A WOMAN'S VIEW ~ Lenore Buth

Best of Times or Worst of Times? It's Your Call

Every one of us may answer that differently but still, we would prefer our lives to run along smoothly. 

Please raise your hand if that describes your life. Hmm.

Okay then, let's consider the question from a different angle. Did you ever consider what your tough times taught you? Or watch that play out for someone else? 

I learned a big life lesson from our long-ago friend Bill. He and his wife were part of a small group of friends who got together every couple of weeks. We often talked about our lives, our problems and how we as Christians could deal with them. 

Whatever the situation, Bill's opinion seldom wavered. He believed the trials that test our will and our strength created a situation where our faith could shine through. 

Plain-spoken Bill always managed to insert his favorite truth:

"When the rubber meets the road, what's inside us will show up."

Then a huge pothole opened up in front of Bill     

When our group met that week Bill seemed distracted. Finally he said, "This has been one tough week and I'm glad it's over!" 

Then Bill spelled it out for us:   

As a building contractor, he had survived more than one economic challenge by barely hanging on. Then demand picked up, so he hired a few sub-contractors. Two of them never showed up and the third guy did shoddy work.  

Then building materials were delivered to his warehouse and on inspection turned out to be sub-standard. 

In one of his buildings careless renters set their apartment on fire, which spread to adjoining units in another building he managed.

"All this in one week?" I asked.

"Yeah. Problems are nothing new, but usually I have some breathing space."  

Somebody asked how he managed to keep going and keep on trusting, even when it seemed everything had turned sour.

Bill thought a bit, then said, "Guess I have enough smarts to learn from life and trust God to get me through."

Then the rubber hit Bill's road, big time 

His doctor delivered a shock. Results of recent tests showed that Bill's "little problem" was a life-threatening health crisis.

He sought out the best medical treatment he could afford. Extensive surgery and arduous treatments followed, but Bill followed instructions precisely. He and his wife came to church as often as he was able, Bill walking slowly and leaning on a cane. His face looked pale and drawn, but still he smiled. 

Still spoke faith and encouragement to the rest of us. 

Again and again my husband and I watched this one man lift the spirits of everyone who glimpsed him or who was within range of his voice. 

"Hey, it's just life," Bill would say. "God is in charge and I am at peace. I'm keeping my eyes on Him. However He works it out, I win." 

That's true for the rest of us, too

We moved several months later but the last I heard, Bill had recovered his health and energy.

I think of him when I read again what the Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 4:11-13:

 ... I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.

I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

I can do all this through him who gives me strength. NIV

Paul's "circumstances" were no slice of angel food cake. Just read 2 Corinthians 11:16-33 to read of Paul's floggings, beatings, imprisonments, shipwrecks and being left for dead many times.

Was that how Paul learned to be content?

Surely Paul must have had times of feeling alone and abandoned

That's when he clung to Jesus, as he wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:7-10:

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.   NIV

Are you wondering about the "jars of clay?" Paul knew Scripture backwards and forwards and was referring to Genesis 2.

That's where God created the first human being (Adam) out of the dust of the earth, remember?

Our friend Bill lived the truth of Paul's words

Even on his worst days, this down-to-earth guy presented a ready smile to the world. We Christian friends knew what kept Bill going. He drew on the light of Jesus and the strength of Jesus within him.   

Like the Apostle Paul, Bill kept his eyes on Jesus rather than on himself and what was going on in his life. When he slipped up--and he did, of course, being human--he went back to what he believed, asked God's help and began again.

With evidently no self-pride or aim to impress, Bill simply lived his life as a man who depended on Jesus living within him to get him through his days.

You know that saying that we believers are to be "little Christs" in the world we live in?  

Bill just being Bill lived out that truth and everyone around him wanted what he had.

He believed the truth of Ephesians 2:10 every day

It's all ours for the taking, if we, like Bill, keep our eyes on the One who promises to enable us and be our strength:

My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.    Psalm 73:26  NLT

He depended on God and His power, not on his own--and said so. He left everyone who knew him an unforgettable model for living. 

Simply said, Bill chose to have the best of times--even in his worst of times. 

I pray your life is good, my friend, and your heart is at peace,

Lenore

What is there in 9/11 that matters to us today?

