A Different Type of Answer

It's always funny to me when I think I understand something enough to write about it and then God decides to give me a real life example of that very thing. Last week I posted on here about prayers and how sometimes we don't realize that He's answering our prayers because it looks different then what we expected. Other times though He gives us a completely different type of answer, technically it's a "no" answer.

Let me explain. When I wrote the post last week I talked about the house I'd rented. I'd been praying about needing a place and then when the place came up I was so surprised that the answer looked different then I'd expected, I almost missed it. Right after that I had a bit of a different situation.

We decided to take our youth group on a day trip to do some hiking. We had a great time, went a few different places and other then the fact I twisted my ankle, everything went really well. Until we started home. We had the church van and suddenly the temperature spiked. Our pastor was driving and he immediately pulled over.

Blessing number 1- We were in a place we could pull over.
Blessing number 2- The day before we'd bought an entire case of water for the trip. We still had half of it left and we poured it all in the radiator.

That got us back on the road and we continued on, praying as a group that God would get us back home. It didn't work out quite that way. We made it to a private RV campground before we had to pull over again.

Blessing number 3- The people were so helpful and kind. One of the staff even looked at the van and helped Pastor determine what was wrong with it.

We were pretty disappointed when we learned that it wasn't an easy fix and we weren't going to be getting back on the road. Now we had to figure out what to do to get our whole group back home which was still about 2 1/2 hours away.

Blessing number 4- The staff member provided water, made sure we had a place to wait and had everything we needed.
Blessing number 5- We were in cell phone service.

So we started calling around. My awesome parents were somewhere that they could come to the rescue us as was the mom of one the youth kids.

Blessing number 6- We had people who could pick us up and they were only about 2 1/2 hours away.
Blessing number 7- The other mom had AAA and was able to call us a tow truck.
Blessing number 8- Because of her AAA plan we could get the van towed all the way home.
Blessing number 9- We had shade and it wasn't super hot.

Now before we go any further I just have to tell you how awesome this group was. Everyone stayed calm, they didn't complain and they found ways to keep from getting bored or complaining well we waited. I was so proud of each and every one of them! They're definitely blessing number 10.

So we're sitting there waiting and the staff member comes out again and- get this- invites us to come have dinner in their private dining room! A salmon dinner nonetheless, for free! Talk about a huge blessing! So that's blessing number 11.

Then we get in there and blessing number 12- a bunch of the people we're eating with are fellow believers of the Lord! We had some great conversations and I really enjoyed getting to chat with them.

Before we left we were even able to pray together and I got to thank God for the blessing (number 13) of these people opening up their hearts, sharing what they had and being Christlike in their interactions with us.

So this crazy day has now turned into one one full of blessings. We had thanked God for things like it not being super hot and having a place to pull over, people coming to pick us up and the fact that it was our group who broke down and not the seniors but we had no idea the rest of the blessings He had in store for us.

Our rides arrived and we all load up and head home except for Pastor who decides to ride with the tow truck. But lo and behold on the way home the tow truck breaks down! What are the odds? So where's the blessing in that? Well I didn't find out until the next morning at church but it turns out that the tow truck driver was a believer but he hadn't been in church, he had drifted away. Because of that extra 2+ hours waiting for another tow truck to come rescue them Pastor was able to spend more time talking to him and encouraging him in his walk with Christ.

So there it is, at least 15 blessings that we never saw coming because of a broken down van on a highway far away from home. God is good all the time, and all the time God is good. Even when we don't understand why He gives us a different type of answer.

Prayers and Answers

There's this song I remember listening to as a teenager, Garth Brooks "Unanswered Prayers". I used to sing the chorus in my head.
"Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers
Remember when you're talkin' to the man upstairs
That just because he doesn't answer doesn't mean he don't care
Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers".

It's interesting isn't it that we spend so much time praying for certain things. Sometimes the answer is no and we learn eventually that His 'no' was a gift to us. But sometimes the answer is a little different.

I don't remember where I first heard this story but it's a good example for what we're talking about today.

There was a flood and a man was praying that God would send someone to save him. He sat on his roof and a lifeboat came along.
"Get in and I'll save you."
But the man waved him off, "That's okay, God will save me."
Another boat came along, "Get in and I'll save you."
But the man waved off the second boat, "That's okay, God will save me."
Then a helicopter came and they told the man to get in but he waved them off. "That's okay God will save me."
The flood waters rose and the man drowned, when he got to heaven he said, "God, why didn't you save me?"
God shook his head, "I sent you two boats and a helicopter, what more did you want?"

Sometimes God answers our prayer with a yes. He gives us exactly what we're looking for but instead of being grateful and taking the gift we're too busy praying for what we want. We don't realize that God's already answered us! We've become too focused on our prayer and not Who we're praying too.

This became very clear to me recently. Some friends and I had been praying about getting a house together. We'd prayed and prayed and when the house finally came along I doubted.
'This is too fast.'
'Are we sure we can really afford it?'
'Is God going to provide the rest of what I need for this to work?'
'Are we making the right decision?'

This was what we'd prayed for and everything lined up in a way that could only have come from God but still I doubted. How fleeting our faith often is, mine included.

In the end we decided to take the leap of faith and got the house. We don't always know how things will go but when we pray we need to pay attention to the answer and be content with it, whatever it is.

