Mayre Lou and I watched a movie yesterday afternoon that touched both of us. Temple Gradin is an accomplished woman in the animal husbandry field. She is also autistic, which rings a bell with us since we have a grandson who is. What struck me, when I took the time to go back and think about the film, were the people in her life who saw her for what she could become, and not just what she suffered from. Several of these folks come to mind.
First of all was her mother. A woman who did not know how to handle a child with this diagnosis, but who worked with her, so that she could function in her world. This mother, I am sure, wanted her little girl to grow out of the condition, and so she prodded and pushed to give her the tools she would need to succeed. But the hardest part in being her mother was surely, that Temple could not show any affection or appreciation for any of her efforts. The girl could not even allow anyone to touch her, much less hug her.
Then there was the teacher in the boarding high school who worked with her in her favorite field of science. This man did not coddle her, but led her in such a way that she could discover herself in that area of study. He cared about her as a person and as a student, but also saw her mind as unusual. Temple just saw things differently, and her abilities in this area held a world of potential.
Her roommate turned out to have her own set of unusual circumstances. She was blind, and Temple needed to put some of her own "stuff" aside and be her eyes in the place where they both were being schooled. These two girls learned from each other, especially how each "saw" the world and their place in it.
I probably overlooked several others, but one more lady comes to mind. She was an incidental helper, one that had no formal role in Temple's life, but an important one nevertheless. Temple was afraid of automatic doors and would not go through them. She had entered this grocery store alongside another customer, but when it came time to go back out, she was alone and could not bring herself to make the doors open and go through. This lady, another shopper, simply told her, "I'll go through with you", and that made all the difference.
To realize all that Temple accomplished is amazing and a true success story. Not just the success of an autistic girl, but the success of many caring people that helped along the way.
We have a grandson over in Arkansas, who, like Temple Gradin, is autistic. Like Temple, he has an unusual way of inflection in his speech. He has some mannerisms that are different, like she does. He is very smart, like she is, and he has had the great fortune to have parents who have nurtured him and loved him for what he can be. He has had teachers who have spent the time to see him in his academic role and have cared enough to go the extra mile in this area. He has had classmates that have helped, and has had adults and children alike that have just said, "I'll go through with you".
Does God have a plan for Temple and for Archer? Sure, but one thing that has blessed his grand parents, is watching an 11 year old boy, blossoming in his life, with the support of caring people around him. He has helped us see others in a new way.
We love that boy!
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Peace In Our Time
I read two portions of Scripture this morning, and the word that seemed to be at the center of both was "Peace". What is peace? Is it just the absence of conflict or is there a greater dimension to the word and its meaning?
If I pick up the paper this morning or look at the news on the TV or the Internet, the various forms of the media seem to scream "War or Conflict", not peace, by any stretch of the imagination.
What kinds of peace do I look for in my life? What is my personal responsibility for peace?
Peace in the World?
Peace in my home?
Peace in the Church?
Peace in myself?
I find myself thinking of the book I am reading about Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German pastor caught up in the conflict of Nazi Germany in WWII. Here was a man who struggled with his love for his country, his love for his church, his love for his family and his love for God. Trying to balance all of these, he was in conflict in his soul. The only way he could resolve his inner struggles was to wait on God to show him the way to go. Once this was determined, he felt free to act, knowing that ultimately God was in control and there was a right way to proceed, a way that would be in keeping with God's will for his life, His will for his church, His will for the country, and His will for his family. The key was "His Will".
I'm sure that this principle also applies in my life as well. Inner peace is knowing that God is in control, that He knows the end from the beginning, and that His way is the best.
Letting go of the control stick is the hard part.
If I pick up the paper this morning or look at the news on the TV or the Internet, the various forms of the media seem to scream "War or Conflict", not peace, by any stretch of the imagination.
What kinds of peace do I look for in my life? What is my personal responsibility for peace?
Peace in the World?
Peace in my home?
Peace in the Church?
