“But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?” – Exodus 3:11
Early in the week, Sarah made Grant try to ride his bicycle without his training wheels (there was a time when he rode it all the time, with his training wheels on…. but when we first started suggesting he try it without them, he just quit riding it altogether and swapped over to his little scooter that he pushes around with one foot). She told him that he had to try the bike, or else she was going to take away his scooter (and she also threatened to not play ball with him… now that’s a BIG deal to Grant). So he acquiesced, and the next thing you know… ol’ Grant’s a bike rider! He picked it right up and has been flying around the neighborhood ever since! Just yesterday evening, Sarah and I sat outside the house and watched him as he went up and down the street… turning into driveways and braking and doing it all and, most importantly, loving it!
Sometimes we have to be nudged into things, don’t we? Sometimes our doubts and fears cause us to want to analyze every situation before acting upon it. It’s especially true for those of us who are a bit more cautious. We like to think about things for a while… ponder them… think about how it might turn out before leaping in. And certainly it is God who gave us our rational minds to think through problems and situations. But God calls us to trust Him beyond all of that and to allow Him to lead us, even when things don’t make sense or we can’t see the end of the road. He wants us to rely on Him and to take the first pedal/step, and trust Him for the journey. And when we do, we find that it is a journey worth taking… and that He will be with us all the way, watching our every move.
Daniel
Friday, May 28, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
#298.3 – “Take Off the Wrapper”
“Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law.” – Psalms 119:18
The other day Joshua wanted to eat a banana… but he could not get it peeled… so he asked me to ‘take off the wrapper’! I loved it! He had put a banana in the same category as a Tootsie Roll or a lollipop or a piece of gum… because that’s what he knows!
How many times do I let the filter of my own experience and my past knowledge color the things of God? Does that filter ever skew my view? Does my perspective prevent me from seeing all that God wants to reveal about Himself?
Lord, help me to not let my mind limit who You are to me. Take the ‘wrapper’ off of my eyes so that I may see You for who You really are and not just what I can conjure up on my own.
Daniel
The other day Joshua wanted to eat a banana… but he could not get it peeled… so he asked me to ‘take off the wrapper’! I loved it! He had put a banana in the same category as a Tootsie Roll or a lollipop or a piece of gum… because that’s what he knows!
How many times do I let the filter of my own experience and my past knowledge color the things of God? Does that filter ever skew my view? Does my perspective prevent me from seeing all that God wants to reveal about Himself?
Lord, help me to not let my mind limit who You are to me. Take the ‘wrapper’ off of my eyes so that I may see You for who You really are and not just what I can conjure up on my own.
Daniel
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
#298.2 – “Well… We’ll Just Have to Get Another Dog”
“There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord.” – 1 Corinthians 12:4-5
Tuesday my parents came up and we all stayed outside most of the day watching the kids play. We decided to let our dog Mary out in the front yard with us because she and Paw Paw have such a good time playing with each other! So we did… and although we always put her on a leash, we decided this time to just let her run free, thinking she would want to stay close by with us… which she did for a while.
And then, at one point, she had slipped off without any of us noticing. She was gone for a few minutes before a neighbor boy came over to say he saw her in a nearby field. The girls and I got on our bikes and rode out that direction and began looking. In another couple of minutes, Sarah went another way looking and ultimately found her. But that’s not the best part of this story…
While the search was going on, my parents and the boys were left at the house. My dad told Joshua where we were and what we were doing and the fact that Mary had gotten off. Without hesitating, Joshua replied: ‘Well, we’ll just have to get another dog.’ Some compassion! I felt relieved that it wasn’t one of us who was lost!
And so the point of today’s devotion is: be grateful for the fact that others often have spiritual gifts that we don’t. If compassion is ‘low’ on my list, the good news is that you might be strong in compassion. If teaching isn’t your thing, it may very well be someone else’s. None of us need have it ‘all together’, because God brings all of us who make up His body together in such a way that we can rely on each other to be the whole that He desires. And when we seek to honor Him with the gifts He has given us, it makes a beautiful, complete representation of Christ.
Daniel
Tuesday my parents came up and we all stayed outside most of the day watching the kids play. We decided to let our dog Mary out in the front yard with us because she and Paw Paw have such a good time playing with each other! So we did… and although we always put her on a leash, we decided this time to just let her run free, thinking she would want to stay close by with us… which she did for a while.
And then, at one point, she had slipped off without any of us noticing. She was gone for a few minutes before a neighbor boy came over to say he saw her in a nearby field. The girls and I got on our bikes and rode out that direction and began looking. In another couple of minutes, Sarah went another way looking and ultimately found her. But that’s not the best part of this story…
While the search was going on, my parents and the boys were left at the house. My dad told Joshua where we were and what we were doing and the fact that Mary had gotten off. Without hesitating, Joshua replied: ‘Well, we’ll just have to get another dog.’ Some compassion! I felt relieved that it wasn’t one of us who was lost!
And so the point of today’s devotion is: be grateful for the fact that others often have spiritual gifts that we don’t. If compassion is ‘low’ on my list, the good news is that you might be strong in compassion. If teaching isn’t your thing, it may very well be someone else’s. None of us need have it ‘all together’, because God brings all of us who make up His body together in such a way that we can rely on each other to be the whole that He desires. And when we seek to honor Him with the gifts He has given us, it makes a beautiful, complete representation of Christ.
