2020 Favorite Things

 As 2020 comes to a close, many of us are ready to wish it good riddance, others aren’t so optimistic about 2021, but one thing is for sure.  This journey has not been without some good.  Sure there is lots to lament, but as we get to the end of this year, I think about the extra time that we have had at home with our kids.  We as a family have been able to grapple together through difficult news stories, process losses and sadness, and built new habits in the spaces where we may have been sprinting to and fro before.

 

A recurring theme has shown up this year has been joy in suffering.  As we have read the stories of scripture, we are reminded that we are not the first generation to suffer, we are not the first people to feel lonely.  In the midst of famines, wars, enslavement, bitterness, and sorrow, the Word of God repeats that God is faithful, God has not left his people, and the God who saved Israel from Egypt is the God who fulfilled His promises to Abraham and Sarah and is the same God who brought Jesus to life after the crucifixion.  We are assured that that same power that resurrected Jesus gives us life today.  It is because we are constantly reminded of the faithfulness of God to rescue and be present in the most trying of situations that we can experience that same joy today in our difficulties.  

 

Through 2020 our family enjoyed a number of tools that I’d like to offer to you:

·      Youversion Bible App- Carmen and I used “The Bible Recap” 1 year plan, and as we have journeyed through Advent with the youth and young adults we have enjoyed “BibleProject Advent Reflections”.  I have also used the verse of the day stories for a quick encouragement and devotional reading.  For teens and tweens, there are kids reading plans they can share with friends, when isolation is setting in, a great social alternative is reading scripture together.

·      Phyllis Tickle Divine Hours for regular prayer.  You can get these daily prayers for free online at annarborvineyard.org.  I have worked to translate these into more kid friendly language, send me a message if you’d like a copy.  

·      Every Moment Holy- prayer book.  Offering scripturally ground prayers for the moments you might not readily think about praying for.  I particularly liked their prayers for the first cup of coffee and for a student starting a school day.  You can get some of their prayers for free or order at www.everymomentholy.com .

·      The NLT One Year Bible.  Actual scripture with some devotional thoughts with some redactions to make it readable for a preteen.  

·      The One Year Children’s Bible is great for younger kids.  Whether you read it together or they read it themselves, this covers the whole of scripture in a format (and with pictures) that kids can grasp.

·      Finally, the D6 app you can get at www.newbaptistchurch.com/family-life gives great application to the lessons kids are learning in Sunday School each week, plus we love the discussion questions at dinner.

 

None of this is to heap guilt or a feeling of not doing enough, and we don’t use all of these things at once, just want to offer tools that we have found helpful to connect with each other and with God to find joy through this season.  These habits we build now in the lives of our children will remind them of God’s faithfulness throughout their lifetime and prayerfully will span generations.

 

Let us rejoice!  A savior has been born and through him we can experience new life, not just in 2021, but every day as we walk with Jesus.  I’m praying for you and am available anytime you have questions or even suggestions about resources you’ve found helpful to your family!

With Excellence

The past few months have been full of house remodels for our family.  I grew up in a construction family so have had a lot of opportunities to learn how to do home projects.  I have jokingly said, practicing carpentry and wearing sandals are just ways I’m trying to be more like Jesus.   

I have learned many lessons from construction.  Asking one friend how he got so good at drywall, he said the key to a good drywall finish comes from paying attention to the details in 

framing a wall.  No wonder I had to apply 42 coats of mud and sand for days, I thought “rough carpentry” was supposed to be “rough” and then you covered up the flaws with drywall.  How wrong I was.  I feel like Jesus said something about the value of a good foundation in a story about houses built on rock or sand.

 

I was working in my closet the other day finish sanding when a spot was giving me trouble.  My first thought was “it’s a closet, no one is ever going to see that.”  But then I began to think about Colossians 3:23 “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.”  How would I treat Jesus’ closet?  Would “good enough” do?  