Those of us who were old enough to understand will never forget  hearing the first reports of planes flying into the Twin Towers and watching heart-stopping photos like these.

The horror of it seemed beyond understanding.

Over 3,000 Americans that beautiful September morning never made it home.   

Each one had family and friends who loved them, who ached to hear their dear one tell them, "I'm okay."  

But when their phones finally rang, that's not what the voice on the other end told them.

Tragedy usually is like that--out of the blue 

Life is a risky proposition. Being alive, feeling safe in our situation, is more fragile than we know.

It lasts until . . .

Until tragedy strikes close to home. A teenage son or daughter is killed in an accident. Our parent or spouse is diagnosed with Alzheimer's. A two-year old grandchild is diagnosed with leukemia.  

Until something happens that shakes us to our core. Maybe we felt safe in our healthy living habits and patted ourselves on the back for resisting those "dastardly" foods we once loved, pushing ourselves to stay fit.

Then came that symptom. Or that test. That calm, impersonal voice saying, "I'm sorry to tell you, but . . . . "

That's when our inner self screamed, "No! Not me! Not mine!"

Yet it was us. It was our loved one. And no amount of weeping or talking or consulting specialists could make it go away.

At last we understood there was nothing to do but get through it and count on God's strength in Christ to carry us along.

Then like Job, we endlessly replay our situation and cry out to God 

I'm no theologian, but one thing I know. Job let it all hang out with God. He expressed his pain and frustration and his not-knowing-ness in stark language.

Job had reason to wail. Not long before he "had it all" and lost everything, including his seven sons and three daughters.

All of them (Job 1.)

Then came Job's health, another casualty. Everyone in his life blamed God, but never once did Job, even in his worst moments, curse God.

That's why God does not punish Job for his honest outpourings of pain.

If you've ever studied the book of Job you know that God finally spoke to Job in chapters 38-41.  

Chapter 42 tells "the rest of the story," how God indeed brought Job through his time of suffering and blessed him with more sons and daughters and long life.

God can bring us through our hard times, too

Like every other human being on earth, believers have times of suffering. Christians died on 9/11 and countless Christians suffer and die right now as refugees from persecution. Every one of us knows someone with something.

Pain and disease come not from God's hand, but because we live in a world messed up by sin ever since Genesis.

It's the human condition.

But when tragedy and trials come, one thing we know: God is for us.

If you're living your own "9/11" right now, take heart!

Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.               --Psalm 55:22 (NIV)  

Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.                                                           -- Psalm 54:4 (NIV) 

I can do all things through him who strengthens me.                                                             --Philippians 4:13 (NIV)

My friend, whether you're in a good place right now or in a pit of pain, here's my prayer for you:

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being . . .                                                                                 --Ephesians3:16 (NIV)

Lovingly,

Lenore

 

 

Finding joy in the midst of . . . whatever

Looking for hope? Read this man's story

Here's a survival strategy for when tragedy strikes

When the bottom drops out of life, how can we go on?

How to stay calm in fearful times

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Learning about life and perseverence from Maya Angelou

Maybe you never thought about Maya Angelou until now, after her recent death, when everyone's talking about her.

Maybe you wonder what's the big deal?

I sometimes disagreed with her views , but I admire how she came through a harsh childhood and grew into a calm, balanced woman of accomplishment.

How did she do it?

I think it traces back to her stable, loving grandmother, who spoke faith and hope into this hurting little girl. When Maya was three her dysfunctional father plunked her down to live with his mother-in-law, then four years later snatched her backto live with her mother.

When Maya was eight, her mother's boyfriend raped her. She confided in her older brother, who told the family. The rapist was tried, convicted and jailed.

For one day.

Shortly thereafter, someone murdered him. Blaming herself for the man's death, Maya stopped talking . . . for five years.

The two siblings were sent to live with Grandma, who provided a solid home, frequently reassuring them of Christ's love for them.

How does one survive such experiences?

We can learn a lot from Maya about overcoming pain. Her writings and interviews reveal what kept her from bitterness.

• Faith in God:
  "I believed that there was a God because I was told it by my grandmother and later by other adults. But when I found that I knew not only that there was God but that I was a child of God, when I understood that, when I comprehended that, more than that, when I internalized that, ingested that, I became courageous."
  
  
• Take the long view:
  "You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.” 
  
