with boldness and power. 

When we combine verse 3 with the verses that follow, speaking of coming persecution, it confirms the reference to whispers of Christ. Our faith should burn so brightly within us that we cannot keep silent about the wonder of Christ's redemption, no matter the cost.

Christians in this country have not yet experienced the kind of persecution that has been seen in other places around the world. It may come here as well (and almost certainly will). When persecution comes, our job will be no different. We are to follow Him and proclaim the good news that Christ died for sinners, just as we do now.

Therein lies the rub, doesn't it? If the good news of Jesus were dependent upon the way I share it with those around me, how far would it spread? How widely would it be proclaimed? What if the cause of Christ were dependent upon how you share Him with those around  you? If we don't share our faith with others now, it is not likely we will share our faith in times of persecution and danger. 

If we are to share Christ when times are hard, and we are, we must be willing to share Him when times are easy. Just to be clear, a hard time is not when someone thinks you are a fanatic or says a few harsh words to you. 

A hard time is when a soldier clad in black holds a knife to your neck and threatens to cut off your head if you do not deny Christ. 

A hard time is when a soldier with a gun threatens to kill your child if you do not recant your faith. 

That is a hard time. 

Nothing we have faced in this country compares.

Am I sharing the good news of Jesus with those around me? Am I making disciples? If not, how do I expect my faith to withstand hard times? How will I be faithful then?

If we have accepted Christ, we must follow Him. If we follow Him, we must share Him. 

It's that simple. 

It's also that hard. 

There is a decision to be made. Will I follow Him? Will I share Him no matter the cost?

but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, 

but is to glorify God in this name. (1 Peter 4:16 NASB)

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Father, help me to follow You faithfully, no matter the cost. Help me to share the good news that Christ died for sinners, of which I am chief. May honoring You be uppermost in my heart, in my words and actions. In the name of Jesus, Amen.