Forgive When You Can't Forget

Last week while I was studying my Bible I was brought to task that I was holding unforgiveness toward my parents from incidents in my teen years. Now, as I think of my teen years, it isn't me who should be complaining, my parents have much to forgive me for; I was a mouthy, obnoxious teenage girl.

When I was a teenager there were no cell phones. Yes, I'm really, really old. We lived on a farm five miles from the town I went to school in. Occasionally I had reason to stay after school for things. I was a stats person for the girls basketball team when I was a freshman. I remember being the last one at the school building, waiting for my ride, in the dark. I would stand or sit at the door with my books, watching.

I got to know the custodian pretty well and was embarrassed when the coaches would walk by, asking why I was still there. It was an awful feeling. I knew my dad would show up eventually, but it felt like I was there forever. I watched the car lights come and go until finally it would be my dad in his work truck.

It wasn't just after school that I waited. I waited at church camp to be picked up. It was me and the cook, then finally just the camp director left on the camp grounds waiting. He couldn't leave until all the kids were picked up. I called home and found out they were confused about the time to pick me up or forgot, so they didn't start driving toward the camp until most people were gone. It felt like I waited forever.

My parents were wonderful, but am I still holding some unforgiveness toward them because they were consistently late? After all these years, I need to let those hurtful times go. Mostly I have, but when I remember how I felt, waiting, the wondering if they would come, did they forget me, the loneliness and anxiety of being the last one picked up, it still hurts.

"Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity," (Colossians 3:13-14 NIV).

Fortunately, by the time my parents died, our relationship was truly one of love and respect for each other, making my grief so much greater. Forgiveness is so important. Life doesn't move on without it.

Thank you, God, for helping me forgive even when I can't forget. Your love is perfect and always on time. Thank you, thank you, Jesus. Amen.

Have You Accepted His Invitation?

I'm getting a late start to this blog. I slept in, instead of getting up early. I'm skipping the early water aerobics class and will attend one at 9:30 am. I'm puzzled at what I should write about today. And the clock is ticking away.

Do you ever feel like you are behind; chasing after the bus or flagging down a taxi that just drove on by? (Yeah, I get lots of practice at that in rural Iowa!) That's a feeling I want to avoid but here I am putting pressure on myself to accomplish something that really doesn't have a time line. Or does it?

Our pastor recently preached on the parable about the wedding feast in Matthew 22:1-14. And the most significant message I received from it is that there is a limit to God's invitation to believe. I hadn't really thought about it because I am a believer and will keep my faith in Jesus Christ. But, pastor brought up some questions that got our growth group thinking last night. Is there a time line to God's invitation to believe. Will His invitation expire? The answer we came up with is - yes.

"But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes, 'Friend,' he asked, 'how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man was speechless. "Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' "For many are invited, but few are chosen," (Matthew 22:11-14 NIV).

If you read the full scripture of Jesus' parable of the Wedding Feast, you will see that the invitation was offered to many but many refused to come. Of the good and the bad that finally came to the party only a few were chosen.

"The Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings -- and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers," (Revelation 17:14b NIV).

I'm thankful that I've accepted Jesus' invitation to be washed whiter than snow and saved from my sins by Jesus' blood. If you haven't accepted Jesus' invitation yet, I urge you to seek out someone who can help you find the path to Jesus. I would be honored to help you. If you already know the Way, Praise God!

Harvesting

When my boys were little they loved to watch tractors and combines in the field. To be honest I did, too. And I still do. There is something so magnificent about watching the golden grain fill up the grain box, then out comes the spout (I'm a little teapot short and stout, here is my handle, here is my spout. Pardon the interruption.) The golden corn or beans come flooding out of the spout and begin to fill the wagons or semi truck parked and ready to transport the grain for storage. It is a beautiful sight.