Peace in myself?
I find myself thinking of the book I am reading about Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German pastor caught up in the conflict of Nazi Germany in WWII. Here was a man who struggled with his love for his country, his love for his church, his love for his family and his love for God. Trying to balance all of these, he was in conflict in his soul. The only way he could resolve his inner struggles was to wait on God to show him the way to go. Once this was determined, he felt free to act, knowing that ultimately God was in control and there was a right way to proceed, a way that would be in keeping with God's will for his life, His will for his church, His will for the country, and His will for his family. The key was "His Will".
I'm sure that this principle also applies in my life as well. Inner peace is knowing that God is in control, that He knows the end from the beginning, and that His way is the best.
Letting go of the control stick is the hard part.
Monday, March 19, 2012
"Now" Time
There is only one time period I can actually live in. I can't dwell in the past, no matter how pleasant or how rough, and I can't reside in the future, because I can't even know what it is. I can only live in the present, and, while that sounds simple enough, it is definitely not.
My mind wants to remember those good times in the past, and to revisit them. Part of life is to think along these lines and feel good about what has happened. Even where I can see God working there, I can't just stay there. Present time slips unnoticed into the past as I spend my time in this way. God does tell us to remember, but those are but foundations to build on. I can't dwell there. The house is not complete.
My mind also wants to project itself into the future. What I will do when such and such happens, how I will do this and that, how I will be looked on by others when something happens, how I will be able to serve when God does this or that. When I read the Scripture in Mark 9 this morning, I see Jesus talking to His disciples, trying to prepare them for what was to come, and I understand that. I believe that God brings things into my life, and people into my life, to prepare me for what is to happen. Hopefully, I will take them in for what they are, and not spend all my time in imagining what is to come.
I picture an hourglass, with the sand running down into the bottom section. Not one of us can know how much of that sand is left in the top whether we are 25, 50, 75 or more in age. In my case I can pretty well know that there is much more sand in the bottom than in the top. I can't slow down the sand, I can only live in its moment, as it passes from the top to the bottom.
My prayer this morning is that I will have eyes to see and ears to hear what it is that I am to realize in this particular moment of my life, and, realizing, will use that to live this day, not putting my focus on either pile of sand in the hourglass, but concentrating on the grains moving through from one to the other.
David says in Psalm 31, "My times are in Your hands", and so it is.
My mind wants to remember those good times in the past, and to revisit them. Part of life is to think along these lines and feel good about what has happened. Even where I can see God working there, I can't just stay there. Present time slips unnoticed into the past as I spend my time in this way. God does tell us to remember, but those are but foundations to build on. I can't dwell there. The house is not complete.
My mind also wants to project itself into the future. What I will do when such and such happens, how I will do this and that, how I will be looked on by others when something happens, how I will be able to serve when God does this or that. When I read the Scripture in Mark 9 this morning, I see Jesus talking to His disciples, trying to prepare them for what was to come, and I understand that. I believe that God brings things into my life, and people into my life, to prepare me for what is to happen. Hopefully, I will take them in for what they are, and not spend all my time in imagining what is to come.
I picture an hourglass, with the sand running down into the bottom section. Not one of us can know how much of that sand is left in the top whether we are 25, 50, 75 or more in age. In my case I can pretty well know that there is much more sand in the bottom than in the top. I can't slow down the sand, I can only live in its moment, as it passes from the top to the bottom.
My prayer this morning is that I will have eyes to see and ears to hear what it is that I am to realize in this particular moment of my life, and, realizing, will use that to live this day, not putting my focus on either pile of sand in the hourglass, but concentrating on the grains moving through from one to the other.
David says in Psalm 31, "My times are in Your hands", and so it is.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Easter is Coming
I woke up this morning with a hymn on my mind:
- “Man of Sorrows!” what a name
For the Son of God, who came
Ruined sinners to reclaim.
Hallelujah! What a Savior! - Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
In my place condemned He stood;
Sealed my pardon with His blood.
