In Defense of Drinking Tea and the Three-Kiss Greeting

I love the Middle East. 

I love the colorful souk (outdoor market), the sounds of raised voices bartering, mingled with the distant sound of chickens around the corner, and the call of prayer sounding overhead. 

I love the aroma of spices: cumin, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, cloves. 

I love the crowds and the exotic clothing. Don't hate me for this, but the hijabs and abiyahs are beautiful to me. I wouldn't want to be forced to wear them, but many are made of rich fabrics, exotically decorated with sequins and beads. In the windy valley, they're more practical than you might think. (I'm not talking about niqabs.)

I love that the people (both men and women) still wear their native dress. A long, loose cotton "dress" is much cooler in hot weather than American jeans and t-shirt. I haven't tried wearing a keffiyeh, but I believe it would be a nice protection from the sun. 

I love the hospitality. Mississippi calls itself "The Hospitality State." Admittedly, we're a social people, but in comparison to the Arabs, we have a way to go. 

Middle Easterners have honed hospitality to a fine art. "Come have tea with me," is an invitation many made and all meant sincerely. When I dropped by their homes for tea, they stopped whatever they were doing and welcomed me. The hostess gave me the seat of honor, and served hot tea and some sort of sweet. Homemade cake, pastries from the bakery, cookies straight from the box. They always offered something, and I always ate whatever I was given. 

Their welcome can't be beat. I was greeted (by women) with hugs and three kisses, one on my right cheek and two on my left. When I returned home, it felt odd to greet my friends with a distant "hi," even when the distance was only two or three feet. 

In case you can't imagine this, when you hug your visitor and kiss her three times (and she does the same), you instantly slow down and settle in. 

I'm in favor of the three-kiss greeting.

Today, I finally came to 2 Corinthians 13:12 in my study. "Greet one another with a holy kiss," Paul wrote. The three-kiss greetings came to mind and I realized something wonderful. Paul was a Middle Easterner. The kisses I received were something that was practiced even in Paul's time.

How beautiful is that?

Why don't we continue this lovely practice of greeting with holy kisses?

Why don't we have tea and a little sweet and visit for a few minutes with our neighbors on a more regular basis? Why don't we welcome drop-in visitors and stop what we're doing when they come by without inwardly rehearsing all we have left to do?

We're too busy. That's why. But to what point?

Jesus was a Middle Easterner, and His ministry was one of relationships. That's how He trained His disciples. Jesus spent time with his followers. He ate with them, walked with them, and talked as they traveled. They probably drank tea together. He built relationships and, in the process, those disciples became a little more like Him. 

What would happen if we built relationships in the same way, including with unlikely people? If we acted like Jesus, might they become a little more like Him? Might they learn of Him from spending time with us? And we from them? Of course, we'd probably all be more like Jesus.

As we enter the holiday season and the mad dash to those few moments under the tree when tape is torn and wrapping paper tossed aside to reveal gifts we don't need, let's stop to reconsider our relationships, our greetings, our busyness. 

Let's stop, and do something wonderfully different instead.

Take a few moments for a visit with our neighbors. Greet each other warmly. Offer a holy kiss on the cheek. Make a pot of tea and drink a cup together. Eat a cookie from a package or a piece of homemade something. Talk. Visit. Pray. 

Spend time together. Build relationships, not our stash of stuff. 

"Finally, brethren, rejoice, be made complete, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss." 2 Corinthians 13:11-12 nasb

______________________ 

In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post: The Thanksgiving I Almost Missed

Caregiver Chronicles: Love That's More Than Words

I sat at Sam's bedside yesterday and worried about my failure to have an emotional surge of feeling that brought tears to my eyes. I fretted that I didn't love.

This morning, I read through 1 Corinthians 13, and realized an amazing truth today. There's nothing about emotion in that description of love. Nothing. Love isn't a feeling. Love is action we choose because of a commitment we've made.

When God demonstrated His love for us, He didn't do it with words. He did it with the sacrifice of a bloody cross and an empty tomb. 

Love isn't tears or gushing feelings or pounding heartbeats. 

Love is patient, kind, and it never fails. It doesn't act unbecomingly, seek its own good, keep count of wrongs suffered, or rejoice in unrighteousness. Love  doesn't brag and isn't arrogant or easily provoked. 

Love rejoices with truth, bears all things, believes all things, endures all things. 