Daniel
Monday, May 24, 2010
#298.1 – “The Lost Disc”
“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? "And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. "And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!” – Luke 15:4-6
Friday night, Tom and Linda came over to our house. Tom brought his disc golf set with him. I told him he could set it up and play in our yard if he wanted, and he did. After setting up the ‘hole’ (a pole with a basket to catch the discs), he pulled out 16 discs (which look a lot like frisbees) from his bag and began to throw. In an effort to be helpful, I thought I would collect them for him and bring them back to him – like a caddie of sorts. After a round of doing so, I realized that he intended to ‘putt’ the ones he was throwing near the pole into the basket on a second try. So, from then on, I let him throw all the discs he had pulled and then putt them before I helped clean up.
At this point, I should say that I have several trees and bushes in my yard, and a few of the discs in the course of the evening made their way into them. Most of the time, we would get them out without any trouble.
Then it got dark.
Tom played a little bit more by the very dimmest of light. After his last round (which was brought to an end by a quick shower), we gathered up all the discs and counted them: 15. Somehow, we had lost a disc.
‘No problem… we’ll let the rain pass and come out and look with flashlights and find it.’
That didn’t work.
‘Okay… I’ll look tomorrow in the daylight and find it.’
Still no disc.
At this point, the rational part of my brain that somehow becomes irrational when something like that is lost began to wonder if Tom had counted the right number of discs to start with. If this were me we were talking about, I would have written it up as such… but this is Tom.
So I told myself I would look again after cutting down some monkey grass this week where some of the discs had ended up and see if it was buried in there. But before I could do that, there it was – lying on the ground right where I had already looked three or four times. The only explanation I could come up with was that it had gotten stuck in one of our ornamental bushes that are in that area (I never thought to look in them)… and that the wind at some point must have freed it and tossed it down to the ground.
Tom had many discs in his bag… several that he didn’t even pull out. He had at least four or five other ‘putters’ just like the one that was lost. But that didn’t make us write it off and quit looking for it. No… we were going to keep searching for it until one of us found it.
In the same way, Christ never gives up on you and me – either when we are lost or after our salvation. We are so valuable to Him that keeps on and keeps on and keeps on after us. He never, ever stops loving us. He never, ever gives up on us. And He rejoices like crazy when we are found.
Daniel
Friday night, Tom and Linda came over to our house. Tom brought his disc golf set with him. I told him he could set it up and play in our yard if he wanted, and he did. After setting up the ‘hole’ (a pole with a basket to catch the discs), he pulled out 16 discs (which look a lot like frisbees) from his bag and began to throw. In an effort to be helpful, I thought I would collect them for him and bring them back to him – like a caddie of sorts. After a round of doing so, I realized that he intended to ‘putt’ the ones he was throwing near the pole into the basket on a second try. So, from then on, I let him throw all the discs he had pulled and then putt them before I helped clean up.
At this point, I should say that I have several trees and bushes in my yard, and a few of the discs in the course of the evening made their way into them. Most of the time, we would get them out without any trouble.
Then it got dark.
Tom played a little bit more by the very dimmest of light. After his last round (which was brought to an end by a quick shower), we gathered up all the discs and counted them: 15. Somehow, we had lost a disc.
‘No problem… we’ll let the rain pass and come out and look with flashlights and find it.’
That didn’t work.
‘Okay… I’ll look tomorrow in the daylight and find it.’
Still no disc.
At this point, the rational part of my brain that somehow becomes irrational when something like that is lost began to wonder if Tom had counted the right number of discs to start with. If this were me we were talking about, I would have written it up as such… but this is Tom.
So I told myself I would look again after cutting down some monkey grass this week where some of the discs had ended up and see if it was buried in there. But before I could do that, there it was – lying on the ground right where I had already looked three or four times. The only explanation I could come up with was that it had gotten stuck in one of our ornamental bushes that are in that area (I never thought to look in them)… and that the wind at some point must have freed it and tossed it down to the ground.
Tom had many discs in his bag… several that he didn’t even pull out. He had at least four or five other ‘putters’ just like the one that was lost. But that didn’t make us write it off and quit looking for it. No… we were going to keep searching for it until one of us found it.
In the same way, Christ never gives up on you and me – either when we are lost or after our salvation. We are so valuable to Him that keeps on and keeps on and keeps on after us. He never, ever stops loving us. He never, ever gives up on us. And He rejoices like crazy when we are found.
Daniel
Thursday, May 20, 2010
#297.4 – “Braggin’ Time”
“For the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God.” – John 16:27
Yesterday I got an earful from Nell Harvey about Leslie and all the awards she had received at her awards ceremony that morning. I thought to myself: ‘Now there’s a proud grandma’, as she should be.
Well now it’s my turn to give all of you an earful, because I learned a little while ago that Anna has the highest overall grade average of both the 5th and 6th grades at the intermediate school for the year. Needless to say, she takes after her daddy (ok, ok… and her mommy). Also needless to say, we are extremely proud of her and all of our children for their character and accomplishments.
