When Life Disappears

Friday, July 21, 2023

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.  James 1:2

Phrases such as troubles of any kind, and opportunity for great joy hardly seem to mesh.  Some words strung together take you by surprise; they can be unnerving, and gnaw at your mind for days, weeks, or a lifetime.  You’re hearing it for the first time, yet you’re amazed at how common the thought is to many other people.  It’s something akin to that strange thing that happens when you buy a new car and suddenly notice how many of the same kind are now on the road; did you never notice, or is there a new virus making people buy that brand?

The words that took me by storm were:  an unbroken heart is sterile.  Since reading that thought I’ve seen it in a number of unrelated quotes…and a lot more quotes, courtesy of Google, most of which were connected with the approaching darkening and disappearance of the mind…Alzheimer’s.[1]  A disclaimer about searching that topic…you will not have an unbroken heart when you’re done.  Your heart will be pulled apart at the seams, and what leaks out will be every last shred of defense against a compassion-less life; you’ll need to get involved!

My bride, Elizabeth, and I binge-watched the third season of The Chosen this week.  It is the most powerfully-stirring presentation of the Gospel accounts I’ve ever seen.  It faithfully retells the events of Jesus’ ministry, and the effect it had on those who experienced it firsthand.  More than just words on a book’s page, you are drawn as a participant in the presence of the God-man, Heaven come down to dwell among us. 

In one of the episodes a man possessed by a demon[2] is healed by Jesus.  By definition, to be possessed by an evil spirit is to lose one’s mind, and therefore any control over your actions, or even thought life.  This pretty much describes the downward spiral of Alzheimers…a slow-death by disappearance.  In healing the man Jesus restores his memory, his thoughts, and returns joy, the great joy Apostle James mentions.  The demon was thought to be unconquerable; that is, until it was introduced to He who has power over the darkness of evil and death.

I have had some brush with the effects of the disappearing mind.  In 2007 my Mom and Dad came to live with us.  In the early stages of dementia, Mom was still a sweet, quiet person.  But she was troubled with very disturbing dreams, and struggling at times to have even simple conversations.  I did not fully realize or admit to myself that we were losing her slowly, until one time she answered my knock at the door with a puzzled look that confirmed she did not recognize me.  She had known me for 60 years…and we were starting to say “goodbye”.

James tells us that troubles of any kind are opportunities of great joy.  It’s hard to frame that in any positive way to:

·       those who have had to repeat their names to family…often

·       or those who have no recollection, or explanation why they cannot see, or speak, or hear, or breathe well…or who this one is sleeping next to her

·       or those who stand helpless on the sidelines watching their loved one suffering, disappearing one forgotten word at a time

·       or those who have nowhere to sleep tonight, no food to eat this week

For You Today 

You may be on that list somewhere, hurting in the wake of life’s inevitable and unavoidable losses.  To you, James’ words may sound like Ronald Reagan’s favorite cartoon of a cowboy digging in a huge pile of manure.  The caption has the cowboy thinking:  There must be a pony in here somewhere.  The “pony” in all of life’s troubles is the opportunity to know the great Giver of all joy.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

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There are about 2,600 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road Devotions library.  

 

Title Image:  via Pixabay.com   Images without citation are in public domain.   Unless noted, Scripture quoted from NLT^©  

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[1] See a representative article:  An Unbroken Heart Is a Lifeless Thing: An Alzheimer Odyssey Nears Its End

[2] If you have some time read Matthew’s Gospel, chapters 4-17 which are filled with such healings

 

Moving Shadows

 

Monday, March 21, 2022

I said to myself, “I will watch what I do and not sin in what I say.  I will hold my tongue when the ungodly are around me.”  But as I stood there in silence—not even speaking of good things—the turmoil within me grew worse.  The more I thought about it, the hotter I got, igniting a fire of words:  “Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.  Remind me that my days are numbered—how fleeting my life is.  You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand.  My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath.” Interlude

