The Little Children

“But Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not forbid them; for as such is the kingdom of Heaven.’ ” Matthew 19:14 (NKJV)

Today in church we had our annual Thanksgiving worship service where testimonies are shared.  This is always a time of praise and joy, but also a heart-rending time for our congregation—as stories are told of God’s grace at work in seemingly impossible circumstances.  Relationships are healed, in some cases illnesses are miraculously cured, and Jesus’s life is affirmed in many unique ways.

At today’s service, a young couple got up to share on the microphone.  In hand the couple brought a sweet (obviously girl) toddler, dressed in a pretty dark velvet dress with pink trimmings and a matching headband.  The couple gave testimony of how they had decided to raise the large family which they wanted through adoption, only to find out how incredibly costly it is to adopt just one child, let alone many!  (How tragic is that!!!)

So finally, God had steered the husband and wife to the path of foster care—which in some instances can lead to adoption.  Knowing that God was in charge and directing them the couple proceeded, and within a few months this precious little girl had been entrusted to their loving care.

While the husband and wife were sharing in church I experienced a déjà vu of long ago pain as my mind raced back to 1973 when I was forty years old, a fairly new Christian believer, and a contented wife and mother of five.  Our children were growing up fast.  Because I loved and enjoyed being a mother so much, I wanted to go on with the career which had brought me joy and fulfillment since I’d had my first baby at just under 21 years of age.  Thus, quite naturally, Joe and I began to think about doing foster care.

So we signed up with Milwaukee County Welfare Dept. to receive foster children.  In those days the wheels moved fairly quickly, and within a few weeks we were given three beautiful blonde sisters, ages three, six, and eight, to care for.  Like many foster children, these sisters came from an atmosphere of chaotic dysfunction.  What is more, unspeakable things had happened to them that should never happen to anyone—anywhere.

The girls brought their chaos into our home and we had some dicey weeks with them, weeks marked with severe temper tantrums and manifestations of fear.  But the love and the order in our home did wonders.  After a couple of months it seemed like the girls were our girls.  We sincerely hoped we’d be able to keep them forever, and perhaps we would have—BUT, Milwaukee County discovered that the girls’ father and step-mother had paying jobs which could support the children, so the county insisted on returning them to the father’s home.

Never mind that we told the Milwaukee County Welfare Dept. we did not want their money—Joe and I would gladly support and raise these children without any outside help.  No matter that the step-mother had been heavily addicted to controlled substances, and had an iffy background.  No matter that the step-mother had (in the home with the girls’ father) two unruly sons who started fires and thought of other ways to terrify the three sisters (as one of them used to confide in me:  “Them’s naughty boys!!”).

Never mind that Joe and I and our five children loved the girls, and had so woven them into the fabric of our home that we would miss them terribly.  Within a few days, suddenly the three sisters were gone.  A week later, the six year old called on the telephone and said to me, “Maggie I wish I could come to your house!”

We were a bit whacked from these events and thought we would need a long break from foster care, when a couple of weeks later the phone rang and a distraught sounding social worker asked, “Can you take two little boys?”  The following dialogue has its humorous side.  So here it is.

Me:  “How old?”

Social Worker:  “One and two.”

Me:  “When would they come?”

Social Worker:  “NOW!  They are sitting on my desk!”

In retrospect, I really suspected perhaps that social worker had told me a windy about them sitting on her desk.  Those little boys did come to live with us, and to our knowledge they never BOTH SAT ANYWHERE at the same time!  They were always in motion.  (That was long before children were incarcerated in car seats in transit.  You can imagine what a pleasure ride was like in those days!)

Again, we lost our hearts—but this time we were worn to smithereens, physically as well as emotionally, in the process.  Finally, we decided to remove the option of foster care from our family scene.  Meanwhile, many questions have surfaced, in the past as well as today.  What ever became of those children?  Where are they today?  What kind of people (mid-lifers no less!) are they?  Do they know the Lord Jesus?

It goes without saying that I shared our Lord’s love with the foster children every day, in every way I could.  Yes,  I hope to meet these now-adult people again, in Glory!  I believe that, somehow, I will recognize them.

Margaret L. Been, November 2014

Note:  The above-pictured players re-enacting a familiar scene are two of our daughters, Laura and Debra, one of our sons, Eric, and an obliging doll.  Please excuse the gender confusion concerning the doll.  We weren’t really confused; we simply couldn’t come up with a boy doll at the moment.  🙂

Read Full Post »

A Tribute to Edith Schaeffer, and to a Good Friend

One of our WORDPRESS advantages is being able to see which past blog entries are still accessed from day to day.  Scarcely a week goes by, but what an entry from 2010 is read again.  And again.  And again!

The obvious continual interest in L’Abri, Francis and Edith Schaeffer—and Judy Dalton, of APPLES OF GOLD MINISTY— prompts me to “play it again”.  So here goes:  🙂

———————————————————————————————————————————————————–

The saying that books are “friends” is so eternally true, that it cannot be labeled a cliché.  More times than I can count, books have come through where people have goofed.