This year especially in Iowa, the harvest is a true blessing, following weeks of rain and muddy fields that most tractors without tracks could not enter without getting stuck. Now it is finally dry enough for farmers to work on their harvest. Avoiding the wet spots for now, because there are many still lurking beneath the corn stalks.

"Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field,"" (Matthew 9:37-38 NIV).

Just as Jesus expressed concern over having harvest workers, the farmers may be searching for workers to help them with the harvest, too. Once the wagons are full, there is nothing to do but wait for them to be emptied again so the cycle of filling to emptying continues. Today the machines are bigger with larger capacity but there are still constraints of time unloading, waiting in lines at the elevator, filling the grain bins, transferring to road-ready trucks that meet weight limits. In spite of the delays and pressures of farmers, the blessing of a bountiful harvest remains.

Jesus was speaking to His disciples, encouraging them to be ready as the crop of new believers was ready for harvest. Jesus and His disciples needed to help the new believers understand how to respond to Christ and to give their lives to Him. We still need to know how to do this. As Christians it would be the ultimate harvest high to be able to help a new believer come to Christ.

As we observe the harvest, or spend the hours it takes to bring the blessings in, let us remember that we are the workers for Jesus' harvest of man and woman. May we always be ready to help someone new experience the forgiveness of sin that Jesus gives His children.

The Blessing of Pets

I grew up on a farm in Central Iowa. We didn't have close neighbors; there were no other kids to play with. So I improvised. My dog and cats and Daddy's horses were my playmates. I spent hours with them, talking to them, loving them. They never rejected me - oh, maybe Daddy's horse "Chip" did, whenever I wanted to ride him, but the other animals did not.

My black cat, Angel, was a busy mouser and mother. She was an outdoor cat but I encouraged her to live in the house whenever I could. When she had her babies even my mother welcomed her to nest inside the front porch for awhile. I loved on her a lot, stroking her silky black coat and teasing her with yarn or toys. She would wind around Mama's ankles as she hung out the laundry or worked in the garden, and she spent hours stretched out on the front step, soaking up sunshine.

One of my true companions as a young teen was "Charlie Brown". He was a mutt, part collie and part German shepherd? He came as a puppy and became a best friend for what seems like a short time. We would go up and down our long lane, visit the horses together and sit in the sun. But, Charlie loved to chase cars on our gravel road. One day the unspeakable happened. We had ridden down the lane like usual to get the mail. Charlie took off after a car and ended up getting hit and died. Right before my eyes. I remember just standing there, crushed. The fellow in the car got out and dragged Charlie to the side of the road. I got back on my bike and rode to the house, crying all the way. Then I just sat on the front step until Mama asked me what was wrong.

Solomon wrote, "I also thought, "As for men, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. Man's fate is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; man has no advantage over the animal. Everything is meaningless. All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return,"" (Ecclesiastes 3:18-20 NIV).

Any true dog or cat lover will tell you their past pets are in heaven. I don't have an answer for that but I do believe that God sends us pets for a reason. It won't surprise me to see Cotton, Checkers, Charlie Brown, Major, Sparky, Lou, Bella, Angel, and Allie on the streets of heaven. Love-giving animals are a blessing. Give yours a hug for me today.

He Set the Boundaries of the Earth

This weekend the weather in Iowa took an about-face toward winter. We've been stuck in a rainy fall gloom most of this month but yesterday the north wind came whirling, first with rain, then with snow flakes that started to gather on parked cars and in grassy patches.

Our hummingbird feeder appears deserted now; there's been no sign of the tiny little birds for two weeks. Instead, several blue birds were sighted on posts around our yard. Perhaps they were checking out the neighborhood as they moved through. The Canadian geese are returning to the Ankeny ponds and adjacent fields, and the ducks are passing overhead.

Saylorville Lake is at a record high for this time of year, with water covering most of the boat ramps, stranding many of the houseboats that typically are being removed for the winter. Creeks are running high and water is pooled in the unharvested farm fields. I can't help but be reminded that God is in control. Every fall image we see has God's fingerprints on it. The beauty of fall color and even the hurricanes show us God's power and strength rolled into storm cells that scream across the water till they slam onto land with torrential wind and rain.

