This morning, I was doing laundry. Not surprising, really. Laundry is a never-ending task on my to-do list. Can you relate? Honestly, sometimes doing laundry makes me feel frustrated because it is never all the way done. Just about the time I fold the last article of clothing and put it away, I realize that the clothes Aaron and I are wearing will soon find their way into their respective hampers, and the whole process starts over again. Sometimes, in the middle of the week, I look at those two hampers and I think, “How can two people go through so many clothes in a few days?” And to those of you who have way more than two people in your household, you have my utmost respect and sympathy. 🙂

Dirty laundry. As I was working on the laundry this morning, I realized something. Those clothes that need washing are a lot like me. How so? As a Christian, I believe that I have been washed clean of my sin. 

“Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.” (Isaiah 1:18, ESV)

“Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” (Psalm 51:7, ESV)

When I first believed in Jesus, I was made clean. But it doesn’t stop there. You see, I still miss the mark. I find myself in need of washing over and over again. Just like that laundry. It sure doesn’t stay clean for long. Neither do I. When I see the dirt of my sin, I have to run to Jesus and say, “Please wash me again.” In His love and faithfulness, He does just that.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9, ESV)

What I realized this morning is that while I often run out of patience with washing dirty clothes, Jesus does not run out of patience with washing away my sins. Over and over again, as I ‘air my dirty laundry’ to Him, He washes me clean. With infinite patience and mercy. It’s incredible, isn’t it?

It makes me think of Peter. On their last night together before His crucifixion, Jesus did something unthinkable. He took a towel and a basin and began to wash His disciples’ feet. When it was his turn, Peter said, “You shall never wash my feet.”

“Jesus answered him, ‘If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.’ Simon Peter said to him, ‘Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!'” (Psalms 51:7, ESV)

I’m with you, Peter. Lord, wash all of me. I want to be clean. I know that it won’t last long and that I will struggle with sin until I reach Heaven, but I’m so thankful that I can’t exhaust Jesus’ mercy and that He doesn’t run out of patience with me. His love and kindness to me amazes me. 

It’s not just for me though. It’s true for all of those who believe in Him.

“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of the water with the word, so that He might present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.” (Ephesians 5:25-27, ESV)

Pretty cool, isn’t it? He cleanses us so that He might present us to Himself one day without spot or wrinkle. He is making us more and more like Him with every wash. 

I think I’ll be pretty thankful from now on when I’m doing laundry. Thankful for an object lesson from everyday life that points me to the One who has cleansed me and will keep on cleansing me from my sin. And one day, I’ll be part of that church that is presented to Him without spot or wrinkle, holy and without blemish. 

Jesus, thank You so much for the price You paid to make me clean. And thank You that You never get tired of washing my sins away. Wash all of me. I want to be more like You. Thank You for the promise of eternal life and the hope that one day, I will be clean forever in Heaven. Until then, please help me to be quick to confess my sins to You so that You can cleanse me from all unrighteousness. Amen.

-Dana

Do you ever feel like you’re not making progress? Like you know what you want to get done, but don’t seem to be accomplishing anything? Sometimes I feel like I am just spinning my wheels, and not only is it frustrating, but it seems to perpetuate inaction. Paraphrasing the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics: A body that’s not going anywhere keeps on not going anywhere.

I was so inspired by last week’s blog, “Pile of Pennies.” I want to make my pennies count! I don’t want to waste time or let my days slip away without making a difference! But how do I turn that desire into movement? What should I do? And how can I get myself to do what needs to be done?

I’d like to share a concept I learned from LearnDoBecome, a program designed to help people free themselves from clutter. I think it applies to any big goal or project, and might even be applicable to living a purposeful life. The idea is the “next action.” When there is something that needs to be done, it often feels overwhelming, and we have a hard time getting started. The idea is to look at the goal, and identify the very next step towards achieving it. For example, the woman who has books stacked all over her living room floor. She is thinking that to resolve that issue, she needs a bookcase. Simple, right? She just has to go on line and order one. Why doesn’t she do it? When she stops to think it through, the reason she is not ordering her bookcase is that she doesn’t know what size she needs. She needs to measure the wall where the bookcase will sit. And in order to measure the wall, she needs a tape measure. So, her next action is to find a tape measure. Finding a tape measure isn’t too hard; she has one in the garage. Once she accomplishes that easy task, she has some momentum and she can tackle the next next action. Bit by bit, she moves forward. Pretty soon, the books aren’t on the floor. Success!

Way more important than a clear living room floor is a life that is being spent wisely. The years we have left are made up of days, and the days are made up of hours, the hours of moments, and the moments ruled by choices. We see the big picture of eternity-focused living, but what is our next action?

First of all, it is quite possible that our next step doesn’t feel like an action at all. More often than not, the thing we need to do is to sit with our Father.

