Tag Archives: Faith

From Fortune to fortune

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The Fortune was the second ship to arrive at Plymouth on November 9, 1621, just weeks after the first Thanksgiving. My ancestor, William Basset was on that ship.

Truthfully, it is just as well that the Fortune’s passengers missed the first harvest festival, or Thanksgiving, as it is now known, for they had nothing to contribute. Unlike the Mayflower, the Fortune did not come with food or supplies. The thirty-five poor souls that arrived had little more than the clothes on their back. Obviously, this placed a great deal more strain on the food supplies of the colonists who had already arrived on the Mayflower a year earlier.

Thank heaven for the Native Americans who, through Divine Providence, helped the colonist, most of whom were Separatists from the Church of England. The term “pilgrim” was applied to these settlers in the late 1700’s after excerpts from William Bradford’s diary were published. Bradford, describing the Separatists final church service before embarking on their voyage to the North American continent, wrote that they “spent a good part of the day very profitably and suitable to their present occasion; the rest of the time was spent pouring out prayers to the Lord with great fervency, mixed with abundance of tears… they left that goodly and pleasant city which had been their resting place near twelve years; but they knew they were pilgrims, and looked not much on those things, but lift up their eyes to the heavens, their dearest country, and quieted their spirits.”

Bradford, a leader in the Separatist movement, was clearly likening these “pilgrims” to those men and women of faith recorded in the eleventh chapter of the book of Hebrews. These all died in faith, it is written, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.  For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.  Hebrews 11:13-16

When William Bradford, who arrived on the first ship Mayflower, realized that the Fortune was a friendly English ship rather than that of a hostile enemy, he would have been quite happy. This ship would surely be laden with much needed supplies. However, “Misfortune” might have been a more suitable name given that the new colonists, being completely destitute, would surely be a drain on already diminishing supplies. Still, they were ‘pilgrim’ brethren and they would, with God’s help, prosper in this new world.

As for William Bassett, with much hard work and perseverance, he became a very influential and wealthy man in the colonies, sharing much responsibility with William Bradford and other colonist leaders. Mr. Bassett stepped off the ship called Fortune and walked into a future of financial fortune. However, his greatest fortune was not monetary gain. His greatest fortune was the God-given opportunity to live in a free land; one where he and his family could worship God freely without having to compromise his beliefs nor comply with a religious system that the Separatists deemed corrupt.

Dear reader, it does not matter what country you live in presently, or which lands you may someday travel to, please remember that God is preparing a new home for His children called new Jerusalem. This is what John the Revelator wrote about it in the book of Revelation:  And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. Revelation 21:1-7. 

I cannot speak for you, dear reader, but I am thankful to have lived in this goodly and pleasant world all these years, but my heart often yearns for my new, much better home – for the new heaven and earth which God has promised. Can you say the same? I hope so. If not, please contact me; I would love to show you the path that leads to salvation; and to new Jerusalem.

Postscript: Here in the States, we are celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday today. Like the pilgrims of old, we are celebrating God’s bountiful provision. If you and your loved ones celebrate Thanksgiving where you are, I pray that yours is happy and blessed!

 

The Mouse That Kept Me Warm

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mouse

After living peacefully in my home for more than a decade, I finally heard it ­ ̶ the dreaded scratching of a mouse inside the bathroom wall.  The nerve of that mouse! Didn’t he know that I hate mice and have absolutely no intention of sharing my living space with any of his kind?

I am not a happy camper, I told my husband in an irritated tone. There is a mouse in the wall and we have to do something now! I know it is irrational, but the sound of just one mouse fills me with the instant worry of having an ever-growing army of mice scampering through the walls, breaking into the house, and playing tag all throughout my cookware cabinet, and everywhere else for that matter.  I guess that’s what happens when you have lived in a vermin-infested house in your youth.

At any rate, these things never happen at a convenient time, so it was not until the next day after work that my husband could do anything about my newly declared war on this little enemy.  I had everything ready.  Put it everywhere, I said… in the house, under the house, in the garage.  I even wanted him to take the plate off the garden tub and stick some under there so that the thirsty little mice might find it when coming to lick the pipes for moisture.

