Don't Waste Your Car Wreck

Elizabeth and 2 of her best friends could have been killed on the Friday after Thanksgiving.

Elizabeth, Kacie, Emma

The phone call I received around 11 a.m. that morning could've been very different. It could've been an official voice telling me deeply sad news. Thankfully, the frantic call I did receive was from an alive but sobbing daughter who had just hydroplaned and wrecked.

The girls were on their way to Fayetteville to cheer on the Razorbacks in their last home football game. It was yucky weather - cold and rainy - but they were up for the trip. Three of my other offspring, David, Faith, and Mary Grace, were a few miles further down 71 South in a second car, headed to the same place for the same reason. 

Around Pineville, MO, Elizabeth, headed SOUTH on 71, hydroplaned and did three 360°s before coming to rest T-boned against the guard rail on the NORTH side of 71.

There were no other cars involved. At that terrible moment when they were spinning their way across 3 lanes of traffic, no vehicles were around  - to be hit or, to hit them [shudder].

If there had, this would be a very different post.

But thankfully, it is not. If you could only know how many times I have thanked God for sparing their lives. And, mixed up in the middle of all that, I've wondered "why?"

Why did it all happen like it did? 

I believe God is sovereign, loving, just, merciful, purposeful, gracious, etc. What was/is He doing in all of this? What does He want us to get from this harrowing experience? What does He want us to do with this experience?

This event made me think of a book title I saw once. Before John Piper had surgery for prostate cancer, he wrote this book. I haven't read it, but the provocative title has stuck with me.

And as I've processed the events of last Friday - my daughter and her two friends' brush with death - I've found myself praying two things. First, I thank God again for sparing them. Then, I have been praying:

Lord, please don't let Elizabeth waste her car wreck. 

The day after the wreck, I called Elizabeth and told her some of my thoughts. I told her that God is obviously not done with her or her friends. He has more for them - more to be and more to do on this earth. Their work now is to seek Him to figure out what that more looks like as they go about living their daily lives.

These kind of incidents are checks. It's a mortality check. It's a "what do I believe about God" check. It's a thankfulness check. It's a "I could've died...what am I doing with my life?" check.

These are not light checks. They are weighty, but vital. 

Writing this blog has been a check for me, too. This story had a happy ending, but the next one might not. The next story could have a different title. All I know to do today to prepare for whatever the future might hold for me (and those I love) is to remind myself of the truth and to run into the arms of Him who is the the way, the truth and the life.  I must remind myself (through the disciplines of Bible Study, prayer, and community) of who holds the future and that He can be trusted. And, I must cling to promises like these that God has given through His Son, Jesus.

Because I am His, He promises to never leave me or forsake me. Matthew 28:20
Because I am His, He promises to strengthen and help me. Isaiah 41:10
Because I am His, He promises the Holy Spirit will lead me into all truth. John 16:13
Because I am His, I am valuable to Him. Matthew 10:29-31
Because I am His, if I am brokenhearted, He will be near. Psalm 34:18

Thank you, God, for sparing Elizabeth, Kacie, and Emma.

And, Lord, please don't let them waste their car wreck.

Every. Creature.

I am in the middle of Bible Study Fellowship's study on Revelation.

Going deep into God's word is always powerful, and this study is no exception. Most days, as I sit at my kitchen table studying, I am blown away that I know the God that's being described. Even more, He knows me.

I can't even understand why.

But, He does know me and I do know Him, and I'm forever grateful.

This week, we are in Revelation 5, which talks about the Scroll and the Lamb. It's all amazing, but verse 13 made me stop.

And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”

It made me stop because it reminded me of a talk by Louie Giglio I heard a few years back at the 2011 Desiring God National Conference. In his talk, he did a mashup that brought me to tears.

It's about all creation praising our one true great God.

It's a 14:06 video, but it's worth it.

How great is our God and how worthy of praise.

Morning Thoughts

The other morning, I was writing in my Journible the first few verses of Luke 5. 

The simple act of writing words in longhand makes me slow down and notice them a bit more. Not only do I see and read them, I feel them.

Catching my eye and stopping my pen first were the words at the beginning of verse 1:

On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God... 

I noticed "pressing in" because one of the pastors I listen to, Matt Chandler, from The Village Church, once used a phrase that carries the same idea. He talked about "leaning hard into Jesus." (He was talking about hard times when he used it, but that word picture of leaning hard into Jesus spoke to me. If our soul can have a posture, that's the one I want.)

The crowd was pressing in. I tried to picture what that must have looked like - the crowd of bodies pushing, jostling, manuevering - doing whatever it took to get close to Jesus so they could hear life giving words. 

