Plucking Feathers

In my childhood farmyard in Pleasant Hill, New York, we always had an abundance of chickens roaming around looking for worms and bugs, scratching the ground for seeds, and generally living an easygoing, happy life. That’s one reason why, in spite of a modest food budget, I still always buy free-range eggs. I believe that happy chickens create better eggs.

One thing I noticed at an early age was that there is a definite pecking order among chickens. Most chickens are social, humble creatures that mind their own business. But some chickens run around puffing out their chests, lording it over the other chickens … and plucking their tail feathers.

At first, it might seem a humorous quirk. I remember watching certain hens run up behind others and pluck their feathers with such pride. They probably thought they had something up on the other hens. Perhaps the one doing the plucking was making a statement to the other hens that the one she was plucking thought too highly of herself and needed to be cut down to size. Perhaps chickens are less prone to sin with their tongues and more prone to sin with their beaks.

The odd thing, though, was that tail plucking became a bitter challenge. The Golden Rule was playing itself out in reverse; what they were doing to others was being done back to them. The more they plucked others, the more they got plucked by others. In the end, some of our beautiful barnyard chickens looked quite ridiculous.

Chicken owners debate the issue of plucking. They all know it is a problem, but they have few solutions other than to try to separate the pluckers before the problem becomes widespread. A common rationale is to blame it on vitamin deficiencies, as better-fed chickens are less prone to pluck. On our farm, habitual pluckers often ended up in the Sunday stew instead of the henyard.

As an awkward young child, I watched the chickens and learned early that the best defense was not a defense at all. In any social situation, I learned to avoid tail plucking. Unlike more competitive animals in the food chain that believe they must eat or be eaten, I realized that plucking was essentially a self-destructive habit. Better to be in a henyard, surrounded by other hens, than to be in the stewpot.

Jesus said it beautifully in the Sermon on the Mount. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Or as chicken farmers would say, inherit the henyard!

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Deuteronomy 8:18 ESV / You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

Joshua 1:8 ESV / This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Malachi 3:10 ESV / Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.

Grace to keep on Loving

In one of the most powerful and poetic chapters of the Bible, 1 Corinthians 13, the apostle Paul describes the sort of love Christians are meant to embody: “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.”

Longsuffering heads the list, and I think that’s significant because to love freely and consistently in the other ways Paul names requires a readiness to go the distance. We can’t reserve our love for certain situations or special people, and we can’t withdraw it when people disappoint or fail. Longsuffering is both a prerequisite and the bottom line.

How do we find it within ourselves to continue to show love to someone who has hurt us or others? Giving the person the benefit of the doubt can help, and so can remembering that we also hurt others through thoughtlessness, blunders, and unloving choices. But the surest way I know can be found in another translation of this same passage. In the New International Version, the phrase “love thinks no evil” is rendered “love keeps no record of wrongs.” Hurts are real and take time to heal, but when we resist the all-too-human urge to replay them in the courtroom of our mind, when we choose rather to forgive and truly forget, God gives us the love and grace to keep on loving. And everyone wins.

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Ephesians 4:32 ESV / Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Mark 11:25 ESV / And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”

1 John 1:9 ESV / If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

The Prisoner

The prisoner dictated a letter to some of his dearest friends hundreds of miles away in another country. He told them that he was in chains—most likely chained to his jailer, as that was the custom of the time. Ironically, he had previously been in jail in the city in which his friends lived. On that occasion he had been beaten and imprisoned—illegally, it turned out—in the city’s most secure cell. He was considered an atheist and a rabble-rouser, and was well-known to authorities throughout the empire who were glad to get him off the streets whenever they could.

It hadn’t always been that way. There had been a time when he was dedicated to enforcing the law. He had even been an officially sanctioned vigilante who went about brutally clearing his area of miscreants, men, women, and children alike. That had been a task he relished. But that had been long ago. Now he was on the other side of the fence, and his former colleagues were complicit in his censure and imprisonment.

