Through

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou are with me; thy rod & thy staff they comfort me. Psalm 23:4 KJV

Struggling?

Troubled?

Overwhelmed?

Hurting?

Worried?

Stressed?

Brokenhearted?

God's gift to the broken states, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death." Not death, but it's shadow. Not a pit, but a valley. Not staying, but walking. If in despair you have pitched your tent in the valley thinking you'd don't deserve to get through or you are not strong enough to get through or things will never improve to get through, then break camp, pack it in, & hike out of the valley. You can get through. You will get through.

How? So weak. So tired. So depressed. So lonely. So drained.

Stop.

Pray.

Look up.

Ask God to show Himself. Ask again. And again.

Stop.

Listen.

Look around.

God is with you. Always. Take His hand.

Stop.

Ask for a friend.

Take their hand.

Walk through the valley together.

We can make it through. We will make it through. Kindred of the Broken. Walking together. Walking through.

Don't Cry

Not long after that, Jesus went to the village Nain. His disciples were with him, along with quite a large crowd. As they approached the village gate, they met a funeral procession—a woman's only son was being carried out for burial. And the mother was a widow. When Jesus saw her, his heart broke. He said to her, "Don't cry." Then he went over and touched the coffin. The pallbearers stopped. He said, "Young man, I tell you: Get up." The dead son sat up and began talking. Jesus presented him to his mother. They all realized they were in a place of holy mystery, that God was at work among them. They were quietly worshipful—and then noisily grateful, calling out among themselves, "God is back, looking to the needs of his people!" The news of Jesus spread all through the country.Luke 7:11-17, The Message
Don't cry.
You are already a widow.
You only son has just died.
You'll have no means of support in our society.
Yet, I tell you, Don't cry.
"Don't weep. Don't sob. Don't wail aloud," are more accurate translations & more accurate for this situation. Have you been there? Let your memory of the past or your imagination of the future take you there with that widow even now. Have you ever been so heartbroken? Too many questions? Few answers? Life smoldering about you? Stability banished? Uncertainty stalking? Weeping like breathing? Pain unbearable?Yet, Jesus. Yes, Jesus was there in Nain. God in flesh. And "his heart broke." Splanchnizomai (splanhk-nid-ZOH-my) in Greek from the root of "spleen" or "guts." Translated as, "compassion, heartbroken, take pity," or the like it is used in the entire New Testament only 12 times. Other than in Luke 10:33 of the Good Samaritan, a parable of the character & actions of Christ followers, all 11 other mentions are of Jesus himself. Jesus was stirred up. He alone was heartbroken this way. Sick to his stomach. Moved with compassion. By suffering. By pain. Yes, Jesus. God in flesh.
My daughter skins her knee while playing. In her pain, she'll weep & wail loudly. My built in Daddy response is, "don't cry." I can hold her. I can clean & bandage her cut. I can comfort her. But my abilities stop there.
When Jesus says, "don't cry," he alone has the ability - the power - to change the very situation. He can heal. He can restore sight. He can raise. And, for the Widow of Nain's son, he did. As God willed, Jesus did. Jesus raised the dead man.
This doesn't mean God will remove all my pain, or heal me, or make everything in my life right whenever I ask. Jesus didn't heal everyone or raise all the dead he happened upon either. Those are questions of God's providence that I can't understand. He is God. I am not. Based on this Scripture I do understand:
God knows my pain.
He, the God of the entire universe, is moved with compassion for me.
God. Heartbroken over me.

broken hearted good

a broken heart hurts

yet it

forces frailty

demands dependence

heightens humility

subdues stubbornness

produces patience

welcomes wisdom

trains tenderness

good

Two Ones

John Mark is at it again. Reinventing the English language.

Markese, we call it.

His latest Markese phrases: happy noodle; two ones.

Happy noodle is a whole other post. Two ones today.

Two ones uses include...

John Mark, would you like a piece of candy?

Two ones, Daddy! Reaching open handed.

Let's go get Seth & tickle him, John Mark.

Yeah, tickle him two ones. Trotting toward Big Brother.

But the best is...

I love you, John Mark.

I love you two ones, Daddy. Hugging humbled Daddy.

Two ones.

Live Markese. Loving your Ones.

Again

Mary Elizabeth is a kindergartner now. Still hard to believe as I watch her little pigtails bob walking to class holding hands with a friend each morning when I drop her off. She loves it. She's thriving.

