Month: May 2018

The Cost of a Poppy and Freedom

Posted on by Paula

I noticed the elderly man holding his poppies as I exited the store. I remember my mom giving me money for poppies when I was a child, and so I always stop when I see someone standing with the bright red flowers. I asked the gentleman how much a poppy cost. “Whatever donation you would like to give,” he answered. I exchanged a couple of dollars for a poppy and rushed to my vehicle.

As I hurried away, I thought about how small my offering was in comparison to what the poppy symbolized. I wanted to go back not only to make a larger donation but also to ask the veteran to share his story. Sadly, I did not turn around because I had somewhere I needed to be. I figured I would make another contribution to the next veteran I saw and would ask for his story, but I never got another chance.

The poem “In Flanders Fields” was written by Canadian Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD during World War 1. He had seen too much suffering, and one of his close friends was killed in battle on May 2, 1915. McCrae performed his young friend’s funeral that same day and is said to have written the poem the next as he looked at all of the wild poppies growing in the ditches of the cemetery:

“In Flanders Fields” by Canadian Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

 

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

 

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

In 1920, the American Legion adopted the red poppy as their official flower in memory of those who fought and died in the war. In 1924, they began the poppy program to raise funds to help with medical and financial needs of both veterans and active duty military personnel and their families. Nearly 100 years later, we still see the poppies for sale, especially close to Memorial Day.

I wish I had given a bigger contribution that day. Though my donation was small, I still received a poppy to remind me of those who shed their blood. They sacrificed their lives for the freedom of others, many of whom they did not know, many of whom did not deserve it. Some of the recipients did not appreciate it, and some still take freedom for granted.

I regret that I didn’t go back to learn of the elderly man’s story and to thank him for his service. I was in too much of a hurry. I had other things I need to take care of. I will probably never see him again, but I will not forget our brief encounter and the convictions that it brought.

I am humbled as I remember not only those who died serving our country so that we can live in freedom today. I am also humbled as I remember Jesus who died in my place so that I can experience freedom from the penalty of sin and death forever. When we accept Jesus’ death as payment for our sin and in turn submit to him, we are filled with the Holy Spirit. As we surrender our will for his, we are filled with his power to overcome sin and death. We are free from Satan’s grasp and saved for eternity.

I owe Jesus so much. And though I offer him so little in comparison to what he has done for me, he still washes me with his blood and covers me with his grace. I often pray that I not take his sacrifice for granted but that I would truly lay down my life for him just as he did for me.

If Jesus has been reaching out to you, but you have never accepted his gift of salvation, do not delay. Don’t get so busy with other things that you don’t have time for him. The day will come when you will not get another chance.

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (Jesus, John 15:13). Let us not forget those who laid down their lives for our freedom. Most of all, let us not forget the one who died in our place so that we could have freedom from sin and death and live eternally in heaven with him. Oh, how he loves us. There is no greater love.

Tired, Thirsty, Lost

Posted on by Paula

 

I decided to go for just a “30 minute” walk one morning while I was visiting my son and daughter-in-law in Florida. I was familiar with the path I started out on, but I chose to take a different way home. The trouble is, the roads in their neighborhood and the surrounding area don’t exactly run east to west or north to south. On top of that, rather than running for several blocks across town, many of the streets around their home are just one or two block loops. So, taking just one slight turn (And I mean slight!) off of the path I needed to be on totally separated me from finding my way back home.

By the time I realized my mistake, I had been gone about 45-50 minutes. I had pushed myself too hard trying to run a while, and I was tired. I had been enjoying the sunshine, but I was thirsty. Even worse, when I looked at my surroundings, I realized that I was lost. Tired, thirsty, lost…

I entered my son’s address into an app on my phone. The outline of the route didn’t make sense, but I had no other choice than to follow the directions. My app told me to turn several times where there was no road to turn on. I was beginning to wonder if I would ever find my way back. Though I was tempted to cut through yards where the app told me to turn, I wasn’t sure if that would actually get me back to the house. Plus, I was afraid of encountering a snake or getting in trouble for trespassing.