As a new Christian back in 1971, I was catapulted into a “foreign-to-me” culture.  Although I now held the deeper answers to life in Scripture, some questions concerning my lifestyle surfaced.  Suddenly I was supposed to be a “church lady”.  But I was shocked and horrified by a number of the ladies in the fellowship where God first planted me.

I discovered that, in this fellowship, ladies met frequently for “prayer meetings”.  The prayer meetings consisted of a perfunctory opening prayer, lots of cake, and an overload of social conversation mainly focussed on those who were not present.  We were supposed to pray for the absent ladies.  To “help” us pray, personal details of their lives were spilled out for all to hear.  The actual prayer following this chatter consumed—at the most—10 minutes.  Also characteristic of the meetings were jokes and criticisms targeted toward husbands.

After a couple of these gatherings, I realized I simply could not stomach any more!  I have always detested gossip, and I believe that husbands deserve our loyalty.  If there would be a husband problem, a church woman’s group—or any kind of a group for that matter—would not the place to share!

When I came to faith, I already had many long-standing friends—some with whom I’d grown up.  Although most of these long-standing friends did not publically profess faith in Christ—and they certainly did not run around with Bibles in hand—they were gracious, kind, and considerate.  Gossip was anathema.  My friends were family-loving homebodies, steeped in arts and crafts, committed to creating beauty, and dedicated to gracious living.

Hence, the gossipy women in my church were an enigma to me—especially because I had thought that, because they were professing Christians, they would be sensitive kindred spirits.  Not so!  I was soon thought to be “odd” because I didn’t want to socialize with the women, and doubly “odd” because I was so very contented at home—knitting, making bread, reading, etc!

I had expressed my passion for the natural world (after all, it was partially God’s witness in creation that led me to Him at age 37) and that passion made me appear to be a kind of pagan.  Coupled with my interest in old-fashioned home crafts, my penchant for nature branded me:  I was an old Hippie in the church ladies’ eyes!

Try to imagine my dilemma.  I wanted to be friendly to those who shared my new faith, but I was constantly aware of their thinly veiled disapproval of my lifestyle—and I wasn’t particularly keen on theirs!  Was there actually something wrong with me, for hating gossip (even when it was called a prayer request) and wanting to stay home and knit—or hike in the woods?

God saw my confusiuon and loneliness, and came through by putting the perfect book in my hands:  THE HIDDEN ART OF HOMEMAKING, by Edith Schaeffer.  I’d already found answers for my intellectual questions from books by Edith’s husband, Francis.  Now I had a book by his wife, to address my daily concerns.  The book dealt with ways to incorporate every area of creativity, arts, and crafts into family living.  The HIDDEN ART OF HOMEMAKING is a joyous book, and it affirmed that my chosen vocation of homemaker was indeed very pleasing to God.  Old Hippie or whatever, I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

I’m eternally grateful to Edith Schaeffer for the HIDDEN ART OF HOMEMAKING, and the other faith and family-based books she wrote.  The ongoing ministry of L’Abri, started by Francis and Edith Schaeffer in the 1950s, has produced (and will continue to bear) fruit which will astonish us when we get to Heaven and learn the facts!  The fruit of this godly couple’s books may be like the stars in the sky and the sands in the sea!  Francis and Edith Schaeffer are now with the Lord, and I look forward to meeting them!

Around the time of reading Edith Schaeffer’s book, I met a woman whom I consider to be the most challenging and thorough women’s Bible teacher in the area:  Judy Dalton, of APPLES OF GOLD MINISTRY.  Through Judy’s study, I met many kindred-spirited keepers at home.

Ultimately I left that first church with its gossipy scenario, and never looked back.  As of this day in 2014 Judy and I continue to treasure our friendship which began in 1971 and will continue throughout eternity!  Judy is still faithfully teaching Scriptures, at a church in West Allis, Wisconsin—and her studies are available in cassettes and CDs via the APPLES OF GOLD MINISTRY.

Since 2009 I have attended the most wonderful “local church” I’ve ever been blessed to attend—Lake Country Bible Church in Hartland, Wisconsin.  The teaching is Scripturally “right on”, and God’s love prevails.  My “church lady” culture has become uplifting, encouraging, and FUN.  Lake Country Bible Church has met at a local public school for years.  Now, thanks to God’s gracious provision, we are in the process of erecting our own church building—on a neighborhood road across from THE RED CIRCLE INN and east off of highway C in Nashotah.  We trust that God’s Word will flourish in and from this new facility, and lives will be challenged and changed!