The apostle Paul knew his life was in the balance. It was either death or freedom for him—it seemed no other options were even being considered. He had been held under a sort of house arrest for awhile, but no longer; and his new jailers, drawn from the ranks of the Praetorian Guard, were particularly tough. In any case, the wheels of Roman justice were turning exceedingly slowly. His dear friends in Philippi were worried about him and had sent money toward his upkeep. Some were old legionaries who knew how the Roman system worked, how tough and often unfair it was. So Paul was writing to reassure them that God had everything under control.

The Philippians were some of his favorite people, it seems. He wrote tenderly to them, encouragingly, telling them to look on the bright side, it was all good. If this was his time to die, he would go to be with the Lord; and if he was freed, that was good too, because then he could come and see them again. He said he couldn’t make up his mind which was better. He had committed all into God’s hands and had received an inexplicable peace in return. His words are immortal and they resonate with all believers.

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

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Acts 9:1-2 ESV / But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

Philippians 1:13-14 ESV / so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

Philippians 1:22 ESV / If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell.

Keeping God in the Picture

To have peace reign in your heart may seem impossible when your mind is whirling in confusion at the stress of daily life. Yet such peace is promised; Jesus told us, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you. … Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

Keeping God in the picture is another way of saying that we should give Him an active role in our daily lives, which we do by acknowledging His presence and power, and by asking for His counsel and help in matters big and small. Daniel, whose story is told in the Old Testament book of that name, had just such a relationship with God, and that paid off when he faced a challenge that makes most of ours pale by comparison.

Daniel had been taken captive in his youth, when the Babylonians conquered Judah, but eventually he rose to a position of power and influence in the Babylonian royal court. Then, when the Medes overthrew the Babylonians, Daniel became a senior administrator during the reign of King Darius.

Politics have always been fraught with rivalry and intrigue, and this period was no different; Daniel’s fellow governors became jealous and plotted against him. They persuaded Darius to decree restrictions on prayer and worship, under penalty of death, but Daniel’s well-known devotion to his God compelled him to ignore the decree. Darius favored Daniel and realized that he had been manipulated, but he could neither change nor ignore his own decree. When Daniel was thrown into a den of hungry lions, it seemed that would be the end of him, but the next morning he emerged from the den unscathed.

Keeping God in the picture enables us to survive life’s tribulations with our faith and peace of heart and mind intact.
Take the way of peace:Praying for the day ahead when you wake; pausing to pray when things get hectic or a decision or problem arises; taking a few minutes for quiet reflection in the evening—these are all ideal times to find peace in God’s presence.

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Colossians 3:15 ESV / And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

Philippians 4:7 ESV / And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

John 14:27 ESV / Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Snail Patrol

Today I went for a walk with the kids in the countryside surrounding the village in which we live, an area consisting of farmland, dirt paths, and small woods. The weather was great, so it was a good opportunity for the kids to get some fresh air and exercise as they ran around looking for the little creatures that are abundant in spring and summer.

It was an enjoyable break for me as well. Out on those country trails there are no computers, no pressing work, no chores, no meetings, no messes to clean up, and none of the myriad of other things that keep us busy most of the day.

Time can seem to stand still while out in nature—at least until the kids excitedly holler, “Ladybug!” or “Spider!” But even such sudden alerts are okay, because just a few minutes of peace is usually all I need to clear my head. When Jesus said that unless you become as little children you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven, maybe He wasn’t just talking about heaven to come, but also about the peace and little bit of heaven we experience in our hearts here and now when we put our cares aside, quiet our minds and spirits, and tune in to His voice speaking to us through creation.

Children seem to do that naturally. They’re not worried about work that needs to get done, or the bills that need to be paid; they’re simply full of energy and excited about life, and happy to have a big guy along to watch out for them and take snapshots of their activities. How much more should we have peace, knowing that we have the ultimate Big Guy looking out for us and, I’m sure, taking snapshots of our lives too.

