Monthly Archives: August 2013

Satisfaction and Joy

Posted on by

ChefThe day Hans met Katy, he had no way of knowing how radically his life was about to change. In the 7½ years since then, he’s moved to England, been embraced by a British family he hadn’t known before, married their daughter, put down roots in a town in north England, and fathered 4 lively children. In less than a decade his life has changed in every category. Had he been given the details ahead of time, he wouldn’t have believed it.

Handyman

 

During these years, Hans has loved learning to cook, to fix broken things, to bathe and read to children, to preach sermons, to wash dishes, to teach percussion, and a wide variety of other things. And this 30 year old guy is a happy man.

Hans didn’t always walk closely with God, having several years of “crazy” in his past. But when he finally gave his life over to the Lord for his purposes, a world of satisfaction and joy became his. Today he’s a walking, talking example of Luke 6:38:

“Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full — pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”

Who wouldn’t want God’s blessings “pressed down, shaken together, and running over?”

Bedtime story readerThe way to get that is in the first word: “Give… and you will receive.” Give first. If I had to summarize Hans’ life in  one word, it would be “giver”. From waking at 5:30 AM to give the best hour of every day to his Lord, until he and Katy fall into bed expecting to give to children during the night, Hans is a giver. What motivates him?

There was nothing unusual about Hans in his growing-up years, and as his mom, I can’t point to anything I did to contribute to his success story. If his father was here, he’d say the same. What, then, set him up for the satisfaction and joy he’s experiencing?

I decided to ask him tonight, and here’s what he said: “Discovering the Gospel continues to change everything for me. My identity is in Christ, and it’s essential to know who you are, and to be at peace. I’m forgiven by God and adopted into His family by the grace of Jesus Christ. Also, knowing that the Holy Spirit is keeping me gives me confidence, even when circumstances are difficult – which they often are.”

The teacher plays.Hans is an example of how lavishly the Lord is willing to bless anyone who is fully submitted to him, not necessarily with money or possessions but with abundant satisfaction and joy. And the good news is, God will do it for any of us.

One of Hans’ favorite verses: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

Team Gran UK

Posted on by

Here in north England, my British grandchildren spent the day with their two grandmas, Katy’s mum Dandy (i.e. Sarah) and Hans’ mom MeeMee (i.e. me). Each year we grannies excitedly anticipate this day with our shared little ones even more than they look forward to being with us. Although we began our tradition to give their mummy some free time, now Sarah and I would get together regardless.

Cattle crossingWe hiked country trails, dashed under leafy trees during two cloudbursts, made friends with a mama cow and her baby, learned to step around fresh “cow pats” and gathered woodsy treasures in over-the-shoulder bags.

 

Baking by committee

Later, back in Sarah’s kitchen, we group-baked “cow pat biscuits” (widely-spreading oat cookies), consistent with our country theme.

As much fun as it is to share a day with our little ones, what Sarah and I anticipate most is our annual chat during their afternoon rest time. Today, after making a fresh pot of coffee and settling in at her large kitchen table, we caught up on a year’s worth of changes in both our families. Between her 5 children and my 7, we had more to share than one quiet time for grandchildren allowed.

FriendsChristian friendship is one of God’s most precious gifts, and he leads us into relationships in the most unusual ways. Although Sarah and I met only recently (2006) and see each other only annually, we’ve come into a special appreciation of each other. One of the reasons for that is that God is always working on a hidden agenda when he brings two people together as friends.

As usual, he wants to pour his wisdom into us, and friendship is an excellent place for him to do it. For example, today as I was sharing about a recent personal challenge, I broke down and cried. Though I don’t often weep around others, somewhere my subconscious knew Sarah’s lavish compassion would be ok with that.

Her response was nourishing, and our honest back-and-forth continued through the afternoon. God was demonstrating for me, through Sarah, how he wants me to respond to others with that same kind of compassion. And what better way to learn it than from a good friend?

Through friendship God also wants to teach us how to encourage each other. Today Sarah offered loving support to me, and I hope I did to her. In addition, he wants us to challenge each other with the truth, to stick by each other in times of tension, and to offer the counsel he gives us to pass along to one another. And he’s hoping we’ll learn all this within friendships.

As for the little people in our charge today? Though they are our precious grands, year to year, they are also becoming our friends.

Cow pat biscuits going into the ovenCow pat biscuits fresh out of the oven“When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours.” (Romans 1:12)

Making Mistakes

Posted on by

The last time I traveled to England to visit Hans and his family, I worked hard preparing in advance. A month before the trip, I pulled out my biggest suitcase, balanced it on the arms of my bedroom chair, and propped it open. Each time I thought of something I wanted to take, I’d put it in the suitcase.

PackingThe night before departure, my big suitcase was full, as was a second one on the floor. But as I went down a mental checklist to be sure I had everything, I couldn’t remember what was in the bags. Had I packed my walking shoes? What about a Sunday outfit? An umbrella? My gifts for the grandchildren?

The only thing to do was unpack. I emptied both suitcases, spreading everything on the bed, and started over. Good thing, because half of what I’d packed was unnecessary, and several important things were missing.

Hans and Katy's.Today I’m writing from England, where I’ve joined Hans and his family of six for 11 lively days of work and play. This time I waited to pack until the night before. It was a good plan and worked well, a lesson learned from my mistake.

Several years ago when I came, I packed poorly for a different reason. It was the middle of October, and at packing time we were having a heat wave in Michigan. Without thinking, I packed according to the hot weather in my neighborhood without a thought to the cool October of north England.

When I got there, my bad packing was evident. I’d forgotten warm socks, long sleeves, and a cozy coat. After that goose-bump visit, I learned from that mistake, too.

Scripture is full of stories about people learning from their mistakes, most of them far more serious than badly packed suitcases. They resulted in ruined careers, destroyed marriages, divisions in families, damaged businesses, curses from God, and even deaths. The sad part is that people didn’t always learn from their mistakes.

That’s true of us, too. Whether we do or don’t learn from them is up to us. But because God want us to gain wisdom from wrongdoing, he often forces the issue by letting us push our way into additional messes. If we don’t learn the wisdom-lesson the first time through, we can be sure he’ll provide another run at it.

Every mistake is a let-down, but it’s also an opportunity.

If we put our lives in God’s hands, he can bring good not just from our positive actions but also from our negative ones. That’s just how he  chooses to do things, always thinking of our best good.

As for packing for England this time? I finally got it right.

Hand-holding“Stalwart walks in step with God; his path blazed by God, he’s happy. If he stumbles, he’s not down for long; God has a grip on his hand.” (Psalm 37:23-24  The Message)