Though we had lived in the house for so many years, we had never bothered to look in that spot because there had never been a need.  I wish we had.  What my beloved discovered was that whoever had cut the hole for the plumbing fixtures had cut it much too large and left it unsealed, and that was allowing cold air to come in unhindered under the floor.  No wonder the bathroom was always too cold in the wintertime, year after year.

It is a good thing ̶ or should I say a God thing ̶   that we found this hole when we did.  Two days after my husband filled it with foam insulation, outside temperatures dropped to minus twenty degrees with the wind chill.  No wonder the mouse was trying so desperately to get in; he was probably just searching for warmer territory, and I can’t really blame him for that.  Okay, so I feel a bit more sympathetic now, but I still refuse to share my home with mice.

The moral of this story, dear reader, is akin to the old expression, don’t look a gift horse in the mouth, or in other words, when receiving a gift be grateful for what it is.  May I remind you that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).  Yes, all things. I guess if the Lord would cause a Donkey to speak for Balaam’s own good¹, he can use a lowly mouse to keep me a bit warmer if He so chooses.  And he can use a …..fill in the blank…. for your own good also.  One thing is certain; the Lord God truly does work in unusual ways sometimes and we would all do well in learning to recognize His hand in even the most unexpected  of blessings.

¹The story of Balaam and his donkey may be read in the Bible in the twenty-second chapter of Numbers.

Power Outage

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Bedtime was still a few hours away so the girls and I each settled into our own pleasurable activities to wind-down for the night. One of the girls was giggling at an old movie while her sister was on the phone talking faster than anyone could possibly listen.

I too was occupied, completely unaware of the approaching storm. It wasn’t a big storm, just one of those that rolled in quickly, hit furiously, and left suddenly. But there we were, inside a house suddenly blackened by a power outage.

Immediate sounds of scurrying and bumping indicated that someone was slightly frantic. She was searching wildly for her cell phone because she had been disconnected. I suppose it was the urgency of the matter that caused her to forget how helpful the light can be. Her sister was a bit disgruntled at the forced intermission but decided to make the most of it by fixing a sandwich. She could not see into the refrigerator, however and grumbled, “How long till we get the power back?”

Quite amused, I waited a few moments before shedding light on the subject (literally). Because my husband and I are always prepared for a blackout, we always keep two oil lamps, candles and flashlights readily available. If a power outage happens at night, therefore, we are never left unprepared in the dark.

Still, neither of my daughters had thought to take advantage of the light which was practically at their fingertips. I lit one lamp and watched the girls settle into a more peaceful state now that they could see things more clearly.

Gazing at the soft, soothing glow of the lamp, I thought about the ten virgins who took their lamps to meet the bridegroom (Matthew 25:1f). Five wisely prepared their lamps with oil, five did not. Once these five realized they had forgotten the oil, they scrambled in desperation, much like my daughter did for the phone. It was too late. Their lack of preparation cost them dearly.

I thought too, about the unexpected storms of life. There have been times in my life when I was far less prepared than I needed to be when they hit. And like the girls, I was so distracted by immediate circumstances that I didn’t immediately reach for Jesus, the true Light.

One of the things that I dearly love about my husband is his calmness in the face of every storm, both physical and spiritual. Many years ago we faced a very destructive tornadic storm, which caused me great anxiety. I was on the other side of town, when several tornadoes began touching down near my home.

Regardless of the danger, I was determined to return home to my family. Our children were very small at the time and we lived in a mobile home park. Those are not the safest places to live, as evidenced on my way home. Several of the mobile homes from a nearby park had been thrown onto the highway and a few were perched in trees; few were left standing in the park. And to make matters worse, a radio announcement reported that the town located only miles from our home had been mostly leveled.

I assumed my family was in the storm shelter, and I knew deep down that God would protect them, but that didn’t stop worry from gripping my heart. It was not until I pulled into our park entrance that I began to relax; minimal damage was evident, but all was intact.

Rushing through my front door to grab a few things before joining my family, I was stunned to find all of them inside. I sternly asked my husband, “Why aren’t you in the shelter?” My husband smiled at me, raised his hands, and his gaze, heavenward and confidently answered, “I am!”

Obviously he knew where The Light was all along and was fully prepared.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path (Psalm 119:105).

