A Solution Worth Seeing

My wheelchair has hill brakes, and while they are nice to have in the event of going down a hill, they can be a hindrance when used otherwise. One of my hill brakes was pushed down this time, and while it was less than ideal, it wasn't horrible. It wasn't as easy to do as when it was off, but I could go forward, turn, and even back up, if I pulled hard enough. In this state, I went over to talk to my sister. After awhile, I tried to go in reverse as before, but didn't get anywhere, although I will say that I didn't try very hard.

 There was a broom close by, and it occurred to me that I could attempt to solve my predicament with that. I went to it, although at first Kadri, who was washing dishes at the sink, wondered what I was doing. Using the broom handle, I pulled up the hill brake and once again enjoyed easy mobility! Praise the Lord! What's more, I was open to that thought.

What would have happened if I had chosen to sit there and be unhappy about my increased limitations, or if I had been content, even, with less than I could have had? As far as being unhappy goes, well, I would have made it worse for my sister in some way, and for me. That would have accomplished nothing. Being content with less than I could have had means that I wouldn't have had freedom so soon; that I wouldn't have had the joy of problem solving; that I wouldn't have had an experience to share with someone and that I wouldn't have been able to show them what God did for me.

Humans sometimes go through unpleasant situations where the key to freedom is right in front of them, and they don't see it. We can already see some of what may have been had I not seen the answer to my problem in the form of a broom handle. We must train ourselves to be alert to problem-solvers around us in every situation. It is so easy to want the solutions to come to us without any effort on our part, like they do at times, but that can't always be. While we are not to trust in ourselves, we are to use the brains God gave us to think, while staying in line with His will.

 There are some solutions to problems that aren't really solutions at all, to be sure. For instance, stealing food to satisfy hunger is not a real solution, for it only adds to the problem. We shouldn't try things like that, then; but we also shouldn't snub a good solution because we don't like it. Some people will not see the Bible as the greatest solution of all, because it means they must change somehow.  Yes, in the process of fixing problems, there is change, and sometimes that change isn't pleasant at first; but later on, we are glad we fixed the issue, even with the trouble in the meantime. We see that it was worth it.

Doing what the Bible says is even more worth it because when we view it further on in life's journey, we see that the so-called trouble (sacrificing for Jesus) wasn't trouble at all. Jesus loves us with a pure love, and wants our complete happiness; so He asks us to give Him only what would keep us from experiencing that. Remember what may have happened if I hadn't seen the help in the broom. When it comes to the Bible, the results are not what might be or may be, but what will certainly be. If we never try His way; if we sit there and complain about what He requires; if we have started and don't press on, forgetting the end of the journey, we will never experience true freedom. It means an unhappier existence while living, followed by death; and while death is a mercy to the wicked, it will certainly not be the best that they could have had! More than the broom, God's way is a solution worth seeing.

~Jean

 

You Will Too

In a previous post, I spoke of being lax when it came to my education. Because of this neglect, I haven't graduated high school yet even though I am in my twenties. My sister, who is younger, doesn't have her diploma either. I started homeschooling when I was fourteen years old, and I would like to think that if I could have seen eight years into the future I wouldn't have been so foolish, but I don't know. I realize that there were other people in my life that were responsible for my education to some degree; but we were both old enough when we began homeschooling, and we should have done better in the first place.

Although I eventually received a lecture from my father that spurred me to do more, life doesn't stop because textbooks need to be completed. I didn't think about the consequences of the path I was choosing, and I didn't make myself do it even though I didn't want to do it. I allowed other things to divert me from my studies, and, in fact, still do today. I know it shouldn't be the most important thing, but it should receive more focused attention than I give it.

A life without a diploma isn't very helpful, at least not where we live. It seems to be a problem for my sister, who wants to be a missionary. These days it is better if you go to college as part of preparation, and one can't go there without a diploma or GED. My being without a diploma doesn't help to show that I am not mentally challenged. My lack of a diploma has nothing to do with not being able to understand things in books, but rather a lack of understanding when it comes to the consequences of choices.

We searched for a way out of the messes we made, and found that the GED was out of the question if we wanted to remain true to principle. We looked into Seventh-Adventist schools too, but it wasn't possible for me, and my sister never finished pursuing a prospective academy. However, we will be able to receive the much-needed papers through Guilford Christian Academy, which makes it possible for homeschoolers like Katie and me to graduate. This opens up other doors, especially for Katie. Earlier on, there were thoughts of going to Hartland Institute, a school in Norway, an intern at Young Disciple. Now it is looking like she might be a camp counselor at Young Disciple camp.

I wouldn't be honest if I said I've always been thrilled with Kadri's going away—I haven't. God has showed me some things, however, that I would like to share with you. Perhaps some of you have to let someone go, too. When Kadri was considering Hartland more than she is now, I struggled but I did some thinking, and the principles still hold true today.