Out in the Fields with God
The little cares that fretted me,
I lost them yesterday,
Among the fields above the sea,
Among the winds at play;
Among the lowing of the herds,
The rustling of the trees;
Among the singing of the birds,
The humming of the bees.

The foolish fears of what might happen,
I cast them all away
Among the clover-scented grass,
Among the new-mown hay;
Among the husking of the corn,
Where drowsy poppies nod,
Where ill thoughts die and good are born—
Out in the fields with God!
—Elizabeth Barrett Browning

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Psalm 96:11-12 ESV / Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy

Ecclesiastes 3:11 ESV / He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.

Isaiah 55:12 ESV / “For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

Living Without Stress

Stress is one of the big “joy killers” that God wants to help us minimize. Stress makes it difficult to operate and is a cause of terrible unhappiness, illness, and even death. According to one news article that I read, between 75 and 90 percent of doctor visits in developed countries could be directly or indirectly traced back to stress.

Faith is an antidote for stress. Faith and trust that everything is in God’s hands, that He is in control, and that He is able to bring about something good from even the worst situations, automatically eliminates a lot of stress from our lives.

Each of us is able to trust in God for certain things, but there are always aspects of our lives that we feel we need to worry about or burdens we feel we need to carry, instead of giving them to God and trusting that He can take care of them better than we can. And if we let those burdens settle on us—whether physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual—eventually they will cause stress, which can have devastating effects on both body and spirit in the long term.

Most of us have at least one or two areas where our lives have gotten out of balance or our perspectives have gotten skewed. Often this is because we’ve been carrying a load for too long without sufficient breaks or balance. God wants to help provide those things in order to lighten those burdens and make them easier to bear.

A common misconception is to equate stress with hard work, or to feel that some amount of stress is inevitable in a busy life. But that doesn’t have to be the case. You can be a very hard worker yet not be overcome by stress if you:

Maintain a balanced life. Work when it’s time to work, play when it’s time to play, and above all, keep your time with God sacred. If you go through a period that’s extra busy and you have to cut corners on your relaxation and fellowship with others, make sure that things slow down again when that project or period of time is over. Don’t let it continue indefinitely. That fast pace can become an unhealthy addiction.

Let God carry your burdens, which means exercising your faith by committing difficult and stressful situations to Him, instead of trying to resolve them on your own. Stressful situations are part of life; there’s no way around that. When one of your children is sick, it’s stressful. When you’re low on finances, it’s stressful. When you have tight or unrealistic deadlines, it’s stressful. But you don’t have to solve those problems alone. God is a “very present help in trouble.”

Know your limits and don’t try to do more than is healthy. Learn to be realistic, and if you’re not realistic, listen to others who are, so that you don’t wind up creating unnecessary stressful situations for yourself and those around you.

Step back from time to time and take stock. How are you doing on each of the points above?
A lot of stress comes from negative mindsets, rather than actual deadlines or events. Worry, fear, concerns, excessive pride,and self-centeredness, for example, can all create or contribute to stress.

Rising above stress isn’t easy. Changing habits and mindsets is usually difficult and takes time. There are two things that can help keep you on track while you are trying to make such changes. First, make a conscious effort to trust in God, which you do by reminding yourself that He is in control and that His timing is best. Then determine what practical steps you can take to reduce the load you are carrying while He works out more long-range solutions.

How can you “cast your burden on the Lord” so He can sustain you? God has promised in His Word, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Stress doesn’t need to be an overwhelming burden in your life or circumstances. Even though we will probably never attain a once-and-for-all victory over stress, because we’re human, we can learn to overcome or reduce its negative effects each time it comes around by replacing it with trust in God, which brings peace. “The Lord gives perfect peace to those whose faith is firm.”

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Psalm 46:1 ESV / To the choirmaster. Of the Sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A Song.
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Psalm 55:22 ESV /
Cast your burden on the Lord,
and he will sustain you;
he will never permit
the righteous to be moved.

