Relationship Challenges and Rewards

You probably didn’t understand the law of gravity in scientific terms until someone explained it to you, even though you’ve been subject to it since birth. You became aware of its basic effect as soon as you were old enough to sit up and topple over.—“What goes up must come down.” When you got a little bigger, you learned “The bigger they come, the harder they fall.” Those were tough lessons at a tender age, but they are why you can now handle the good china without breaking it and climb a ladder without breaking your neck. Gravity has benefits as well as undesirable consequences, of course. Without giving it a passing thought, much less due credit, you use gravity to arch the ball into the basket, draw water from the faucet, check your weight, and perform a thousand other services.

Just as God created gravity and other laws of physics to govern our physical world, He created spiritual laws to govern our relationships with Him and others. If gravity is our starting point in learning about physical realities, parental love is our starting point in learning about relationships. Our parents’ love is all we need as babies to feel secure and complete. But as we grow up, our worlds expand. Situations and relationships get more complex. We find that gravity isn’t the only natural force at play, and that not everyone loves us the way our parents do.

Interpersonal relationships are one of life’s greatest challenges, but also one of its greatest rewards. How can we both give and get the most from those relationships? Where do we even start? Jesus gave us the keys when He said, “As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you,” and “Love one another as I have loved you.” As sure as the law of gravity, the better we get to know Jesus, the more of His love we experience and the more it spills over to our relations with others.

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John 13:34-35 ESV – A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if yo7:00u have love for one another.”

Galatians 6:1-5 ESV – Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load.

Philippians 4:8 ESV – Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

Prayer Points

1. Please intercede for Corps family:
Bro Colin Ooi, Sis Catherine, Bro Mark and Sis Seok Mei

2. Please intercede for Sis Yee Kah Wai who is now on internship in Langkawi. Pray for God strength, wisdom and protection be upon her.

3. Please intercede for ongoing Flag Day and upcoming Open Day fundraising projects in Penang.

Announcement

1. Corps Sport (Zumba)
Date: 21 May 2016 Time: 8-10am
Venue: Penang Children's Home Multi Purpose Hall

2. Cell Group
Date: 20 May 2016 Time: 8pm
Venue: PCH Chapel

3. Helping Hand Project (April - June)
For Melaka Outpost & Myanmar. For more information please refer to Corps noticeboard.
Penang Corps Women's and Sport Ministries team is organizing a walkathon in support for this project fund raising.

4. Young Adult Camp 2016
Date: 6 - 10 July 2016 (Wed - Sun)
Venue: Chiang Mai, Thailand
Age:18 - 30+ years old
Fees: RM399.00 (excluding airfare)

Insurance or Assurance?

As last year drew to a close, I was still struggling with many of the complications and worries that had been making me feel insecure for some time. Then I came across an article about the difference between “insurance” and “assurance,” which got me thinking. Was God my insurance or my assurance?

Having God in our lives is a form of insurance. We know that no matter what happens, He will be with us and bless us for trusting Him. “I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord,” and, “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God”.

But in my day-to-day life, particularly when I’m faced with a decision or problem, what I want and need even more is assurance for the short term. God gives us that, too. He promises us guidance, supply of our needs, and grace and strength in difficult times. He also offers the assurance, “I will never leave you nor forsake you”—and that is as true in the immediate circumstance as it will ever be.

Life is a series of situations and decisions. When we focus on the uncertainties, we become paralyzed. But when we take our problems to God and look to Him in our decision making, His assurances propel us in the right direction. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God … and it will be given to him.” “Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left.”

Who knows what the coming year will bring? Probably a mix of surprises, successes, setbacks, and some sleepless nights. But through it all, God wants to be both our insurance and our assurance—insurance in the long term, and assurance in the short.

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1 John 5:14 NASV – And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he hears us.

1 John 5:15 NASV – And if we know that he hear us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

Ephesians 3:12 NASV – In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.

Nine How-tos of Change

Take stock and set goals. Make a list of the areas you want to change in and what you can do to bring those changes about. Putting goals and plans in writing will help crystallize your thoughts and firm your commitment.