Hallelujah! What a Savior! - Guilty, vile, and helpless we;
Spotless Lamb of God was He;
“Full atonement!” can it be?
Hallelujah! What a Savior! - Lifted up was He to die;
“It is finished!” was His cry;
Now in Heav’n exalted high.
Hallelujah! What a Savior! - When He comes, our glorious King,
All His ransomed home to bring,
Then anew His song we’ll sing:
Hallelujah! What a Savior! - Here is a version of the song on YouTube:
It was in my mind, but possibly could it be for others today as well.
Praise Be To God
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Preparation Time
One statement by Jesus caught my eye today as I looked at the Scripture reading. From Mark 8, Jesus tells Peter:
“Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
How often do I set my mind on the things of man, and not of God?
Every day I make my plans, for that day and the ones to follow it, in the light of what I think; What I think I need to do, what I think that someone else wants me to do, what looks like the right thing to do. In short, what I think circumstances have dealt to me and how I should respond to them.
When I gave the 'Choices' talk in prison the other day, a lot of it was a consideration of time periods in our lives. From the past, which we can do nothing to alter, to the future which we cannot know, our actions take place in the present, which is the only time period that we can do anything about.
What does God want for me in the present? Those things that would bring glory to Him, those that would prepare me for service for Him and those that would show my reliance on Him. All of the above for Him and not for me.
So, how do I look toward the future with these in mind? I cannot know about tomorrow and those tomorrows that follow it, so what does my mind dwell on? Do I make plans on what I think the future may hold? Do I go through different scenarios and decide how I might handle those? Or do I live life in the present and trust that He will be there and guide me at the time?
I know the answers to the above, and they are easy to acknowledge, but how hard is it to keep my mind in the right gear? How hard to strive for the mind of God and not project my own thoughts into His plans?
Perhaps pondering the answers to those questions above is a good first step on life's road, no matter where it leads.
I pray that it is so.....
“Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
How often do I set my mind on the things of man, and not of God?
Every day I make my plans, for that day and the ones to follow it, in the light of what I think; What I think I need to do, what I think that someone else wants me to do, what looks like the right thing to do. In short, what I think circumstances have dealt to me and how I should respond to them.
When I gave the 'Choices' talk in prison the other day, a lot of it was a consideration of time periods in our lives. From the past, which we can do nothing to alter, to the future which we cannot know, our actions take place in the present, which is the only time period that we can do anything about.
What does God want for me in the present? Those things that would bring glory to Him, those that would prepare me for service for Him and those that would show my reliance on Him. All of the above for Him and not for me.
So, how do I look toward the future with these in mind? I cannot know about tomorrow and those tomorrows that follow it, so what does my mind dwell on? Do I make plans on what I think the future may hold? Do I go through different scenarios and decide how I might handle those? Or do I live life in the present and trust that He will be there and guide me at the time?
I know the answers to the above, and they are easy to acknowledge, but how hard is it to keep my mind in the right gear? How hard to strive for the mind of God and not project my own thoughts into His plans?
Perhaps pondering the answers to those questions above is a good first step on life's road, no matter where it leads.
I pray that it is so.....
One statement by Jesus caught my eye today as I looked at the Scripture reading. From Mark 8, Jesus tells Peter:
“Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
How often do I set my mind on the things of man, and not of God?
Every day I make my plans, for that day and the ones to follow it, in the light of what I think; What I think I need to do, what I think that someone else wants me to do, what looks like the right thing to do. In short, what I think circumstances have dealt to me and how I should respond to them.
When I gave the 'Choices' talk in prison the other day, a lot of it was a consideration of time periods in our lives. From the past, which we can do nothing to alter, to the future which we cannot know, our actions take place in the present, which is the only time period that we can do anything about.
What does God want for me in the present? Those things that would bring glory to Him, those that would prepare me for service for Him and those that would show my reliance on Him. All of the above for Him and not for me.