Meanwhile I’m seeing a groundswell of younger Christian women (both outside-career and full-time homemakers) who make bread, knit, and home school their children!  Some of the women even raise chickens, rabbits, and sheep—like I did for 2 decades, on my little “funny farm” in Eagle, Wisconsin!  My friend, Judy Dalton, has had a lot to do with an upbeat, Scripturally sound focus locally as well as around the world— wherever her cassettes and CDs travel.  And Edith Schaeffer’s books have made a positive influence on countless Christian women as well!

 

Margaret L. Been, November 2014 —  (an updated repeat of a 2010 entry on one of my blogs)

THE HIDDEN ART OF HOMEMAKING is still available.  I just checked on Amazon, and you can purchase a paperback copy for $.48.  Yes, forty-eight cents!  A small price to pay for something of eternal value! 

Read Full Post »

“Study to be quiet”!

“. . . . And that you study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;  That you may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.”  I Thessalonians 4:11-1

Ladies in our church are currently delving into I Thessalonians, via an excellent study called “While We Wait”.  Paul’s loving instructions and admonitions to this fledgling church are applicable to all believers, whether young or mature—today and for all time. 

The above passage of Scripture has been one of my life verses, a life motivator and actual lifeline to me for decades.  It’s always helpful to read a passage in more than one Bible translation.  In the case of I Thessalonian 4:11-12,  digging into several translations has been tremendously valuable to me, for shedding an in-depth light on God’s Word.

Regarding Paul’s command to be quiet, both the NIV and NASB translations of verse 11 say:  “. . . and make it your ambition . . . .”

The New King James Version reads:  “. . . that you also aspire . . . .”

The Amplified Bible tells us a bit more by saying “. . . make it your ambition and definitely endeavor . . . .”

But for me, the original King James says it all:  “And that you study . . . .”

All the above-mentioned translations stress the importance of being quiet.  We are to mind our own business, allow our Lord to fill us with His peace, cultivate a relaxed attitude, even refrain from speech—as we work to supply our own needs so that we can walk (live, deport oneself) honestly toward others in need, without burdening anyone else.

Doing my own work, i.e. working with my hands, comes easily for me.  I’ve always loved making things, doing things, and caring for people.  But for me to do my God-given tasks in a spirit of quietness, I must STUDY.  I must be a Mary along with my Martha proclivity.  Far beyond aspiring or making it my ambition to be quiet, I must STUDY to continually let God fill me with His Spirit which includes every piece of fruit as listed for us in Galatians 5:22-23.

STUDY involves constant immersion in Scriptures, and letting those Scriptures ring forth in my heart and mind as I go about my work.  STUDY requires prayer.  STUDY requires for me to “pray without ceasing”—thanking God for His presence in my life, and living each day in conscious communion with Him.  There must be concerted prayer on my knees, and prayers offered en route throughout the day.  God’s Spirit moves me to say “Thank you, Lord!” when I gaze out over my garden and the park beyond.

When I remember to STUDY, I prayerfully seek and acknowledge God’s will for me as I make decisions and nurture relationships.  To bring the essence of God’s beauty and integrity to every moment of my life—to perform everyday tasks with loving diligence, relaxed patience, enthusiasm, and joyful gratitude—and indeed to even begin to be “quiet”, I must STUDY.

Of course I fail on occasion, flop out some days, and regress at times.  Very faithfully the Lord reminds, rebukes, and recycles me as I seek to walk in His light.  Concentrated STUDY results in renewed commitment.  And only God through His Word can do the renewing.

Evidently there were some in the Thessalonian church who had ceased working because they assumed the Lord would return for them at any moment.  It certainly is exciting to consider the blessed hope of The Lord Jesus’s imminent return.  Today more than ever before we can anticipate with confidence that moment when the trumpet will sound and Christ will come for us in the clouds, as succinctly pictured in I Thessalonians 4:13-18.

But rather than tempting me to become a sluggard, anticipating Jesus’s return has always encouraged me to “keep on keeping on”—in a spirit of joy!  For me the I Thessalonians 4:11 word “study” carries far more motivational weight, and potential for practical application, than the newer translations which read “aspire” or “make it your ambition”.

Meanwhile, I’ve pondered the apparent oxymoron in verse 11:  “study to be quiet”.  Study implies an intensity of purpose, a sense of striving.  On the other hand, the quietness for which we strive is a Spirit-filled attitude of serenity, peace, poise, and rest.  However, we must conclude that the verse really is not an oxymoron.  As we focus on our Lord and study to be quiet, we come to realize that in our flesh we cannot in any way achieve true serenity and rest—and thus, as in Hebrews 4:9–11, we “labor” to cease from our own works and enter into His rest.

Only God can provide true rest, and He will as we study, pray, and depend on His direction in all things.  When we apply ourselves to the Lord and His Word, when we seek the Lord in prayer, when we ardently live our daily lives in obedience, He does ALL THE REST.  As we rest in Him, He fills our work, directs our hands, and provides the witness to His glory which results from a Spirit-filled life.  He quiets our hearts, and stills our voices so that we will have something of His serenity to impart to others.  A quiet serenity with an attitude of grateful peace is his desire and His command for us, as we walk toward those who are without.

