Abscessed

How does heroin use lead to an abscess?  This man told me that’s what put him in the hospital.  “The doctor told me it’s probably because I share needles,” he reported rather matter-of-factly, though our conversation became far more than factual.  For a 28-year-old I’d known only 5 minutes, he divulged his story quite openly.  “I don’t want to go back,” he continued, “and I really don’t know much about praying.  And I’m still fighting the withdrawals.”  Yet he spoke clearly and seemed so grateful for someone to listen.  “My buddy’s got abscesses on his chest, and I told him it’s because of our needles.”  And as this man in the hospital bed pleaded with emotion, I spoke into his eyes, “Do you know how much Jesus loves you?”  His eyes veered away, perhaps feeling a weight of blessing.  No matter the battle, whether drugs or other, Jesus’ power can conquer.  He offers us rest, telling us it’s only when we choose against Him that we cannot enter that rest.  Hebrews 3:19 reads, “So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.”  Today this man’s story inspired me because he was already looking upward.  Jesus can save him from his drug battle and ultimately all his battles, yet each of us faces the same choice to ask the Lord into our heart as Savior.  Today the man allowed me to give him a small Gideons Bible.  And I am so happy to continue praying on his behalf.

Languages of an Israeli morning

Danish, Dutch, Russian, and English.  Each morning we prayed together, the languages evidenced God’s presence across the different lands.  My husband and I stayed in a house in Israel that hosted volunteers from around the world.  We all sought the Lord.  We all shared purpose in serving survivors of the Holocaust.  We all found our horizons broadened in being together.  Yet back home, each of us would tend to view God in more finite terms.  Americans think of God in terms of American experiences.  Europeans think of God according to European experiences.  Tendency is pretty much the same for everybody everywhere.  Only when we experience someone else’s way of living, perhaps only when our geography changes, do we step out of our narrow thought.  Yet our God is big.  Actually He’s beyond big.  Revelation 5:9 speaks of the Lamb whose blood purchased men from every tribe, language, people, and nation.  Just imagine the beauty of having all the world’s languages represented in one room.  Even knowing just our 4 languages in Israel brought a weight of blessing.  Christ’s death and resurrection were for love of people of every language.  Our God is everywhere.

Greetings from Israel

Hello, Everybody!  I missed you while we were in Israel.  Ours was a trip to serve Holocaust survivors, and oh how the Lord blessed all around.  When people meet, when countries meet, you never know what will happen exactly.  To visit these precious survivors just melted my heart.  Hearing their stories, looking into their eyes, I felt my streams of tears turning into rivers.  I asked our Russian translator to convey that these tears were not in sadness but in joy of sitting in their homes and realizing the Lord bringing this call to Israel to fruition.  Connecting through music and receiving their prayer requests simply showered blessing that my body couldn’t contain.  And delivering quilted gifts that our American friends lovingly sewed brought new humility.  To say the scope of God’s work is vast is an understatement.  For this occasion, He orchestrated people from Denmark, Siberia, Holland, and America to all arrive the same country, the same city, the same street at the same time.  And we’re humbled again to see how He’s using this one trip to impact co-workers, friends, and family.  He weaves emotion and thought and inclines the heart, all to bring blessing that ripples out to touch so many.  Our God is big.  And so I pray that you tell of the experiences He gives you.  May your stories brighten the days of those you meet.  Jesus said, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19)

Conference neighbor with a smile

When is a conference not just a conference?  Last month I lived out the answer to that question.  Part of my job with theatre is to work conferences occasionally.  Our conference floors have the typical vendors, booths, and lots of passersby.  While hosting our booth, we meet the neighboring booths.  On this day we had a lady next-door with such a welcoming smile, and she appeared so easy to talk to.  I initiated, “Hello.  I’m Linda," and noticing she sold books, I leaned in to see her variety of children’s titles.  I asked about her company, and she asked about mine, and in the course of 30 minutes, we discovered some experiences in common.  We’d both changed jobs a lot, which led me to comment, “The Lord has taken me to some jobs I never knew I’d have.”  The words spilled from my mouth as a simple statement of fact, though afterward I wondered, would she say we had God in common?  She explained her family's rather peculiar reactions to some of her jobs, and I shared, “I’ve prayed my way through so many new roles, from teaching school to working with Boy Scouts, then to theatre, and a lot of volunteer positions along the way.”  Really a fun dialogue with her, with all kinds of laughter.  Yet never did she remark or show any facial expression regarding the Lord.  Neither to agree nor to disagree.  Neither regarding prayer.  All the same, I loved her being our booth neighbor.  I loved sharing God’s name with her.  And that’s why this conference was more than a conference.  With the Lord, anything and everything can be more than it seems.  Conference + God = Blessing.