So, how do I look toward the future with these in mind? I cannot know about tomorrow and those tomorrows that follow it, so what does my mind dwell on? Do I make plans on what I think the future may hold? Do I go through different scenarios and decide how I might handle those? Or do I live life in the present and trust that He will be there and guide me at the time?
I know the answers to the above, and they are easy to acknowledge, but how hard is it to keep my mind in the right gear? How hard to strive for the mind of God and not project my own thoughts into His plans?
Perhaps pondering the answers to those questions above is a good first step on life's road, no matter where it leads.
I pray that it is so.....
“Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
How often do I set my mind on the things of man, and not of God?
Every day I make my plans, for that day and the ones to follow it, in the light of what I think; What I think I need to do, what I think that someone else wants me to do, what looks like the right thing to do. In short, what I think circumstances have dealt to me and how I should respond to them.
When I gave the 'Choices' talk in prison the other day, a lot of it was a consideration of time periods in our lives. From the past, which we can do nothing to alter, to the future which we cannot know, our actions take place in the present, which is the only time period that we can do anything about.
What does God want for me in the present? Those things that would bring glory to Him, those that would prepare me for service for Him and those that would show my reliance on Him. All of the above for Him and not for me.
So, how do I look toward the future with these in mind? I cannot know about tomorrow and those tomorrows that follow it, so what does my mind dwell on? Do I make plans on what I think the future may hold? Do I go through different scenarios and decide how I might handle those? Or do I live life in the present and trust that He will be there and guide me at the time?
I know the answers to the above, and they are easy to acknowledge, but how hard is it to keep my mind in the right gear? How hard to strive for the mind of God and not project my own thoughts into His plans?
Perhaps pondering the answers to those questions above is a good first step on life's road, no matter where it leads.
I pray that it is so.....
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Stepping Stones
Last Sunday evening I was leading a small home group in the video series, The Truth Project. The session was on History and talked a lot about historical revisionism. One section caught my attention, a quote from the Pilgrim leader, William Brewster.
"Lastly, and which was not least, a great hope and inward zeal they had of laying some good foundation, or at least to make someway thereunto, for the promoting and advancing of the gospel of the kingdom of Christ in those remote parts of the world; yea, though they should be but even as stepping-stones unto others for the performing of so great a work."
The idea of stepping stones, that those men and women who were our forefathers in this land of freedom, were willing to be as nothing more than a path for future generations, not regarding themselves as the main characters in God's continuing story, but only being the enablers of those in that future that would seek to walk after God. They did not want to put their names on their stones so that people might know them and their contribution, but were satisfied to be unknown helpers to those who came after.
Romans 12 begins with these words: 12:1 "Therefore I exhort you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice – alive, holy, and pleasing to God – which is your reasonable service."
A living sacrifice, a way of living that places others ahead of myself, willing to take on a very minor role in the story of God in history for the benefit of those who come later. Not looking for my name to be associated with something great, but to be content to be unknown for His sake.
Stepping stones.
"Lastly, and which was not least, a great hope and inward zeal they had of laying some good foundation, or at least to make someway thereunto, for the promoting and advancing of the gospel of the kingdom of Christ in those remote parts of the world; yea, though they should be but even as stepping-stones unto others for the performing of so great a work."
The idea of stepping stones, that those men and women who were our forefathers in this land of freedom, were willing to be as nothing more than a path for future generations, not regarding themselves as the main characters in God's continuing story, but only being the enablers of those in that future that would seek to walk after God. They did not want to put their names on their stones so that people might know them and their contribution, but were satisfied to be unknown helpers to those who came after.
Romans 12 begins with these words: 12:1 "Therefore I exhort you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice – alive, holy, and pleasing to God – which is your reasonable service."
A living sacrifice, a way of living that places others ahead of myself, willing to take on a very minor role in the story of God in history for the benefit of those who come later. Not looking for my name to be associated with something great, but to be content to be unknown for His sake.
Stepping stones.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)