Isaiah 26:3 ESV /
You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you.

I’ll take the Mountain

As the car kept winding up, up, up, I couldn’t help but wonder if our friend’s house had been built on the very top of the mountain. Darkness had fallen by the time my sister, two friends, and I got to our destination, but even at night the mountains seemed alive.

Our friend led us up a flight of dark and wobbly steps to the balcony, where we gasped at the panorama. Before us was the most beautiful view of the city of Iskenderun, Turkey, far below. Twinkling lights of all colors lined the Mediterranean, as though an angel had scooped up a ladle of stars and flung them across the darkness.

Even better—the silence.

The next morning, I awoke to birds chirping and a soft breeze wafting through my window. Our friend took us for a traditional village breakfast: goat cheese, roasted sausage, sautéed peppers, spiced olives—everything fresh beyond words. We sat with our legs outstretched;a brook trickled down through the pines and past our table.

Two boys with half-tucked-in shirts and fruit-smeared cheeks sold us a bag of plums. They had the sweetest smiles and looked as though they spent every day playing in the sunshine and climbing forest trails. We made conversation, and I watched their eyes light up and their smiles grow.

We spent only a weekend at the mountain house, but I wished I could steal the stillness and take it home with me.

As I lay in the tall grass and let ladybugs crawl over my fingers, I thought about how even Jesus sometimes needed to distance Himself from His work and the busyness around Him in order to connect with His Father. Often, it seems, He managed to slip away to a secluded spot alone, but I imagine there were also times when that wasn’t possible and He needed to find His “mountain retreat” in spirit.

Are things any different now? Thousands of years later, the world certainly hasn’t gotten any less chaotic or stressful, and we all struggle sometimes. Our faith and patience are tested. Sometimes we can’t cope any longer. We fall short. We mess up.

The choice is ours, though: to stay in the valley or get back on the mountain in spirit. Some people resign themselves to life’s gloomy days, but after having tasted the heavenly, I’ll take the mountain!

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Mark 1:35 ESV / And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.

Mark 6:46-47 ESV / And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land.

Luke 5:16 ESV / But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.

Peace—the Steadfast Fruit

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”
Jesus promised us peace. “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Just as Jesus calmed the stormy sea when His disciples thought their ship was sinking and they were about to drown, He can calm the storms of life and give you inner peace. This begins by turning to Him at the first sign of trouble. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

King David learned this principle and practiced it in his psalms, many of which were actually prayers. He would begin by enumerating his problems to God, which inevitably caused him to remember God’s goodness and power, which set his heart and mind to rest, which helped him remain steadfast in his faith until conditions and the time were right for God to help him put those troubles behind him.

Peace in the Midst of Storm
At an art contest held to see who could best illustrate peace, most of the participating artists contributed tranquil scenes of lazy summer days in the countryside, where all was stillness and harmony.
Well, that’s a form of peace, but the picture that won the award illustrated the hardest kind of peace to have. Barely visible on a branch overhanging a raging, roaring, storm-swollen waterfall was a little nest where a tiny bird was singing peacefully away, in spite of the turmoil below.
That kind of peace comes only through the Prince of Peace—Jesus—and the knowledge that whatever happens, He’ll take care of you!
Peace of the running waves to you,
Deep peace of the flowing air to you,
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you,
Deep peace of the shining stars to you,
Deep peace of the shades of night to you,
Moon and stars always giving light to you,
Deep peace of Christ, the Son of Peace, to you.
—Traditional Gaelic blessing

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Galatians 5:22-23 ESV / But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

John 14:27 ESV / Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Philippians 4:6-7 ESV / do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

The Forest Getaway

Last winter I took a five-week trip to fundraise for a humanitarian aid project I’m involved with. My plan was ambitious—possibly overly so. Long, intense days for over a month straight took a toll on my spiritual life and general disposition.
One day, as I was taking my lunch break and walking around the large mall where I was manning a collection booth, the nonstop sights and sounds in this highly charged commercial setting were weighing on my spirit. I am a nature lover, and the below-zero temperatures and severe snowstorms that kept me indoors even when I got off work were another factor that made me feel trapped and miserable.