Every sign in nature reminds us of you, O God. We stop and watch in awe, all that you have done and the many blessings that grace our life. Even as we grumble about the clouds and the cold, Lord, we know that your gifts to us far outweigh the challenges. We must focus on Your grace and mercy and thank you, O God.

"It was you who opened up springs and streams; you dried up the ever flowing rivers. The day is yours, and yours also the night; you established the sun and moon. It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter," (Psalm 74:15-17 NIV).

Tomorrow the warm sun will shine again and we will be happy, forgetting all the rain and disappointment. Our life will be joy-filled again and how quickly we will forget the wet, gray days. Forgive us Lord, for being so short-sighted and focused on the moment at hand. Forgive us for forgetting how wonderful Your Son is to us. God, thank You for sending Your Son Jesus Christ to save us from our sins. Help us to focus on You, O God. In spite of the weather or our personal situations that give us grief, let us remember You, always.

Praising God For Pastors

"Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ," (Romans 10:17 NIV).

I have been attending church all of my life and I have been blessed by many pastors. They all had unique characteristics and gifts. The ones I remember most are those who played an important role in my life. Although their sermons were perhaps the most time consuming task of their role, often I remember the other ways they were present in my life.

Ray Bowler is the pastor who led my youth group and ultimately led me to believe in Jesus Christ and be baptized when I was 12 years old. He also taught me about peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  Even though I don't crave them, it was a new experience that I remember all these years later. Charlie Fry is the pastor who married John and me. I will always remember his attention to detail and kind thank you notes he wrote. Jump ahead to Roy Sanders. He was the pastor who helped John intervene when I was in a deep depression. He found a doctor and helped convince me to seek help. Cynthia Moore was there through some of the hardest times of my life. She will forever be precious to me and to God for loving my parents and helping me face the grief of losing my Mama, helping Daddy through the years without her, and then losing Daddy.

Although sermons are not the top of my memories, the cumulative effect of pastor messages in my  adult years are what help me to grow in faith and continue to study The Word. I won't forget the way Pastor Moore's series on the Roman road helped me fall in love with the book of Romans. Scott Hand presented The Word with humor and vibrance. Pastor Nathan Nemmers presented a comprehensive study on "The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus" by John R. Cross, that refreshed my faith and bolstered my understanding of The Word when we joined Lakeside Fellowship. Recently, Pastor Dave Heisterkamp's series on the Ten Commandments gave the ancient rules new and relevant meaning. His powerful messages leave me anxious to hear more.

"It was he (Christ) who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's 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," (Ephesians 4:11-13 NIV).

Pastors have a big job and often go without thanks. October has been slated as Pastor Appreciation Month. Show your appreciation to those who build up your faith and knowledge in their own unique way of presenting The Word of God.

Thank you, all pastors.

Put Your Hand to the Plow

My husband reminded me recently that Daddy was not a great handyman. He was first a father, then a singer, then a farmer, then a surveyor for the Soil Conservation Service, then for the Iowa Department of Transportation, then a handyman. As a child I would spend my day following him around the farm, helping with projects by handing him tools or running to the house or shed for something he needed.

My husband knows. John spent many hours helping Daddy with the farm chores when we lived next door to Mom and Daddy. Daddy worked on broken machinery, but rarely had a successful outcome. Daddy's "go-to" was a neighbor who ran Warner's Repair Shop. He must have saved Daddy a hundred times. John has a multiple stories he loves to tell about Daddy and his lack of labor skills. I'm pretty sure Daddy was meant to be a white-collar worker but his life situations placed him on a farm first.

Sometimes that is the way life goes. What would you be doing if things had gone differently in your life? What did you dream of as a child?