Program the changes into your daily or weekly schedule. Without a definite plan, good intentions will probably soon be forgotten or get lost in the press of everything else you have to do.

Depend on Jesus, not willpower, intellect, or natural ability alone. The Bible tells us, “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man” and “Happy are those whose strength comes from [God]. The people get stronger as they go.”

Find instruction and encouragement in God’s Word. God promises, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go.” An online Bible-search site, concordance, or Bible study help such as Keys to Happier Living, Bible Basics, and Key Bible Verses makes it much easier to find what the Bible has to say about specific topics related to the changes you want to make.

Join or form a support group. Being around like-minded people provides positive reinforcement and moral support—two catalysts of change. “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.” “As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.”

Ask others to pray for you. United prayer gets remarkable results.

Thank God for His help. The more you show your gratitude, the more God will want to do for you. “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise.”

When you fall short, ask God to help you keep trying. “A righteous man may fall seven times and rise again.” “Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholds him with His hand.”

Keep believing that you can change, with God’s help. Claim verses that increase your faith, such as, “It is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure,” and “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

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2 Corinthians 5:17 NASV – Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

Ephesians 2:10 NASV – For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Isaiah 40:31 NASV – Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.

DISCOVERING FAITH

I grew up in a Christian family, but at 13 I declared that I was an atheist. When I was 18, I left my hometown of Rio de Janeiro with a backpack and set off to see the world. I visited the British Isles, then crossed the Channel and took a bus overland to India, through Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. I learned that Arabic-speakers use the same expression, As-salamu alaykum—the peace of God be with you—for hello and goodbye.

Once in a little town in Afghanistan, I heard a boy singing a beautiful song in his father’s tailor shop. When I asked what he was singing, he said, “The Koran, of course.” When I arrived in Goa, I stayed with a group of French young people who would sit in their hut and spend hours silently contemplating a lit candle on the table.

I remember thinking, There must be a God. Everywhere I go, people are seeking Him. Soon I found my Christian roots again and became a missionary, and that’s when I began learning what having faith really means.

In my experience, as you pass the tests of life one by one, you will find that faith beckons you onward. It keeps you going when setbacks and discouragement scream that you should give up. It is a still small voice that tells you in the midst of turmoil that everything is going to be all right. Faith grows through the challenges we overcome day by day.

If you think your faith is still small, remember what Jesus said. Even if your faith is as tiny as a mustard seed, it can move a mountain.

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Hebrews 11:6 ESV / And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

1 John 5:4 ESV / For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

Galatians 2:20 ESV / I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

BEYOND WISHFUL THINKING

I was eight years old when I lost my grandfather at the age of 65. My family is very close knit and this was a big blow to all of us.

I remember kissing Nanu’s cold cheek and bidding him farewell. But something inside told me this was not a permanent goodbye. I always had a fervent hope of reuniting with him one day.
Every time we visited the graveyard, I cried at not being able to see him, touch him, talk to him; but deep down, there was always a confident knowledge that I was going to see him again. In expectation of this eventual reunion, I’d think thoughts like When I see Nanu again, I’ll ask him about the time he was chased by a gang of armed robbers, or When I see Nanu again, I’ll reprimand him for not getting his kidney operation done in time. As I grew older, however, I adjusted to his absence.

After Nanu’s death, my grandmother, Nanna, was the heart of our big family, and now she too is gone. When she died recently and we gathered to clear out her house, I ran my hand over the quilt on her bed and couldn’t stop weeping. At church, I would find myself looking at her regular seat and asking Jesus, Why?

As the weeks passed, the pain became less raw, less constant, but it was nevertheless always there. Until one day I caught myself thinking, When I see Nanna again, I’m going to tell her how much we’ve all missed her. I’ll give her that hug I couldn’t at the hospital …

And that’s when I realized that the promise of eternal life isn’t just fit for the childish wishful thinking of an eight-year-old, but that it can comfort throughout life. As Christians, we have an undying hope and faith that death is not the end. God sent His Son, Jesus, to earth so we could have eternal life with Him. All we need is childlike faith to believe God’s promise.

