Miracles happen...

...far more often than we realize.

It's been a crazy 24 hours, eh.  Let me start from the beginning.

Last week Tuesday a good friend of mine's father was rushed to the hospital for bleeding on his brain.  After emergency surgery Wednesday morning, he appeared to be doing better, especially as his toes began to wiggle on Thursday.  However, yesterday morning we found out that this wasn't a sign of his brain communicating with his body (because of the bleeding and surgery, his brain swelled, messing with his brainstem and preventing his brain and body from communicating with one another) but simply reflexes.  His brain still wasn't communicating with his body.  Because of this, the family decided to take him off of life support unless he miraculously became responsive.

After hearing how serious the situation had become, a small group of us headed to the hospital to support our friend.  Afterward, we began our prayer war.  We literally spent the next 20 hours praying for the family.  Originally, the family had decided on removing life support at 5pm, so we prayed up unto that moment and following it.  Then we found out that they decided to postpone until 8pm so they could donate his heart and other organs.  At 10:29pm, Gary went home to the LORD.

Given the title of this post, that probably wasn't the ending of the story you expected or hoped for.  However, despite his passing, God's hand is clearly visible in this entire situation.  I've heard countless testimony of people's lives that it's impacted, of things that God has taught my friends through this experience and seeing the strength of the family.  I can't speak for my friends, but I can share all that God's been teaching and showing me.

When I visited my friend at the hospital, I was really surprised by how genuinely well she was doing.  At first I brushed it off as simple shock or denial, but later realized that this was incorrect.  She was genuinely at peace.  Time and time again she spoke of the comfort that she felt, spoke of how evident God's presence was in all of this.  She had a genuine hope.  It amazed me!  She is a true testimony of the reality that our hope isn't in this world, in anything of this world.  Our hope is in Christ alone.  She (and we) has that eternal hope.  She rests securely that her dad's life isn't over.  True, his body is dead, but his soul, his true life, lives on.  What an incredible reminder for when we face the crap of this world!  Our God is greater!  Our God is stronger!  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all (2 Cor 4:17).  Praise God that He is the God of hope!

God's also been revealing His power throughout this whole thing.  Last night as we wrestled in prayer for our sister and her family, God kept reminding me that it isn't life support that's keeping her dad alive.  God alone breathes life into us.  He alone is the author and sustainer of life.  God is greater than technology, greater than science.  If it's God's will for Gary to continue living, removing life support isn't going to change things.  And if it's God's will for Gary to leave this earth, life support isn't going to keep Him here.  The God that we serve is greater still.  He is more powerful than anything on this earth or above or below it.  Great is our God!

Ok, huge miracle here!  After praying with a small group of people last night, I really felt the burden to blanket this family in prayer.  Each of us at the meeting agreed to taking one hour of our day to pray for her, covering 9am-5pm today.  However, I felt a longing for more prayer, to pray for them continuously from the time our original prayer meeting ended until 5pm, when they were to take him off life support.  So I began texting people asking them to dedicate an hour of their time to pray for the family.  Most of the people that I texted didn't even know the family and only knew minimal details about the situation.  Regardless, every single person that I texted agreed to pray.  People who didn't even know the family were praying fervently for them, giving up precious sleep for a sister in Christ and her family that they'd never even met.  Now that is the work of the Church!  I was blown away by those who agreed to pray during the wee hours of the night; all of this had never even met the family.  Wow!   Just wow!  What a mighty God we serve who is able to unite people literally around the world unified in prayer.  Wow!  Just wow!  Within an hour and a half, we had the entire time covered; at least one person was praying from 9:30pm Tuesday night until 5pm Wednesday night.  Every hour was covered except one.  I racked my mind for who else to call on to cover that one hour.  Remembering God's prayer, I confidently texted my friend letting her know that she and her family would be blanketed in prayer all night and the next day; I knew that God would fill that spot.  Literally right after I texted my friend, another friend popped on Skype asking for an update.  When I asked her if she'd pray for that hour, she agreed instantly.  Wow!  God is so good!  LORD, forgive me for not even having the faith of a mustard seed.

When I heard the news that her father wasn't going to make it, my heart ached even more for my friend.  When I asked how she was doing, I was shocked to see that she was still doing well.  In fact, she was rejoicing!  The loss of her dad brought new life to 6 people who received his organs.  My friend rejoiced that her dad could continue to help people.  Wow!  Her strength, courage, and perspective continues to amaze me.  As we were praying for the family last night, another friend prayed, "LORD, this isn't the miracle that we were hoping for, but it is a miracle for the family receiving the heart.  Thank You for answering their prayer.  Thank You for using what was intended for evil, distruction, and pain for life and hope."  Just more evidence of the hope that we have.  :-)

Though I never met her father, the legacy that he leaves behind is amazing!  Have you guys ever heard the story about keeping your fork?  If not, ask me about it sometime.  Gary asked to be buried with a fork, knowing that the best is yet to come.  He asked that if it ever got to the point where he was suspended between this life and the next, don't keep him from going Home.  Wow!  More evidence of the hope that we have.  What a mighty God we serve!

