Tuesday, October 27, 2015

THE Most Prodigious Punctuator!

At 11, my sister could have been called a "prodigious punctuator"...although her specialty was commas.  She sprinkled all her writings quite lavishly with commas.  It's the first thing I think of when I see this old picture.

I had just graduated from high school, having recently turned 17, and worked for a year home-schooling (in Santo Domingo).  My sister Carol was my 6th-grade student.  (I had a 7th, and two 1sts.)  As her teacher, I was the one who corrected her homework, and was treated to the sight of all her beloved commas.  (Funny...I can't remember anything about the REST of her punctuation!)
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Can we draw an analogy from "punctuation" in our lives?  Yes...at least I think so!  There are two main applications to think about. (The first can seem a challenging responsibility, the second is an exciting and mind-boggling reality!)

 1) As believers, we are called to be careful how our words come across. Speaking like a metronome, with no pauses or expression, isn't very interesting, is it? The same is true of how our words and lives speak to others.  Are they interesting, well-timed, and "punctuated" positively?

"Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."  (Colossians 4:6)

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."  (Ephesians 4:29)

Jesus used different things to "punctuate" His messages and ministry; for example, parables and miracles. And the disciples,  following in His footsteps and obeying His commission, "... went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them, and confirmed His Word by the signs that accompanied it."  (Mark 16:30)   We "punctuate" with our actions, too, not only our words and attitudes. 
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2)  This second facet is the most awesome and glorious.  God is THE "prodigious punctuator" extraordinaire!  He writes on our hearts: "I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts.  I will be their God, and they will be my people."  (quoted in Hebrews 8:10)

Even more incredibly,  it is He who writes your story and mine! When God writes your story, planning all its details, He knows exactly where to put each "comma", each "period", each "semi-colon", each "colon", each "exclamation mark"...even each "question mark"!  He knows when you need a brief pause, when you need to stop, where you need to make a slightly longer pause before continuing, where you need to take stock of  things, where you need to be amazed by Him in a special way in order to be encouraged, when you need to wonder about things...

God writes our stories from His unique, omniscient viewpoint, using His unsurpassed wisdom, crafting a story that is lavish in its use of "divine punctuation" and unparalleled creativity!  The stories reflect His immense love.  No one could ever hope to write his/her story better than the way He writes it.  (We act as though we could sometimes, don't we?  Or we try to "correct" His punctuation, arguing about where He has placed the starts and stops and pauses!)
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"For you created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb.  I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made..."  (Psalm 139:13-14)

"All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."  (Psalm 139:16)
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Let's be thankful that our Creator is such an unimaginably clever Wordsmith, writing our stories with such skill, and punctuating them with such love, precision and assurance!            

            



Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Father...where are Your sons?

The needy people described in this song are all around us.
Do we see them?...and through whose eyes?


        THESE ARE THE ONES

Why do some people cry
                 way down deep inside,
in their lonely hearts,
                  in their restless minds?
In confusion they look to the "lords of the earth",
and "the blind lead the blind".

How they grope for a hand that will reach out in love,
just hoping there might be Someone above;
but their inner ear isn't tuned to hear
the gentle white Dove.

                              Father, these are the ones
                              You are longing to pick up and place in the palm of Your hand.                                                  Father, where are Your sons
                              that You're longing to send to the blind and the deaf of this land?
                              They need to know to Whom they should look,
                               to Whom they can go.

Why do some people laugh at whatever they hear,
pretend they've no cares, make believe they've no tears,
while behind every mask there are eyes filled with pain,
there are eyes filled with fear?

Let Your look melt their hearts in the fire of Your love.
Let them long to be made again through Your firm healing touch.
Your love sets them free, so at last they can see
 Whom they've needed so much.

                                      
                          Father, these are the ones
                          You will call to make music ring out 'round the throne of Your Son.
                          Father, through all Your children
                           You add every day souls that join in the heavenly Song.
                           With notes strong and true, each heart learns the tune,
                            each life blends with You.                                               
                                                                                                                   -Becky Rhon
                           
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                                   "...a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb."              (Rev. 7:9)        
           
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What a glorious future we have in our Lord!!                  


Tuesday, October 6, 2015

"Train up a husband-to-be in the way he should go..."


...and when he is married he will not depart from it."  That's in Proverbs somewhere, isn't it?

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I haven't found a picture of our engagement "ceremony", but this picture was taken the evening of that day.  (As close as I could get!)  Following one of the local customs (now probably obsolete, after so many years!), our "official" engagement was marked by a "ring exchange" ( cambio de aros).  We decided to have ours in church, so that Sunday, during the service, we went forward and, after a few words of explanation by the leader (including the fact that this was NOT a wedding!), we put our wedding rings on each other's hands...but on the right hand, instead of the left.  This was a sign of betrothal.  Then there was a dedication prayer.  Short and sweet!

That evening, as we were washing up the dishes in the kitchen after enjoying a family supper, some wise-guy took this picture of us!  I hope you notice the apron on Germán!  And the skirt lengths of those days...the apron I wore was longer than my skirt!
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Over the years, especially as my health grew worse and worse, my husband has become ever more and more of a helper.  These days, you won't see him in an apron, but you'll find him most every day doing the dishes for me (sometimes singing praise choruses while he's at it!)...beside numerous other things, big and small, that make daily living easier for me...and us.  I don't know what I'd do without him!

The apostle Paul said, "And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifice God is pleased."  (Hebrews 13:16).  Isn't it true that sometimes (often!) helping another is a sacrifice...but we do it anyway?  Germán might not necessarily enjoy washing dishes, but he does that and so much more.  He knows I need his support...and gives it to me with his love.  Husbands, did you know that the way you love and support your wives can give them glimpses into what our heavenly Bridegroom is like?

" 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.' This is a profound mystery - but I am talking about Christ and the church." (Ephesians 5:31,32)

I am Germán's bride...the Church is in preparation for becoming Christ's bride.  From reading what God desires of his people, I should also learn to relate to my husband.
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One day that "mystery" will be fully understood. "Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory, for the wedding of the Lamb has come and his bride has made herself ready."  (Revelation 19:7)

I CAN'T WAIT!