God loves us… and not just because of our accomplishments… but rather because of nothing of our own. He loves us because we are Christ’s, and we love Christ, and have believed in Christ. We need nothing else to stand before God with full assurance of His love for us. While all of that is true, we do need to remember that we bring Him joy when we behave like Christ or obey His will. His great pleasure is to see Himself in us… in what we do and how we act.
May we all give Him reason to brag on us today!
Daniel
Yesterday I got an earful from Nell Harvey about Leslie and all the awards she had received at her awards ceremony that morning. I thought to myself: ‘Now there’s a proud grandma’, as she should be.
Well now it’s my turn to give all of you an earful, because I learned a little while ago that Anna has the highest overall grade average of both the 5th and 6th grades at the intermediate school for the year. Needless to say, she takes after her daddy (ok, ok… and her mommy). Also needless to say, we are extremely proud of her and all of our children for their character and accomplishments.
God loves us… and not just because of our accomplishments… but rather because of nothing of our own. He loves us because we are Christ’s, and we love Christ, and have believed in Christ. We need nothing else to stand before God with full assurance of His love for us. While all of that is true, we do need to remember that we bring Him joy when we behave like Christ or obey His will. His great pleasure is to see Himself in us… in what we do and how we act.
May we all give Him reason to brag on us today!
Daniel
#297.3 – “Only Five More Days”
“But of that day or that hour no one has knowledge, not even the angels in heaven, or the Son, but the Father. Take care, keep watch with prayer: for you are not certain when the time will be.” – Mark 13:32-33
Tuesday morning the kids were slow to get out of bed (in fact, the closer we get to the end of school, I find that it seems to be harder and harder for any of us to get up and get going). This last week or so has called for special incentives and so Sarah resorted Tuesday to the reminder that there were only five more days left of school, in hopes that such information would motivate them to keep going till the end.
We as the Church only have so many days left ourselves. It won’t be long before Christ makes His return and time as we know it will come to an end… and we won’t have any more opportunities to witness for Him.
May that simple truth motivate us to keep going until that Day comes.
Daniel
Tuesday morning the kids were slow to get out of bed (in fact, the closer we get to the end of school, I find that it seems to be harder and harder for any of us to get up and get going). This last week or so has called for special incentives and so Sarah resorted Tuesday to the reminder that there were only five more days left of school, in hopes that such information would motivate them to keep going till the end.
We as the Church only have so many days left ourselves. It won’t be long before Christ makes His return and time as we know it will come to an end… and we won’t have any more opportunities to witness for Him.
May that simple truth motivate us to keep going until that Day comes.
Daniel
Monday, May 17, 2010
#297.2 – “The Nap, Part Two”
“For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” – Matthew 11:30
At least twice in the early hours Monday morning, Joshua woke us up... as he was wide awake… seeing as how he had been asleep since 7 the night before!
The second point I want to make regarding the consequences of our not following our Father’s instructions and commands is this: it often not only affects us, but others around us. Our sin and disobedience brings consequences to the people around us. Sarah and I lost sleep because the boy didn’t take his nap when we asked him to do so. He instead decided to ‘tough out’ the afternoon, but could not make it any longer that night. And we caught the blunt end of it the next morning. Ughhh!
Obey God. Life’s better on everyone when you do.
Daniel
At least twice in the early hours Monday morning, Joshua woke us up... as he was wide awake… seeing as how he had been asleep since 7 the night before!
The second point I want to make regarding the consequences of our not following our Father’s instructions and commands is this: it often not only affects us, but others around us. Our sin and disobedience brings consequences to the people around us. Sarah and I lost sleep because the boy didn’t take his nap when we asked him to do so. He instead decided to ‘tough out’ the afternoon, but could not make it any longer that night. And we caught the blunt end of it the next morning. Ughhh!
Obey God. Life’s better on everyone when you do.
Daniel
#297.1 – “The Nap”
“For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” – Matthew 11:30
Sarah and I usually have all our kids take one nap a week – either on Saturday or Sunday afternoon. This week, we chose Sunday to be nap day. As is the case many times, Joshua fought his sleep, while the other three went to bed without much fuss. Joshua didn’t do anything to bother them; he just didn’t go to sleep.
So last night, we got to the service… and Joshua was fussy. The other three were doing fine and behaving well, but he was whining about everything. Well, I knew what that meant… and sure enough, he fell asleep during the service. I carried him out to the van and buckled him in his car seat when we were finished, and Sarah got him out at home and put him to bed.
Things usually do work better when we do them the Father’s way, don’t they? When we follow His commands and heed the instructions He gives, we find that He is pretty smart after all, don’t we?
The fact is: His commands are not burdensome; they are intended to free us from sin and help us live life to the fullest and highest, with a sense of purpose in all we do.
May we take them as such and do our best to glorify Him in all we do this week.
Daniel
Sarah and I usually have all our kids take one nap a week – either on Saturday or Sunday afternoon. This week, we chose Sunday to be nap day. As is the case many times, Joshua fought his sleep, while the other three went to bed without much fuss. Joshua didn’t do anything to bother them; he just didn’t go to sleep.
So last night, we got to the service… and Joshua was fussy. The other three were doing fine and behaving well, but he was whining about everything. Well, I knew what that meant… and sure enough, he fell asleep during the service. I carried him out to the van and buckled him in his car seat when we were finished, and Sarah got him out at home and put him to bed.