 

Thinking about a work ethic, I look to God and see that when God works, it is good, majestic, and glorious.  He creates masterpieces!  I have yet to read in the Bible that God said it is “good enough.”  

 

Now I am not God, so sometimes my walls aren’t plumb and my cuts aren’t square.  But I am challenged to consider my work ethic as excellent or just good enough.  As parents, these are great stories to share with our kids.  What lessons are they learning from us and the way we work?  Are we pointing to a majestic and glorious Creator as we work or showing a way of “good enough”?  

 

Oh yeah, I painted over that flubbed spot in the closet.  I’m still on this journey of being challenged in my day to day walk with Jesus.  Thank God I’m still a work in progress that he is making good! (Philippians 1:6)  Reflecting on God's Word and applying it are tough, but each step draws us closer to what we are becoming.

Find the Waypoint

It’s time to write an August article for our church newsletter and this has normally been my time to talk about back-to-school kickoffs and such.  However, this year is not normal.  This month has been somewhat turbulent for me.  At the beginning of July, I was ready to start a new phase of meeting together, my plans were moving toward a new phase of a new normal, when we hit the brakes with an increase of COVID cases.  With this yo-yo of decisions, I feel like I have been a yo-yo of emotions. Can you relate?  With schools making plans for the Fall, the questions seem to still outweigh the answers. 

 

Our pastoral staff had a big discussion about how to deal with chaos in general. Our conversation boiled down to being faithful to what God has called us to do.  One way I think about this is a lesson I learned early as I began to hike and explore the woods.  I learned that, if I ever get lost and cannot find a familiar spot to stop, think about where I’ve come from. Look for any markers that might give me a sense of direction, and if necessary, head downhill and find water. Follow the water in the same direction until it leads to a town or road or something that helps you get home. 

I was reading Psalm 46 and the Psalmist says “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  Therefore, we will not fear though the earth gives way…”  When everything feels like or maybe is in chaos, God is present to help and protect us.  Verse 4 says “There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.”  Where God is, there is the waypoint, the presence of stability and steadiness that brings us home when we are lost, that rescues us when we are in trouble.  This Psalm has a contrast of chaos and peace.  The chaos of the world and peace found in God.  One of my favorite verses is found in verse 10 “Be still and know that I am God.”  

 

What a great lesson, in the chaos, in the unknown, in feeling lost or wandering, stop…be still… find the waypoint, the thing that can give you a sense of direction, something that is steady that will rescue.  That waypoint is not a thing, but the one true God who is present.  

 

During this season, we have opportunities to hold onto the firm fortress which is our God.  We might not have exact answers for a new school year, or when we are meeting for Sunday School or kids and youth activities, but we do know one thing: God has not left us, God is here in the midst of every circumstance.  

 

How can I know this?  Well the Bible is chocked full of stories of God’s faithfulness.  Moments of lost people (or nations) being found.  Impossible situations miraculously made possible by God.  The more I read the Bible and talk about these stories with my family, the more we look for God to turn dire situations of hopelessness or loss into hope and life.  That is who God is.  When everything is crumbling, God is a still river that faithfully guides us to safety. 

 

There is a lot we miss doing during this season, but one thing cannot be taken away, and that is our ability as individuals and families to be still with God.  To read the Bible and memorize it.  To pray and watch for what God is doing in and around us and to join in that work to be a blessing wherever we are placed.  These are the areas we can be faithful in, no matter what.

The Good Life

What is the good life?  I’ve been thinking a lot about this question recently.

 

If you could do any job but the paycheck didn’t matter what would you do?  What would you do with a million dollars?  These are fun questions to ask, but in many ways get us thinking about what it means to live “the good life”.  You know, “the pursuit of happiness”, if nothing got in my way.  

 

Our answer to the question “what is the good life?” is the motive for what we do in life.  We are pulled towards work, family, faith, charity, pleasure, and more.  All vying for our attention and time with the lure “this is what is good.”  As parents, we feel this pressure, we don’t want to mess up the chance we have to give our kids this “good life” and so we try to give them the best opportunities possible both now and for their future.

