Dr. Martin Luther was a prolific writer, teacher and preacher. His passion was to explain the Bible as God's Word for all the ages, so that the Gospel of Jesus could be made known and believed. Over time several compilations of his writings have been collected by people who have read and studied his works carefully. One of these collections, "Biblical Claims and Treasures,"(Spruch und Schatzkastlein) was published by Johann Christoph Schinmeyer of Saxony in 1925.
Rev. E. W. Merz, a Lutheran pastor now with the Lord, owned a German copy of Schinmeyer's book and translated some of those "treasures" into English. Rev. Merz's son Ed Merz, a retired Lutheran school teacher, recently gave me one such translated "treasure" based on Psalm 62:8, "Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge." Here is what Dr. Martin Luther wrote, based on this encouraging passage. It's about how a Christian can pray to God.
"Are you ill-at-ease or heart-sick about something? Well then, for that there is good advice. Pour out your heart before Him and be free to complain to Him. Don't hold anything from God. Whatever it may be, cast it out in heaps before Him, as when you completely reveal your heart's concern to a dear friend. He likes to hear and is glad to help and give advice. Don't be shy and afraid that you are asking too much. Think not that your request it too great or too much. Out with it! Confidently, even if it may seem a pack full of idle petitions. God is great and is content to do more than our weak minds can ask or think. Don't mince your plea with Him, for God is not like man who would grow weary of your much begging and asking. The more you ask, the more He likes to hear. Only pour it out clean, and all of it, without dribbling or trickling. He too, will in like manner, with His boundless mercy, pour out His super-abundant blessings that will submerge and overwhelm your sinful shortcomings."
Some people have said that Luther does not speak to our concerns today, implying that he is old-fashioned or out of date. This is not true. Martin Luther's explanations of Bible passages transcend the ages and speak quite clearly to people of all times who seek to know the Holy Scriptures. Luther helps us understand the Psalmist urging us again, "Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge."
Thank you to the Merz's, Rev. E.W. and his son Ed, for providing Luther's encouraging words for us today.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
LEAP DAY FEB. 29
February 28 is the last day of the month, at least most of the time. This year February 29 is the last day which we call "Leap Day." Leap Day is placed on our calendars every four years to correct a variation in our earth's annual journey around the sun.
Our earth revolves around the sun every 365 1/4 days, so every four years one extra day is added to correct our calendar. We use the Gregorian calendar adopted by Pope Gregory 13th in 1582. That calendar calls this year 2012 and is used in most countries around the world, although there are other calendars. The Chinese calendar calls this year 4710, and in the Hebrew Calendar it is 5772.
In the 1990s an unsuccessful attempt was made to develop a new international calendar through the United Nations. Some nations use two calendars, the Gregorian and a calendar tied to their ancient culture.
But what happens when a calendar comes to an end? The Mayan calendar was developed during their cultural era (250 - 900 AD), and it ends this year on December 21. The Mayans of southern Mexico and Central America left evidence that when its calendar ended, the world would also end. I guess they felt that time would stop when their calendar stopped.
But time as we know it will end only when God ends it. No calendar is perfect. All are based on the earth's irregular revolution around the sun and require corrections to be accurate.
This is also true of people. Humanity is not perfect and requires correction to exist. No matter how carefully we may plan our lives, we all need correction. No matter how perfectly we may attempt to set up our systems of government or behavior or organize our ideas, we cannot do it perfectly. Only God possesses perfection and can establish perfect laws. People are imperfect and sinful, so we all need corrections in life.
The Good News today is that our salvation does not depend on our making all the necessary corrections, but on God who has already made all the necessary corrections in Jesus Christ. God requires perfection from people, and He provides it for us in His Son Jesus.
God loves His creation, including His people, and He loves us no matter what. He considers us worth dying for, and so has paid the price for our sinfulness through the death and resurrection of His Son. All that's left for us is to trust Jesus - and He even gives us help doing that! Faith in Jesus comes from the Holy Spirit, and faith in Jesus is all the correction it takes.
This is why St. Paul tells us, "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." (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Happy Leap Day - tomorrow!
