Monthly Archives: July 2012

Party Hardy?

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A month ago I flew with other family members to the west coast for my nephew’s wedding. Although my children couldn’t all be with us, my sister and brother-in-law’s family of 20 was there in force to participate in 5 days of non-stop merry-making. At least one wedding-related festivity occurred each day, and other adventures were wedged in between: sightseeing, swimming, shopping, hiking, running, and lots of large-group dining.

When the night of the actual wedding finally arrived, some of us found our energy flagging, and the young set was especially pooped. Their naps and down times had been set aside in favor of family fun, and energy was dwindling. By the reception, they were dropping like flies.

The struggle to keep going can overwhelm any of us. When adults find their endurance fading, it’s usually a result of something far less exciting than wedding festivities. Exhaustion can come as a result of over-commitment, mismatched commitment, or commitment gone wrong. It arrives in our minds before it hits our bodies so that when it finally does take a physical toll, it can’t usually be corrected by a simple night’s sleep.

So what are we supposed to do when we hit the proverbial wall of I-can’t-go-on? In most cases we know we must, so where can we go for a good dose of staying power?

The answer is found in the Bible. It makes sense for us to ask the Someone who has an ample supply of stamina, resolve, and get-up-and-go. Though our resources to carry heavy loads have a definitive limit, God’s don’t. Scripture says he has “rich storehouses” of all things energetic.

In truth, no storehouse could hold all of God’s fortitude, but in that word picture he’s trying to impress on us that he’s got more than enough for you and me. Pulling our thoughts from our own shortfalls, he’s trying to focus us toward his abundance.

Most of our battles are won or lost in our heads, which then direct our bodies. It’s a good thing he designed us that way, since the majority of us would never have enough muscle-power, speed, or just-plain-zip to endure life’s challenges if they were only physical. So since our minds are the birthplace of a will to keep going, a sound strategy is to ask God to put it there. And it doesn’t even require going to the gym. As we request what we need, he makes us strong.

Our little people may not yet know how to claim scriptural promises for themselves, but God took care of that. He set them up so that a few minutes of zzz’s is all the rejuvenation they need to once again party hardy.

 

 

 

 

“I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.  Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.” (Ephesians 3:16-17)

 

Going Batty

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When Linnea was 3 years old, our family of 5 took a vacation to Wisconsin and ended up in a place no vacationer wants to go: the doctor’s office.

It began as we loaded our station wagon for a 40 minute drive from our rented cabin to the county fair. As we climbed into the car, Linnea let out a shriek from the back. All of us looked simultaneously and saw her holding the top of her head as she continued to holler in pain.

Nate and I bolted from our front seats around to the back, and what we saw horrified us. Crawling on the floor of the car was a dark grey bat in the process of folding his webbed wings. Linnea, still rubbing her head, pointed and said, “That thing bit me!”

And suddenly we had a problem.

Nate quickly confined the bat by dumping out a metal tool box and turning it upsidedown over the sluggish animal, and we knew our next move had to be finding a doctor. The resort owners directed us, but before we left, we wanted the bat out of the car. As we moved the tool box, he flew away.

Within the hour, medical personnel were examining Linnea’s scalp wound, chiding us for not hanging onto the bat. “We could have tested it to determine whether or not your daughter will get rabies.”

The doctor told us in most rabies cases, bats are responsible. He described a scenario of certain, excruciating death, and told us the only remedy was multiple painful injections into the abdomen. (This was 32 years ago.) “It’s a gamble,” he said. “If the bat had rabies, your daughter will die. If not, she’ll be fine.”

We learned it’s difficult to tell if a bat is sick just by looking at it, but since they’re nocturnal, finding a bat during the day was a bad sign. The doctor also said, “Any bat found in a place where they usually aren’t seen could be rabid.”

Nate and I agonized over what to do, and because the probabilities were in our favor, we took a chance and did nothing. Looking back, we were probably foolish to gamble with Linnea’s life that way.

There are many ways any of us can gamble with our lives, but there’s only one way to do it with eternal permanence. That’s to forfeit salvation through Christ. Whatever we decide about him in this life will have consequences in the next. It’s absolutely critical not to gamble on this point, even more so than in a decision about a bat’s bite.

Linnea’s story turned out well, especially because of its interesting twist. Once back at home we were unloading the car when we noticed a big tuft of long red hair hanging from the wardrobe hook in the back of the car where Linnea had been sitting.

Most probably, her bat-bite had been a hair-yank and not a bite at all.

“Through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:2)

To Love… or Not?

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When a new baby comes to a family, preschool siblings are curious, wanting to touch, kiss, hold, and interact with this novel and interesting little bundle. Cameras click and parents are thrilled with the initial enthusiasm. But after several weeks, even the littlest big brother or sister begins to catch on.

Baby-cakes isn’t going away.

As a matter of fact, by taking up permanent residency, the baby has caused older siblings to be demoted. This new little person takes over Mommy completely and seems to be the only thing on her mind: “Talk quietly… Baby’s sleeping… Touch gently… That’s enough for now… Be careful…”

Mommy and Daddy ask, “Isn’t the baby wonderful?” while older children think, “How can we get rid of it.”

The children quickly learn the only way to stay on everybody’s good side is to fake a love for the baby, which most toddlers and preschoolers do well, at least for a while. Their heart isn’t in it, though, evidenced by kisses accompanied by too-tight squeezes and pats that closely resemble hits.

If we’re honest, we have to say that sometimes we view God in a similar way, as an intrusion in our lives. We know the relationship should be one of genuine love and devotion, but accepting him as he is can often feel like heavy pressure.

So we approach him in prayer and say the right words, but our hearts aren’t in it. We sit in church pretending to listen but sneak frequent peeks at our watches. We attend Bible study but tune out when we recognize what’s being taught and think we already know it.

Believers sometimes go through periods of complacency during which they feel far from God. Since he doesn’t leave us, the estrangement must be on our part. That doesn’t stop us from blaming him, however, if our prayers seem unheard and our spiritual vitality grows parched.

When a new baby arrives, parents insist the other children accept him, but God isn’t like that. He doesn’t force us to do anything we don’t want to do and won’t come into our lives at all unless personally invited. That means there’s no valid reason to feel negatively toward him. If we want him, he says we can have him, and if we don’t, we shouldn’t complain about being without him.

The Lord is always honest with us and wants us to be the same with him. It’s a relief to know there’s no need for pretense or for faking love. We aren’t preschoolers trying to act as if we adore a new baby. We’re grown-ups, and it’s up to us whether or not we want to love God.

And if we decide to love him, I’m fairly sure there’s no way to overdo it.

“There is no God like you in all of heaven above or on the earth below. You keep your covenant and show unfailing love to all who walk before you in wholehearted devotion.” (1 Kings 8:23)