The Death of Death

I have a working relationship with death, but we are not friends.  He stirs within my heart a concoction of anguish, hate, gratitude, and hope, so forcefully that he leaves me speechless.  Even now, as I sit at this counter in my kitchen, I will admit that I have typed and erased—typed and erased—typed and erased—as I try to articulate my thoughts on death.  I know that we all must die; I understand that death is a part of a greater plan for the living; I believe that death opens the door that leads to a better place; but even when considering these truths, I cannot help but come back to this simple fact:  I don’t like death.

 

I have had to encounter death in a variety of ways while working as a bedside nurse and now as a Nursing Supervisor.  I have held the hands of my patients as they took their last breath and I have made every effort as part of the hospital emergency response team to keep death from taking one who still clings to life.  I have stood with the heartbroken in quiet rooms, in chapels, and in morgues as they mourn the loss of someone they love.  I have cleaned the bodies of adults, young people, and even babies so that their families might be able to see them and say their final goodbyes.  It is an excruciating honor.  I love the people, I love the souls, I love the joy that awaits the Christian on the other side, and I hate the death.

 

I don’t like death because he is unpredictable.  In one person’s world he might appear as a gentleman, kindly stopping the death carriage and delivering his passenger to the grave, as described by Emily Dickinson.  In another place he incites the cry, “Do not go gentle into that good night.  Rage, rage, against the dying of the light,” words written by poet Dylan Thomas as he pleaded for his father to remain in this life and not to die.  I have seen him compassionately end suffering, but I’ve also seen him unexpectedly and tragically barge into the lives of the happy and healthy.

 

I don’t like death because he causes tremendous pain.  I don’t like death because he disregards dreams and future plans.  He does not care about numbers, he is not concerned with timing, and he will not be bothered by fairness.

 

I don’t like death, but I will not fear him.

 

I will not fear him because I know his origin.  Death was born of sin and his presence in this world is rooted in darkness.  The power of death did belong to the devil, but when Jesus died on the cross, He rendered the devil powerless and freed us from the fear of death (Hebrews 2:14).

 

I will not fear death because thirty years ago I was lowered into the watery grave of baptism where I died to sin through the blood of Jesus and now I live for righteousness (1 Peter 2:24).  I have already died the death of eternal consequence.

 

I will not fear him because I know that his days are numbered.  Death will taste his own cryptic medicine when Jesus Christ abolishes him forever at the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:26).  Yes, death will die along with all of his grievous side effects:  “and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying.  There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4).  I look forward to that day and I thank God who gives us victory over death through His Son (1 Corinthians 15:57).

 

Because I will not fear him, I want death to know exactly where we stand:  I respect his role in my mortality, but I know that he has no power over my soul.  I realize that I have an appointment to keep with him, but I know that ultimately the only engagement that matters is when I go to meet Jesus in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17).  I recognize that death can change my life in an instant, but I know that this moment, right now, is mine to live…and every moment counts.

The Bible Tells Me So

“Isn’t it wonderful to know that Granny is feeling better, Kate?”  Driving down the road, I glanced back at my then four year old daughter sitting in her car seat, looking out the back seat window, with a Half Nelson hold on a smartly dressed stuffed leopard.  I quickly identified the moment as a teachable one and I jumped in with both feet!  “Kate, remember how we talked to God and prayed for Granny to get better?  Well, God answered our prayers!  We need to thank Him for taking care of Granny.” 

The rear view mirror revealed a slight change in Kate’s status: a sweet smile playing around the corners of her mouth as she thought about her beloved Granny.  Feeling like the moment was going well, I continued, really wanting to drive home the idea of God answering our prayers.  “Kate?  You know that we are talking to God when we pray and He will answer our prayers; we just might not always get the answer we want.”  I paused briefly before heading into the “sometimes yes/sometimes no/sometimes not right now” portion of my lesson, when Kate suddenly turned from the window, her eyes wide with excitement and sudden revelation.  “Mommy!  God just told me that I could have some gum!”  Oh, dear.

Thus the teachable “moment” became the teachable “afternoon while running errands”.

As a Christian, I know that the Bible is inspired of God (2 Timothy 3:16).  I recognize that God speaks to me, not through any supernatural means, but through my own study and understanding of the scriptures.  I understand that when I read letters from Paul, or psalms of David, or one of the gospels, or any one of the 66 books of the Bible, I am reading the words of God Himself as He, through the Holy Spirit, guided the hand of each writer (2 Peter 1:20-21).  I just need to be sure that I am teaching this to others, as well.

I love reading books to my children.  It’s one of my favorite bedtime rituals at our house and we enjoy all types:  fiction, fantasy, adventure, you name it!  It is important though, that as they grow older, children realize the difference between the book about a magical world that exists within a rabbit hole and the Bible’s account of Balaam’s talking donkey.  One is written by a talented man and the other comes from the very mouth of God.  Our children should be taught that the Bible is not simply another book of stories, but rather the one and only book written by God and given to us that we might have a means of hearing His words today (1 Thessalonians 2:13).

We teach our children to sing “Jesus Loves Me” when they are very young and praise their efforts as they belt out the finale: “……the Bible tells me so!”  But, do our children know why they can believe what is read in the Bible?  They sing the words, “Oh, the B-I-B-L-E, yes, that’s the book for me!  I stand alone on the Word of God, the B-I-B-L-E!”  But, do they know why they can “stand alone” on the Bible?  We empower our children when we teach them the scriptural and historical facts that support the Bible as God’s divinely inspired book.  Then, when confronted with questions about the Bible, they are confident and ready to answer!