Things usually do work better when we do them the Father’s way, don’t they? When we follow His commands and heed the instructions He gives, we find that He is pretty smart after all, don’t we?
The fact is: His commands are not burdensome; they are intended to free us from sin and help us live life to the fullest and highest, with a sense of purpose in all we do.
May we take them as such and do our best to glorify Him in all we do this week.
Daniel
Friday, May 14, 2010
#296.4 – “Too Tired for a Bath”
“Praise Yahweh, my soul, and don't forget all his benefits; who forgives all your sins; who heals all your diseases; who redeems your life from destruction; who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies; who satisfies your desire with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.” – Psalms 103:2-5
Last night, the boys had a late ball game. By the time we got home, it was almost bedtime. But they both needed a bath. I told them this as they were getting out of the car. When I did, they both balked at the idea of having to undergo such a rigorous and physically exhausting event. And yet, when I was coaxing Joshua to come inside the house, he wanted to stop and ride his scooter in the garage first!
We are all a bit like that, aren’t we? We do what we want and don’t do what we don’t. And yet, there are times when what we want is not what is best for us. And so our heavenly Father has to sometimes coax us to do what is best for us instead of what we want to do. He lovingly encourages us in what is going to help us and not what might cause us pain or grief. Like a loving father, He always seeks our good.
God, thank You for always having my best interest at heart.
Daniel
Last night, the boys had a late ball game. By the time we got home, it was almost bedtime. But they both needed a bath. I told them this as they were getting out of the car. When I did, they both balked at the idea of having to undergo such a rigorous and physically exhausting event. And yet, when I was coaxing Joshua to come inside the house, he wanted to stop and ride his scooter in the garage first!
We are all a bit like that, aren’t we? We do what we want and don’t do what we don’t. And yet, there are times when what we want is not what is best for us. And so our heavenly Father has to sometimes coax us to do what is best for us instead of what we want to do. He lovingly encourages us in what is going to help us and not what might cause us pain or grief. Like a loving father, He always seeks our good.
God, thank You for always having my best interest at heart.
Daniel
Thursday, May 13, 2010
#296.3 – “Tic-Tac-Toe”
“And Balaam said to Balak, "Look, I have come to you! Now, have I any power at all to say anything? The word that God puts in my mouth, that I must speak.” – Numbers 22:38
Sunday night while Dan was preaching, Joshua wanted to come over and sit in my lap. This is a rare thing, and the record will confirm that he much prefers to have his momma hold him (take, for example, the busted lip incident). But I was ‘it’ Sunday night. So, after getting in my lap, he wanted a piece of paper and a pen. I assumed he wanted to draw. To the contrary, he wanted to play tic-tac-toe with me! I realize that it is not a very spiritual thing for me to play tic-tac-toe with my son while the preacher is preaching, but I did (some loyalties run deeper than others… you understand).
Joshua set the ‘board’ up for us. He, of course, also took the first move. Now, Joshua has not been playing tic-tac-toe long enough to understand the value of the center square… so he didn’t start there. He put his ‘o’ in the upper row, center box. I put my first ‘x’ in the upper right corner. He then put his second ‘o’ in the center, after which I put my next ‘x’ in the center right spot. With him having the next turn, he joyfully took the opportunity to complete his line of three and then looked up at me with a cute little grin, anticipating my reaction. I put on my best frustrated face… at which he chuckled… to which I replied by grabbing his mouth and muffling the sound, seeing as how some of the rest of you were actually listening to Dan!
Well, the next thing you know, ol’ Jed’s a millionaire… (sorry… couldn’t resist!) and Joshua had set up another board with which to beat me. Again, I let him win. He drew up another board. Well this time (I don’t know if it was my competitive nature, or just meanness), I decided to see how he would react if I won. So I let him make his first move (I don’t remember what it was, but it was not the center square). Then I put my ‘x’ in the center square. He made his second move. On my turn, I blocked him from making his three in a row… at the same time setting myself up for a win with my next move. The only problem was: I never got a next move. Joshua had taken over the board and made three moves in row – all ‘o’s, of course – and defeated me, five moves to two.
The next ‘game’ (if you want to call it a game), I didn’t even play at all… he drew up a board and filled it with nine perfect little ‘o’s!!!
The same kind of determination to bring forth the outcome that I want to see can be a stumbling block for me when I apply that to my Bible study. If I approach the Word of God with an idea of what it should say, the outcome I am looking for I often find. But if I let it speak on its own and do not seek to make it fit my agenda, God many times reveals some precious jewels I would not have seen otherwise.
Lord, help me not speak for You, but let You speak to me as You see fit.
Daniel
Sunday night while Dan was preaching, Joshua wanted to come over and sit in my lap. This is a rare thing, and the record will confirm that he much prefers to have his momma hold him (take, for example, the busted lip incident). But I was ‘it’ Sunday night. So, after getting in my lap, he wanted a piece of paper and a pen. I assumed he wanted to draw. To the contrary, he wanted to play tic-tac-toe with me! I realize that it is not a very spiritual thing for me to play tic-tac-toe with my son while the preacher is preaching, but I did (some loyalties run deeper than others… you understand).
