Archive for July, 2010

What Makes Your Life Worthwhile?

Friday, July 30th, 2010

How would you answer the question What makes your life worthwhile? Here are some possibilities:

  • Having a fulfilling job.
  • Being married to my best friend.
  • Having the financial freedom to travel.
  • Knowing that my kids are healthy and doing well.
  • Feeling like I’m making a difference in the world.

I can relate to all of the above, but I believe the real answer runs deeper. Paul expressed it in Acts 20:24 – “But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned to me by the Lord Jesus – the work of telling others about the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.”

In his book, The Purpose-Driven Life, Rick Warren writes that life is not about us and pursuing our own thing. Rather, it’s about finding and fulfilling God’s purpose for our lives. For everyone who professes faith in Jesus Christ, that involves telling others about the Good News of His love and forgiveness. Trouble is, many find that a daunting assignment.

We fear offending someone or losing their respect. We worry about being labeled as religious fanatics or as right-wing conservatives. We wonder whether we’ll lose friendships or be the object of behind-the-back whispers and jokes. And so we go through life keeping the Good News a secret all the while praying that God will save our family, neighbors and coworkers.

I admire Paul’s passion. For him, life was all about sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with those walking in darkness. Nothing else mattered more. Not his bank account. Not his educational degrees. Not his popularity or status in the public eye. His focus was solely on finishing the work God had given him to do – to share the Gospel with others.

I want to be like Paul and share his passion for Jesus Christ. I pray that God will transform my heart so nothing matters more than finishing the work He’s given me to do – to share His love with those around me. May everything else – my personal comfort, my dreams and goals, my platform and position – pale in comparison. If you haven’t already done so, will you let Him do the same in you?

Imagine the difference in the world today if believers everywhere shared Paul’s passion and held to the conviction that their lives were worth nothing unless they shared God’s love with others. The thought boggles my mind. How does it impact you?

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Three Insights on Prayer

Wednesday, July 28th, 2010

Prayer is a divine mystery to me so I love discovering new truths about it. I recently ran across this passage and found it contained several keys to a more effective prayer life.

“When Elisha arrived, the child was indeed dead, lying there on the prophet’s bed. He went in alone and shut the door behind him and prayed to the LORD. Then he lay down on the child’s body, placing his mouth on the child’s mouth, his eyes on the child’s eyes, and his hands on the child’s hands. And as he stretched out on him, the child’s body began to grow warm again! Elisha got up, walked back and forth across the room once, and then stretched himself out again on the child. This time the boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.” (2 Kings 4:32-35)

Here are a couple of insights that stood out to me:

  • Elisha didn’t wring his hands or panic when faced with a humanly impossible situation. His first response was to seek God. His example challenges me to evaluate my response in crisis. Do I seek Him first, or do I stew and fret and finally turn to Him only when I’ve reached desperation?
  • Elisha prayed alone. This was an intense situation nevertheless he didn’t run to rally his friends for encouragement. It’s fine when we can share our burdens with others, but this story tells me that God is enough when friends aren’t around. He’s the One on whom we can always call and find dependable.  
  • After Elisha prayed, he moved into action. Sometimes prayer alone changes a situation; sometimes we need to do our part to make a change. As our relationship with God deepens, we become more aware of when we need to take action and if so, what that action entails.

Can you identify with any of these insights? If so, which one? Why?

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Promises, Promises

Monday, July 26th, 2010

When I was a kid, my friends and I made promises to each other and sealed them with the words, “I cross my heart and hope to die.” The implication was that we’d die if we failed to keep our word. Scary stuff for an 8-year-old, eh?

As an adult, I understand that a promise is only as good as the character of the person who makes it. If a person of questionable character says he’ll do something for me, I don’t waste my breath waiting for him to fulfill his word. I feel differently if a person of integrity makes a promise. I feel even more confident when God makes a promise.  

Psalm 138:2 says, “I praise your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness, for your promises are backed by all the honor of your name.” When God makes a promise, we can be absolutely sure that He’ll fulfill. Why? Because His reputation depends on it. He’s a God of love and faithfulness, and He’ll never tarnish that reputation or smear His name by failing to keep His Word.

