MAY YOU HAVE ENOUGH

Do you have enough in life? How much do you need? When is enough, enough? 

An elderly mother and her daughter were saying a tearful goodbye at an airport. As she boarded the plane the mother said, "I love you and I wish you enough." A fellow passenger overheard this and later on the plane asked the woman why she had said, "I wish you enough." She replied, "It is a custom in our family to say this when parting with loved ones. When we say 'I wish you enough' we are wanting the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them." Then the mother recited the following:

"I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.

I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.

I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.

I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear larger.

I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.

I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.

I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye."

For most of my ministry in my wedding services, I have prayed for the couple these words adapted from the bridal prayer of Rev. Louis B. Evans. "Give them enough joys to keep them hopeful and enough trials to keep them faithful. Give them enough happiness for daily joy and enough sorrow for daily trust. Give them enough strength for persistence and enough tears for tenderness."  

Do you have enough of what is important in your life? If you want more of anything, is it worthwhile? Will it be lasting or will it sustain you? In John 14:8, Phillip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus did show His disciples what God the Father is like, for he said, "I and the Father are one." (John 10:30), and again, "Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father." (John 14:9)

Jesus, the Son of the Father, willingly gave His life on the cross for us, so that we can have enough of what we really need. May you this day have enough faith, hope and love, through Jesus Christ, to sustain you, so that you may be blessed by God in the life that is yet to come.

With faith in Christ, you already have enough!

HOW HEAVY IS IT?

Here's a lesson in stress management. Take a cup and fill it with some water. How much water you put in is up to you. Now hold it out in front of you and guess how heavy the cup of water is. Your answer will probably range from a few ounces to a pound. Some will say how heavy it is depends on the weight of the cup, while others will say it depends on the amount of the water in the cup.

But the heaviness of your cup of water does not depend on its weight alone, but on how long you hold it. If you hold your cup in front of you for a minute, it will seem light. If you hold it out there for one hour (if you actually can hold it that long) you will probably have an aching arm. But if you try to hold your cup in that same hand for an entire day and never put it down, you may need someone call you an ambulance. The weight of your cup never changes, but the longer you hold it, the heavier it seems.

If we attempt to carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later we will not be able to do so, because we will weaken and they will weigh us down. In order to carry our burdens, we must rest for awhile before picking them up again. Putting down our burdens periodically will refresh us so we are able to carry on.


Jesus had this in mind when He said, "Come to me, all you who are burdened and weary, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28) Jesus will help us carry our burdens if we have faith to let Him. We can give them to Him in prayer, day or night, for a short time or for a lifetime. Many of our burdens will not go away, but they will be easier to bear when we let Him help us.


Before returning home from work tonight, put that burden down. Don't carry it back home with you. You can pick it up tomorrow. If you have the burden of poor health, or meager finances, or a struggling relationship or any kind of unrest in your soul, give that burden to Jesus. He will make it lighter by helping you carry it.


Whatever burdens you have that now weigh heavily, put them into the hands of our Lord and Savior. When you have rested, then you can pick them up and carry them again. You will find their weight is lighter. You may even find some of them are gone entirely.


Life is short. Don't let your worries weigh you down without the Savior's help!

"Cast all your cares on Him, because He cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7)

THE SHOCK OF JOY

Jim and Jack were the same age and became friends in elementary school. Both boys were brought up in the same church, made friends easily and were enjoyable to be around. But as they grew into adulthood, Jack observed Jim growing callous towards religion. He went to church less and less and eventually stopped going all together. Jack told Jim he was concerned about this and urged him to worship God again. But Jim told him to back off, that he'd make up his own mind. So Jack witnessed to Jim less often and only prayed for him. 

As years went by, Jim and Jack remained friends. They attended college, got married, had families and became successful in their careers. Jim didn't mind if his wife and daughters attended church, but he stayed home. Jack witnessed once more to Jim, but it became a source of strife, so he dropped the subject. He just kept praying that God would somehow bring Jim back to faith. 

Then came the bad news - Jim had cancer, a form that resisted treatment. His health declined rapidly, and he was in and out of the hospital. Jack visited him one day and talked about trusting God and His will, but Jim said nothing. A few weeks later Jack got the call that Jim had died. He was shocked because Jim was still so young. Not only was his friend gone, he wasn't sure about his salvation. He felt he should have done more.

At the funeral several of Jim's friends spoke, and there was some light-hearted joy despite the young man's death. But one of them, an old neighbor, came forward and told of witnessing to Jim about Jesus. Apparently he had shared Jesus over a period of months, and the last time Jim wanted to pray. The old man said Jim prayed for forgiveness, faith and God's mercy. Jack was shocked once again, but this time it was due to joy. God had answered his prayers through a man he'd never met, a old man who helped open his young friend's heart to the Lord. 

