Click this link to watch a video our worship pastor, Kevin Perry, produced of our daughter, Stephanie, and her husband, Chris, telling their story of heartache, pain and God’s love, grace and hope.
A Wonderful Story of Redemption, Reconciliation, and Restoration
Posted: September 21, 2011 in Uncategorized1
Thirty-sixth in the series Get close to God
What if you were one of Jesus’ disciples who were with him in Judea when he almost got stoned and now he tells you this, “Let’s go back to Judea.” I’d probably say what they did, “But Rabbi, a short while ago the Jews tried to stone you, and yet you are going back there?” The next thing their leader said only confused them further, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.” OK, that makes perfect sense, Jesus, let’s risk our lives so we can wake up someone who will wake up anyway!
Jesus tried to explain, “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there (to heal him,) so that you may believe.”
What would you think? Really, Jesus? This is getting more bizarre by the minute! You want us to risk our lives to pay respects to someone you could have healed, but didn’t, so that we may believe?! Mary and Martha were even more perplexed with Jesus. They had sent word to him two days before: “Lord,” the messengers relayed, “the one you love is sick.” Jesus told them, “This sickness will not end in death.” They probably thought, “Hey, that’s cool. I guess he’s going to cure him remotely, like he did the royal official’s son and the Centurion’s servant.” I appreciate this method myself, since I do a lot of my work remotely as well! But what happened? Lazarus died. Mary and Martha were crushed and felt let down, even betrayed. “Lord,” Martha and Mary said to Jesus when he finally showed up four days later, “If you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
Of course, we now know what Jesus had in mind all along, which resulted in one of the most dramatic miracles of all time; Lazarus coming out alive, still wrapped up and looking like a mummy!
So, what does this scripture teach us? We’ve already heard the lesson of God’s timing, as portrayed in the song, “When he’s four days late, He’s still on time.” But there’s more here to learn. I can relate to how confused the disciples and Mary and Martha were with Jesus. Some times he doesn’t make sense to me, either. Some things just don’t change, no matter how hard I pray. I need to realize that God always answers my prayers. It may not be when or how I want them answered, but it always eventually turns out for the best, and usually for my best. But if not for me, then for someone else, or maybe just for the glory of God, and I need to be OK with that, because the world doesn’t revolve around me. I wasn’t put here so everyone could make sure I was happy.
But don’t be too hard on yourself if you feel abandoned by God. You’re actually in good company. King David and even Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” They didn’t understand it then, but they didn’t give up on their heavenly Father and he didn’t give up on them and he won’t give up on you. Life can be hard, cruel, painful, sad, and lonely. Sometimes it’s our fault, sometimes it’s not. We can let it push us away from God or cling to him tighter. It’s our choice. God doesn’t enjoy seeing us suffer. Jesus wept at Lazarus’ funeral and I can’t imagine how his Father felt when his Son underwent that horrendous execution. But he allowed it because he knew there was no other way to save his other children that he loves so much.
Even if I am interceding for someone else, I need to put them and leave them in God’s capable and willing hands. He’s trying to tell me, “Relax, I got this!”
The disciples went with Jesus that day, but not until after Thomas said to them, “Let us also go, so that we may die with him.” How about that, in the midst of everyone thinking Jesus was losing his mind, it was good ol’ Doubting Thomas who came through!
So, instead of saying, “Woe is me!,” I should be saying, “As you wish, Lord. Your will, not mine, be done. I will trust in you, in spite of what I see, or can’t see… Really, Jesus.”
We often refer to gifted children as child prodigies. They are endowed with great abilities, natural talents, or exceptional intelligence and they fascinate us. Whether you enjoy opera or not, one cannot help but enjoy listening to eleven year old Jackie Evanko sing. Even if you have no appreciation for art, when you look at the paintings of Akiane Kramarek, born 1996, you instinctively know that you are looking at something special. Mozart, Jackie Cooper, and Bobby Fischer were all considered to be child prodigies.
As children of the living God (Romans 9:26), we are “the gifted”. When we are born again we receive “the gift of God [eternal life] through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23). Ephesians 2:8&9 tells us that there is nothing we can do to earn our salvation. It is a “gift of God.” In Romans 12, I Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 4 we can read about the different gifts that God’s children are given.
The whole world is gifted, but not everyone will accept the Gift. Just as some child prodigies squander their gifts, many folks turn their backs on the greatest gift. “For God so loved…he gave….” (John 3:16) Salvation through Jesus Christ is the greatest gift of all.
II Corinthians 9:15 “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.”
Diane Padgett
7/3/2011
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We have a beautiful home on the farm where I grew up. Actually we have the last remaining two acres. The rest of the farm has been sold off to developers and we are now surrounded by a very nice subdivision. We have a neighbor on each side who also have approximately two acres each.
Ms Bradford to the north of us, was a sweet old lady who was always pleasant and cheerful. Mr. McConkey to the south of us, was completely the opposite. He was a frustrated old man. He never smiled and was always looking for some way to find fault with what went on in our home.
