Prayers, Prayers and More Prayers ~ Part One

 

Pray without ceasing ~1 Thessalonians 5:17

The photo above is taken by Danny several years ago, and shows how heavily wooded our yard is.  In light of our environs, and the ton of rain we receive for two days straight, he decides the safe plan for us is to spend the night at a local hotel when we expect high winds from Helene to hit after midnight.  I find myself praying non-stop that God will have mercy on our home, our neighborhood, and all the folks in the path of the impending hurricane.

This is one of those situations where the only thing we can control are our actions.  Neither one of us wants to leave our home, but we feel we have no choice in that moment.  We end up packing and taking more than we would need for one night away in case something catastrophic does occur and we can't return to our house once the immediate threat has passed.

We stay at a Hilton Garden Inn, on the first floor, so that if they lose electricity, we won't have to worry about the elevator failing us.  We even take two LED lanterns with us as the hotel does NOT have a generator (I find that hard to believe, but that's what we are told).  It is already raining when we pull up under the sheltered entrance in the afternoon.  We have so much stuff with us, we have to get a luggage dolly in order to tote it all to our room.

I didn't snap any photos of the room itself, but it is a comfortable one to say the least.  Because of the rain, we choose to have dinner at the hotel.  It is delicious, much to our surprise, as Danny's marvelous cooking has truly spoiled us when it comes to eating out.

The predicted dangerous winds aren't expected to land here until after midnight when we will be sound asleep.  We watch some favorite news programs, play our usual rounds of backgammon, and listen to some country music as is our nightly routine.  Before turning in for the night, Danny wants to get a photo of the rain which is now coming down really hard and fast.

See the line of utility service vehicles?  They are staged and ready to go when it will be safe to do so while the crews catch some Z-z-z-z at the hotel.  What would we do without these hard-working, dedicated persons who are willing to help those in need the moment they get the call?

In spite of our concerns about our house's safety, we both sleep well that night.  Well, that is, until 7:00 a.m. when the fire alarm blares with ear-splitting decibels.  Talk about a rude awakening!!!  It doesn't last for long, convincing us that it must have been a false warning, but the damage is done.  When we finally go to breakfast, Danny stops at the front desk in the lobby to find out what actually happened.  Loud and unexpected sounds still upset him no end after all he has gone through since January of this year.

Turns out, someone burned their toast in the breakfast area!  What???  That set off a fire alarm?  To add insult to injury, our breakfast leaves much to be desired; we pay for that up front when we first check into the hotel.  Danny is neither a morning person nor one who keeps his strong opinions to himself.  Without being mean in any way, just firm, he lets the manager of the hotel know about his continuing battle with medical PTSD, that the fire alarm rattled his last nerve, and gave some cooking advice that he wants conveyed to the so-called breakfast chef.

In the spirit of true hospitality, and to our utter amazement, the hotel  manager comps our entire night's stay!  We weren't expecting such a gracious and generous gesture, nor did Danny ask for any of it.  This is such a huge blessing for us, and we thank God for his provision through these kind and courteous hosts.  We realize, too, once Danny checks the weather, that there is no need to stay another night since the wind and rain have greatly abated.  We still don't know what we'll find when we get home as our nearest neighbor is out of town, but we never stop praying.

To be continued . . .

Almost

 

Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You almost persuade me to become a Christian." ~Acts 26:28

Pastor Jared has been expounding upon the Book of Acts in his summer sermon series.  As someone who has read the Bible through multiple times, I find his lessons to be so insightful, edifying, and never, ever boring.  He truly has an excellent gift for preaching and teaching without pretense.

In Acts 26, we meet King Agrippa.  His grandfather is none other than Herod the Great, or the not-so-great in the eyes of the Jewish people living under his rule.  Herod, if you recall, is the tyrant who ordered all male children under the age of two, living in and around Bethlehem, to be slaughtered.  He couldn't take a chance that the wise men's announcement of a new king of the Jews was born.  After all, that was his and his family's exclusive role!

It is Herod the Great's son who approves of Jesus' crucifixion sentence.  Agrippa knows all of his family's history.  And Paul's preaching of the Way is no secret to him either.  Being raised in the Jewish traditions, Herod and his progeny are well versed in the Law and the Prophets, but never to the point that their own power and influence could be compromised.

Paul's words on this particular day seem to have moved Agrippa closer toward Christ than in any previous time.  But here's the catch:  Almost.

We use that seemingly innocuous word a lot in our daily conversations, don't we?  Our team almost won the game.  I almost got that promotion.  She almost made straight A's on her report card.

When we hear or say the word in these instances, we leave open the door to the possibilities of doing better the next time around.  You know the old adage:  If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.

But as Pastor Jared points out, there is no almost when it comes to committing our lives to Jesus.  We're either all in, or all out.  There is no almost saved, almost grace, almost belief.  When we cling to worldly accolades - power, prestige, fame - how can we be fully surrendered to God and His will for our lives?

