Life & Death

Proverbs 31:8
"Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute." ESV
"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; defend the rights of all those who have nothing." NCV
"Speak out for those who cannot speak, for the rights of all the destitute." NRSV
"Open your mouth for the speechless, in the cause of all who are appointed to die." NKJV

I've avoided my Facebook newsfeed over the last week or so. With a new baby staring up at me and postnatal hormones washing over me, it's too heart-wrenching to read over and over the implications of New York's new abortion law. Then, yesterday, I read Proverbs 31, although I really only got as far as verse 8.

How do we speak out for the unborn half a continent away? Even in a democratic republic like ours, it's hard to know what to do.

Do we rant on Facebook? Sign petitions? Write blog posts? Get out to vote in the next election?

Do Facebook posts change anyone's mind? Can a list of names really sway a politician over such an agenda-driven piece of legislation? What can another piece of cyber writing do that all the ones before it haven't? What good will my future vote here do for the babies who are dying today over there?

Maybe there's another way to open our mouths.

We can mourn.
We can be broken over the wickedness in our land.
We can grieve, privately and corporately.
We can, like Nehemiah, confess our people's sin.
We can ask God's intervention for the lives of the babies, yes, but also for the women and even the men who will be destroyed by one decision.
We can pray against the deceit of the enemy in the halls of capitol buildings as well as in the consultation rooms of abortion providers.
We can gather with other believers to pray for our children and for the children of our nation. (Any takers?)

We can live lives that value life.
We can reach out to the poor and homeless.
We can support the single mom or dad near us.
We can foster and adopt.
We can be patient with the mom ahead of us in the checkout line whose toddler begins to melt down.
We can teach our children of the intrinsic value of every single human being.
We can love the special needs individual.
We can adopt a zero-tolerance policy for bullying behavior or belittling words, spoken or typed.
We can make it our business to encourage the people we come into contact with each day.
We can be courteous to the fast food worker behind the counter and to the customer service rep on the phone.
We can care for the elderly neighbor.
We can take time for family dinner.

Because this isn't just about life in the womb. This is about life in all its forms. This is about fighting tooth and nail against the devil who "comes only to steal and kill and destroy" (John 10:10 ESV). (Heaven help us if this is what it takes for the American Church to realize that... Heaven help us if the American Church doesn't realize it after this.)

This is about the kind of life that only Christ gives and only Christians can offer to a dying world - abundant life.

By Definition

“When words lose their meanings, people lose their lives.”

In a sense, I feel I have already lived too long when I can say that I have seen one of the oldest words in human history lose its meaning here in this fair country.

This has not been a win-lose equation. This is no zero-sum game. We have all lost.

Oh, my brothers and sisters, we have had the seven years of plenty. Are you ready for the seven of famine?

When wickedness feels threatened, it will either flee or attack. With this ruling, it is done with fleeing; but it will not be finished feeling threatened.

Choose this day whom you will serve. Then stand therefore.

Do not think that this is a clash of preferences, of cultures, of demographics, or even of individuals. Our struggle is against powers and spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Do not believe that this is a new problem, that we are the first to encounter such straits.

Our international family has lived – and yes, grown – under such circumstances for two thousand years. America and representation and liberty have not been the norm for this family. Think rather of North Korea, of China, of ISIS, of Hitler, and you will come to know what to expect.

Expect trouble.

Expect pastors in prison for standing by their convictions.

Expect parents losing their children for teaching them Biblical morality.

Expect friends to desert you, to slander and to vilify you.

Expect religious organizations – including schools and hospitals – to be sued into nonexistence when they want to hire according to their beliefs.

Expect all this to be only the beginning.

Expect to be hated. He said we would be. After all, He was hated.

But He has overcome.

So take heart.

Live your salvation.

Have faith.

Act righteously.

Speak truth.

Welcome the Spirit who lives in you.

Abide in His Word.

Refuse to panic.

Be the embodiment of love.

Walk in peace.

Pray.

And having done all, stand.

Feeling Kist

Life circumstances are such lately that I have been able to witness anew what it means to see God's provision. I believe the math goes something like this:
Need + Prayer = Opportunity

I am so used to finagling things to work out - I need something, so I find it on sale, on line, whatever. Well, with adjusting to a home mortgage, I'm learning that I can't always just go out and buy something. (Wouldn't my husband be glad to read those words!)