Our earth revolves around the sun every 365 1/4 days, so every four years one extra day is added to correct our calendar. We use the Gregorian calendar adopted by Pope Gregory 13th in 1582. That calendar calls this year 2012 and is used in most countries around the world, although there are other calendars. The Chinese calendar calls this year 4710, and in the Hebrew Calendar it is 5772.
In the 1990s an unsuccessful attempt was made to develop a new international calendar through the United Nations. Some nations use two calendars, the Gregorian and a calendar tied to their ancient culture.
But what happens when a calendar comes to an end? The Mayan calendar was developed during their cultural era (250 - 900 AD), and it ends this year on December 21. The Mayans of southern Mexico and Central America left evidence that when its calendar ended, the world would also end. I guess they felt that time would stop when their calendar stopped.
But time as we know it will end only when God ends it. No calendar is perfect. All are based on the earth's irregular revolution around the sun and require corrections to be accurate.
This is also true of people. Humanity is not perfect and requires correction to exist. No matter how carefully we may plan our lives, we all need correction. No matter how perfectly we may attempt to set up our systems of government or behavior or organize our ideas, we cannot do it perfectly. Only God possesses perfection and can establish perfect laws. People are imperfect and sinful, so we all need corrections in life.
The Good News today is that our salvation does not depend on our making all the necessary corrections, but on God who has already made all the necessary corrections in Jesus Christ. God requires perfection from people, and He provides it for us in His Son Jesus.
God loves His creation, including His people, and He loves us no matter what. He considers us worth dying for, and so has paid the price for our sinfulness through the death and resurrection of His Son. All that's left for us is to trust Jesus - and He even gives us help doing that! Faith in Jesus comes from the Holy Spirit, and faith in Jesus is all the correction it takes.
This is why St. Paul tells us, "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." (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Happy Leap Day - tomorrow!
Monday, February 20, 2012
SHROVE TUESDAY
This year February 21 is Shrove Tuesday (aka Fat Tuesday or Pancake Day) and is always the day preceding Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Among Christian cultures pancakes are eaten because they are made out of the main food items - eggs, sugar, butter, flour - whose consumption was often restricted during the fasting of Lent.
Among the Pennsylvania Dutch today is known as Fastnacht Day. Portuguese, Spanish, and Italian cultures call today "Carnival," from the words "carne levar" which mean "to take away meat." Carnival often includes street processions and fancy dress, such as in the New Orleans Mardi Gras.
In Hawaii, Shrove Tuesday is "Malasada Day" which dates back to the sugar plantations of the 1800's when workers used up their butter and sugar prior to Lent by making large batches of fluffy fried pastries called malasadas. In Iceland it is called "Bursting Day" and is marked by eating (too much?) salted meat and peas. Lithuanians today eat rich doughnuts, and Swedes eat sweet pastries.
In some Canadian cultures, today's pancakes have small tokens cooked into them to be collected by the children. Some English towns hold Shrove Tuesday football games and a Pancake Race which dates to a time long ago when a housewife ran from her house to get to her church on time while still carrying her frying pan and pancake. The pancake race at Olney, Buckinghamshire, has been held since 1445. The children of Whitechapel, Lancashire, go around asking "Please a pancake", hoping to receive oranges or sweets, a practice that arose from when workers visited manor houses to ask for extra food on the holiday.
And this is only a partial list of celebrations for Shrove Tuesday. Do you have a special way to celebrate the day before Lent?
God told His covenant people, “Three times a year you are to celebrate a festival to me." (Exodus 23:14) Those were the Festivals of Harvest, Weeks and Pentecost. It is still a good thing to join together with other Christians and celebrate the goodness and providence of God, especially when it comes just before a time when we are more somber and reflective in practicing our Christian faith.
I think I will make pancakes for breakfast today.
Among the Pennsylvania Dutch today is known as Fastnacht Day. Portuguese, Spanish, and Italian cultures call today "Carnival," from the words "carne levar" which mean "to take away meat." Carnival often includes street processions and fancy dress, such as in the New Orleans Mardi Gras.