Love sees what needs to be done. Love comes from God, because He is love, and it directs our actions in ways that demonstrate His love to a loveless world.

Love may be accompanied by deep emotion, but love persists when there are no sweet feelings. Love continues, even when we don't "feel like it." 

Yesterday, I wanted to sit on the patio with my dogs in my lap, have a cup of tea, and enjoy being home. Instead, I chose to sit at the bedside of a dying man, read Scripture to him, sing hymns, and assure him of my love. It had nothing to do with emotion. It had everything to do with a commitment that would not fail.

Proclamations of love that are not accompanied by action don't mean much. There's an ouch to that, but it's no less true. Love isn't words alone. Actions alone aren't love, either. We can give everything we own to help the poor, but that's not necessarily love. 

Love is tangible evidence of an intangible relationship with the One who is love. 

Over the last few weeks, love has been demonstrated by an outpouring of financial help in covering Sam's time at the Hospice house, countless visits to Sam in my absence, keeping my dogs while I've been gone, feeding my horses and bunnies, mowing my lawn, bush-hogging my pastures. 

Love left a meal in my empty refrigerator just before I returned home, and a bag of snacks and groceries in Sam's room when I didn't have time to go to the grocery store for myself. 

Love has acted, and it's been too beautiful to overlook. It's been accompanied by words, but love hasn't been words alone. It never is. 

Love is a choice, an attitude, an action. 

Today, let's take a close look at the love we say we have. Does our "love" result in words alone or in tangible demonstrations of our relationship with God? Can those around us see the love of God in the way we interact? In the way we serve? If not, what needs to change?

"I'm giving you a new commandment to love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another." John 13:34 niv

__________________

In case you missed the most recent post, here's the link: When We're Too Busy to Be Still but Rest Isn't Optional

Making Room in Our Hearts for Love

The letters of Paul are growing on me, but 2 Corinthians has been a hard book. In this letter, Paul defended himself against all kinds of murmurings, not from his enemies, but from the body of Christ. How pitiful is that? This man, who endured every kind of hardship to serve Christ and carry the gospel around the world, also endured criticism and plain old meanness from the very ones he served.

I came across this plea today, and it's struck a cord. "Make room for us in your hearts," Paul begged. (2 Cor. 7:2) Making room to love others is a choice we make. We can choose to hate, reject, and be mean or choose to accept, love, and embrace.

I hate to admit this, but I've chosen not to make room in my heart for a few people. As a result, I've unwittingly chosen to reject and think the worst of them, instead. 

I've seen my heart today, and I'm ashamed of it.

Who am I to reject someone in the body of Christ because they're different from me? How dare I indulge in the kind of pride that sorts people out according to how similar they are to me?

Forgive me, Lord.

Disciples who follow Jesus are all the body of Christ, whether or not they look like us, worship like us, or live like us. Jesus was very clear. His love is fierce and deep and strong. It carried Him to the cross and out the tomb, and we are to love each other as He has loved us. 

What's truly hard is that Jesus doesn't reserve this massive love for those who follow Him. He loves everyone, no matter what kind of sin they prefer, and we're supposed to love them, too, even when their sin preference is different from ours.

We're to love with that same fierce, deep, strong, never-giving-up kind of love, and it's supposed to be our default love.

Chew on that for a while.

I'm sorry to say I don't love with Christ's love, at least not often enough.  

How is huge love possible? We begin by making room in our hearts to love them. We'll have to remove the not-love mess in us to do it, but making more room for love is easier than we might think. 

Is there someone we haven't made room for? Ask God to remove what's blocking space for them in our hearts, invite love in, then allow that love to take action. Even if it's a small action, that first step of reaching out can begin a cascade of love that changes our lives. 

It's hard to change into a room-making lover of the world, but it's not optional. Jesus, the best world-lover of all, has commanded us to do it, so let's start making room to love the way He loves. 

"Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Make room for us in your hearts..." 2 Corinthians 7:1-2 nasb

________________

In case you missed the most recent post, here's the link: Remembering My Friend: Dean C. Lamb

If you feel led to partner with this ministry, here's the link to give your tax-deductible donations: Global Outreach Acct 4841 

You can also mail your check or money order to: Global Outreach/ PO Box 1, Tupelo MS 38802. Be sure to put Account 4841 in the "for" line.