I don’t know exactly how the relationships we enjoy so much on earth will continue in heaven, but I know that eternal life with God awaits us. Death is the door we pass through to reach it.

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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.

Revelation 21:8 ESV / But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

Galatians 6:7-8 ESV / Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

CHANGING LANDSCAPES

I was driving home today and missed my turn. I’m familiar with the neighborhood and have turned into that street thousands of times. But I was confused by the changing landscape.
An unused strip mall was being torn down, and bulldozers had been busy all week. Suddenly, the corner building was no longer there, and I went cruising past my turn. I hadn’t realized how accustomed I was to turning left at that building.

I began to think about the landscape of my life and how difficult it is to respond to changes. I like to follow familiar routes. I like to know my way. I like to cruise along without having to think about it. I am thankful for new technologies that provide turn-by-turn guidance whenever I have to venture into new areas, because I don’t always have a navigator in the car with me to read the map and help me spot street signs. But familiarity can also become a navigation system.

I grew up in the countryside and learned to use trees and hills as landmarks instead of streetlights and signs. I very rarely read signs unless I am in unfamiliar territory. I like to unconsciously follow the way I have traveled thousands of times by looking at the visual landscape.

There have been a few times in my life when I had sudden changes, and my spiritual landscape was completely overhauled. I struggled to find patterns and learn the ropes in my new domain. The only way to find my way was listening to God’s voice, like Google Maps, “In 30 feet, turn left on Broadway…”

God can guide us through changing landscapes and bring us home, no matter how much things have changed. All we have to do is turn to Him and ask for His help, and He can give us a step-by-step plan to get us through. Changes force us to get out of our ruts, pay attention to where we’re going, and carefully read the signs.

Right now the demolition process down the street looks like a big mess, but somebody knows what they are doing. Somebody has a plan, and eventually, I will be thankful for something new and better in our neighborhood. The only way to have improvements is to have change. In the meantime, I need to be a little more conscientious driving home and remember where to turn. No more relying on “automatic pilot.”

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John 14:26 ESV / But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

Luke 10:27 ESV / And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”

Matthew 26:52-54 ESV / Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?”

FACING THE UNKNOWN—TOGETHER

Like most people, I like predictability. Change can mean stepping into the unknown and losing my comfortable routine, and that’s frightening.

It also means I have to give up some control. That’s scary too. Even when you prepare as well as you can, there are so many factors involved that you just can’t control them all.

“Change always comes bearing gifts,” wrote Price Pritchett, but I’m sure we’ve all sometimes wondered if those gifts were worth it, and if it might not be better—easier—to forgo them instead of having to deal with the discomfort of change. Then again, we often don’t have a choice; changes have a way of coming upon us whether we want them or not.

One thing I’ve experienced recently, though, is that change is so much easier to go through with God than on our own!

God knows all things, including the future. He can prepare us in ways we couldn’t prepare ourselves, and He works all things together for our good. He’s never surprised by the bend in the road or the turn of events, and He is able to guide and equip us for what’s ahead, even if we don’t recognize what’s happening at the time.

God is in control. Knowing that the being who created us and will fulfill His purpose for us is on our side can be just the shot of confidence we need in order to face whatever happens. “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Perhaps one of the most important realizations God leads us to in times of change is His unconditional love for each of us. When change is difficult, scary, or hurts, He remains by our side. His love never wavers, and He wants only the best for us.

Even though we go through innumerable changes and experiences that shape and ultimately modify our character, He remains constant, supportive, and ever dependable. He’s the best friend we could have … and that’s one thing that’s not going to change: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

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Hebrews 11:6 ESV / And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

1 John 5:13 ESV / I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.

1 John 4:18 ESV / There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

HOPE AND THE TREE OF LIFE

He’s a tall, tanned, lanky fellow in his mid-sixties—older than most of the other vendors at the fruit and vegetable market. He invariably greets his customers with a radiant smile.
One hot July morning when I approached his stall, I was surprised to see that he was wearing a thick brace around his neck. It stretched from the tip of his chin to his shoulders, and although he did not complain, his eyes betrayed his discomfort. He explained that he’d had an automobile accident and was recovering from an operation.
It was the peak of Taiwanese summer, when humidity levels soar and temperatures rise to uncomfortable levels. I cringed as I imagined how he felt to be wearing a brace of woven plastic in the blistering, sultry heat of an outdoor market. He saw my concern and smiled. “It will get better. All wounds heal, and whining about how hard it is won’t help any.” I paid for my purchases and promised to pray for him.