“Grandma” Bratton

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Egg in Frying Pan

Unable to go back to sleep this morning, I lay in bed considering what I wanted to eat for breakfast and trying my best to make a mental list of all the things I want to accomplish today. The list never really came together because my thoughts kept drifting back to food, but I wasn’t quite ready to get up and prepare any. On mornings like this, I really wish the all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet near my home was still open for business; I would’ve gotten up for that, and I certainly would’ve gotten my money’s worth!

Why am I so hungry? I wondered. I’m not normally much of a breakfast person, but sometimes the desire for a huge country breakfast just hits me. And yet, I just stayed there, snuggled under my blankets instead of taking action.

All of a sudden, my thoughts jumped to “Grandma” Bratton, the matriarchal saint who was like a grandmother to almost everyone in the church I attended years ago. I still think of her sometimes, even though she has long-since passed-away. I’m guessing Grandma Bratton came to mind this morning because thoughts of her and breakfast naturally go together. I never enjoyed this meal with her, but I have never forgotten her steadfast diligence to meet with the Lord each morning, no matter what.

Every day, at 7:00 a.m. sharp, she would stop whatever she was doing to pray. There were many mornings, I’m told, she wasn’t finished cooking breakfast when prayer time came. But rather than finishing-up, Grandma Bratton would turn off her skillet and come back to it later.

Seven O’clock is my morning prayer time, she would say, and I’m not about to let anything get in the way of that. There is just nothing more important in this life than spending time with my Lord early in the day! My body can do without food, but my spirit can’t.

A late breakfast of cold, greasy eggs doesn’t sound very appealing to me, but the hunger this dear saint had for the Lord certainly does. I agree, Grandma, there is nothing more important than spending time with the Lord. And though I often fail at the whole morning thing, I would do well to learn from you —we all would. I know you will never read this, but I want to thank you for your godly example.

And now, having said that, I’m going to go fix some breakfast ̶ finally.

Have a blessed morning everyone!

In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch. Psalm 5:3

 

 

Serve on Purpose

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the purpose of life is a life of purpose - text on a slate blackboard against red barn wood

“Here is a test to find out whether your mission in life is complete. If you’re alive, it isn’t.”
― Lauren Bacall

A little over a month ago, I confided in a dear friend that I felt I had lost my sense of purpose. Additionally, thoughts of eternity frequented my mind as I wondered what my eternal homecoming would be like. You see, this past year I experienced some rather pesky health issues that presented some difficult challenges for me. The Lord has been so faithful through it all, but some of my newly acquired inabilities had left me wondering if my service to Him was pretty much finished. And if it was, did that mean that my departure from this life was drawing near? I had, after all, committed my  life to my precious Lord and to His service, and to that of my family. Not being able to do anything substantial for any of them was disheartening and certainly increased that sense of lost purpose.

I couldn’t honestly say I was ready to cross over into eternity because I love my husband and children dearly and I wasn’t ready to leave them, or the dear friends that I am blessed to have, but aside from them, there is nothing that this world has to offer that has a hold on me. Thus, I totally relate to the Apostle Paul, who wrote, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.” Philippians 1:21-24

Paul wasn’t making an egocentric statement here; quite the opposite, in fact. He was weary and desperately longed to be with the Lord, yet he understood that as long  as he had breath in his physical body, he would continue to labor for the Lord, and that could only be beneficial to those for whom he labored.

Yes, that is the better choice, I thought, to stay here and give my all. While I pondered what kind of fruitful labor might be left in me, the Lord gently reminded me that there are seasons in each person’s life and each season is different; some seasons are very still, but we should strive to make the most of each nevertheless. Paul instructed that whatever we do, we should do it all for the glory of God. Whatever we do! Remember, every act of service, no matter how seemingly small or insignificant, is a fruitful labor that can benefit those around us, often times affecting them in ways that we cannot even comprehend. The important thing is to give of ourselves in whatever capacity we can. This is what truly gives our lives purpose.

I realize, dear reader, that amid all of the chaos of today’s world, it is sometimes easy to lose our sense of purpose, but know this, the Lord has never forgotten your purpose, or mine. His gifts and callings are irrevocable. (Romans 11:29). His purpose for our lives is unchanging.

As for me, I decided to simply rest in His promises and trust in His faithfulness during my challenging season, knowing full well that as long as I have breath in my body, I have purpose, and the ability to fulfill my purpose —as do you.

