Webster's definition of courage is "Mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty." We normally associate the word with policeman, firefighters, and soldiers. Which we definitely should, they put their lives on the line every day, when they put on their uniform and go to work. These men and women wear the badge of courage and I am thankful they do. I am thankful to my nephew Travis who is a policeman, I am thankful to my nephew Jake who is a fireman, and I am thankful to my nephews Austin and Dalton who serve in the military. But these men choose each day to put on that uniform, they choose each day to possibly face death.
What about the men, women, and children who show that same courage everyday, those who didn't choose it, yet who still face death each day. I am talking about those courageous people who face cancer daily.
Over the past 18 months I have watched 2 women I love show such courage, along with grace, kindness, hope and faith.
I watched my Aunt Joyce face cancer with such dignity, grace, kindness and courage. I watched her go to countless Dr's appointments, and be admitted to the hospital numerous times, and each time I watched her treat everyone she came in contact with, with kindness. Smile when I am sure she didn't feel like it. She was always appreciative of everyone. Every Dr, nurse, technician, receptionist, every hospital transporter, and the person who cleaned her room. Every person who came to visit. If I had been in her shoes I am sure there were times I would have just screamed "Everyone get out and leave me alone! I want to feel sorry for myself! But she never did, not even when she had 2 major surgeries back to back. She showed courage when she had to choose on short notice to have brain surgery or probably lose her life in just a couple of weeks. She said no I am not ready to give up yet, true perseverance. She was always gracious and kind to everyone just like the life she lived when she was well.
During this same time I also watched my Sister-in-law, Brenda fight a courageous battle against breast cancer. She was always upbeat, even when she was taking chemo, radiation, and having to go through blood transfusions. When she was exhausted from all the treatments she still pushed on. She was always full of hope, and she brought hope to others who were fighting cancer also. She used the cancer as a platform to share how great her God is. She wasn't sure why God had given her this challenge, but she was willing to bear it if she could use it to uplift and encourage others. She was a source of hope and faith to her family, friends and all those around here. She made sure to give God the praise and glory when she reached that 6 month cancer free mark.
In the past week I have watched that same courage resurface, anew in both these women's lives. I watched it in my aunt's life, in her husband and daughter. As they were given the news that she probably only had days left. I watched that legacy of courage she had instilled in them. The courage it takes to sit by the bed of someone you love, and watch their life slip away. But they are doing it, with that same kindness and grace that she showed.
I saw it again in my sister-in-law this week, as she found a lump in her neck. As she went for x-rays, and biopsies, and test results. As she had to once again break the news to her kids. She displayed that same courage, faith and hope. That courage and hope she held onto the first time. I think her words were, I will fight to the end I have to for my family that I love.
In Joshua 1:9 God says to Joshua "This is my command. Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you where ever you go." Thank you Aunt Joyce and Brenda, for living out that verse for me and all those around you. I love you both!
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
The Sweetest Word in the Universe
A name, everyone has one. Unless you are the artist formally known as Prince you have a name you go by. In some cases you have a name that goes by different variations. Such as the name Thomas you could also go by, Tom or Tommy. In my case I have been called, Janet, Janice, and Jan.
Maybe your name has a special family connection or history. Chris has Brett's middle name. Brittany has my middle name, which is also my Mom's middle name. Though she has informed me that when she does have kids the "Lea" tradition ends here. Which is fine, that is one of the cool things about being a parent getting to choose the name. Maybe as young parents we don't realize the magnitude of choosing a name. Think about it, their name is the one thing you give your child that they will have from birth to death.
Then we marry into names. I love the name Sapp because I didn't have it as a child. So I missed out on the name calling that probably went along with the name. Hey tree! Your such a sap. I remember my kids being called Sapplings. I think they still are sometimes. But as a child who grew up with the last name Allphin, which no one could pronounce or spell, Sapp is so much easier. I love the fact that Brittany's married last name was also my Dad's middle name. I rarely say her whole name Brittany Douglas without thinking about my Dad.
When I worked as a customer service rep in a phone center, I would often rattle off the introduction in a hurry, and sometimes people would think my name was Anna or Hannah. I know. Go figure. They don't sound alike. But, I would never correct them. I mean if they were not happy with the call or service let them call back and try to find Anna.
The point being we all have a name and whether we like our name or not it is one of the sweetest words in the universe. We love it when new people we meet remember our name. Or at least I do. And even though I know that, I so stink at remembering peoples names.
