God Is in the Details

Posted on October 15, 2012 by jroesler728

We are watching God build a prayer team at our church. In order to help people identify who is on this team we have created nametags with magnetic strips that bond the tag to the strip. Last week I gave one to one of our seniors who has recently had a pace maker inserted.

This morning, as I was preparing the nametags, I noticed a faint inscription on the magnetic strip. It said, “Keep away from pacemakers.” I immediately called the lady who had both a pace maker and a nametag.

She laughed and said, “Isn’t it amazing the details that God manages. The name tag would not hold on my jacket as the fabric was too thick so it fell off and I lost it.”

I told her I would get her one that fastens with a pin.

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The Power of Children’s Words

Posted on October 12, 2012 by jroesler728

Why are these words so important?

My four-year-old friend, “I want to talk to you on the phone.”

My six-year-old friend, “It’s OK to make a mistake.”

My ten-year-old friend, “I remember when we came to your fish pond and we named the fish. One was called tie dyed.

My 27-year-old nephew, “Awesome!” “I think it will be fun.” (to walk 100km with me in Spain, just the two of us.

Why is it important to be sought after, respected, honored and remembered by those who are young?

 

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A Blaze of Glory

Posted on October 10, 2012 by jroesler728

The autumn leaves are stunning this year.

A friend reminded me that at our Senior Adult Prayer Retreat last year I said that the autumn leaves are a picture of the potential spiritual experience we can have in the autumn of our lives. 

Though outwardly we are beginning to fade away inwardly we are being renewed every day. That means that the best is still to come in this life. 

I want to go out in a blaze of glory for Jesus.

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The Boundary Lines

Posted on October 8, 2012 by jroesler728

I love the theme of Psalm 16 that says the boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places. Surely I have a delightful inheritance.

It reminds me that in this life there are boundaries that guide us, protect us and some times place limits for us that need to be respected.

By nature, we want to push past these boundaries or, at the very least, ensure that no one imposes on our boundaries.

My friend recently bought a new home. Part of its charm was the beautifully landscaped yard. I felt concern when I saw a surveyor mark up the property with orange paint, indicating that the boundary lines were about 10 feet closer to the house than the previous owner had indicated.

When I told my friend of this she said, “Good, then there is less for us to mow.” When the owner of the adjacent lot said he would be cutting down the trees on this strip of questionable ownership my friend responded, “Just make sure they fall your way.”

I want to embrace this response and make it my own. I don’t need to protect every square inch of my physical or emotional land.

I have a delightful inheritance.

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How Do You Make Puppies?

Posted on October 4, 2012 by jroesler728

It was Monday night and I was glad because my adopted grandchildren come over for a couple of hours. They are medicine for my soul. This night, however, they came tired so I looked for something to do that would let us relax. I found the DVD, Benji, and decided to try it. As we watched the story unfold I became captivated by it myself. Benji, a loveable stray dog, found himself a girlfriend, a little Shih Tzu, and they became more and more friendly. At one point they were eating together off the same slice of beef jerky.

Without giving any thought to what questions I might prompt I said out loud what I was thinking, “I wonder if they will make puppies?”

My precious 6 year old shot up from my lap and said, “Besta, how do you make puppies?’

I answered, “The same way Daddy’s and Mommy’s make babies.”

I don’t think this topic will come up again soon but if it does I hope it happens at home.

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Where Did They Go?

Posted on October 1, 2012 by jroesler728

by Shirlee Vandegrift

Recently, in the process of cleaning out drawers and shelves I made many trips down memory lane.  At home the trips had to do with my children.  I have four.  They are in their 40s and 50s, but as I come across items of theirs that I saved I see and hear them as they were way back when.  The children are grown.  We went through the good and the not so good times.  There was very little of a spiritual nature in our house.

Where did those people go?

In the church where I have volunteered for over 10 years, cleaning out a desk and office space brings back different thoughts.  The Lord I love is present everywhere.  Most of us know where we are going and it is a good thing.  Why?  Because as I sift through old files I see the names of those who have gone before and the numbers are astonishing.  Astonishing because after all, we seniors in our 70s, 80s and 90s are not ready to meet our Maker quite yet, even though we say we are.

But our Maker is ready to meet us.

Will I see all my friends when I get to heaven?  Have I assumed they will be there because I saw them in church or sat next to them in a class? And what about those wild and crazy people I used to associate with?  Have I assumed I would NOT see them because they were strangers to my Lord?   Well so was I.

