Category: Summer

We Do Not Know What We Are Missing…

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10/28/19

Summer 1997

A recent sermon, make that many recent sermons, that I have heard have been about prayer. Boy, do I need the reminder. People have needs, and prayer is the conduit between us and our Faithful to Listen God. Answers are not necessarily readily available, but how many times have we heard someone say that prayer changed everything or they knew prayers were being sent up to God. Like a thousand times here! I am an obvious answer to prayer, and much of my life is as well. But, I would like to submit that some Christians would like to change their prayer life to be more meaningful. A prayer life that sees God and feels His presence. To develop this, we have to take time out of our lives and show God we mean business.

When the team and I went to the Philippines between my Junior and Senior year of college, we experienced many major life lessons. Of course, the lack of things that people have in other countries hits a person right in the face when that person was born in America. We see the videos and pictures on TV. They are portrayed to us pretty accurately from what I have seen even on a recent mission’s trip to Peru. But as a college student, it was the first time for me to see them in real life. I will never forget what I learned though. Even when the people of these countries seem to lack everything we take for granted, they are not lacking anything. Why? Because they do not know what they are missing. The way they live is all they know. They do not realize that their home could have an actual floor and not dirt, or their windows could have screens and panes and not just wood that swings out to let air and light in. They do not realize that sewage should not flow in the cut out ditches next to the road, or their clothes do not match because they were hand me downs from the local missionary who received them from Americans.

A small little, old Filipino lady beat me up with her words as we sat across from her in her one room shack with dirt floors. Through an interpreter she said that she was happy the way things were for her, and she would never change it. But the young people of her country see that Americans have so much and the only thing they want to do is go to America. They work hard in school trying to get good grades so they can get on a list to go to a college in America or try to get a job there. “Their only goal in life is to get to America.” That was crazy to me. These people had so little and never knew they had little until they saw that Americans had so much, and they wanted that life. They were the happiest, kindest people I had ever met, yet they wanted to be me?

Why did these people, whom we would consider poor and impoverished but who really were not, want to be me? It made me think what was my purpose in life? Who was I and where would I be going? I did not realize I had not answered those questions before. I did not know what I did not have was missing because I had never had it. The older people in this country were in the same boat with material things; the younger people had figured it out. They saw what was missing and knew they wanted something different. I needed to pray about this phenomenon in my life because cancer was instrumental in whom I had become.

I was not missing material things life food, clothes, family, friends. I had that covered. I had all of the things needed for a cozy dorm room, good grades, and a goal set to teach in the classroom. There was a fantastic job in college and a car to drive there. Plus, I would be graduating in a year. Absolutely nothing was missing from my life until the above questions came to light. The people from another country help me to get a hold of God in a new way and ask for the guidance that I did not know was missing. The direction in where I should be going, and who was I, really. So enlightening. I began to see answers to those questions as I searched. God gave me a peace about my career path, which would waver, unfortunately, but He would still be there to show me He was in control. God gave me a sense of purpose; looking at lost souls with a new set of eyes, and sharing the Gospel with them. He would answer for me who I was, and why He had chosen me to have cancer.

Cancer is followed by the word why. It really helps us see our prayer life in a real light. But if cancer is not near or has been placed in the far corners of our minds, what do we really pray about? Do we have a time and place for our prayers? Honestly, we NEED the time and place. God is felt and moves in our spirit and soul when we kneel before Him and fellowship in prayer. Most likely we will have a prayer list, but maybe the list should be shorter. Then we could intercede at a more intimate level when we concentrate on that name on the list and pray about their inner self, their well-being, and their needs. People all around us need us. Not only them, but we need us. We need to pray and really pray. I tend to be pretty faithful about lifting someone up in prayer when I am driving. It is a good time for me, but I would like to take more time in my “prayer closet” for me and my fellowship with a God who took my life a totally different direction than I had expected. He is pretty real to me, so I want to be the person He wants me to be.

Psalm 39:12, “Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear unto my cry; hold not thy peace at my tears: for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were.”

That’s What Friends Are For

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8/15/19

Spring/Summer 1996

Yes, I had the necklace above. And, yes, these type are still being bought by teens and kids today. I would have an extremely hard time keeping my head up if I had one for each of my friends over the years that I keep in contact with often, and then one for each of my friends who are in my life right now. I chuckle at the picture that comes to mind of me with an abundance of necklaces around my neck for each friend, but I also would know which one would stand for which friend and cherish them like I did when I was 15.

