God's Adventurer

I'm 42 pages into another missionary book, called God's Adventurer, about Hudson Taylor, missionary to China.

I have the Sonlight Homeschool program to thank for my new interest in missionary books. We bought several this year as part of the Eastern Hemisphere studies, and I picked up a few more from the prolific Benge series, Christian Heroes Then and Now.

Each new missionary book tugs at my heart a little more, pulling me into a place of deeper faith and greater reliance on God. This deeper faith swirls in my heart, eager to be set free, compelling me to ask, "What can I do for you, God? How can I grow your Kingdom?"

It's confusing, this stirring within me. Most missionaries either have missionary college degrees, or some other strong recommendation or training. I only have my faith to offer, and my imperfect love.

On a spiritual gifts inventory 10 years ago, faith was one of my top five gifts, but an inventory last summer revealed that on faith I got the highest score possible for any single gift. What does this mean, and what can I do for God?

In the current book, God's Adventurer, about Hudson Taylor, an entire chapter was devoted to how this young man tested God in the months before leaving for China. Hudson wanted to learn to rely entirely on God for everything, so he refused to accept any start money from his parents, or from the missionary organization he signed with.

There were several instances covered in the first chapter in which Hudson found himself in dire straights financially, and once with his health. He prayed each time, knowing God would provide.

He was required to obtain medical training before leaving for China, and during the training period he lived quite poorly, physically speaking. Once he gave an entire half crown piece to a family who was starving, even though it was the only money Hudson had, and back at his rented room, he had only enough oatmeal for two more meals, after which he would be destitute and starving himself.

He found it very hard to give up the coin from his pocket. Several times he wished it could be split up, giving some to the starving family, and keeping some for himself, to last until his physician's assistant payday.

But God didn't give him any other option; he had to give it all.

As soon as it was out of pocket, young Hudson felt joyous and free. While fingering it over and over in his pocket, he'd felt wretched, in contrast.

In a euphoric state of mind, he walked back to his room, marveling at how wonderful it feels to depend on God for everything.

Still, waking the next morning and eating his second to last meal? It was hard. He knew that if God didn't provide by the end of the day, he would go hungry the next day.

Once again, he prayed with faith.

In the middle of his oatmeal, the landlady brought him a letter, surprising him, because he never got mail on Mondays. He opened it and a coin dropped on his table, enough to last him until payday. He had no idea who it was from, so he rightly assumed God sent it.

I can't wait to finish this book. I can't wait to marvel at the creative, seemingly impossible ways God provides. He worked another miracle in our own lives just today--one that will grow my children's faith, particularly. The more we pray and rely on him for every single thing, the more he delivers, along with new challenges to grow our faith.

The coin in Hudson Taylor's pocket, the one he fingered nervously for so long, was a symbol for every Christian. The minute we give up what we think we desperately need, spiritual blessings flow. The "coin" is different for every Christian, but in truth we all hold something back from God.

Tight-fisted, we limit what God can and will do, for us and through us.

He wants to free us. He wants us to walk in joy, but first we must open our hands and let go.

Are the Poor Lazy?

In order for our hearts to develop a religion that is "pure and undefiled", we have to let go of prejudice. In dealing with some neighbors over the past 14 months, I've been so challenged in my thinking. Slowly, God has dealt with my self-righteous, ill-conceived thoughts by interjecting an article here and there, and speaking to me personally from Scripture.

My heart took issue with my neighbors' cigarette smoking habit, their spending habits, their lack of gratitude, their habit of sending uncomfortable children over to beg for milk, sugar, bandaids, eggs, cash, etc., rather than coming themselves. Not to mention the idea of them burning children's paperback books I sent over, for whatever crazy reason.

I didn't consciously think I was better than them, but deep in my heart, that was my sin.

Scripture tells us that our hearts are deceitful, and yet deep down we stubbornly think this means other people, not us. When we're confronted with the truth, which is inevitable if we're in the Word, the next step is bending low, declaring: "Yes, God. You're right. My heart is vile and deceitful. Please change me."

Compassion must scream loudly from the heart of a Christian. How compassionate we are speaks of how grateful we are. It speaks of how thoroughly we understand our position before God. The Beatitudes tell us "Blessed are the poor in spirit." The poor in spirit understand their position before God. They freely admit they are bankrupt, devoid of anything redeeming, outside of the indwelling Holy Spirit bought by the blood of the Cross.

I invite you to take this journey with me. This poverty-of-spirit journey to help us fully understand what God has done for us.