  
• Choose to take a positive view of life:
  "You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.”
  
  "If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude."
  
  
• Forgive:  
  "You can't forgive without loving. And I don't mean sentimentality. I don't mean mush. I mean having enough courage to stand up and say, 'I forgive. I'm finished with it.'
  
  
• Be authentic:
  "If you have only one smile in you, give it to the people you love. Don't be surly at home, then go out in the street and start grinning 'Good morning' at total strangers.”
  
  
• Be kind:
  "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."
  
  
• Recognize your impact on others:
  "Each of us, famous or infamous, is a role model for somebody, and if we aren't, we should behave as though we are -- cheerful, kind, loving, courteous. Because you can be sure someone is watching and taking deliberate and diligent notes.”
  
  
• Remember that life is a gift:
  Maya's prayer: "I want to thank you, Lord, for life and all that's in it. Thank you for the day and for the hour, and the minute.”

This kind of transformation can't be accomplished on our own

 

Maya's story reminded me of this verse, which reveals her secret.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.  --2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)

Maya Angelou was far from perfect, yet she was forgiven. In Christ, she was a new creation, freed from bitterness and hate.

 

That's what enabled her to be able to say, "I forgive. I'm finished with it"--and mean it.

 

You and I can have the same newness of mind and spirit. It's the gift that comes with believing in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior (John 3:16-17.)

 

Trusting, too,

Lenore

 

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Here's a survival strategy for when tragedy strikes

Tornado roars through Moore, Oklahoma. How would we cope if this was where we used to live?

Imagine coming back to this.

Some residents returned to piles of rubble they couldn't see over.

Some found flat, empty spaces littered with debris. They could only trace in their minds where walls once stood.

All cried and hugged each other. Who wouldn't?

In memory their individual homes looked sweet and flawless, filled with precious possessions. The ordinary, boring routines of daily life transformed into cherished rituals. 

Tragedy makes our vision clearer

How many interviews have you watched where Moore residents said something like, "Oh, it's all gone, but that doesn't matter. My family is okay. That's all that counts."

We forget that too easily, don't we?

Is it possible to possess that perspective without first suffering a tragedy?

I think we can. I think we must.

That's especially important for moms. In Moore, ten children died. Yes, the school children were with their teachers.

Even so, they faced their fears on their own.

That's life. Even young children spend most weekdays away from home. Older kids and teens, too. We moms can give them something indestructible to hang onto, whatever comes.

Something like this

First we teach our children they can talk to Jesus themselves. We stress that Jesus is with them, right here. Right now.

Songs are good, too. For generations godly moms and grandmas have been teaching, "Jesus Loves Me," to their little ones. Every Sunday School kid learns it, too. It goes like this:

Jesus loves me, this I know,

For the Bible tells me so.

Little ones to Him belong.

They are weak, but He is strong.

Yes, Jesus loves me!

Yes, Jesus loves me!

Yes, Jesus loves me,

The Bible tells me so.

 

Jesus loves me--He who died

Heaven's gate to open wide;

He will wash away my sin,

Let His little child come in.

Yes, Jesus loves me!

Yes, Jesus loves me!

Yes, Jesus loves me,

The Bible tells me so.

                --Anna B. Warner, in 1860, set to music by William Bradbury in 1862.

Picture one of those young children huddled down listening to the tornado roar down on them. Wouldn't repeating words like these over and over help them get through it?

We can't give away what we don't have

If we're to speak faith and confidence to our families and those around us we need to be equipped ourselves. We can store up verses like these so we'll have them ready to call up when we need them.

Here are some personal favorites:

*(God says) "Call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me." --Psalm 59:15  (ESV)

*(Jesus says) "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."  --John 3:16

*(The Lord says) "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine . . . Do not be afraid, for I am with you . . . " --Isaiah 43:1, 5  (NIV)

Make verses like these part of our emergency kit

School kids in Moore had regular tornado drills. Let's take it one step further and aim to be emotionally and spiritually prepared for whatever comes--and our families, too. 

Let's equip minds and spirits with what will carry us through.

Lovingly,

Lenore

 

 

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God don't make no junk!

That's bad grammar, I know,

but the phrase imprinted itself on my mind ever since I attended an anti-stress workshop years ago. The leader began with those words and had us repeat it after him, again and again.