As I passed one glitzy display after another for what seemed like the tenth time, I was on the verge of tears and began to pray silently. I told God how I wanted to be far from all this noise and incessant activity, how I wished for the peace and quiet of a forest, surrounded by nature, where I would be able to more clearly feel His presence and hear His voice.

Then I saw it. I don’t know how I had missed it before. Right in front of me was a large picture of an incredibly beautiful, almost magical, misty forest. As I got closer, I realized it was part of a temporary photo exhibit. I went in and was immediately immersed in a beautiful collection of scenes depicting the majesty of God’s creation—mountains, rivers, lakes, deserts, caves, sunsets, and more. They were the most beautiful pictures of nature I had ever seen. The lighting was dim except for the photographs, and soft instrumental music was playing. I was totally alone, and overstuffed armchairs in the center of the gallery beckoned me to sit, relax, and take it all in. It was too good to be true. In the dead of winter, in the most hectic place I have ever been, God gave me the one thing I wanted most, which had seemed impossible—twenty minutes with Him in an enchanting forest, with a rippling stream on one side and rolling green hills on the other.

God goes out of His way every day to show us His love. No need of ours is too small or too big for Him to meet. I now have complete confidence in that.

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Colossians 3:10-12 ESV / And have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,

Revelation 21:4 ESV / He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV / Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

God’s Mosaics

Have you ever come across a construction site where the workers were laboriously laying a tile floor—one of those mosaic floors with thousands of tiny tiles that create a picture when finished? While it’s being put in place, the picture isn’t clearly visible because the workers use grout to fill the spaces between the tiles, and the grout leaves a heavy gray film over their work that hides the beauty of what they’ve done. But then, once the grout between the tiles is dry, the film is washed off and the picture is revealed.

That’s similar to how God works in our lives. In His infinite wisdom and all-encompassing love, He understands exactly what we need and goes to great lengths, with intricate detail, to provide those things.

Often He uses the troubles of life, such as economic difficulties, personal struggles, and mistakes, to work in ways we aren’t expecting. We don’t always realize how He’s preparing us, or understand why He has allowed something “gray” to cloud our lives, like the grout on the mosaic as it is being fashioned. But that only makes His loving and attentive care all the more profound and beautiful when it’s finally revealed.

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Romans 5:3-5 ESV / More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

1 Peter 5:10 ESV / And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

James 1:2-4 ESV / Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

SFOT Library

Dear Friends,

We rejoice and give thanks to God for the weekend of the Ordination & Commissioning of the cadets of the Heralds of Grace. You will appreciate that part of the Spiritual Formation training included service within the SFOT campus. For two semesters the cadets undertook as their one year project a reorganizing of the SFOT library. This included physically cleaning the shelves, arranging the books, weeding & disposing the torn and worn-out books, cataloguing, labelling and sorting out new and donated second hand books, selecting excess books which are in good condition to stock the SFOT library in Yangon, Myanmar.

The library is now fully functional and is hosted on a cloud platform which you can access virtually from anywhere in the world with internet connection. The URL address is  https://sarmy.vlibonline.com . You can view our stock on the web. Our library collection has books on Biblical Studies, Theology, Christian History, Missions & Pastoral Theology, Leadership, and many others with a good range of Salvation Army authors and publications. There is also an up to date series on journals from Trinity Theological College and Church & Society in Asia Today written by Asian theologians and scholars.

The library is open for membership to all officers, Salvationists, congregational members and employees of TSA with a nominal fee of $10 for Singaporeans and RM10 for Malaysians per year. Retired officers and cadets can be members for free. Please write to Serene Lim to secure an application form and register as a member to perform loan activities and borrow books and resource materials. You will receive a membership guide and policy when you register.