When I saw him again two weeks later, the brace remained, but so did his smile.

“Are you in a lot of pain?” I asked. “That brace must be so bothersome!”

“It is painful and stifling,” he agreed, “but what keeps me going is thinking of that wonderful day when it’ll be gone and I will move about freely again. Having something to hope for really helps!”

As time passed, that “wonderful day” seemed to not arrive. He didn’t recover as quickly as anticipated, and the brace remained for over a month. But my friend kept clinging to hope and kept refusing to despair, even as he struggled to maintain his business while undergoing treatment.

At last, the day came when he was freed from the brace’s grip. A large red scar was visible on his neck, but he held his head high with no trace of self-consciousness and willingly shared how glad he was to be free of the brace. His joy reminded me of the verse, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.”

My friend is a testimony of what Paul calls “endurance inspired by hope.” His hope wasn’t just a vague desire or fanciful idealism. It was a choice to believe that no pain lasts forever, that all wounds heal. It didn’t matter how long or difficult the process; what mattered was keeping his spirit buoyant and clinging to the promise of a better future. As I weather life’s storms, his example inspires me to hang on when things look bleak. I will cling to the One in whom my hope is “as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast.”

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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.

1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV / No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

1 John 4:18 ESV / There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

HAVING FAITH IN FAITH

It’s second nature for some people to have faith and show trust in God. They somehow see the good in difficult people or trying situations. To them, the glass is always half full. You’ll often hear them say things like, “God will supply,” and, “Don’t worry, things will work out.” Upon meeting a person like this for the first time, you’d probably think their life has been pretty peachy—with very few problems and everything going their way.

It might surprise you, though, to discover that people with such exemplary personalities didn’t necessarily become faith-filled and positive because their lives floated along like a song. Many people have taken on this nature as a result of facing difficult, trying, sometimes heartbreaking and painful circumstances, and choosing to wait to see how God would come through for them—even though it sometimes took a while.

They may have fought battles with their health or watched their children battle an enduring sickness or lost a loved one. Whatever it was, these faith-filled people came out strong, courageous, and compassionate. I take my hat off to them. They give life and meaning to the word faith and show me that no matter how bad things get, God will be there to help me through; all I have to do is hold on to Him and to the faith I have received through His Word, which will keep doubts and discouragement away.

God promises, “All things work together for good to them that love God.” It took me a while to realize that the verse doesn’t say, “All things are always good” but that, “All things work together for good.” To me, that means that even though bad things do happen to all of us, God works them into the story of our lives to bring about good on our behalf, whether now or in eternity. When I take this approach, I also realize that we can’t thank Him for all the good in our lives and then blame Him for the bad things. It means we can trust Him through the bad and be absolutely confident that He’ll make our difficulties become something good, or through them bring something good into our lives.

The Bible is so full of examples of this principle, and I think it’s because God wanted to get this point across.

King David is one of my favorites. Imagine for a second that your big career plan was to be a shepherd, which from my vast knowledge of shepherding (and my vivid imagination) amounted to watching sheep eat for hours, fighting off the odd life-threatening beast, and fiddling on your harp. Then suddenly, you’re hitting the big time: you get anointed king; you kill a giant in front of two armies, the king, and your big brothers; and you become best buddies with the heir to the throne. At that point, if David was all like, Yeah, God’s really great, you’d know it was easy for him to say that.

However, reality hit later on when he nearly lost the kingdom (a few times), had his own son betray him, and had to face God’s punishments for some seriously bad choices. You know that when he praised God after that, he was doing it from a place where he knew exactly what it meant to trust God through ups and downs.

