A friend recently shared with me about her teenage son’s ingratitude and spirit of entitlement.  Her family had been through a great deal of turmoil, and she knew that the boy had been affected by it.  Her job was uncertain and her financial life hung by a thread.  She hated being alone, without a life companion. I didn’t have any answers, and as she talked we both began sinking in a quagmire of concern bordering on sorrow.   Suddenly, she brightened the whole room with a beautiful, from-the-heart smile and said with absolute conviction, “But God has always been there for me, and I know that whatever happens He will take care of me.”  My heart rejoiced with this affirmation of the only Truth that can lead to Peace in the face of uncertainty – FAITH!  Thank God for faith!  As I drove home from this encounter with this dear sister in Christ [who has been through so much lifelong chaos, abuse and turmoil that my silver-spooned life embarrasses me in comparison]  I thought of my Dad.  In his last months on this earth he rarely could recognize my Mom, his wife of sixty-four years.  His conversations made only smatterings of sense.  In our conversations I would pace him emotionally – when he showed lightheartedness, I would reflect lightheartedness.  When he was concerned, I’d be concerned - though I didn’t know what we were concerned about.  Sometimes he would be overtaken by a worrisome spirit.  He knew something was gravely wrong, and in his demented way, he was expressing his deep concern.  I would reflect this same grave concern.  But always, at some point, he would say something like, “Oh well, It’s all gonna work out.  It’ll be o.k.  God’s in control.”  When he was in the hospital in the final days of his life, unable to make much sense of anything, at one point, as I stood beside him, he looked at me full in the face with a smile and winked at me!  In the core of his being, he still knew everything was ok.  Even Alzheimer’s could not rob him of his FAITH.  In that wink he conferred a lifelong blessing upon me, just as surely as Isaac when he laid his hands on Jacob.

God please help us live faithfully, and convey the blessing of faith to our children.

Mark Graham

September 06.

You ever get discouraged? No, I mean – DISCOURAGED? So discouraged you just want to die? It happens to me sometimes, too. Asking God to take you home is just wanting the easy way out. You don’t really mean it, do you? Nahhh. Not enough to inflict pain on yourself. I had a friend call me the other night with totally discouraging news. He had worked hard the last year to qualify for Loretta’s National Championship. At the Regional Qualifier in Texas last weekend he finished top five in the first two motos, then was in the wrong place at the right time, suffering a crash at the start of the third moto. He was one of the middle pieces of a domino effect: one rider goes out of control, hits the guy next to him, on down the line starting a pile up. Anyway, you get the picture.

So his hopes for a national championship are dashed – for this year – again. He needed encouragement from me, but I was in pain from my injuries, tired, thinking negative thoughts and about to go to sleep (it was about 9:00pm). So instead of me helping him, I just told him my problems. So we whined to each other. I told my wife about that and she acted surprised, "I thought only women did that? We call that a ‘pity party.’"

"Oops, I guess that’s what we had," I answered timidly, recognizing that I was guilty.

You ever have those days? You ever have setbacks? You ever feel like a boxer who has been knocked down so many times you wonder why you pick yourself back up?

I have good news for you. The all-powerful God who made you loves you, no matter what. He is willing and able to send encouragement through His Word and His Spirit. If you will just trust Him, give the problems to Him, and give YOURSELF to Him, He is faithful to give you His grace and strength to make it through. The problems always look bigger when we are suffering beneath the strain, in the midst of the storm.

Just take it to Him and He will exchange His grace for your burden. Listen to God’s word:

"Come unto me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble of heart and you will find rest for your souls; for my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Jesus in Matt. 11:28)

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (Jesus in John 16:33)

How do I know this works? That He is real? That His Word is true? Because He works in my life, and has NEVER let me down. You can count on Him, too.

I was in the dentist office yesterday to get a tooth pulled. I notice on the waiting room table a big home-made card, apparently made by a child. Written on the front were the words, "A Note From God." I curiously picked it up, opened the folded page and, written inside were these words:

"Do Your Best & I’ll Take Care of the Rest… God."

by Roy Jenkins