“My heart is not proud, Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child I am content.” Psalm 131:1-2

May I paraphrase? “It’s not really about me, God. It’s not about what I accomplish or how much I get done. I don’t have to understand the big picture or figure out all the details. I will spend time with You, not looking for what I can get, but just being close to You. I’m not worrying. You are in control.”

And, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10

Not just “be quiet,” but also “stop struggling/striving.”

A huge part of living a life that counts for eternity is drawing our strength and purpose from God and letting Him point us in the right direction.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV

Slow down. Stop fretting about what you should be doing and how you are not measuring up. Let your next step be letting God show you the next step He has planned. (For more on spending time at the feet of Jesus, see Dana’s post “One Thing,” from 5/25/19).

It is always more about who we are and who we are becoming than what we do, i.e. don’t take your next step without love.

The apostle Paul gives us very clear advice in I Corinthians.
“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.” I Corinthians 13:1-3 And again, in chapter 16:14 (NKJV), “Let all that you do be done in love.”

I would venture to say that if we can get an understanding of God’s love and allow His love to take root and grow inside us, we can’t help but take next steps that are wise use of our moments and our days.

A great example of a life motivated by love, clearly not wasted, is that of Mother Teresa. Here is her advice: “Do small things with great love.”

If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat, the title of a book by John Ortberg, is a great call to action. If you want to live a meaningful, productive life, take a step. Don’t allow feelings of shame or inadequacy or laziness stop you. Don’t trick yourself by saying you will do it tomorrow.

God has given us grace for today. He has a plan for our today, for our right now.

“As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For he says, ‘In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.’ I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:2

He hears us! He helps us! Let’s take a next step today. And then another, and another…

“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts…” Hebrews 3:15

God, we don’t want to let our moments or our days or our years slip away. We want to live productive lives that make a difference. Hear our prayers for guidance and strength. Show us our next step and help us to take it. Transform us by Your love, so that the things we do are done because of love. Your love is what it’s all about.

“For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” 2 Corinthians 5:14-15

-Leah

78.87 years. That is the average life expectancy of an American. It sounds like a lot of years, doesn’t it? That’s especially true if you’re 10, 15, or even 30. I have noticed that as I entered my 40’s, time seems to go by so quickly. Remember the opening line of the soap opera – “As sands through the hour glass, so are the days of our lives”? 

Time goes by so quickly. My oldest nephew, Benjamin, graduated yesterday. 18! If I close my eyes, I can see him still as an infant. Like it was yesterday. Where did 18 years go? 

In that picture, you see 79 pennies. Each penny represents one year of life. The average life expectancy of an American. The truth is, we don’t know how many years we will actually have. Some of us will have more than 79, and some of us will have less.

Here’s the picture again, but this time, I have taken out 45 pennies to represent the 45 years I have already used. It’s a little scary to look at it this way, isn’t it? If you have 79 pennies handy, I challenge you to do this. Put them out in front of you, and then remove a penny for each year that you’ve been alive. Look at what is left. Remember, what is left is not guaranteed. Some of us might be on our last penny right now. Sobering, isn’t it?

“Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” (James 4:14, ESV)

“O LORD, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am!” (Psalm 39:4, ESV)

“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12, ESV)

This is a challenge. To you. To me. To us. We have been given this one life. What are we doing with it? What are we living for? Each year is precious, each month is precious, each day is PRECIOUS. We don’t have time to waste. This video clip from Francis Chan captures it so well –

What are we living for? Are we spending our time focused on what we can get out of our lives here, or are we living with eternity in mind? 

Here’s the challenge. Let’s make every penny count, every year of our lives matter. It’s so easy to lose sight of just how short life really is. What we do with our time matters. There are things that God is calling us to do – let’s do them! 

“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me His own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:12-14, ESV) 

I want my life to count for eternity. I want to run the race well all the way to the finish line. Like Paul, I can’t say that I have already obtained this or that I am already perfect (far from it!). But I want to strain forward to what lies ahead. I want God to be able to use my life to the full, to be able to accomplish through me ALL the plans He has for me.

As I look at my ever-decreasing pile of pennies, I feel a greater sense of urgency. I don’t have time to waste on temporary things. I don’t have time to be bogged down by things that won’t last. My priorities must be those things that have lasting value, and my perspective must be fixed on what is eternal.

“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18, ESV)

Will you join the challenge with me? Will you forget what is already behind and ask God to help you make every one of the rest of your days count for eternity? I know that we will have relapses and that we won’t get this perfectly right all the time, but let’s start with today. What can we do with our day today that will be eternally significant? Then, tomorrow, we can ask ourselves the same question. Life is a precious gift that we have been given – let’s not waste it!