 

Jesus encounters a rich man in Matthew 19 who asks what “good deed” do I need to do to inherit eternal life?  Underlying this question is a thought about his eternal future, but that is probably so his mind is eased today.  This question may show up today as, “How can I live a long life?” Or “How can I be fulfilled?”  Jesus tells the man to obey God’s laws, to which point the man essentially says, “I’ve lived a good life, I haven’t killed anyone or robbed a bank or cheated on my wife.”  Jesus says, ok, go sell all your stuff and follow me.  Verse 22 says “When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful.” 

 

Most of the times I’ve heard this preached it has been about materialism or wealth.  Sure, that’s there, but I think the deeper issue has to do with this man’s heart.  He wanted this good life, forever life, that Jesus the good teacher was offering, until he found out it would cost him.  He would have to trust Jesus’ path to a good life instead of the culture’s or his own path to happiness.  

 

Jesus talks about this in what we call the beatitudes.  They all begin with “blessed” or “happy” is the one who….  But we discover that those things include suffering, mourning, giving, being humble and more things that aren’t widely considered “good”. Who can do all this?  Well that’s the good news: None of us can! But we can get a heart renovation, actually it’s a whole new thing (elsewhere in the Bible the trade is a heart of stone for one of flesh).  With this, God leads us to experience not only a good life, but the life we were intended for.  

 

Micah 6:8 says “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”   The good life?  It’s about walking with God, trusting his ways, and acting in ways that allow others to experience this good life.  Justice, kindness, humility?  These are ways I can live that consider others and their needs and interests ahead of mine.  A life that sees the higher good in God’s way before my way.

 

I used to hear people say that if you want to discover what is important to a family, look at their checkbook.  But nowadays, you could look at the family’s Google Calendar and see what is important; what the higher goods in their life are, what gets priority on the schedule.  Most of those things are probably good.  But what is your “why” for them being there over something else?  With a few months of a clear calendar (except for zoom call after zoom call…) I wonder, what makes the Google Calendar cut for the future? What about you? What about your family?

 

How do you define the good life?  What hopes do you have for your children?  How are you going about discovering if the path you’re on is leading you to joy or leaving you sorry?  

I don't know what to say

I have been at a loss for words this week.  This morning I was reading my Bible and catching up with the news and trying to do what Karl Barth says “Take your Bible and take your newspaper, and read both. But interpret newspapers from your Bible.”  As I came to the end of praying through the Psalms for the first cycle of the year I got stuck as I read all of the ways we praise the Lord in Psalm 150 and landed on verse 6 “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord.”  My heart sank, and I sat with the pain and anger that a senseless act of racism, abuse of power, or whatever it was, George Floyd’s breath to praise God was taken away from him even as he repeated “I can’t breathe.”

I tend to miss trends and days that spread via social media and a few weeks ago felt like I was behind the curve as I saw people posting runs to honor Ahmaud Arbery.  But this evening as I took off for a run, I moved through my neighborhood, as I do multiple times a week, without thought of being targeted by violence or hatred because of my race or appearance.  I wore this headband as a reminder that as I run, there are many who can’t or can’t freely so “I run for those who can’t”

I am not going to try to justify the relationships I have with people of color or from other cultures.  Honestly I have to admit that I know enough to know that there is a lot I don’t know.  It struck me this morning reading Psalm 119 how the Psalmist had such a clear view of God and God’s law that he could not help but praise God and commit to follow God’s commands, yet multiple times pleaded for understanding and help.  I know God is good, faithful, and loving.  I am grateful that God is relentless to rescue and desires His children to act with justice, mercy, and humility (Micah 6:8).  I know God has created people of all colors and the good news of Jesus is free to everyone.  But this good news is not just a future in Heaven but as Jesus proclaimed “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free,” (Luke 4:18).