I was one of the lucky ones who actually got to live my dream! It just took me a while. A kind (or perhaps desperate) editor hired me when I was 35 to write for a weekly newspaper. When I was 38, I finally enrolled in college and spent the next four years working on my journalism/mass communications/minor in English/public relations emphasis degree. Then I was able to write in the field of marketing as my career for 12 years. Now, I still get to pour my words out on this electronic newsletter blog twice a week.

Field near San Francisco

One scripture came across my desk more than once this week and it reminded me of the above thoughts.

"Jesus replied, "No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God,"" (Luke 9:62 NIV).

Jesus wants us to focus on Him, not follow Him sometimes, or once-in-a-while. Jesus needs His followers to entrust themselves in service to Him...looking ahead and making our rows straight, neat, and narrow.

Zacchaeus Is Saved

I love the story of Zacchaeus. Do you remember the song from Sunday School? I think that's why it is such a beloved story; I sang it so many times as a child. If only I could put all the stories of the Bible to memory as I did this song.
"Zacchaeus was a wee little man

And a wee little man was he  He climbed up in a sycamore tree  For the Lord he wanted to see
And when the Savior passed that way  He looked up in the tree  And said, 'Zacchaeus, you come down!  For I'm going to your house today!  For I'm going to your house today!'"
I am not a memorizer...I fail miserably at trying to memorize verses or anything else. My brain just doesn't work well or I just don't work hard enough at it. As I get older I see more clearly the benefit of putting scripture to memory. I want to be able to recall a verse when I need it. That's what I love about music, it helps you remember the words. 

Back to Zacchaeus. The song draws a picture of this tiny little man in a sycamore tree. Scripture says he's a tax collector for the Roman government - the chief tax collector. He is wealthy, so let's add bulging money bags to the picture, along with quality clothing, as well. Most likely he was despised by the common people because the Jews felt the tax collectors were traitors.  So he is a loner. But, he also wants to see this Jesus who was causing such a stir in town.

Jesus approaches and sees Zacchaeus in the tree. Jesus knows his name! Jesus spoke to him! Wow, what a great moment for this lonely little man. Jesus immediately tells Zacchaeus that He is going to stay at his house. The common Jews were appalled that Jesus would go to the house of a 'sinner' to stay!

But, that is who Jesus wants to preach to, those who need His salvation. As Christians, we, too, need to seek out the Zacchaeus'es who are searching for answers to their empty lives. We need to be the ones to show the Savior, Jesus Christ, to them. It is our job to tell them Jesus knows their names, and that He is calling them to come to Him.

"But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount." Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost,"" (Luke 19:8-10 NIV).

Yes, even we, the sinners, can be saved by Jesus Christ. Amen!

Welcome October!

October! Welcome! Time to turn the calendar page to a new month. My sheep calendar in our bedroom shows a mama sheep and twin babies looking at the camera.

By now you probably know how much I love sheep. We raised show sheep for more than 25 years before we moved to Ankeny. I started collecting sheep sometime before that. The collection of sheep moved with us as they don't require pasture land, hay or manure scooping. Just dusting and I manage to do that a couple times a year!

I don't know why the sheep make me so happy, but whenever I look at them I smile. John counted my sheep about 10 years ago and I had over 300, I believe. I don't add to my collection very often these days as I've run out of room. But, I did find a very unique rocking lamb recently that I had to get. I don't know what will happen to my collection when I die. I keep trying to spark interest in them with my grandchildren, but so far no takers.

Sheep have always reminded me of my Savior, Jesus Christ and the love He has for us. The scriptures use the illustration of sheep to represent sinners who need the Shepherd to save them. I am a sheep, sometimes lost, but as a believer I am His and forever saved. Thank you, God, for sending Jesus Christ to save us.

"Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations," (Psalm 100 NIV).

What a blessed day we have to rejoice in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. May October bring you time to worship the Lord with gladness, thanksgiving and praise!