Remembering My Friend: Dean C. Lamb

This isn't my usual kind of blog. I'm writing from loss and sorrow, and to tell you about my friend, Dean Lamb. I'm also writing to ask you to help, just like you always do. 

We first met when I was dating a friend of his. I was young and blind and infatuated. What I didn't know was that the person I thought I was dating wasn't the "real" guy. It was an image he'd adopted. The truth was dark and ugly. 

Dean was a gentleman to the core of his being, and he couldn't stand by and watch. He tried to protect me and help me to see truth, and, in the process, we became friends. For a while, we were even more. He was a total romantic and held me to a pedestal that was far too high up for me. 

In the end, the romance fizzled, but the friendship remained. 

We both married and had careers. His wife was the soulmate he'd long to find. Dean was a writer and a teacher. He taught inner city kids and loved them well. He also loved Alabama football and Coach Bear Bryant, politics, and a good story well-told. 

He was the first writer I ever knew. He wrote with an intense passion that drew his readers into his stories in a way I'd never experienced before. I still have every story he wrote for me. Every poem. Every sketch. I didn't save them because of a lost love for which I pined, but because they were powerful and well-written. 

I wanted to write like Dean wrote.

He seemed like an average guy, until he put pen to paper. Then, he held power in his hand and wielded it like a sword. Somewhere along the way, I tried my hand at writing, too. Dean encouraged me and celebrated my meager attempts. He was too much of a gentleman to do anything else.

When I started my blog, he was one of the first to become a fan. He read my blogs every day. He often commented, encouraged, celebrated because that's the kind of friend he was. 

Dean was my first guest blogger in December 2013. His story about Christmas lights is still being read today. My introduction to his story said, "He is that most mysterious of souls, for he is a writer who writers from his heart." I remember writing those words and hoping that, one day, people would say that about me.

His wife died a while back and it was the hardest thing Dean ever survived. She was his soulmate and the love of his life. After she died, he had one medical problem after another. He retired this past May because of his health, but hoped to do some adjunct teaching soon. 

Two weeks before I left the country, Dean emailed me about some articles he was writing. He had several opportunities that could have propelled his writing to a national platform, where I'd always thought it should be. 

He wrote his heart, as always, and the words were so beautiful that I'm sharing them with you today. 

"I know who my Rock and Foundation is, and I have many blessings during these oft-troubling times: I woke up today and feeling well; I have a roof over my head, food in the pantry and freezer, and a vehicle in good shape. I also know God has new purposes for me in this transitory period." 

Dean rediscovered his faith a number of years ago, and it changed his life, his purpose, and his direction. Like everything he did, his faith was deep and personal and powerful.

He lived several hours away. We hadn't spent time together in person in many years, but I looked forward to shared stories and shared writing when I got home. Dean always encouraged me to be more, to write better, dig deeper, because that's how he wrote. 

On October 23, I awakened to a message that broke my heart. 

"Wanted to make sure you knew about Dean Lamb. He was found dead in his apartment this afternoon."

We were friends for thirty-seven years and few losses have struck deeper. He believed in me in a way no one else ever has. My life is poorer for the loss. 

Dean lived well and loved well. He invested his life in the inner-city kids he taught. When his health deteriorated, his finances did, too, and he struggled financially toward the end. 

He didn't have family, but he did have friends who loved him. One of his friends has set up a GoFundMe account to help with the expenses of burial. The goal is $1,000 but that's not enough to pay for cremation (which he'd wanted so that his ashes could be mingled with those of his wife) or for a memorial service. 

If you'd like to help with a donation of a few dollars, we, the ones who loved this sweet man, would appreciate your support. Here's the link: GoFundMe: Dean Lamb. 

Whatever's raised over the cost of burial will be used to establish a scholarship fund in his name. I can't think of anything that would please him more.

"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." Proverbs 27:17 nasb
_________________
In case you missed the most recent post, here's the link: How Much Is Enough?

If you feel led to partner with this ministry, here's the link to give your tax-deductible donations: Global Outreach Acct 4841 

You can also mail your check or money order to: Global Outreach/ PO Box 1, Tupelo MS 38802. Be sure to put Account 4841 in the "for" line.

When You Don't Have Enough Love for the Job Ahead

Today is day 12, the half-way mark of my trip. There've been some issues that have been agonizingly hard. A few tasks I wasn't sure I could do. Some jobs I didn't want to do even one more time, because they were so difficult. 

