Rescued

Original photo by Cecilia Marie Pullaim

Galatians 1:4.  “…who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father…”

I’ve been rescued more times than I can relate. Even when I had to endure the flames of severe trials, Jesus walked with me and saw me safely to the other side.

But it isn’t just the physical evils he’s rescued me from. He’s also saved me from myself.

Just this week, I was whining like a four-year-old about dealing with fallen leaves on top of the other chores. It’s not a small task. Two trees alone will drop enough leaves to fill eighty 50 gallon trash bags. With twenty more trees, you get the picture.  

I was also moaning about cooking multiple meals. Since my doctor put me on a sodium-restricted diet, I fix two dishes for every meal. While I can’t blame my husband for not wanting to share my restrictive diet, the extra cooking and added clean up gets old. Added to the yard chores, I felt overwhelmed. 

However, the Holy Spirit reminded me I’d rather clean up the leaves once a year than not have the trees. So true! I love their beauty and the shade they provide. The first thing I drew as a young artist was a tree. Also, I have good tools to help with the task. A riding mower with a towable lawn sweeper. No raking, except for the areas the tractor can’t reach.

He also pointed out I’d rather cook double than cook for only one. Been there and would rather not be in that position again. As my husband recovers from his knee surgery, he’s helping with more and more chores. See, it’s better already. I just needed a change in perspective.

Dear Lord, I cannot thank you enough for all the times you’ve rescued me, especially from myself. Amen. 

Extraordinary Sacrifices

Our pastor read from the Book of Ruth last Sunday. He spoke of ordinary kindness, which we call politeness, and extraordinary kindness, like Ruth showed to Naomi. In Ruth’s case, God returned her sacrifice with a loving husband in Boaz. That bit of scripture reminded me of my own hard sacrifice.

Being widowed once was rough, twice was unfathomable. But God asked me if I’d be willing. It wasn’t that a hard of a choice. After all, if you love someone, you don’t stop just because things get hard.

Yes, I could have refused and let Shannon suffer through the treatments alone, but I couldn’t do that. He had no one else to care for him through the surgery and radiation treatments, and to take care of his personal and financial needs. My dad was particularly worried about the latter, my being burdened with massive medical bills.

In honesty, Shannon’s doctors believed his treatments put his brain cancer in remission and he’d live for years before it came back. Even so, I knew I’d eventually lose him to the disease. That didn’t stop me from accepting his proposal. I loved him.

Not knowing how much time we had, I memorized every gesture, the way he walked, talked, laughed. I wanted to hold each memory close, saving them for the tough times yet to come.

We married in September.

Shannon’s scans in October were clear, no sign of the cancer, and we celebrated his remission. However, he suffered a grand mal seizure in November. A brain scan showed the cancer had come back and had taken one third of his brain. His oncologist had never seen a cancer turn that aggressive. Shannon passed away six weeks later, three months after our marriage.

I won’t deny it was hard. Especially since it had only been three years since I’d lost my second husband. I was only 48, divorced once, and widowed twice. It seemed I would spend the rest of my life alone.

Did I regret my choices? No. Was I angry? No. Sad, yes. Hurt, yes. Lonely, yes. But I wasn’t alone. God had promised after my second husband had passed away, I’d never look at the stars alone. (See:  You Will Never Look at the Stars Alone) He kept that promise then, and He would keep it now too.

Through a series of coincidences, visions, and dreams, God told me He would grant my prayer for a companion to grow old with in health. My current husband is the fulfillment of that promise. As of this writing, we have been married twenty-one years and counting.

As I reflected on our pastor’s words, God granted me another vision. I saw Jesus walk down the aisles of the sanctuary and touch each parishioner on the shoulder, infusing us with the Holy Spirit. Fitting since it was Pentecost and that through the Holy Spirit, we find the courage and strength to accept the extraordinary sacrifices God asks of us.

How about you? Was there a time when God called on you to make an extraordinary sacrifice?

Dear Lord, life may be hard at times, but if I put my trust in You, it is also filled with much joy. Amen.

Not Judged

 

Photo by Daniel Reche @Pixabay

It isn’t unusual to be reading Scripture and have one particular verse stand out, the Holy Spirit opening your eyes to a deeper, personal message. That happened to me today with John 3:18: “He that believeth in him is not judged...”

Why the powerful message had not resonated with me before is a mystery only God and the Holy Spirit can answer. Timing? Probably. Jesus told the Apostles they wouldn’t receive the whole truth of God’s mystery, only parts as they grew in faith enough to understand and accept it.

As much as I try not to rehash all my past mistakes, they continue to pester me. This isn’t uncommon. David said the same in Psalm 50:5: “For I know my iniquity, and my sin is always before me.”

John 3:18 explains so much about why the New Testament is The Good News. We who believe Jesus Christ is our Salvation will not be judged for our sins, only for our faith.

This was exemplified in Jesus’ words on the cross to the Good Thief. The man repented but had no time to do good works. It was his faith that restored his relationship with God and guaranteed him a place in heaven.

My dream about dying and going to heaven makes more sense too. In the dream, Jesus escorted me into heaven. Instead of reminding me of all my sins, He gave me a personal tour of all heaven’s wonders. As I oohed and awed over each, He laughed, pleased with my reaction.

The same with my vision of the pit of fire. He didn’t judge me then either.

Does that mean we can do whatever we want without fear of any retribution? No. Even if God won’t judge us because of our faith, we will still face the earthly consequences of our sins and poor choices. Also, if we truly believe, our thoughts and actions change. We try to please the one we love. That means replicating the kindness, compassion, faith, and love we have received. The Good News is when we fail, God understands and loves us, loves our efforts.

Many scriptures have comforted me, but this one has set me free. Amen.