An Overcoming Faith

I miss my dad. As I read through his writings, Revelation 21:7 is one that my Father has typed up in bold on one page. “He that overcomes shall inherit all things, him shall I call my son, he will call me my God.” As I read further I am reminded of what my Father stood for. He was a person who knew where he came from, what he was about and where he was going. Forever, my Father is a hero in my eyes. An overcomer. My Father fiercely believed in the promises of the Word of God. He knew the life that pours out through God’s word, he knew the love that carries us all as the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. My father knew that one step of faith on his behalf would allow a lifetime of seeing God’s faithfulness in all circumstances. He knew of the life of an overcomer. By faith, he overcame and succeeded in a world that would have loved to slap a label on his life, family and circumstances and placed it all neatly into a little box. He knew by God’s grace he had overcome, he had ventured near and far across the world, studied at a doctorate level, lived life fully knowing he was going to make an impact in this world serving others. Despite coming from a small, tiny, little known island in the middle of the Indian ocean. Everyone in this world will always be just a little too self involved, too worried about our own, too consumed in our routines, too in love with our own, too comfortable that we may overlook, underestimate, or ignore what may not really intersect into our spheres. Reading through what my Father writes, I hear once again his voice, his words, his heart. He knew he could live life easily just making money for self and family. Yet, my Father knew he would gain a deeper, greater joy from serving the Lord. Doing the difficult, the less esteemed work of ministering, teaching the Bible, preaching the Good News of the Gospel of peace. I will never forget how my father would say with faithful determination and a calm peace that there was truly no greater joy than in serving the Lord.  He would say this as I knew my Dad was suffering in pain as cancer spread and metastasized through his body as he preserved in Sri Lanka.

I read chapter 21 of the book of Revelation and verse 4 & 5 states, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” There is not a day that goes past that in some way memories of my Father are present. If I dwell on it too long tears would surely spill down my cheeks and the throbbing stabbing pains in my heart would probably start up again. Grief is so strange. It lingers, it waxes and wanes, it subsides but it never ever goes away. Yet, we have this pain because we were able to have such great joy in our lives as our Father’s daughters. We had such a great Father and I am ever so grateful as I grow and live in this world where this has become such a rarity. The most precious inheritance my Father left us with was our faith. Our Dad and Mom taught us to pray, to read the Bible, the value our faith, our hope, our belief in a saving grace. This faith in the unfailing love of Jesus, our hope in the saving grace of our Lord has been at the very center of our lives ever since. This is why I read verse 4 and 5 of Rev 21 and it gives me peace, hope and joy. Knowing that one day there will be no more tears, no more pain. Reading further in the New International Version translation it states, ‘to the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life’. At the center point of my Father’s life was his thirst for the Lord, to serve the Lord, to know the Lord more and to share the love of the Lord with others. This faith in Jesus is for those willing to put aside ourselves, for those who let our souls thirst after a living God (Psalms 42:1-2) and those who hold fast to our faith. Faith in a God who is loving, faith in a grace that saves us. ‘Those that are victorious, those who overcome shall inherit all things, and I will be their God and they will be my children’(Rev 21:7).

Journey to Surrender

The land was rugged and desolate, the desert winds continuously sweeping the sand across the faces of the two travelers. They struggled onwards knowing soon, hopefully soon, the journey would end. The girl fought through the waves of fatigue and pain that coursed through her pregnant body, nine months pregnant to be exact. Yet here she was riding on the back of a donkey headed to a little town miles across the desert with her betrothed husband. This was not about a recent voyage through the desert. The process of this journey began months ago when the Angel appeared to her that fateful day saying to her, ‘Most favored one; you will bear the Son of God,’ of all people why her, she must have thought.¹ Imagine the thoughts running through her mind as she probably asked herself, “What will my family, friends, and relatives say?” Her plans for the future vanished and changed before her eyes with the one word from the Angel of the Lord.

We take years and months to decide and prepare ourselves for whatever the Lord may want from our lives. Oftentimes we even want several confirmations for our question, “Is this really what you want me to do Lord?” Mary was not allowed to do a careful cost-benefit-analysis of this call. She had no idea how long and where this journey would take her yet she simply said, “I am the Lord’s servant, may it be to me as you have said.” ²

Withholding nothing she surrendered her will, her life, and her body, everything to God. 

Journeying quickly to Elizabeth’s house her pregnancy was confirmed in a most delightful way as Elizabeth exclaimed, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! ...Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!” ³ What a wonder it must have been to first feel Jesus’ presence? In the midst of the fear and hardship, there was joy as the Holy Spirit inspired.

The thoughts, the fears, the realities Mary faced were put aside in that one decision to completely obey the Lord, in simple faith. Knowing the uncertainty of what lay ahead faith overruled fear. As she faced Joseph three months into her growingly obvious state he too had to make a decision to obey the Lord’s instructions. His character and faith were revealed as he allowed God’s perfect will to be accomplished in both their lives.

God has a call upon each of our lives; His will for us is more than anything we can imagine. Our plans can not compete with what God has in store. The journey is long and we may never know what lies ahead. The desert storms may rage around you and the pain of God’s plan birthing inside of you may bring you to your knees. With a child like faith we can conquer fear and surrender our lives to something greater.

Luke 1: 46 “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant…for the Great One has done great things for me-holy is His name. His mercy extends to those who fear him.”

Say Something

“Say something”...this phrase can often be heard reverberating through our heads. Opportunities sometimes come and go in a fleeting second. Although words fail and at times actions speak louder than words. Sometimes our lives our muffled and drowned out in the mundane routine and there arises a need for our voices to be heard. There must be something powerful in vocalizing the combination of simple characters, consonants and vowels. 

