Here and now

Apparently I'm in a blogging mood this morning.  Or, more accurately, a reflective mood in which God is reminding me of His provision, hope, promise.

A few weeks ago I attended a funeral at which the family shared the deceased's philosphy on forks.  "Keep your fork, for the best is yet to come!"

Yet though we cling to the promise of eternity, we live in today.  So often, especially during the last few weeks as I wrap up my undergrad career, I've found myself dreaming about the future, trying to figure out next steps and where God's going to take me on this next chapter of life.

As I sat through the funeral hearing testimony after testimony of how this man had impacted the lives of so many, I dreamed of Africa.  "Papa, I don't want to waste this day.  I don't want to sit by and enrich my mind while my babies go unloved, uncared for."

Then patiently God reminded me of the here and now.  "My child, I have you here for a reason.  It's not a mistake, not a waste.  I'm not simply preparing you for the future.  I've given you a ministry, not just in the future, but now.  Right now, right where I have you, I have plans for you, plans to use you.  I have given you a ministry here.  Don't miss the opportunities of today by dreaming about the future.  Trust Me.  Trust my plan for you.  Daughter, not my plan for you 10 years from now, but my plan for you for today.  For now.  For this moment."

How quickly I forget.  LORD, you've given me this minstry.  You've given me the opportunity to obtain an education not just to stretch my mind but also to grow me in Your truth and to be used to show others Your truth, love, and justice.  It is because of You, not because of my own doing, that I have been put in a position of leadership, because of You that I have been given such influence.  Forgive me, LORD.  Forgive me for squandering the gifts and opportunities that You've given me.  Forgive me for getting so lost in the future that I loose sight of today.  Forgive me for growing weary in doing good.

Ultimately, my heart is in Africa.  I've had a taste of ministry there, and I long for more.  Nothing could make me happier than using my savings to by a plane ticket and return to my kiddos over there.  But that's not where God has me.  Not yet.  For whatever reason He's put on my heart a desire and opportunity to further my schooling.  It seems that His plan is to keep me Stateside a few more years.  He has things that He will teach me here.  He has ways that He's going to use me here.

And not just after graduation.  Here and now.  He has plans for me for this week.  Plans for this day.  Plans for this moment.  LORD, lead me in the paths of Your truth.  Don't let me give into the temptation of checking out.  You have a plan in this too, in the small things as well as the big.  Where You lead me, LORD, I will follow.  Not just in the future, but today, in this very moment. 

Plans

About a week ago, one of the women in my section asked me to write an article for our school paper reflecting on my time here at CU, about how I've grown and how the campus has changed me.  I don't know if I wrote quite what she was looking for, but it speaks the truth of the past four years.  What an incredible reminder of what God has done for and through me over the past four years!  And the timing of such a reminder couldn't have come at a better time as I face a future of questions and unknowns.  But I rest in knowing that my God is bigger than all of my fears, that He has a plan for me, and that His plan is greater than I could ever imagine!  Where You lead, LORD.  Where You Lead.

Hope

I needed this reminder this morning.  Perhaps you do too.  :-)

A healthy body

Ephesians 4
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.  Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.  Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.  There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called;  one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it[a] says:
“When he ascended on high,
he took many captives
and gave gifts to his people.”[b]
(What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions[c]? He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.  Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.  From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.  They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.
 That, however, is not the way of life you learned  when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus.  You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;  to be made new in the attitude of your minds;  and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. “In your anger do not sin”[d]: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry,  and do not give the devil a foothold.  Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.
 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.  Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.  Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Ephesians 4

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.  Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Philippians 4:4-9

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,  that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.  I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—  I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

John 17:20-23

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