By way of update, I am pleased to inform you that just days after confiding in my friend (who definitely prayed for me), the Lord very quickly renewed my physical strength, revitalized both my passion and my purpose, and gave me fresh vision. Now, rather than wondering what the immediate future holds, I am excited to see what the Lord will do, and I look forward to being a part of it! Friends, I am absolutely certain he will do the same for you if, for whatever reason, you feel you have lost your sense of purpose. To quote Paul once more, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

 

Feeble Weeble

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Like many of my tenacious, long-suffering friends, I’m a Weeble. If you are young enough that you’ve never listened to an eight-track tape or watched ABC’s After School Specials on television, you probably don’t have a clue what I’m talking about- in which case I will explain. Weebles™, created by the Hasbro Company in the 1970’s, started out as small egg-shaped toys that were made to look like people. Because they were weighted on the bottom, you could push them over but they popped right back up. Just about every child growing up in that era knew that “Weebles™ wobble but they don’t fall down.”

I keep that little motto tucked somewhere in my repository of coping techniques for those times when I am unexpectedly knocked down by life. I occasionally face problems with bulldog tenacity and say, “It’s going to take a lot more than that to keep me down- I’m a Weeble!”

I’m not always that unbending though; sometimes I am a more of a feeble Weeble; I still manage to get back up, just not as quickly or as easily. During those times I have to consciously remind myself that although my burdens may have weighed me down, I can choose to let that work for me, not against me. In the same way that the heavily weighted portion of a Weeble toy allows it to spring back up, the same principle can apply to us human Weebles.

How so? Our suffering usually causes us to rely upon God even more; I have even seen self-proclaimed atheists cry out to God when the burden was too heavy. It is human nature to allow our exceedingly heavy afflictions, and our heavy hearts, to knock us down. In this condition, it is never easy to get back up. Nevertheless, when we put our trust in God and His promises, we begin to see things in a whole new light. We begin to realize that: …this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison (2 Corinthians 4:17 NAS©1995).

Notice that it is eternal glory that is weighty (in a good way), not the affliction. The burden may knock us down for a short while, but understanding God’s incredible promises, like the one above, lightens our hearts. It is the contrast of this lightness in the midst of heaviness that gives all “feeble Weebles” the ability to spring back up.

Paul is in no way trying to minimize the crushing blows that we all face in our lives from time-to-time time. Rather, he is reminding us that our afflictions are really not as devastating as we first perceive them to be when compared to the glory of eternity. In fact, our afflictions serve ultimately for our benefit.

Peter explains this well:

These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold–though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. (I Peter 1:7 NLT©2007)

Having said that, next time you are knocked-down by life’s blows, why not face that problem doggedly and say, “You can’t keep me down; I’m a Weeble.”
weeble father

Watching the Wasps

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wasp

But godliness with contentment is great gain.
1 Timothy 6:6

Today I saw several wasps and they were utterly engaging. I watched, with awe, as they industriously visited each trumpet flower in search of sweet nectar. And surprisingly, I marveled at how beautiful they were, in their own way. This may seem quite insignificant, yet you would be impressed if only you knew how much I detested wasps in the not-so-distant past. Granted, I generally love all of God’s creation, but there are certain creatures, wasps, for instance, that cause me consternation rather than pleasure. In all fairness, my wasp phobia was the direct result of being allergic to their stings, but that understanding did little to improve my attitude.

Why the sudden change?

As I have previously shared, the last several months have been quite difficult for me. My health had been in decline for quite a while, when a week-and-half ago, I landed in the emergency room with a  new, daunting challenge –one that will take a bit to overcome. As a result, I find that my physical senses are dulled. However, the opposite may be said of my spiritual and emotional senses —they have only been heightened.

My experience riding home from the doctors’ office was much like that of watching the wasps. I have always tried to be content living here, in the flatlands of the Midwest where God has placed me, but my heart has always dreamt of living in a cabin near cool mountain streams and flowered meadows, of hiking  through scenic mountain trails. Sometimes, if I close my eyes and shut out the sights and sounds of the city, I can almost smell the evergreens. This only deepens my longing. But today, much to my amazement, I looked  upon  this old, familiar scenery in a whole new way; it never looked as pleasant or as beautiful, nor have I ever appreciated it as much.

