Housebound

March 23, 2020March 22, 2020 | lindamowles

Snow Predicted oil on canvas, artist George Lucas from Gaithersburg, Maryland — “Snow Predicted” oil on canvas, painted by George Lucas of Gaithersburg, Maryland

These are troubling days. We are faced with a worldwide pandemic for the first time in most of our lives, and we don’t really know how to respond. Yes, we know that we are to practice social distancing, that is we are to remain no closer than 6 feet from other people so that we do not come in contact with the virus from others. We know that we are not to gather in groups of more than 10 because that creates a risk that someone in the group could be unaware that they are carrying the virus even though they are highly contagious at that point. We know that we should stock up on food because we could be housebound for a long time. We know that various businesses are shutting down with their workers facing furlough or unemployment, resulting in the loss of necessary paychecks for the household. We also know that if we are in the “at risk” category of individuals, we should remain in our homes to avoid contamination by the virus.

In short, there are quite a number of things that we now know which are different than our ordinary experiences had been before this virus hit. But one thing we see rampant, and that is the loss of toilet paper! People are hoarding it, taking it by the pallet-full, clutching their toilet paper in the checkout lines as if it were a lifeline. What’s with that?

Things are anything but routine now, and we are wondering if this is the “new normal”.

I don’t know when the virus will be contained or how long the housebound directive will be in place, but I do know the One who has that information, and He will not let us be housebound for a moment longer than is His plan.

The Psalmist says:

Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the LORD.

Psalm 4:5

You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield.

Psalm 115:11

It is a statement that is repeated in Proverbs:

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

Proverbs 3:5

And the Prophet Isaiah claims the same thing:

Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.

Isaiah 26:4

Yosemite El Capitan and bridal veil 6-2011 063 — Yosemite National Park, El Capitan and Bridal Veil Falls

When I think of God as an “everlasting rock”, my mind wanders to the sights we saw in Yosemite National Park. Specifically, the view of El Capitan. It is a huge granite monolith that rises almost 910 meter (3,000 foot) vertically from Yosemite Valley. It’s massive size and strength is apparent when looking at it from across the valley.

But, come closer, and it is both intimidating and comforting.

Yosemite El Capitan 6-2011 069 — A closer view of El Capitan, in Yosemite National Park.

More than one climber has tried to scale its height, and a few have succeeded. Some have turned back, and others have fallen to their death. It is intimidating and yet when thinking of God as our everlasting rock, it is comforting. Nothing is going to push El Capitan over. Nothing is going to move our God out of the way, either. Indeed, if God were to ordain an earthquake in the Yosemite Valley, El Capitan may well be toppeled, but it would only be at the ordinance of God, the ultimate Rock and the source of our salvation and redemption.

Beloved, if you are housebound, take heart. You can worship God even in the sanctity of your own home, of your own hospital bed, of your own apartment, of your own heart! Worship Him, the everlasting Rock and the author of our salvation. Then, praise Him for the opportunity you have to be housebound, to be able to focus on your relationship with Him rather than on the cares of the world, of work and or school. And you may want to think Him for giving you the time to clean out that closet, or tidy up the junk drawer in the kitchen, or the linen closet, or … well my entire house, actually!

The point is that we should praise God for all things, because we know that “for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

Father, I thank You for the blessings that are so freely given to all of us, including the freedom from fear of the coronavirus and freedom from anxiety for those who place their trust in You. Help me to be patient during this time of restricted activity, and help me to remember that You are in control of all things, even the most minute of activities by which we can honor You,

SOLID FOOD

February 25, 2020 | lindamowles

We enjoy eating in various restaurants, as our widening girth exhibits. We travel in a recreational vehicle (RV) for long trips, and we eat “at home” in the RV dining room or outside on the patio. Occasionally, however, we like to try the local cuisine in a restaurant.

In Wisconsin, for example, we ate at Bullhead’s Restaurant. Bill had pork ribs and sausage and all its trimmings.

Pork sausage food — Pork dinner at Bullhead’s Restaurant

I had broasted chicken.