I particularly love it when I hear Brett say my name. I would much rather hear the name Janet roll off his lips than old goat or handsome woman. Our names are special. They signify who we are. They define us and differentiate us from others. I love in the bible when Jesus or God gave people new names that signified a change in them, Abram became Abraham, Saul became Paul, Simon became Peter. Each new name represented a change in their character.
I have been reviewing and studying some of the different names for the Lord. There are so many, El-Channun, El Olam, Jehovah Jireh. Each one represents a different facet or element of our Lord. All the same Lord, but a different aspect to my relationship to him.
Kind of in the same way that different names or titles I hold represent a different aspect of who I am. I am a wife, a mother, a daughter, an aunt, a grand daughter, a cousin, a friend, maybe even an enemy to some. All the same person but a different perspective on how you see me. The title of wife is different to Brett than the title of Mom is to Brittany or Chris.
I am trying to take each of the names of God and spend a day just thinking about what that means to me? Today, Emmanuel - My God with me. Matthew 1:23 says, Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Emmanuel, which means 'God with us.'
Thanks for reading!
Maybe your name has a special family connection or history. Chris has Brett's middle name. Brittany has my middle name, which is also my Mom's middle name. Though she has informed me that when she does have kids the "Lea" tradition ends here. Which is fine, that is one of the cool things about being a parent getting to choose the name. Maybe as young parents we don't realize the magnitude of choosing a name. Think about it, their name is the one thing you give your child that they will have from birth to death.
Then we marry into names. I love the name Sapp because I didn't have it as a child. So I missed out on the name calling that probably went along with the name. Hey tree! Your such a sap. I remember my kids being called Sapplings. I think they still are sometimes. But as a child who grew up with the last name Allphin, which no one could pronounce or spell, Sapp is so much easier. I love the fact that Brittany's married last name was also my Dad's middle name. I rarely say her whole name Brittany Douglas without thinking about my Dad.
When I worked as a customer service rep in a phone center, I would often rattle off the introduction in a hurry, and sometimes people would think my name was Anna or Hannah. I know. Go figure. They don't sound alike. But, I would never correct them. I mean if they were not happy with the call or service let them call back and try to find Anna.
The point being we all have a name and whether we like our name or not it is one of the sweetest words in the universe. We love it when new people we meet remember our name. Or at least I do. And even though I know that, I so stink at remembering peoples names.
I particularly love it when I hear Brett say my name. I would much rather hear the name Janet roll off his lips than old goat or handsome woman. Our names are special. They signify who we are. They define us and differentiate us from others. I love in the bible when Jesus or God gave people new names that signified a change in them, Abram became Abraham, Saul became Paul, Simon became Peter. Each new name represented a change in their character.
I have been reviewing and studying some of the different names for the Lord. There are so many, El-Channun, El Olam, Jehovah Jireh. Each one represents a different facet or element of our Lord. All the same Lord, but a different aspect to my relationship to him.
Kind of in the same way that different names or titles I hold represent a different aspect of who I am. I am a wife, a mother, a daughter, an aunt, a grand daughter, a cousin, a friend, maybe even an enemy to some. All the same person but a different perspective on how you see me. The title of wife is different to Brett than the title of Mom is to Brittany or Chris.
I am trying to take each of the names of God and spend a day just thinking about what that means to me? Today, Emmanuel - My God with me. Matthew 1:23 says, Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Emmanuel, which means 'God with us.'
Thanks for reading!
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Hide and Seek
I read Joshua 7 this week and it holds one of my favorite verses. Maybe not one of my favorites, but one that convicts every time I read it. "Hidden among you, O Israel, are things set apart for the Lord. You will never defeat your enemies until you remove these things from among you."
This is the key verse for the story of Achan. There is so much in this story. To summarize God is leading Joshua and the Israelites, and they are conquering everything in their path. But all of a sudden they go into a battle that should be easy and they lose. Joshua doesn't understand what is going on. God tells him, someone in your camp disobeyed. They took something at the last battle, that was to be set aside for the Lord. They not only took it, they lied about it and hid it.
God instructs Joshua, tomorrow morning line everyone up and I will reveal who that is. So the Israelites all file out the next morning. God singles out a tribe, then he singles out a clan, then he singles out a family, then he singles out Achan. I can't imagine what Achan must have been thinking standing there on shaking knees, sweat rolling down. He had to know it was him. Did he think he wouldn't be found out? Or maybe he was hoping someone else had taken something more valuable than he had. I mean I do that, this is my sin, but surly the person next to me has a more offensive one, then mine won't look so bad.
