At 9:53 this morning I picked up the phone and began dialing Claudie's phone number. I sensed a prompting to put the phone down and call her later, around 11:00 to be exact. I've learned that these gentle promptings belong to the precious Spirit of God who lives within His children and that I need to quickly obey and not push forward with my plans.

I busied myself with paperwork and at 10:58 I again picked up the phone and dialed her number. A young lady answered and I told her who I was and asked if Claudie felt up to talking. Her response was "This is Tina, Claudie's daughter, and my Mom died this morning." All I could utter was 'I'm so sorry, so very sorry'. Soon another voice, a very familiar one, came to the phone. Claudie's Mom, crying and telling me Claudie had died at 10:00 a.m. this morning. Her entire family was with her and I was told she died peacefully. A sister then took the phone, explained that the hospice nurse had arrived and they needed to talk with her. She thanked me for calling and said good-bye.

Once again I felt shocked ... her death happened so quickly. Less than a week after learning of her illness she's gone. Gone where? I don't know. I didn't get to talk with her as I thought I would ... I thought there would be more time. I did write her a letter & mailed it on Monday morning. I told her all I remembered of our younger days, how we met, spending the night at one another's homes. The hope chest she had nearly filled by the age of 17. (Do young ladies even believe in hope chests any longer?) Claudie was absolutely certain she would get married; me, at that time, not so sure any man would have me. She never doubted she'd find the love of her life and she did. Thankfully, I did too.

In the letter I also said this:

Perhaps the most important part of this letter is that I need to ask you if you’ve ever put your faith in Christ, Claudie. Have you come to the knowledge that we all need a Savior and we all need to be forgiven? I sincerely pray that’s already happened in your life. If it hasn’t, would you ask Him right now to forgive and save you? He will do it if you but ask. He died on the Cross that we might live eternally with Him. Life here is but a short time, or so it seems. Life however, goes on … the Bible tells us that for Christians, ‘to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord’ 2 Corinthians 5:8 It is my greatest desire to see you again … if not here, then in heaven.

Where is she tonight? Where did she go when she took her last breath here? I don't know. I wish I could say with certainty she's in heaven, as Pat knows her Mom is there and Trish knows her Daddy is there and I know my Dad is there ... but I don't know and I don't like the way this feels.

What I must rely on is that God is a just and faithful, loving God. He answers prayers when we can't give them voice. He knows the beginning and the end for each of us.

What I must do is stop waiting for a 'better' time to talk to someone about their soul and where they will spend eternity. Now might be the only opportunity we have to speak of those things. I've heard it said that we shouldn't bombard people with the gospel ... take time and get to know people before telling them about salvation. Get to be their friend first. That's all well and good if you know for certain you and they will be alive in a week, or two or twenty. But what if today is the one and only opportunity you have to share it and the only time they'll have to hear it?

I ask God to give me boldness to witness of His mercy and grace and the wrath that awaits those who reject His Son. I ask God to give me boldness to speak the truth in love and not be concerned about offending people. In our effort to not offend, we'll remain silent and all the while that unsaved soul is dancing on his grave, and for the unsaved, that grave leads to judgment, wrath and everlasting hell. May God, please God!, put a fire in our bones that will not be shut up by the world, the flesh or the devil. All three of these whisper "there's time, there's time...don't worry so, there's time..."

"Behold now is the accepted time, behold, now is the day of salvation." 2 Cor. 6:2

May we awake and be aware of what's going on around us. We are at war, we live in a battle zone and the enemy of our souls lurks about, seeking whom he can devour. May we be on guard for ourselves and for one another. May we warn people and encourage them to come to Christ while there's time to do that. May we better understand the God of Scripture and for our soul's sake, may we never attempt to make Him into something He is not.

Father, I know that all my life
Is portioned out for me,
And the changes that are sure to come
I do not fear to see;

I ask Thee for a present mind,
Intent on pleasing Thee.
I would not have the restless will
That hurries to and fro,

Seeking for some great thing to do
Or secret thing to know;
I would be treated as a child
And guided where I go.

Wherever in the world I am,
In whatsoever estate,
I have a fellowship with hearts
To keep and cultivate .

Anna L. Waring - 1850

Psalm 83:25

Whom have I in heaven but thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee." Psalm 83: 25

What a tremendous conclusion the Psalmist draws as he compares all the delusions of this world to the eternal virtues of committing his heart unreservedly unto God. Paul testifies to this same evaluation after his encounter with God. Why is it that we have such difficulty in discerning the shallow superficial allurements of this world and yield to them with blind attachment? We must realize that the Christian still has the old nature abiding within than seeks and longs to be satisfied with the 'glitter of deceitfulness' that camouflages the lust of the flesh.

