God is a Multi-Tasker

My daughter, Darcy, and I were talking about my brother's illness and she said something profound, "God is a multi-tasker." We had been talking about how God has been working in each of our lives in different and unique ways because of Chuck's illness. According to the transforming work He wants to do in each of us, He is speaking and moving in our lives.

We each are experiencing different reactions to what is going on. We're learning to give grace to each other as we realize that we each will process and deal with the shock and fear in different ways. We're all praying, of course. But it also helps to focus on what God wants to do.

As I talked later with my sister, we talked about how much we want to remove the pain and disease from Chuck. It's so hard to see him in so much physical pain even as he trusts the Lord. But then I said, "Looking back, I'm glad no one could remove my pain when I was having back troubles. They would have stolen the blessing God intended for me. Of course, at the time, I would have given the pain and experience to any volunteer, but in retrospect, I'm grateful for the journey. Of course, it helps that I'm no longer in pain. But the transformation was worth it."

I'm sure Chuck would give his pain to any volunteer also but if we trust that God is sovereign and knows what He 's doing in each of us, then we can surrender and cooperate with all He has in store for all of us.

I'm still praying fervently for my brother's healing, you better believe it. But I can be at peace knowing God's multi-tasking in each of our lives will work for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28). So as my sister says, "We're looking for the Chuck Blessings."

Please continue to pray with me for my brother's healing and regardless, strength for the journey.

Jesus Says, "I Feel Your Pain"

I visited my brother Chuck in the hospital yesterday. He was diagnosed with Light Chain Myeloma today which is a cancer of the blood. He's in extreme pain because the disease has created bone fractures in his spine. He'll have spine surgery later this week and start chemo and steroids tomorrow.

This all seems so unreal. He is younger than I am and has always been very active. His children are 24 and 20. It's going to be a long journey with the potential for a lot of both physical and emotional pain. We are thanking the Lord that Chuck is trusting God and we're all asking for God's miraculous healing and the extension of Chuck's life beyond the 5-10 years that is normally anticipated for this disease.

As I sat in his hospital room and watched him grimace in pain, I could literally say I knew his pain. I had similar back pain in 2010 but surgery corrected my herniated disc problem and the Lord has brought me back to health. But seeing Chuck's agony brought back memories of the pain, weariness, and pleadings for God's mercy and help.

I began thinking of Hebrews 4:14-15: "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin" (NASB).

Just as I could feel Chuck's pain to some degree, Jesus feels our pain and struggles to the fullest degree. He is not a god sitting in the heavens cheering us on but never experiencing our humanity. He has been tempted in every way that we are. Of course, not in every single individual way but in the broad categories, He was faced with the same temptations we are. In his humanity, he was tired, bored, weary, weepy, physically injured and rejected. He can actually say, "I feel your pain" and mean it!

Although there is nothing I can do to help Chuck, except pray, Jesus is able to help us in our weaknesses and temptations. Not only did He experience humanity in the flesh and be tempted as we are, He wants to help and has the power to help. Not just to sympathize and empathize but help!

That's why the next verse in that passage is so encouraging and significant: "Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (vs 16 NASB).

What a thrill and encouragement to know that Jesus knows Chuck's physical pain and how he'll be challenged in these coming months and years. And He knows the heartbreak of us who love him and care about him. We can go to Jesus and He'll assure us, "I know what you're going through. I'm here for you."

Glorious God! Thank You that You know and care!

Raffi Called Me!

I answered the telephone with a hello and heard a little boy voice say, "Hi Podditt!"

"Hi Raffi!" I replied with surprise and pleasure.

My four-year-old grandson, Raphael, had just called his grandma on his own for the very first time. His mother had called me from the store less than five minutes before and Raffi had redialed to talk to me.

Tears filled my eyes as he began talking to me, most of which I couldn't understand. But it didn't matter. He had purposefully called to talk with me! As I heard his chatter, I thought, "How cool is this? This is the first time of many times that he is going to call me."

(By the way, Raffi started calling Larry and I "Podditt" when he couldn't pronounce "grandpa." I encouraged him using it for my name and eventually he chose "grandpa" for Larry's name. I figure I'll be the only Podditt in the world! How cool is that?)