I honestly don’t know how to respond to or on behalf of my friends during this time.  I do know that racism is wrong.  I know that all people are created in God's image and should be treated with that respect.  My heart longs for justice and reconciliation.  A social media post seems trite compared to the pain I see from my friends as a result of racism.  As one friend shared, “Take away George Floyd's face being thrust to the pavement and replace it with mine…” but this turns my stomach and I can’t imagine the world without his passion and humor and smile.  I want my kids to play with your kids and to think nothing of it, but even more to live in a society where both of our kids can drive and run and play without different treatment because of our color.  I truly want to vote and act and speak in ways that don’t benefit me, but provide those freedoms I enjoy to my friends.  I want to ask more questions, to be more aware, to genuinely listen and then respond in meaningful ways to my neighbors, even if they don’t look or think like me.  I don’t know a lot of things, but I want to learn, I need help, I want the fullness of the Gospel to be evident not just in my teaching, but in EVERY aspect of my life. I will pray for justice, for transformed hearts and systems.

Father, forgive us as we forgive those who have sinned against us, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Graduations and Transitions

As many of our senior’s graduation ceremonies have been moved to June, and most have now finished all of the requirements that make it official, I want to take this opportunity to say “congratulations!”  Your accomplishment is worthy of celebration and we are proud of you.  As this season ends in the most anticlimactic way, there are lots of things that have not been the way that you may have hoped and dreamed. It is ok to mourn the loss of these expectations.  But I want to encourage you, and your families as well, to consider your journey.  From where have you come and what lies ahead?  What stories show God at work in and around you? Sure, there is uncertainty, but what are things that you hope for?  What or who do you hope in?  What is defining your path forward?  What does it mean in this season to say with the Psalmist “[f]or God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.  He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.” 62:5?

This is a time of transition.  Our summer mission trip to Tennessee has been cancelled as well as June Camps at Cowen.  We are evaluating when and how we will begin to phase in youth and children’s ministry at New Baptist Church.  But in this time of transition, what is God showing you?  Most schools will have collected their final assignments by the time this prints and summer, but different is beginning.  How is God at work in your family?  What is God doing among your neighbors?  Are there new habits that focus your minds on Jesus during this season and allow you to listen for direction from God?  If you’ve ever sat for a long time, that transition from sitting to walking feels a little wobbly, and maybe this season feels the same way, but how can we allow God to use this as a way for us and our families to grow in Him?

I’ve recently learned that seasons of transition are called liminal seasons, after that Latin word that means threshold, like the part of the door where you are neither in nor out, you are at the threshold or limen.  These are awkward times, but taking time to be present, to evaluate, or as the Psalmist says “wait on God” taking stock of where we’ve come from, while considering the future.  This is a time of learning, a time of growing, a time of trusting.   

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Change of Pace

Before “quarantine” and “social distancing” became everyday phrases, I had been reading and thinking about how life seemed to be speeding faster and faster as I was caught in a whirlwind of rush and hurry.  I was looking at setting more boundaries on technology, on commitments, on striving.  I was hoping to implement rest, thoughtfulness, intentionality….then this.  Early on my focus was on loss.  Loss of normal, loss of vacations, loss of school activities, loss of freedom to be overwhelmed by choices for food, activities, even toilet paper brands for crying out loud!

But in the past week I have begun to think that some things have gotten left behind in the last two months that maybe are worth leaving behind.  What are these though?  Well in the loss of a hard and fast bell schedule our kids have to keep, I have started using the early morning quiet to read and write and have put my runs off until daylight.  Believe it or not, there are actual people that walk our streets, not just dark houses and occasional cars warming up to head to work before the sun rises.  I’ve met a new friend named Terry.  He recently retired and is adding some serious mileage with some extra time on his hands.  I’m about 20 years his junior, but one day he invited me to join him.  I had a more intense run in mind, but instead I took a more leisurely pace and enjoyed the company (6 feet apart of course).  Now we pass each other regularly and we will change our pace and run together.  We have shared names, training plans, race stories and race dreams, and honestly I’ve found that the time chatting is much better than any achievements I might gain from that extra speed workout or a couple more miles.  

