Category: Sacrifice

Every Day is Memorial Day to Us–We Remember

Posted on by Paula

What is the true meaning of Memorial Day? Ask any Gold Star family and they’ll tell you what it means. It’s not about the picnics. It’s about the men and women who have given their lives for this country. Every day is Memorial Day to us.”  These words belong to Carol Resh, Gold Star mother whose son, Army Captain Mark Resh was killed in Iraq a decade ago.

I am humbled today as we remember those who died serving our country. Over the years, millions of men and women have committed to serving our nation, and over a million have given their lives so that we could have freedom and security. I did nothing to deserve the blessings that have come because of their selfless acts. It is hard for me to understand why these heroes are willing to risk everything, but I am so thankful to them. I am touched and humbled by these heroes.

At the same time, my heart breaks for the moms, dads, wives, husbands, children, siblings and friends of those who went to battle but didn’t return home. Their lives changed forever as they grieve for their loved ones; our lives changed forever because they saw a greater purpose and gave all they had to achieve it.

May we never take for granted our freedom and safety. These men and women served knowing that they may die fighting for the cause. The price was so high. Their lives were cut short, but their impact lasts through the ages.

This stanza in Moina Michael’s poem, “We Shall Keep the Faith,” says it well,

We cherish, too, the poppy red

That grows on fields where valor led;

It seems to signal to the skies

That blood of heroes never dies,

But lends a lustre to the red

Of the flower that blooms above the dead

In Flanders Fields.”

She is right. These men & women did not die in vain; their blood never dies. Let us never forget these heroes.

John 15:13 says, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” I am humbled today not only as I remember those who laid down their lives serving our country but also for Jesus who died in my place.

You see, God created us in his image and loves us with an everlasting love. However, we sinned, and sin separates us from God. Romans 6:23 tells us that “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Jesus came to earth knowing that He would have to lay down his own life to conquer sin and death so that we could be made right again with God. He knew what was ahead before He was wrongly accused, mocked, spit upon, beaten and slain. Yet He was willing to give his all so that my sin could be forgiven and I could have eternal life. Again, I did nothing to deserve this. Romans 5:6-8 says, “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” We were bought with a price.

This is not something we remember just today. This is not something we only reflect upon when we take communion. Every day is Memorial Day to us. May we never take for granted the sacrifice that Jesus made so that we could live eternally in heaven with him.

Do You Love Me More? Part 2

Posted on by Paula

They didn’t want to move over a thousand miles away from family, but that is what Jesus asked them to do, and they love Jesus more. They love him enough to sacrifice being here with us. I didn’t want to let them move so far away, but that is what Jesus asked me to do, and I love Jesus more. I love Jesus enough to let them go.

Leaving Christopher and Cassie at their new duplex on June 28, 2016 was so much different than dropping Christopher off at college where I knew he would come home most weekends and every holiday. We left them in a place where they knew no one and where they couldn’t come home unless they drove for two days or had money to fly. We left them in a place too far away for us to help them if they had a problem. It seemed like we were leaving them a million miles away.

Because of the distance, the way we support each other and love each other must sometimes be accomplished with a little bit of extra thought and creativity. We have learned that via FaceTime, big brothers can still teach their little brothers how to tie a bow  tie for their first homecoming. We can even have dinner “together” any night of the week via FaceTime as well. We have found that even though it isn’t possible for our son and daughter-in-law to take a lot of Christmas gifts home on an airplane, we can still order gifts online and ship them directly to their home. We can even print pictures of those gifts and wrap the pictures so that they have something to open here on Christmas morning. Because of the distance, I can no longer cut my son’s hair each month as I loved to do, but I was able to teach my daughter-in-law so that she can. We can send lots of pictures, videos and audio clips back and forth to share special moments when we can’t be together. I can pray for God to put people in their lives to physically help them when we aren’t there. I may not be able to attend every concert as I had planned, but I can support Christopher, Cassie and their students through prayer, donations and volunteering when possible. We have also learned to make the most of every minute when we are together because it might be months before our next visit. Most of all, I am learning to let go of my selfishness and am dying to myself for Jesus just as He sacrificed his life for me.