Recently I’ve begun ending my prayers with these words: “God, as best I know, I’ve prayed according to Your will and promises. Now back those promises by the honor of Your name.” I don’t know if these words make my prayers more effective, but they sure build my confidence in God’s willingness and ability to answer. 

What promise has been especially meaningful to you recently?

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When Dependency is a Good Thing

Friday, July 23rd, 2010

NOTE: I’m without internet access for several days while ministering at an evangelistic family camp in Poland. As a result, I’ve scheduled devotionals to be posted as usual on Monday, Wednesday and Friday until I return to someplace with internet. So, here goes with devotionals again…

When Dependency is a Good Thing

My 2 ½-year-old granddaughter is developing wonderful verbal skills. One of the things she says is, “Will you help me, please?” She speaks those words with confident expectation that Grandma will listen and respond. And she’s right – of course I’ll help her.

By the time you read this, I will have just completed a 13-day mission trip to Romania. I’ve delivered one Canadian short-termer to Slovakia where she was scheduled to minister at an evangelistic family camp with several other volunteers. And now my husband and I are leading a team of 14 short-termers at an evangelistic family camp in Poland. I’m fully aware of my inadequacies to accomplish anything of eternal value and by now I’m physically weary and wishing for a good night’s sleep in my own bed. My prayer, spoken many times a day is this: “Will you help me, please?” Like my granddaughter, I’m confident that God will answer.

Psalm 138:6 says, “Though the Lord is great, he cares for the humble, but he keeps his distance from the proud.” Being humble simply means that we admit our dependency upon God. We admit our inadequacies and trust Him to meet us at our points of need. We don’t have to beg or plead; we just have to state the need and expect Him to answer.

What’s your need today? Are you tired? Are you lacking wisdom for a particular situation? Are you feeling discouraged? If so, remember that the Lord cares for the humble. Admit your dependency on Him with a simple prayer: “Will You help me, please?” and trust Him to answer.

How has God answered your prayers for help in the past?

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Train to Poland — Part 2

Thursday, July 22nd, 2010

This is our eighth trip to Eastern Europe since 2008 and, apart from gasping at near head-on collisions, I’ve never felt afraid. Until today, that is.

Passengers come and go on these trains. For several miles, two men in their 60s sat on the bench across from us. Theirs was an animated conversation until one turned his attention to me and began jabbering in Polish. His eyebrows shot up when I told him that I couldn’t understand because I spoke only English. He moved closer, grabbed my hand and kissed it.

I was okay with this display of Polish culture but squirmed inside when he began to squeeze my hand and pat my arm with his other hand. Then he leaned toward my face. All of this happened within a few seconds. A teenage boy in the next seat began translating what the man was saying, at which time Gene stood up and asked the man to back off.

The man responded by speaking louder and squeezing tighter. Gene repeated his request. The man turned up his volume and now leaned towards my husband. Visions of his punching Gene popped into my head. I shot up an arrow prayer for help.

At that exact moment, the conductor stepped into our train car. Understand that conductors routinely walk through the cars to ensure that all passengers have purchased tickets and aren’t freeloading. This conductor hadn’t set foot in this car for the past hour despite the train making numerous stops and collecting passengers along the way. His sudden appearance at that exact moment was nothing short of an immediate answer to prayer.

Without speaking a word, the conductor sized up the situation and took control. He pulled the man away from me and kicked him off the train when it stopped a few moments later. Everyone in the car heaved a sigh of relief. “I’m sorry,” said the conductor as he walked way.

“No problem,” I said, whispering a big thank-you to God under my breath. He showed up as my protector in the form of a train conductor – how awesome is that? While it was quite amazing to see Him answer prayer so quickly, I truly hope He won’t have to do it again!

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Train to Poland — Part 1

Wednesday, July 21st, 2010

Gene and I woke at 4:30 A.M. and headed for the Kosice train station to begin our 10-hour trip to Krakow, Poland. All went well until we arrived in Zilina and had to catch a connecting train. With a 25-minute layover, we were keeping a close eye on the schedule board to ensure we knew the correct platform from which our next train would leave. As the clock clicked closer to our scheduled departure and no platform number appeared on the board, I began looking for someone who might speak my language. “Excuse me,” I said to a 20-something woman standing nearby. “Do you speak English?”