Finally, I began to recognize the street names again and arrived back 30 minutes later than I had originally planned. My hands were swollen, my mouth was dry, and my clothes were soaked. I treated myself to a tall glass of water, a much-needed shower and a fresh change of clothes. All was well once again.

I later thought about the whole (rather embarrassing) incident and wondered how many other people out there might be tired, thirsty and lost. Taking care of ourselves physically is important but taking care of ourselves emotionally and spiritually is important as well. In fact, our spiritual well-being is our most important need, because when our physical body wears out and dies, our soul will continue on either to heaven or hell.

When we try to get through life in a way contrary to how God created us to operate, we become spiritually tired and worn. We might try to achieve inner peace by doing good deeds and striving to be recognized as a “good person,” but we can never find true rest unless we repent of our sin and surrender our lives to our Creator. Jesus beckons, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 NIV). Jesus invites us to be yoked to him, to learn from him and to find rest for our souls. When we repent and surrender our lives to Jesus, he sets things right with us and fills us with the Holy Spirit to help us live the way God intended.

We can also be spiritually thirsty and might not even realize it. God created a beautiful world for us, and this world does have a lot to offer. Yet, we must realize that there is really nothing on earth that will satisfy the deepest longing in our heart. Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NLT) says, that God “has planted eternity in the human heart.”  Until we quench the thirst of our soul, we will continue to long and to thirst for something more, something eternal. Again, Jesus invites us, as he did the woman at the well, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Lastly, we can be spiritually lost, which is the worst kind of lost there is. Maybe you are so lost that you feel like you could never be accepted by God. Dear friend, this is not true. In Luke 15, Jesus gives us hope as he shares parables about a lost sheep, a lost coin and a lost son.

Jesus talks about an owner of 100 sheep who leaves behind 99 to find the one who is lost. When the owner finds the lost sheep, he rejoices. Jesus says, “In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!”

Next Jesus tells about a woman with 10 coins who searches diligently when she loses one of them. She is so excited when she finds it. Again, Jesus comments, “In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.”

And then, Jesus shares one of my favorite stories. He tells about a self-centered son who asks for his inheritance early, leaves his father and wastes all of his money on wild living. When the money is gone, he gets a job feeding pigs and is so hungry that he wants to eat the pods he is feeding them. He finally decides to return to his father, apologize and ask if his dad will hire him as one of his servants. And here my friend, is the BEAUTIFUL part of the story….

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’” Yet the father welcomes him back and even throws him a big party. The father rejoices saying that his son, “was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.”

We are all on a journey. There will be good times and difficult times. There isn’t a single person who hasn’t wandered away from God. We’ve all taken a wrong turn (or two, or several). But 2 Peter 3:9 assures us that God wants no one to perish but for everyone to come to repentance.

So, if you are finding yourself, tired, thirsty and lost, read Luke 15. Listen for Jesus’ invitation, and know that God’s desire is that you repent and return to him. He will welcome you back into his arms where you belong.

He Knows Your Need Before You Ask

Posted on by Paula

My family really spoiled me for Mother’s Day this year by spending time with me, writing special notes, making one-of-a-kind creations, and shopping for gifts as well. Each of their offerings was special because they each took the time to think about what I would enjoy and what would make me feel special and loved. I have no doubt that they love me and know me well.

One of the gifts I received from my youngest son was a garden gnome. I have a few little gnomes hiding in spots around my home, and Noah thought I might like another. We were expecting company shortly after I opened the gift, so we decided we would find the perfect spot for the new addition when we weren’t so busy.

We spent a lovely afternoon with our extended family celebrating my mom, sister, sister-in-law and myself. We ate, talked, laughed and took pictures so we could remember our special time together.

I was walking to the house after the last of company left when I noticed something on the steps. One of my garden gnomes was shattered and lying on the top step. Unbeknownst to me, one of my young guests had accidentally dropped it and had cried a lot of tears about it.

I thought back to just a few hours before when my son had proudly presented me with the new gnome. We chuckled a little because it was like Noah knew I needed a new gnome to take the place of the one which was about to be broken.

Granted the gnome was not really a “need,” the situation reminded me of the way God pays attention to every detail of our lives and is ready to take care of things before we even ask.  A scripture popped into my head, “…your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him” (Matthew 6:8 NLT).

