"Don't Leave Me!"...a poem with a promise

Jesus' disciples were heart-broken when He was killed. "What are we ever going to do without Him?"  They didn't understand until later, when they saw Him with their own eyes and remembered what He had said.

Not long after that, they were about to lose Him again!  Their best friend!  Did they once again think "What are we ever going to do without Him"?  He had promised them the Spirit, the Comforter, but I wonder if there was a part of the disciples' heart that knew they would miss Jesus as a person, as the Friend who had eaten, worked, prayed, wept and laughed with them.                                                                                                   ***************************

They may have remembered that God said to Joshua, "Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."  (Joshua 1:9)   God told Moses He would be with him, and it was so important that Moses replied, "If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here." (Exodus 33:15)  But those words were said centuries before...and not by this Man who was their Teacher!  They needed to hear those words NOW...from Him.

What did He say personally to his disciples...his friends?  Let's read this poem, and see that what He said to his disciples He also says to us today...no matter what, no matter when, no matter where.


                                      DON'T LEAVE ME!

                    Sly hunter-eyes glowed, and I was their prey.
                    They saw me alone, saw me weaker than they;

                    seeking to siphon off all of my peace,
                    to gloat if they managed to make my joy cease;

                    stalking me, taunting, and circling 'round,
                    awaiting the moment for pulling me down.

                    Then, on heavenly steed, He raced up to my side:
                    royal Rider, his Name and his banner flown high!

                    The beasts froze...then uneasily snarled at the One
                    who with only his look left each creature undone.

                    They spun 'round then and scattered, unable to stay.
                    "Why?  Lion of Judah, why did they run away?"

                    "They take pride in their prowess and relish their game,
                    but when I appear, they all cringe at my Name.

                    "When they feel my Power, their bravado grows thin.
                    They know they can't have you; they know they can't win."

                     I hungrily grasped at the promise implied:
                     His Presence my refuge!  "Don't leave me!" I cried.

                      "Please stay with me, Lord; keep your banner unfurled!"
                      He said, "I'm with you always...to the end of the world!"
            
                                             ********************                                  -Becky Rhon

That's what He said to his disciples.  I suspect He also, on a human level, felt a little sadness at leaving these men who had been his closest friends and allies. He knew how they felt...it would be a challenge to continue the spreading of the Kingdom of God without his physical presence, but He promised them what He promises every person who claims Him as Savior and Lord:

     "And be sure of this - that I am with you always, even to the end of the world." *    
                                                     AMEN!
                                             ***********************
*Matthew 28:20) 

"Ambisinistrous": what Garfield wasn't (the president, not the cat).

The picture at the left can portray either an ambidextrous man or an ambisinistrous one...which means that they are opposites. An ambisinistrous person is clumsy with both hands!  (When referring to the lower extremities, it's known as "having two left feet"!)
                          ********************
                             

The 20th U.S. president, James Garfield, was the first ambidextrous man to fill the position.  (So he was not ambisinistrous.)  In fact, I read that he was able to write in Greek with one hand and in Latin with the other hand - at the same time. (I couldn't write in Greek no matter which hand I used!)                             ********************

This made me think of Someone else's hands.  Someone who is never ambisinistrous, and is ambidextrous (so to speak) to an exponential degree. God's hand and his arm are:

STRONG:  "Ah, Sovereign LORD, You have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm.  Nothing is too hard for You."  (Jeremiah 32:17)

"In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all."  (I Chronicles 29:12)

FAITHFUL: "If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there.  If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast."  (Psalm 139:8-10)

"I will cling to You; your right hand upholds me."  (Psalm 63:8)

TENDER: "He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; He gently leads those that have young."  (Isaiah 40:11)

"For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear: I will help you."  (Isaiah 41:13)

PROTECTIVE:  In the words of Jesus: "I give them eternal life and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand."  (John 10:28)

"Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You preserve my life.  You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes; with your right hand You save me."  (Psalm 138:7)
                           *******************************************

A few days after I had given birth to my firstborn, I was resting, exhausted, on the bed, and suddenly I felt two enormous, gentle, loving arms reach down and enfold me...just like I cradled my new baby, He cradled me.  If I had been able to see the palm of his hand, I would have seen my name. **

These verses are only "the tip of the iceberg".   Again and again God assures us that the very best possible place for us to be is in his arms.  His mighty hand is one of our greatest resources!