Here is an article that will change your heart regarding the poor. It will explain why the poor make such seemingly stupid decisions, like buying cigarettes for themselves, rather than ensuring enough milk for their children. It will challenge your thoughts about how hard the poor work. In truth they often work very hard, rarely resting, the hope of even a mini-vacation a cruel joke. You'll understand more fully why compassion must be our middle name.

Before you click, let me say that not all the observations in the article are about the author's life. She draws from her own experiences, and the experiences of people she knows. It's raw, with a few F bombs, but please, click. More money in her life is not the answer. Christ, and his true Hope, are the answer. Joy comes not from enough comfort, convenience, or money. It comes from the indwelling Holy Spirit, who gives us joy regardless of our circumstances. Pray that for her, and pray that God removes the blinders from our eyes, so that we can do the compassionate, heart-changing work he desires of us.

We can't just read such an article and say, "Wow, that's sad." It has to change us...give us a pure and undefiled religion that compels us to live for Christ, so that hope can be planted in desperate hearts.

Poverty is the absence of hope, as the article will demonstrate. We can't obliterate poverty, for the Bible says we will always have the poor. But hopefully not the abject poor. Their numbers are dwindling, but they're is much work left to do. As our hearts purify, their numbers will reduce further. As we let go of our prejudices, so will their bellies let go of hunger.

“So wickedly, devilishly false is that common objection, ‘They are poor, only because they are idle’.” ~ John Wesley (The year 1753)

Testimony of God's Faithfulness

I've been blessed in my Christian walk whenever someone has given testimony of God's faithfulness. These testimonies are valuable, and yet sometimes it's hard to discern whether a faith incident should remain in secret or not. Scripture tells us to give in secret, to pray in secret, so we don't draw attention to ourselves as a Pharisee would do.

Yet, when the Lord has challenged me to do something out of faith, it's the Old Testament stories and the testimonies of other Christians that have helped me decide, "Yes, God. I will do it!"

So here's a testimony:

Our usual experience with Operation Christmas Child has been more of contributing to boxes packed at AWANA, which is a smaller financial commitment then packing one of your own. This year we are in a different AWANA and the Operation Christmas Child emphasis was more a "pack your own box with your family" commitment.

This was quite a challenge to us, and at first we felt burdened. But as AWANA day approached and it was time to fill a box, we had a wonderful time as a family. Truly a pleasure, from start to finish, as has been praying for the 5- to 9-year-old-boy we filled a shoebox for.

When the bill at the cash register came close to $45, my husband and I exchanged glances and gulped. "Wow, God. That was expensive."

But we believed, and we told our children we believed. The transaction left us with $50 to last until payday, and not enough groceries to stretch us until payday. Still, we knew God's math is not like the world's math.

We told the children that when your plans are for the Kingdom, God would provide. When your plans are for yourself, this is not necessarily so. Thus, when discerning what to do, decide what you are truly working for...your own advancement, or God's?

Exactly three days later, $100 came in the mail from a friend whose family struggles to make ends meet. I was stunned, and definitely wasn't sure that accepting it was the right thing to do. I walked around the house with the bill in hand, confused and conflicted, at first not remembering our shoebox price tag.

I asked her..."Are you and your husband sure about this?"

Do you know what she wrote back?

"Oh, yes. We are very sure it came directly from Command Control." This she wrote with a smiley face. (Command Control of course, meaning God).

Then it hit me. It really was from Command Control, just like our pull to fill the shoebox in faith was from Command Control.

We needed milk; I try to make sure the children drink 3 glasses a day, which is a hefty financial commitment. While I expected God to provide for groceries, I didn't expect Him to provide more than double the cash register total for the shoebox.

Amazing. That's what God is. That's what His math and His heart and His radical grace is. Amazing.

When we step out in faith, God has far more opportunity to prove He's amazing. When we give testimony of his faithfulness, his Glory reaches more hearts, changes more lives, creates more occasions of glory, growing God's Kingdom.

God doesn't need our help. But he wants it.

He created us to bring Him glory (and to fellowship with him).

Please, share your own testimony of God's faithfulness?

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Mom's Survival Guide: Cold & Flu Season

I've spent a stressful couple nights with my cold-virus suffering four-year-old daughter, who also happens to be on an immuno-suppressant drug, and boy did it bring back memories. Some years when all my children were little, it seemed like we went from one cold to another, with week-long breaks in between. The nights were grueling, with more than one child up coughing, and croup a frequent visitor for Peter, up until he reached 6 years old.