Father, You are our Creator, and You have given us the gift of life. You didn’t give us life so that we could spend it on ourselves, living for what is only temporary. You gifted us with life so that we could live for You and do the things You’ve called us to do. You made our lives for eternal significance. Please forgive us for wasting time and for not prioritizing the eternal. Help us to understand that our days are few, and help us to have a renewed passion for using each day for Your glory. Give us a renewed sense of urgency to be part of the work that You are doing in the world, and please give us the strength to press on to make it our own because Christ Jesus has made us His own. Amen.

-Dana

Li Wen Liang.

Dr. Li Wen Liang. This 34-year old Chinese physician died from Coronavirus infection on February 7, 2020. His expectant wife survives him, and she is also infected with this Coronavirus. Dr. Liang has gained international attention, both in his life and now after his death, as one of the first to give warning about the serious new infection that has caused death and difficulty in China and worry throughout the world. Back in December, he observed seven cases of severe respiratory infection that were similar to the infections seen with SARS in 2003. He sent a message to his colleagues, outlining his concerns and advising them to wear protective gear when dealing with patients with this type of illness. According to the BBC, four days later, he was “summoned” to the Public Security Bureau and accused of spreading rumors, making false comments and disturbing the social order. A month later, he himself contracted the virus and subsequently passed away.

I had heard of Dr. Li in connection with the news about Coronavirus, but on Thursday I read an article about him that made me pause and contemplate his courage. He is said to have written a moving poem saying goodbye to his family and his community and concluding with the following passage from the Bible:
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:7-8

Courage.

As I spent some time thinking about it, I realized that over the last several weeks I have been surrounded by stories of courage.
The podcast on Revive Our Hearts that I listen to regularly has this week been an interview with Valerie Elliot Shepard, the daughter of Jim and Elisabeth Elliot. She has been telling their stories of commitment to do whatever it took to bring the message of Jesus to the Auca Indians in Ecuador. Jim Elliot was one of 5 men killed by the Aucas on January 8, 1956, as they were attempting to make contact and open a door for the Gospel.

Last Sunday the lesson for our 4th grade Sunday school class was about Daniel and his friends, four Hebrew young men who were taken captive and brought to serve the king of Babylon in the early 600’s BC. These prisoners were bold enough to respectfully request a diet that did not violate the laws of their God.

Now go back another 400 years, to approx 1000 BC when Abigail, described as beautiful and discerning, was faced with a situation created by her foolish and badly behaved husband, Nabal. This story can be found in 1 Samuel 25 and is the subject of a group study I have been in for the last few weeks. Nabal acted and spoke arrogantly and angered David, the future king of Israel. David and 400 men “strapped on their swords,” intending to annihilate Nabal and his household and servants. Abigail stepped out in wisdom and courage and spoke truth and made peace.

Do I have courage?

The Collins English Dictionary defines courage as “the quality shown by someone who decides to do something difficult or dangerous, even though they may be afraid.”

Do I, like the Elliots, have the courage to sacrifice comfort and safety to go where God wants me to go and do what God wants me to do?

Do I, like Daniel, have the courage to hold on to what I believe is right, even when it will single me out and open the door for ridicule and worse?

Do I, like Abigail, have the courage to see the messes created by others and speak and act to bring a peaceful resolution?

Do I? Do you?

I want to say we do. We need to have courage. Our families need us to have courage. Our communities need us to have courage. Our world needs us to have courage. The courage we need comes from conviction built on a foundation of faith. It grows from knowing more and more the God who never fails.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of _____ (the text says “the king of Assyria and the vast army with him,” but insert whatever you are facing that stands in your way of doing what you know is right), for there is a greater power with us than with him. With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.” 2 Chronicles 32:7-8

It takes courage to live a meaningful life. It takes courage to fight battles, some bigger than others, some more visible than others, but all important. We need eternal perspective and the assurance of the power of God. Let us stand for the truth that needs to be spoken. Let us stand for those who need our help and our voice and the message of God’s love. Let us stand for what we believe is right, even when it costs us. Let us act wisely and courageously to bring peace in stormy situations.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” Ephesians 6:10-13

God, thank You that You have promised to be with us wherever we go. Thank You that You help us and fight our battles. Help us to live our lives with the courage that comes from You. Teach us to “en-courage” the people around us to stand strong in Your power. We stand for You. We stand in You. We stand because of You.

RIP Dr. Li Wen Liang. Thanks for your example.

-Leah

This week, many people will celebrate love. For years, I struggled with Valentine’s Day because it represented everything I thought I didn’t have as a single person. When you have an acute sense of loneliness, about the last thing you want to see everywhere around you is this focus on couples and relationships. If you’re single like I was for so many years, maybe Valentine’s Day is something you just hope will be over soon. Having walked that road, my prayer for all of you who are single is that you will know that you are SO loved by the One Who created you and knows the plans He has for you.