We would see him in the yard and Jim would wave and try to speak, only to be met with ill remarks and a disgusted look. Mr. McConkey would take pictures of us as we worked close to the road, I guess to use them as evidence against us for trying to improve the roadside. We never quite new what he was up to or his motives associated with his actions.
There was no fence separating our two yards and if a ball or the children crossed the imaginary line, Mr. McConkey was quick to register his complaint. We lived daily wondering what his next move would be to make our lives miserable.
It was the spring of the year, and as we always did, we worked feverishly to get our yard in shape. Both Jim and I enjoy digging in the dirt, planting flowers, and creating a beautiful landscape. Located in our front yard, just inside this imaginary property line that separated our front yard from Mr. McConkey’s was a large water oak tree. This tree was so large the canopy from the tree crossed “the line” into Mr. McConkey’s yard.. It was hard to tell who really owned the tree because we shared so much of the canopy.
One Friday afternoon when I arrived home from work, I turned into the driveway, and there it was, a huge pile of limbs from the water oak on my side of “the line.” Immediately my blood began to boil. I was convinced, that old man had trimmed the tree limbs that had crossed “the line” and thrown them over in my yard to be picked up. It was the final straw. I was fed up with his attempts to annoy me and I was going to teach him a lesson that would put to rest his meanness toward us forever.
Still in my work suit, I got out of the car, and threw every limb on the pile back into his yard. I thought, “that will do it, when he sees this we probably will have it out once and for all, and I would be rid of this old man forever. He truly had become a thorn in my side and I was ready for a fight.
I headed to the house once the deed was done, and noticed Jim had returned from his weekly travels. As I stormed into the house I found Jim and told him what that old man had done and what I had done to correct it. I noticed Jim was not in a very supportive mood. The expression on his face was a strange combination of humor and fear at what I had done. He very quietly said to me, “I came home early and trimmed the limbs and was going to get you to help me clean them up when you got home.”
It was one of those moments for me when my brain processed the consequences of my past, present and future actions, and I began to panic. I realized Mr. McConkey was not home and I scramble to correct my selfish mistake before he returned. I called to Jim, “quick come help me get the limbs and put them back into our yard.” By this time, Jim was laughing so hard, he could barely walk.
We managed to return all the limbs to their rightful owner, and to this day Mr. McConkey never knew of the event. Mr. McConkey has returned to Texas to be with his children, but the water oak is still there sharing its canopy with our new neighbor. It is a daily reminder to me as I return home of how quickly we can misjudge a situation, and how quickly our selfish motives can take over.
Ephesians 4:31-32 says, “Let all bitterness, and wrath and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice; And be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ’s sake, hath forgiven you.” I am grateful Mr. McConkey was not the recipient of my anger, and I am grateful my husband is a patient man.
Dear Father, please help us to remember things are not always as they appear. Help us to see things through the eyes of the Holy Spirit, to be slow to anger, quick to forgive, and always ready to share a kind word, especially to the Mr. McConkey’s of the world.
Ann Cason
3/11/05
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Remembering what God did for you:
“I sought the Lord and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.” (Psalm 34:1)
Enables you to believe what He will do for you:
“The Lord will accomplish what concerns me.” (Psalm 138:8)
This builds your trust in Him:
“To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. Oh my God, in You I trust.” (Psalm 25:12)
Your worries flee:
“When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul.” (Psalm 94:19)
Your joy overflows:
“My heart trusts in Him and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy.” (Psalm 28:7)
and His Peace overwhelms:
“And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7)
We had a great time discovering parts of Tennessee and Kentucky we hadn’t been to before. Perfect weather for hiking-cloudy, in the mid 70′s. The train ride through the mountains was nice, but we got more excitement than we were expecting on the canoe trip! What started out as a lazy river turned into raging rapids about a mile down. We tipped over, not once, but twice! The pictures in this video are the last ones taken by our camera, since only the memory card survived, along with me and Sharon, thank the Lord!
It is that time once again. Time to stock up on batteries, get the important papers organized in the grab-n-go box, to obtain a “Hurricane Survival” pamphlet from Channel 3, and to be sure the generator works. The hurricane season of 2011 is here, and the fear-mongering has begun. Just yesterday, the official start of the hurricane season, a low-pressure system passed the need to remind us that hurricane season was here, and that this system had a 20 percent chance of developing into a “tropical cyclone”.
As I get older, living in the Sunshine State has brought a certain amount of weariness during the months from June 1 through November 30 each year. On June 1, I start trying to kick in doors that are not shut by fretting about the possibility of evacuating. We are not even on the road, and I already do not want to go.
How foolish of me! I have an anchor (Isaiah 26:3&4) and a refuge (Psalm 57:1) that are available twelve months a year, not just December through May. Psalm 37 tells us to fret not, to trust in the Lord, to delight ourselves in Him, to commit our way unto Him, and to “rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him”.
Therefore, I will take refuge in “the shadow” of His wings until “these calamities” pass over (Psalm 57:1).
Diane Padgett
June 2, 2011
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