Joshua set the ‘board’ up for us. He, of course, also took the first move. Now, Joshua has not been playing tic-tac-toe long enough to understand the value of the center square… so he didn’t start there. He put his ‘o’ in the upper row, center box. I put my first ‘x’ in the upper right corner. He then put his second ‘o’ in the center, after which I put my next ‘x’ in the center right spot. With him having the next turn, he joyfully took the opportunity to complete his line of three and then looked up at me with a cute little grin, anticipating my reaction. I put on my best frustrated face… at which he chuckled… to which I replied by grabbing his mouth and muffling the sound, seeing as how some of the rest of you were actually listening to Dan!
Well, the next thing you know, ol’ Jed’s a millionaire… (sorry… couldn’t resist!) and Joshua had set up another board with which to beat me. Again, I let him win. He drew up another board. Well this time (I don’t know if it was my competitive nature, or just meanness), I decided to see how he would react if I won. So I let him make his first move (I don’t remember what it was, but it was not the center square). Then I put my ‘x’ in the center square. He made his second move. On my turn, I blocked him from making his three in a row… at the same time setting myself up for a win with my next move. The only problem was: I never got a next move. Joshua had taken over the board and made three moves in row – all ‘o’s, of course – and defeated me, five moves to two.
The next ‘game’ (if you want to call it a game), I didn’t even play at all… he drew up a board and filled it with nine perfect little ‘o’s!!!
The same kind of determination to bring forth the outcome that I want to see can be a stumbling block for me when I apply that to my Bible study. If I approach the Word of God with an idea of what it should say, the outcome I am looking for I often find. But if I let it speak on its own and do not seek to make it fit my agenda, God many times reveals some precious jewels I would not have seen otherwise.
Lord, help me not speak for You, but let You speak to me as You see fit.
Daniel
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
#296.2 – “More Bloody Teeth”
“For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.” – Romans 8:20-21
Well, teeth seem to have been a theme for us this weekend - the same night that Joshua got hit with the bat, Grant had a tooth pulled!
He had been telling me about his front tooth for a little while, even letting me feel it some days before… but it was not quite ready to pull at that point. But after taking a bath Friday night, he was crying because it was hurting him. So we got him into our bed and laid him down. Sarah held his hand to help comfort him. On the first attempt, I managed to push it towards the back of his mouth some… loosening it significantly. Meanwhile, he screamed and writhed in pain. He didn’t want to let me try again because it hurt so much. But I knew that if I didn’t, he would be likely to swallow it in the night. After talking with him and coaxing him to let me try again, he did. The faith involved in that little fellow letting me hurt him in order to bring ultimate relief was so precious that it both distressed me to carry out my calling and made me proud simultaneously. Nonetheless, knowing what was best for him, carry out my call I did… and with another attempt – and him kicking and screaming and crying, but not biting me or stopping me – I pulled that tooth out. An extreme sense of relief came over all three of us – me and Sarah and Grant – as we knew the worst was behind us. He went to the bathroom sink… rinsed the tiny amount of blood from his mouth… and smiled in the mirror, admiring the new ‘window’ in his smile!
Oh the joy of overcoming such a trial! Oh the exhaustion of such a terribly difficult emotional struggle! I was so relieved, but so worn out too. Nonetheless, I was more than anything else glad that it was over.
Hear the Word of God carefully on this subject: we, as part of creation, have been subjected to a certain futility… one that involves decay and pain and all kinds of ugly things. We can’t ignore it anymore than we can ignore a painful tooth, but we can know that there is a promise of deliverance of all such things one Day. And we can hope in that Day… and in the One who makes that promise… and we can let that hope carry us when we do not feel like moving forward. We can let the hurt pour on, knowing that there will one Day be a sweet relief.
Daniel
Well, teeth seem to have been a theme for us this weekend - the same night that Joshua got hit with the bat, Grant had a tooth pulled!
He had been telling me about his front tooth for a little while, even letting me feel it some days before… but it was not quite ready to pull at that point. But after taking a bath Friday night, he was crying because it was hurting him. So we got him into our bed and laid him down. Sarah held his hand to help comfort him. On the first attempt, I managed to push it towards the back of his mouth some… loosening it significantly. Meanwhile, he screamed and writhed in pain. He didn’t want to let me try again because it hurt so much. But I knew that if I didn’t, he would be likely to swallow it in the night. After talking with him and coaxing him to let me try again, he did. The faith involved in that little fellow letting me hurt him in order to bring ultimate relief was so precious that it both distressed me to carry out my calling and made me proud simultaneously. Nonetheless, knowing what was best for him, carry out my call I did… and with another attempt – and him kicking and screaming and crying, but not biting me or stopping me – I pulled that tooth out. An extreme sense of relief came over all three of us – me and Sarah and Grant – as we knew the worst was behind us. He went to the bathroom sink… rinsed the tiny amount of blood from his mouth… and smiled in the mirror, admiring the new ‘window’ in his smile!
Oh the joy of overcoming such a trial! Oh the exhaustion of such a terribly difficult emotional struggle! I was so relieved, but so worn out too. Nonetheless, I was more than anything else glad that it was over.
Hear the Word of God carefully on this subject: we, as part of creation, have been subjected to a certain futility… one that involves decay and pain and all kinds of ugly things. We can’t ignore it anymore than we can ignore a painful tooth, but we can know that there is a promise of deliverance of all such things one Day. And we can hope in that Day… and in the One who makes that promise… and we can let that hope carry us when we do not feel like moving forward. We can let the hurt pour on, knowing that there will one Day be a sweet relief.