“A leetle,” she said.

A leetle was good enough for me. “We’re going to Katowice,” I said. “Do you know from what platform the train leaves?” She shook her head but said something about taking a bus instead of the train. I thanked her and ran up two flights of concrete stairs to Gene who was guarding our suitcases where we’d deboarded.

I told him the clue I’d learned, and together we hauled our luggage down the stairs into an underground tunnel. Now it was my turn to guard the luggage while he dashed to the ticket counter up a different flight of stairs to get more information. He returned a couple of minutes later. “Go outside,” he said. “There’s supposed to be a bus waiting to take train passengers to the next city!”

We grabbed our bags and hauled them up two different flights of stairs to a sidewalk above ground. Two buses sat idling there. Gene ran to one and asked the driver if the bus was bound for Katowice. The driver grunted, stared out the front window and waved his hand as if to brush Gene off. One passenger saw what happened and tried to help but his English was as sparse as Gene’s Slovak. Finally Gene saw a list of cities printed on the bus wall and pointed at the one we wanted. The passengers shook their heads. “No, no,” they said. As this was happening, the other bus pulled away from the curb. Too bad – turns out that was our bus.

And so our 10-hour trip turned into 15 hours. Thankfully it wasn’t all on trains. We found a coffeeshop with wireless (albeit intermittent) at the station. We enjoyed ice cream and cold drinks while catching up on emails and working on our Bible studies for the upcoming Polish camp. Chalk it up to adventure. Be still and know that He is God over every little detail. Turns out that we met a guy from Ohio on the train we eventually caught, and we were able to plants seeds of truth in his life through conversation with him.

While at the train station, I had an interesting cross-cultural experience. I had to use the WC (water closet aka toilet), so I found my way to the appropriate room. Two women about my age sat at a ticket counter at the room’s entrance. A sign on the ticket counter window told me that I had to pay 20 cents in Euros (about 30 cents CDN). I pushed the coins through the window toward them. The women smiled and pointed at a roll of toilet paper on the counter. I picked it up, they nodded their permission and I went on my way, mindful to return it for the next customer. BTW, men have to pay only 15 cents to use the toilet, unless, of course they require paper. Then the price goes up to 20 cents. Add that to your travel manual!

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On to Slovakia

Tuesday, July 20th, 2010

Our team traveled to Budapest where we spent the night and then went separate ways the next morning. Gene and I caught a shuttle van to Kosice, Slovakia with one of our team members who will now minister there in an evangelistic family camp with five other Canadian volunteers. She was transporting her personal luggage plus three suitcases loaded with camp supplies, so there was no way we were going to put her on a train to deal with that stuff on her own. Thankfully the van was air-conditioned; it’s hot as blazes and muggy here. Sweat trickles down our necks and backs, and our pants stick to our legs if we sit anywhere too long.

We stayed two nights in a little house down the street from our IM Canada career staff, Brad and Karla Thiessen. I was able to wash our clothes in a washing machine – yahoo! What a treat to do it this way as opposed to in a bathroom sink or on the floor of a hotel shower. I hung the laundry on a makeshift line and it dried in less than an hour, denims included.

I was glad to have several hours to review my manuscript for the study guide that will accompany Moving From Fear to Freedom. The editor has done her job on it and sent some suggested revisions. She also asked me to check several references – that’s a bit tricky to do because I didn’t bring the Bible from which I quoted. Hmmm…I’ll need to find a fix for that so the production process can continue while I’m away.

We had a delightful surprise here. Our IM Canada short-termers were invited to a “garden party” hosted by a woman named Irena and her husband. Irena was my translator when we brought a team to a Slovakian evangelistic family camp in 2008. She and I really hit it off then and have been friends every since. We didn’t know about the party until we arrived here, and she didn’t know that Gene and I were in Kosice until she opened her door and saw us standing on her doorstep. What fun to see the look on her face and to exchange kisses on each other’s cheeks! We even had a few moments to share from our hearts and to pray for concerns. “Thank You, God, for the gift of girlfriends worldwide who share my love for You.”