In Hawaii, Shrove Tuesday is "Malasada Day" which dates back to the sugar plantations of the 1800's when workers used up their butter and sugar prior to Lent by making large batches of fluffy fried pastries called malasadas. In Iceland it is called "Bursting Day" and is marked by eating (too much?) salted meat and peas. Lithuanians today eat rich doughnuts, and Swedes eat sweet pastries.
In some Canadian cultures, today's pancakes have small tokens cooked into them to be collected by the children. Some English towns hold Shrove Tuesday football games and a Pancake Race which dates to a time long ago when a housewife ran from her house to get to her church on time while still carrying her frying pan and pancake. The pancake race at Olney, Buckinghamshire, has been held since 1445. The children of Whitechapel, Lancashire, go around asking "Please a pancake", hoping to receive oranges or sweets, a practice that arose from when workers visited manor houses to ask for extra food on the holiday.
And this is only a partial list of celebrations for Shrove Tuesday. Do you have a special way to celebrate the day before Lent?
God told His covenant people, “Three times a year you are to celebrate a festival to me." (Exodus 23:14) Those were the Festivals of Harvest, Weeks and Pentecost. It is still a good thing to join together with other Christians and celebrate the goodness and providence of God, especially when it comes just before a time when we are more somber and reflective in practicing our Christian faith.
I think I will make pancakes for breakfast today.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!
I hope all who read this will have an enjoyable Valentine's Day. I wish I could give you an accurate history of the original St. Valentine who was martyred in ancient Rome for his Christian faith, but historians say there may have been as many as 14 martyrs during that era named Valentinus. Accounts get rather complicated as historians try to separate one Valentinus from another, as well as explain a little about the churches dedicated to them.
February 14 is set aside to honor St. Valentine, but the date of its first use is also unclear. Early believers "christianized" Lupercalia, a pagan fertility festival on February 15, established to honor Faunus, Roman god of agriculture, as well as Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome. At some point February 14 became the date dedicated to Christian love and exchanging expressions of it.
The oldest known written valentine still in existence today is a poem written in 1415 by the Duke of Orleans to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London. His greeting is now part of the manuscript collection of London's British Library. Several years later, it is believed that King Henry V hired John Lydgate to compose a valentine note to Catherine of Valois who became his wife. So began a practice still enjoyed today.
Carol came home from two weeks of inpatient physical therapy last week, and it is good to be back together again. Over the years we've learned our home is wherever we are together, whether being in Arizona, Iowa or Colorado, and whether staying in a house, motel or trailer. God gives His people a home, whether single or married, wherever they live in the love and providence He so generously gives.
"Home is where the heart is," we often say. Home for many of us is where we were born or lived our early life, but it can have changed so much it is no longer recognizable. Grown trees make the old house look smaller, and change or decay make it unfamiliar. Home ought to be wherever you are, where you enjoy the blessings of God and the love He gives that you cherish.
Psalm 68:6 says, "God places the lonely into families." I have always treasured that passage because it shows how He cares for us in such a practical manner. God's love is, I believe, very precious and helpful in the Christian family.
I have a special Valentine this year for Carol and I hope she enjoys it.
February 14 is set aside to honor St. Valentine, but the date of its first use is also unclear. Early believers "christianized" Lupercalia, a pagan fertility festival on February 15, established to honor Faunus, Roman god of agriculture, as well as Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome. At some point February 14 became the date dedicated to Christian love and exchanging expressions of it.
The oldest known written valentine still in existence today is a poem written in 1415 by the Duke of Orleans to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London. His greeting is now part of the manuscript collection of London's British Library. Several years later, it is believed that King Henry V hired John Lydgate to compose a valentine note to Catherine of Valois who became his wife. So began a practice still enjoyed today.
Carol came home from two weeks of inpatient physical therapy last week, and it is good to be back together again. Over the years we've learned our home is wherever we are together, whether being in Arizona, Iowa or Colorado, and whether staying in a house, motel or trailer. God gives His people a home, whether single or married, wherever they live in the love and providence He so generously gives.
"Home is where the heart is," we often say. Home for many of us is where we were born or lived our early life, but it can have changed so much it is no longer recognizable. Grown trees make the old house look smaller, and change or decay make it unfamiliar. Home ought to be wherever you are, where you enjoy the blessings of God and the love He gives that you cherish.