Physical challenges seem to have a way of changing our perspective, but why must it take something like this, I wondered, to allow me to fully enjoy certain things. I promptly repented for all the times I grumbled about my dull and unappealing surroundings. Yes, my heart will continue to dream of all the beautiful places that I would love to visit, but I have determined  to be more like the Apostle Paul who said, “I have learned to be content in whatever situation I am in.” (Philippians 4:11).

There is, after all,  great peace in contentedness.

Like A Flood

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flood

 

Where have I been for the last few months, you might ask? Truthfully, I have been battling a rather serious health issue; one that has knocked me down more than once, but rest assured, I’m not down for the count. In fact, I plan to resume blogging now, despite my weakened condition. But first, I want to share a post from my archives because it seemed very appropriate amid the physical and emotional storms that so many are facing. I will share this post both here, and on my Rays of Light page, but check back soon because no matter what, God’s mercies are too great to keep silent and I will, Lord willing, be adding new posts to both sites very soon.

Today, as I gazed upon the brightest, most beautiful sky that I have seen in weeks, I couldn’t help but think of those living in flood-ravaged areas; and right now, there are plenty of those. I also wept for a few dear friends who are going through some very devastating storms in their personal lives. It seems that so many of us are going through heavy storms of one type or another. Don’t give up, friends, even when those storms seem to come against you………..

LIKE A FLOOD

Sometimes God calms the storm. Sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child.

This past weekend, the weather here was horrendous. We were hit with the whole gamut of storm threats, including tornadoes, hail and flooding. In fact the hail stone pictured –or should I say hail boulder- was one of many that pounded this region. There was quite a bit of property loss in our area, but praise the LORD, there were no serious injuries.

hail

I thought of the second half of Isaiah 59:19: When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him. However, the ancient Hebrew texts did not have commas, or paragraphs for that matter, so instead of reading:

When the enemy shall come in like a flood —the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him

the verse could just as easily read

When the enemy shall come in —like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.

What’s the difference? The difference is where you place the emphasis. Dear reader, when you are bombarded with the storms of life, do you focus more on the storm, or on the one who can calm it?

It is only natural to feel completely overwhelmed at times. Undoubtedly, many of the folks here that lost their homes in the tornadoes felt that way. I’m sure they could relate to the words of King David did when he penned the following:

My heart is in anguish within me;
the terrors of death have fallen on me.
Fear and trembling have beset me;
horror has overwhelmed me.
I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest.
I would hurry to my place of shelter,
far from the tempest and storm.
Psalm 55:4-8 NIV

But David didn’t stop there, allowing his situation to flood him with despair. Instead, he confidently proclaimed, “As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me” (verse 16).

Dear reader, I leave you with these encouraging words from the same Psalm; may they flood you with peace during your roughest storms.

“Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved (verse 22).

(Like a Flood originally posted April 2012)

On My Knees

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Cleaning: Getting More Soapy Water

Some day, I plan to buy a steam cleaner for my kitchen and bathroom floors. But I have to admit, there are times when I actually enjoy getting on my hands and knees and scrubbing them the old-fashioned way. Of course, I do have a mop and bucket, but once-in-a-while I just get that toothbrush-to-the-nooks-and-crannies, kind of urge to do some deeper cleaning.

Last week, while I was on my knees scrubbing away, it occurred to me that some of the most rewarding things in my life are done on my knees —playing with children, cleaning, gardening, and praying, to name a few.

If only I could get up and down like I used to!

Since I can’t, I find the time on my knees is becoming less and less frequent. And for that reason, I don’t even pray on my knees as much as I used to. This has never really concerned me though, since our Lord hears our prayers despite our physical position. Many times, the luxury of praying on bended knee is not afforded us. In fact, it was reported of General Stonewall Jackson, “While the battle was raging and the bullets were flying, Jackson rode by, calm as if he were at home, but his head was raised toward heaven, and his lips were moving evidently in prayer.”¹

Still, there is just something special about those times spent on our knees in prayer. Scripture informs us that even Jesus prayed this way at times. Thus, I leave you with the following words from the apostle Paul:

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. (Ephesians 3:14-21).

¹ America’s God and Country, William J. Federer, p.27