Matthew 20:28 says “even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”  The Gospels are chalked full of stories of Jesus serving.    If anyone had an important mission, it was Jesus, we might even say his mission of life, death, and resurrection was the most important of anyone’s ever.  But one thing I see in Jesus, he wasn’t so important that he didn’t have time for people.  Instead, Jesus embraced interruptions.  On a mission to bring someone back to life, he healed a woman who just touched his robe on the way.  Getting ready to teach thousands, he feeds them first.  Jesus’ life was not marked by rushing but by interruptions that turned out to be divine encounters.  

How can my life reflect that type of awareness?  As we talk about what our “new normal” might look like, I am hoping for less rush and more margin that allows for these divine encounters, where I see God at work in and around me.  I have found that some of the moments of joy through this whole time of quarantine have been the few minutes I’ve shared with neighbors from my front porch or learning the name of that dog and his owner as they walk past me on the street.  I hope divine encounters become a way of defining what I used to call “interruptions”.  As a life of service reshapes us to see others as more significant than ourselves, I hope that changing pace helps me to tune in to others as I take the focus off myself.  This change of pace has definitely been unexpected, but the lessons I’m learning are welcome wisdom!  What about you?

A Game of the Heart

Through this time of quarantine, one goal while I’m not in a sprint from place to place is to take time every day to work out.  I am attempting to stay mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally sharp during this odd season.  I enjoy using an app called Zwift that allows me to ride my bike on a stand in my garage while competing against or riding with riders from all over the world on my computer screen.  The whole time I’m riding up and down hills and sprinting for the finish line, I tend to forget that I’m exercising and feel like I’m playing a video game, adding mileage and trying to level up.  These app developers have figured out a way to tap the part of my brain that spent hours winning levels of Super Mario 3 years ago to help me to sweat off some of my dad bod by tricking it into winning prizes and achievements.  They have tapped into the heart of people who like to compete or achieve and offered a way for them to accomplish a goal (working out) in a fun and playful way.

This morning, my kids were playing another game, and I wasn’t about to stop this one.  They were trying to out-do each other in kindness.  After Brooks made Nina’s bed, Nina cleaned up his room.  I’m not sure what started this game, but this sure beat some of the picking that has happened as siblings being stuck in the same house for six weeks would be inevitable.  An attitude that we as parents hope becomes a regular practice, for this morning became a game of kindness.  

Scripture gives many attitudes we should strive for, Ephesians says “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”  Jesus lifted up the golden rule in Matthew 7 to “do to others what you would have them do to you…”  I must admit that being kind, compassionate, or forgiving to others seem like no brainers, but just stated outright can seem as torturous or unappealing as telling someone that they need to work out.  Even though I have been accused of being like Chris Traeger from Parks and Recreation, I gravitate to workouts that touch that place in my heart that draw me outside or give me a chance for competition.  In the same way, how are our hearts bent when it comes to godly attitudes?  What is it that draws us toward actions and attitudes that the Bible describes?  

Naturally, we don't act kindly or selflessly on our own.  We might be seeing this in our kids these days, cooped up, bored, stressed, they become angry, selfish, or mean.  But God has called humans, adults and kids alike, to give their hearts to him.  As that transformation happens, we find joy and life from a heart that practices kindness, compassion, forgiveness, selflessness, and love.  Understanding the heart helps us to understand motivation, and guide actions and attitudes.  What areas of your heart has God been working on recently?  How can you speak to your kids hearts instead of demanding actions or attitudes?  What unique things speak to the heart of your family members?  What kind of game or activity might help your kids or whole family welcome God’s work in their hearts?