                                           Father, what better place to be?  
                                             Hold me close to your heart, 
                                    where I can feel the love that moved You 
                                 to write my name on the palms of your hands!
                                               **********************



**See, I have written your name on the palms of my hand."  (Isaiah 49:16)
                                                     

Driving took us almost as long as it used to on horseback!

Me...3 or 4 years old...a rest stop on the way home.*

Actually, that's an exaggeration. (And that's an understatement!) We were setting out for another visit to the Tsachi church.  From the house we stay at in Santo Domingo, it usually takes 5 to 10 minutes to reach the main highway.  This time it took an hour! We were part of a several-miles-long "caravan" snaking along at a snail's pace. We tried to relax and enjoy the lovely sunset splashed over the darkening sky.  We figured our Enemy wanted us to get all "hot and bothered"...so we just figured we wouldn't.  (Once we reach the highway, it's about a half-hour drive to the church.)

That morning we had read Psalm 90:16-17:  "Let your servants see what You're best at - the ways You rule and bless your children.  And let the loveliness of our Lord, our God, rest on us, confirming the work that we do. Oh, yes.  Affirm the work that we do." It helped to remember the words.
                              ***********************************

We were a little late, but we slipped into the comfortable atmosphere of the church...and time seemed to stand still. They don't worry about finishing at a set time, so we don't when we're there.

Speaking for a few minutes, I asked them about some of the wild animals that had been around when I was a little girl.  Are there still agoutis? armadillos? ocelots? monkeys? jaguars? parrots? snakes?  deer?...Snakes still live there, but there are no monkeys, deer  or jaguars anymore, and the other animals are only found every once-in-a-while.

How things have changed! Time and "civilization" encroach on their habitat...and encroach on our memories. But I reminded them that some things never change...like our God and his love and mercy.
                               *****************************************

My husband's message touched on Wycliffe, one of the first brave men God used to open people's eyes to the errors of the then-Catholic Church, helping to pave the way for believers to have God's Word in their own languages.  He spoke clearly and simply about the necessity we have, now that we can understand it in our own tongue, to obey what the Bible tell us - how God wants us to relate to Him.

Then on to the post-service "social hour":  eating Banana Bread, getting an impromptu massage, speaking for a little video - a theology student's assignment, being given some finger bananas and oranges to bring home...and talking. My friend Carán has bad arthritis in her hands, so I had taken with me a menthol-based pain-relief gel for her to try.  (I use it daily for some of my pains.)  Of course, other ladies came to see...and I ended up with "orders" for a number of tubes of the stuff!  (The company should give me a commission!) We left the church, encouraged and looking forward to the next visit.
                            *******************************************

                     Thank You, Lord, for being able to live the reality of this verse:

                            "Let your servants see what You're best at -
                              the ways You rule and bless your children."  (Psalm 90:16)            

                                               *******************


(*No, I didn't ride bareback.  My dad just sat me up there for a picture.  You can see his writing on the bottom part.  "In San Miguel" - which was where we would spend the night before starting the second day on horseback to reach home.)

"Two Prayers" (a 46-year-old poem)

The Pharisee and the publican...what kind of sheep is each one?  I know, that's a weird question, but it evolved as I was going off on a tangent this morning!

I had slept very badly, and awoke way too early. I went ahead and started the day and got a cup of coffee (which I don't like, but...it works.) I read my devotionals, then let God know how I felt.  Which was "lousy"!  I'm still sick, and I really need Him to help me figure things out. ("Please! This isn't easy!  I need You so much.")

After breakfast, I opened the daily devotional that we read aloud.  It started with this verse:

"I Myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign LORD.  I will search for the lost and bring back the strays.  I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice." (Ezekiel 34:15-16)  (Oh, my! Thanks, Lord!)

Two different kinds of sheep...illustrating two kinds of people...hmm...and I remembered this poem I wrote when I was 17 years old. ("Youth in Action" magazine had a creative writing contest, and I sent this in...and won second prize.)