Thus “walking honestly toward those who are without” applies to the spiritual as well as material needs of others.  God’s Spirit of quiet peace, love, joy, patience, goodness, hope, etc. will minister to those whom the Lord is drawing to Himself.  Humanly speaking, we are repelled by people who radiate an attitude of driven “hype” or noisy aggression.  We tend to go entropic, turn in upon ourselves, and retreat into a defensive mode when we are stormed upon or shouted at.  But we relax in the presence of a person who reflects the quiet peace of God—that peace which is promised by The Lord Jesus, and granted in the presence of the His Holy Spirit in a believer’s life.

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you:  not as the world giveth, give I unto you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”  John 14:27

©Margaret L. Been, October 2014

Read Full Post »

What is God’s will for you?

“And that you study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; that you may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that you may have lack of nothing.”  I Thessalonians 4:11-12

 

Truly we live in “perilous times”.  History affirms that perilous times have existed since Adam and Eve were expelled from the garden.  But never before have there been the communication options and incredible number of events impacting the entire world simultaneously.

We are not to name a date for the Lord’s return.  But according to Scriptures (Matthew 24 & 25, among many other passages) we are to be wise, live circumspectly, and observe any well-defined indications of the end of the Church Age.  We realize that life as we know it today may suddenly change—literally in “the twinkling of an eye”.

So, to quote the late Francis Schaeffer, “How do we then live?”  The Apostle Paul has comprehensively answered that question for us, in the above Scriptural command to the Thessalonian Christians who were also living in perilous times.  While anticipating our Lord’s return, we are to study to be quiet and to work with our own hands.  By so doing our physical needs may be adequately met, and we may be able to share material blessings with others who are less fortunate.

But a lot more (beyond the obvious material considerations) is implied in the I Thessalonians passage.  By studying to be quiet and doing our own business, we are witnessing to “them that are without” by displaying a lifestyle characterized by stability, unwavering values, creative living, and our blessed (rock-solid!) Hope—even in the most perilous of times.

Through our lifestyle, we Christians can reflect a tranquil “joie de vie”—a mindset of quietness and serenity—while countless others are experiencing panic, chaos, and the inevitable moral and spiritual unraveling which accompanies a world view minus any meaning beyond the tumultuous moment at hand.  We believers are to be radically different:  beacons of light and anchors of reliability, when masses of people around us are metaphorically lost at sea. 

Those who study to be quiet are sometimes exhorted (or even intimidated!) by zealous individuals who presume to know more than we do about how we should “then live” in view of the Lord’s return.  Often these individuals have a noble agenda of “active Christian ministry”.  They may very well be doing their own business, according to God’s specific purpose for them.  But they err drastically if they believe that their agenda should necessarily apply to others.

Over nearly six years of blogging, I have written a lot about this presumption because the subject surfaces constantly.  When our enemy, Satan, cannot prevent people from being saved by the blood of Christ, and cannot derail believers into overt sin, he then connives to lure them with some sort of lifestyle imbalance.  Imbalance is everywhere.  All too often, believers who passionately desire to live in the center of God’s will are unfairly burdened with inferences of guilt from well-meaning but misguided brothers and sisters in Christ.

Rather than studying to be quiet, any believer who charges others with his or her own business is more likely studying to be noisy!  Lost to these sincerely dedicated but unfortunately misled individuals is the fact that when Christ is our life, then ALL OF LIFE IS “ACTIVE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY”!  Because I know this to be true beyond the proverbial shadow of a doubt, I’m sharing the above photos of my “own business”, my God-given Christian ministry.

I am far from perfect, but I know that He who has begun a good work in me “will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ”.  (Philippians 1:6)  And praise be to God, that day may come soon!  Meanwhile, I’m tremendously grateful for the business He has given me to do!  🙂

Margaret L. Been, 2014

Read Full Post »

“The things of earth . . . .”

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.”  from the hymn “Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus”, by Helen Howarth Lemmel

I love this hymn—both the melody and the challenging message therein.  But I need to confess that I sometimes stumble over the words in the refrain:  “. . . and the things of earth will grow strangely dim . . . .”

Yes I agree that any problems, fears, or obstacles in life—either medical, relational, or circumstantial—do grow “strangely dim” when we focus on our Lord and His Word.  Again and again, He has lifted me in times of sorrow and refreshed me when I was so weary and ill that I did not think I could take another step.  Again and again, our Lord Jesus has raised me and my family above circumstances which threatened to destroy our quality of life.

Yes, the things of earth do grow strangely dim when we realize that He is in control of all those intimidating things—as frightening and even cataclysmic as they might seem to be!