Daniel
Monday, May 10, 2010
#296.1 – “Quite a Blow”
“… to him who gives you a blow on the right side of your face let the left be turned.” – Matthew 5:39
I jokingly use this verse that I used in last week’s devotion to set up a story for you all of what happened at the Metcalfe house this weekend…
The boys wanted to play some baseball out in the yard Friday evening. One of Grant’s girl classmates had come down the street and joined them. We all threw the ball around while, until they decided they wanted to get the bat out and play a pretend game. At that point, I sat with Sarah in the back of the truck and read the paper, while the three kids played. After a few minutes, Joshua came running around the corner screaming at the top of his lungs, with the little girl running behind him, saying: ’I didn’t mean to, Joshua… I didn’t mean to.’ She had accidentally hit him in the mouth with the baseball bat.
By the time he got to us, blood was coming out of his mouth at a pretty good rate. We scooped him and ran into the kitchen and began rinsing out his mouth with cold water to see if we could assess the situation. Immediately, we noticed a flap of skin hanging down in front of his two front teeth. We couldn’t tell whether or not blood was coming only from that spot or if there were others. We applied more cold water and ice with a washcloth until the bleeding slowed down enough that we could see. His teeth looked to be okay – nothing broken. His gums were bleeding some, but not profusely. Sarah held him while he continued to scream. We debated about going to the hospital. Finally, the bleeding pretty much stopped. Sarah was able to hold him and comfort him to where he stopped crying. Within minutes, he was asleep – exhausted from the ordeal. We talked more about going to the hospital, debating it back and forth. We agreed to wait until the morning and see how he did overnight.
The next day, his little flap on his lip had reattached – something I never thought it would do. He had only bled a few more drops on his pillowcase through the night... and I believe most of that was ‘leftover’. We got him up and rinsed his mouth with some warm salt water and he went in and ate a little breakfast and seemed to be okay.
Yesterday, he was even better. It’s amazing to me how well that lip healed in such a short time!
We prayed for him the night it happened… asking God to heal it. But like I said, I was surprised to see that it was so much better. So I realized that what I give God credit for being able to do and what God can do are two different things. I spent time asking God to help me trust Him more and to be more thankful for what I have already been given.
Daniel
I jokingly use this verse that I used in last week’s devotion to set up a story for you all of what happened at the Metcalfe house this weekend…
The boys wanted to play some baseball out in the yard Friday evening. One of Grant’s girl classmates had come down the street and joined them. We all threw the ball around while, until they decided they wanted to get the bat out and play a pretend game. At that point, I sat with Sarah in the back of the truck and read the paper, while the three kids played. After a few minutes, Joshua came running around the corner screaming at the top of his lungs, with the little girl running behind him, saying: ’I didn’t mean to, Joshua… I didn’t mean to.’ She had accidentally hit him in the mouth with the baseball bat.
By the time he got to us, blood was coming out of his mouth at a pretty good rate. We scooped him and ran into the kitchen and began rinsing out his mouth with cold water to see if we could assess the situation. Immediately, we noticed a flap of skin hanging down in front of his two front teeth. We couldn’t tell whether or not blood was coming only from that spot or if there were others. We applied more cold water and ice with a washcloth until the bleeding slowed down enough that we could see. His teeth looked to be okay – nothing broken. His gums were bleeding some, but not profusely. Sarah held him while he continued to scream. We debated about going to the hospital. Finally, the bleeding pretty much stopped. Sarah was able to hold him and comfort him to where he stopped crying. Within minutes, he was asleep – exhausted from the ordeal. We talked more about going to the hospital, debating it back and forth. We agreed to wait until the morning and see how he did overnight.
The next day, his little flap on his lip had reattached – something I never thought it would do. He had only bled a few more drops on his pillowcase through the night... and I believe most of that was ‘leftover’. We got him up and rinsed his mouth with some warm salt water and he went in and ate a little breakfast and seemed to be okay.
Yesterday, he was even better. It’s amazing to me how well that lip healed in such a short time!
We prayed for him the night it happened… asking God to heal it. But like I said, I was surprised to see that it was so much better. So I realized that what I give God credit for being able to do and what God can do are two different things. I spent time asking God to help me trust Him more and to be more thankful for what I have already been given.
Daniel
Friday, May 7, 2010
#295.4 – “The Hero (and the Villain)”
“I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.” – Romans 7:21
Wednesday afternoon, Ruthie did one of her homework assignments here on my computer. However, she didn’t print it because she wasn’t sure which printer I normally used. So she left it on the computer and asked me to print it off for her. I told her I would. Well, with everything else I was doing that night, I forgot. When we were on the way to school the next day, she asked me if I had printed it for her. I told her ‘no’ and asked her if she needed it that day. With the saddest little face you have ever seen, she said she did. I told her that it was likely still on the computer since I hadn’t fooled with it, and that I would print it off and bring it to her.
So Thursday morning I got here and checked it and sure enough… it was right there where she had left it. I printed that sucker off (I actually printed three different versions off, since I wasn’t sure which, if any, were the right one) and took it to school that morning. I wish you could have seen the look on her face when I brought those papers in and set them before her. She was so happy! And so was I! After all, it isn’t every day that I get to be the hero (of course, I was also the one who said I would print it off on Wednesday night and forgot… so I guess that makes me the villain, too huh?)!