Loan activities can be conducted online and your books will be delivered to your corps or centre via courier service or through your corps officer/centre manager.

For further information regarding the library please write to library_wbcm@smm.salvationarmy.org or contact 63495345.

Thank you and regards,


Lee Kong Yee
Major
School for Officers Training

Fruit in Season

My son’s voice broke as he spoke, “Mom, I don’t know what’s happening. I just moved my family in order to take a new job, but now that job has fallen through!”

I did my best to encourage him, but as the minutes went by, I could tell I wasn’t getting through the wall of anguish.

After hanging up, I couldn’t get my son’s situation out of my mind. Finally I stopped everything else to pray about what he was going through. My son and his wife are active Christians and responsible young parents. I knew that he would do the best he could to support his family, but I knew, too, that the worldwide economic slump meant it was even more difficult than usual to get a good job.

As I prayed for him, I was reminded of the first words of the first Psalm, and I knew these verses were the key for my son: “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.”

“God is love,” and His interactions with us are loving. He is always trying to draw us closer to Himself. Sometimes He allows difficulties and setbacks to befall us, but if our hearts are right with Him, then we are like those trees that are planted by the rivers of water, and we will bring forth fruit when the time is right.
Consider the life cycle of a fruit tree. Sometimes it goes dormant; all the leaves may fall off, and it may appear dead. But there are other times when the tree bursts forth with fruit in abundance.

In the same way, we also go through cycles. There are times when we’re at the top of our game and things couldn’t be better. Then there are times when things take a dip and we have to fight to stay positive. At times like that, I like to meditate on one of my favorite promises from God’s Word: “Do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.”

I couldn’t wait to get back on the phone and share these thoughts with my son. We prayed together for him to be freed from discouragement and worry.

My son and his wife began praying every day for a new job, and he also took on whatever temporary jobs he could find in the meantime. Within six months, he was able to get a good job in an electronics company, and after one year he was promoted to vice president of the same company.

He faced some major obstacles, but God came through for him. Although he’s very busy and challenged with his career, he continues to make his time with the Lord and reading His Word a priority because he knows that this is the key to happiness and success.

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Psalm 1:1-3 ESV /
Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.

1 John 4:8 ESV / Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

Hebrews 10:35-36 ESV / Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.

Living with a Loss

Steve was a cheerful little boy with big brown eyes, curly blond hair, and a dimple that appeared on his right cheek every time he smiled. He had dreamy eyes, and often sat by the window to gaze at the rain, the clouds, or the birds.

“He has been kissed by an angel,” the Japanese midwife had told me with a smile when she first placed the small warm bundle in my arms, pointing out a snow-white streak of hair at the back of his head. “He has a special calling in life.” Over the years, her words often came back to me and I wondered what they meant.

Fifteen years later, Steve, then a handsome teenager with an athletic physique, suddenly became very ill. I was sure it was a bout of malaria, as we had traveled to the coast regularly during our missionary work in East Africa. The grave look on the doctor’s face said otherwise, even before he relayed the findings of the tests he had ordered. “Acute lymphoblastic leukemia.” My mind was suddenly flooded with questions. What did that mean? Could it be healed? How would this affect his future?

Because of the seriousness of Steve’s condition, we were in a race against time. Within a few hours, Steve was flown from Kenya to Europe, where better treatments were available. He was hospitalized and put on chemotherapy.

The next two years were long and agonizing. Hopeful moments were followed by setbacks as one chemotherapy session was followed by the next.

Then came the day when it became clear that our dear Steve was not going to recover. His doctors pronounced the treatments unsuccessful and gave him six weeks to live. It was Steve’s wish to return to Mombasa, Kenya, where he had grown up. It was there, surrounded by his friends and family, that he got to fulfill some of his final wishes, like a day of sailing in the bay before watching the hot tropical sun spread bright hues over the Indian Ocean at sunset.