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.'” (Jeremiah 29:11, NLT)

I was 39, and I had been through questions, heartache, loss, and years of unanswered prayer when I met a guy on eHarmony in 2014. After exchanging the required communication through the website and moving into open communication, we decided to meet in person. It wasn’t love at first sight. It was a pretty typical and somewhat awkward first meeting (I would call it a date, but he doesn’t). We continued to communicate and met up several times after that to hang out and get to know each other better. He worked at T. Marzetti in Columbus, and I was an instructional coach in Lima. He wanted to be a pastor, and I wanted to continue my work with inner-city youth. Our church experiences were different, and we didn’t agree on some things. In December of 2014, he decided that our differences were too much of an obstacle, and we parted ways. 

In the meantime, I had been communicating with a guy in Ft. Wayne. He was funny, smart, and a talented musician. We would talk for hours on the phone. He made me laugh, and he loved Jesus. He was who I thought I was looking for. We talked about meeting in person, but his work schedule was a little crazy, and it just never seemed to work out. One day in a text conversation, he mentioned that he wasn’t feeling well. A couple of days later, I realized that I hadn’t heard from him. He hadn’t responded to my texts, which was very strange. I’m not sure what made me do it, but I entered his name in a Google search. Shock took over as I realized that I was looking at a link to his online obituary. He had died from a massive heart attack. In May 2015, I found myself at his funeral. It was the first time I had seen him in person, and he was gone. My heart was broken, and I was devastated.

Words With Friends. You know, that Scrabble-like game you can play on your phone that brings out the competitor in you? Well, I was never great at it, but I did play it. What in the world does that have to do with the topic at hand? Well, remember the guy from 2014? He loved to play Words With Friends. He was great at it (of course), and even though we had parted ways, we were Words With Friends opponents. Every now and then, he would send a chat message. Because my heart was hurting, I would roll my eyes and say, “Why won’t this guy just leave me alone?” But in an effort to be kind, I would answer and take my next turn. As it happened, in the summer of 2015, this guy found himself going through a difficult time. He reached out to me during a game of Words With Friends, and I could tell he was hurting. I offered some encouragement and some advice. in my mind, I hadn’t done anything big. For him, it was a turning point. He started to open his heart and mind to the possibility that maybe, just maybe, our differences were something we could work through.

In August 2015, we went to Hocking Hills together. We took in the beauty of our surroundings and let ourselves get reacquainted. We had dinner. We enjoyed each other’s company – so much so that we continued to find opportunities to spend time together. October 29, 2015, he asked me if we could make our relationship official, and I agreed. We spent most of our Saturdays together after that. 

On April 16, 2016, I was supposed to drive to Columbus, meet up with him, and then drive to Lake Hope to hike with my sister and Jeff (her husband). I had a terrible morning. I wasn’t happy with any outfit I put on. I felt ugly, and I was grumpy. I was keenly aware of every insecurity, and I didn’t even want to go. I ended up being  about 30 minutes late, and when I arrived at the park where we were supposed to meet, I was not at my best. We walked anyway – took one of our favorite trails and headed toward the familiar pavilion where we had been many times before. As we entered, that guy dropped to one knee, took out a beautiful emerald ring (he had taken the time and effort to find out that was what I wanted most), and asked me to spend the rest of my life with him. I was so surprised. I hadn’t seen it coming on that day. Not at all. I think I said, “I’ve never been engaged before.” Romantic, right? What a moment. Even when I wasn’t being very lovable, I was loved.

On September 3, 2016, I married that sweet guy. He is a gift from God to me, a tangible reminder of God’s faithfulness, His wisdom, and His amazing love. Every hurt and every moment of waiting was worth it. God knew the plans He had for me. He is trustworthy. Our story is one of how God can take two imperfect people who have gotten lots of things wrong, bring them together, help them to work through their differences, and use them together in spite of their flaws. God is a Redeemer. 

“Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11, NLT)

This Valentine’s Day, I celebrate love. Yes, I celebrate the love Aaron and I share, but most importantly, I celebrate God’s love for all of us. He is busy working out His plans in our lives, and while they may not be what we think they should be, He can be trusted to do all things perfectly well. Even when we can’t understand or see what He is doing, He is arranging the details of our lives for our good and for His glory. His love for us is perfect and it never fails. His is a love worth celebrating.

“When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources, He will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit. Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him.

Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Now all glory to God, Who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to Him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:14-21, NLT)

Father, I’m so grateful for Your love. Your amazing love. It really is beyond our ability to understand how even when we are at our worst, you never stop loving us. Thank you that You know the plans You have for us. Help us to know with all confidence that You can be trusted to work out the details of our lives perfectly and in such a way as to bring You glory. When we stop and look back over our lives, we can see Your hand at work. Help us to have the grace to trust You more. Amen.

-Dana