Learning the Lines

This week my daughter wanted to learn how to mow grass.  I started asking when I found out my wife was pregnant how long it would take before I could pass this torch, but now it seems crazy that she is big enough to begin teaching to mow.  Luckily, with a self-propelled mower and a relatively flat yard, this is a great place to learn.  She caught on quickly to the controls, turning at the end of lines, and she had pretty good control.  But one thing that was a challenge was helping her see the line between the cut grass and the uncut.  Having mowed grass for more than 25 years, this seems somewhat natural to me, I can catch the track the wheel made on the last pass, see how the grass is laying differently from different direction passes, I can catch that stray dandelion that is being stubborn and popping back up uncut.  But how do I communicate all of these things to her in a way that helps train her eyes to see these same nuances?

I was reminded of one of the biggest challenges I faced as a soccer coach.  There were basic skills that I knew.  I knew so deeply because I had rehearsed them for years, and they were natural, instinctual.  But they weren’t innate, they had been learned, but as hard as I tried, I could not remember actually learning these basic skills.  I had to relive those 3 year old practices playing red light/green light, monster, and keep away.  I thought about the drills that seemed to show up through every stage of my development.  I had to remember the stories and games that taught me and shaped me with skills that in my later years were natural and instinctual.  

As I am reading through the Psalms currently, this idea of remembering keeps coming up.  Actually, the word “remember” is used over 200 times in scripture and that doesn’t get into other words like “remind.”  For generations, God’s people are reminded to remember the covenants God had made with their fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  Then generations later the Israelites were reminded to remember that they were once slaves in Egypt, but God rescued them and provided the land he had promised.  But they were not just reminded of the good things, they remembered how they had failed, lacked trust, turned to idols, and were faithless.  But in their faithlessness, God has been faithful.  Why remember these things?  Because this story of human failing will replay itself, and we will need reminding that God is faithful, God has been faithful, and God will continue to be faithful in the future.

These are stories of people of faith.  A people who were called by God, not because they were great, but because God is gracious.  These stories are our stories.  We live a story faith.  This doesn’t mean it is make believe or a fairy tale, but a faith that is grounded in the story of history.  God showed up in time and space and many times when people were at the end of themselves.  These stories were passed on, and continue on as we understand them and live them.  These are the stories of the Bible.  These stories remind us to remember that when we fail, God is faithful.  When we are weak, God is strong.  When we are broken and weeping, God comforts.  These are the ways we learn the lines, so to say.  We learn from the stories of Scripture how God encounters people.  How does your story fit into God’s story? 

As I continue to learn how to be a parent and a pastor, I am learning to understand God’s story and how I fit into it.  But the next step for me is to talk about these stories, to share how God has worked in the past and how I see God working now in and around me.  As I share these stories, I give my kids context, or the ability to see God’s story unfolding in their life and around them.  We remember together and as we do that they develop the eyes to see the lines, the things they aren’t tuned into yet, but with practice, will become more natural.    

God at Work

Over the past month many things have changed, but I feel like we have seen the Church act in ways that are distinctly true to what we are called to be  Our methods may be different than usual, but the message is still the same: Jesus is Lord of all invites us into a relationship to love him and others.  Over the past month I have had many more conversations on the phone and meetings through video chats.  We have seen neighbors show up in bunny suits to share joy and parades of cars pass by houses to celebrate birthdays.  Families are gathering on their porches, tables, and living rooms to celebrate the resurrection, study God’s Word, and pray together.  Many of these things were happening before COVID-19 or quarantine became household phrases, but during this unique time we have seen creativity and simplicity come to action.  

I do miss meeting with others as I’m sure you do too! And we long to be back to meeting together, but during this time, how can we see God at work?

Psalm 19 is a great Psalm to think about and use with your family to ask some questions about God’s activity around us. “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.  Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.”     

•  Look outside, what does the sky, stars, trees, wind, animals tell us about God?  How do you see God provide?  Does the sun come up and set everyday, what does that tell us about God being faithful?  What is creation proclaiming?  I’m sure there are many more questions you can ask and entertain as you look around at creation.