Fight on Babcock Road

Not all battles are obvious.  Not every fight is visible from the outside.  One morning my stomach went topsy-turvy, and I didn’t think too much of it.  Then I remembered the story of Job, where Satan afflicted him with physical sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.  Job's pain was so severe that he picked up a pottery shard to try and scrape away the agony (Job 2:7-8).  That was Satan's tactic then, and he might still attack physically today.  In fact, the more I pondered the idea, the more my topsy-turvy stomach served to motivate me.  I didn’t like the idea of Satan deterring me from anything.  I continued visiting patients at the hospital and recognized the Lord giving a particularly tender conversation, which Satan would have loved to hinder.  I drove to the abortion center to pray, as planned.  Interestingly the somersaults in my stomach ceased.  No more queasiness, and what an amazing joy that came for praying in a place so dark with death.  My joy deepened all the more for realizing the Lord’s power to thwart any of Satan’s antics.  All the more vibrant was my prayer.  I asked the Lord to bring life to that whole area, to shower love upon this property on Babcock Road to dispel and replace all that had been destructive in the past.  May those who enter that parking lot, those who walk or drive by, those who work inside the building, those who live in the neighborhood, and those who pray on the sidewalk know the depth of love and forgiveness that Jesus offers.  That’s a big prayer.  Yet we have a big God.

Saturday hospital plea

You know those days when you wake up so tired?  I'd love a nap.  Absolutely love it.  I lay down around 2:00, but my body wouldn’t relax.  I was restless.  Even with our sweet cat Sally hopping in my lap, the nap didn’t happen.  This Saturday a friend asked me to come to the hospital, and it would mean driving across town for a lengthy visit. Circumstances were complicated, and the Lord used my inability to sleep to spur me toward the car.  He parted the waters for an almost traffic-less drive, an easy hospital parking spot, and blessed conversation.  And you can learn a lot sitting in a hospital room.  In this case, I didn’t know who I’d meet.  Given my friend’s history of abuse and violence, would I meet some of her abusers?  Would I meet those who neglected her in childhood?  Or would the people have changed their ways?  I prayed for private time, hoping privacy might ease my friend into speaking freely.  But the Lord gave something different.  I walked into a roomful of guests, and one man motioned to me, “Please come in.  We’re speaking God’s word here.”  Still I didn’t know who this visitor was, but I entered, greeted everyone, and listened.  Another visitor came, this time wearing a black-and-white clerical collar, and I didn’t know him either.  Actually the whole occasion became quite inspiring, and all because the Lord didn’t give me what I asked for.  Never did I feel sleepy that afternoon, nor did I lack energy for participating in conversation.  In truth, I’m glad the Lord didn’t give me what I wanted.  We are meant to share our lives and not stay bottled in comfort of ourselves.  Instead of sleep, He gave me rest.  I can take a nap another day.

