September 2007

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“They gave our Master a crown of thorns. Why do we hope for a crown of roses?”
~ Martin Luther ~

But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

Hebrews 9:26-28

Have you ever known someone who faced multiple trials and challenges that were powerful enough to easily cripple an individual’s spirit, yet remained upbeat, joyful and uninterested in having throwing a self-pity party?

I have known several folks over the years who were tested in ways that made me say, “Wow, I don’t think I could have handled that” or “I think I would have lost my faith if I’d been faced with that.” But they served as role models, serving as an example of faith and unwavering courage to everyone they encountered. They did not ask “Why me?” Not that anyone would blame or judge them for questioning why they had to endure incredibly difficult circumstances. It is natural to ponder how rough times fit into the overarching plan for our lives.

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Photo by penywise

“The worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love.”
Henry Scougal (The Life of God in the Soul of Man ),
quoted by John Piper in The Pleasures of God

Today the object of our love, as well as our respect and honor, should be the victims of September 11, 2001. Our thoughts turn to them because the worth and excellency of our souls will be measured today, and on every anniversary of that day, by how we respond to the evil that was unleashed in New York City, Washington, D.C. and in the skies over Pennsylvania.

It will also be measured by how we live out our beliefs by not just honoring the dead, but caring for those who continue mourning and suffering from the impact those events.

By lovingly reaching out to all who were impacted by the events of that terrible morning, we demonstrate where our treasure is (Matthew 6:21) and the nature of our heart.

And that is true, of course, not just about September 11’s victims, but every person with whom we interact — each and every day.

Today, as I see some of those disturbing images yet again, remember where I was and how I experienced that day, see the names of the victims . . . I am grateful for all the blessings in my own life and reminded never to take them for granted.

Paul Newman summed it up best: “Living well is the best revenge.”

And to me, “living well” means making a concerted effort to be happy and content, remembering how very lucky and blessed we are, while sharing what we have with those who are less fortunate and demonstrating love, compassion, forgiveness and tolerance to those around us.

In living out our faith, we honor those lost and demonstrate the worth and excellency of our spirit — collectively, as a nation and community, and as individuals.

Sandy Carlson at Writing in Faith tagged me to participate in this meme. Thanks for thinking of me, Sandy!

What is your favorite Christmas gift?

Anything that someone has made themselves. I love it when friends drop by with goodie bags filled with cookies they have baked, for instance.

What is your best memory of Christmas?

Watching my kids’ eyes light up when they saw what Santa left for them on Christmas morning and listening to them read the letter he always wrote them.

What do you prefer in a tree? Fake or real?

Real. The more Charlie Brown-ish the better.

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His disciples said, “Finally! You’re giving it to us straight, in plain talk—no more figures of speech. Now we know that you know everything—it all comes together in you. You won’t have to put up with our questions anymore. We’re convinced you came from God.”

Jesus answered them, “Do you finally believe? In fact, you’re about to make a run for it—saving your own skins and abandoning me. But I’m not abandoned. The Father is with me. I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.”

John 16:29-33

(The Message)

I don’t have all the answers.

“To which questions?” you ask.

Most of them.

And that’s perfectly all right.

Because I do have the answer to the one of life’s most important questions: Is the above passage true?

Absolutely!

So with that belief as my foundation, I am learning to say “I don’t know” in response to a lot of extremely consequential questions — and I feel just fine about that. This is an accomplishment for me because I have always felt that I need to have all the answers all the time. Or at least make people think that I do. I was taught to appear confident, self-assured, composed, authoritative and never let anyone see my frailties, doubts, moments of utter self-doubt, pondering. But pride exacts a great toll over time.

I am a “work in progress” and I am learning to be thankful for and comfortable in my evolution because it is framed and informed by my knowledge that “I’m not abandoned.”

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