Don't we all want to hear lasting, life giving words?

I immediately asked myself if I was pressing in to hear the word of God.

Am I hungry for it?

Am I taking steps to make sure I'm getting fed the word of God?

There's not too many things that are lasting, but we are told that God's word is.

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.

                                                                                Isaiah 40:8

It's worth pressing in for.

I continued Journibling, and shortly wrote the words found in verse 3:

 Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little from the land.

When I wrote "put out" I couldn't help but wonder if Simon Peter was just a little "put out" that Jesus asked him to do that. 

The fishermen were coming off a long night of work with nothing to show for it - and they still had to clean up. Cleaning up was what Simon was doing when Jesus made this request. Simon does as Jesus asks, and apparently with no grumbling. I guess letting a guy sit in your boat is not that big a deal.

But then we are told (verse 4) that Jesus makes another request of Simon - and this one requires more than a seat from the tired, just finished working all night and just cleaned his nets, fisherman.

And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.

Another invitation to "put out." 

Another opportunity for Simon to be "put out." 

And this request does elicit some vexation on Simon's part. Verse 5 records it.

 And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.”

Was Jesus serious? Simon had just cleaned the nets. Couldn't Jesus have said something about going back to put out before he'd spent all that time cleaning up?

But Simon did what I hope I would've done.

He stated the obvious and then stated what he was staking his life on.

Simon did an immediate compare and contrast and thankfully, chose well!  

Simon didn't sugar coat reality. They'd had a lousy night of fishing. But because he trusted Jesus and his word, he chose to not be put out (and eventually, lose out). The tired fisherman chose to take the clean nets back out and put out in the deep. He didn't know it when he cast those nets over the side of the boat, but he was in for the catch of his life with the man who would continue to change his life.

It was all so worth being put out for.

Pressing in to Jesus, putting out into the deep with Jesus - time with Jesus - is always worth it.

Deceiving Yourself

Snoopy always calls it like it is.

We smile at that comic strip because we all get the point Mr. Shultz is making. So funny!

But other lying? Not so funny.

Like when I lie to myself.  

What?!? 

The Bible warns that the potential to do just that is inside me.

Really? I mean, who gets up in the morning and thinks, "I'm going to deceive myself today! Yep, gonna tell myself a couple of big ones. That'll make everything go better!"

Who does that? 

No one.

The thought that I can deceive myself is seriously terrifying.

I was reading in James 1:19-27 and was struck as never before by those suicidal words which are written, not once, but twice in that group of verses.

James 1:19-27New International Version (NIV)

Listening and Doing

19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. 27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Oh, how I do not want to do that. I don't want to listen and then forget. I don't want my religion to be worthless.

So, what to do? How can I keep from doing to myself such a dastardly deed as deceiving?

Thankfully, in this same group of verses, we are given help. Look at verse 25.

25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

Two words in that verse hint that it holds a key to defeating self deception: 

Freedom and Blessed. 

Deception never involves freedom or blessing. Truth always does. 

What then are we to do to have freedom and blessing (and to battle the tendency to deceive ourselves)?

"Look intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continue in it - not for getting what they have heard, but doing it..."

In other words: Read your Bible - carefully, seriously, consistently, persistently, intently. Then, do what it says.

It's that simple.

Well, it's simple to write. It might be slightly harder to do. 

But, if you are a Christian, you don't do this alone. You have the Holy Spirit to help. (John 14:26) You have virtual encouragers, like me, writing stuff like this to say, "Keep going! Keep trusting! Stay in the Word!" You have real live encouragers around you in your local church and/or small group cheering you on to keep fighting the good fight of faith. 

Fight the fight against self deception by looking intently into God's word and asking Him to help you do what it says. 

The result is freedom and blessing.

The result is truth telling. Truth telling me, truth reminding me - equipping me - to tell myself the truth.

And that thought isn't terrifying. It's terrific.

A Good Start

I start most every morning with my "quiet time." Since God saved me from my sinful self way back when I was 9 years old - since the blood of Jesus did work in my life - I've known time alone with God sometime during a day was critical. For me, it's first thing in the morning. Because I want to know and love Him more; because I want to "to number my days, that I may gain a heart of wisdom." (Psalm 90:12); because I want to love people more and live well the few short years I have on this earth;  the alarm goes off a little early, and I start my day with God. I read the Bible and I pray. I may have a devotional book handy and Bible websites up and I go back and forth between all those resources.

No two mornings are exactly the same because, well, because, I'm a person and God's a person and we are communicating and communication isn't rote but real and organic. And yesterday morning, it was as real and organic as it gets. He met me in such a delightful way, and I want to share it here.