Though I am sometimes sad because we live too far apart for them to come over for dinner or to drive home for the weekend, I have also been blessed in ways that I wouldn’t have been if they lived close by. For example, if they were closer, I wouldn’t have the opportunity to spend a week at a time in their home. I wouldn’t see in great detail what a wonderful wife Cassie is to my son and how hard she works making him a good breakfast each morning and packing him such great lunches. My heart wouldn’t have been blessed by overhearing them each morning as Christopher read aloud to Cassie from the Bible, as they discussed the scriptures or as they prayed each morning for their students and their schools. If they lived close by, I would probably use my vacation days for more selfish reasons rather than being compelled to volunteer in their classrooms. I wouldn’t have been able to see first-hand how they have found creative ways to make learning fun. I wouldn’t see the huge impact that they are making in their students’ lives and how much their students love them. I wouldn’t truly know that they give so much of themselves to their students all day long and then come home to fix dinner, take care of the household chores and still find time to make lesson plans, gather supplies and spend hours preparing for special activities for their students.

God has answered many of this momma’s prayers. Though He moved Christopher and Cassie far away to a place they weren’t familiar with, He ensured it was a place with a wonderful church where they can worship, grow and serve. He immediately led them to a solid life group and put Godly friends in their lives. He has moved them outside their comfort zone, but because of that, they are learning to depend on each other and most of all to depend on God. He has helped them to keep Jesus at the center of their lives and to find their purpose in him.

Though it does hurt that I can’t always be the one to help them like I wish I could, it has also been good to visit and meet the people who God has provided to do those things when I am unable. It is reassuring to see that there are caring people who have become part of their lives so quickly. God is taking care of them and building a support system for them.

In addition to answering my prayers, God is also teaching and maturing me through this experience. I really, really do not like to fly on airplanes, but God is pushing me out of my comfort zone and teaching me to trust him to keep me from falling. He is challenging me to surrender my plans for his. He is teaching my selfish heart that when I trust him enough to let go, He gives me freedom and blesses me in ways bigger than I could have asked or imagined.

Yes, over the past year, Jesus’ words in Matthew 10:37-38 have become very real to me. “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” Thank you, Jesus, for challenging us, for taking us outside of our comfort zones, for strengthening our faith, for teaching us to trust, for giving us the chance to let go and for helping us find our purpose in you. Thank you, Jesus, for surrendering to the Father’s will and taking up your cross so that we can do the same. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to find freedom in loving you more.

Do You Love Me More? Part 1

Posted on by Paula

On the afternoon of April 26th, Christopher called and excitedly asked if I had prayed for him that day. I told him of course I had; I pray for him every day. Christopher said that he had attended a job fair that day. Five schools had offered him second interviews. There was talk of loan forgiveness, and one school was even supportive of his dream to start a ukulele club for the students.

His news was interesting because that morning, I had been compelled to pray something I had never prayed for him. I prayed specifically that God would help Christopher & Cassie find good jobs with loan forgiveness. I also prayed that though I really wanted them to stay close to home, God would lead them where they need to be and would send them where they would find their purpose in Him. Little did I know that being led to pray that prayer was God’s way of preparing my heart for a plan that I was not anticipating.

Later that afternoon, Christopher got a call from a school in Florida. They had been interviewing in another town and asked if he could meet them halfway that night for an interview. When he told them that his wife, Cassie, was looking for a teaching job, they told him to bring her along too. They traveled in dress clothes to a Steak and Shake that night wondering if it was a joke. They were both interviewed and offered jobs on the spot. Christopher told me they were 98% sure they didn’t want to move that far away, but I had a sick feeling deep down inside.

Less than two weeks later, Christopher sent me a text, “So my host teacher at Honey Creek is moving and said that she told the principal that I should get this teaching position. Please pray! This would be the ideal position for me! Middle school band with lots of resources!” Maybe I had been wrong, and God wasn’t really calling them so far away! Maybe it was just a test like Abraham and Isaac, and if I was willing to sacrifice my son, God would step in the last minute and let him stay.

However, when I called Christopher that evening, they were starting to lean towards the job in Florida. It was partially because of the out-of-the-blue way the job offer had popped up. But there were other reasons as well. A wall at Christopher’s future school had a mural with one of his favorite quotes, “Be the change that you wish you could see in the world.” Cassie’s future assistant principal called to say that he was praying for her and encouraged her & Christopher to pray as well. Another teacher told her that it was a real mission field down there. A devotional that Cassie subscribes to talked about not being afraid to go where God sends you. Their pastor preached on how God tends to send their church people who they then send out. Similar messages were popping up everywhere.

