I Have Fought the Good Fight~

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful” (2 Timothy 4:7).

Greetings,

This past week an elderly lady I know, whom I have greatly admired and considered a faith hero for 20 years, was diagnosed with cancer.  It’s pretty serious, and unless God intervenes she will be going home soon.  But there’s a reason I have always looked up to her and called her for prayer whenever I have had a need.  Here’s why.  When the doctor gave her the diagnosis, her very first response was, “I have lived a long life and accomplished God’s purpose for me.  I am ready for heaven.”  Amazing!

I want to be like her.  I want to have the kind of faith that stands strong as I cross the finish line.  I want to be confident that God’s purpose for me is good, powerful, and eternally relevant.  I want to be calm and joyful as I live knowing that I am called to fight the good fight for those I love, and that I will not leave this earth until I have done that.  And when the time comes to cross from here to There, I want to go with peace, having left a legacy for those who are staying behind about the necessity and importance of a relationship with Christ.

May it be so for you as well.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, one day we will all be rejoicing with You without the constraints of time and pains of human life.  The Bible says that heaven is so wonderful that we cannot even comprehend it. Amen to that!  In the meantime, we are alive and living and while we are grateful for life, we need Your daily help to make it.  It is only through Your constant blessings of protection, provision, wisdom, joy, love, peace, healing, and hope that we can make it.  Thank You that You willingly and lovingly come alongside us every single day. In Jesus’ name, AMEN~     

Gloryland~

Dear DEVO readers,

On August 18, 2017 my dear sweet friend, TLV, sent me a text that her battle with cancer was effectively  over.  No more treatment, no more struggling, no more fighting.  Finally, after more than 20 years of surgeries, hair loss, remission then recurrence, remission then recurrence... it looked as though God was saying, "Enough! It's time to come home!" And yesterday, September 20, 2017, TLV went to Heaven.

In my mind, earth could have used her presence more so than glory. 

She was incredibly kind, sweet, selfless, and uncomplaining.  I first met her more than 25 years ago when our sons played Little League Baseball together, and I recall telling my husband that she was impossibly nice - that no one could be that loving all the time.  I WAS WRONG! In fact, over the years TLV's life has been a source of constant conversation in our household. 

"Can you believe she would take the time to write me a card for my birthday while she is in the hospital?"

"How is it possible that she found time to send me a beautiful book of prayers while she is preparing for yet another surgery?"

"Look at this encouraging email TLV sent. Isn't she in the middle of chemo right now?

Thoughtful gesture after thoughtful gesture is what defined her life, and I imagine that living before the throne of God in constant prayer has something to do with that.  She was the very definition of what a PRAYER WARRIOR is, and I owe a great deal to her.  She, more than anyone else on this planet, is responsible for teaching me the importance of prayer, and this is why I focus so much on this topic when I write these DEVOs. 

TLV gave me my first-ever copy of The Power of a Praying Parent over 16 years ago, and it changed my life! The impact has been so profound that those of you who know me know I regularly give copies of this book away myself knowing it will bring so many blessings to families. 

In closing, I want to share the last text she sent me:

"I appreciate your prayers and love and friendship, and I just wanted to let you know that Jesus is always on the throne, and I have total peace.  The Lord's timing is always perfect, and I am ready. I want to go to Gloryland."

What a beautiful testimony! Notice how she doesn't claim to have any answers, nor does she ask, "Why?"  She simply expresses an unshakeable trust in the Lord.  Amen~

Let us pray today the inscription she wrote in one of the books she gave me.

Isa's Eulogy - Part Three

For those of you just joining us, the past few and the next few DEVOs are dedicated to my beloved mother-in-law who passed away July 19th after a 17-day battle with cancer.  It was so sudden, and the family is still processing this unexpected loss.  Nevertheless, as Christians we are encouraged to always look for ways to be thankful in every situation.  I have been doing just that, and I realize that the reason God tells us to be grateful is because it has tremendous benefits for our souls.  Below is the continuation of her eulogy...

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During Isa's final hours we  -  her husband, daughters-in-law, kids, and grandkids  -  11 of us in total  -  crowded around her hospital bed in the ICU and prayed, shared stories, and sang; we all realized that being right next to her, holding her hands, kissing her forehead, rubbing her arms was a extraordinary  privilege and a gift that not everyone receives. Such a monumental reason to be grateful.