I was reading where King David says to God, “You are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God. I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths, from the realm of the dead.” In that psalm he’s desperately praying yet again for God to deliver him from his enemies, but he also knows and is confident in God’s protection and care, so that his faith is not shaken but is stronger than ever.

Faith is compared to gold in the Bible. And like gold, faith has high value. Faith that weakens when it is tested would be like having a currency with little or no value, which would be pretty useless. But like gold, faith is precious, rare, costly, and lasts a lifetime.

In my own life, I can look back at situations and events that weren’t easy to experience, or that I definitely wouldn’t want to relive, but I realize that if I hadn’t gone through the tough times, I would have missed some of the wonderful things that I gained along the way. Having this knowledge and experience has strengthened my faith and given me the assurance that no matter what emotional storms I go through, I know Jesus is behind them, waiting to shine through and give me exactly what I need to move forward with grace and strength, ready to face whatever else life throws at me.

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Hebrews 11:6 ESV / And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV / For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV / Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

BUTTERFLY ENCOUNTERS

As I was researching material for a short story about an antique dealer who collected rare butterflies, I came across a website that revealed a rich resource of stories involving those fascinating creatures.

I was amazed at the vast quantity of stories that had been contributed to this one website—hundreds of experiences—and I was struck by how big an impact the tiny butterfly has had on the lives of us mortals throughout the ages! Over 2,000 years ago, the ancient Greeks were already using the transformation of butterflies from pupa to adult as a metaphor of the soul’s resurrection and immortality.

A common thread running throughout the accounts I read on the website of butterfly encounters was how these wondrous creatures have comforted people in particularly difficult times in their lives. After reading so many of these stories, I wondered if butterflies could work their magic for me too. I was going through a rough time and especially missing my oldest daughter, who had passed away seven years earlier.

One evening, I asked God to send me a butterfly as a sign that she is still with us in spirit, and then forgot about it. However, the next day, as we were packing our equipment and loading up after a show in a distant rural area, a colorful butterfly persisted in fluttering by me the entire time. Then later as I was commenting on this to my friend while we were stopped at a traffic light, another butterfly passed in front of our windshield, as if to say, I am still with you.

But the most remarkable butterfly encounter occurred on Christmas Day. As our family was gathered around the tree, opening presents and enjoying one another’s companionship, a butterfly floated into the room and rested near the light. It stayed with us all day and all that night. The next morning it was gone, as if it had completed its mission. We were encouraged and thankful for its visit, feeling this was a sign to remind us of her at this special time.

Of course, our encouragement and comfort should not be dependent on such signs, but we can nonetheless appreciate them when they occur. God’s Word promises that if we ask, we will receive. If you need comfort or direction in your life, God can send messengers to your aid in a variety of forms—with or without wings.

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Joshua 1:9 ESV / Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

2 Timothy 1:7 ESV / For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

Psalm 37:4 ESV / Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

STARTING OVER

My husband and I moved to Canada a few years ago after 30 years abroad. During those years, I had lived, worked, and traveled throughout the Americas without ever returning to the place of my birth for any length of time.

The repatriation process was a bit of a culture shock, though I quickly came to love living in a country that embraces diversity and welcomes immigrants from around the world, creating a racial and ethnic mixture that exudes tolerance and teaches patience for the many people trying to find their way, learn a new language, and adapt to a new culture. It brought home the realization that our planet is full of people rebuilding their lives, searching for new homes, learning new languages and trades, and starting over from scratch. A phenomenon that has increased in modern times, yet God created humankind with the versatility to start over.

While receiving some medical tests, I struck up a conversation with the radiologist, a pleasant, kind woman with a patient demeanor, who shared her story with me. She was born and studied medicine in the Soviet Union. After the fall of communism, she immigrated to Israel, where she discovered that she would have to repeat most of her medical training if she wished to practice in Israel. Feeling called to be a pediatrician, she repeated eight laborious years of medical training and once again took up the practice. Life did not turn out as planned for her and her family in Israel, so they immigrated again to Canada. Once again, she discovered that she would have to endure some eight years of medical training if she wished to practice. At that point, she gave up her medical practice and became a radiologist, as she felt that now that she had children of her own, it wasn’t possible to repeat the training.