When Steve’s last breath passed his lips early one morning in a small hospital room overlooking the ocean, the world stood still for me. A large yellow butterfly fluttered through the open window, and I felt God reassuring me that He had taken Steve gently to His unseen realm. Still, the impact of losing my son left me in shambles long after everyone else’s mourning had passed.

“Let go and move on” was the well-meaning advice I seemed to get from every side. But where was I to move on to? And how? Deep inside, I felt bitter and angry with God for snatching my vibrant young son from me. I felt cheated and empty. My heart remained heavy as the months dragged by and I pondered my loss again and again.
Eventually I decided to meet God on my porch early each morning to tell Him of my woes. Days stretched to weeks as I poured on Him all my grief, remorse, and anger over what had happened. “If love is the essence of Your nature, as the Bible says, how could You deal so harshly with me and my son?” I asked over and over.
What a patient and longsuffering listener I found.

I cried and pleaded and reasoned, until finally one morning I felt I had said all that I wanted and poured out all my emotions. It was then, when I was willing to make peace with God, that tranquility filled my soul. In a still, soothing voice, God began to speak to my heart. From that point on, my solitary morning porch meetings with God took another direction. I learned to listen to Him and to allow Him to comfort me and heal my pain.
I’m Free
Don’t grieve for me, for now I’m free.
I’m following the path God has laid, you see.
I took His hand when I heard Him call;
I turned my back and left it all.
I could not stay another day
To laugh, to love, to work, to play.
Tasks left undone must stay that way;
I found that peace at the close of day.
If my parting has left a void,
Then fill it with remembered joy.

A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss,
Oh yes, these things I too will miss.
Be not burdened with times of sorrow,
I wish you the sunshine of tomorrow.
My life’s been full; I savored much—
Good friends, good times, a loved one’s touch.
Perhaps my time seemed all too brief;
Don’t lengthen it with undue grief.
Lift up your hearts, and peace to thee.
God wanted me; He set me free.
—Author unknown

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2 Corinthians 1:3-4 ESV / 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 our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

Matthew 5:1-48 ESV / Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. …

Matthew 11:28-30 ESV / Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Prayer Points

1. Please intercede for Corps Family: Bro Tan Thean Sin, Sis Cheong Saw Aing, Hock Hin, Grace,

2. Please continue to intercede for one another for spiritual growth, good health, friendship and family.

3. Please intercede for Sis Rachel for health restoration and recovery.

Announcements

1. Helping Hand Project - Women's and Children of Bangladesh.
Projects: Home League Rallies, Sewing Project, Girl's Camp, Women Officers' Conference, Fruit for Integrated Children's Center. Plan and date will be announce later.

2. Territorial Music & Arts Camp 2015
Date: 9th - 13th June 2015 (Age: 13 - 30)
Venue: Eagle Ranch Resort Port Dickson
Fees: RM160 until 20 April 2015 / RM210 (Normal Rate)
Closing Date: 4th May 2015.

3. Visit of Programme Secretary
Major Hary Haran
Date: 17th - 19th May

Heaven’s Reflecetion

A friend was showing me a photo that he took at Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden—a large park in the middle of bustling Tokyo. It showed a brilliant blue sky with green trees framing it. When I complimented him on a beautiful shot, my friend looked amused. “Actually, you’re looking at it upside down. This is the reflection of the sky on the lake.”

I looked closer and saw that he was right. What I had thought was scenery was actually its reflection on the lake’s surface, almost like an optical illusion. I was amazed at how clearly the sky and surroundings were reflected in the still water. It made me think how wonderful it would be if my life could so perfectly reflect heaven’s peace and stillness.

God wants me to rest in the knowledge that He is in control and looking out for us. He says, “Be still, and know that I am God.” But when things go wrong, the winds of adversity can create turmoil in my spirit and cause me to feel buffeted. When I get this way, others only see the choppy waves of my ruffled spirit, not the still reflection of heaven.