Joshua confronts him and Achan says. It is true, I sinned. I saw a robe, 200 silver coins, and a bar of gold. I wanted them, I took them, and I hid them.
Joshua and the Israelites then take Achan, the silver, the gold, the robe, and Achan's sons, daughters, and everything he owed. They stoned Achan and his whole family, then burned their bodies, and buried them under a pile of stones.
There are a couple of really big lessons in this chapter. First we can't hide ANYTHING from God, who are we trying to fool? You can't play hide and seek with God He is omni everything. I can pretend to myself, that just because I hide those feelings of jealousy, envy, anger, bitterness, and discontent from others, that I can hide them from God. But I am only kidding myself. It is just as insane as Achan standing there thinking the spot light wasn't going to land on him.
Second, our sin never effects just us. Achan's sin affected the whole tribe of Israel. Because of Achan's sin, God did not go before them in battle, and they lost. Innocent soldiers lost their lives. Wow, what if God refuses to lead my whole church in something because of my disobedience? Then, Achan's whole family was destroyed. Did you get that DESTROYED. I can say my sins don't effect anyone else, but they do. Families are destroyed every day because of consequences of sin divorce, alcoholism, abuse, hate, and selfishness. If we were able to think beyond I want this, to what are the consequences, would it change some of our actions?
God says in Joshua 7:13B "Hidden among you, O Israel, are things set apart for the Lord. You will never defeat your enemies until you remove these things from among you." He is talking about the robe, silver, and gold hidden under Achan's tent. But he could just as well have been talking about the things hidden in my heart envy, pride, disobedience, and selfishness. Until I remove those I will never defeat my enemy. Would I work harder to remove them, if tomorrow morning, God ask all of Marion to file out. Then he started singling out my church, my family, me. What a scary thought.
Thanks for reading!
This is the key verse for the story of Achan. There is so much in this story. To summarize God is leading Joshua and the Israelites, and they are conquering everything in their path. But all of a sudden they go into a battle that should be easy and they lose. Joshua doesn't understand what is going on. God tells him, someone in your camp disobeyed. They took something at the last battle, that was to be set aside for the Lord. They not only took it, they lied about it and hid it.
God instructs Joshua, tomorrow morning line everyone up and I will reveal who that is. So the Israelites all file out the next morning. God singles out a tribe, then he singles out a clan, then he singles out a family, then he singles out Achan. I can't imagine what Achan must have been thinking standing there on shaking knees, sweat rolling down. He had to know it was him. Did he think he wouldn't be found out? Or maybe he was hoping someone else had taken something more valuable than he had. I mean I do that, this is my sin, but surly the person next to me has a more offensive one, then mine won't look so bad.
Joshua confronts him and Achan says. It is true, I sinned. I saw a robe, 200 silver coins, and a bar of gold. I wanted them, I took them, and I hid them.
Joshua and the Israelites then take Achan, the silver, the gold, the robe, and Achan's sons, daughters, and everything he owed. They stoned Achan and his whole family, then burned their bodies, and buried them under a pile of stones.
There are a couple of really big lessons in this chapter. First we can't hide ANYTHING from God, who are we trying to fool? You can't play hide and seek with God He is omni everything. I can pretend to myself, that just because I hide those feelings of jealousy, envy, anger, bitterness, and discontent from others, that I can hide them from God. But I am only kidding myself. It is just as insane as Achan standing there thinking the spot light wasn't going to land on him.
Second, our sin never effects just us. Achan's sin affected the whole tribe of Israel. Because of Achan's sin, God did not go before them in battle, and they lost. Innocent soldiers lost their lives. Wow, what if God refuses to lead my whole church in something because of my disobedience? Then, Achan's whole family was destroyed. Did you get that DESTROYED. I can say my sins don't effect anyone else, but they do. Families are destroyed every day because of consequences of sin divorce, alcoholism, abuse, hate, and selfishness. If we were able to think beyond I want this, to what are the consequences, would it change some of our actions?
God says in Joshua 7:13B "Hidden among you, O Israel, are things set apart for the Lord. You will never defeat your enemies until you remove these things from among you." He is talking about the robe, silver, and gold hidden under Achan's tent. But he could just as well have been talking about the things hidden in my heart envy, pride, disobedience, and selfishness. Until I remove those I will never defeat my enemy. Would I work harder to remove them, if tomorrow morning, God ask all of Marion to file out. Then he started singling out my church, my family, me. What a scary thought.
Thanks for reading!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)