We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing.  We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it.  And so, Lord, where do I put my hope?  My only hope is in you.  Rescue me from my rebellion.  Do not let fools mock me.  I am silent before you; I won’t say a word, for my punishment is from you.  But please stop striking me!  I am exhausted by the blows from your hand.  When you discipline us for our sins, you consume like a moth what is precious to us.  Each of us is but a breath. Interlude

Hear my prayer, O Lord!  Listen to my cries for help!  Don’t ignore my tears.  For I am your guest—a traveler passing through, as my ancestors were before me.  Leave me alone so I can smile again before I am gone and exist no more.  Psalm 39:1-13

A shadow has little substance.  Now that is  more than an obvious truth; it opens a host of cans of worms for us humans.  Our shadow is a subtle reminder of where we go, and what we do.  And when the track of the shadow moves away from God, or without connected relevance to God, it is rebellion unmasked; our deeds give us away.  When we prefer the shadows we give traction to what Apostle John wrote about the incarnation of Godly substance:

And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil.  John 3:19

The Psalmist admitted this well before John wrote about it:

 Darkness is my closest friend.  Psalm 88:18b

Both the Old Testament Psalmist, and New Testament Apostle give rise to the shadow David wrote about in the beloved 23^rd Psalm, a valley of shadows, announcing death like a foreboding spectre.

The point of bringing the shadows into the light for our examination is not a morose elevation of gloom, but rather the warning intended by Scripture’s overwhelming juxtaposition of light and darkness.  God’s Word shows us the difference between rebellion’s darkness, and the purpose of God’s light of truth.  God’s desire is to bring us out of the darkness, into His marvellous light.

But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people.  You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession.  As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.  1 Peter 2:9

For You Today

We understand darkness because we are fallen creatures, living in a fallen, twisted, rebellious-towards-God-world.  But we cannot come up with one sound reason as to why we are fascinated-by, and pulled towards the darkness.

But we also understand the call of God (as C.S. Lewis put it) to leave the Shadowlands of darkness behind.  We are called to walk in His light; there is no blind stumbling there.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!  

[1] Title image: Pixabay.com   Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©    

Good Advice for the Long Haul

 

Friday, February 18, 2022

Don’t worry about the wicked or envy those who do wrong.  For like grass, they soon fade away.  Like spring flowers, they soon wither.  Trust in the Lord and do good.  Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.  Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.  Commit everything you do to the Lord.  Trust him, and he will help you.  He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.  Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act.  Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.  Stop being angry!  Turn from your rage!  Do not lose your temper—it only leads to harm.  For the wicked will be destroyed, but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land.  Soon the wicked will disappear.  Though you look for them, they will be gone.  The lowly will possess the land and will live in peace and prosperity.  Psalm 37:1-11

God’s plans for us are always good, despite the difficulties we may encounter.  The problem with human critters’ comprehending that is our perspective of “good” runs far short of God’s perspective.  Mostly we want everything to be what WE want, rather than what God has determined is good.  For instance:

·       living safely in the land and prosper(ing), can only mean no problems/bigger bank accounts.

·       Trust him, and he will help you, can only mean put God on probation, and go with his plan as long as it suits you.

·       Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes, can only mean God’s only doing his job as long as the bad guy gets his comeuppance, and I get to rub it in his face.

·       The lowly will possess the land and will live in peace and prosperity, can only mean I’m getting a promotion over the other guy (who also prayed, but God likes me better than him).

So, what is the Psalmist saying about trusting God in the long haul of living?  He is saying exactly what he said – trust God.  That includes the mountain of trials, and events you face which make little sense to you. 

In order to see the truth of God’s plans for you unfold, it is sometimes a long-haul.  And some of it you will not see, because you’ve planned an outcome that is light years away from God’s thoughts.  God already told us that through the prophet:

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.  “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.  For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”  Isaiah 55:8-9

For You Today

In trusting God today (and tomorrow, and all the following tomorrows), make sure to take a deep breath over what that means.  Because it means becoming like a small child[1] with everything you see and think, placing your little hand in God’s big hand…and following.  It means stop the leading; it’s not your job.

Now…isn’t that better?

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!  

[1] Title and other images:  Pixabay.com    Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©   

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[1] See Matthew 18:3-4