Broasted chicken food — Broasted chicken at Bullhnead’s Restaurant

The meals were delicious and, in fact, the second night we were at that campground, we went to Bullhead’s again and repeated our order from the prior day!

The point, however, is that these meals were solid food. We are adults, way past the age of infancy. Infants could not enjoy these meals because infants cannot eat solid food.

In Hebrews 5:12-14, the writer of Hebrews chastises the people because they were acting as infants in the Lord, needing milk because they were incapable of eating solid food.

You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

Milk is good, I like it and have it often with my breakfast. But solid food is sooooo much better than just milk.

How does the writer of Hebrews identify the mature Christian, the one who can, and does, eat solid food?

It is the person who has trained his/her powers of discernment to distinguish good from evil.

And how did they train their ability to be discerning?

By constant practice.

We all start this life as infants who can feed only on milk. We graduate to infant oatmeal and other cereals and then to baby food. After the infant’s teeth arrive, some solid food is given.

As Christians, we are born into the family of God as infants who need milk to survive. But the Christian life is not determined by calendar age. Someone in their teens may have been a Christian longer and studied the Word more than an individual who came to faith in Christ in their 70s.

In short, maturity in the Christian is determined by the ability of the individual to eat solid food. The ability to develop and repeatedly practice his/her discernment so that he/she can tell what is good and what is evil. The ability to discern when a teaching is leading them away from the straight and narrow road. The mature Christians do their best to present themselves to God as workers who have “no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15

Beloved, don’t be a Christian who is stuck “dining on milk alone”. Read the Scripture, listen to sound teaching, study the Bible and develop a discerning spirit so that you can identify when teaching is leading you astray.

In the Christian classic Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan presents a picture of a man named Christian and his journey from being Graceless to his entrance in the Celestial City. At one point, Christian is walking the road called Salvation. It is described like this:

Now I saw in my dream that the highway up which Christian was to travel was fenced on either side with a wall, and that wall was called Salvation. Up this way, therefore, Christian did run, but not without great difficulty because of the load on his back.

This picture is described in the writing of the prophet Isaiah where God says;

In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: “We have a strong city; he sets up salvation as walls and bulwarks.

Isaiah 26:1

Further along in Isaiah’s prophesy he says this:

And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it. It shall belong to those who walk on the way; even if they are fools, they shall not go astray.

Isaiah 35:8

Jesus spoke of the way of salvation, characterizing it as having a narrow gate that is hard to find but which leads to life eternal.

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

Matthew 7:13-14

Beloved, develop a discerning spirit that can show you right from wrong. Don’t walk along the wide road to destruction – follow the straight road of salvation that leads to eternal life. Don’t be satisfied with milk. Become mature Christians who can feast on the Word of God, who study so that they will know their God and Savior through the power of the Holy Spirit, and who stay on the narrow road. It will be hard, but nothing worthwhile is easy!

Blessings to you as you walk along the Way.

Father, thank You for Scripture that tells us how to grow and mature into Christians who are discerning and who refuse to leave the narrow road in favor of the easier one. I pray that I would have the dedication and purpose to be steadfast in my walk with my Lord.

DOCTORS, HOSPITALS, PETS AND FEARS, REVISITED

September 5, 2017August 24, 2017 | lindamowles

One of our canine daughters, Cuddles to be exact, has a problem with her feet.

Apparently, at some time in her past, she was abused in and around her paws. When she first arrived at our home, we tried clipping her nails and could not get her to hold still. She violently pulled back — never snapped, but clearly was terrified.

So, we took her to the groomer’s and asked them to clip her nails. They returned the dog to us, with one or two nails a bit shorter, but clearly not clipped as we expected, and the groomers appeared to have fought in some battle, rather than attending to her paws! Again, she was clearly terrified.

cuddles-rin-min-pin-stance — **Cuddles in her “Rin-Min-Pin” stance.**

Next stop on the journey for reducing nail length was the veterinarian. We told him that no one had been able to clip her nails and he gave us the “You poor guys, can’t even get the dog to hold still for a minute! We’ll take care of it!” look as he carried her into the treatment area.

