Ask and you shall receive...

The Lord has been reminding me of the truth of "Ask and you shall receive."  A week ago Tuesday, I realized that I hadn't been praying with Sarah for her softball team, games and season.  She had been somewhat negative about their winless season - some disappointments etc.  I asked if I could pray for her before she left for her last home game, she said, "Well, nothing else has worked!" and I asked the Lord to help her relax and enjoy herself and have a good perspective.  They lost again, but she had a good game with 3 solid hits, and felt God had answered our prayer.  On Thursday we prayed for team unity and perspective, and they did come together, enjoyed their game, and procured their first victory!  They were so excited!  On Friday,we prayed for Coach Banks to relax and enjoy herself, and for more teamwork, and they won again!  On Saturday, we prayed for teamwork, and they lost their first game so were out of the tournament.  Sarah and KJ had to sit there for hours while the boys' baseball team finished their tourney and then ride back with them.  But at least they were together.

On Thursday, Pete and I had to sing for a funeral and when we got there, Jon Barber informed us that the sound system wasn't working.  He and Pete tried several things while I played the prelude, and right before the funeral started Pete prayed with Jon and then sat down and informed me, "The system isn't working - do we need to do anything different?"  But when Pastor Mary started speaking, lo and behold - it worked!  Afterwards Pete asked Jon, "What did you do?"  "Nothing - I just turned it off and back on and this time it worked!  Must have been your prayer."  Must have been.

Thursday night was the first church softball games, and we prayed for a good spirit of encouragement and a good attitude.  I don't know what happened over at the Gold team (I wasn't there because I was driving Sarah back from her Rocori victory so she could play with the Bronze team), but we (Bronze) had a great crowd, great spirit and a great game with a victory.  Everybody had a good hit or two and a good defensive play or two.  Jerry was quite pleased, and the rest of us were thrilled.  Thank You, Lord, for answering prayer and for reminding us that You like to be asked.

Learning New Skills

This morning the kids and I spent three hours in the office at Gorans Bros., learning CPR from a Ridgewater College instructor with a video curriculum.  I made the kids go to bed on time last night, saying, "We have this class in the morning and I don't want you falling asleep in the middle of it."  No worries.  The video instructor was fairly interesting and very repetitive, because he wanted us to be sure to remember the basic points:

1.  Compressions are the key.  You must push the chest down two inches with each compression and let the chest rise to its natural state in between.

2.  The first compressions are the most effective, so if there is another trained person around, be sure to take turns at least every two minutes so you give good CPR.

3.  Do 30 compressions, at least 100/min., and then give two breaths, making sure the chest rises with each breath.

4.  Start compressions right away, asking someone else to call 911 and find an AED defibrillator.  If you are alone, call 911 first, unless it's a child; then start compressions first because they often recover well.

All of this was interspersed with practice on mannequins.  We had only twelve in the class, so were able to share a mannequin with just one other person.  They also had AED training kits so we were able to practice hooking up the pads, staying clear, and pushing the shock button.  I didn't know that the goal of the AED was to STOP the heart, so that the body's natural re-starter would get it going in the right rhythm again.  The other things to remember before hooking up the pads were:  shave away excess hair; wipe away excess moisture and get the patient out of a wet environment; and remove any metal (underwire bras or necklaces).   Otherwise the AED gives its own instructions.

It was quite effective, as you can see, and quite fascinating.  I took a CPR class in college, but remember virtually nothing, so this was a great refresher.  We had everyone from 11-year-old Philip to Kim and Pete in their fifties, and everyone was able to learn new skills.

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.