The Delayed Messenger?

Another new insight, and yet a puzzling one, came from reading Daniel and Revelation this morning.

I just had to share it with you.

Of course.

As you know, the last part of Daniel talks about the visions Daniel had of the end times. Because of this, it is a good book to read along with Revelation. In chapter 10, Daniel's last vision has a messenger explaining a great war to Daniel . "His body was like chrysolite, face like lghtning, eyes like flaming torches, and arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the voice like the sound of a multitude." No wonder Daniel fell down, helpless to move!

I often have wished I could see an angel or messenger from God, but upon reading this passage, I reconsider that desire.

The messenger told Daniel that Daniel's prayers were heard, and he came in response to them, BUT the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted the messenger for twenty-one days. Then Michael came to help the messenger because he was detained. Now he arrived to explain to Daniel what will happen to his people in the future.

Whoa! I knew spiritual battles went on behind the scenes of our lives, but I never quite saw it like this! The prince of the Persian kingdom is explained as a powerful spiritual being. He was able to detain the messenger for three weeks. Daniel remained faithful in praying and fasting, and the answer finally arrived.

How often have my own prayers seemed unanswered or delayed so long that I cease praying them? Satan loves to stop prayer. Prayers are our conversations with God.

There is no faster way to end a relationship with your friend, spouse, relative than to stop communication with that person. Right?

Satan knows this about our relationship with God. If he can delay messengers, discourage our prayer life, then he has a chance to disrupt our spiritual growth with God.

I am reminded of my mother who battled Parkinson disease for almost thirty years. What a faithful "Daniel" she was and role model to me. She prayed to God throughout that time for healing, for relief from that disease. Yet she shared with me that she grew closer to God than ever before had she not struggled so much. She said even if God never healed her, she would remain faithful in her love for Him.

She was finally healed when she woke up one morning in heaven. There were even glimpses of her healing before she died. One afternoon, I remember as she sat in her wheelchair unable to move her legs for many weeks, she showed me her ability to lift her legs and move them in circles in the air like a little dance. Out of the blue, sometimes, she would be able to talk clearly to me after weeks of no speech.

Glimpses of restoration. Who knows what spiritual battles may have been taking place during those years?

Like Daniel, my mother never let Satan win.

I can imagine the messenger finally coming to her as she was dieing and saying, "Rise, I have been a bit delayed, but your prayers have been heard. Your faithfulness rewarded. Your time has come to walk, run, dance again but with Jesus!"

I don't understand the spiritual battles going on unseen by you or me. I don't understand how our all-powerful God can even let an evil force delay a heavenly messenger.

All I know is this: In the end, God wins.

That is the message of Revelation. Of Daniel. Of Ruby Jack, my mother.

I hope it is the message of your story, too.

For His Glory,
Gretchen

Drifting with God...

One of my favorite things to do when I was in high school was to take our little speed boat and a good book and travel to the far side of Crab Orchard Lake in Southern Illinois very early in the morning (before 8:00). I loved seeing the fishermen returning with their morning catch as I journeyed to the forbidden-to-skiers-inlets.

Turning off the motor I let the boat drift. Enjoying the purple, blue, and pink hues of the morning sky while letting the waves rock the little boat side to side often lulled me into a peaceful rest.

Once while drifting, I spotted an odd shape in the water: two large horns protruded from the surface and moved steadily toward the shore. Paddling closer, I could not believe my eyes as I came along side a deer swimming from one island to another. To my dismay she began to panic and swim in circles. Not wanting her to drown, I quickly started up the motor and sped away.

Drifting is a pleasant state of mind sometimes, isn't it? You can discover new ideas or sights while just drifting. Have you ever let your mind just drift off in some pleasant memory or day dream? I had special day dreams as a child I used when bored in school or even church. Time seems so different when I can drift.

On the other hand, as I read Revelation 13 this morning, I realized it was time to check my drifting. You see, drifting can also be dangerous.

If I fell asleep on the lake while drifting, I could run the little blue speed boat onto sand bars, rocks, sunken tree logs, and end up ruining the engine's propeller.

Too many times I had witnessed my Dad having to paddle his pontoon boat all the way across the lake as a result of a sheered pin or lost propeller. I tried my best to avoid that same problem.