About 8 minutes later, a very harried vet returned carrying Cuddles. Her nails are no shorter, and he is significantly humbled by the strength of our little MinPin. And, as per previous encounters, she is clearly terrified.

“We were not able to calm her sufficiently to do the job”, this being a complete understatement if I had ever heard one. He then said we had two options: 1) to bring her back on another day and have him clip and cauterise her nails under anesthesia (the expensive option) or 2) to have our limbs shredded when our skin came in contact with her paws (the cheap option).

We chose the costly option rather than experiencing Samurai sword claws when she jumps up onto our lap. She has been with us for 4 years and her fear remains as a visceral barrier to a normal pedicure.

So, is this post about our travails with Cuddles nails? Yes, but just a bit.

Like Cuddles, I am facing a fearful situation – another spinal surgery where 2 broken rods will be replaced and 2 more will be added in an attempt to stabilize my spine so as to alleviate additional curvature and pain.

I have had this type surgery twice and doing it again is fearful. But, I am sure I am not alone in this. Whether the injury is physical, psychological, mental or emotional, whether it is from the past or something you are facing in your immediate future, fear is visceral. .

Cuddles trusts us — she, in her own doggie way, knows we would not intentionally harm her. But her trust is not sufficient to overcome the fear that some other event had imprinted on her psyche.

Cuddles and I are different, however. I understand that perfect love casts out fear.

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

1 John 4:18

While my fear from past events knocked me down, it could not overpower my Lord and Savior. Fear of the upcoming surgery will not overwhelm me now. My Lord is sovereign and trustworthy, and I am in His hands.

“And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you.”

Psalm 9:10

We are repeatedly admonished in Scripture to trust the Lord. For example, the Psalmist compares objects of trust in Psalm 20:7 where he affirms:

“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.”

And, the writer of Proverbs says:

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

Proverbs 3:5

The God that is described in the Old Testament as being trustworthy is the same God we serve in the New Testament body of Christ. The writer of Hebrews says in Hebrews 13:8 that:

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

So, who do you trust when you come face to face with your fears? Do you trust in human wits, Oprah, psychology, or tabloid suggestions? Or do you trust the Creator of the Universe, the omniscient, omnipresent God who sent His Son to be our Savior?

May we say, along with the prophet Isaiah:

“Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.”

Isaiah 26:4.

Father, forgive me for the myriad of times when I let my fears and insecurities rise to the surface so that they distract me from living my life in victory in the power of your Son through your Holy Spirit. I praise You for being an everlasting rock upon whom we can trust. I praise You, also, that You have never forsaken me even when my fears turned my eyes away from your beloved Son. Thank You for your overwhelming love and protection, despite my fears.

UNRUFFLED AND SIDELINED … A LESSON WHILE HEALING

December 8, 2015 | lindamowles

Bellingrath Gardens long bridge and swan (C) — Long bridge with beautiful swan at Belingrath Gardens, Alabama.

There are times that nature moves quickly and with an intensity that man can only watch and admire. But, nature can also move slowly and with a deliberation that allows us peace and unruffled living. The swans at Bellingrath Gardens, in Alabama, provide a peaceful scene in which quiet contemplation is possible.

The swan must exert herself under the water so that she can majestically glide over the water, but she is able to do it with truly “unruffled” feathers.

How do we respond to things that upset our schedule or which create a problem for us to overcome? Do we have peace? Are we unruffled? While we might have to work at the response to the situation, do we worry and fret all the while? What about while we are at work or have family troubles, do we stress and complain or do we have peace, even in chaotic circumstances? What about healing? Do we squirm because we are not as physically able as we want to be? Are we willing to submit to His loving care and see what He has for us, even if that includes physical pain?

The past two years have been an exercise in waiting for me. I retired so that we could have time to do things like travel and visit family around the country. Nine months later, I had a left ankle break that required surgery and over 9 weeks of non-weight bearing; then there were months of physical therapy as I healed from that event. I then had meniscus repair surgery to my left knee with resulting physical therapy, and I am just now beginning therapy after having surgery for a total right knee replacement. Each of these medical situations has found me, at times, accepting and, at other times, frustrated.