As she shared her life story, she did so with cheerfulness and without complaint. She had assessed her options, redirected her plans, and started over from scratch. I am sure her cheerfulness and patience were hard-earned, and I expressed my appreciation to her, which brought a smile to her face.

Certainly, starting over during mid-life is not an enviable position. But many people today face this reality. It seems that there are few careers that come with a “guaranteed for life” sticker, and in today’s world, versatility and adaptability are paramount. Thankfully, those are qualities that God’s Word has always advised Christians to hone, as the following Bible passage brought home to me:

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak.

[God] has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. … God does it so that men will revere him.”

The Bible is filled with stories of people who changed careers, homelands, or direction as God guided them, whether through His direct word or through circumstances. Starting over is, in fact, so common in the Bible that it’s difficult to think of many of its main characters who didn’t have to start over, beginning with Abraham to Isaac, Joseph, Moses, Esther, Ruth, Daniel, Jesus’ disciples, Paul, and on the list goes.

Living in an area of the world where so many people are first-generation immigrants has brought home to me the fact that starting over is a fact of life that many people are facing in today’s world, as the dynamics around them shift and populations migrate and travel the globe in search of better opportunities and a better life. They choose to be strangers and pilgrims to provide a better life for their families and children, and step out with incredible courage to do so, often with few resources and having to leave behind their families, careers, and credentials. They still conceive of a future that is better, and that makes it worth the risk and the challenges.

As Christians, we are “confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations; a city designed and built by God,” so that “now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance … beyond the reach of change and decay. … There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine.”

Starting over still looms large, and at times the challenges seem overwhelming. But taking a look around and seeing the courage of other people who have crossed land and sea in search of better circumstances in this world has served as a confidence-booster that God never puts us in a position where we can’t grow and expand and “run with endurance the race He has set before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, our champion who initiates and perfects our faith.”

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Hebrews 11:10 (NIV) For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

1 Peter 1:3-4 (NIV) Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you,

1 Peter 1:6-7 (NIV) In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

CALLING THROUGH THE REGISTERS

My grandparents’ 1920 farmhouse was graced with solid oak floors and woodwork, and there were “registers,” adjustable grates in the floors that made it possible to regulate the flow of warm air that passed through ducts from the furnace in the basement to each of the upstairs rooms. My cousin and I had great fun talking to each other through the registers.

“Are you there?” one of us would ask from a downstairs room.

“Yes, I’m here,” the other would answer from an upstairs room. “How are you down there?”

“Good. Now let’s switch places.”

We would scramble to change places, carefully avoiding my grandmother, who was quick to remind us to not run on the stairs and to stop our “titterin’,” which was what Grandma called our giggling.

When I was growing up, my family attended a small independent church that frowned on such things as playing card games that involved jokers and aces, dancing, and women wearing pants to church, not to mention the seemingly endless list of more serious deviations from the straight and narrow that is common to many churches, some of which are more clearly scriptural than others.

But when I met the Family International in 1969, I knew I was “home.” At last I had found a religion that was relevant and rang true with what I believed deep down inside, even though it was very different from the way I had been brought up. Getting used to hallelujahs and guitar-music worship services wasn’t easy.

One day I was desperate to know whether or not I was right in embracing the Family’s beliefs and lifestyle, and I prayed earnestly. Suddenly it was as though I was back in my grandparents’ farmhouse. This time it was my grandfather, who had passed away years before, who was upstairs, talking to me through the register. Our conversation went something like this:

“Hi, honey. Are you okay?”

“Yes, Grandpa. Is that really you? I am okay, but there is something I need to know. Am I right in wanting to serve the Lord like this? Is this what I am supposed to be doing?”

“Well, what do you think?”

“I think it is right, but I grew up singing hymns in church, not singing songs about Jesus to strangers in parks. This is all so different!”

“It may be different from what you were taught, but you’re still worshiping the same Jesus. When you pray, you’re praying to the same Jesus, and when you sing His praises, even if it’s rock music you’re singing, you’re telling Him you love Him.”