Because of the sweet companionship of our Holy Spirit, however, I've found my way through. I've done those hard, unwanted tasks anyway, though not always well. I've persevered, and it has had nothing at all to do with me, and everything to do with the Lord I serve.

I've also learned an important lesson that I should've known, but seem to have forgotten in the heat of battle. 

Love must prevail.

"If I speak with the tongues of man and of angels," Paul wrote, "but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal."(1) 

I've spent some time clanging this week, and it wasn't a pretty sound. 

The material I presented to the school students included numerous new English science words, most of which would be on their upcoming exam. They needed what I had to give, because a test was coming, and they would fail without it. 

A few of the students in the classrooms, however, were rowdy and undisciplined. They wouldn't sit down or listen. It made it impossible for the quiet students to hear or learn. Most of the time, I didn't have an interpreter, which made it even more difficult for the students and for me.

I grew more frustrated with every 40-minute session, and it didn't take long for that frustration to push out the love I felt for those sweet children. I wasn't unkind to the students, and I didn't stop doing good work, but the heart with which I served wasn't right. 

I repented every day of feeling frustrated. I prayed nonstop to find a better way. I did all I knew to do, and begged God for wisdom. I parked myself in Scripture while I searched for an answer.

The passage on love I'd memorized as a child came back to me, and it had the truth I needed. "If I do not have love, I am nothing."(2) I tried that bit of truth on for size, and it pinched badly. 

The problem in those classrooms wasn't a lack of teaching skills. It wasn't a lack of interesting material. The problem wasn't even children that wouldn't stop talking and sit down. 

The real problem was a lack of love in Leanna that made it impossible to win the spiritual battle behind the classroom difficulty. 

The only solution was repentance and surrender, and it made more of a difference than I expected. 

My surrender to love allowed me to remember that our battle is not against flesh and blood. When I recalled the real enemy, I knew how to fight, and I did. The sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, is stronger than we realize. It's alive and powerful, and it did its work in me, first of all.(3) 

When I saw the people I serve through the eyes of a loving Father, I was ashamed of my lack of love for them. When His love flooded through me again, I was overwhelmed by its magnitude and how it changed everything about the dreaded forty-minute classes. 

Were the students different? Not really.

Was my teaching style better? Not really.

What changed was my attitude about teaching, and it made all the difference. When a roomful of 6th graders crowded around to hug me after class, I had to blink back tears. 

Love changes everything. And it did. 

Serving as Christ served is only possible when love is our starting point, for that's where He began His service to us. BECAUSE God so loved...He SENT His Son to SAVE. The "send and save" part of the mission of Christ that gives us eternal life was only possible because of God's great love.

As disciples of Jesus, we must have love to serve with it, and only God can give what we need, for He is love. Do you face a dreaded task filled with difficult people? Don't ask God to change your circumstances. Ask for more of His love. 

"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing." 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 niv

(1) 1 Cor. 13:1     (2) 1 Cor. 13:2     (3) Heb. 4:12
__________________

There are so many stories I'd like to share with you about this amazing journey, but they can only be shared in person. I'll do another brunch (like last time) to allow an opportunity for story-sharing, but I'm also happy to share with groups. Message me to schedule a time.

p.s. - the photo is of the city at night.
__________________
In case you missed the most recent post, here's the link: What  I Gained from the Sermon I Couldn't Translate

If you feel led to partner with this ministry, here's the link to give your tax-deductible donations: Global Outreach Acct 4841 

You can also mail your check or money order to: Global Outreach/ PO Box 1, Tupelo MS 38802. Be sure to put Account 4841 in the "for" line.

What I Gained From the Sermon I Couldn't Translate

Last night, I attended a small Baptist church. Both the music and the sermon were in Arabic. I can understand a limited number of Arabic words - when they're presented with flip cards or spoken very slowly, one word at a time, with careful enunciation. Strung together in paragraphs with total abandon, those same words are impossible for me to follow. 

Except when it's not.

The pastor preached from John 10:1-27 with a few other passages thrown in for correlation.

The entire sermon could be summed up in one sentence: 

The lives of Christ-followers are defined by their intimate relationships 
with the One they follow. 

Jesus was clear about His role as Good Shepherd. He knows His sheep by name, they know Him AND they follow Him. 

He knows our names.

Ponder that for one long, beautiful moment.

He knows me, and He wants me to know Him, too.               

