God's Constant Care

Yesterday morning at 8:30, I told the youth to get in the vehicles.  We were heading to the Bethesda nursing homes to lead worship at three locations, and I wanted plenty of time to make sure everything was set up properly.  I headed upstairs to put a check in the secretary's box while the others went out.  On the way up, I decided I should put the check on her desk and entered the sanctuary to grab my office key from the box where I keep it.  It wasn't there. 

Professionals painted the sanctuary last week, so most stuff had been moved - my music to the third floor.  I thought the key might have been placed there somehow, but when I investigated I couldn't find it.  Back in the sanctuary, Ron asked, "Where's the organ key?  I came on Friday to practice but couldn't find the key."  The organ key is on the same ring as the office key; I told Ron about my dilemma, looked around the organ some more, and went back up to the third floor - without success.  I called the pastor, who promised to come over with the office key and let me in to look for an extra organ key.

Meanwhile, the youth were still waiting in the vehicles.  I was thinking furiously; what should I do?  I couldn't leave the church until the organ key was found; there was no way anyone else would be able to find an extra key, though I didn't know if I would be able to find one, either.  Should I send the youth on to set up and trust that they could start without me if necessary?  I went outside, stepped around indecisively a few times, then went to the window of our van and told Daniel, "My organ key is missing."  He turned to the back seat and said, "Zach, where did you put the organ key?" 

I thought he was joking - what would Zach know about it? - but Zach replied, "I put it in the box."  The two of them had been practicing the day before, and the key was hidden in the bottom of the box.  I found it, Ron started practicing, and we made it to the nursing home in plenty of time.

Though I didn't consciously or formally pray, God was watching over the whole situation.  If I hadn't looked for the office key, if Ron had been ten minutes later, OR if I hadn't mentioned the situation to Daniel, Ron would have been playing the piano or I would have missed the nursing home service.  But the Lord orchestrated everything so that the lost was found.  Praise Him!

Gospel Truth

A friend and "coworker in the gospel" wrote in his ministry newsletter that he reminds himself daily of seven essential truths he's learned over the years - "We're in a war," "God loves me unconditionally" and so forth.  I thought that sounded like a great idea, because I too struggle with having to learn the same things over and over again.  So here are six of the truths the Lord has taught me through the years that I continually forget:

1.  Jesus will never leave me or forsake me.
2.  Jesus' grace is sufficient for me.
3.  God gives generously and without reproach.
4.  Being is more important than doing.
5.  Time with the Lord is as essential as food or sleep.
6.  I can take the blame for things that aren't my fault.

Here are four things I've been affirming (things that are true in the heavenly kingdom, but which I haven't seen worked out in my life on earth yet):

1.  Because Jesus Christ is living in me, I confidently observe the Lord's working in the lives of each of my kids.
2.  Because Jesus Christ is living in me, I cheerfully arrange my schedules and actions according to Pete's direction.  (I've seen real progress in this one)
3.  Because Jesus Christ is living in me, I gladly speak about Him often, praising and thanking Him out loud and praying with the children before and after any significant event.
4.  Because Jesus Christ is living in me, and I have been bought with a price, I glorify God in my body by keeping it in great shape.

The seventh truth will have something to do with joy.  I frown a lot - at home anyway.  I expect a lot out of the kids and when they disappoint, I frown.  I realize also that I think God frowns at me a lot.  I know that He could expect a lot more out of me than I deliver, so I think He's frowning.  And I think that's the way to relate to my children.  I have a feeling this is incorrect.  Lord grant me to know the truth and know You (the Truth) and live accordingly.

Health Care

We are having an unhealthy year!  Daniel broke his arm (a compound open fracture) in November, so had surgery on Thanksgiving Day and follow-up visits in January, February and March.  Pete discovered a blind spot in his eye and an examination revealed retinal bleeding.  In January he received the first shot in his eye; a drug has almost stopped the bleeding and the doctor thinks it will heal completely.  It may or may not stay healed.  You can imagine the cost of a visit to a retina specialist; Pete has been there 3 or 4 times now.  Sarah had an appendectomy on Palm Sunday.  I have been to the chiropractor 5-10 times recently for a "frozen shoulder" or possibly just inflammation - the treatment is the same.  Now I've started physical therapy.

This will cost us our $5500 deductible for last year and this year; it will cost our insurance company a lot more.  But think of the results - a healed arm, a healed eye, a removed appendix with very little "down time," and (Lord willing) a healed shoulder.  A hundred years ago Daniel would probably have a crooked arm; Pete would have a blind spot and maybe lose his sight completely in that eye; Sarah could have died when her appendix ruptured; and I would have a painful shoulder for who-knows-how-long.

We complain a lot about the high and rising cost of health care.  But consider what we get!  If we choose to do all this stuff to make our lives longer, healthier or pain-free, shouldn't we expect to pay for it?  Remember the tragic story of the woman who had spent her life savings on doctors trying to heal her hemorrhaging?  Turned out not to be a tragic story, because Jesus healed her for free.  But the pathos of the initial introduction is not because she spent her life savings but because it didn't work.  If she had spent her life savings and gotten well, it would have been worth it to her.