As Raffi and I chatted back and forth, I was so thrilled that it surprised me. And I couldn't resist thinking of God who must love me calling upon Him just as much; maybe more. I pictured the joy of Zephaniah 3:17:
“The LORD your God is in your midst,
A victorious warrior.
He will exult over you with joy,
He will be quiet in His love,
He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy." (NASB).

Knowing God delights in my prayers is particularly meaningful right now especially as I meditated on Daniel 9: 22-23 this morning. Daniel has been confessing the sins of his people and himself and asking for God's forgiveness and the restoration of their nation from exile. As he's praying, the angel Gabriel appears. Daniel writes, "'He [Gabriel] gave me instruction and talked with me and said, 'O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you insight with understanding. At the beginning of your supplications the command was issued, and I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed; so give heed to the message and gain understanding of the vision'"" (NASB).

As soon as Daniel prayed, the command was issued--the reply. Although told the command was issued, the command itself wouldn't be carried out for quite a while because the answer/command is expressed in verses 24-27 referring to the End Times.

But what spoke to me both through knowing God delights to hear my prayers and that the answer is often answered, though not fulfilled right away, is that I'm praying along with members of my family for my brother, Chuck, who is in the hospital in horrible pain. His kidneys are in renal failure and they are trying to determine whether the intense back pain he's having is connected to that or to a pinched nerve problem.

So I pray continually for him; for relief, for wisdom for the doctors, for strength for him and his family. I'm so grateful that they all know the Lord and are looking to Him also. So far, God has not answered our prayers with the quickness we would like. But we can trust that whatever His answer is, He is attentive and loves hearing us intercede for Chuck.

Would you also pray for Chuck? Thank you.

And rejoice knowing that your Heavenly Father loves to hear your prayers. Just like this Podditt loves her grandson to call.

Beware! Wheelchair!

My sister, Karen, and my mom and I went to Sea World in San Diego on Monday. Karen and I took turns pushing my mom in a wheelchair. I've pushed strollers in the past, of course, but I think this is the first time I've pushed someone in a wheelchair. I'd never realized how unwieldy a wheelchair is. It's not easy to quickly change direction or stop quickly. In the crowds at Sea World it was a challenge. It was frustrating when people would walk straight toward us and expect us to maneuver to avoid them. I'm sure I've done the same thing to others and I finished the day determined to be more sensitive and compassionate to those in wheelchairs.

During the day, I thought of Galatians 6:2,5: ^"Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. For each one will bear his own load" (NASB).

These two verses have always fascinated me because they seem like the opposite. First Paul says to bear someone's burden and then he says they should bear their own load. Hmm. What's going on here?

The key is in the word meanings of "burden" and "load." A burden is something someone cannot carry on their own. A load is something they can. We shouldn't take on a load because we strip the other person of depending upon God to take care of something they are capable of doing in His power. But we should help the person whose burden is too much for them.

As I pushed the wheelchair, I felt like saying, "Look, people, this is a burden, not a load. Ya gotta give me some space."

People with a load should be encouraged to call upon God to help them shoulder what they're facing. Otherwise we could easily become their Helper when God is supposed to be that for them. But people with a burden need God's help with skin on. They have a hard time maneuvering through life. They need extra help. We may need to give them extra grace and give them extra space to cope. Or they may need someone to point specifically the way.

Knowing whether someone is carrying a burden or a load is the hard part. And some people are really good at trying to convince you they have a burden when it's actually a load. It feels very uncomfortable to not help more than God wants us to. We may feel like we're not being loving or kind. But God knows that they need to call upon Him.

What have you found helpful or important to remember when deciding who and how to help?

I do know one thing. Give space to those in wheelchairs. They really don't want to plow into you.

Heap Those Coals On!

OK, you'll be glad to know this will be my last post on godly sorrow. Whew! Aren't you glad? I hope our examination of this un-popular topic has been meaningful. My desire was that you could view whoever has hurt you or disappointed you as a beloved creation of God in whom God wants to work. And He can use you for their possible repentance by responding in trust that God will bring the justice He desires.

That is what Romans 12: 14, 17-21 says: "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, 'VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,' says the Lord. 'BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD.' Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good" (NASB).

