Heart Healthy Words

I could hear his words of comfort and encouragement over the hum of the engine.  It was hard to believe that he was so apprehensive about the trip.  He didn't think he had the skills or the knowledge to actually DO missions.  And there was the other thing.  It was a physical problem, a genetic abnormality.  It had affected his appearance, which had resulted in plenty of cruelty during his teen years.  He didn't want to make others uncomfortable and he didn't want to be the object of ridicule either.  In fact, he just wasn't sure if he was the man for the job.  Yet, it seemed that God was telling him to go with us. 

It was almost 10:00pm as the van rolled along the winding West Virginia road.  Most nights had been noisy as we delivered chiildren to their homes.  Songs, crafts, and Bible School refreshments helped pump up the volume.  But on this particular night, there was only the hum of the engine and the passionate voice of my young friend as he reassured a teenaged girl about the gracious love of God.  She was a gangly teen with glasses and a ruddy complexion.  During Bible School week, she had been quiet and withdrawn.  On this particular night, my friend had encouraged her to talk.  She spoke to him about her awkwardness and the rejection she had experienced from other teens at school and in the mobile home park where she lived.  Her pain was real and intense and my friend could relate. 

There is no professional counselor or pastor who could have had a greater effect on her that night.  My friend simply focused compassionately on her pain.  He understood her and listened quietly as she vented.  He had been there.  He had endured the same type of treatment.  With a Christ-like gentleness, he talked about family and church as support systems.  But perhaps his most comforting words were about the unconditional, life-changing, attitude-adjusting love of God. 

She disappeared with a wave and a smile into the shadows around her front door.  At that moment, I understood why God had so strongly urged my friend to go to West Virginia.  There was a fifteen year old girl there who needed exactly what my friend could offer.  Paul wrote to the Corinthian Church that it is ". . . the God of all comfort Who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort that we ourselves received from God."  That's exactly what my friend did.  God used him to do for this young girl what I, a trained pastor, could not do.  In fact, there was no one else on our team who could have had as dramatic an effect on her life.  Out of his own suffering, he offered empathy, comfort, support, and Christ. 

If there is one good thing that can result from our suffering, it is that suffering can equip us to be channels of God's comfort and love to others.  When pain and pressure invade your life, look to Christ for comfort and hope.  And remember that suffering offers prepartion for opportunities to share that comfort and hope with others.                        

Don't become too busy or bitter to let Christ work through you to help someone who is hurting.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

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If God grants me life, I'll pass a milestone next month.  I'll pass the mystical age of 55 and become officially "old."  Yet, my life seems to grow more challenging, more interesting, and more exciting with each passing birthday.  In fact, I sometimes wonder where the time goes.  Each year seems to pass more quickly now.  But one of the great joys of growing older is being able to look back on life and remember how God's grace, power, and love have touched and enriched our lives.  Bet that's true for you, too.  Oh yeah, some of us have been plunged into the depths of despair at times only to rediscover His promise never to leave us nor forsake us.  Some of us emerged from ferocious trials with the testimony on our lips that God works in all things for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.  Some of us have endured life-changing losses while clinging tenaciously to His promise that a day is coming when He will wipe away every tear. 

At "going on" 55, I'm peering into an unknown future with a confidence that the best days of my life are still to come.  Chuck Swindoll has suggested that the year ahead is "an ocean of possibilities, including both sun-drenched days and a few storms with howling winds and giant waves."  We must not fear the storms so much that we stay in the dock and miss the adventures that God has in store for us.  We can navigate the seas of life with confidence each by following a few simple guidelines.

First, welcome each day as a God-given opportunity.  Remember that Janes 4:14 says that our lives are like a vapor that is visible for a moment and then disappears.  None of us is promised tomorrow, so it's extremely important that we see each day as a gift from God and use it appropriately.  Work as if this was your last day on earth.  Worship as if this were your last day on earth.  Witness as if this were your last day on earth.  Walk (live your life) as if this were your last day on earth.  Forgive those who have harmed you.  Forsake those things that inhibit your spiritual growth.  Laugh a lot.  Dance like no one is watching.  Give cheerfully.  Be the person God created you to be.  And remember the axiom:  Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift from God.  That's why it's called the present.

Second, begin each day with prayer.  This is not a call for a pre-dawn 60 inute prayer vigil.  It's an encouragement to spend a few minutes each morning, perhaps even before you get out of bed, acknowledging God's goodness and His sovereignty over all your acitivities that day.  Just as exercise physiologists have discovered that brief intervals of exercise can be as beneficial as extended workouts, you might discover that a few minutes of quiet, contemplative prayer time several times during the day might keep you more attuned to God's will for your life.  In Psalm 5:3, the psalmist wrote, "In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the moring, I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation."

Third, spend some time in the Bible each day.  Again, it is not necessary to read eight or ten chapters a day.  What IS important is that you spend some time in God's word EACH day.  Use a good devotional guide, a read-through-the Bible plan, or simply a chapter a day.  I once heard Billy Graham say that he read through the Psalms and Proverbs monthly.  That's 5 Psalms and 1 chapter of Proverbs.  Be creative with your method BUT get into God's word every day.  In Deuteronomy 8:3, God was speaking to the Israelites, reminding them of His provision of manna when they were dying of hunger in the wilderness.  He made that provision to them to "teach (them) that man does not live by bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord."   You will find it becomes easier to hide God's word in your heart (Psalm 119:11) when you're consuming it in smaller bites and your motivation is simply a desire to have God speak to you.

Finally, seize opportunities to invite others to experience the joy of Christ with you.  People will probably take more notice of your faith when you weather the storms that will inevitably invade your life.  When you emerge from those storms battered but intact, you've earned the right to tell others about the Source of your strength and hope.   

As I set course into the twilight of my life, simple habits like these can help strengthen my resolve and help me toward a strong finish.  They can do the same for you.  Try them for a week and see for yourself how God will change your perspective and your life. 

"This is the day the Lord has made.  Let's rejoice and be glad in it."  Psalm 118:24

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