It was also a delight to meet our IM Canadian short-termers within hours of their arrival here. They didn’t know we’d be here so it was fun to surprise them and have dinner together. I felt sorry for them – they were heavy into jet lag. One of our women sprained her ankle in the afternoon so Irena set her on a futon with her foot elevated and then found ice chips to place on the swelling. Poor thing! She’s wondering what lesson God plans to teach her through this unfortunate accident. She needs our prayers, as does everyone on the team as they head to the camp venue and prepare for a week of sharing God’s love with campers of all ages.

IM short-termers and interns at Irena's garden party

My friend Irena (right)

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Overnight in Timisoara

Monday, July 19th, 2010

Timisoara. Each time we’re here, I’m sickened and saddened by the depth of man’s cruelty to man. Walking in the city square dotted with its outdoor restaurants and fine shops, it’s difficult to imagine 100,000 people packed into its space to push for peaceful reform in December, 1989.

Peaceful it was not. As I understand it, soldiers opened fire in an attempt to disperse the crowd. Their plan failed. The people refused to leave so the country’s president issued orders to pull about a dozen young people from the masses, stand them on the stairs of the Orthodox cathedral at the end of the square and shoot them. The military followed orders but killing the kids was the last straw. That’s when it decided enough was enough and turned on the president. The military captured, tried and executed him and his wife several days later.

Today, plaques commemorating those who died in the fight for freedom adorn the cathedral’s walls near the main entrance. It’s impossible to visit the site, snap a few pictures and walk away without experiencing a somber and reflective moment.

I remember exactly where I was when the media announced the president’s overthrow. I was a mom of three young children, consumed with caring for their needs and taking one day at a time. Never in a million years would I have guessed that someday I’d visit Romania multiple times for the purpose of bringing the truth and hope of Jesus Christ to this broken land. “God, thank You for the awesome privilege of playing a healing role in this country.”

We step inside the cathedral, its ceiling and walls bedecked by gold and stained glass. Pictures of celebrated saints and Mother Mary hang in various places, kissed by men and women of all ages. Individuals burn candles and worship alone in small alcoves. An open decorative trunk sits to the right. Worshipers approach it reverently, look inside and cross themselves or lean into it and kiss its contents. I suspect that it holds the remains of a deceased saint but I hesitate to peek inside because I don’t want to look like a tourist anymore than I already do. And so I stand in the back and watch, my heart heavy for those who worship a dead Christ.

Wherein lies hope if Christ still hangs on the cross? And wherein lies the possibility of earning one’s entrance to heaven through obeying Orthodox rules and doing good deeds? Scripture says we’re all sinners with no hope of pleasing a holy God unless we come to Him through His Son. Our salvation comes through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, not through good works lest any man should boast. “God, reveal Your truth to those who seek You in Romania. Pour out Your Spirit on this country and turn the hearts of multitudes to You.”

Timisoara city square with cathedral in background

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Birthday in Romania

Friday, July 16th, 2010

After the kids left the camp, our team collected used sheets and towels from each room to help the venue staff, ate lunch and went for a walk through the village. Everyone who lives here is unemployed. Why? Because they all worked at a nearby precious metals mine that closed about five years ago. Nowadays they earn income by fishing on the Danube River and selling their catch to their neighbors and those who pass through the town. Every few feet along the main road through the village, we saw signs indicating fish for sale.

One of many big homes in the village.

I noticed many large houses along the road. That raised a question: How can the unemployed afford them? I asked one of our staff, and he explained that the owners made their money when the United Nations placed an oil embargo on Serbia during the civil war about 10 years ago. He said they transported gasoline across the Danube to the Serbian coast and sold it there for large profit. The Serbian coastal authorities never tried to stop them because they wanted the gasoline. The money earned from illegal sales provided the funding to build these houses with no debt. Now the owners are unemployed, but at least they won’t lose their houses.