Because I'm attending a Bible Study Fellowship class, I have a daily reading schedule. Yesterday, it happened to be the day assigned to read the notes provided by BSF on a section we had just studied about the life of Moses. I jumped right into them with barely a "Help me understand this, Lord." However, not far into it,  I felt a check in my spirit. Time with God isn't something to check off a list, but a person to be with. So I stopped and picked up a small devotional book recently given to me by a friend. It's title is His Name Shall Be Called, and it's a Christmas inspirational book that focuses on the names of Jesus.

The fact that it's a beautiful book is a bonus:)

The focus I read was from Jeremiah 50:6

Now for full disclosure.

I read that and causally thought that was nice - and true. Yes, Jesus is our resting place. I even closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths to try to think about it all a bit more. The thoughts expressed in what I just read were good, but they hadn't sent me soaring to new spiritual heights. But at least I had attempted a more relational moment. I didn't know it then, but God was going to use this attempt later. He's good at doing that kind of thing.

I went back to my BSF notes, which I love reading, by the way. They are not a chore at all. So with highlighter in hand and cup of coffee nearby, I began.

I came across a discussion of different levels of knowing someone.

While reading this, I thought of someone I know - one of my heroes in the faith, Elisabeth Elliot. I've only met her briefly at a couple of conferences, but I feel like I know her because I've read almost everything she's written. Because she's elderly (she'll be 88 on Dec 21st) and not in the best of health (and because I'm easily distracted sometimes), I decided to quickly check her website to see how she was doing. I stayed there long enough to see she is still being beautifully cared for by her loved ones and to thank God for her many years of speaking to me through her books and lectures.

Elisabeth check done, it was back to the notes.

It was in this next section of note reading, that I marveled at the tender care of God - the One who knows me best and still loves me most. His taking of my feeblest attempts at devotion and my note reading and my quick website check and then more note reading and weaving them all together to teach me about himself is such a gift from His great and mighty heart. At the early hour of 6:30 a.m., my tired face broke into a ready smile when I read the following:

The reference in those words to the "five young missionaries" refers to Elisabeth Elliot's first husband, Jim, and the 4 other men he worked with. I know this story well. Elisabeth told it in her book Through Gates of Splendor, and it found its way to the big screen in End of the Spear and Beyond the Gates of Splendor.

So, in my notes on The Life of Moses, God brings me back to Elisabeth Elliot and her story and strong testimony just a few minutes after I "checked" on her. If that wasn't enough, God topped it off with the words to a hymn written way back in 1895. Words echoing - reinforcing -  the concept that I had tried to grasp during my devotional time.

Jesus is my resting place.

There it was, printed in black and white. Five missionary men sang that song and rested in those facts as they faced a very uncertain future as far as this life was concerned.

We rest on Thee  -  our shield and our defender!

We go not forth alone against the foe;

Strong in Thy strength, safe in Thy keeping tender,

We rest on Thee, and in Thy name we go.

I was blown away at this point. I wouldn't let my Lou walk out the door until I told him about it. I'm still marveling at it. It wasn't a happy coincidence. It was God meeting me right where I was. 

He's still speaking to me through these truths. He's reminded me in the day since reading all this, that the living of life on this earth - our future - is uncertain. We don't know it. We don't know the joys ahead. We don't know the sadness ahead. 

But we know the One who does. And we can rest on Him and His sure care and love for His redeemed.

As quiet times go, this one was slightly on the dramatic side. But dramatic or not, it's still a time totally worth getting up for.  Meeting with the God of the universe always is.  It's a good start to a day. 

The Writing On the Wall

We've got couple of places in our home where there's writing on the wall.

Thankfully, the words on our walls are not as ominous as those found in a very dramatic chapter in the Bible - Daniel 5. If you aren't familiar with the story of King Belshazzar's great feast for a thousand of his lords, I encourage you to read it. Very thrilling stuff.

We have two places in our home where there are wall words. Ours were most definitely written by human hands that had human bodies attached to them. In fact, our basement wall was actually written by a gazillion human hands.

Since 1997

up close sample

When we first moved to Bolivar in 1988, we visited a house with a signature wall in their basement. We thought it was the coolest thing ever and said then that if we ever built a house, we'd have one too. In 1997, we built what still feels like a new house to me and designated "the wall."  It really is such a fun part of the basement, and first time visitors to our home still make a trip down the stairs to leave their mark.