So while drifting is nice, it can not go on for long, can it? Danger can result from being lulled into sleep while drifting.

Spiritually it is the same. When times are great seem to be the times we drift the most. These are the times when everyone is well. No financial crisis occurs. Family members are compliant with each other.

So we enjoy the lack of conflict or trouble and sometimes, drift.

Revelation warns us to be studious, to be diligent, to watch for imitators of Jesus' love and false prophets. We are not to let ourselves drift from daily prayer and reading God's Word and seeking His will...even in the pleasant moments of life.

Perhaps especially in those pleasant moments of life we should seek Jesus all the more so we are not unprepared, so we can see and adjust for the rocks, the hidden dangers, and the conflicts that eventually come with this life.

Yes, it is OK to enjoy these quiet times of life, the drifting, but not without God by our side, not without God conversing in our hearts, not without God enjoying the time with us. Don't you know He wants to enjoy drifting with us and not just be called upon in times of trouble? Just as I want my daughter to enjoy spending fun time with me and not just call upon me when she needs money or help with homework, God wants to smile with us as we enjoy His creation.

I hope you are enjoying this time of life...
drifting with God.

For His Glory,
Gretchen

Preparing for Sewing Camp: Out of my Comfort Zone

I felt overwhelmed in the middle of a fabric store! I don't know why I thought it would be sew easy (pun intended) to run in and grab a pattern, fabric, supplies for my daughter's upcoming sewing camp.

As I looked at the books of patterns from which we should chose, I flashed back to my senior year in high school. I had one elective to find, and I thought I will try to learn to sew. The first day, to my dismay, I found I was the only beginner in an advanced sewing class. The project the other girls were working on was designing and creating the pom-pom squad uniforms for the fall!

The teacher assured me it would be O.K. However, as time passed, I realized I was on my own to learn.

It got worse.

Being anal even then, I did not want to fail this course. I was a straight-A student and planned on staying that way. After selecting a simple A-line dress, I sought out my grandmother's dear friend, an elderly lady who hand-sewed all her own clothes.

This sweet woman could barely see anything, but she could stitch the smallest stitches anyone ever saw! She showed me some approaches to use without a machine since all the machines in class were claimed for the advanced students' projects.

When the final exam came, I was to wear my dress, if you could call it that. One sleeve was at my elbow, the other below my fingers; the hem was long in front and short in back.

My teacher looked at me modeling the results of my hard work and broke out in tears from laughter. I joined her.

She apologized for overlooking me during the rush and applauded my tiny stitches asking more about the elderly lady who befriended me.

I got an "A."
-Yet vowed never to go near a sewing class again. I envied my friend who sewed her own homecoming dress and had amazing results, but I would not attempt such success.

Today, then, I guess I forgot about that experience as I entered JoAnn's Fabric Store. Seeing rows and rows of bolts with different patterns and textures, searching through books for THE right pattern my daughter wanted, seeking "notions" that accompany the pattern, I asked four different women for help. Finally, I capitulated as my daugther insisted on an American Girl coat pattern, purple heavy fabric, dragon flies for appliques and paid the $43.00 at the check-out counter. I then realized, $43.00! I could go to the American Girl store and buy at least two outfits for such a doll. Maybe more!

Oh, well, my heart was still pounding and head realing from my sewing search in the store. It seemed like a special secret club in that store. It was packed. People were discussing cuts and bias and styles and things I don't even understand. Mathmaticians would have been proud as person after person calculated yardage.

I now reflect on how many "clubs" are in our society. Ever been to a golf course? Golfers, too, have their own language and code of conduct. Tennis clubs, ice skating, cyclists, hikers, ....we humans seems to develop our own vocabulary for areas of our interest that can tend to set us apart or even separate us, intentionally or not intentionally.

I think about the Bible story of the Tower of Babel. Man's goal was to reach the heavens. God was not pleased with the intent. Man wanted glory for man, not God.

As a result, God separated man, divided man's language and interests.

I pray my interests and "clubs" do not exclude God nore intentionally exclude others. Do I use "Christianese" language that allienates those around me? God wants to include everyone in His love and mercy.

Jesus is even delaying His return so that He does not lose any soul, but gives every person ample opportunity to know Him personally.