Crowds press forward together, eyes focused on one individual. Those not present have their ears perked up.  All listening anxiously anticipating words revolutionized streaming over the sounds waves. 

Hearts racing, their thoughts running a million miles an hour and in a second one phrase alter and marry two to a change in fate and fortuity.

In an opportune moment one emphatically takes a stance and with grandiose prolixity a judgment is ruled. 

Looking up he clings to the hope of hearing one single word, to treasure, to hold onto throughout the years.

In one single moment hurt builds hate and in another lives shatter, a consequence of a fragmented exchange. 

Remember the words. Remember what they said. 

Debate and dispute. Discuss and muse. The verbiage exudes and seeps into every crevice of our being. Edifying, dehumanizing, enlightening, instructing, comforting, destroying or preserving. 

When my father passed all I wanted was to hear his voice. That is something I will never forget on that day my mother told me my father had passed away. I remember crying saying and thinking I wish I could just hear him talk, say something, just one more time. 

There is power, life and death in our words. Who are we inspiring or are we just conspiring against ourselves and others with what we say? 

As this year winds down and yet another one rolls around. Let our words comfort, encourage, motivate and bring life. 

John 1:1-4 (MSG/NLT) The Word was first, the Word present to God. The Word was God, in readiness for God from day one...The Word gave life to everything...and his life brought light to everyone. 

Waiting for what...?

Can I get personal here for a moment? Hmmm…it’s the internet and I probably shouldn’t. I read this quote by Matt Chandler recently:

I know it seems really strange to some folks that some of us have remained single ALLL these years. They wonder what in the world is wrong with us…or whisper in other circles about how something is wrong with us. They may just chalk it up to eh…she/he is just too picky and thinks too much about themselves to settle for someone reasonable. Sometimes to be honest I wonder if something is wrong with me too. I wonder why I’ve been single for so long. I wonder why I gave up my 20’s to be so focused on getting one degree after another. I wonder if maybe I missed out on something…or missed out on meeting ‘the’ someone. Well…I don’t think so. To be perfectly honest there isn’t one day being single that I would give up. I have learned so much, grown so much and learned to believe so much more not just in myself but in my Christian faith. I’m glad I haven’t had to gain my confidence by my connection to some guy and like some girls have to have a continual string of guys because they can’t learn to live on their own. Or enjoy just being themselves by themselves. Anyways, I know 100% that whoever I’m ‘waiting’ for to marry (if I ever get the chance [to marry]) is going to be imperfect just like me. He will not complete me. He will probably at times irritate me. No matter, the daily decision to be content and enjoy my singleness is worth the realization that although I could fall in love with anyone. I would rather fall in love with someone who will challenge me to live for God even more.  It’s not an easy decision; it’s a daily decision.

A hopeful life

Hustling, poring over lab values, oxygen saturations and vitals, checking new serology and pathology results. Rushing from floor to floor. Listening and observing changes in facial expressions, demeanor, progressions as well as deteriorations in health. Knowing the expectations of your limitations. Dealing with sorrow, joy, anger, frustrations, intimidation, achingly hopeful optimisms with juxtaposed dreading realism. Looking in the faces of life and death. 

In the midst of the hustle and bustle of hospital life a conversation with an aging artist by trade brings things back into focus. “Thank you for taking the time to chat with me, I know how busy you must be,” he says cheerfully, as he lays in the disenchanting hospital room. “I enjoy chatting with you,” I reply as I think to myself, ‘taking time to converse with patients is my job, right?’ He then thanks me for being part of a great hospital staff before rattling off a few stories from acquaintances of past and present. Before long he reports on how small this world has become since the days of simple times, the ‘good old days, good old boys and girls’ now seemingly long gone. Yet, with his infectious joy and optimism he adds, ‘young lady, there is no time to be selfish, angry, quarrelsome or hurt. People get so caught up in the little things and forget there is an eternal life.’ he says wholeheartedly. 

We are here on earth for such a short period of time. There is no knowing when our last breath will be and our comprehension of the hereafter and eternal life is absolutely finite.  Yes, we are here hoping to be a blessing wherever we go to whomever we meet each and everyday. I try and it seems on most days fail and on an off chance I manage to succeed. 

The motto for life these days is to live each day as though it is your last. Carpe diem and live as though you may die tomorrow. I think some have lost the understanding of this and have interpreted it to mean - do whatever you want, however you want, whenever, and who cares about the consequences. In the middle of making the ‘most of it’ what are our motives, intentions, thoughts, and actions? Is it worth it to ‘just go for it’ and hurt others to make ourselves ‘happy’ or ‘seize the opportunity’ but cause chaos along the way? We become a selfish, boorish, brute bunch carefully hiding fragile vulnerabilities. The daily grind gets to us. It gets to me. I become focused on the routine and then soon feel empty wondering if and how my life is making a difference. How do we retain that simplicity of enjoying everyday life? Or take in a deep breath and feel, really feel that breath of life? How can we grasp and hold onto child like faith? How do we learn to appreciate the uniqueness and beauty in each individual and seize the opportunity or make the most of each encounter to encourage, uplift, and enlighten? Is it easy to put aside our insecurities and prejudices which end up trickling into our actions and behaviors? 

I’ve heard courage is not the absence of fear. It seems as though to live to make a difference we have to make a deliberate decision to live courageously despite our fears and insecurities. Even if making the difference is just stepping out into someone’s life  ‘holding their hand’ and listening. Living each day of this life as though it is your last is so much more meaningful when purposed with and lived through love. Life becomes excitingly refreshing particularly when learning to live a life of love through God’s eyes of grace. 

“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans:15:13 [NLT]

“Strength! Courage! Don’t be timid; don’t get discouraged. God, your God, is with you every step you take.”Joshua 1:9 [MSG]