We are to know our Christ "even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father." (John 10:15) This is a profound truth and one that's often overlooked. 

How well does Jesus know the Father? Perfectly. Intimately. They are completely unified, and only complete by that unexplainable union of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Don't miss this...we're supposed to know our Lord that completely. 

How is this depth of knowing possible? We must do what Jesus did. He spent hours in conversation with God the Father, sometimes all night long. He did His will, even when it was hard. He pressed on with the job the Father had given Him, despite His own desire to avoid the terrible task. 

Jesus surrendered His will in order to accept the will and way of His Father. So must we, if we are to participate in the grand adventure of knowing that God intended.

Surrender to His will and His way

One of the hymns we sang when I was a child sums it up perfectly. "There is no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey." 

Are we "happy in Jesus"? Do we know Him with the same intimacy He knows the Father? 

If that's the life we want, it's available to us, IF we choose to do what Jesus did. 

Surrender. Pray. Obey.

There's a lesson in those three words that I'll save for another day. For today, let's take a close look at our own lives of faith. Is this the kind of God-relationship we want? Ask God what prevents this grand knowing, and allow Him to remove it, then stay close to the One who knows us by name. 

"I am the good shepherd; and I know My own, and My own know Me, even as the Father know Me and I know the Father..." John 10:14-15 nasb

______________

In case you missed the most recent post, here's the link: When Freedom Is What We Want, Repentance is What We Do 

If you feel led to partner with this ministry, here's the link to give your tax-deductible donations: Global Outreach Acct 4841 

You can also mail your check or money order to: Global Outreach/ PO Box 1, Tupelo MS 38802. Be sure to put Account 4841 in the "for" line.

Moving the Heart of God With the Prayer of No Words

A strange thought occurred to me this morning. Are there examples of praying without words in the Bible? As it turns out, there are. I read the gospel of Luke this morning, and it's full of examples of women who moved the heart of Jesus without saying a word. 

The widow of Nain is one example. The story's found in Luke 7:11-17. Here's the Leanna paraphrase: 

A widow's only son had died. In her culture, there was no social security or widow benefits. No nursing homes existed. No medicare or medicaid. Her entire future provision depended upon anything her husband had saved and her son's care for her. 

When her son died, she was grief-stricken for more than one reason. Of course, first of all, she loved her son like any mother loves. There was also the question of her future. What would happen to her now?

You may not have experienced this depth of grief before, but sometimes, it's so enormous, there are no words to say. Only tears. 

That's where the widow of Nain found herself. Weeping was the only response she could make. 

Then Jesus arrived.

News about Jesus had traveled throughout the region, so it's likely this woman had heard of His fame, His miracles, His power. A few days earlier, when her son was sick, she might have knelt before Jesus and asked for a miracle, like everyone else did.

This day, however, all she could do was cry.

Jesus and His disciples walked through the gate just as her son's funeral procession was heading out. She saw Jesus and couldn't say a word, but her tears spoke volumes, and they moved the heart of God.

Jesus saw her tears, entered into her grief, and revived her son. He "gave him back to his mother."

In His presence, she communicated with Jesus through her tears, and it was enough. 

I've been in the place of such profound grief that my only response was tears. I've been the one on my face before God, praying without words. In His presence, my tears were a prayer without words, because I gave those tears to the One who is our Comforter, and He comforted. He responded. He moved.

Do all tears serve as a prayer? I don't know. What I do know is that the widow's tears, in the presence of Jesus, were enough to communicate her need to Him and move His heart.

Whatever our situation, we can take it to Him, and He will understand. Whether we have words to describe our situation or express our need or not. Today, let's give our concerns to the Lord, and let our hearts speak for us. Use words only if we need them. 

How do I know this is possible? Because God sees our hearts.

"...for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7 nasb

____________

The picture above is of my little bedroom here in this beautiful place. In case you can't read the artwork, the lettering above the beds says "Be Still" and "and know that I am God." Exactly what I needed to hear.

____________

In case you missed the most recent post, here's the link: When Telling Our Story Reminds Us of the Miraculous

If you feel led to partner with this ministry, here's the link to give your tax-deductible donations: Global Outreach Acct 4841 

You can also mail your check or money order to: Global Outreach/ PO Box 1, Tupelo MS 38802. Be sure to put Account 4841 in the "for" line.