There are times when God-fearing men and women struggle with how to relate to a friend or relative who seems to have lost faith in Jesus. Our witnessing and even our prayers may seem to be in vain. But God does answer our prayers, very often in unexpected ways. It may be through a child, an old friend or even a stranger who does his part to share the Gospel message that finally strikes home. And when it does, there can be a shock of joy that only God can give us. 

"There is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15:10)

I'D FORGOTTEN THE SCARS

General John B. Gordon was a respected officer for the South during the Civil War.  After the war, he decided to run for the United States Senate from his state. However, one particular man who had served under him in the war, became angry over some political incident and was determined to see him defeated. Everyone knew this man would fight Gordon's bid to become a senator.

During the convention, the man angrily stomped down the aisle with his  anti-Gordon vote in hand. As he saw Gordon sitting on the platform, he noticed how his once handsome face was disfigured with the scars of battle -- marks of his willingness to suffer and bleed for a cause he believed in.

The angry old soldier stopped and looked at Gordon's battles scars. After a few moments, he sat down and clearly was stricken with remorse. Overcome with emotion, he exclaimed, "It's no use; I can't do it. Here's my vote for John  Gordon." Then, turning to the general, he said, "Forgive me, General. I had forgotten the scars."

As a result of this change of heart, the former General was elected Senator from Georgia in 1873, and in 1879 became the first ex-Confederate to preside over the United States Senate. He later served a term as Governor of Georgia.

What a difference it makes in our lives when we remember the scars!  With so many things to distract us, we don't often take time each day to reflect on what Jesus went through on the cross for us. But, when we are tempted to stray, it is a remembrance of Christ's sacrifice that has the power to draw us back to him.

As Holy Scripture reminds us, "He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our  iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5)

THE MOON OF THE TREES

(From a story by Louis Lamour, with my apologies to the Lamour family for this abridged version)

Their fire was small and they huddled close. "We must go now," said the Boy, "There is no more wood for burning. Our crops were thin and when the snows come, the wild ones will come again and will kill us." "Where will we go?" the Small Sister asked, for drought was everywhere and with no better place they knew of, would it not be better to stay here and die?

The Old One stirred and mumbled, "In my sleep I saw them, strange men sitting on beasts." "He is old and his mind wanders," said the Mother. "Strange men with robes that shine," continued Old One. "How many men?" Boy asked, wondering if they would be dangerous. "Three, no more," Old One said, "sitting on beasts." Ramblings of an old man, they all thought.

They soon must leave or die, and it was better to die while doing than sitting. There was no more food - even the rats had gone. "When light comes, we shall go," said Boy. "What of the Old One? He is weak." said Small Sister. "They followed the path, where there was no path, a path of light," said Old One. "He will come with us," said Boy.

On the third day walking they ran out of water, so Boy dug for water in the sand. They ate of the corn they carried, but not all, for some would be seed for planting if they found a new home. Snow in the night gave them more water and the next day they kept walking. 

Here and there seeds could be found to eat. "Where do we go?" Small Sister asked. Boy did not know where and he was afraid. On the ninth day they ate the last of the corn except the seed. Boy snared a squirrel and a lizard, and Mother dug roots by a spring. They had left their home forever, the last of their kind who would later be called Anasazzi.

They plodded on and the cold grew. It snowed and did not melt, and Old One lagged farther behind, taking longer each day to reach the evening fire. Boy hardly looked at their eyes now, for he had nothing to promise them. "They followed a path of light," Old One muttered as he drew his worn blanket about his thin shoulders. "It is the moon of the trees on the snow."

"We have seen no path, Old One" "The path was light because they heard and they believed." said Old One. "Heard what? Believed what?" asked Boy. "I do not know, only that they believed," said Old one. "I believe we are lost," said Small Sister. Mother looked at the boy. He was now the man, but only a small man, and alone. "In the morning we will go on," Boy said.

Old One arose. "Come," he said and Boy followed. "There!" he pointed, "There lies the path." "I see no path," said Boy, "only a star." "The star is the path if you believe," said Old One. He went back to the fire and left Boy alone in the dark. The others had trusted him, but he had found nothing. They had faith and he had none. He had led them into a wilderness, and for what? There was no place for planting, little food and water, no fuel.

Old One said they followed a star, thought Boy, so he would follow a star, one still bright in the morning light. When morning came, they made ready to leave, but Old One would not move. "It is enough. I can go no farther," he said. "But you will come," said Boy, "You taught me to have faith, and now you must have it." And so they moved on, day following day and night following night and Boy following a star.