So I am watching my own speech today, my terms, my "club-speak." It does not mean I stop talking about God. It just means I watch lapsing into a vocabulary I take for granted about Jesus, vocabulary or terms that non believers can find confusing.

In the meantime, I am going to wash the fabric, hoping it doesn't shrink as we prepare for Monday's camp. I just don't want to journey back to memory lane in the fabric store.

For His Glory,
Gretchen

Goodbye to Facebook? Not sure...

Last night, I watched two more newscasts about how easy it is to breach the security, especially if one uses facebook.

Of course, fear gripped my heart. I then began reflecting on my use of facebook. The primary reason I went on facebook a few years ago was at the insistence of my sister and sister-in-law. They both posted most of their pictures of their families and events on there. One of them told me she would no longer send me e-mail pictures because it was much easier to use facebook, and I just needed to get with the rest of the world and use facebook.

She was right. I was able to see pictures of family miles away much more easily. Now, though, I realize the primary reason I use facebook is to share what God has put on my heart. Do I really need to continue doing this? Is that prompting still from God?

The blog certainly is. God knows my need to write and share. --But does it need to be facebook? What is facebook primarily used for by most folks?

For me, it has been wonderful to connect with a former middle school friend in California, Becky. What an amazing Christian woman! It has been great to share Tabby's healing from cancer as well as to ask for prayer requests.

Yet, I worry. Is facebook a place I seek affirmation? I have that weakness, you know. I have always for some odd reason sought affirmation. It is why I went to graduate school, sought positions of recognition, and probably even write this blog to some degree.

God is really working on that need in my life. My affirmation must come from pleasing Him, from Him, not others. As long as I seek it from others, it will be like a bottomless pit in my soul, never being filled.

So I am praying about this. It may be time to say so long to something that can be somewhat as addictive as my morning coffee, checking facebook.

No matter what, join me in thanking God for His unconditional love and affirmation through Jesus.

For His Glory,
Gretchen

The End of the Story...

Reading Revelation is confusing at times. I think I am glad I don't know ALL about how the world will end though. I am relieved God decided NOT to explain EVERYTHING to my little pea-sized brain. It would overwhelm me. I think I am not alone in that because God did decide NOT to reveal or disclose every detail to John in the visions He gave John.

I admit this is a change for me. I was such a control freak that I would read the end of a novel BEFORE starting it because I just could not stand the suspense. That is pretty pathetic for an English teacher to do, right? Right!

Also, I would fast forward to the end of movies rented if the suspense was just too great. I just had to know the ENDING!

You see if I knew the ending was sad or traumatic, I could chose NOT to read or watch.

What if, though, you knew the ending to your life and yet had no way to change or leave the situation?

Revelation gives glimpses of the end times for mankind and for this earth. It is not pretty. Such sadness and destruction awaits those who refuse to love God. Even those who do love God will experience death unless raptured first.

While reading Revelation I realize I have struggled the past three years and even quite lately with the glimpses of the end of life I had in seeing my parents die. The aging process for each of them was painful. Chronic heart disease for my father and Parkinson's for my mother put an end to the many simple pleasures they enjoyed with each other and family members. My dad had to learn to rely on others for help, something it seems the Depression and WWII generation folks did not like to do. They had a self-sufficient spirit.

I tell you, Dear Reader, that after seeing my parents die, I felt the end of the story had been spoiled for me. I often thought with fear, "Will this be my own end? Will I be in a nursing home, striving to get attention for help to go to the bathroom? Will I yearn for a visit from someone who is busy with kids or work or pleasure? Will I not be able to read the Bible because of failing eyesight? Will I beg for someone just to take me out of the house that can become my prison for an hour...to shop...to the store...to church? Will I depend upon someone to bathe me like a child? Will I...."

I even have thought....all of life seems to be waiting for the next bad thing to happen. We live in a fallen world, and the in between times are really the good times in between bad news. Bad news is the norm of this life.

Yes, very depressing thoughts. I can tend to bend that direction all too easily.

Thank God for Revelation though, and Matthew, Mark, Luke, John....The ending my parents experienced is NOT their ending. There is no end to any human being's story.

The death and destruction in Revelation is not the end of the Believers in Jesus! Believers in the end times will join my parents. My parents are living forever in heaven with work, meaning, health, and most importantly the love of Jesus.