When the Fragrance in the Air Smells Like Home

The gate for my flight out of Chicago was in the International Terminal. It was twenty minutes away from where I'd entered the airport, the security guard told me. A long walk, a quick train ride, and another long walk and I was there. A turn to the right and the gate sign was clearly visible. 

My nose told me I was in the international terminal well before my eyes did. The aromas of the not-so-American spices filled the air, and I stopped to breathe in the foreign fragrance. The further I traveled, the stronger the aroma grew.

When I stepped off the last plane and entered the final airport terminal, the heady scent of foreign lands greeted me like a warm embrace. 

"I'm home," I thought for just a second before I remembered I'd left home to come here.

The apostle Paul used the imagery of fragrance more than once. In his letter to the Ephesians, he described the sacrifice of Christ by His love as a fragrant aroma. 

"Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma." Ephesians 5:1-2 nasb

The word translated as "love" is agape and can also be translated as "love-feast." The "fragrant aroma" metaphorically represents a "thing well-pleasing to God."

Selah. Ponder that for a moment.

As disciples, we are to live in such a way that our lives are literally a continuing love-feast of obedience to Christ. When we share such a feast of love, we'll emit a sweet fragrance that will be well-pleasing to our Lord. 

I don't live in a continuing love-feast of obedience, but I wish I did. Don't you? 

Today, let's surrender those things that keep us from pouring out love on all those we meet. Pray that we'll be filled with the same river of love that flowed from Christ so that we, too, can be a fragrant aroma that's well-pleasing to our Lord.

_________________

If you'd like to share in my current experiences, you can join me for mostly-daily email updates. Please message me with your name and/or email address. I'll update as I have internet access. (I will not be able to share most stories on the blog.)

Please join us for corporate prayer at 12 noon daily. 

In case you missed the most recent post, here the link: When You Read the Book and Do What it Says

If you feel led to partner with this ministry, here's the link to give your tax-deductible donations: Global Outreach Acct 4841 

You can also mail your check or money order to: Global Outreach/ PO Box 1, Tupelo MS 38802. Be sure to put Account 4841 in the "for" line.

When You Read The Book and Do What it Says

She said what a lot of people say. "You're doing a good thing taking care of Sam."

I shrugged it off. It doesn't seem particularly impressive to me. "I'm just doing what The Book says, doing unto as I want to be done unto," I told her. 

"Yeah, but hardly anyone does. You actually try to do what the Bible says. That's what's so remarkable."

I laughed at that. She doesn't get to see all the times I fail at obedience, or hear me whine about the workload. She doesn't see all the other people who are serving as caregivers, either. I'm not the only one. There are lots of us.

Her words, though, have stuck with me. It took me a while to understand her fascination was with the concept of no-holds-barred obedience, not with caregiving. 

Her comments left me wondering. Why don't we try harder to obey everything God's Word tells us to do?

Yesterday, I stopped repeatedly to repent of a bad attitude. I knew where that would take me, and I didn't want it. I took a step toward making a strained relationship right, because the body of Christ should be a picture of unity. I sacrificed my own desires to give someone else what they wanted, because my greater desire was to please God, not myself.

None of those things made me special. They made me obedient. 

If we're disciples of Jesus, we do what He says. It's that simple. It's that hard. We need look no further than the Greatest Commandment, the Royal Law of our King, and the Second, to see that Jesus was serious about how we live. "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. Love your neighbor as you love yourself."

Those two sentences change everything. Our desires must take a back seat to God and our fellow men. That's it. How we treat people must be directed by our love, as well as the words we say and the actions we take. 

Love of this magnitude is not optional. It's supposed to be the driving force behind our lives every single day.

I like the way the Message says it. "Merely hearing God's law is a waste of time if you don't do what it says. Doing, not hearing, is what makes the difference with God." Romans 2:13 The Message

Paul's right. If we're disciples, we do what our Master says. If we don't make an effort to do all He said, we're not disciples. That truth has eternal implications, so we need to get this straight in our hearts, then walk it out with our lives.

Christians act like Christ. 

Today, let's ask God to give us a Holy heart-check. How obedient are we? In what areas are we lacking? What needs to change so that we, too, can follow our Master through obedience? Knowing what needs to change isn't important if we refuse to make the changes that are needed. 

Today"s the day for change. Love with abandon. Live like eternity is just a heartbeat away, because it is. Read The Book (Bible) and do what it says.