If you're like me, you've wondered about the "heaping burning coals" thing. Sounds like a great opportunity to take vengeance, doesn't it? But Chip Ingram in his book Living on the Edge (Howard Books, 2009), explains the meaning of this. He writes, "This is not a picture of being nice to people who were mean to you so God will boil their brains out. The origin of this phrase goes back to an Egyptian ritual in which a man purged his offense by carrying on his head a dish containing burning charcoal on a bed of ashes. When someone realized they were in error, they would take coals from a fire, put them in a pan, put a towel upon their head, and carry the pan throughout the village, declaring they were burning out the bad thinking of the past. In essence, this was an act admitting their wrong and repenting of their past failure." (page 246).

Do you want the person who has hurt you to do something like that? Wouldn't that be satisfying? Wouldn't God like that too? Would you like to assist God in helping someone come to such repentance?

Well, you can. Just look back at those verses and see what lead up to the "for in so doing you will heap...."

• Bless and don't curse.
• Don't pay back evil.
• Respect doing right.
• Be at peace with others, as much as you can.
• Don't take revenge.

If we do those things, there will be a much better possibility that the other person will come to a point of repentance. Godly sorrow puts aside our own hurt and pain and desires their repentance, even to the point of treating them well. This shows our faith that God will work and is a much more effective Holy Spirit than we ever can be.

Thank you for sticking with me as we examined godly sorrow. May what we learned strengthen us for godly living and greater trust in God. And more loving too!

Biblical Stories of Godly Sorrow

In an earlier post, I asked you to think about biblical stories of godly sorrow. You'll remember that godly sorrow can be defined as grieving over another's sin and desiring their repentance. It most often includes giving grace and mercy to the person who doesn't deserve it. They have hurt us. Or they have sinned and the consequences ripple into other people's lives, especially our own. We want to hammer back in some way to force them to see their sin. We might even dream of them admitting they are wrong and tearfully asking for our forgiveness. We want to be vindicated.

But that's not godly sorrow and when we respond with godly sorrow we are being like Jesus who gives grace and mercy when we don't deserve it. Obviously, salvation only comes when we repent and acknowledge our sin. But God does so many loving things for us that we don't deserve and He grieves over our sin because He knows it's not good for us.

So besides God, who else in the Bible expressed godly sorrow? One example is David. Remember the story? King Saul had been pursuing David and had every intention of killing him. Saul felt threatened by David and nothing would dissuade him from wanting to harm David. In I Samuel 24, David and his men were in a cave and guess who comes into the dark recesses of the cave to "relieve himself." Talk about a perfect opportunity. Even David's men encouraged him to kill Saul saying it's was God's open door for revenge. But David only cut off a piece of Saul's robe and refused to harm God's anointed. David trusted that God would take care of his call to the Kingship in God's timing. Such trust!

When Saul realizes what happened, he says to David, “You are more righteous than I; for you have dealt well with me, while I have dealt wickedly with you. You have declared today that you have done good to me, that the LORD delivered me into your hand and yet you did not kill me." (verses 17-18 NASB).

In this case, David was acknowledged as righteous although it was short-lived. Saul quickly turned from his repentance and again sought to kill David. But David's godly sorrow and resulting grace and mercy are a good example for us. Even when it seems the "perfect opportunity" for revenge is handed to us, the Lord says in Romans 12:19 to not take revenge. When we have godly sorrow, we trust like David did, that God will do the work if the other person will cooperate with Him.

Another example is Jesus in dealing with the Pharisees who didn't want Him to heal the man with the withered hand (Mark 3:1-6). Verse 5 says, "After looking around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, He said to the man, 'Stretch out your hand.'” Jesus had godly sorrow. Oh, how He longed for them to resist their picky ways which left out God's grace.

How about Ruth? Naomi, her mother-in-law, was a pitifully depressed person. Although Ruth wasn't being sinned against by Naomi, certainly Ruth would have liked to be around a cheerful person who wasn't self-absorbed and requiring so much care. In our fleshly ways, it would be easy to say to such a person, "Just stop it! You're making me depressed! Start thinking about my needs for once!"

But Ruth didn't require anything from Naomi that Naomi couldn't give. She clung to her and identified with her--Naomi's God would be Ruth's God, even though Naomi wasn't representing her God very well. Ruth was gracious and loving. She served Naomi by working and bringing in the bacon after they reached Bethlehem. And in time, Ruth was honored and Naomi rose out of her depression. Ruth must have been sad that Naomi was sad but she didn't respond in frustration.

I'm sure there are other examples. Those are the obvious ones. I don't know about you but these examples challenge me to grieve over another's sin for it is hurting them. I can choose to love them well by not taking personally their lack of trust in God. It's really all about God, not me! And He is better at moving in their hearts than me. I think I'll let Him. Wanna join me?