My schedule was stopped cold. Now all I had to do was to heal. Wait, and yield to the caregiving provided to me … frustration and humiliation at not being able care for myself, even in fundamental ways, had to be let go so that I could appreciate the effort and care being rendered on my behalf.

As an example, I came home from the hospital on Thanksgiving Day and the next day my daughter Liz and my daughter-in-law Mandi prepared an incredible Thanksgiving Day meal for 12 people, served in our dining room, and all I had to do was to get up the steps and walk to the table. This was the first time that I had relinquished the holiday meal to others. I praise these two wonderful women for their efforts which were absolutely successful, and I am thankful for the great celebration we had together. (The day of our Thanksgiving Day meal was our wedding anniversary, so it really was a celebration!)

Then too there is the wait for the doctors to practice their skill with still more waiting for the healing to come. Multiple doctor office visits and many more physical therapy sessions, with even more to be scheduled and endured. Wait, be calm and do the therapy so that healing will be complete.

There have been times when I wanted to scream “Doesn’t God know that we had plans? Doesn’t God know that this is messing with what I thought He wanted me to do? Doesn’t God care …?”

Of course, the answer is that “Yes, God does know. In fact, He knows everything!” That is the very definition of omniscience! What I need to know is that He is sovereign and He is in control of everything. That is the definition of omnipotence! And, God does care — the cross is our confirmation of His love, mercy and grace for us.

What I need to remember is that I am not God.

This time of testing has a purpose, unknown to me, but important to God. Perhaps He has something that I am to learn about Him, about my life in Christ, about myself and the best way for me to do that is to experience this diversion that I would not have selected on my own.

In Mark 4:39 Jesus was with His disciples in a boat on the Sea of Galilee when a storm arose. His disciples were terrified and they woke him pleading that He help. Scripture says:

“And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.”

This became a teaching moment for the disciples! It should also be such for us, for me.

The Almighty God who spoke the world into existence (Genesis 1) and His Son, Jesus Christ, who could stop the storm instantly by commanding “Peace,” has promised to provide peace to us in our time of need through the third person of the trinity, the Holy Spirit.

Isaiah 26:3 instructs:

“You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.”

Jesus promised that we would have divine help through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

“These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”

John 14:25-26.

We are not guaranteed a life of ease as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, but we are guaranteed eternal life with Him and His presence through the Holy Spirit in the here and now. Such peace will transcend the frenetic pace of the world and calm our hearts if we read His Word and listen to the Holy Spirit’s instruction. If we turn our eyes upon Jesus, He will help us to learn the lessons that He has ordained, and He will encourage and support us even as we go through the difficulties attendant with those lessons.

Blessings to you. May you find Peace through your relationship with the King of Peace, Jesus Christ our Lord and may His Spirit reside within you to comfort and strengthen during difficult times, even physical therapy!

Father, thank you for loving me so much that you are working in my life to transform me into the image of Jesus. Forgive me when I rebel and don’t want to go down the road you have ordained. Help me to remember that I am yours and that you are sovereign and in control of all things. Thank you Heavenly Father for your Son, my Savior and Lord, and thank you for sending the Holy Spirit to instruct, guide and comfort as we go along our way, even if it is to physical therapy.

DOCTORS, HOSPITALS, PETS AND FEARS

October 20, 2015 | lindamowles

Cuddles and Snickers are at the doctor’s office today. Normally they are in the family room, balancing on the recliner while looking out the window through the blind slats … not at all sure what they can see, but they are intent.

But today, they are at the vet’s office for their various shots, tests, nail clipping and baths. While it sounds routine, it is anything but routine for Cuddles.

She is not terrified to look out the bedroom window at the birds feeding just a couple of feet away. So we don’t know what caused her terror at having her claws clipped.

I see you, birdies; I just don't want to get out there, that's all! — I see you, birdies; I just don’t want to get out there, that’s all!

So, we did what anyone would do, we took her to the groomer’s and asked them to clip her nails. They were successful in “grinding” some of them, but could not get all of them done and none of her claws were significantly shorter than when we left her for the grooming. And, again, she was clearly terrified.