Mother's Day

It's always hard to figure out how to post for certain holidays. Mother's Day is this week and I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what to write about. I don't want to do the same post each year so I try to find a unique spin. This year I picked three mothers in the Bible to talk about.

The first is Naomi- Found in the book of Ruth.
We know more about Naomi's relationship with her daughter-in-law, Ruth, then we do with her own sons. What we do know about her relationship with her boys is that she loved them. When they passed away she deeply grieved for them and for her husband.
You also see her love for both her daughter-in-laws Orpah and Ruth. Naomi told these two young women to go back to their homes so they would be taken care of. She was willing to go back to Israel alone rather then have her girls suffer. In the end Orpah did turn back but Ruth stayed with her.
In Israel Naomi likely hurt Ruth in ways when she didn't acknowledge her to her friends or introduce her but their relationship survived the slights. Naomi made sure Ruth was taken care of. She told her where to glean and found ways to help her.
At the end of the book the other women acknowledge what a blessing Ruth is to Naomi. The love between them is so clear and also a reminder to us all that it's not always the children or mothers given to you biologically but the ones who are bound to you with love that matters.

Second is Hannah- Found in 1 Samuel 1-2:11
The mother of Samuel who wanted a child more then just about anything. She prayed for a child, prayed so fervently that the priest thought she was drunk because she was mouthing the words of her silent prayer. God answered those prayers and gave her the child she had so desired.
Then Hannah made the hardest decision any mother ever makes, she gave her child up. She had promised the Lord to dedicate her child to Him and she did. She entrusted her child to the Lord. Samuel lived in the temple from the time he was weaned.
Hannah never stopped loving Samuel, she was dedicated to him as all mothers are dedicated to their children. Even though she couldn't be with him she loved him, and I'd be willing to bet she prayed for him. Just because some moms can't be with their kids doesn't mean they forget about them.

Third is a lesser known mother, Eunice- Acts 1:6 and 2 Timothy 1:5
We only have a couple of references to Eunice, the mother of Timothy but I wanted to include her for a very special reason. She was dedicated to her child, as were Naomi and Hannah. Paul, Timothy's mentor, commends Eunice and Timothy's grandmother, Lois, for raising Timothy up in the faith. He says that Timothy was raised up in the faith from before he was born.
Timothy went on to be a pastor, one who is still an amazing example for all young people. "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but  set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity." 1 Timothy 4:12.
He didn't get there on his own, his mother and his grandmother raised him up that way and he followed their example. I know it doesn't always work out that way and sometimes children disappoint their parents but the role a mother, and a grandmother, play is highlighted for it's importance in Timothy's life.

So there it is, 3 different mothers from 3 different circumstances who had 3 very different children but all have important lessons to teach us. Happy Mother's Day to you and yours.

Mary, Martha and Grandpa

Luke 10:38-42

"As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, 'Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!'

'Martha, Martha,' the Lord answered, 'you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed- or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.'"

From the time that I was little I remember hearing the story of Mary and Martha. Mary- the sister who sat at the Lord Jesus' feet and listened to what He had to say. Her heart was in the right place because she was more concerned about eternal things then earthly things. Her sister- Martha- busied herself with preparations. She was likely cooking and cleaning and trying to prepare everything so Jesus and His disciples would be presented with the best of what she had to offer. Even though her actions weren't bad in and of themselves Jesus said Mary acted right because while Martha was distracted, while Mary was learning and focusing on the Lord.

Not long ago I was visiting my Grandpa. Grandma was away for the weekend and so I was using the time to get some cleaning done in their home. As I was vacuuming Grandpa came in and said that he wanted to show me a video. So I turned off the vacuum cleaner and went with him to the T.V. where he had the VHS (please tell me someone still knows what a VHS is) all ready to play. 

The video that he wanted to show me was funny and I enjoyed it but in my head I was thinking of all the things that I needed to do. I only had a day or two to get things done and I would also be making meals for the both of us. As I was beginning to fidget God spoke to me. Not audibly, but He gave me a gentle reminder of the story of Mary and Martha.

God reminded me that my Grandpa is 86 years old. I'm so blessed to have him in my life, he's been an amazing teacher and mentor to me for many years. It's hard to say how much longer I'll be blessed to have him be part of my life here on earth. I wanted to clean because it's something I can do to help my grandparents. But isn't it just as important to simply spend time with Grandpa?

Here Grandpa was, sharing a part of his life with me through these old tapes. If I let myself get distracted by all the things that need done so I can 'serve' him then I miss out on the joy of just spending time with him in the moment. I'll lose sight of what's important and become just as guilty as Martha.

In the end we spent over an hour and had some great laughs at the video but you know, the video's not going to be what I most remember about that day, neither is the cleaning I accomplished or the food I prepared. It'll be the time with Grandpa that I look back on and cherish.

Friends, don't get so distracted by the checklists that life gives us that you forget to enjoy and participate in life. Cherish the people around you, from the tiniest baby to the esteemed elders, love them while you can, whether that's one day or one hundred years, the time of loving people and showing them God's love is never a waste. 

Go back to Jesus' words in Matthew 22:36-40 when a young man came and asked him this question-

"'Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?'

Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: "Love your neighbor as yourself." All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

First love the Lord your God, second, love people. Remember the story of Mary, Martha and Grandpa and find time to love those people God has put in your life this week.