Please continue to pray for my friend and her family.  They have been amazingly strong in all of this.  Pray that God continues to grow their faith.  Pray that He continues to overwhelm them with His peace, comfort, and hope.  Pray that He comforts them as they deal with their loss.  Pray that they continue to feel His presence. Pray that He fills them with rest, true rest. 

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we^[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we^[b] boast in the hope of the glory of God. ³ Not only so, but we^[c] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.   Romans 5:1-5

God is good. :-)

Sometimes I forget this.  I'm guilty of getting so caught up with the little details of life that I forget about God's goodness and greatness.  I become overwhlemed with daily stressors because I forget to rest in God's character.  Tonight, God reminded me of His power, love, and faithfulness through the testamony of a 7 month old.

Remember this precious one? Sweet baby Genesis that I met and had the opportunity to love on while in Zambia this past summer.  We got her when she was 4 days old after being born premature and have hardly eaten for the first few days of her life.  We fought to get her to drink one ounce of milk the day that we got her.  And through the grace of God, she survived through the week.

Well, my friends, look to the right of this picture and let me introduce you to sweet Genesis now (now being a few months ago).  Look at how big she's gotten!  She's HUGE!  Praise God that He's not only big enough to make this child survive but to have her THRIVE.  Praise God for the life of this little one!  And praise God for the reminder of His great love and great power!

LORD, forgive me for worrying.  Forgive me for freaking out.  Forgive me for getting so wrapped up in my own agenda that I forget about what really matters.  LORD, we praise You for the life of sweet Genesis.  Continue to pour Your life into this little one.  Draw her close to You.  Papa, continue to remind me of Your greatness and goodness.  You are God of all; nothing compares with You.  You are greater still.  Nothing is too big for You.  Your mercies are new every morning.  Great is Your faithfulness!  Your plan is greater than mine; You hold my life gentlely in Your hands.  Help me remember these truths, LORD.  Amen.

Friends, I leave you with a good reminder from Jon Foreman (apparently I'm on a YouTube kick lately.  :-)).

Just pray

Sometimes I believe that the American dream is really a nightmare as it puts us into a place that prevents us from experiencing life and puts expectations so clearly back on our own comfort and happiness that we become useless to those in need.

~Rob Murphy

Please just pray today.  Pray for those who are somebody's baby, but often overlooked by the world.

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.  James 1:27

Be Still and Know that I am God

Be still.  What a strange command amidst a world that constantly yells "GO!", a world that so often places one's worth on accomplishments.  Those who sit still are seen as lazy or wasteful.

I've always struggled with being still.  As a child, I struggled to sit still through long services, classes, and meetings.  As an adult, I struggle with a different kind of stillness.  Constantly I am striving after more, often overwhelming myself with the plans that I make to ensure that my future is better than my present.  Constantly my mind is swirling with to do lists and goals and endless things yet to be done.  Yet I'm commanded to be still.

Perhaps the reason that I struggle so with stillness is because I don't take the time to finish the thought of this verse.  Be still... AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.  Yo.  This isn't stillness simply for the fact of stillness.  This stillness rests in the peace and security of knowing who God is.  It rests in knowing His power, His greatness, His goodness, His holiness.  This stillness rests in knowing God.  Yes, I'm calling to live a life that is glorifying to God, but I am also called to be still in His presence.  I am called to be still and remember the mighty God whom I serve.  I am challenged to be still in my worries as I rest in the greatness of my God. 

I challenge you to read all of Psalm 46.  I challenge you to remember Who are God is, to reflect on Him.  And I challenge you to be still and know that He is God.

Psalm 46

1 God is our refuge and strength,

an ever-present help in trouble.

2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way

and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

3 though its waters roar and foam

and the mountains quake with their surging.[c]

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,

the holy place where the Most High dwells.

5 God is within her, she will not fall;

God will help her at break of day.

6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;

he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

7 The LORD Almighty is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress.

8 Come and see what the LORD has done,

the desolations he has brought on the earth.

9 He makes wars cease

to the ends of the earth.

He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;

he burns the shields[d] with fire.

10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth.”

11 The LORD Almighty is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress.

In it, not of it

John 17:15-18

My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.  Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.  As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.

Over the past few weeks, I've been wrestling with what it means to be in this world but not of this world, wrestling to find balance between the two.