Psalm 68:6 says, "God places the lonely into families." I have always treasured that passage because it shows how He cares for us in such a practical manner. God's love is, I believe, very precious and helpful in the Christian family.
I have a special Valentine this year for Carol and I hope she enjoys it.
Monday, February 6, 2012
A FREEWAY INCIDENT
Do we know what is going to happen to us today? Are we sure we have a plan? Do we even know what will happen in the next hour or two?
It was afternoon when the young man exited the freeway. It had been a busy day at work and he was taking sandwiches to his fellow workers who had missed lunch. The older vehicle in front of him also drove the off-ramp and slowly stopped in the right turn lane at the signal light. The young man waited to proceed when the light changed, but when it did, the vehicle in front did not move. Another light change happened and still there was no movement. After the third light change, many drivers were getting impatient, so the young man got out and approached the vehicle. Its motor was still running, so he tapped on the window.
Opening a car door, the young man caught the elderly driver as he nearly fell out. The young man realized something was very wrong, because there was no response from the driver or the elderly passenger. The young man found no pulse on either of them, and police and EMTs who came immediately pronounced both occupants dead. Somehow the driver had slowed down for the signal light, stopped his car, and died.
A coroner later said the woman had died of a stroke and the driver of a heart attack. He surmised the woman had a stroke first and died in the car. When the driver, her husband, realized she was dead, he suffered a fatal heart attack right there at the signal light. The couple had just left the freeway, car still running, and both were dead. And the young man who found them was very much shaken.
Do you know what is going to happen to you today? Are you sure you have a plan? Do you even know what will happen in the next hour or two?
James writes in chapter 4:13-15, "Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit'— Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that'." I quoted this verse in my August 31 Weekly Message. No matter how many times I read or study or merely remember these words, I am taught by them.
Life can seem to us like a mist that vanishes, but to God, we are His beloved creatures. That's why He sent Jesus to save us. If we were nothing more than a dying animal on the roadside or a bug headed for a windshield, He would not have gone to such great lengths to create us, forgive us, teach us or prepare an eternal place for us.
God had a reason for the true story above. The young man is still seeking it.
It was afternoon when the young man exited the freeway. It had been a busy day at work and he was taking sandwiches to his fellow workers who had missed lunch. The older vehicle in front of him also drove the off-ramp and slowly stopped in the right turn lane at the signal light. The young man waited to proceed when the light changed, but when it did, the vehicle in front did not move. Another light change happened and still there was no movement. After the third light change, many drivers were getting impatient, so the young man got out and approached the vehicle. Its motor was still running, so he tapped on the window.
Opening a car door, the young man caught the elderly driver as he nearly fell out. The young man realized something was very wrong, because there was no response from the driver or the elderly passenger. The young man found no pulse on either of them, and police and EMTs who came immediately pronounced both occupants dead. Somehow the driver had slowed down for the signal light, stopped his car, and died.
A coroner later said the woman had died of a stroke and the driver of a heart attack. He surmised the woman had a stroke first and died in the car. When the driver, her husband, realized she was dead, he suffered a fatal heart attack right there at the signal light. The couple had just left the freeway, car still running, and both were dead. And the young man who found them was very much shaken.
Do you know what is going to happen to you today? Are you sure you have a plan? Do you even know what will happen in the next hour or two?
James writes in chapter 4:13-15, "Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit'— Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that'." I quoted this verse in my August 31 Weekly Message. No matter how many times I read or study or merely remember these words, I am taught by them.
Life can seem to us like a mist that vanishes, but to God, we are His beloved creatures. That's why He sent Jesus to save us. If we were nothing more than a dying animal on the roadside or a bug headed for a windshield, He would not have gone to such great lengths to create us, forgive us, teach us or prepare an eternal place for us.
God had a reason for the true story above. The young man is still seeking it.
Monday, January 30, 2012
PRAYER CHANGES THINGS
Prayer surely works, but not all people believe so. I've met people who believe prayer only benefits the one who prays, giving them peace of mind or calming their heart, but not to change anything. They believe God has things already worked out (He does, of course) so prayer doesn't change what He will do. But I believe in the Christian addage, "Prayer Changes Things."