God knows us even better than we know ourselves. He knows the desires of our hearts as well as the needs we may not even be aware of. He knows which experiences will strengthen our faith as well as how those experiences will indirectly make an impact on the faith of others.

When I look back over my life, I can see just how wonderful God has been to me and how he has known exactly what I need. I can recall so many times in my life that God prepared me for a situation or provided for me, sometimes before I even knew the need was there. He has taken care of me physically, emotionally and spiritually and has blessed me in ways far greater than I could have even asked or imagined. He has made Romans 8:28-29 a reality in my life in that even the “bad things” in my life have been used to strengthen my faith and deepen my relationship with him.

Whatever you are going through today, take comfort in knowing that God sees you, hears you and knows what you need before you even ask. Continue to pray, remembering that we do rely on God for all of our needs, and trusting that he knows what is the very best. Have faith that “God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters” (Romans 8:28-29 NLT). And rather than worry about today or tomorrow, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need” (Matthew 6:33 NLT). He knows exactly what you need even before you ask.

Another Traveling Mistake

Posted on by Paula

I boarded the crowded shuttle to the airport. We were packed like a can of sardines, and there was no room for our luggage in the rack. I held my suitcase handle tightly by my side with one hand and held onto a bar with the other hand, struggling to keep the suitcase and myself from flying with the sudden starts and stops. When a group of passengers got off the shuttle at a stop down the road, the woman next to me who had also been holding on to her suitcase, pointed out a spot that had opened up for us to store our baggage.

I was really running late by the time we arrived at the building. So, I grabbed my red suitcase in a hurry and squeezed past other passengers so that I could catch my plane. I tried to stay calm when I reached the end of a really long check-in line.

My phone rang, but I didn’t answer the out of state phone number. Then I received a text message, “Our bags got switched up on the economy bus. I need it before our flight leaves.”

Oh. My. Goodness. I have made a lot of traveling mistakes, but this one took the cake. I thought about the flight when out of nervousness, I had sat in someone else’s seat on the plane. Then there was the time that I had headed the wrong direction to get home after a different flight. But how in the world could I have not realized I had grabbed the wrong suitcase! I had even tied two different scarfs on the handle this time for easy recognition!

I told the lady in front of me about my mistake and left my place in line to go exchange the “stolen” suitcase for my own. I was beating myself up along the way, wondering if I would catch my flight, wondering if THEY would catch THEIR flight, and wondering how angry the owner of the suitcase would be. I totally deserved to get an earful.

When I reached the owners of the suitcase, I apologized. The wife said more than once, “We need the things in our suitcase.” However, she wasn’t rude or nasty. I was thankful for the mercy she extended to me.

After the quick swap, I rushed back to the line which had grown longer. I started waiting all over again. I was there for less than a minute when the woman who had been in front of me hurried over and excitedly motioned for me to follow her. “Come with me,” she said. “I talked to the people behind me, and they said you can come back to your place in line.”

I couldn’t believe it. First the family that I had caused trouble for extended mercy to me, and now these strangers that I didn’t even know extended grace to me. I totally didn’t deserve to be in front of all the people I passed up. It was my fault that I had to leave my place in line.

The mercy and grace that was extended to me that day reminds me of an even bigger act of mercy and grace that was extended to me. You see, God is pure and holy. He created each of us in his image, but we sinned by choosing to do things our way instead of his. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus.

I deserved the death penalty for my sin, but Jesus, who was totally innocent died in my place and gave me the gift of eternal life. This free gift of mercy and grace is offered to everyone no matter how bad they’ve messed up. We simply have to confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead. When we accept him as our Lord and Savior, we repent of our sin, turn from our ways to his and follow him. Through Jesus, we find forgiveness, salvation, hope and peace.

I was a little nervous to approach the person whose suitcase I had accidentally taken, but there is no reason for any of us to be nervous about approaching God when we mess up because Jesus, though he never sinned, was tempted in every way. He understands our struggle and is able to empathize. “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). “…Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts” (Hebrews 4:7).