It wasn’t a dream. I was wide awake in a garden in broad daylight. I couldn’t see Grandpa, but his voice was as clear and real in my mind as my cousin’s had been when we were children, talking through the registers. It was a life-changing, faith-building experience, and 40 years later I can say without a doubt that Grandpa was right: what matters is not how we love Jesus, but that we love Jesus.

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Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV / Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Psalm 32:8 ESV / I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.

John 16:13 ESV / When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

ARMS AROUND ME

Happiness is made up of many things: it is a smile of a child, the golden glows of a sunrise, the warm hug of a loved one, health after sickness. But such happiness is also transitory: a child does not always smile, the sunrise may be overshadowed with dark clouds, a loved one may leave, sickness may not pass. There is another happiness, that is deeper and everlasting, and that is the happiness that comes into your soul when you realize the depth, breadth, and height of God’s love for you, a love embodied in His Son, Jesus.

To find Jesus is to discover that no matter your weakness, no matter your inabilities, no matter your despair, there is a strength you can draw upon, a hope you can lean upon, a love you can dwell within. Truly, “Happy are the people whose God is the Lord!”—Psalm 144:15

The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.—Deuteronomy 33:27

Behold the love of God. In those years that have passed away, it never failed. When we fell, it raised us; when we wandered, it recalled us; when we fainted, it revived us; when we sinned, it pardoned us; when we wept, it comforted us. In those moments of agony and doubt and almost despair, which some can recall, it was all-sufficient.—Rev. Canon Money, adapted

Help us never to forget your love, but to dwell therein whatever we do, whether we sleep or wake, live or die, or rise again to the life that is to come. For your love is eternal life and everlasting rest. O let its flame never be quenched in our hearts; let it grow and brighten, until our whole souls are glowing and shining with its light and warmth.—Prayer of Johann Arndt (1551–1621), adapted

O God, whose smile is in the sky,
Whose path is in the sea,
Once more from earth’s tumultuous strife
We gladly turn to thee.
We come as those with toil far spent
Who crave thy rest and peace,
And from the care and fret of life
Would find in thee release.
—John H. Holmes

Safe in the arms of Jesus,
Safe on His gentle breast;
There by His love o’ershaded,
Sweetly my soul shall rest.
—Fanny Crosby (1820–1915)

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Isaiah 12:3 ESV / With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

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

Ecclesiastes 3:13 ESV / Also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man.

MY LITTLE GIRL

As many first-time mothers can probably relate to, nothing holds my interest like observing my little girl. Her facial expressions, the excitement in her eyes, her curiosity—just about everything she does brings out the motherly love in me. And one wonderful day I realized that’s how Jesus, in His unconditional love, is looking at me.

As I watched my Ashley Elle sitting up on the bed and gazing at me with her bright blue eyes, all smiles, I thought, How could I not love her? Sure, at six months she is as active as a puppy, she makes messes, she fusses, she wakes up in the night and wants to be fed when I just want to sleep—but no matter what she does, there is no way that I could ever stop loving or caring for her!

Then I remembered the previous day, when I had felt so low and far from God. I had made so many mistakes! Surely He had stopped loving me—or so it seemed. Yet as I looked into my baby’s eyes, He spoke to me. How could I ever stop loving you? Why would I ever want to stop caring for you? You are the joy of My heart. Sure, you aren’t perfect and you sometimes make a mess of things, but that’s all just part of growing up. My love for you is ever constant, never changing. And don’t worry, you will always be My little girl!

If one feels the need of something grand, something infinite, something that makes one feel aware of God, one need not go far to find it. I think that I see something deeper, more infinite, more eternal than the ocean in the expression of the eyes of a little baby when it wakes in the morning and coos or laughs because it sees the sun shining on its cradle.—Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890)

Your children are the greatest gift God will give to you, and their souls the heaviest responsibility He will place in your hands. Take time with them, teach them to have faith in God. Be a person in whom they can have faith. When you are old, nothing else you’ve done will have mattered as much.—Lisa Wingate

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Psalm 127:3 ESV / Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.

Proverbs 22:6 ESV / Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Ephesians 6:4 ESV / Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.