Where will we go?  Who is to judge?

For all who believe and proclaim Jesus as Lord, heaven is ours.  For all who don’t know Jesus Christ, who have not accepted him into their hearts and who have not repented, heaven is a place they will not see.  Sad, isn’t it?  Sadder still if they could be with us if we only had told them how to get there.

Who will you tell about Jesus today? 

Who do you want to see after Jesus greets you?

I want to see you.

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Singing from a Place of Reality

Posted on September 26, 2012 by jroesler728

One of the members of our prayer circle was asked to choose a hymn. She immediately picked, “What if it be today…Jesus will come back someday.” As we finished the song I asked her if she would tell the group why she chose it. She placed her fingers around the oxygen tube that enables her to breathe and laughed.

It is a rich experience for me to pray with people who see their lives on earth in terms of decades not generations, years not decades, months not years, weeks not months, days not weeks and sometimes hours not days.

But why do we count? My five year old granddaughter told me her great grandpa had a stroke. She went on to explain that he was very old because he was her daddy’s mother’s father. After she described how he looked in his hospital bed I asked her if she thought he would see Jesus soon.

She looked at me with what I have now come to recognize as instructional eyes and patiently explained, “Well, Besta, nobody knows WHEN they will see Jesus!”

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I Didn’t Want to Miss It!

Posted on September 24, 2012 by jroesler728

I Didn’t Want to Miss It

Our Senior Adult Prayer group was ready to start our meeting with our usual format of choosing two old hymns from the hymnals we have hidden in our storage closet. Our accomplished pianist (in her mid 80’s) had not arrived. This is never a good situation because if she is not there we either stumble through without music or we sing as I stumble along from the piano. (It’s not that I have never had lessons but my progress was suddenly and permanently interrupted when at 12 years old I was bitten by my piano teacher’s dog!!)

But hope for the singing soared when our pianist (pictured above with permission) bolted through the door and sat on her bench arms poised to strike the keys.

What was different was that her head was wrapped in a huge towel. She explained that she had stepped out of the shower and realized it was quarter to twelve. Our meeting starts at twelve and since she just lives across the street she wrapped her long hair in a towel and came.  “I didn’t want to miss it.” was her simple explanation.

We laughed together as we sang.

Yes, I assured myself, we are family. Family members come down for breakfast with their hair wrapped in a towel. Family members come to a prayer meeting with their head wrapped in a towel.

Thank you, Jesus, for inviting us to be your family.

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Checking My Pulse

Posted on September 17, 2012 by jroesler728

As I was leading our Senior Adult Prayer Retreat the other day, I once again found myself the learner.

I had just played John Michael Talbot’s “Sacred Silence” and directed the group to spend 5 minutes listening to what the Holy Spirit was saying to each of them.

As my eyes scanned the room I noticed one man, nearly 95 years old, with his right arm in the air, his left hand grasping the extended right wrist, and his mouth hanging open. The nurse in me wondered if he was in distress. I watched for signals that would prompt me to intervene but found none.

When we reported on what we had learned during this time of silence, this man said that the Spirit had prompted him to feel his pulse and reminded him that Jesus was behind that beat. His heart would beat until Jesus called him home.

This man then invited each of us to feel our pulse and be reminded that each beat is by God’s grace and under God’s control. Life, the gift of God, measured in time by heartbeats and recognized by a man who is near to the heart of God.

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I Need to Find It So I Can Sleep

Posted on September 14, 2012 by jroesler728

What is it that I need in order to go to sleep?

The question came up for me last night, as my just turned 4 grandchild was getting ready to leave. She realized that she didn’t have her “bu-bu” (a small blanket that she clutches from time to time but is of special comfort to her at night). When she realized she didn’t have it and we couldn’t find it she said, “Besta, I will cry tonight when I am going to sleep if I don’t have my “bu-bu.” Thankfully we found it and all was well as she crawled into her car seat.

Why do we seem to be able to cope with things during the day but at night anxiety blossoms?

I doubt this example adds anything to this blog but I can’t resist saying that my cat, who sleeps with us at night, needs most of the bed during the night and then in the morning shrinks back to normal cat size.

More to the point, that which tempts me to doubt the faithfulness of God, takes up more space in my heart and mind at night than during the day.

May the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus today… and tonight!!!

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