The second place you'll see writing on our wall is not down any stairs - somewhat out of the way. These next set of words are purposely front and center - in the heart of our home.  I want to see them every day so I am a reminded of their great good truth.








































I was sitting at this table Saturday morning when I got a phone call from my sister letting me know she was on the road heading my way for her planned four day visit. After I hung up, I remembered I hadn't made her bed or prepared the guest room for her. Knowing when she left and how long a drive it was, I had a good idea of when she'd pull into town. I knew how long I had to get ready for her. As I was thinking about this, I happened to glance up and read these familiar words - words that had been up since 2006.

I bet you can see where my mind went and where this post is going. My sister is not the only one coming soon. We've just got to consider different degrees of the word soon.

Almost every old person you talk to - heck, almost every person you talk to - remarks how fast time goes. How they blinked and whatever stage they just went through is over and done before they really knew what happened. The next stage of their life came all too soon.

The Bible teaches many truths about Jesus, one of which is the fact that He is coming back someday soon. We have this one short life to live before that happens. It matters what we believe and how we live. We want to be ready for that great day.

This writing on our wall came from the last book in the Bible - the second to last verse. Revelation 22:20.

He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

I echo that "Amen."

Listening to Wilson

Even though the alarm goes off at the same time everyday, some mornings are just more rushed than others. Thursday dawned one of those. Because of early morning appointments where I needed to look presentable, I wasn't able to sit down and leisurely sip my coffee and read my Bible. Instead, I ferried my computer and my coffee down the hall to my bathroom.

Most of you can understand the coffee making that trip with me, but the computer?

It was one of those times for Wilson (what I have affectionately named my MacBook Pro) to do one of the best things he can do.

He read God's Word to me. 

I have a long time habit of starting my day reading the Bible. Not doing so throws me off. Sitting down - slowing down - to pray, read, think in the mornings is something I look forward to and need desperately. So when I don't plan well, or unexpected things happen, and I don't have that time that I normally do, I do what I can do, and what Wilson can do for me.

This morning, I didn't have any particular scripture in mind, but I knew I wanted to start out hearing words that praise God for how great He is. The "high number" Psalms are known for doing just that, so I very randomly picked Psalm 136, clicked the "listen" icon, and heard the following life giving words.

Psalm 136

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.

4 to him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.
5 who by his understanding made the heavens,
His love endures forever.
6 who spread out the earth upon the waters,
His love endures forever.
7 who made the great lights—
His love endures forever.
8 the sun to govern the day,
His love endures forever.
9 the moon and stars to govern the night;
His love endures forever.

10 to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt
His love endures forever.
11 and brought Israel out from among them
His love endures forever.
12 with a mighty hand and outstretched arm;
His love endures forever.

13 to him who divided the Red Sea[a] asunder
His love endures forever.
14 and brought Israel through the midst of it,
His love endures forever.
15 but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea;
His love endures forever.

16 to him who led his people through the wilderness;
His love endures forever.

17 to him who struck down great kings,
His love endures forever.
18 and killed mighty kings—
His love endures forever.
19 Sihon king of the Amorites
His love endures forever.
20 and Og king of Bashan—
His love endures forever.
21 and gave their land as an inheritance,
His love endures forever.
22 an inheritance to his servant Israel.
His love endures forever.

23 He remembered us in our low estate
His love endures forever.
24 and freed us from our enemies.
His love endures forever.
25 He gives food to every creature.
His love endures forever.

26 Give thanks to the God of heaven.
His love endures forever.

Those first 9 verses are pretty amazingly perfect for this time of year, aren't they? 

Another thing you may have noticed is a few words repeat - not just few times - but a lot of times. In the spirit of full disclosure, I have to confess that after I read the repeating words 3 or 4 times, I was like, "Ok, enough already." Then my next thought was, "Really, Shelley? You gonna correct God on his inspired words?"

Then I remembered a quote my kids have heard me say over and over: "Repetition is the key to learning." 

I think God wants us to know - remember - learn - never, ever forget - that "His love endures forever."

We definitely have a consistent thread running through this Psalm with those words, but we do, at verse 10, see the Psalm take a bit of a turn from praising God as creator, to praising God for what He has done in Israel's history. Noticing that, I thought about how His love has endured throughout my history. And I might have started mentally reciting some of my history, followed by "His love endures forever."  

To him who gave me a firstborn 

His love endures forever.

and gave me 5 more to love

His love endures forever.

To him who led Lou and me to Bolivar

His love endures forever.

Who continues to guide and help us everyday

His love endures forever.

You were with us when Lou flew over the bike handles.

His love endures forever

You'll be with us to the end

His love endures forever.

I know there will be times when I'll be in the thick of living this busy, messy, happy, hard life we all lead, and I'll tend to forget just how sure God's love is and how long it will last. When that happens, I want to turn, this time not so randomly, to this Psalm. 

Psalm 136.

It will remind me of how great God is and that His love endures forever.