We can't.

There are many Agrippas in our society today.  Those whom Jesus calls to be His servants who say, "Not yet."  Or, "Not now."  Or even, saddest of all, "Never!"

May we all pray for these lost souls, knowing that almost will never satisfy the Almighty.

"I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot.  I could wish you were cold or hot.  So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of my mouth." ~Revelation 3:15-16

Rescue Me!

 

He rescued me from my powerful enemies, from my foes, who were too strong for me. ~Psalm 18:17

If you enjoy playing backgammon, as my husband, Danny, and I do every evening we can, this is not a formation you wish to face under any circumstances.  In a few fortuitous rolls of the dice, Danny's brown checkers have trapped my two white ones in what seems like an impossible impasse as there is, in this moment, no way out of the trap he and his dice have cleverly set.  How can two dice, with the top number of six, even have a glimmer of a hope in rescuing my unfortunate soldiers out of the mess they find themselves in?

These checkers, being side by side, are immune from further attacks at this juncture, but so are Danny's.  That is poor comfort when I have to continue to roll the dice and hope that I will have time to build a foreboding block on my home turf before Danny's team closes in.  That doesn't include rolling high numbers at this point.  For example, if I roll a six, and none of my free checkers can move a six, it's as good as losing my turn.  My block could end up looking like this -

See the stragglers?  They become fair game for Danny if, when I finally break free and can possibly hit one of his now unprotected soldiers, he has to reenter the game in my home field.  Rats!  But if I'm surrounded by my formidable foes for too long, I risk losing two games instead of one by leaving my checkers in the outfield without being able to take one off.  That's called a gammon.  If Danny gets all his checkers off of his homefield and I still have one remaining in his, that's a backgammon, hence the name of the game.

Am I finally able to free my soldiers from this mess?  Yes, but not without the onus of being gammoned.  If you think I'm happy about that, just ask Danny.  LOL!  He sure puts up with a lot of competitive spirit from me.

The more we play backgammon, the more I see the parallels to living life fully and with faith that God will rescue us when we are in danger, or are overwhelmed by the challenges we face.  If we don't take risks, we won't succeed.  If we give up hope, all is lost.  If we don't keep trying, we'll never know what might have been.

If God is with us, He will make our ways straight.  We can take risks, we can persevere, and we can have hope because His power and grace will prevail.  Some days, we may be able to take leaps and bounds.  Other days, we will only manage one step forward and two steps back.  But our loving Father knows our hearts, our goals, our dreams.

No foe can ever defeat us when the Lord stands tall and strong within us.

Amen!

Never Forget

 

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. ~2 Corinthians 3:17

We will remember

Nothing can erase

Images seared in memories

Usurping innocence

Upending peace in nation

Under God, indivisible

We stood as one

Against a common foe

We will remember 

Twenty-three years ago

Where we were

Who was with us

What we did

How we cried and mourned 

The fallen heroes

Then, and in successive wars

We learned the cost

Fragile freedoms sway

In winds of change

Will we remember?

Yes!

Never forget.

Amen

Do you remember?  Please share your feelings in the comments below.

For the Better

 

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor:  If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.  But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. ~Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

The older I get, the more I crave routine in my day.  Are you the same way?  But as we age, there are so many instances where interruptions become the norm instead of the exception.

My husband, Danny, and I used to take on separate duties in managing our household.  Since he is the chef and menu planner each week, he would take any required jaunts to our favorite grocery stores, always in search of the best bargains and healthiest foods he could find.  I would stay back at the house, content with doing the usual housework and reading/writing as much as possible.  If I have an appointment scheduled with the dentist or a doctor for a regular checkup, I simply take off in my car without Danny have to accompany me, and vice versa.

Those days, since the end of January, are behind us for the foreseeable future.  Danny's pacemaker surgery (you can read the details HERE) changes everything.  For both of us.  Whenever we have appointments or need to go shopping, we have to go together.  Although there have been many notable improvements in Danny's mental and emotional state over the months, shaking off the effects of medical, or any other type, of PTSD takes patience, outside counseling and the will to return to some state of normalcy in life.

And prayer.  Lots and lots of prayer.

Laughter doesn't hurt either.  We often joke about the situation, admitting that as much time as we have to be in close proximity, at least we like each other's company.  That's a good thing to be sure!  Yes, we've both had to make adjustments that sometimes feel restrictive in the moment, but that is simply a reality of marriage in a nutshell.  We give because we love, we love because we give.

Honestly, it's not easy to admit that neither one of us can do activities we once did without a second thought, like traveling long distances from home or volunteering for projects in our church or community that once would have allured us individually.  But this seems, upon reflection, an insignificant price to pay to feel safe and secure in our daily lives.

I can personally attest to Solomon's wisdom in Ecclesiastes 4:9-10:  Two are better than one.  May God grant us His grace and mercy to traverse this journey together.  One day at a time.  All for the better.

Amen!