_____________

I'm headed back to that beautiful land of Gilead. My small group, the Sisters of Strength, are praying me through, just as they've done before. They've scheduled an alert on their phones at 12 noon daily to stop and pray. My phone is already set. I hope you'll schedule a prayer-alert, too.

If you'd like to share in my experiences, you can join me for mostly-daily email updates. Please message me with your name and/or email address. I'll update as I have internet access. (I will not be able to share most stories on the blog for a variety of reasons.)

In case you missed yesterday's post, here the link: Becoming the Balm of Gilead

If you feel led to partner with me for the upcoming Middle East trip, here's the link to give your tax-deductible donations: Global Outreach Acct 4841 

You can also mail your check or money order to: Global Outreach/ PO Box 1, Tupelo MS 38802. Be sure to put Account 4841 in the "for" line.

When Evil Abounds but Love is Greater

Sunday night in Las Vegas brought more shootings. More death. More destruction. More evil. More tears. More grief.

Hate and violence abound in this broken world, and they are relentless. It's easy to be overwhelmed. I'm reminded this morning, however, that Romans 12:21 cautions us against this very thing. "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (Rom.12:21) 

We saw Romans 12:21 in action yesterday after the shooting, and it was beautiful. People piled wounded into the back of trucks to carry them to the hospital when there weren't enough ambulances. Men covered women with their bodies to protect them. Law enforcement officials willingly confronted the relentless shooter in order to stop the killing. One person after another helped  in the midst of the tragedy.

A news person last night suggested we stop making a timeline of terror and start making a timeline of heroes, those men and women who rise above the occasion to do good. Great evil has been done, but this time, we also have heroes to celebrate. This time, we can, indeed, celebrate the overcoming of evil, rather than its triumph. 

There are times when President Trump's speeches seem a little awkward and oddly spoken to me, but yesterday wasn't one of them. I've listened to his remarks after the shooting several times, and I'm still surprised we haven't embraced his sweet words. I haven't included all of the remarks, but a limited transcript is here. I'm not sure I can express my thoughts any more succinctly:

"My fellow Americans... 

"To the families of the victims, we are praying for you, and we are here for you, and we ask God to help see you through this very dark period. 

"Scripture teaches us that the Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. We seek comfort in those words, for we know that God lives in the hearts of those who grieve. 

"To the wounded who are are now recovering in hospitals, we are praying for your full and speedy recovery and pledge to you our support from this day forward....

"In moments of tragedy and horror, America comes together as one, and it always has. We call upon the bonds that unite us: our faith, our family, and our shared values. We call upon the bonds of citizenship, the ties of community, the comfort of our common humanity. 

"Our unity cannot be shattered by evil, bonds cannot be broken by violence, and though we feel such anger at the senseless murder of our fellow citizens, it is our love that defines us today, and always will, forever. 

"In times such as these, I know we are searching for some kind of meaning in the chaos, some kind of light in the darkness. The answers do not come easily, but we can take solace knowing that even the darkest space can be brightened by a single light, and even the most terrible despair can be illuminated by a single ray of hope. 

Melania and I are praying for every American who has been wounded or lost the ones they loved so dearly in this terrible, terrible attack. We pray for the entire nation to find unity and peace, and we pray for the day when evil is banished and the innocent are safe from hatred and from fear...May God give us the grace of healing, and may God provide the grieving families with strength to carry on."

"It is love that defines us today, and always will" is exactly what Jesus taught. The commands of God can be summed up in one word: LOVE. Love for God. Love for others. Our love gives evidence of the God we serve.

Most of us cannot be in Las Vegas to comfort those who mourn, to provide physical care to the wounded. We can, however, still do something that makes a difference. Love where we are. Be the light in the darkness. Offer hope to those in despair. 

We don't fight hate and evil with anger. We fight with love. Rise up, love-warriors and demonstrate the love our Jesus first showed us. There will be someone in our paths today who is desperate for the love of Christ. Be sure to pass it on.

"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (Rom.12:21)

________________

flag photo courtesy of free images.com 
Please like and share to extend our digital reach.

In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post: When What We Say and What We Do Don't Line Up

If you feel led to partner with this ministry (US, Middle East, the digital world), here's the link to give your tax-deductible donations: Global Outreach Acct 4841 

Or you can mail your check or money order to: Global Outreach/ PO Box 1, Tupelo MS 38802. Be sure to put Account 4841 in the "for" line.
#prayforLasVegas