Touching Up My Portrait of Two Ladies: Lady B Revisited

Well, ladies…….it has been much too long since I have been on here. “Life” goes by way too fast and I can rarely catch up.….Although I have not really caught up :oD, I have chosen to get back on here. :oD

I must first humbly write a much needed update on my previous entry of February 27, 2009,

A portrait of two Titus 2 ladies: choosing to live abundantly for the LORD!

Concerning my dear Lady A and Lady B, their lives go on and these two dear women continue to be so precious to me and a great joy.

During this year, though, I discovered something concerning Lady B and I am now ashamed of my “quick” judgment of her (when I say “quick,” this is after knowing her for a decade). I have incorrectly evaluated her as not moving on and boldly living for the LORD even through tears.

As my previous blog entry said, she has dealt with many health issues and, because of this, these health issues have isolated her. Until about a year ago she was blessed to live in her own home. This dear woman now lives in an apartment connected to a nursing home. For really the first time, I have seen her thriving while dealing with her health issues, and interacting with the other residents and staff. No matter if she is room-bound or walking around the facility, she is always encouraging, smiling, loving everyone she meets. These people tell me what a special person she is to them. Lady B is, and has been, a shining example of the Lord Jesus. I just didn’t have the opportunity to actually see it.

I learned long ago not to judge a book by it’s cover -- but obviously not well enough. I am praising the LORD for the opportunity to watch my dear Lady B in action :oD, for she has obviously encouraged so many others as well as encouraging me.

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.” Ephesians 5:1-2

As for my precious Lady A, this has been a very difficult year because her beloved daughter died unexpectedly in June, at age 46. Lady A has been a beautiful example of drawing near to the LORD in all things even when she cannot understand why the LORD would take her child so soon. I find myself in awe at how the LORD gives His own strength for us to move on as we actively wait for glory, and I treasure Lady A all the more.

“The righteous cry, and the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

Psalm 34: 17-18

Oh, How I Long for Spring!

“Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my groaning. Heed the sound of my cry for help, my King and my God, for to You I pray. In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch.” Psalm 5:1-3

Living in the mid-west means winter could last about 6 months. Spring is always on our minds even if we love winter.

Oh, how I long for spring!

I have always been the person who looks out any windows. I look out at the sky, the trees, the birds, and just to look out! :oD But as February and March draw on, I start to look out for any signs of spring bulbs coaxed up with the rays of the sun. I know it could be one or two months before the bulbs really come up and bloom, but it is the looking and the anticipation that bring me such hopes of spring.

Spring: new life, renewed life, brand newness, clean, clean start, repentance, breath of fresh air, new anticipation, renewed anticipation, renewed joy,…..just joy!

Spiritually speaking, oh! how I also long for spring! In the desert of a painful tragedy the winter goes on and on. It is bleak and cold. It never ends. My eyes are always looking, looking for spring! Oh, how I long for spring!!!

I know the LORD is working. He is not surprised or wringing His hands. My tragedy did not slip by Him. My pain does not go without His notice. I am always looking. I am looking for something new, something that will mean the winter will be over soon and that breath of fresh air with spring will be here at long last!

If you are in the midst of a never ending winter of pain and you long for spring……continue to seek the LORD’s face. He hears you! He never wearies of your cries. He collects all your tears and if you allow it He will use you in your pain to do great things for His glory!

“You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance.” Psalms 32:7

Good news! I looked out of my window today. The sun has coaxed my farthest daffodils to poke up about two inches! :oD I can actually see that spring is coming….more importantly, Biblically speaking, I can know that my bleak winter days will someday break open to brand newness.

Look out your window---what do you see in the LORD?

School of suffering

This quotation was on The Berean Call email on March 3/09 (http://www.thebereancall.org/)
I thought it would be of encouragement to you.

"Are we learning love in the school of suffering? Are our hearts being mellowed and deepened by the summer heat of trial until the fruit of the Spirit-love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance-is ripening for the harvest of His coming, and our sufferings are easily borne for His sake? This is the school of love, and the lessons make Him unutterably more dear to our hearts and us to His. In this way only can we learn with Him the heavenly charity which suffers long, and is kind. We see that the very first and the very last features of the face of love, as delineated in Paul's portrait of it (1 Corinthians 13), are marks of pain and patient suffering-suffers long, endureth all things. So let us learn in the school of love to suffer, to be kind and to endure all things. Surely it will not be hard to love through every circumstance when it is the heart of Jesus within us that will love and continue to love to the very end. I want the love that suffers and is kind, That envies not nor vaunts its pride of fame. Is not puffed up, does not discourteous act, Is not provoked, nor seeks its own to claim. "
--A.B. Simpson

A portrait of two Titus 2 ladies: choosing to live abundantly for the LORD!

I have many dear older ladies in my life, and more than I can count are Titus 2 ladies. How blessed I am!

Today I want to draw a portrait of two of them.