I learned that many different cold viruses lead to croup for susceptible children, that some cold viruses lead to suspicious rashes in the younger set, and some lead to harmless fever. Some viruses are more likely to bring on sinus infections and bronchitis and ear infections, though 90% of these end up viral, against which antibiotics are worthless.

I finally learned to stay away from doctor's offices unless fevers had gone on too long (more than 3 days), or unless there were breathing difficulties, or the child became listless and acted seriously sick. Visiting the doctor in the winter just invites more viruses to your home; the more children you have with you, the more likely this is.

I'm experienced enough now to say that 80% of doctor's visits for colds and related infections are unnecessary, especially if you breastfeed. I wish someone had told me this in the beginning, because I actually brought my first baby to the doctor at 7 months old, just because he had his first cold virus, and some baby book said to take a baby to the doctor if it's a first cold.

What? Who writes these things?

The doctor treated me like an idiot because my baby had only minor cold symptoms, and I had no other complaints. This is the same pediatrician who later on answered my question about how long to feed baby rice cereal with this snarky remark: "I don't care if you feed him Frosted Flakes for breakfast."

Okay, so my baby was 12 months by then, but still.

Last night for the second night, Beth suffered a low-grade fever, and she had discharge from her eyes all day. "Just shoot me if this is pinkeye, God. I never want to deal with that again."

New last night was an hour of restless itching everywhere on her body, during which I panicked, wondering what kind of strange cold virus brings on itching. "Could it be meningitis, God?" She went to the world-famous ophthalmologist last Monday, who sees patients from many different countries. I wondered if a foreign family unwittingly deposited strange germs in the waiting room.

It's amazing what exhaustion can do to a mother. Today there's no itching, no fever, she's active, and the eye discharge was obviously just part of a nightmare cold virus that brings profuse leaking--nose and eyes.

Tips for Mom's sanity during the winter:

~ I can't prove this, but love works. Drop everything and hold the sick ones. Pray over them and kiss their foreheads. Read them stories, tissue box in hand, and watch movies with them. They will always remember that Mommy was the best, most attentive Mommy when they were sick. These memories will cover over a multitude of your mothering sins.

~ Yes, the house will get very, very cluttered during sick weeks. After being up half the night, you will be tempted to say up another half-night to set the house to rights. Don't. They will need you again when the post-nasal drip brings on a terrible coughing spell, so sleep when you can.

~ Make easy dinners, even if you just had spaghetti two nights ago. If you order take-out, you'll just bring home more cold viruses.

~ Before cold and flu season hits, stock up on supplies. Buy multiple tissue boxes laced with lotion, and multiple generic bottles of ibuprofen and acetaminophen, but don't medicate a mild fever during the day. It's a natural part of immune system function. At your weekly library visits, check out movies that will keep them lying down for a couple hours, and buy liquids they will drink, even if you normally wouldn't choose them.

~ If your husband helps, great, but don't fight with him if he doesn't do the dishes himself, even though you haven't slept in four nights. Consider this: if your husband stays up late to help, and then gets sick himself, he will miss work and drive you more crazy than your sick kids. Just sayin'.

~ They're a cruel parenting joke, these cold viruses. You worry yourself to a tizzy and watch your sick child's labored breathing through the night, only to wake up to a chipper, happy, snot-faced child who doesn't understand why Mommy is cranky and tired. Colds are always worse at night, so never decide in the middle of the night if a doctor's visit is warranted, unless you have a young infant and you suspect RSV or other form of bronchiolitis.

~ As soon as your child feels well again, you'll be sick as a dog with a horribly messy house and no relief in sight. Life will seem incredibly grueling and you might just cry, because you were so worn down when you caught the cold, that a sinus infection comes quickly, leaving you begging for mercy.

This too shall pass. Before you know it, your youngest will be almost five and you'll feel like crying because there are no babies left. No soft cheeks to caress and kiss. No bare, sweet bottoms to laugh at as they toddle down the hall, giggling and running away from you at bathtime. No sweet-smelling babies to lie against your elevated chest in the middle of the scary, exhausted nights.

These snot-nosed days are the best years of your life.

Let it all go, Momma. The house, that perfectionist bent, that pride over your multi-tasking skills. If you're in cold and flu season and your house looks great, you're choosing the wrong thing. 

With Love,
From a Momma who's been there

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Operation Christmas Child: There's Still Time

You still have time to participate in one of the most important acts of the Christmas season. Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes are in delivery week, which ends this Monday, November 25. Click here to find a drop-off location near you.

If you don't have time to put the box together yourself, click here to build a box online.