David had this problem as he expressed his inner conflict with the prosperity of the wicked in Psalm 73. He contrasted the illusion of the world, seen in the prosperity of the wicked; with the troubles he had to contend with and was almost persuaded that they had a better choice than him. He cries out, "Verily I cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency." But then we read, "Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end" [Ps. 73: 13-17]. God removed the blindness from his heart that he might know of a truth the folly of man pursuing the things of time and sense. There is no comparison to the Believer who is committed to God.

God was the one object of David's choice [Ps. 27: 4]. It was the consuming passion of Paul [Phil. 3: 7-14]. So it was with all those whom God greatly used that are described in Hebrews 11. What an account of the heroes of the faith. And so it will be with us today, when we "fix our eyes on Jesus" and with determined perseverance refuse to be deceived by the superficial attractions of this world. God is our 'ever present portion.' The material things of this world, however plenteous, may elude us in the time of our greatest need: but God has promised never to leave us or forsake us. He is ever present to be our help, strength and able to "do exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or think" [Eph. 3: 20]. In whatever circumstance we find ourselves, He is there to be our refuge and our strong tower in all things!

God is our 'all-sufficient portion.' We have all witnessed those who are engrossed with this world's wealth, but in the jaws of death he cries out in utter despair. All of his earthly resources are of no avail. What a contrast is the comfort of the Believer. If blessed with earthly wealth, it will find its proper place secondary to all God is to him. God will enhance his enjoyment of wealth and use it for His glory. In the absence of these earthly comforts, with God, he feels no want. God is his sufficiency in all things and his exceeding great joy.

God is his 'eternal portion.' Man seeks possession of earthy things as if he is going to enjoy them forever. But they are as the mist; they appear and are gone before he even realizes they were his. We often hear the remark; "You can't take it with you." How true! Death will reduce us to the same level with the poorest of mankind. If God is our portion, we will possess Him forever. Now we taste of the streams of God; then we will drink at the Fountainhead.

God will not judge us according to our profession, but our possession of Him. Does the intensity of our devotions testify to our desires after God? He will never be our eternal portion unless we deliberately choose Him in preference to all others. In proportion that we delight in God, God will delight in us. Oh that HE might cast the mantle of His Love upon us, that we may both follow Him and serve Him forever! May we cry out with the Psalmist . "There is none I desire beside Thee."

© 2007 by Ed Powell. Used by permission

Surprises

My Darly Fred is doing better, thank the Lord and thank you all for praying. He stayed home today while I went on to church as I had a children's class to teach. I so enjoy teaching these little ones. We have a new little boy in class, Bobby is 5 and old enough to be in Jr. Church now. He's adorable and loves to sing. Bobby's coming to class was my first surprise of the day.

My second surprise was to get home and find that Fred had prepared lunch & had it waiting for me. Later, we began preparing dinner together and in the middle of that we heard a knock at our front door. Fred answered it, then called my name. The visitor was for me. Surprise again. Who comes to see me on Sunday?

It was a friend's younger sister and I knew from the expression on her face she wasn't bringing good news. I immediately thought something had happened to her Mom or Dad. Instead she said "You know Claudie's dying don't you?" Claudie is the friend I've known since high school and no, I didn't know she was dying. Surprise wasn't an adequate word to describe what I felt when I heard her words. Shock was more like it.

Claudie and I have had an on-again, off-again friendship since we got married, had kids and went separate ways for awhile. But it's been a lasting friendship that goes deeper than where we live and what we're doing with family. She moved to Ohio about three years and we've not been in touch since then. Until today.

Her sister told me what was wrong, cancer, and that hospice has been called in. In August Claudie was told she had about six months to live. Her sister then said, "Louise, she wants to talk to you."

After her sister left, I gathered my thoughts, asked God to give me the words, and placed a call to this lady whom I've known for over 40 years. Her husband answered, told her who it was and she got on the phone. Her voice is not the voice I've known all these years. Cancer has changed that. I asked how she was and she answered, "Oh, I'm fine, how are you?" We talked for just a few short minutes as she said she was very tired and was going to try to sleep for awhile. I asked if I could call back later and she said "yes, of course, please do that. I love you Louise, bye for now."

I will call her later and I will, if the Lord wills, go to visit her parents this week. They are heart-broken as any parent would be knowing your child is dying.

It's been a day of surprises. Some really good and pleasant ones and one that shocked me to tears. This woman is my age and has always been strong and healthy and seemingly able to do most anything she set her mind to. We met as teen-agers and our lives have criss-crossed over a span of over 40 years. She's preparing to leave this earth and I'm preparing to spend the evening with my husband, and sort of planning my week's activities as God sees fit to order them.

We are never really ready for this kind of surprise, are we?