I can be the hero… and I can be the villain. I can be good… and I can be bad. That kind of dualistic nature is with me in all of my spiritual life. For example, there are times when I am right in the middle of work that I do for the church and have a terrible thought come across my mind… or other times when one little dumb thing can set me off and I can get so mad so fast… and so I agree with what Paul wrote in the verse above: that when I would do good, evil is right there with me.
So how can I bring forth the Hero (Christ) and squash the villain in me at the same time? Biblically – from the same passage as the verse above – I know that it begins and ends with my leaning upon Christ. But practically – from a day to day standpoint – I believe that includes staying focused on God and His Word and communication with Him, which fills my mind and my time with God and doesn’t allow for as much time on anything else. I will (and do) still sin regularly, but that kind of attention to ‘the right’ is curiously connected with how well I live for God in any given day.
Father, I realize I cannot do anything without You. Help me to bring forth the person of Christ in my day to day life, and to let me ‘old man’ be crucified to me.
Daniel
Wednesday afternoon, Ruthie did one of her homework assignments here on my computer. However, she didn’t print it because she wasn’t sure which printer I normally used. So she left it on the computer and asked me to print it off for her. I told her I would. Well, with everything else I was doing that night, I forgot. When we were on the way to school the next day, she asked me if I had printed it for her. I told her ‘no’ and asked her if she needed it that day. With the saddest little face you have ever seen, she said she did. I told her that it was likely still on the computer since I hadn’t fooled with it, and that I would print it off and bring it to her.
So Thursday morning I got here and checked it and sure enough… it was right there where she had left it. I printed that sucker off (I actually printed three different versions off, since I wasn’t sure which, if any, were the right one) and took it to school that morning. I wish you could have seen the look on her face when I brought those papers in and set them before her. She was so happy! And so was I! After all, it isn’t every day that I get to be the hero (of course, I was also the one who said I would print it off on Wednesday night and forgot… so I guess that makes me the villain, too huh?)!
I can be the hero… and I can be the villain. I can be good… and I can be bad. That kind of dualistic nature is with me in all of my spiritual life. For example, there are times when I am right in the middle of work that I do for the church and have a terrible thought come across my mind… or other times when one little dumb thing can set me off and I can get so mad so fast… and so I agree with what Paul wrote in the verse above: that when I would do good, evil is right there with me.
So how can I bring forth the Hero (Christ) and squash the villain in me at the same time? Biblically – from the same passage as the verse above – I know that it begins and ends with my leaning upon Christ. But practically – from a day to day standpoint – I believe that includes staying focused on God and His Word and communication with Him, which fills my mind and my time with God and doesn’t allow for as much time on anything else. I will (and do) still sin regularly, but that kind of attention to ‘the right’ is curiously connected with how well I live for God in any given day.
Father, I realize I cannot do anything without You. Help me to bring forth the person of Christ in my day to day life, and to let me ‘old man’ be crucified to me.
Daniel
Thursday, May 6, 2010
#295.3 – “What’s His Is Mine”
“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” – 2 Corinthians 5:21
Yesterday, I picked up Joshua from his preschool. I had brought with me a yogurt that I was having as a dessert for lunch. After being distracted for just a few moments, I turned back around to find Joshua chowing down on my yogurt! When I called him on it, he just grinned… with a little bit of yogurt left on his chin!
You see, Joshua understands an unwritten rule when it comes to our relationship: what’s mine is his. He knew that I didn’t mind sharing my yogurt with him (of course, he also knows he should ask first!).
When it comes to righteousness, Christ and I have a similar understanding: what’s His is mine. By faith I ask Him to take on my sin and filth… and He does, giving me in return His righteousness and holiness. And I – as a child of God – can avail myself of that righteousness at any time and with great ease, knowing that the bond He and I have is entirely based in His gracious nature in the first place. I don’t want to abuse His grace, in the same way that Joshua doesn’t want to take all my food away from me. But, like a child, I can come with a hopeful assurance that I will receive what it is that I seek because of the very nature of the One from whom I seek it and the relationship we have.
What a glorious privilege we as believers have! May we never take advantage of our benevolent Friend in the sense of abusing His kindness, but may we always take advantage of the grace He bestows in the sense of realizing our need for it and seeking it.
Daniel
Yesterday, I picked up Joshua from his preschool. I had brought with me a yogurt that I was having as a dessert for lunch. After being distracted for just a few moments, I turned back around to find Joshua chowing down on my yogurt! When I called him on it, he just grinned… with a little bit of yogurt left on his chin!
You see, Joshua understands an unwritten rule when it comes to our relationship: what’s mine is his. He knew that I didn’t mind sharing my yogurt with him (of course, he also knows he should ask first!).
When it comes to righteousness, Christ and I have a similar understanding: what’s His is mine. By faith I ask Him to take on my sin and filth… and He does, giving me in return His righteousness and holiness. And I – as a child of God – can avail myself of that righteousness at any time and with great ease, knowing that the bond He and I have is entirely based in His gracious nature in the first place. I don’t want to abuse His grace, in the same way that Joshua doesn’t want to take all my food away from me. But, like a child, I can come with a hopeful assurance that I will receive what it is that I seek because of the very nature of the One from whom I seek it and the relationship we have.