Friends. What does this word mean to us? When it is spoken, it triggers a picture or a thought in our minds. Sometimes we see a spouse or a close friend; other times we may picture a friend from our past. Our thoughts may include a feeling of relief, trust, a big hug. The word friend conjures up mostly good feelings because we have been through a lot with that person. They are super important to our lives as we live in a world of negativity and disappointment here and there.

The word FRIEND means “a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection.” A friend is a person we know, a person with whom we have spent much time, shared many thoughts, and let down our guard showing our true self. We all know who our true self is, and many times a choice few people know that self. A spouse will most likely understand us the most and then family members whether they be a parent or child. A close friend whom we have spent hours with either at work, on the playground, or at church may also see that true self. It really is hard to hide when hours upon hours are shared with others. It is not a bad thing to be ourselves, but some people may think that because feelings get hurt, don’t they? Unfortunately, I tend to be an open book, to the chagrin of those closest to me. I am truly sorry, but thanks for loving me, all!

My sophomore year of college became one of the most important years of my life. I met friends that changed my life and are friends to this day. I can look back on that school year and as it was closing thought how important it would be for me stay in a spiritual place even without chapels, roommates, and classes. In the early spring, I had signed up for a summer at a church camp in Colorado. Being from Wyoming, I was super excited to be close to home, and although I had never been to the camp, was looking forward to spending time there and in that capacity. School ended and I headed home for a few weeks before trekking south for eight weeks of church camp. Growing up as a pastor’s kid, I had been at camp my whole life. Literally! My birthday is in the summer, and many a present and song were passed on to me at camp, even at five, six, seven. My parents brought us along since they were going. Fond memories, but I really enjoyed when it was my time to be a camper in junior high and high school.

God knew I needed to be at church camp for eight weeks that summer. It was a little nerve racking at first because we were assigned roommates for the little rooms we would stay in for the summer. They had two bunks on either side of the room with a bit of space in the middle as wide as the door frame. Close quarters, so we would need to get along somewhat. Unbeknownst to both of us assigned to one room, we would definitely be getting along. We became fast friends; ones who would have bought the necklace. This friend was not only just like me as a ministry kid, but planning to go to the same college in the fall that I was already attending! Uh, God? Yes! She encouraged me, prayed with me, and became what I needed to further my relationship with my True Friend. Any apprehension was all gone about leaving Bible college and what I had experienced that school year, and I spent another two months seeing God work in my life through the preaching and friendships created. My roommate was not the only person that God sent my way that summer. He provided Godly leadership and multiple “best friends;” such close friends, they were all in my wedding six years later.

And now back to cancer. Not only was the first weekend at camp scary, each of us were assigned a host family we would stay with on the weekends, or let us say for 36 hours, so we could do our laundry, sleep, and get a home cooked meal or a much needed out to eat. If I remember right, my first introduction to my host family was at church the day after orientation at the camp. One of the other camp workers and I met with a cute older couple that we would stay with the next weekend. They were so sweet, and we would soon be grateful for their beautiful home and cool basement, couches, and TV where we would spend the majority of our Saturday and Sunday afternoons sawing logs.

The first weekend we arrived, we were shown our room and the basement with laundry facilities. We ended up in the kitchen continuing small talk and getting to know each other. I looked around and low and behold smack dap in the middle of there refrigerator with business cards and calendars was my picture. When I got out of the hospital the first time, we had been told I would most likely lose my hair. My mom took me to a photographer downtown and had my picture done before my hair fell out. She wanted to put together a little prayer card to send to the hundreds of people that visited and sent cards, flowers, and gifts after hearing of my diagnosis. This sweet couple 400 miles from my little town in Wyoming to Denver, Colorado, had received my prayer card through the church and had been praying for me. When they had been told I was coming that summer, they had requested that I stay with them. They wanted to meet the subject of their prayers and get to know me. Uh, God? Yes!

Under no other circumstances can anyone make these things up. There is absolutely no way to even write books that have these kind of twists. Well, I guess there are books like this, but they are mostly fiction. This is real life with a real God. My God said, “Cancer, Rachelle.” I said, “Nope, not me.” But He did not listen, and decided my family and I needed this in our lives. Why do I have this little blog recounting the years of agony and defeat and hair loss and hurt and whys? Because the story is worth sharing for that one person that may be going through the same thing I did. Because the story is worth sharing for that other person that had a why? day. Because of the stories like the one above. Because…

That day in the kitchen of the sweetest couple ever, God showed me my story was not just mine. It was theirs as well. Before them stood an almost 20 year old that they heard about years before, had cancer, then received a prayer card, and prayed for her. She was now in their kitchen, totally healed and a walking miracle to them. Now this was OUR story. God also knew years later, our paths would cross again. One of them has passed on, but the other one is a member of the church I attend in Oklahoma. Friends for a lifetime on this earth.