It's not a bad slogan for beginning a new year, especially after a year that featured lots of what someone labeled "stinkin' thinkin" on all sides.

Borrowing from that workshop leader, I say, "Enough, already!"

If we adopted that technique it would work like this

The leader would ask, Do you think it's hopeless because you lack some essential qualities to reach your goals? He had an answer: God don't make no junk!

Are you going through a rough patch in your marriage or in your job? Well, cheer up. God brought you and your spouse together and provided that job. And God don't make no junk!

Are you feeling in beyond your depth with being a mom or a dad? Never mind. God obviously considers you able to handle it or He wouldn't have made you a parent. Besides, God don't make no junk! Count on Him to supply wisdom as you need it and strength for each day. 

Do you struggle with health problems? Do you or one of your kids have physical or mental challenges and you worry about what comes next? Take heart, you'll be able to handle it, because God don't make no junk!

A look into what this means

I thought of that workshop when I watched this wonderful YouTube a friend sent. Every time I play it, I smile through a few tears.

And can you hear those words? God don't make no junk!

 

 

I suggest we adopt a new slogan for 2013, one we can pull up anytime we're feeling unsure about life or the future.  

God don't make no junk--and He don't make no mistakes, either.

You and I can walk unafraid, confident we'll be able to handle whatever comes.

For proof we can go deeper than that catch phrase and turn to Bible verses like this one, Psalm 29:11:

The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his peoople with peace.

"His people" includes any of us who love the Lord, so this promise is for us, too.

Thanks for stopping by, my invisible friend. Hope you found something here that blesses your heart.

Love,

Lenore

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Few who watched the London Olympics could look away from the shots of Oscar Pistorius, a strong, triumphant athlete.

There he was running on two carbon fiber blades shaped like scythes. Although he failed to qualify for the 400 metre final, this South African counted it a victory simply to compete on an equal basis with "normal" runners.

If you followed his story, you know Oscar was born without fibulas, the long bones that run from knee to ankle. That November 22, 1986, his parents, Sheila and Henke Pistorius, as any of us would, wondered what kind of life lay ahead for their newborn.

Early on they consulted with some of the best doctors in the world. These physicians advised a procedure that left them reeling: Ampute their baby's legs below the knee. Soon.

Doctors assured them their son would face less difficulty learning to walk and would have better mobility all through life. Surgeons performed the amputation before Oscar's first birthday.

Six months later technicians fitted the toddler with his first prosthetic legs.

Never shrinking back

This remarkable family was crazy for sports. Oscar grew up rejecting physical limitations and trying everything, egged on by his mom.

He played rugby and water polo and also wrestled. In 2003 a rugby tackle resulted in torn knee ligaments. Doctors advised him to get into sprinting to rehab his leg and his coach quietly began shape Oscar for a running career.

Through it all, Sheila Pistorius cheered him on. According to her son, she cut him no slack. "She always said the loser isn't the person that gets involved and comes in last, but it's the person that doesn't get involved in the first place."

Henke and Sheila divorced sometime during Oscar's childhood years, after which the three siblings saw little oftheir father. .

Sheila Pistorius died when Oscar was fifteen. In an interview with News24.com, he said his  mother "left an indelible mark on me."

What keeps him going

It's heady stuff for any athlete to compete in the Olympic, but Oscar never forgets the source of his strength. He discussed that with Nico Bougas (Assist News Service (ANS) dated June 9, 2012.)

Oscar grew up in a Christian home and accepted Christ as His Savior “more or less before I could remember. God is the most important person in the world to me. If I’m on the right patch spiritually, it helps with everything else.”

Asked why he needs Christ in his life, he says: “Because He is the reason for my success and the one that takes me from strength to strength. Christ makes all the difference. He aids me in my struggles and makes my glories that much greater.”

The ultimate prize

Like many athletes, Oscar has a tattoo, which he got one sleepless night in New York City. It’s a verse from Corinthians: “I do not run like a man running aimlessly.’’

To be specific, the verse is 1 Corinthians 9:26. If we add verse 25, we understand what Oscar Pistorius means:

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that  will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly . . .

The crown stands for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, which brings us eternal life in heaven.

Here's to living with purpose--with or without a tattoo. 

Love,

Lenore