My wife Carol believes it too. After sustaining a complete fracture of her right upper femur last Monday, she had surgery Tuesday to put three pins in to hold the broken leg bone in place. After two more days in the hospital, she was transferred to "Sante of Chandler," a beautiful new facility in south Phoenix for physical therapy. It's located at 825 S. 94th Street Chandler, AZ 85224, if you'd like to send her a card. Or more easily, she can be reached via Email at. She is using our regular address while I use a different one, as you can see from the Email address I am using.
Carol said often last week she felt so comforted that so many were praying for her. The dozens of Emails and many cards and flowers she received helped her know that "Prayer Changes Things." Now, neither she nor I can prove that God did things any different than He might have had no prayers been offered up. But a Christian can know whether she is being blessed by the petitions offered up on her behalf.
Consider what Isaiah 38:1-5 tells us about this: "In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said to him, 'Thus says the LORD: Set your house in order, for you shall die, you shall not recover.' Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, and said, 'Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight. ' And Hezekiah wept bitterly. Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah: 'Go and say to Hezekiah, Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your life'."
God changed His plan because of Hezekiah's prayer. Now, you might think God knew Hezekiah was going to pray, and just waited for him to do so, and then did what He was going to do all along. But the Bible is trustworthy, and when it tells us God heard his prayer and added fifteen years to his life, we can believe that is what actually happened. You and I can believe, "Prayer Changes Things" because it really is true.
God answers prayer in several ways, "Yes, No and Wait." He can agree with our prayer and grant our wish, or He can can decide not to grant our prayer for reasons only He knows. God can also answer us by having us wait awhile before granting our request. Parents do this all the time. They hear the child asking for something that may be good, but they know the child is not ready nor capable of receiving it now. One day, yes, that request can be granted, but not now. When it's time, the parent gives the child what (s)he asked for months or years before. Then (s)he is ready to receive and use it wisely.
God is answering our healing prayers for Carol now, but He is also making her wait with rehab and gaining strength. God is making me wait also, because she is not ready to come home yet. Meanwhile, I've had dear and longtime friends visiting with us whose time here was significantly altered. They did less sightseeing and more serving than planned. I thank God they were here, for they helped with tasks around the home and have been good companions. When they leave, my sister and son are coming for awhile. All this was already planned months ago, so God is using our plans to do His will. He does that often, and that in itself is very comforting.
"Prayer Changes Things!"
My wife Carol believes it too. After sustaining a complete fracture of her right upper femur last Monday, she had surgery Tuesday to put three pins in to hold the broken leg bone in place. After two more days in the hospital, she was transferred to "Sante of Chandler," a beautiful new facility in south Phoenix for physical therapy. It's located at 825 S. 94th Street Chandler, AZ 85224, if you'd like to send her a card. Or more easily, she can be reached via Email at
Carol said often last week she felt so comforted that so many were praying for her. The dozens of Emails and many cards and flowers she received helped her know that "Prayer Changes Things." Now, neither she nor I can prove that God did things any different than He might have had no prayers been offered up. But a Christian can know whether she is being blessed by the petitions offered up on her behalf.
Consider what Isaiah 38:1-5 tells us about this: "In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said to him, 'Thus says the LORD: Set your house in order, for you shall die, you shall not recover.' Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, and said, 'Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight. ' And Hezekiah wept bitterly. Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah: 'Go and say to Hezekiah, Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your life'."
God changed His plan because of Hezekiah's prayer. Now, you might think God knew Hezekiah was going to pray, and just waited for him to do so, and then did what He was going to do all along. But the Bible is trustworthy, and when it tells us God heard his prayer and added fifteen years to his life, we can believe that is what actually happened. You and I can believe, "Prayer Changes Things" because it really is true.
God answers prayer in several ways, "Yes, No and Wait." He can agree with our prayer and grant our wish, or He can can decide not to grant our prayer for reasons only He knows. God can also answer us by having us wait awhile before granting our request. Parents do this all the time. They hear the child asking for something that may be good, but they know the child is not ready nor capable of receiving it now. One day, yes, that request can be granted, but not now. When it's time, the parent gives the child what (s)he asked for months or years before. Then (s)he is ready to receive and use it wisely.