“Lady A” loves the LORD with all her heart. She married her beloved husband and lived happily, blessed all these years. From the beginning, she has suffered from a myriad of sicknesses, even to this day. Life has never been easy for her because of these maladies, which is certainly understandable. Over ten years ago her beloved died and, sadly, “Lady A” has hardly moved on, rarely leaving her home (nor hardly changing anything in her home since he died), practically living in the past, always living in fear. The grief of losing her beloved husband has stymied her life, although her love of the LORD still shines through her. I mean no offense to her because she is a dear, a treasure, and a joy to me.

“Lady B” loves the LORD with all her heart. She married her beloved husband and lived happily, blessed all these years. She has also had her physical failings which “nag” at her. Over ten years ago her beloved also died, but “Lady B” has chosen to get up and do next things for the LORD, even though she grieves deeply every day for her beloved. Her heart’s desire has always been to encourage others because of the LORD. She finds joy in all she does. She finds joy in people and lives every day to the fullest. The love of the LORD shines through her and is spread to others, and all are encouraged because of her. She is also a dear, a treasure, and a joy to me.

This “portrait” I have painted is an excellent example of the life choices one can make after tragedy. After the tragedy I suffered (which has continuing consequences), it would be easy for me to “hide” and never come out; never to do anything because I am so full of grief. My tragedy struck a few years ago, and even to this day, as I continue to greatly grieve, the LORD has lifted my head and put me on a higher rock. I have chosen to get up and do “next things” because of Him. I don’t see myself as being strong or shining His light, or showing great love and compassion. I see and feel only my weakness. In my weakness, though, He allows others to see Himself through me because my desire is to continue. It is all because of the LORD.

"Hear my cry, O God; give heed to my prayer. From the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been a refuge for me. A tower of strength against the enemy. Let me dwell in your tent forever; let me take refuge in the shelter of Your wings.” Psalm 61:1-4

I am in awe at what the LORD has done in me and through me. Although humanly I may not want to move on, in His strength my faith has not been shipwrecked, and He has been glorified in my pain.

I want to encourage you that, no matter what circumstances come, choose to live as “Lady B.” May God receive all the glory!

"I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined to me and heard my cry. He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, and He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; many will see and fear and will trust in the LORD” Psalm 40:1-3

Spur one another on to love and good deeds

Here I am again writing on encouraging the saints, but how can we do this if we don’t feel like it or are in pain ourselves?

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer; and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings so also you are sharers of our comfort."
1 Corinthians 1:3-7

Most of the time it is naturally easy to share our joys with others. Sharing our testimony of pain, though, leaves us vulnerable, but it shows the hearer that you are trusting in the LORD for the outcome. Allowing others to see the testimony of someone who has shared their pain, shown their continued obedience to the LORD throughout an extended period of time, and then seen eventual answered prayers, glorifies God.

Every day there are trials. Every day we need to seek the LORD’s face. In my own experience with God’s people, I continually see hurts. When a friendly gesture or an offered prayer is shown, what I have always witnessed is gratefulness. We are needy people who desperately need to be reminded often that God is in control no matter what the circumstances.

I again implore each of you to get out there in person, on the phone, on e-mail, or standard mail and start building up each other in the LORD. The LORD will help you with His strength and oh, how His name will be glorified.

"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:23-25

Titus 2 - Let the older women teach the younger women

How blessed I am! I can barely remember the years I lamented to the LORD that I had no older Titus 2 ladies in my life. Then came that fateful day when a younger woman called me her older Titus 2 woman!

How the LORD has allowed me to mature! :) Now years later, the LORD has woven so many older godly Titus 2 women into my life that I am blessed a thousand times over!

As godly women, here are three things to remember:

1) When we reach out to others to bless them, the LORD usually works in our own hearts and it is we who are blessed multiple times over.

2) No matter what your age, you can be a Titus 2 woman. There is always someone younger than you, in age or in spiritual maturity, that you can minister to.

3) Be willing to observe and listen to the beautiful Titus 2 women in your life and see how the LORD can bless you and them.

I hope this encourages you.

Peeling Potatoes

(This was originally posted at "The Watchman's Bagpipes" on 2/11/09)

Years ago, I think it was Kay Arthur whom I heard on the radio encouraging women by saying that, if you are peeling potatoes for dinner, do it for the glory of the LORD. Her point was for us to do what is in front of us at the moment and to do it joyfully for the LORD. We are not to do things for our own kudos or in drudgery or feeling guilty.

There is the false thought out there that, as Christians, we need to be missionaries in a foreign land or at least ministering across town, or else what we do isn’t important for the LORD.

Let us not forget that our husbands and our children are our first mission field, in which we need to be joyful as we tend to them, and then we can reach out to the world. What we do and how we behave at home is far more important. We can do marvelous things for the LORD out in the world, but if we do these things by neglecting our families, we fail to adhere to the instructions in Titus 2, let alone Proverbs 31.

The great news that sets us free is that you do not have to be a wonderful cook, an immaculate housekeeper, super mom, or an all round “Jill of all trades” with your children to please the LORD. He sees your heart and your loving desire to do next things for Him.

As we do “next things” in our day, we need to find His joy and do them well for Him. When the LORD sees our hearts, when He sees right motives - this is when He is glorified.

“For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.” Psalm 51:16-17