We went to the dollar store, knowing it would not be packed with Thanksgiving grocery shoppers, and still found quality brands.

If you want to do it yourself, here's how:

1. Obtain a shoebox. Use an empty cardboard or plastic shoebox (average size). You can wrap the box, lid separately, but wrapping is not required. Don't wrap the box and lid together, because Samaritan's Purse puts evangelical materials into every box.

2. Choose gender and age.
Decide whether your gift will be for a boy or a girl, and the age category: 2-4, 5-9, or 10-14.

3. Bring the shoebox (to size everything) and go shopping with your family. Get the kids involved. It will be one of the most meaningful things you'll do this season; your hearts will be filled with joy throughout the process!

4. Include a personal note and picture of your family. If you include your name and address, the child might write back.

5. After you pack it, download and print the appropriate boy/girl label. Mark the correct age category and tape the label to the top of your box.

6. Place a rubberband around the closed box, and deliver the box to the drop-off location during National Collection Week, November 18–25. Visit the Drop-off Locations page (check the times for drop-off) to find the closest collection site. Or, call 1-800-353-5949.

7. Help cover shipping and other costs related to delivering your shoeboxes to children overseas by donating $7 for each gift you prepare. You can give online to discover the destination of your box. Or, you can write a check to Samaritan’s Purse (note “OCC” on the memo line) and place it in an envelope on top of the items inside your shoebox. If you are preparing multiple gifts, make one combined donation. Note: Follow Your Box is only available through online giving.

8. Pray for the child every day, throughout the year.

Gift Suggestions:

Toys: Include items that children will immediately embrace such as dolls, toy trucks, stuffed animals, kazoos, harmonicas, yo-yos, jump ropes, balls, toys that light up and make noise (with extra batteries), etc.

School Supplies: Pens, pencils and sharpeners, crayons or markers, stamps and ink pad sets, writing pads or paper, solar calculators, coloring and picture books, etc.

Hygiene Items: Toothbrush, mild bar soap (in a plastic bag), comb, washcloth, etc.

Accessories: T-shirts, socks, ball caps, sunglasses, hair clips, toy jewelry, watches, flashlights (with extra batteries).

A Personal Note: You may enclose a note to the child and a photo of yourself or your family. If you include your name and address, the child may write back.

Do Not Include: Used or damaged items; war-related items such as toy guns, knives or military figures; chocolate or food; out-of-date candy; liquids or lotions; medications or vitamins; breakable items such as snow globes or glass containers; aerosol cans.

Samaritan's Purse Background Information:

"Since 1993, more than 100 million boys and girls in over 130 countries have experienced God’s love through the power of simple shoebox gifts from Operation Christmas Child. Samaritan’s Purse works with local churches and ministry partners to deliver the gifts and share the life-changing Good News of Jesus Christ."

"Soon, millions of gifts lovingly packed by individuals, families, churches, and civic groups will be on their way to children in need in 117 countries around the world. The gifts will be delivered by every means possible—boat airplane, wagon, foot, horse, and even exotic animals such as elephants and camels." (Quotes courtesy of Samaritan's Purse)

Samaritan's Purse Personal Testimony:
Sue grew up in war-torn Bosnia. Shootings and bombings afflicted her surrounding neighborhoods, and many people were nearly starving due to food shortages. But despite the devastation around her, she found hope in an extraordinary gift when she received a shoebox during the winter of 1993-94.

A little girl named Jenny from Ohio sent a shoebox gift to Sue containing a Barbie toothbrush and toothpaste; shiny pencils and erasers; notepads; a pink and purple hat; gloves and scarf; a coloring book; a My Little Pony; and her favorite gift— a pair of pajamas with glow-in-the-dark stars.

“You may feel that it is silly I cared so much about my pajamas while people around me were getting shot and starving,” Sue said. “At the time, I didn’t understand it either. That little blue box made me happier than a piece of bread did.”

For her, the shoebox gift was the extra measure of comfort that made the greatest impact.

“Being provided with food is normal and expected,” she said. “However, being provided with love is exceptional. Being comforted is miraculous. And receiving Milky Way pajamas when I knew I didn’t have to have them meant exactly that to me—that somebody loved me and wanted to comfort me.”

Please join volunteers around the country and world in sharing this kind of comfort that can be sent through a simple shoebox gift. Remember to pray for each child who will receive shoebox gifts this year, specifically that they will feel loved and comforted, despite their current circumstances, and that they will get the opportunity to receive the greatest gift from God, Jesus Christ.