 

Airline scramble

What a thrilling phone call.  A surprising one, to say the least.  This morning I woke up tired and groggy, and the idea of sorting through flight times and escalating prices with the travel agent wasn’t exactly appealing.  I pleaded, “Lord, lead me.  May You give peace.  Let me feel close to You in this.”  Curled up on the couch and staring out my favorite window, my eyes slipped toward the coffee table.  There sat my friend’s notes, and I remembered her talking about 2 Corinthians 5.  Verse 10 says, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”  Suddenly several events from the last couple of weeks converged in my head, and a new idea pressed in:  Ask the travel agent if she knows Jesus.  According to that verse in Corinthians, I would be held accountable for following through.  But I needed to think about this.  I hadn’t envisioned my conversation with the travel agent including this question.  Temptation conjured a variety of reactions she might have, including anger, and a friend suggested to me later that an angry agent could have sabotaged my tickets.  But as it actually happened, around 11:00 that morning, the travel agent called to report ticket prices staying high and to ask what I wanted to do.  Reluctant to spend too much too soon, I replied, “May I pause a minute to pray?”  So with the agent listening over the phone, I asked the Lord to show me whether to purchase now or wait.  Then I opted to purchase at the higher price.  We discussed the fluctuation of prices we’d seen over our roughly 10 days together, and then as I sensed the Lord opening that conversational door I awaited, I asked her if she knew Jesus.  “Yes,” she responded, "I do."  We finished the billing process, and she said she’d email the tickets.  Yet when she called to confirm my receipt, her voice conveyed a curious inflection, saying, “Very interesting, Linda,” and I imagined her speaking complete with smirk and furled brow.  “When I sent your reservations for final ticketing,” she continued, “prices fell.  Your fares to Israel ended up the lowest we’ve seen.”  And as my heart danced in amazement, she added, “And you prayed!  You prayed about the tickets!”  She was clearly happy, in fact so happy that we talked about faith and the Lord for quite a while.  That combination of prayer over the phone and the question the Lord led me to ask her seemed a launching pad for pure joy.  All the while my heart kept turning cartwheels to realize how the Lord lowered the ticket prices.  And certainly nothing required Him to do that.  Just a bonus gift.  There was monetary benefit for my husband and me, but even more it seemed the Lord was encouraging obedience, as He simply loves to reward His children.  And as He bestows many layers of blessings all at once, I witnessed the travel agent being a recipient of encouragement as well.  I look back to recognize the Lord working weeks before, setting me in earshot of a particular restaurant conversation and 2 separate phone calls, which He orchestrated to keep fresh in my head until converging at that perfect moment with the travel agent.  It's thrilling each time I recount the story.  May I never underestimate, may we never underestimate, His omniscience and great power.

The girl at Enterprise

Last month our Honda dealership wanted to give us a rent car while they installed a new airbag.  Our first time to have a recall handled that way, Enterprise Rent-A-Car was the designated company, and when their shuttle driver arrived a bit chatty, our ride to the Enterprise office became intriguing.  In a short 10 minutes, the Lord tipped open an interesting door.  The driver asked about my day, and I asked about hers.  I mentioned my job, and she talked about studying German in college, which led me to comment about languages, saying it sure would be handy to know several languages when we go to Israel this fall.  When the subject of German surfaced a second time, the Lord opened the door to encourage, as it seemed my driver wasn't using German too much in her car rental work.  I offered, “I wonder how the Lord might use your German.  He can create all kinds of circumstances, and it's exciting to think of the ways He might work.  He may have a whole lineup of people for you to meet.”  It was so simple, really.  Unplanned, and just kind of rolling off the tongue. Hebrews 3:13 says, “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”  Often the Lord puts me on the receiving end of such comments, and when my brain starts replaying the particular words someone said, I'm amazed all over again how He positions us just perfectly to hear these things.  When He uses one of us to encourage another, He blesses both the giver and the receiver.  In the same way, this day with the rent car held its own curiosity.  I love that we can ask the Lord to connect all our dots, so our past, present, and future are all useful for His purposes.  And so I wonder now for you, how is the Lord orchestrating on your behalf?  Will you step out to encourage someone?