Within three hours of last night's post, I was awakened by my husband's violent coughing. I got up to check on him and found out he was having trouble breathing and having chest pain. He does not like hospitals, so when I told him we needed to go to the E.R. he wasn't pleased. He wheezed out the words, "let's wait an hour". I quickly dressed and planted myself in the bedroom chair and when he told me to go back to bed I replied "hmmmm, NO."

When I stressed to him that the longer he labored to breathe the more likely he was to put his heart back into Atrial Fibrillation, among other things, he shortly thereafter agreed to go. We were in the emergency room by 2:30 this morning and were very thankful for nurses who so quickly assessed his problems, got a doctor in the room and began medical treatment. He was admitted to the hospital but was so improved by mid-afternoon they let him come home. He will be on medications & breathing treatments here and will see his internist next week; a lung specialist on Dec. 19. He shall, Lord willing, spend the remainder of this week and this week-end resting and recuperating.

How quickly things can change in this life. You go to sleep at 10 pm and by 2:30 am you're in an emergency room with the man who's been your other half for 40 years. He's a big man and has always been the one to take care of me. Today that role was reversed and for the first time I saw frailness and fear in him.

"This getting old isn't a good thing Louise" were his words to me in the examining room. No, in our human-ness, getting old doesn't seem a 'good' thing. But when we look at that in light of God's providence for His children, it's a very necessary thing for many of us. A gift actually. Many die so very young. I have a sister who was just 4 years old when God called her home. That, we would say, is way too young; but, who are we to judge our times and the plans God has for us?

Good night my friends and God bless each of you with a sweet night's rest.

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord."they are plans for good and not disaster, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11

Lights out...

Our electricity was out for over two hours tonight. Nothing to do but light some candles, turn on the fireplace, cover up with a blanket and wait. As I did I found myself staring at the candle in our front room and asking the question "How many people in this world live only by candle-light? How many don't have the luxuries that we do?" More people than I know about live like that right now. How thankful we need to be for electricity and the other blessings of life in America ... natural gas and safe drinking water and food in our cupboards. Stores to shop in within walking distance for many of us. The safety of neighborhoods where people know one another and are willing to help you when it's needed.

My Fred and I also spent some time talking about child-hood memories. Grandparents in Kentucky who had coal stoves and fire-places to heat with; kerosene lamps for light ... no indoor plumbing ... they grew many of their vegetables and then canned them for winter use ... washed clothes on a washboard ... women made quilts out of whatever fabric they had and the quilts were used in the winter-time to keep warm. Families were together at the end of the day ... they ate together and then went to bed because day-light came awfully early and would come with chores to fill that day.

So much has changed since my Grandparents were my age. I wonder what they'd think if they saw the world now? Would they be impressed with all the technology, or would they be embarrassed and ashamed at what's taking place? Would they want to be a part of our world, or would they want to go back to theirs?

I don't think I'd want to go back and live as my Grandparents did. Not exactly anyway. But I sure wish things were simpler. I wish morality was something people strived for and not a word few people seem to know the meaning of. I wish you could trust the person in the car ahead of you in traffic. I wish our children could play outside without wondering who might be watching them in a harmful manner. I wish all unborn babies were wanted, and were given the chance for life God that meant them to have. I wish people would see the beauty of this world and have a desire to praise God for giving it to us to care for. I wish people would read the Bible and know that it means just what is says. I wish all people told the truth all the time.

My wish list could go on and on and on, but wishes don't change a thing. I can pray and seek God's will in my life and lift those I love to Him, but wishing doesn't do a thing but make me sad that things aren't what they could be. Yet.

One day, the God we serve and the God so many deny even exists, is going to turn this world upside down and inside out and set it ablaze with a fire that will do away with all the sadness and badness it currently holds. One day, we will live on a new earth and have a new heaven and there I'll no longer have to wish for things to be other than they are because all those wishes will have come true.

Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus. Rev. 22:20

Leaving ....

This short sermon speaks eloquently of the symbolism of the Christian's home-going. Not long ago, it was read at the funeral of a friend's brother and then her husband who died within months of each other. May it bring comfort to those who read it today.

“I’m standing on the seashore. A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She’s an object of beauty and strength and I stand and watch her until, at length, she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and the sky come down to mingle with each other.

And then I hear someone at my side saying, “There, she’s gone.”

“Gone where? Gone from my sight, that is all. She is just as large in mast and hull and spar as she was when she left my side. And just as able to bear her load of living freight to the place of destination. Her diminished size is in me, not in her."

“And just at the moment when someone at my side says, “There, she is gone” there are other eyes watching her coming, and there are other voices ready to take up glad shout,

“Here she comes!”

Written by 19th century clergyman Henry Van Dyke