I can’t avoid the storms of life, but they don’t need to rob me of the peace of God. I can hold on to the promise that these trials will never be more than I can bear; God will always provide a way out. He’s also ready, willing, and able to bring about something good from every situation, if my heart is right and I turn to Him for guidance and help.3 So when trouble hits, I have a choice. Will I project to others the vision of a storm-tossed sea? Or will they see the peace of heaven reflected in my attitude and actions?

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Mark 4:39 ESV / And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV / And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Psalm 46:10 ESV /
“Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”

Divine Chaos

Of all the word pictures Jesus painted, I can’t think of another that engenders the peace of spirit that comes from feeling secure in God’s loving care more than this: “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. If God so clothes the grass of the field, will He not much more clothe you?” Can you see those lilies now? Tall and straight, perfectly formed and laced with dew, each a polite distance from the next, they sway as one to the sweet strains of songbirds and a gentle breeze as it sweeps through an open meadow awash with morning sun. At least that’s how I would have had them grow, if God had asked me.

A very different scene hangs above my desk—a hopeless tangle of wildflowers and weeds, grasses, thistles, and who knows what, some flourishing, some beginning to fade, and some gone to seed. The photo was the reward of a long, hot trek through the Texas countryside in search of a scene that matched a mental picture that had come to me months earlier while praying about my part in a new project that involved quite a few people, each of whom added his or her particular needs, opinions, aspirations, quirks, and hang-ups to the mix.

The amazing thing about that scene when I glimpsed it in prayer was how it instantly set my heart and mind to rest. I had the distinct feeling that God not only had it all under control, but that He delighted in the complexity and diversity, in each and every element and its place in the hodgepodge. The Creator in love with His creation. Things weren’t as I would have had them, but as He would have them. That realization made all the difference. I titled my photo Divine Chaos, and I study and draw from it whenever I work myself into turmoil over some new problem. “Consider the flowers of the field, how they grow.”

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Hebrews 1:3 ESV / He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

Colossians 1:16 ESV / For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for hi

1 John 1:5 ESV / This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

5 Senses Thanksgiving

Every day is filled with happy moments that we could thank God for, if we paused to acknowledge them. This thanksgiving exercise is based on what we perceive through our five traditional senses.

Sight: Many things are beautiful to behold, whether natural sights such as trees and flowers, created works such as art and architecture, or the sight of a friend or home after an absence. What pleasurable sights lined your path today? Thank God for them.

Hearing: The warble of birds, the sound of music, or a loved one’s voice on the phone can bring a smile. What were the sounds that brought you pleasure today? Thank God for them.

Taste: When God provided food for the Israelites during their 40-year sojourn in the wilderness, it seems He was not only concerned with providing sustenance, but also something tasty. The psalmist later called manna, the mystery food that appeared on the ground each morning, “angels’ food.” In another passage we are told that “its taste was like the taste of pastry.”
Think back over what you ate and drank today. What flavors and textures did you enjoy? Thank God for them.
Smell: The sense of smell is evocative. Freshly mown grass reminds us of summer; a certain perfume or cologne may remind us of a loved one or friend; the smell of a certain food can conjure up places and experiences from our past.
What good smells came your way today? What happy thoughts did they trigger? Thank God for them.

Touch: We see only with our eyes, smell only with our noses, taste only with our mouths, and hear only with our ears, but the sense of touch is transmitted through tiny nerve endings that cover us from head to toe. Each fingertip alone has around 2500 receptors.
Our days are filled with touch. We brush our child’s hair and feel its softness. We hold a mug of warm tea or coffee. We splash cool water on our face on a hot day. What special experiences did you have today thanks to your sense of touch? Thank God for those.

To develop this exercise further, consider starting a sensory thanksgiving notebook. Each evening, jot down your day’s experiences of each sense. Just a word or two may be sufficient; it’s the moments of appreciative reflection that make this exercise valuable.

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Romans 8:28 ESV / And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Psalm 107:1 ESV / Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!

Psalm 50:23 ESV / The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!”