We will not get out of the fallen world easily, I know. Aging is not fun. When I get depressed though, I will remember the last book in the Bible, Revelation.

There is no ending of our story, only a TO BE CONTINUED in heaven.

How sure are you of where your story will be spent after time on earth? I pray you join me in the to be continued version with Jesus.

For His Glory,
Gretchen

Have You Ever "Looked Like You Lost Your Best Friend..."

She kept calling and leaving me messages, but I really didn't want to hear what I knew the news was going to be. My friend is moving to Texas. (Stop cheering, you Texas fans.)

Her daughter was my daughter's first good friend at school. They met in a preschool camp and immediately clicked.

Being the oldest Mom in my daughter's school it was nice to meet someone NOT in her 20's who was still working part-time and trying to keep up with her toddler son and daughter. We shared a lot over the past four years.

I knew though from her stories that she was a Texas girl at heart and missed living in Texas especially during the many St. Louis ice storms.

So it was hard when she asked for prayer to help her make the right decision on whether or not to move and take a great job offer. She was so excited.

I kept thinking how I need to be happy for her. How oblivious she seems to be to my daughter's hurt and my own feeling of loss.

But that is the way it is, isn't it? People come and go. Life changes. Nothing stays the same. It even seems to get worse as I age.

Or perhaps it is that because I age, I long even more for things to remain the same?

My daughter loves to play the game of LIFE lately. I notice there are no cards or spaces that say, "Your friend is moving away. Go home and sulk." No advice cards either.

So, my friend is moving away. I pretend to be happy. I am glad she has a great new life ahead, but I have to hide my own mourning or at least sense of loss.

Some of you reading this understand. Others won't.

I am thankful God understands more than anyone, though. Jesus knew what it was like to lose friends. He also understood the fickleness of human emotion. Loyalty came and went for him. His best friends left him alone to suffer death.

I know. My friend leaving is no where as dire as what Jesus experienced, but the fact that He experienced it means He understands my little space of grief.

Even if my friend does not.

May You rest in the knowledge that God understands your reaction to Life Changes.
-And as Life does change, we all rest in the understanding that He is Constant and our Rock amid small and large disappointments.

For His Glory,
Gretchen

One Foot on Land and One on the Sea...

Did I tell you how amazing Revelation is? I know. I am being repetitive, but I am learning so much...or at least discovering how much I did not know.

For example, have you ever heard of the Colossus of Rhodes? My husband, a former history teacher, had. It wasn't until I read in Revelation 10 about the giant angel coming with one foot on the land and one on the sea before opening yet another seal for the end times that I saw a reference to this Wonder of the Ancient World.

It appears it was the statue of the Greek god, Helios on the island of Rhodes. It was 107 feet tall supposedly. When John wrote about the angel appearing with this scroll of the end times, many of his readers probably pictured this Colossus statue. The statue was later destroyed by an earthquake (or so some scholars report).

The voice of the giant angel sounded to John like seven thunders. I let my imagination go to the image of such an enormous creature.

It was frightening! I rarely have let myself go past figurative language in Revelation to thinking of actual creatures sent by God for the end times. The sight in my mind was horrific.

In addition, the other night our house literally shook or vibrated from the rolling thunder we experienced with yet another wave of nighttime storms. Our bed actually shook awakening even my deeply snoring-nothing-ever-wakes-him-up-husband!

For those of you used to earthquakes, we MidWesteners are not accustomed to being awkakened at 2:00 AM with vibrating homes. The thunder was so deep it seemed to engulf our home!

I tried to imagine having a giant angel speak in such a thunderous voice. This sight is more intimidating than any Hollywood movie.

Then I felt peace. I read where God would not let His wrath pour out on those marked as His believers. God did not send us Revelation to frighten us as believers, but to help us remember to stay watchful, to understand HE is in control, and He has us in the palm of His hand.

Always.
In the slience.
In the thunder.

God will not withhold His judgment on evil. He will not let sin go unpunished.
So I prayed today, "Come, Jesus, come!" When He does, evil will be defeated. The happy ending to our stories in Christ will be finally revealed for all to see and hear!

As we wait for that day, may we keep our feet planted firmly on God's Word and watch for His return.

No earthquake to shake our faith. No need of a Colossus to remind us of who is in control.

For His glory,
Gretchen