If Kadri were to go to Hartland, she would be going in preparation to do a good work. If she was supposed to go to Hartland and didn't, then she wouldn't be fulfilling God's plan for her.  On the other hand, if my sister followed God's leading, people would be in heaven that may not be there otherwise. What right do I have to be sad about that? Should I cherish the desire that would lead me to let someone experience death forever so that she could be with me a little longer?  No! Instead of pining, may I consider the possibilities; instead of tears, may there be a smile and a hearty, "Go!" Even if the people you know won't be involved in preparation for mission work or anything like that, think about how their leaving may mean that somewhere along the way, they will brighten someone else's life.

Before you think that there is no way you can think that way, that it will be too difficult to be without them and you will miss them too much, read to the end. Kadri and a friend of ours did go away recently—not to Hartland, but to the other side of the world, on a mission trip to the Philippines. I did struggle and shed tears. I was missing the adventure and whatnot. As time went by, however, thoughts came to my mind that helped me to come to terms with Kadri's absence and my place in life, and I talked and prayed with my mother about it. Things were obviously different, but I wasn't constantly thinking about Kadri or longing for her to come home. I adjusted to life as it was, and if you rely on God, you will too.

~Jean

 

His Return from the Wilderness

Matthew 4:1-11 tells us about Jesus' sufferings and victories in the wilderness. We know that He suffered for us, and that He was victorious for us. There are lessons we may learn from His return from the wilderness. "Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee; And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:" Matthew 4:12-13. Luke 4:14 says that He "returned in the power of the Spirit."

If we thoughtfully consider the nature of the events that Jesus went through and the reason for them, as well as the aforementioned verses, something becomes evident. Notice that He didn't boast about how He had conquered the devil, or about the fact that He had done it in our behalf. The Bible gives no such record. Rather, we find that He, to put it as Peter did, "went about doing good." Acts 10:38. He gave us an example of humility even here. Think about this in light of the contrasts presented in Philippians 2:5-8 and Isaiah 14:12-15. Isn't the character of our God amazing?

Let us look at where Jesus went next. "And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up. Matthew 4:13-16, emphasis added. The people Jesus went to were not those who needed little or no help; He went to those who needed a lot.

Lastly, let us ponder Luke 4:14. "And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of Him through all the region round about." Mark 4:23-24 says, "And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them." The Holy Spirit is with us to enable us to do good, to follow in the footsteps of our Master in serving others, not ourselves. Oh, may we gaze upon the selfless character of our Saviour, and allow the Holy Spirit to make us like Him!

 Blessings,

Jean

"Parted His Garments"

"And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on Him, and led him away to crucify him." Matthew 27:29-31.

How do we mock the Saviour? Do we crown Him King with words alone, with self as the true sovereign?

"And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots. And sitting down they watched him there; And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS." Vs. 35-37.

They crucified Him, but they took what they could get. They hated Him, but wanted what He had—as far as material things went, anyway. They didn't care to be like Him in character. Are we like that?

 

Blessings,

Jean

Something You Won't Regret

"If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the LORD, return unto Me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of My sight, then shalt thou not remove. And thou shalt swear, The LORD liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in Him, and in Him shall they glory."Jeremiah 4:1-2. According to Strong's Concordance, the word for "remove" in the original can mean, "to nod, that is, waver; figuratively to wander, flee, disappear." If the Israelites listened and did what was said, they would "not remove." They would be stable!

More than that, through Israel's obedience, the surrounding nations would "bless themselves in Him." In the same way, those around us who don't know God will be led to Him by our obedience. After the LORD saw that Abraham would obey Him no matter what the cost, He told his servant, " By Myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only [son:] That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which [is] upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed My voice." Genesis 22:16-18, emphasis added. Abraham was blessed with being able to keep his son, as well as being able to understand the plan of redemption more fully; and succeeding generations have been blessed in that they have his example and a type of Christ's sacrifice to learn from. What if he hadn't obeyed? We wouldn't have it to inspire and encourage us today.

Don't you want to have stability in your life instead of confusion and trouble? Take hold of the promise in Jeremiah! One day when you're gone, don't you want to leave those you love with memories that will help them to follow Jesus and experience a blessing long after you are gone? Follow the example set by Abraham. Cultivating obedience is something you won't regret.

Blessings,
Jean 

A Lesson from Jael

The Israelites were fighting against Jabin, King  of Hazor, specifically against Sisera, the captain of the king's host. After "all the host of Sisera fell upon the edge of the sword" "Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite: for [there was] peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite." (Judges 4:16, 17). Judges 1:16 says, "And the children of the Kenite, Moses' father in law, went up out of the city of palm trees with the children of Judah into the wilderness of Judah, which [lieth] in the south of Arad; and they went and dwelt among the people." Heber, however, "had severed himself from the Kenites, and pitched his tent unto the plain of Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh." (Judges 4:11). It seemed, too, that he had made an alliance with the king of Hazor.