Review of "When You Can't Find God"

If you want to trust God more, especially in the dark places of life, the new book by Linda Evans Shepherd is for you. And don't we all want to trust God more? When You Can't Find God: How to Ignite the Power of His Presence (Revell, 2011) is her newest release and it offers both practical and spiritual principles coupled with her stories of how God has worked in her life and in the lives of others.

Linda has learned to trust God in many hard places of life. Over twenty years ago, she and her daughter, an infant at the time, were in an automobile crash that severely disabled her little girl. Linda tells other riveting stories that made my faith grow stronger by knowing a loving God who uses everything for good.

One of her most endearing stories to encourage the reader to find real joy by experiencing God's love, is of Jim, her son, when he was a toddler. After shopping in the mall, she realized how tired Jim was. She writes, “That's when Jimmy suddenly flopped to the white-tiled floor. 'I'm tired,' he said, grabbing my snow boot in an arm lock. 'Could you drag me for a while?'

Of course, she picked him up and carried him and relates how this represents a trusting relationship with God. She concludes, “We get so focused on our prayer requests that we forget he longs to have a deeper relationship with us...Just as I didn't want to drag my son down a dusty floor and into the parking lot, God doesn't want to drag us through the muck of this world. He wants to lovingly scoop us into his everlasting arms and carry us through our difficulties.” (pgs 167-168).

When You Can't Find God is written for every Christian since there are always times when God seems distant. I also would pass this book along to any person who is open to reading about God but hasn't yet made Jesus their Lord and Savior. It's a readable, encouraging and inspirational book that makes you feel like God cares and that it is possible to trust Him more.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell as part of their blogger review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Practicality of Godly Sorrow

<sup>I'm sure that godly sorrow doesn't feel very practical. If godly sorrow is grieving over another's sin and desiring his repentance, how do we apply it? Actually, it is a very grace-filled response.

For instance, you're giving some instruction to someone and without you knowing why, they seem irritated. Even though you need to give them this instruction, they may take it as a message that they are stupid or they "hear" a tone from the past when they were belittled. Their reaction has nothing to do with you; actually, it's their own issue of possibly not wanting to appear stupid or ignorant.

You can't really know the "why" of their irritation but this is where godly sorrow comes in. Instead of becoming irritated yourself because now they seem to be communicating something negative back about you, you can grieve that they are not believing the truth about themselves. If they are "in Christ," they are not stupid--they have the "mind of Christ." You can be gracious and kind because they are for this instant, believing Satan's lies about themselves. They are not walking in the truth. It is their own struggle and says little about you.

Making such a wise conclusion and choice in that instant isn't easy. We can react in an ungodly way all too quickly. But as we have a transformed heart, over time, we can cast off taking it personally and see this person as beloved of God and currently struggling. Godly sorrow can fill our hearts.

As that godly sorrow fills our hearts and we don't need to defend or protect our value, God may invite us to reach out in some way toward them. Maybe we could say something like, "You seem a little irritated. May I ask why?" Or "Is this frustrating for you? What's going on inside of you right now?"

Evidently, the Apostle Paul reached out through some letter (maybe First Corinthians?) because he talks about the reaction of the Corinthians to his former letter. I wonder if Paul first had godly sorrow that the Corinthians weren't walking in purity with the Lord, and in love he wrote to them. They were being tempted by certain false teachers in their midst. They were straying from Paul's teachings of truth. He writes:</sup>

"For though I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it—for I see that that letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while—I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us. For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death" (2 Cor. 7:8-10, NASB).

Paul's godly sorrow created godly sorrow in his friends. And godly sorrow brings a person to the point of repentance--of recognizing their sin and being restored to God. It brings salvation and life. But the sorrow of the world produces death.

Could the "sorrow of the world" refer to over-reacting? Being offended? Protecting ourselves with anger? Blaming? Certainly those things bring a kind of death to the relationship--if only temporarily. We feel separated from them. But godly sorrow that they are believing lies and we succumbed also, brings repentance and salvation--restoration of the relationship.

Godly sorrow is indeed very practical. It can strengthen us to walk in our friend's shoes and wonder what is going on in them. With our focus on their pain, we can be selfless and loving. We can forget about ourselves and respond as Jesus would.