What a glorious privilege we as believers have! May we never take advantage of our benevolent Friend in the sense of abusing His kindness, but may we always take advantage of the grace He bestows in the sense of realizing our need for it and seeking it.
Daniel
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
#295.2 – “Early to Bed, Early to Rise”
“And He (Jesus) withdrew Himself into the wilderness, and prayed.” – Luke 5:16
Last night, Sarah and I agreed to get the kids in bed early because they had been up late the night before. We got home a little before 8:00 and told them to all get ready for bed (they usually go to bed around 8:30). I came around and gave everybody goodnight hugs and kisses and then retired to bed myself, where Sarah and I stayed up and talked for quite a while. After about an hour of talking, I heard some noise coming from down the hall. I walked towards the noise and found a light on in the girls’ room. Upon opening their door, I saw the two of them sitting on the floor doing homework! Now granted, homework is a good thing to be doing… but not when I have said it was bedtime an hour ago! I scolded them and told them to get to bed right then.
This morning, I went in their room to wake them up… and they were both like zombies. It took them ten minutes just to get out of bed. I reminded them of the night before and their desire to stay up and that I was going to have no mercy on them this morning and that they had better get up!
Our choices have consequences. When I eat too much, I get fat. When I don’t get enough sleep, I am tired. When I am busy, busy, busy, I miss opportunities where God wants to use me or talk to me or teach me something.
Lord, help me to reserve private time with You everyday, so that I may be aware of what Your Spirit is leading me to be and do.
Daniel
Last night, Sarah and I agreed to get the kids in bed early because they had been up late the night before. We got home a little before 8:00 and told them to all get ready for bed (they usually go to bed around 8:30). I came around and gave everybody goodnight hugs and kisses and then retired to bed myself, where Sarah and I stayed up and talked for quite a while. After about an hour of talking, I heard some noise coming from down the hall. I walked towards the noise and found a light on in the girls’ room. Upon opening their door, I saw the two of them sitting on the floor doing homework! Now granted, homework is a good thing to be doing… but not when I have said it was bedtime an hour ago! I scolded them and told them to get to bed right then.
This morning, I went in their room to wake them up… and they were both like zombies. It took them ten minutes just to get out of bed. I reminded them of the night before and their desire to stay up and that I was going to have no mercy on them this morning and that they had better get up!
Our choices have consequences. When I eat too much, I get fat. When I don’t get enough sleep, I am tired. When I am busy, busy, busy, I miss opportunities where God wants to use me or talk to me or teach me something.
Lord, help me to reserve private time with You everyday, so that I may be aware of what Your Spirit is leading me to be and do.
Daniel
Monday, May 3, 2010
#295.1 – “Turners of Cheeks”
“But I say to you, Do not make use of force against an evil man; but to him who gives you a blow on the right side of your face let the left be turned.” – Matthew 5:39
This Saturday, we went to my parents for an early Mother’s Day get together. While there, Grant wanted to pay catch a while with me, so I went out and obliged him. One time I was throwing the ball to him when it hit his glove and bounced off and bonked him on the nose. He cried for a minute… then was ready to play again. If you know Grant, you realize what a major accomplishment that was for him! I was afraid he would not want to play anymore that day. But he surprised me and we got right back into playing again.
That attitude is the very kind of thing that Christ is encouraging us as believers to do in the verse above… except that this verse doesn’t imply that good things will come to those who follow this command. You see, when Grant put his glove back on and was ready to catch some more, the hope (on both of our parts) was that he would not get hit again. But when Jesus lays down this command, He does so with no such promise of a ‘better’ outcome. The only likely result of turning the other cheek is that we will get hit again. In fact, Jesus doesn’t comment on what might happen if we obey; He just gives the command with the expectation that we will obey regardless of what happens as a result. The instruction He gives doesn’t come with a contingency or any kind of clause; it simple and powerfully exists. We are to be turners of cheeks. Period.
Thank You, Lord, for helping us see that our obedience is not contingent upon results, but rather Your commands.
Daniel
This Saturday, we went to my parents for an early Mother’s Day get together. While there, Grant wanted to pay catch a while with me, so I went out and obliged him. One time I was throwing the ball to him when it hit his glove and bounced off and bonked him on the nose. He cried for a minute… then was ready to play again. If you know Grant, you realize what a major accomplishment that was for him! I was afraid he would not want to play anymore that day. But he surprised me and we got right back into playing again.
That attitude is the very kind of thing that Christ is encouraging us as believers to do in the verse above… except that this verse doesn’t imply that good things will come to those who follow this command. You see, when Grant put his glove back on and was ready to catch some more, the hope (on both of our parts) was that he would not get hit again. But when Jesus lays down this command, He does so with no such promise of a ‘better’ outcome. The only likely result of turning the other cheek is that we will get hit again. In fact, Jesus doesn’t comment on what might happen if we obey; He just gives the command with the expectation that we will obey regardless of what happens as a result. The instruction He gives doesn’t come with a contingency or any kind of clause; it simple and powerfully exists. We are to be turners of cheeks. Period.
Thank You, Lord, for helping us see that our obedience is not contingent upon results, but rather Your commands.
Daniel
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