For the time being, Jael acted in accordance with this agreement, playing the part of the solicitous host. She entreated Sisera to come in and told him not to fear, covering her endangered ally with a concealing mantle, or rug. She even went so far as to give Sisera milk when he asked her for water (see vv. 18-19). Nevertheless, there was one request of Sisera's with she wouldn't comply.

"Again he said unto her, Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any man doth come and enquire of thee, and say, Is there any man here? that thou shalt say, No." (v. 20). The wife of Heber chose a drastically different course. "Then Jael Heber's wife took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground: for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died." (v. 21).

Notwithstanding the "peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite," Jael was faithful to God and didn't suffer this enemy of His people to live. Yet, take note of what the next few verses say, particularly verse 23. "And, behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said unto him, Come, and I will shew thee the man whom thou seekest. And when he came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the nail was in his temples. So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel." (vv. 22-23, emphasis added).

Even though Jael performed the act that subdued the king of Canaan, the Bible ascribes the glory of this victory to God. Think about it: who gave her the idea, and the brain to receive it? Who gave her the will and the strength to act upon it? She certainly didn't create it right then—it came from Someone other than herself. It's only fair that He alone should receive praise. Shouldn't we give glory to God also, then, for everything we accomplish, instead of to ourselves?

 

Blessings,

Jean

 

God Helped Me

Written January 29, 2016

It was in the evening. Around four o'clock or so, I had lie down on the couch to do my devotions, as I was feeling tired. My sister was in our room doing her devotions, and my father was back and forth between the house and the garage. I believe by this time it was six o'clock or later. In any case, I wanted a drink of water. My bottle was on the table in front of the couch, but I knew I shouldn't drink while not sitting up.

I had already needed my sister earlier on during our devotions, and I didn't want to bother her again. Dad was in the garage, so I couldn't ask him for help—and to be honest, I wanted to do it myself. Well, I reasoned, if I was by myself, I'd have to figure out some way to do it. I think it was then that I prayed, remembering Philippians 4:13: "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

I asked the Lord how we were going to do this, and attempted to sit up the way I recalled able-bodied people doing it, by swinging my legs over the side of the couch and using my stomach muscles to lift my upper body. After a few tries, it was apparent that wasn't going to work. I admit that at this point I doubted whether the Lord was going to help me. Maybe He just wanted me to call for somebody.

Then I attempted something I had done in the past with no success. First, I endeavored to move myself as close to the back of the couch as I could. Next, I grabbed a table leg with my left hand on which to pull to roll myself over, hoping there was enough space on the couch to shift my elbow under me, push up on it and move quickly over to avoid falling off. I'm sorry if that explanation doesn't make much sense; I'm not skilled in the art of explaining, and my methods for doing things are unorthodox as it is.

The venture was no easy one. I quickly realized there wasn't enough room on the couch when I rolled for me to move my elbow without my losing my equilibrium and potentially falling off the couch. To try to give myself more stability, I put my right hand (by that I mean two fingers that decided to work enough) on the table while I made an effort to move my left elbow over. The first time was precarious and scary. As was the rest of me, my two right fingers were sweaty and therefore somewhat slippery on the table, which really put me in danger of hurting myself—one wrong move and...

 I wished that Friday was a service dog and could lend me some assistance. I even thought of calling him over, but I didn't know if he would make a bad situation worse, so I remained silent and recovered myself. I rested for a minute and then attempted the process with all the speed I could muster. Perhaps that would aid me. Sure enough, it did, and while it was still risky and frightening, I managed to move at the right time.

I was now on my stomach. From there, I moved so that my feet were off the couch, and used my left arm to push myself up into a sitting position. I found myself on something hard. I was puzzled until I remembered the cold pack my sister had wrapped in a towel and placed on my leg. I had moved it off before I started, but then forgotten about it in my struggle—that's what I was sitting on!  I tried to move it, but when I realized I couldn't without falling, I chose to think that maybe it was there to give me more stability sitting up.

I grabbed my bottle of water and emptied it shortly; but the fact that I obtained what I wanted isn't the greatest thing out of this whole incident. It is the fact that God helped me, and in more than one way. Not only did He bless me with wisdom and strength to accomplish the goal, but He also blessed me yet again with a will to do. This is especially significant for me because for many years, I had a nearly unchangeable "I can't!" attitude, but He is changing my outlook through His grace—and this experience testifies to that. It also testifies to the truth of the Apostle Paul's words in Philippians 2:13:"For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure."

Blessings,

Jean