I couldn’t tell them that I didn’t want them to go; the decision needed to be theirs. I did tell Christopher that he can’t let fear get in his way and that he and Cassie would be happiest if they were where God wanted them and where they’d find their purpose in Him. It was so difficult for me to say those words, but I knew they were the truth.

On May 28, 2016, Christopher told me that he & Cassie were moving to Florida in less than a month. I’d like to say that my reaction was wonderful and encouraging, but out of my selfishness, I grieved. It took a good three days before I could pull myself together and at least a week before I could keep from crying when I thought about them moving. I grieved because I had looked forward to watching him direct at all of his concerts. I had plans to help them when they had babies, to babysit for them and to attend all of my grandchildren’s events. I wouldn’t be able to help out if they were sick or had an emergency. We wouldn’t be able to spend every birthday and holiday together. One of the silliest things that made me cry was knowing that someone else would be cutting Christopher’s hair.

I was so proud of Christopher and Cassie for listening to God’s voice and obeying what He asked them to do. Sincerely, what more could a mom want than for her son to grow into a man that is seeking God’s will? I loved raising Christopher, but he is not mine. He is God’s. He is a Godly man who found a Godly woman. Cassie is beautiful inside and out. I had no doubt that together they would find their purpose in God and make a difference of kingdom value in many lives. Still, I did grieve. I hated my selfish feelings and emotions, but they were out of my control.

This is the time in my life that Jesus’ words in Matthew 10:37-38 became very real to me.

“Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.”

Christopher and Cassie were given the decision of whether they would move more than 1000 miles away from their parents and family and all that was familiar to a place where they didn’t know anyone and had never been. They were just starting out and would have no support system in Florida. The comfortable thing to do would have been for Christopher to pursue the dream job in the school he had been student teaching at an hour from home, but Christopher and Cassie love Jesus more. They knew Jesus was calling, and they took up their cross and followed Him.

I too had a decision to make. I could continue to grieve. I could throw a fit and try to keep them here for my selfish reasons. I could lay on a guilt trip and try to get my way, or I could surrender. Did I want to keep them here so that I could continue to enjoy life with them and my future grandchildren or did I want them to go where God called? I knew Jesus was calling me to surrender my plans with my son to Him. I took up my cross to follow Him.

There Was No Other Way

Posted on by Paula

He knew what was coming that Thursday. He fell with his face to the ground and prayed to the Father 3 times asking if it was possible to take away the cup of suffering that he had been asked to drink. And though his soul was overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground, his earnest prayers of anguish ended with, “Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

He was full of love, grace and compassion. He was a man of honor and truth. He healed the sick and gave sight to the blind. He was a friend to sinners, the poor and those who others shunned. There wasn’t a mean or selfish bone in his body. He spent his life serving those around him and doing the will of his Father. He never committed a single sin. He didn’t deserve this cup, but he knew that we were separated from God by our sin. He understood that the only way to get rid of our sin was by shedding the blood of a sinless man. There was no other way. He was willing to take the blame, willing to suffer, willing to die. He accepted the cup.

A large crowd arrived that night with clubs and swords. For thirty pieces of silver, he was betrayed with a kiss, and his closest friends deserted him. He was handed over for questioning, accused of blasphemy, spit on, beaten and ridiculed. He was completely innocent, but he didn’t defend Himself.

Then came Friday. Over and over, the whips beat upon his back until it became a mass of torn, bleeding tissue. He was stripped and dressed in a scarlet robe. A crown of thorns was twisted and placed on his head. They put a staff in his hand, knelt in front of him and mocked him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” They spit on him, took the staff and beat him on the head over and over. Then they put his own clothes back on him and led him away to be crucified.

As he hung on the cross, the people continued to mock him. “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God! He saved others, but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”

After hours of suffering, he cried out in a loud voice, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” He cried out again, and then he gave up his spirit.

The kind, compassionate, loving, giving, completely innocent man died. The crowd deserved to die. I deserve to die; you deserve to die, but he is the one who took the punishment.

He was buried in a tomb. A stone was rolled in front of the opening, and guards were posted to ensure that no one took the body. It seemed like hope was gone, but that wasn’t the end of the story….

“After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.’” (Matthew 28:1-6).

Jesus Christ died for our sin and has is risen! Do you believe?

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). Just as Jesus laid down his life for you, won’t you lay down your life for him? Turn away from your sin, turn to him and accept his gift of eternal life.