I don't know when we'll (as a nation) run out of money to spend on health care.  I don't know if it's right for us to have treatments for retinal bleeding and frozen shoulders when children across the globe die for lack of a simple antibiotic.  But I do know that I'm not going to complain about the money aspect of health care, because it's worth every penny.

An Unexpected Appendectomy

Last Saturday Sarah had stomach pain all day; when we finally called the insurance nurse help line at 5pm, the nurse advised us to bring her in within three hours. At the emergency room in Olivia, I sat with Sarah (a much more comfortable Sarah with an IV for hydration and pain medication) until 11pm, when they performed a CT scan on her abdomen and discovered that her appendix was, indeed, infected and needed to be removed. In the meantime, I posted on Facebook and emailed the families asking for prayer. Pete had attended the Svea Wild Game Feed where Dad Stadem gave the message, but by midnight (after erroneously going to the Willmar emergency room) he arrived and I went home to get some sleep before the Palm Sunday service.

Dad Norling called just after I woke up, and wondered how everything was. When I called Pete, he said Sarah was walking around and would be home that day. Dr. Maland performed the surgery laparoscopically, so she has only three fingernail-size incisions.

After Sunday School Opening Exercises, I prepared the praise team stage and recruited Julie Gatewood to substitute for Sarah as a singer. While playing the prelude, I looked up and saw Pete enter our pew! He'd brought Sarah home and she felt good, so he came on to worship.

Praise God for great medical care. We shouldn't be surprised if we have to pay a good portion of our incomes, considering the almost endless list of procedures that improve our lives and health.

Me and My Stuff

My aunt occasionally sells her possessions so she can give more to one of her favorite charities. I admire her, but I haven't emulated her. Of course, very few of my possessions are worth anything by the time I get done with them. However, in my Lenten fast from sweets in my house, I haven't given away the money I saved. We tithe to God's work, and sometimes give beyond that if a need comes to our attention, but we haven't developed the mindset of giving up things to give more to others. If I want something, I generally buy it; if we have extra money, we generally save it. I can't think of a time when I wanted something, but didn't buy it and gave the money away instead.

I have decided to quit looking at the catalogs that come in the mail, whether for clothing, books or fun little gadgets. If I need something, perhaps I'll use the catalog as a possible source, but otherwise, the temptation to buy something just because it's fun or cute needs to be eliminated.

Question: If the Body of Christ followed John Wesley's advice - "Earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can" - would the problems of poverty in the world be solved?

Some politicians and governmental officials desire to tax the rich more so the poor can have more. The appeal of this approach for Christian voters and politicians lies in God's grace, and His concern for the poor. We feel the government - of the people, for the people and by the people - should follow these Christian principles. The problem, though, is that God gives his grace voluntarily, and He gives only what is His to give - whether through His Body or any other way. The government, however, can only have something to give to one person if it takes it from another - by force. That creates resentment, feelings of superiority and inferiority, and ingratitude.

I'm selling a bunch of books, primarily to remove them from the shelves and the house. I was planning to use the money to pay for the Kindle I bought, but now I think I'll give the money away. May Your Body, O Christ, do Your will and serve others.

Failure or Fruitful?

I was feeling dragged out and unmotivated. This week Andrew and Philip acted in Prairie Fire Children's Theater, Sarah practiced with the softball team, and we cared for the neighbor's puppy, so I kept moving, but I didn't want to - for sure! The pictures of our friends the missionaries, our friends the doctors, our friends the camp directors, our friends the world-changers, our friends whose children desire nothing more than to please them rose up to haunt my nights - okay, maybe that's a little over-dramatized, but not much. I felt like a failure.

Wednesday night's Lenten service started with the Holden Evening Prayer liturgy - beautiful, but I felt that I hadn't prepared the leaders well. It improved as we went along, and then Pastor Mary gave her sermon on Martin Luther's view of vocation. I needed that. She quoted his thoughts on God's approval of changing diapers and sweeping streets as much as preaching sermons or governing the country. Tears came to my eyes as I realized the same is true of making menus and meals, paying bills and chauffeuring children.

Lord, thanks for speaking to me through Your servants at just the right time - may I hear Your voice always!

Procrastination Pays

My friend Yvonne and I have been concerned about a young friend who recently had her first child. Jill's husband, Jack, has been insisting that Jill go back to work when John turns 3 months old, because otherwise they may have to sell their home. Jill was working at a day care which is understaffed, often resulting in cranky children; she didn't get that many hours; and she would have to pay for John to be at the day care with her. Yvonne and I were thinking that working probably wouldn't bring in that much money, and that Jill's family could probably benefit financially if she would learn to save money instead of earning it. We prayed together for Jill several times, and were wondering what we needed to say to her or to Jack. Yvonne's been learning from the Lord that she has this feeling, left over from her childhood, that if she doesn't do something it won't happen, and that He wants her to trust Him more in certain situations, instead of trying to do something. Sure enough, a few days ago Jill called Yvonne and asked if she could work at the church day care (with Yvonne!) a few hours per week. Jack had run the numbers and determined that the net income from Jill's job would be miniscule.

Whether the Lord prompted someone else to talk to Jack, or gave Jack the idea, Yvonne hadn't lifted a finger, I hadn't said a word, and the job was done. John will be better cared for by his own mother; Jill will be happier and healthier; and Jack will have just as much money for his family. Thanks, Lord - may we know when to procrastinate and when to act!