But what about those ordinary, everyday “things of earth”:

1) sharing a pot of tea with a friend, over delicate English teacups;

2) walking one’s “best friend” (in my case, a Pembroke Welsh corgi);

3) sipping strong coffee and watching the birds at the feeder with Joe—the LOVE OF MY LIFE;

4) dusting and polishing one’s home (I LOVE these chores—along with June Cleeverish things like ironing and fixing dinner while wearing a dress and apron);

5) anticipating the first snowfall and eagerly awaiting the arrival of spring;

6) digging in a garden and embellishing the home with a plethora of flower arrangements—both fresh and dried;

7) listening to Chopin Nocturnes;

8) playing a Scott Joplin rag on my piano;

9) reading a Jane Austen novel—and viewing the cinema version of my very favorite Jane Austen novel, namely EMMA (I always cry at the end when Emma says “My Mr. Knightly);

10) viewing my second most favorite film, THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (I always cry at the end when the young Mexican would-be gunman settles down beside his sweetheart in the liberated Mexican village;

11) plugging into three hours on my I-PAD, of George Winston at bedtime;

12) creating a painting—especially an abstract rendering;

13) knitting funky garments;

14) making gorgeous complexion soap;

15) wandering through the aisles at an antique mall;

16) savoring ice tea on the patio;

17) sitting beside our electric fireplace on a cold winter morning;

18) reading and answering my “sister” Vikki’s meaty and witty letters;

19) praying and knowing that God will answer in His time and His will;

20) celebrating hundreds, no thousands of additional slow lane pleasures including eating cake with maple flavored frosting.

I confess that the above “things” do not grow “strangely dim” to me in the light of our Lord.  Rather, they are illumined because He is in the midst of them.  The things of everyday life are ever fresh, ever wonderful because He lives.  Every sunrise, every sunset, every bird, every herb and flower, every single one of the Philippians 4:8 “whatsoever things” that we are commanded to think about is precious and miraculous in “the light of His glory and grace”.

God created earth and all that lives and breathes.  God saw that it was good.  Those of us who know that Scripture teaches the return of our Lord and His millennial reign ON EARTH, should certainly realize the beauty and value of those things of earth.  Barring extreme and tortuous circumstances, any Christian who fails to get intensely joyous about whatever God has provided for us on earth is just plain oxymoronic and ungrateful!

Although God’s original creation has been massively compromised due to man’s sin, the things of earth will be restored.  God loves us, and He loves His creation.  We are to live abundantly, joyously, gratefully NOW—with all the grace available to us through His Indwelling Holy Spirit.

Yes, I look forward to our Lord’s return.  Yes, I sorrow over the condition of the world and the many people on earth who reject our Savior.  But yes, I love (with an abject passion!) the life God has given me NOW!  It would be heresy/apostasy/and rank disobedience to squander God’s provision by failing to rejoice in, and savor every life-affirming drop of, each moment to the hilt! 

I shudder and sorrow when I meet believers who walk around with “downer” faces—claiming to know the Lord, yet defying the very spirit of beauty, joy, and excitement in each moment He has given us to live.  What a lousy kind of Christian witness is that?!!!!!

I am not ashamed to say (loudly and clearly) that I love the earth beneath my feet—the very earth where God has commanded me to live abundantly, bringing His beauty and His spirit of joy to everything I do and everywhere I go.  I love the people in my life, and I’m committed to share my God-given passion for living with every person I meet. 

Yes, my 80 years on earth have been comparatively “easy” in contrast to the suffering of millions down through the centuries.  But I have also experienced strife, sorrow, and some heartbreaking family circumstances.  Through all of that God’s beauty has sustained me, transforming the dark moments with His light.  I’ve had multiple surgeries and a life-threatening health issue requiring trips to the ER.  I live with chronic pain.  But God’s comfort and joy have lifted me to a “larger place”, while transforming illness and pain to the status of HOLY GROUND:  something to rejoice over rather than complain about!

Thus I will always contend with one facet of a beautiful hymn—“Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus”.  Mentally, I revise the line by singing:  “the things of earth grow incredibly bright, in the light of His glory and grace!”  🙂

Margaret L. Been, 2013

.

Read Full Post »

Oceans of time . . . .

 “If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall hold me, and your right hand shall lead me.”  Psalm 139:9-10

Psalm 139:9-10 are my flight verses, well used and ever comforting when boarding a plane.  These verses have carried me west to Colorado and Washington State many times, and on one occasion they soared me across the Atlantic to Britain—the extent of my travels.

But nearly as often, this beloved passage of Scripture has accompanied me on a local voyage—deep into the uttermost parts of general anesthesia required for surgeries.  Tomorrow, July 2nd, I will take the wings of the morning and fly to the uttermost parts of the sea while an amazing new technology is applied to replace my severely compromised right shoulder.

The surgery is called Reverse Total Shoulder Replacement.  I have outlined the procedure on http://northernreflections.wordpress.com/ .  You can GOOGLE and consult U-tube for visuals, but I only recommend that for those of you who are extremely stout of heart and strong of stomach.  🙂

I have had many surgeries in my life, beginning with a tonsillectomy at age 4—in the days when hospitals reeked of ether gas.  I recall that 1937 event as if it were yesterday due to the extreme sore throat that followed, and the orange sherbet which was given to me.  (So many memories seem to involve food!)