Next stop on the journey for reducing nail length was the veterinarian. Surely, with all the staff, equipment, etc., he will be able to clip her nails and we will be on our way. Cuddles disappeared into the back of the animal hospital with the smiling vet carrying her, assuring us that it would be a simple task for them. [You can read into his expression “You poor guys, can’t even get the dog to hold still for a minute! We’ll take care of it.]

About 8 minutes later, a very harried vet returns carrying Cuddles — nails are no shorter and he is significantly humbled by the strength of our little MinPin. And, as per previous encounters, she is clearly terrified.

“We were not able to calm her sufficiently to do the job.” He then said that our only option was to bring her back on another day and have him operate on her … just put her under anesthesia for about 10 minutes and they would clip and cauterize her nails. She would not be declawed as that is not a good thing for a dog, but the nails would be very short and it would take several months for them to grow. Of course, the operation costs money, as does the anesthesia, treatment, etc. and it would be an, almost, all day affair for her. We had this as one option — the other option was to have our limbs shredded when our skin comes in contact with her paws.

Needless to say, we have taken her to get her “nails done” today so that when we bring her home she will no longer shred our legs with Samurai sword claws when she jumps up onto our lap.

We don’t know what terrified her so much when it comes to her feet. She has been with us almost two years and there certainly has not been anything here to foster that kind of reaction, but it matters not because her fear is visceral and there is no way to prepare her for the normal clipping procedure.

So, is this post about our travails with Cuddles nails? Yes, but just a bit.

I want Cuddles’ experience to cause us to consider what terrifies us. I am fairly confident that there is something in each of our lives that has hurt us, burned us, or abused us whether the injury is physical, psychological, mental or emotional.

When I was a very young child, I had polio and it resulted in scoliosis that showed up before I started school. Because the doctors warned that the severity of the curve would claim my life by the time I was 25, my parents opted for experimental treatment that involved spinal fusion surgery and over a year in a body cast. I turned 10 years of age after surgery and 6 months in bed in a body cast that went from my head to my knee. The Lord was gracious, the scoliotic twist was not cured but it was halted, and I was able to live a normal life, including having two children.

I tell you this to say that, even though I credit the Lord as the Great Physician and his messengers, my human doctors, for sparing my life, the horrors of the treatment and body cast were imprinted on my heart and mind. But, I never thought of them until a doctor suggested that one of my children might have scoliosis. All at once my greatest fear was staring me in the face. All the memories that I thought were gone came crashing down and I was wailing, sobbing and utterly drained.

My beloved husband kept repeating that decades had passed since my surgery and the traumas that were associated with it, but I could almost touch my fear it was so real. I had to come to the point where I could say, truthfully, that my children were the Lord’s and that, if He wanted them to go through this, I had faith in Him that He loved my children even more than I did and that He would handle the situation according to His plan for them, and for me. As it turned out, there was no scoliosis diagnosis from any orthopedic or neurosurgeon specialist and the children are now adults, both of whom tower over me in height!

Cuddles trusts us — she, in her own doggie way, knows we would not intentionally harm her. But her trust is not sufficient to overcome the fear that some other event had imprinted on her psyche.

Cuddles and I are different; however, because while my fear knocked me down, it could not overcome my Lord and Savior. He is sovereign and trustworthy, and I am in His hands.

“And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you.”

Psalm 9:10

We are repeatedly admonished in Scripture to trust the Lord. For example, the Psalmist compares objects of trust in Psalm 20:7 where he affirms:

“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.”

And, the writer of Proverbs says:

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

Proverbs 3:5

The God that is described in the Old Testament as being trustworthy is the same God we serve in the New Testament body of Christ. The writer of Hebrews says in Hebrews 13:8 that:

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

May we say, along with the prophet Isaiah:

“Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.”

Isaiah 26:4.

Father, forgive me for the myriad of times when I let my fears and insecurities rise to the surface so that they distract me from living my life in victory in the power of your Son through your Holy Spirit. I praise you for being an everlasting rock upon whom we can trust. I praise you, also, that you have never forsaken me even when I have tried to run and when my fears turned my eyes away from your beloved Son. Thank you for your overwhelming love and protection, despite my fears.