Soon Small Sister and Mother said, "We can go no farther," so Boy put them in a place of cottonwood trees where there was a water seep and branches for fuel. He snared a small animal and cooked it for them. When light came he shouldered his pack and left them, but out of their sight he sat down and put his head in his hands. He had failed them. Old One's medicine had failed. Where would they go?

As he walked on, his head was filled with dark thoughts and soon he tripped and fell. And there before him on the ground were the tracks of a deer and a raccoon. Deer would give them food and clothing. Raccoon liked water. Not in two moons had he seen animal tracks! He followed the tracks into a small valley and found a pool of water. He drank deeply and went quickly back to the others. He brought them to the place and said, "This is our home. We will stop here." 

Boy killed a deer and as they ate, he asked, "Old One, the men who sat upon the beasts in your dream, what did they find following the star?" "A cave that smelled of animals where a baby lay on dry grass. The father and mother were there and other men wearing skins." "And the shining ones who sat on the beasts? What of them?" asked Boy."They knelt before the baby and gave it gifts."

            "It is a strange dream," said Boy. "At another time I will listen to it again."

THE MORNING AFTER

My WEEKLY MESSAGE is late this week. It's Christmas night and nearly bedtime and I realize I've forgotten to write this week's edition. We've had such fun the past few days with our loved ones, including my son Chuck and his wife Debbie and our three sweet grandchildren from Phoenix, Debbie's mother from Tucson, and "Uncle Brian" visiting from Denver. All the Christmas activities and special worship services changed our routine and clouded my memory.

So I will share a few thoughts from my sermon for this coming weekend here at Trinity Lutheran Church, Casa Grande. 

Have you ever had a "morning after" experience? Most of us have, at some time or other, and it's usually not something we're proud of. The morning after a passionate affair can bring guilt and regret. The morning after an auto accident brings shock and sadness. The morning after a bad decision can cloud life over for weeks. When life has severely and suddenly changed, we need hope to go on living. 

In the days following the baby Jesus' birth, life was very different for Mary and Joseph. Their travels to Bethlehem and Egypt would have been enough to change any couple's lives. But the child Mary bore into the world changed the entire world. He wasn't just a wondrous arrival, He was the promised Savior! Nothing was the same after the Christ child came into the world.

The child Jesus is God's greatest gift to mankind. Because of Him, we have that hope for life now, and hope for the future. We have hope because Mary and Joseph believed God and obeyed the angel. We have hope because the baby grew up and atoned for the sins of the world, my sins and your sins. We have this hope because on the morning after God was there with them. 

On our mornings after, God is always there with us, showing His mercy and love, offering forgiveness to the repentant, and showing a new path of life for the foolhardy, with strength for all travelers along the way. 

Psalm 25:4 says, "Show me Your ways, O Lord, and teach me Your paths." May this short prayer of David go with you every day and every morning after in the New Year.

Merry Christmas to you all! 

IMMEASURABLE SADNESS

No words can express the anguish of those who have lost a child. When death comes to many children at once as it did last week, we visibly see evidence of evil and wickedness in the world. There is no answer to evil except our Lord Jesus Christ alone and His victory over sin, death and Satan. 

Watching the news coverage, I recalled a conversation some thirty years ago with my church choir director who excitedly told me of a "new song" she had heard for the first time. It was called "The Coventry Carol," written sometime in the 16th Century England. It's first words are, "Lully, lullay, Thou little tiny Child, Bye, bye, lully, lullay." She said it had such a wonderful melody. 

When I explained to her those words came from a song lamenting the killing of children, her face dropped and she quietly said, "Oh, my goodness!" Needless to say, the church choir didn't sing the song that Christmas. It is a song few want to hear. Its haunting words and melody came to mind while contemplating the tragic deaths of twenty first graders at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Here is what happened according to Matthew 2:16-18: 

"Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah (31:15): 'A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more'."

We can see that Newtown, Connecticut, is a modern  "Ramah," and "Rachel" the grief-torn parent. Yet the child Jesus was preserved from this ancient destruction, an act which benefitted all people of the coming ages. God could have destroyed that old tormentor king and his soldiers with a stroke. He chose rather to provide a hiding place for His people, then and for all ages. Still today, God preserves us from being swept away, even when a demented enemy comes in with weapons of death.

December 26th is the day the Church calls "Holy Innocents," a remembrance of the little boys killed by an evil man in his quest to destroy helpless children. My heart goes out to the grieving fathers and mothers, and also to the father of the young man. His family was also destroyed that day, together with the innocence of the living and dead school children. 

May the Lord have mercy upon the souls of the slain and slayer, and may He bring all survivors hope in the Gospel of our Lord. May the Lord Jesus give the pastors and all Christians in the area great wisdom and compassion in bringing hope and love to those affected.

The risen Jesus Christ alone is our hope and answer to all sorrows.