But our friend for Eternity is Jesus, and there is not enough time to list all the verses that confirm that. John 15:13, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”  Romans 5:8, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” We can receive that True Friend today and never want for another friend or thing to make us happy. But, I am so grateful God said Cancer, because of the people that He has brought into my life to call my friends and that call me friend. Friends are what make the world go round.

 

 

 

 

 

Dog Days of Summer

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7/5/19

Summer 1995

The end of a school year in May just means the beginning of S – U – M – M – E – R. A whole new season, a whole new schedule, and a whole lot of time for fun. My freshmen year of college was over, and I had made the decision to stick around because the tutoring went into overdrive in the summer. I would have 40 hours a week from the first week and all summer without going home and trying to find a job with the same amount of hours. It was well worth not getting to go home to be able to pay for my semester when I returned in the fall. I had a great summer in LA that year with friends and family that lived a couple of hours away.

At the time of this article, summer is in full swing with another 4th of July in the books. We have spent the week watching fireworks and setting off a good number of small whistling and popping ones ourselves. The summer is around halfway through and the “dog days” are just around the corner. The household suitcases have been in full use twice, with another round coming up shortly. I have decided to not even walk them back to their hideaway in the attic until school starts. They will see three trips between now and then anyway. Why bother? It comes with the season. But for some that is not necessarily true. Summer does not mean trips for everyone depending on their occupation. This time of year can be the busiest time of year for certain people, where they spend other seasons traveling. In our area, landscapers, baseball players, pool companies, etc… use this time to make a living for their families.

Whatever summer means to each of us, it still stands for something; it is a new time in our life as the seasons continually change. Time does not stand still, so what should we do when summer rolls around? Ponder. Here are a few words that came about when I sat and pondered my summer.

S – Salvation. For today, the first letter of summer will stand for the most important aspect of a Christian’s life. When salvation is mentioned, what is the first thought that comes to mind? Mine is Jesus. Because of His death on the cross as payment for my sin, I trusted in Him as my Savior and received salvation. A sigh of relief; for if my summer changes and my life is taken from me, I know where I will go. Do all of us know? Remember the S in summer.

U – Unmovable. Christianity is a hard road to follow because of the different turnoffs that present themselves. There are many side roads with a small sign that can divert a person when things may be hard or weary or if we are not focused on the Lord and task at hand. It can be easy to make a quick turn thinking that we will find the main road again; we just need a quick diversion. We take a road trip each summer and sometimes purposely take a side road to see a famous landmark. A couple of times, it took us a lot longer to return to the main road than we had thought and our arrival time was pushed back. Diversions can set us off course. Determined to stay on the hard road and unmovable no matter the cost is difficult but doable.

M – Mesmerized. “Our God is an awesome God, who reigns from Heaven above, with wisdom, power, and love. Our God is awesome God.” We should stay in awe of our awesome God. I was speaking to someone this week about the prayers they prayed for a quick trip to the store. “Keep the lights green, the lines short, the prescription ready, the rain at bay, until we return home.” They were so grateful He answered those prayers. I have found myself in the same situation hundreds of times, no exaggeration. Do we really expect the answers? I believe we do, and then we stay mesmerized by our God.

M – Moments. Each moment is a gift. Those laughs and giggles, those fights and arguments; they could all go away and then we wish for them back. We need to keep the moments precious down to the very seconds. In a previous blog, I mentioned how important a five seconds should be to each of us. I am amazed at how in a few seconds, our lives are on a different track. A second is how long it takes to change forever.

E – Evaluate. What is our purpose and are we living it out? I believe most people have an understanding of their purpose. They have evaluated their life and know they, as Christians, are here to live a life for God, serving Him with their whole hearts. We should also evaluate our attitudes, our thoughts, our words, our actions. A reminder is good for us.

R – Ready. A Christian should be ready at all times to show others of God’s love for them. The checkout line may not have been the time to give the cashier a gospel tract, but a “have a great day” gives them and those that are in earshot a new thought for a few seconds, and it only takes that second for them to show someone else the same kindness. And the pay it forward continues. Ready to be a Christian? Just answering that question personally is thought provoking. Yes, I am ready, but do I have to be? My flesh asks the other question. Just being honest.

Summer can mean many things. The letters can stand for any number of words. What they mean to us just takes a few moments to ponder and then put into action. Making our summer challenge to be a better person with a purpose will bring the next season of life into focus. We must choose to be a Christian; choose “Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance” Galatians 5:22. Why? Because they are the fruit of the Spirit, and we are the fruit of His Spirit.