Although I have no fear of medical procedures, none of my operations have been exactly what I would classify as fun and I’d be a little weird if I thought they were!  Some of them (such as a spinal fusion) have affected my ability to walk, sit, or stand comfortably for the duration of recovery—sometimes for months.  But tomorrow’s surgery will be unique for me; it will completely curtail the use of my right arm for at least six weeks, and severely limit arm movement for several months thereafter.

My right arm!!!  How many times have we heard someone say, “I’d give my right arm to do this or that, or have this or that . . . .”?  Voluntarily give my right arm?  I didn’t think so.  But now I’m going to do exactly that, since I can no longer manage the pain of the shoulder and arm.

Realizing that all of this was known in Eternity Past, and that God’s compassionate sovereignty is ever faithful, I rest in Him.  I will take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea—not only the sea of surgery and post-op pain, but the ongoing sea of inactivity to follow.

Upon hearing about my post-op restrictions, a friend (who knows how I love to make things with my hands) offered a wry comment:  “This I have got to see!”

Well I have got to see it as well, and I shall—not because I am a super hero, or exceptionally “tough” but because God’s right hand will hold me and lead me.  His hands, arms, and shoulders never falter, never need replacing, and they have no limits.

God’s love abounds.  Because of Him, my limited mobility will heighten my sight and hearing.  The clouds will be more awe-inspiring than ever, because cloud-watching from our patio will fill my days.  Bird songs and the rhythm of rain will resonate because I’ll have time for absorbing the music of creation rather than making my own music.  Oceans of time.

Unlike most joint replacements which require a disciplined physical therapy, this one forbids movement.  I will be able to use my fingers, for knitting or keyboarding, when pain permits.  After a few weeks I’ll be able to lift a teacup, but nothing heavier than a teacup.  Time for tea with friends!  Oceans of time!

Art making will be curtailed, unless I can come through with my left arm.  That could be humorous!  But I’ll have time to re-read my favorite books by fine artists, and some new-to-me books on watercolor and collage art which I’ve ordered.  Oceans of time.

There will be time for prayer and reflection on God’s Word, time to savor every insight—every drop of wisdom and encouragement our Lord desires to share with me.  Oceans of time.

Only time will tell what treasures God may reveal to me, in the uttermost parts of the sea.  Oceans of time!

Margaret L. Been — July 1, 2013

Read Full Post »

“Each day has enough . . .”

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.”  Matthew 6:24  (NIV)

I can’t imagine any more comforting words in terms of the practical aspects of life!  I love this verse, not only for its life wisdom, but for the glimpse of our Lord’s balance and sense of humor!   We don’t often comment on God’s having a sense of humor, but I often think that He must have one—not only in connection with His incredible patience with me, but in the fact that a wholesome sense of humor resides in all healthy personalities.  After all, we are made in God’s image!

My husband and I are living contentedly in our sweet condo in Southern Wisconsin.  But sometimes the back of my mind twitches and flirts with anxiety when I ponder the fact that we also own two homes in Northern Wisconsin.  When we moved down here (going on three years ago) we really thought that we’d be traveling back and forth between our homes.  But serious health issues have so far rendered that plan impossible.  We haven’t visited our Northern homes (the one we lived in and a guest house on the same property) for nearly two years. 

So I’m occasionally tempted to fret about those houses up there.  Will one or both of them sell?  Do we really want to sell one or both of them?  How will we ever empty the two garages, and move out all the stuff we left up there?  Where would we put the stuff if we did move it out?  Are the houses looking bereft because no one is living in them and loving them?  Will they ever forgive us for abandoning them?  (I tend to personify most everything!  🙂 ) 

Although we maintain the utilities, have the water shut off in the winter, and are blessed with Northern friends who look after things for us—shoveling snow, mowing grass, and periodically checking inside the homes—these much loved vestiges of our past do pop up in my mind and tempt me to worry.  Then I recall the precious words of our Lord:  “Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Thank you, Lord Jesus!

Margaret L. Been, ©2012

Read Full Post »

Angels Unawares

“Be not forgetful to entertain strangers; for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”  Hebrews 13:2

We mothers tend to knee jerk at the word “stranger”, as we’ve always been diligent in warning our children never to talk to strangers—or have anything to do with them.  Rightly so, as the implications of not following those instructions could be tragic!

Yet how many of us can remember a time when a stranger appeared on the scene to help us, perhaps for just a few moments, in some unlikely setting—under odd circumstances.  The world of unbelievers would call this “luck”, or “coincidence”.  But as a Christian believer, I lean on Scriptures.  According to the book of Hebrews, angels can take on the form of a human “stranger” for some specific assignment from our Lord.  How awesome to contemplate!