When I’m overseas, watching people interact in the normal course of their day is one of my favorite things to do. (Someday I’d love to have a camera with a zoom lens so I can take facial photos without them noticing). This elderly lady was sitting on a bench in front of her house, creating a table runner. She seemed delighted that we stopped to admire her handiwork. She explained that she was copying a model, as seen in the picture. Then she began talking…and talking…and talking, oblivious to the fact that we couldn’t understand the majority of what she said.

The lady and I.

I strained to listen to her story and managed to pick up a few words because they sounded like French. By piecing bits and pieces together, I understood that one of her family members lives in Canada but she hasn’t seen him for a long time. Most of her family is dead and the government gives her little or no pension. From the looks of her house, she probably has no indoor plumbing.

Within a couple of minutes, tears filled the woman’s eyes and spilled down her cheeks. My heart broke for her. What do I do, God? I prayed. The answer came back, Pray for her. And so I did. I placed my hand on her shoulder and began praying aloud in English – that God would comfort her, provide for her needs and draw her to a saving knowledge of Himself.

Despite our language barrier, the woman seemed to understand. She pointed to the sky and repeated the Romanian word for God several times. Finally, when I sensed the time was right to leave, I kissed her on both cheeks according to custom and bid her goodbye. I walked away feeling guilty for my very blessed life and praying that God would show Himself to her in a tangible way.

Each time I minister overseas – especially in a country such as Romania – I struggle with feelings of guilt. My life seems so easy compared to some peoples’ existence. I never worry about having sufficient food or where I’ll lay my head. When I face medical issues, I see my doctor and have them dealt with as quickly as possible. I have family and friends and the freedom to stay in touch with them.

Others cannot imagine such a life. They’re fighting to survive. They have neither clean drinking water nor the luxury of hot showers. The lucky ones glean an education and then leave their homeland to work abroad and send money back to support their loved ones.

Today was my birthday. Meeting this woman and praying with her made my day special. I’ll face the next year with a renewed attitude of gratitude for God’s presence and provisions, and with a deeper burden to pray for the disenfranchised. “Thank You, God, for this special gift.”

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We’re on Our Way!

Friday, July 2nd, 2010

For those who regularly follow my blog, it’s time for me to switch it from devotional to travel again…

Look at the picture clues 

Big Ben

Buckingham Palace

and guess where I spent Friday! Actually, the majority was on a 747. But having a 7-hour layover at Heathrow airport meant we had time to ride the underground train into London where we saw the sights – Buckingham Palace, Big Ben (we heard it bong at 5:00 P.M.) and the House of Parliament (you can see it, too, if you look on a bottle of HP steak sauce).  Then came the return hour-long train ride to Heathrow amidst commuters heading home to the suburbs. Oh my. Imagine standing…in the heat…squished by other passengers…after being awake for nearly 30 hours. Call it an adventure! We ended the day with a 2 ½ hour jaunt to Budapest, Hungary.

We reached our hotel around 1:00 A.M., grateful that the team’s 22 suitcases arrived intact and thankful for a room with air conditioning. It felt soooo good to crawl into bed. Talk about exhausted! And now we’re up and at it again, after about 5 hours of sleep. Today we’ll drive from Budapest to Resita, Romania. That’ll take at least 7 hours, I believe.

You might be wondering what we’re doing this time. My husband and I are leading a team of 9 volunteers to partner with five career missionaries. We’ll host a camp for young adults facing various challenges in life. We’re bringing craft supplies, hygiene items, snacks and Bibles. We’ve planned games galore. And we’ll be sharing insights from God’s Word to encourage the kids and reassure them that they’re loved and not forgotten. I can hardly wait to see the kids we spent time with last summer, and to make new acquaintances.

Re: craft supplies. I was especially blessed a week ago when a little girl named Joanne celebrated her 8th birthday back in B.C. In lieu of gifts, she asked her friends to donate money to buy soap and deodorant for these kids in Romania. The donations topped $180 so she bought candy and elastic thread for beaded bracelets, too. Then she came to our house with her mom, grandma and two sisters and helped assemble the bags of goodies we’ll give to each camper.

Last year we had wireless at the camp venue. I’m hoping the same will be true this week so I can continue posting about our experience. Stay tuned for more!

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