Abiding in Suffering

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. John 15:4 NKJV

Some translations substitute the word remain for abide. Yes abide does =remain and yet remain is far too weak. Remain = being left behind, as in , “I finished reading and left the book behind on the table.” Remaining is a position, but abiding is a choice. We have a thousand directions to flee from our circumstances, but we choose to remain by Jesus’ side. Now that is abiding! That is life and peace! As the words of the hymn say, “Abide with me, fast falls the eventide.” I pray that you will choose to abide with Jesus in whatever your circumstance today, because He choose to be left behind and remain helplessly mailed and forsaken in His suffering for you and me. We can trust Him always to abide. Let us abide in Him! I was deeply blessed by Joni’s testimony this morning. I pray that it may lift you as well and encourage you to choose the Savior. Abide in Him and He will abide in you!

Mother’s Day at Nursing Homes

When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. 
John 19:26-27 ESV

With Mother’s Day right around the corner, I like to recall how that even while Jesus was on the cross, He saw to it that His mother was personally cared for by His most trusted disciple, John. You see, many people don’t bother with visiting even their own mothers much less those of other people. Sad to say, over 600,000 women will pass Mother’s Day with no one to bring a flower, write a card or even sit down for a cup of coffee and cake.

Sometimes the reason behind these awful statistics is simple selfishness, but I believe that more often it happens because of the misconceptions people have of long-term care. It is no secret that I love my special friends, whom I visit every Thursday morning. Every week, I learn something new from our group of 15 – 20 who gather to sing. First, is that many of these folks can understand and respond just like anyone else. I tell stories and they listen. I tell a joke and they laugh. I ask for a favorite song and someone thinks of one. Part of the reason that they sit around looking vacantly into space is that no one expects they can do anything else. In this week’s video I posted a song where you can hear one of our dear one’s requesting it. Though their memories aren’t like they once were, this isn’t at all unusual. How they will be remembered this year lies in our power to change. Because the battle is difficult, does not mean it is not worth fighting. Because the responses are small doesn’t make them worthless. Because we have forgotten in the past doesn’t mean we must forget forever. The Mothers of Jesus live in places we may have never looked before. Why not look for one at a nursing home this year?

Lung Cancer Survivor – Story of Hope

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1-2 ESV

This Saturday, I put the message I had prepared on hold as our brother John Reis shared the story of how God has helped him through these last 5 1/2 months as he has battled with stage 4 lung cancer. John is both inspiring and down to earth, and His story gives me hope, that God will never leave us even in our darkest hours (And John together with his faithful wife Barbara have been through more than their share.) I hope you will be blessed and encouraged by his story and that you will remember to listen to the story of those around us because God has put them into our lives for His purpose. May God bless you and keep you this weekend and give you the help that lies far beyond the horizon of all we know!

Thankful for Volunteers

I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus.                        
 1 Corinthians 1:4 ESV 

I am so thankful for volunteers like Hap and Sue. Their love for the residents, readiness to come in to serve communion and smiles make our outreach so much richer. When I count my blessings, I begin with people. Family, friends and fellow workers for Jesus are the best blessings God gives after our own salvation. Who are you thankful for today?