God is answering our healing prayers for Carol now, but He is also making her wait with rehab and gaining strength. God is making me wait also, because she is not ready to come home yet. Meanwhile, I've had dear and longtime friends visiting with us whose time here was significantly altered. They did less sightseeing and more serving than planned. I thank God they were here, for they helped with tasks around the home and have been good companions. When they leave, my sister and son are coming for awhile. All this was already planned months ago, so God is using our plans to do His will. He does that often, and that in itself is very comforting.
"Prayer Changes Things!"
Monday, January 23, 2012
THINGS CHANGE QUICKLY
Things surely can take a sudden turn in life when you least expect it. Moses discovered this when he met the Lord in a burning desert bush, and Jonah did when God told him to take a trip to Nineveh. Paul found this out as he was traveling the road to Damascus, and Martin Luther did when he got drenched outside in a raging storm.
Carol and I discovered this yesterday, too. She went to an activity at a friend's house, missed a step, and fell, breaking her leg. She thought it wasn't that badly injured and believed the doctor to be joking when he said it was a complete break of the upper femur that would require surgery and pins. And if the surgery was wasn't successful, she might need a hip replacement.
She laughed when the doctor said this, but he then realized wasn't "pulling her leg." She is scheduled for surgery at the Casa Grande Regional Medical Center today, and life will be different around our home till her leg heals.
I had thought she had a low tolerance of pain, but I was wrong. I am sure I'd have yelled a whole lot more than she did when they moved her to another bed and those broken bones rubbed together. I hope any further moves won't be as bad, and that her days ahead will be blessed with a patient and caring husband.
Things surely can take a turn in life when you least expect it. You plan a fun day outside and wake up to clouds and rain. Or you train for a life occupation and find you dislike the kind of life it brings. Or you plan good family life and end up in the divorce court. Or you plan a winter of activities and break a leg.
Of course, not every unfortunate event carries the same result or requires the same effort to overcome. Legs can heal more easily than marriages, and impatient husbands can learn more easily than dissatisfied students or inept politicians. Even with dear guests at our house, it will surely be quieter there in the coming days until we get back to normal, whatever and whenever that will be.
Last Sunday we said in worship, "I praise You, O Lord, because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, and I know this full well." (Psalm 1139:14) We will look for the hidden blessings in this and we accept that this event, too, is a part of God's good plan for us.
Please pray that Carol's surgery is successful and her healing complete.
Carol and I discovered this yesterday, too. She went to an activity at a friend's house, missed a step, and fell, breaking her leg. She thought it wasn't that badly injured and believed the doctor to be joking when he said it was a complete break of the upper femur that would require surgery and pins. And if the surgery was wasn't successful, she might need a hip replacement.
She laughed when the doctor said this, but he then realized wasn't "pulling her leg." She is scheduled for surgery at the Casa Grande Regional Medical Center today, and life will be different around our home till her leg heals.
I had thought she had a low tolerance of pain, but I was wrong. I am sure I'd have yelled a whole lot more than she did when they moved her to another bed and those broken bones rubbed together. I hope any further moves won't be as bad, and that her days ahead will be blessed with a patient and caring husband.
Things surely can take a turn in life when you least expect it. You plan a fun day outside and wake up to clouds and rain. Or you train for a life occupation and find you dislike the kind of life it brings. Or you plan good family life and end up in the divorce court. Or you plan a winter of activities and break a leg.
Of course, not every unfortunate event carries the same result or requires the same effort to overcome. Legs can heal more easily than marriages, and impatient husbands can learn more easily than dissatisfied students or inept politicians. Even with dear guests at our house, it will surely be quieter there in the coming days until we get back to normal, whatever and whenever that will be.
Last Sunday we said in worship, "I praise You, O Lord, because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, and I know this full well." (Psalm 1139:14) We will look for the hidden blessings in this and we accept that this event, too, is a part of God's good plan for us.
Please pray that Carol's surgery is successful and her healing complete.
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