I mean, God doesn't want to bother with the little affairs of running a household, right? Sure, He cares how I spend my time, that I have a Bible time, that I pray, that I treat my husband well, etc., etc. But how much does He really get down into the inanities of the workings of my life?

Well, I'm learning in a whole new way that He delights to give us good things. Think of that! God isn't all about taking things away from us; He gets excited when He gets to bless us! I've probably taken away a lot of His opportunities to bless me by my ability to go get what I want/need. (Now there's a sobering thought.)

One way I saw this was in my desire for a simple little kitchen tool. Being a newly-wed, there are still a few gaps in my household equipment, and one that was noticeable was an old-fashioned Kitchmajig. My mom had one, and I had used it often for cooking, and I was missing it.

So, I found it on Amazon! Hooray! But, for some reason, I could never justify adding it to my order.

So I went without.

I had thought about it on and off for awhile when, one weekend, I was perusing the city garage sales. Wouldn't you know it, in a box of free kitchen items lay a humble kitchmajig.

I praised God for that funny little blessing.

I don't know that I even thought to ask Him for one.

Another time, I was wishing for a good Dutch broom. We were cleaning out our shed on the back of our property with a simple lonely broom, and I couldn't help think how much easier it would be with a push broom.

Later, I was downtown in the hardware store. The clearance tables beckoned, and I happened to notice a small version of a push broom leaning against it. I shrugged and figured it wouldn't hurt to check the price tag . . . and I think God must have laughed at my expression when I read the word "FREE"!

It turned out that the broom head had been laying around the store for a while, and they had a regular broom that had broken, so they took the stick from the latter and stuck it with the former, and - bada bing, bada boom - God had a broom for me.

Okay, so they're stupid little things. But every time I use my kitchamajig, and especially every time I see that little Dutch broom, I thank God for caring about my petty little needs and wants and for stooping down from His throne to surprise me with His generous abundance.

Lions and Lessons

So I saw in my dream that he [Christian] made haste and went forward, that if possible he might get lodging there. Now, before he had gone far, he entered into a very narrow passage, which was about a furlong off the porter's lodge; and looking very narrowly before him as he went, he espied two lions in the way. Now, thought he, I see the dangers that Mistrust and Timorous were driven back by. (The lions were chained, but he saw not the chains.) Then he was afraid, and thought also himself to go back after them, for he thought nothing but death was before him. But the porter at the lodge, whose name is Watchful, perceiving that Christian made a halt as if he would go back, cried unto him, saying, "Is thy strength so small? Fear not the lions, for they are chained, and are placed there for trial of faith where it is, and for discovery of those that had none. Keep in the midst of the path, no hurt shall come unto thee."

Then I saw that he went on, trembling for fear of the lions, but taking good heed to the directions of the porter; he heard them roar, but they did him no harm.

- From The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan

 I seem to live my life in two modes: lackadaisically or in panic.

When times are good, I enjoy, kick back, and spiritually float along. These are the times when it is easiest to make it look like I have it all together. I am calm and confident, and I have answers!

Then real life hits, the rug gets tugged, everything hits the fan. I find myself grasping for something - anything - that will firmly withstand the buffeting. Usually this involves tears and groaning prayers on my part, begging for a happy resolution and a time of respite once again.

Yet, those moments are the catalyst for growth.

My only catalyst for growth.

Think about it: I ask God to help me grow, then He sends something tough to give me the opportunity to do just that. What do I do? I ask Him to take it away.

In one sense, that's good. At least I'm turning to Him and not away from Him. But I can't rationalize it that easily. Here's why: my prayers tend to run something like this, "Dear God, please help! I don't know if even You can fix this, but please please please try!" (Of course, they sound better out loud, but that's what they boil down to.)

And what happens?

He carries me through, and I see that the lions were chained the whole time. I never was in any real danger. That circumstance, that situation, that relationship that looked out of control was always wholly under His control.

And I see Him turn to me, take my hand, and say, ever so gently, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"

Someday, I hope to trust Him first and skip the panic.