Then in verses 7-13 the focus shifts from creation to scripture.  God’s Word is perfect, sure, right, pure, true, desirable, and correcting.  Scripture revives, brings joy, brightens our eyes, endures, is sweet…      

• What are ways you find joy in God’s Word?  How does God show us life through His Word?  What is your favorite Bible story?  Favorite Bible verse?  Are there things in the Bible that you find hard to read, what are they, and why?  How can you see God at work through his Word?

Maybe you can read Psalm 19 this week and think about it as a family, ask some of these questions (not all at once) and think about where we see God at work.  We might see God working in different ways than we expect or are used to, but God is still God and still wants us to know Him through His Word and work in and around us.  God invites us into His mission to love God and love others.  How can you and your family participate in this during May?  

Grief is a Crazy Thing!

Grief is a crazy thing!  In the past few days we have learned that our kids will not be returning to school this year and in the midst of their sadness over missing friends, field trips, programs, and all the fun that takes place at the end of the elementary year, our oldest pup suddenly had a heart attack in our back yard and died later that afternoon at the vet.  

I was prepared for the sudden onslaught of grief as I mourned the loss of a great friend and companion.  I was prepared for the sudden memories to throw me into sadness or tears or laughter.  But one thing I was not prepared for was watching my kids grieve.  One announcement, although somewhat expected was not what they’d hoped for and the other came suddenly out of the blue.  For them, they would be launched into sobbing, or questioning, or just be sent into a stupor of pain from the loss of their hopes and the loss of their friends. 

I am grateful for friends and family who have showed up with prayers, cards, calls, and cakes.  I’m also grateful for our Children’s Director, Debbie, who gave very wise words today.  She said “this is a life lesson for them to have with me so they will hopefully be better able to navigate later. A kind of training, a blessing in itself because we can point out God in the whole thing. How He reminds us of His love even when we hurt. That what we feel is ok to feel and to tell Him.”  

Grief stinks!  Loss stinks!  Shattered hopes stink!  Life beyond our control happening out of the blue stinks!  Through Lent we used a study on Ecclesiastes and the author says over and over that things are “meaningless” or Hevel (In Hebrew), better translated as vapor or a mist that we can see but not hold onto.  In the midst of loss, the weight of those things we hold onto presses down on us quite heavily.  But we are also reminded that in this world there are times of living and times of dying, times of joy and times of mourning.  None of these times last forever.  Thank God!  

The hope we have in times of loss is that there is something bigger, Ecclesiastes 3:11 says that “He has put eternity in the hearts of man.”  Everything isn’t meaningless, but the temporary things are given meaning by our creator.  So many of the Psalms (especially 42) give voice of people hurting and struggling with loss.  Loss of dreams, security, the way things were supposed to be, and more.  But the resounding conclusion is to seek God, hope in God, rest and hide in God.  

We are trying to help our kids through this season to know that sometimes we might laugh, sometimes we might cry, or feel paralyzed by sadness, or ask questions that we don’t know the answers to.  We’ve also tried to help them to understand that we all might feel these different emotions differently and at different times, and that is OK.  Loss hurts, and no one wants to experience it, but in the midst of the pain, God is with us.  God is a shelter and a fortress, a helper in our time of need.  When we look up for help, God is there for us to hope in. 

There are no questions out of bounds at this time and as we go through this season together, we are learning to share our feelings with God and trust God to hold us through all of them. We are learning together, growing together, and trusting together.  

Matthew 5:4 says “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” I’ve been asking what these statements say about God?  Well here is my hope that I gain through this, God is a God who sees hurting people, and God is caring and comforting.

There are all kinds of loss happening right now, the loss of the end of a school year, loss of special events like prom or graduation, loss of vacations, jobs, feelings of security, or just the loss of the way we thought things were supposed to be.  I want to encourage you to walk with you kids through this.  Invite them along for the journey and guide them with your example.  I invite you to look to God for comfort and to help your kids to do the same, God is caring and comforting!