An unusual incident is forever engraved in my mind.  Back in 1990, I attended a weaving class held at a farm home on the Shenandoah River near New Market, Virginia.  Our youngest daughter, Martina, and I flew from Milwaukee’s Mitchell Field to Dulles International Airport outside of D. C.  From there we rented a car and I drove into Virgina. 

On a free day during the week’s class schedule, Martina and I decided to venture into the West Virginia mountains.  Our workshop host loaned me a detailed map.  I sensed that he was snickering a bit, picturing a clueless mid-Westerner wandering around on circuitous West Virginia mountain roads.  Kind of like a Montana cowboy putting an Eastern dude on a wild horse!  🙂

We wandered!  The day (in late May) was perfect, and the scenery was incredibly beautiful.  We have gorgeous hills, valleys, and rivers in Wisconsin—especially along the Mississippi River—but these West Virginia “hills” were something else.  We meandered, and ended up close to a summit which the map titled “Reddish Knob”—one of the highest points in West Virginia. 

Wonderful!  There we were, “on top of the world” near Reddish Knob.  One road led on up to the pinnacle of the knob, but my map showed many roads leading to and from the point where we’d stopped .  So intent had I been in simply staying on the curving road, I could not recall which one I had taken to get to where we were.  As I studied the map, I realized I was lost.  How had we arrived this far?  And how could we retrace our trail, down through a snake pit of roads (some very primitive) to the highway which led back to New Market where we were staying? 

Suddenly, a shiny clean car appeared and parked on a spur just across from the grassy shoulder where I’d pulled over on my side of the road.  The sole occupant of the car—a man, meticulously dressed in a conservative business suit, white shirt, and hat—opened the door and stepped out.  “May I help you?” he asked?

I showed him the map which looked like a mass of tangled roots dug out of the ground, and told the man that we wanted the quickest way back to the highway which would lead to New Market, Virginia.  Without hesitating, he showed me the road to take—leading to another road, then another and another.  The man instructed me as to turns.  I thanked him, and we were on our way.

Gratefully, we made our way back down to where we could see the highway stretching before our eyes.  We stopped at a roadside cafe near our motel, and sipped that traditional Southern beverage—sweetened ice tea.  Only then, when we were literally out of the woods and down off the mountain, did I begin to wonder about the stranger who had guided us to familiar ground. 

What in the world was a flawlessly dressed gentleman with an immaculate car doing on a mountain top?  There was no significantly sized settlement nearby.  The man wasn’t dressed like a tourist or outdoorsman.  The vicinity of Reddish Knob seemed safely distanced from land speculators and surveyors.  According to Wikipedia, the area is a popular destination for “day-trippers” and students of nearby universities.  Our stranger who deciphered the map for us certainly was not dressed like a student—or a professor, for that matter.  Yet the man knew the area without even pausing to scratch his head over the map. 

He had driven a small sedan, in a pick-up truck locale.  His car did not betray any signs of having been driven on mountain roads—in dusty, red soil country no less.  As a veteran country driver, I know what cars look like when we use them to explore back roads.  My own car is dust and grime free for only a few days after going through a car wash and then it resumes its comfortable, scruffy look.

Who was that man?  He was quiet, reserved, and enigmatic.  He made no small talk, asked no questions, and efficiently answered mine—apparently without pausing to consider.  Luck?  Coincidence?  I don’t think so.  As I look back on that memorable day in West Virginia, I’m convinced that Martina and I were guided by an angel “unawares”!

Margaret L. Been, ©2012

Read Full Post »

Keeping the memories . . .

Although the above photo is accidently blurry because I must have jiggled while photographing, it makes me think of how I’m viewing the passing year—through tears of thanksgiving and joy.  It seems like yesterday, when 2011 began in the midst of unprecendented challenges for Joe and me.  Then, suddenly in September, those challenges dissolved into blessing upon blessing.  I’m a bit of a stoic in the midst of troubles, and normally do not cry during times of stress and hardship.  I just pray and soldier on in God’s grace, keeping my chin up.  But when the hard times cease and the relief pours in, then I weep many tears of gratitude.

Normally by January 1st, I’m chomping to dismantled the appurtenances of Christmas and pack them away for another year.  Garden dreams grow with the daylight minutes which begin increasing right after Christmas Day, and I anticipate another season of outdoor living. 

Now it is December 31st.  Tomorrow I may think differently, but today I am hanging on to 2011 due to the many blessings we’ve experienced therein:  Joe’s miraculous healing from 3rd and 4th degree burns requiring radical surgery, Joe’s healing from a totally shot rotator cuff and surgery, Joe’s healing from congestive heart failure and the satisfactory implantation of a pacemakier/defibrillator, my helpful therapies for chronic lumbar and sacral pain, my cataract surgery resulting in 2 regenerated eyes, many family gatherings, 3 new great-grandbabies born (plus 2 which were born at the end of 2010), and a brand new son-in-law as of 12/30/11. 