Remember, I was only 17, so it may not seem so terribly profound and earth-shaking!  (Actually, the first prayer has a lot of whimsical satire!) But somehow it matched the verse I read this morning.  Here it is:

                                              TWO PRAYERS

                                       Here I am, Lord - in person!
                                       your servant so humble;
                                       I've not come to mumble
                                       a word to the air,
                                       but to lift up my voice,
                                       so choked with emotion;
                                       religious devotion
                                       resounds through my prayer.
                               
                                       I'm sure that You realize
                                       why it is I here stand,
                                       and with uplifted hand
                                       pour my heart out to Thee.
                                       My brothers must see
                                       of obedience a sample...
                                       What better example
                                       to follow than...me?

                                      See that man in the corner!
                                      He must be quite poor,
                                      kneeling down on the floor -
                                      why, he's praying!
                                       I thank You, oh Lord,
                                       that I'm not like that fellow,
                                       a big streak of yellow
                                      who hides what he's saying.

                                       And he's down by a pillar
                                       where no one can see him!
                                       Oh, Lord, should I free him
                                       from being so blind?
                                       So simple his thoughts are,
                                       no meaning his words bear.
                                       If You want a good prayer,
                                       just listen to mine!

                                       That's all for today, Lord;
                                       tomorrow's oration
                                       same time and same station
                                       I'll be here to give.
                                       Oh, please bless the Mrs.
                                       and all of our kin.
                                       By the way, thanks again
                                       for the good life I live.
                                               ________

                                   
                                        Oh, Lord, I deserve not
                                         thy presence to seek.
                                        You're strong and I'm weak.
                                         Show me mercy!
                                         I'm just a beginner,
                                         an unworthy sinner;
                                         but, Lord, to thy servant
                                         show mercy!
                                 **************************** - Becky Rhon

 The publican is the "injured" and "weak" sheep, who is promised personal care by his Shepherd, and the Pharisee is the "fat" and "strong" one.  Although "fatness" tends to mean prosperity, in the Bible it can, as it does here, refer to a prosperity that results in a hard heart and makes one forget God. (And if you have loved ones who are of the "lost" and "stray" sheep, take heart!  God will continue to search for them and "bring them back"!)                            
                                           *********************

                                   Jesus, thank You for being my Shepherd! 
                                            Thank You for tending me, 
                                      Thank You for showing me mercy.

"Alternative facts" aren't new...(but some are funny!)

Do you know what language Adam and Eve spoke? The Serpent? How about God?  Apparently, a man named Andrew Kempe (who lived in the 17th century) figured it all out.  His conclusion:

God spoke to Adam and Eve in Swedish, Adam replied in Dutch, and the Serpent tempted Eve in French.

I read recently that a Middle Eastern legend thought differently.  According to the legend, Adam and Eve spoke in Persian, the Serpent seduced Eve in Arabic, and Gabriel kicked them out of the Garden of Eden in Turkish.
                 **************************

In the same century, an orientalist presented a paper with his calculations of how tall some of the famous Old Testament men were.  According to him, Adam was 140 feet tall, Noah was 50 feet tall, Abraham was 40 feet tall, and Moses was 25 feet tall (comparatively a runt!).
                                         *******************************

These two may not have considered themselves liars; after all, if they said it, it must be true! (Sound like someone we know?)  Of course, "alternative facts" have been around since the beginning!  The Serpent introduced the practice (if not the euphemism)...and mankind has never been able to disentangle himself from it.  Again and again the Word of God speaks to us about making the effort to overcome it.  For example: "Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body."  (Ephesians 4:25)
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But let's cheer up! There are fabulous promises for the future.  As believers, we can look forward to a time when we won't have to worry about falsehood and deception being such an almost-inextricable part of life.  Imagine, once Jesus returns and once we begin the rest of Eternity in Heaven...

"They will never tell lies or deceive one another.  They will eat and sleep in safety, and no one will make them afraid,"  (Zephaniah 3:13)

And...                 "Nevertheless we, according to His promise,
                                            look for new heavens
                           and a new earth in which righteousness dwells."  (II Peter 3:13)
                                              ******************

Father, help us keep on a straight course, living honestly, as You want, and persevering in the hope You give us through your amazing promises.   YOU ARE AWESOME!          
             