To sing Wednesday

Allergies.  Ugh.  My husband and I were scheduled for music on a Wednesday night, and this itch in my throat wouldn’t quit.  Rehearsing at home led only to gagging and more gagging, causing us to lose all momentum of the songs.  How could a mere itch be so crippling to a voice?  Have you ever been so ready to pour into something, and then there’s a snag in the pour spout?  In my case, the itch kept snagging the voice.  So I asked the Lord to allow my throat a way to sing.  “Lord, may You give freedom for air to flow.  May You protect my voice.  May Your voice sing freely through mine.”  And so at 7:00 we began.  The first song . . . the second song . . . the third . . . and the fourth.  All the while there's a joy deepening inside me and utter amazement for how the Lord is preventing any inhibitions to my voice.  Yet afterward as I took a seat with the congregation, what happened?  I started coughing.  The itch returned and so did the gag, though just briefly, as if the Lord kindly reminded, “I'm here.  You asked Me to guard your voice during the songs, and I did.”  It was the timing, the precise moment after singing.  I hadn’t even fully sat in the chair before needing to exit the room, so the cough wouldn't interrupt everyone else.  That brief itch lent me to reflect on all the allergy troubles before prayer versus the peace the Lord offered after prayer.  And so I ask you, as a reader here today, “How do you need the Lord?  Do you ask Him for a voice to sing or for something different?”  He loves to hear the call of your heart.  I have prayed for you already.

En route to Gateway

Today I introduce you to my friend Tina Garduna.  She's the one who experienced this week's remarkable story, and I thank her immensely for serving to co-write.  Back in April, Tina wanted to attend the Gateway women’s conference.  Already she knew the Lord told her to quit spending money, but the conference idea kept rising to the surface.  She tried to justify the conference, saying it would be good for her spiritual life and she'd celebrate a birthday soon and it was okay to put this on the credit card, but a few days later, the Lord nudged that it was not okay.  To purchase would be disobedient.  And almost immediately after Tina relented completely on the conference idea, the Lord began building a reward for her obedience.  An elderly friend for whom Tina is a caregiver gave her a birthday card with $100.  She told him the story of the conference, and in turn he gave her an additional jar of quarters that cashed in at almost $200.  Not yet enough for hotel, conference ticket, and gas, but the next day her daughter called to say, “Mom, I’ll give you $100 if you do my laundry.”  So she did it.  Sixteen loads later, fatigued and worn, she had another $100.  Through birthday gifts from family, she received another $180, and she now had more than enough to cover all of the expenses.  But she still needed a conference ticket, which would be $135.  She checked Facebook and found discounted tickets that sold only as a pair and later a third ticket entirely free.  Really needing only 1 ticket, she listed the extra ones online to sell, and she hopped in the car for what would become a thrilling trip.  Maintaining a constant seeking of the Lord, she arrived at her hotel and unpacked and headed toward the conference early to see if she could find any ticket-buyers.  Her GPS malfunctioned and caused her to miss an exit, but by this time God's hand had been so overwhelming in every detail that she just knew this was Him positioning her to sell a ticket or two.  She arrived the conference, and the first person she approached bought her ticket!  She sold it for the Early Bird price of $95, saving the woman $40 off the walk-in price.  They were both blessed!  One down; one to go.  As the conference was about to start, a woman texted to buy Tina's last ticket for $60!  Then with all the tickets handled, a new sort of blessing came.  The message "fear not" took prominence.  Back home, amidst torrential rains, Tina's dog had run away, causing her a huge gulp of concern, lending her to rely on that “fear not” message.  Also a lady sitting next to Tina spoke a stunning prophetic word, and interestingly it included that same message about fear.  And we look back now to notice something else.  When Tina first attempted to register for the conference, she tried to input 1 as the number of attendees, but the number kept spinning to 2, frustrating her and causing her to quit the registration repeatedly, though now we recognize the postponement to register was actually a blessing because the Lord would later reveal this intricate and joyful story.  And He impressed a verse on Tina’s heart during the conference.  As she had wandered into the bookstore during an intermission, she saw a beautiful plaque including that exact verse, Jeremiah 29:11, and she even had enough money to pay cash for it.  In Malachi 3:10, the Lord says when we handle money rightly, particularly tithes, He will throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that we won't have room enough for it.  And that’s what Tina experienced.  Hold fast to His word, do not fear, for He has plans to prosper us.  Still to this day the blessings of the conference keep rippling outward, all stemming from one decision to obey.  Tina didn’t spend her money, and in return the Lord spent His.