This wrestling's covered multiple sectors in my life, from the simplest things like what media I participate in to larger decisions like what I'm going to do after graduation.  Over the past few weeks, I've had time to sit and engage in television and music at a depth that I haven't been able to for some time.  I checked into some secular shows and songs that have been popular among my peers and, quite frankly, I didn't like what it did to me.  I didn't like the way that these things consumed my mind or the thoughts that they conjured up.  Yet having knowledge of these shows and songs allowed me to relate with friends and acquaintances.  Does that make it worth it?  Eh, in this case, probably not.

As I examined post-undergrad options, my stomach turned a bit looking at a few secular options.  I shuttered as I looked at one option that had the potential to leave me isolated from a Christian community.  I wrestled with the reality of how easily I'd become sucked into the Christian bubble of my small university, was sadded by the realization that I no longer have intentional relationships with non-Christian friends.  I've wrestled with the pros and cons of taking my next step in a secular v Christian setting.  Though I'm far from fully understanding all of this, here's what I've come up with so far:

-It's important to surround myself with believers who are like minded.  I'm asking for trouble if I isolate myself from people who will encourage me with God's love, truth, and justice.  God created us to be in community with those who will sharpen us (Proverbs 27: 17).

-On the flip side, it's dangerous for me to try to push the world out of my life.  What right do I have to ignore people who haven't been exposed to the gospel, to hoard the good news for myself?  Haven't we as Christians been called to be salt and light to the world, been commanded to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 5:13-16, Matthew 28:18-20)?

-Granted, sticking my head out in this world is going to leave me battered and scared at times; it's going to be hard and challenging; there's going to be times when I don't like what I'm experiencing.  But ultimately, I have nothing to fear, for Christ has overcome the world (John 16:33)

LORD, teach me to follow where You lead.  Teach me to interact with this world as You did.  LORD, You came to this earth and lived a holy, sinless life, yet you were fully engaged with the world.  Teach me to do the same.

A Christmas lesson

While exploring post-undergrad options, a friend stumbled upon a sweet program that intertwines grad school and the peace corps.  To be completely honest, it was the first option that I found that actually excited me.

As I read through the details of the program, my excitement quickly turned to fear for several reasons.  One, though I'm embarrassed to share this, was because the program requires participates to live in the lifestyle of the people, which, from stories of my aunt's experience in the peace corps as well as my experiences in Africa, I know can be quite primitive.  Ashamedly, I'd become quite comfortable in my American ways, quite comfortable in having running water and a refrigerator filled with fresh food and electricity that keeps my house warm and allows me to share these thoughts with you now.

As I pondered the things that I may be required to give up, the Holy Spirit tapped on my heart, reminding me of Someone else who gave up the comforts of home for the sake of others.  Especially during this season, I can't help but reflect on the wonder and sacrifice of God becoming man, of the Creator of all things giving up Heaven to dwell among us, the amazing truth that our God CHOSE to give up everything, including His power and majesty, to come to earth as a helpless babe.  Wow.  What a mighty God we serve!

The nudging continued as I remember that we as Christ followers are called to do the same.  We too are asked to give up the comforts of this world for the glory of God.  And more so than simply giving up stuff but also giving up the security and trust that come from my own plan, that come from being in a place of familiarity and of people who are dear to me.  Now, I'm not running off to join the peace corps just yet, but I am wrestling with what I'd be willing to give up not for some earthly organization, but for Christ.  Is there anything that stands between He and I, anything that I would cling to when He has clearly told me to let it go?  LORD, rid me of any idols in my life.  Take away any people or possessions that come between You and I.  Papa, I surrender my dreams to Your plans.  May Your will be done.  Where You lead me, LORD, I will follow.

Growth

Last night I had a warm (quite literally) reminder of how much God has grown me over the past few years.

Last night was our dorm's (and our brother dorm's) Christmas party.  In preparation for it, me and a fellow RA picked up food from food services and carted it down to our dorms.  In the process of transporting the hot cocoa, I managed to lose control of the cart, sending it toppling over and causing a nice sized puddle of steaming liquid. 

So how does massive amounts of spilled cocoa equate growth?  If this had happened my freshman year, I would have felt aweful about it; the incident probably would have even brought me to tears.  Last night I couldn't help but laugh at myself.  Granted, I felt bad that food services had to stick around an extra hour to replace our party drinks, but I wasn't shamed by my mistake.  It's cool to see how God has grown me from someone who found her worth by being (or at least trying to be) perfect in her works to a women who is secure in her value in Christ alone.  My confidence is found in knowning that nothing that I do, great or small, good or bad, could ever change how my God perceives me, how my God loves me.  What more could I want?

A few of my favorite pics from last night's Grinchmas, just for kicks.  :-)