(For wonderful wedding news, please refer to another of my blogs:  http://hiswordistrue.wordpress.com/   .)

Today I believe I’ll keep the manger scene and our sweet little Christmas tree up for a few more weeks (or days) because I’m overwhelmed with joy over the blessings of 2011.  But when the tree does come down, my memories will remain.  What a gift, the blessing of memory!  When we humans forget the unpleasant events of the past and keep the joy in our hearts and minds, we are forever wealthy!

Margaret L. Been, ©2011

Read Full Post »

Whatsoever Things

 

 “Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”  Philippians 4:8

Looking back over a long life, I realize the the great attribute used by God to draw me to Himself was BEAUTY!  Obviously we fail to see our need for salvation until the Holy Spirit enlightens us as to our innate sinfulness.  But the catalyst to recognizing my need for salvation was my inordinate love for beauty. 

All my life I have been drawn to beauty and those qualities that define it:  justice, goodness, and purity—and I realize that it was God who was drawing me.  Somewhere along the way, my mind was compelled to acknowledge the presence of ugliness and brutality in the world.  Next I realized the absence of beauty my in own fallen nature—that shocking truth of my own sinfulness, and the fact that I could do nothing to save myself.  At that point, the Lord Jesus reached out to me with His unchanging, infinite beauty—ultimately demonstrated in His work of redemptive Love on Calvary!  How could I resist His saving Grace, as He drew me, and claimed me for Himself?!

Along with the beauty of God’s character, and that of our inherited spiritual blessings, there is the fact of material beauty.  God created a tangible universe.  Jesus walked on this fallen earth and verified the substance of beauty, wherever He changed lives.  Inner beauty cannot help but work out in terms of concrete beauty in our words, deeds, and the very environment we fashion around us. 

The beauty of a flower first blossomed in the mind of God.  Many an artful human rendering of beauty first germinated in God’s heart—as we mortals, however flawed, were made in the image of God.  Even the most basic shapes and smatterings of color on paper can be viewed as yearnings for that perfect beauty inherent in our Maker. 

As a new believer, nearly 40 years ago, I was immediately disillusioned and saddened by the lack of Beauty Recognition and Beauty Hunger that I found to be rampant in many of my newly acquired Christian “brothers and sisters”.   Too many Christians I met were so busy doing things, that they couldn’t care less about beauty.  The consideration of creating art and poetry, or even just contemplating God’s works of natural beauty, never entered their conversations.  Among the fine arts, only music was regarded as having value—and music was evaluated in pragmatic terms, as a conveyor of a worthy agenda (proclaiming God’s truth) but never simply for its aesthetic quality alone.  Mozart and Beethoven have had a tough time of it in many Evangelical circles!

Far too often, pragmatic considerations predominate over what should be an outworking of God’s creativity.  The “how to” of Christianity, as vital as that may be, sometimes preempts God’s command to be still and simply “be”.  We need to remember that the busy “how to” things should be the fruit of our “being”—rather than our raison d’être!   

How do we “be”?  Romans 12:2 commands, “And be not conformed to this world:  but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable, and perfect will of God.” 

We can only “be” through the activities of our mind—in essence, through quieting our busy lives and finding time to think.  We will “be” as we think on those Philippians 4:8 “whatsoever things”!  Our capacity for balanced, Biblical thinking can only flourish in a fellowship where God’s Word is faithfully taught.

Today I’m a part of an amazing church where God’s Word is taught without compromise, and God’s love prevails.  Sound Bible teaching bears fruit resulting in an exuberant, God-glorifying freedom in this fellowship—where believers are grounded in the Word and continually being transformed through the renewing of their minds.  Renewed minds create balanced living where actions follow—rather than take the place of—“being”. 

The beauty of the Lord is evident among balanced Christians who value their relationship with the Savior before all else—and desire to reflect His beauty and creativity in all that they do!  

In one of her books, Edith Schaeffer wrote about young men who came to L’Abri from Africa.  The Africans explained how they were disappointed and turned off by some Christian missionaries in African countries, because no beauty was evidenced in the missionaries’ homes.  Instead, these homes were charactized by a lack of color and creativity.  The young men were correct in believing that our beautiful Lord should be reflected in a hunger for beauty and creativity among His people on earth!

Indeed, it was reading Edith Schaeffer that comforted and encouraged me as a new believer those many years ago.  Through her passion for the beauty of nature and the fine arts, I realized that there was nothing wrong with me for sharing that passion.  The dichotomy between believers who “get it” and those who “don’t” is not mine to resolve.  I can only follow God’s will for me to “be”. 

As we obey God’s command to consider those things which are pure and lovely, perhaps He will speak to some lost soul out there—someone like the person I was many decades ago:  fallen, floundering, yet grasping for that dream of a beautiful life—which God gave to me when He drew me to Himself!

Margaret L. Been, ©2011

Read Full Post »