We also found ourselves being thankful for everything from rubber gloves, Purell,  and trashcans, to clean bed sheets, non-skid socks, and air conditioning.  Mostly, though, we were deeply moved by the caring, spitfire nurse, Virgie, who worked non-stop to make our mom comfortable.  We told her too, and she said, "They don't call me the energizer bunny for nothing!"  Peace descended on that room in palpable ways.

And then my daughter, Rachel,  confided in all of us that the day she has a little girl, she will name her "Elisabel" in honor of our Isa, her grandmother.  Did I mention that Rachel is pregnant right now? We don't know the gender yet, but regardless, the day a little girl comes along, she will carry that most beautiful name! Amen~

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1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 "Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Whatever happens, give thanks, because it is God's will in Christ Jesus that you do this."

I can testify that the verse above is possible. Even in the midst of very difficult circumstances, when we pray through the pain, when we share funny stories in spite of our sorrow, when we give thanks not for the cancer but because God is still on His throne, cancer or not, when we do what God desires,  unexpected blessings of joy and peace come our way.

Whenever I start to think of that night we said good bye to Isa, my first thoughts are always to the gratitude we all shared, from the smallest detail (Amen! for nurse call buttons) to the greatest one (We will reunite with Isa someday).  Somehow, practicing our faith, praying, looking for ways to be thankful, creates a powerful buffer for our souls that  keeps the joy in and the depression out!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We all have reasons to be thankful.  Open our eyes to the many blessings in our lives and keep our focus on You - our Redeemer and Comforter. In Jesus' name, AMEN. 

Get into IT!

Psalm 18:30 "As for God, His way is perfect: The Lord's Word is flawless; He shields all who take refuge in Him."

Thursday greetings,

One of my most-loved and valued possessions is my mom's old Bible.  She truly cherished it, and nearly every page has an underlined passage, which means those words particularly ministered to her.   One time two-year-old Hormone thought he would underline in the book of Ecclesiastes, and I thought my mom would be upset.  On the contrary. Her precious reaction was, "You're never too young to get into the Word!" Amen~

When I look at its worn pages I am reminded of a person whose faith was unwavering even when faced with the unthinkable.  My father left her and us a few days after their 25th wedding anniversary, and a few months later she was diagnosed with the cancer that would eventually take her home to Jesus at 47 years old.  Through all the pain, sorrow, confusion, and questions she held onto the Word for dear life, and I trust she knows  that I learned to do the same because of her.

For example, both my kids will be traveling this week, so I find Psalm 91:11 comforting: "He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways."

Through it all - the great, the good, the bad, the hard, the unfair - God's Word serves to strengthen our faith and bring peace to our souls.  May we all get into It today!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You for Your mighty Word.  The Bible, when we read It, blesses us, guides us, strengthens us, and builds up our faith to believe You for miracles. In Jesus' name, AMEN!

 

Update on Leo~

Good morning~

UPDATE TIME

On January 28, 2014 I sent a DEVO about facing seemingly insurmountable situations.   The Bible passage was about King Asa who was facing a bigger and better-equipped army coming against him and the nation of Israel.   He knew he was outmatched and didn't hesitate to cry out to God for help.  That DEVO drew a parallel between Asa and "Leo," my coworker who was facing the possibility of kidney cancer and had to have surgery.  

DRUM ROLL PLEASE........

Last Tuesday Leo had surgery.  Six hours later he emerged with his kidney intact--minus the tumor--and yesterday the final official pathology report came in: NO CANCER!!!!

Praise our Lord and His healing hands!  Yes, Leo has had pain, nausea, and even a trip back to the ER for breathing difficulties.

But, even though Asa prayed for help and he won that battle, he still had to fight.  We all still have to fight sometimes, but what a difference when God is on our side.  And dare I say that Leo, whose picture appears below with his I-just-came-out-of-anesthesia-grogginess and "yes, I will use the little energy I have to give you a thumbs up for your picture" [even after someone's surgery I am pushy], has emerged with a stronger faith.  

He has grown and hopefully we have all grown in our conviction that God answers the prayers of His children.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We thank You for Leo's healing.  We are grateful for Your healing touch in his life and ours.  We are all a little stronger in our faith today.  In Jesus' name, AMEN~