John Mark, however, has a new experience too: Lots of time alone with Mama & Daddy. As one of three that time may have been limited before, but he's embraced it in his linebacker way. He loves it. He's thriving.

He came up - unsolicited - and put his arms around his Mama this week & said, "Ah luh yew veyree much, Mama."

"Thank you. I love you too," Melanie replied while giving him a hug.

He pulled away a bit, then pulled in tight patting her on the back & said, "Ah luh yew 'gehn."

I love you... again.

John Mark never stopped loving his Mama. He simply said it again.

How often do I need a love that never stopped?

How refreshing is it when that love is spoken... again?

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

1 John 3:1

Again. And again. And again.

Light a Fire

Poems. Lyrics. Books. They have origin stories.

I just learned the origin of my favorite hymn...

On the evening before Easter in 433AD on the Hill of Slane in County Meath, Ireland a former slave lit a fire. He lit a fire & sang a hymn. He defied a royal decree.

Lighting a fire any other day was, well, normal. Expected. Necessary. But this evening before Easter & the Spring Equinox was exceptional. High King Logaire of Tara had ordered that he alone was to light the first fire that night beginning the Druid spring festival. Lighting that fire before the King was equivalent to declaring war on the Druids & the rulers of Ireland.

The former slave was born Scottish. Captured by pirates at 14. Enslaved in Ireland. Escaped years later. Committed his life to Christ's service. Returned at 30 to lead the Irish people to the One who had captured his heart. Lit a fire & sang a hymn.

High King Logaire is said to have been so impressed with the former slave's arrogance that he let him continue his missionary work. By the end of his life, the former slave saw over 2000 churches started & more than 100,000 Irish people come to faith in Christ. The former slave changed Ireland forever.

The hymn he'd composed & sung, translated into English verse in 1905 by Eleanor H. Hull: Be Thou My Vision.

Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;

Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art:

Thou my best thought by day or by night,

Waking or sleeping Thy presence my light.

Be thou my wisdom and Thou my true word;

I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord:

Thou my great Father, I , Thy true son,

Thou in me dwelling and I with Thee one.

Riches I heed not nor man's empty praise,

Thou mine inheritance now and always:

Thou and thou only first in my heart,

High King of heaven my treasure Thou are.

High King of heaven my victory won,

May I reach heaven's joys, O bright heaven's Sun!

Heart of my own heart whatever befall,

Still be my vision O Ruler of all.

Saint Patrick, the former slave of an Irish person became a slave to Christ for the Irish people. With a great vision set & a small fire lit, Saint Patrick changed history.

Though I am free & belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible... I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share its blessings.

1 Corinthians 9:19, 22b-23.

How am I enslaved?

What is my vision?

What fire should I light?

(Hear Glad sing Be Thou My Vision here. Disc 2, Track 3.)

Dat Be Cool

Our John Mark is talking. Like a crazy man. All the time. In his own language.

His current fav phrase is, "Dat be Cool."

We don't much say "That'll be cool." We don't often utter a plain ol' "cool." Don't know where the boy got it from, but got it he has.

"Dat be cool, Mama," as he joins his Mama at work in the kitchen even though she didn't ask & really would do better without his help.

"Dat be cool, Seffee," as he invades his brother's room becoming the ultimate destructive force in Seth's Star Wars universe.

"Dat be cool, Mehnee," as he removes a baby doll from his sister's arms to cuddle her more than Mary Elizabeth.

"Dat be cool, Dahdee," as he plunks himself into my lap to read a book even though I was already reading the paper.

A self-affirming mantra. Not mean or ugly, "you do it my way because I'm a stubborn toddler or else." But kind & enthusiastic, "even though I didn't ask to join you, watch out here I come because I want to & l love you."

It's more than assumption. It's as if he is certain of the outcome.

It's more than expectancy. It's as if he knows it will happen.

It's more than hope. It's as if he is confident it will be.

Not yet three year old or three foot tall John Mark has got the sort of faith the Lord Jesus welcomes.

Jesus said in John 14:13, "I will do whatever you ask in my name."

Paul writes in Ephesians 3:20 that Jesus, "is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine."

What do you need, friends?

Then pray. Jesus' will. And pray BIG.

Dat be cool.