                       

"Stand Brave!" ...a poem for when we're not

I was "down"...really "down"!  Too many things seemed to have accumulated, pressing me farther and farther toward "the pits".  It had started with something like a virus or bacteria - but in installments!  I'd get over one symptom, and another would attack, instead of getting them all at the same time.  Week after week.  Not so easy when I already struggle with several chronic illnesses.  Then one morning several other things launched themselves at my mind...particularly, not being able to do so many things I would love to do...that I feel I need  to do...all because of my health  It wasn't easy on  my good husband, and we had quite a time talking, when suddenly he said to me, "We've been looking at this from the wrong perspective."

It became obvious:  our Enemy was having a great time discouraging me...and succeeding!  Then, as Psalm 78:35 says, "And...they remembered that God was their Rock."  After Germán's heartfelt prayers, I started feeling better and better.  Soon...my physical ailments remained, but I had been pulled up...onto my Rock. 

                                                  Stand Brave!

                                       Help me!  My foot's slipping
                                       as pain and fear mock.
                                       "Child, you can't stand firm
                                       unless you stand on the Rock."

                                       So, hand and voice might tremble,
                                       and my knees might knock,
                                       but I can still stand brave...
                                       if I can just reach the Rock.

                                       Lucifer laughs
                                       when my pathway seems blocked,
                                       but he scowls as I skirt it,
                                       still aimed for the Rock.

                                       He smiles
                                       when my path on this shore erodes...
                                       til he sees the courage
                                       your Grace bestows.

                                       He's dismayed
                                       as he watches me grow more bold,
                                       and he fumes
                                       as the powers of your Grace unfold;

                                       for, though the sand where I step's
                                       undermined with each wave,
                                       You pull me up onto the Rock -
                                       and I can now stand brave!
                                                                                                   ----Becky Rhon
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The psalmist wrote:

"Be my Rock of refuge, to which I can always go."  (Psalm 71:3)

"To You, LORD, I call; You are my Rock."  (Psalm 28:1)

"He will set me high upon a Rock."  (Psalm 27:5)
                       *****************************************

Two verses which give us really good advice, especially when "Lucifer laughs":

"Trust the LORD forever, for in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock." (Isaiah 26:4)

                              "O come, let us sing for joy to the Lord,
                        let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation."  (Psalm 95:1)

A little poem...to clutter!

I had packed away our household "stuff", as we were to be away from home for at least a year, and renters would live here. Returning from this furlough,  I was unpacking in the game room, piling "stuff" up as I emptied boxes and barrels.  Frustrating -  but unavoidable - clutter. So I wrote a little poem:

       The ping-pong table's still piled high.
       The baskets, boxes, games and books
       wait idly to be organized,
       ignoring my accusing looks,
       and deaf to reason as I say,
      "Why don't you put yourselves away?"

(I never gave it a title.  What do you suggest?)
                                        *************************************

I've sometimes wondered how neat Jesus would have kept His room...if He'd even had one to worry about!  At any rate, this post isn't about being neat or messy.  Personally, I like having things sort of organized, but my house is very rarely "as neat as a pin"!  One can go to extremes either way, right?

Just one quick comment, in the form of a little story I read.  A little boy noticed that a new family was moving in next-door.  Seeing that they had a little girl about his age, he went over to her and said, "My name's Johnny.  What's yours?"  And she answered, "My name is No-no-don't touch."  The poor little girl couldn't even relax in her own house, for fear of messing it up or breaking something.
                                        ***************************************

Remember what Jesus said to Martha when she complained about all the housework she had to do...unaided by her sister, who was listening to Jesus?  He didn't say the housework wasn't important, just that priorities should be kept straight. "Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."  (Luke 10:42)

 Even more important than clutter (or not) in our surroundings is a heart uncluttered with things that restrict our communion with God (and others).

"Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the LORD.  See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many."  (Hebrews 12:14,15)

"The camp must be holy for the LORD your God moves around in your camp to protect you and to defeat your enemies.  He must not see any shameful thing among you,, or He will turn away from you."  (Deuteronomy 23:14)

So if God Himself lives in us to "protect us and defeat our enemies", we'd be fools to not aim for the purity of heart without which we would be pretty much left on our own.  Impossible to attain?  Maybe...IF it weren't for the fact that He makes it possible."

"Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."  (Hebrews 4:16)

"But thanks be to God!  He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."  (I Corinthians 15:57)
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        Father, thank You for loving us so much that You refuse to leave us on our
                         own as we strive to have an uncluttered heart!