Kate and I had a great afternoon running errands together.  While we were in the car we talked about how we speak to God through prayer and how God speaks to us through His words recorded in the Bible.  We talked about how God answers our prayers and the importance of thanking Him when He gives us what we ask.  We also laughed, sang songs, bought groceries, and chewed a lot of gum.   

Give Them Something

"This is not what I believe at all!”

Those eight words tumbled out of an eight year old mouth from the back of a third grade classroom.

The students had started a new science unit that day, and the topic: “Evolution”.

The first part of the lesson included a discussion about the earth’s age.  When her teacher announced the earth to be around four and a half billion years old, something did not sit well with one little girl on the last row.  This was not what she knew to be true.

Her hand shot instinctively up into the air.

When her teacher called on her, my daughter gave that eight word rebuttal with all the conviction of a tender hearted child who loves God.

The teacher invited Evie to come up to her desk at the end of class and share her thoughts.  After class, at her teacher’s desk, Evie explained that God created the world and that the earth can only be thousands of years old, according to the Bible.

My child’s teacher kindly looked into her eyes and said, “I believe in the Bible too, Evie, I just can’t teach that in here.”

For me, as a Christian parent, this served as a wake-up call.  The teaching of evolution in our public school system is a reality, and as my daughter’s teacher relayed this story to me, I realized the necessity in providing my children with biblical answers when their belief in creation is questioned.  Along with teaching them to stand for the truth, I need to also empower them with a ready defense.

The indoctrinating of our children with the theory of evolution begins at a very young age.  I have watched television shows with my children and heard friendly cartoon characters talk about gigantic dinosaurs that roamed the earth “millions and millions of years ago”.  I have heard monkeys referred to as our “primate relatives”, and chickens described as “cousins” of the Tyrannosaurus Rex.  I have read countless excerpts from school textbooks that place global events on a billion year timeline.  As harmless as these phrases may sound in and of themselves, they create a foundation in our children’s minds for accepting the humanistic view of the origin of life, a view that completely leaves God out of the equation.

One of my missions is to prepare my children so that when they are attacked with the theory of evolution they will have the ability and the confidence to fight back.  In order to remain focused on this mission, there are three steps I keep in mind as I endeavor to effectively arm my children: 

1.      Teach The Truth.  The first, and most important step, is to teach my children the truth as it has been delivered to all people through the Word of God.  It is my responsibility to fill them with Bible knowledge.  As I tell them the true story of creation and read to them the account of the flood, I am already outfitting them for battle when they are confronted with ideas and theories of evolution.  Their faith will grow as they hear the Word of God (Romans 10:17), strengthening the shield that will quench the fiery darts thrown at them in the form of scientific “facts” and humanism.

 

2.     Point Out Error.  The second step involves “calling out” ideas related to evolution when I see or hear them being presented to my children.  I remember watching a cartoon with my children as toddlers, when the main character began a conversation with her young audience about dinosaurs by saying, “Millions of years ago…..”  Immediately, my husband called out from the kitchen, “That’s not what the Bible says!”  I laughed a little at the unexpected voice that came out of nowhere, but it started a practice in our family, of “calling it out when you hear it”.  We don’t let those little snippets of error slip by unnoticed.  We call them on the carpet and then remind each other what the Bible teaches differently. 

 

3.     Give Them a Righteous Defense. The final step is to give them a factual defense for creationism rooted in scripture and according to the biblical timeline.

 In talking with Christians about defending creation, I have heard these statements on occasion: “I don’t understand enough about it to make a good argument”, or “I can’t figure out the whole dinosaur thing.”  I have also been guilty of making comments like those and I cannot help but think of the words recorded in Hosea 4:6, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”  We have to educate ourselves so that we can help educate our children and in doing that we provide them with hope for the future.

I must realize that my children will be challenged on their belief in creation, and it is my responsibility as a parent to make sure that when it happens they are ready with a logical, factual, biblical defense.  I do not want to let them stand under fire and not have anything to say about why they can know that God is The Creator.  I need to give them something!  It is essential that they are able to say, “I believe that God created the world”; it is equally vital that they are able to continue on to say “…and this is why...”

I cannot tell you how proud I was of Evie that day for declaring her disbelief in evolution:  One small voice speaking out for the truth.  It leads me to wonder…..what if Christians everywhere collectively raised our hands and emphatically proclaimed to those who push the humanistic agenda, “This is not what we believe!”

She Shines

• She lifted him up and gently placed him on her lap.  She wrapped her arms around him, and with her face buried in his rumpled head of hair, she breathed in the familiar smell of her precious son, filling her lungs so full of love that it almost hurt.  Glancing over his head, she looked at her mother sitting nearby and said a quiet prayer of thanksgiving to God for the blessings in her life.  “Would you like to hear another story?” she asked him.  He nodded his head eagerly and snuggled in closer to his mother as she began telling him about a young boy named David, chosen by God to be Israel’s future king, and how he defeated a giant using only a stone.

 

• She sat down by the side of the river surrounded by others who had gathered there for prayer.  A stranger joined the group and began talking to them about a man named Jesus who was crucified but had risen from the dead.  He explained that Jesus was truly the Son of God, and through Him forgiveness of sins could be obtained.  Her heart opened to the words of the stranger then she and her entire household were baptized.  She invited the preacher and his companion to stay with her and would later open her home to Christians worshipping in the area.

 

• She closed her eyes and felt her hair whipping around her face as she stood at the bow of the ship.  She didn’t know quite what to expect in the weeks ahead.  She had traveled before, but this journey found her carrying new precious cargo, something she felt compelled to deliver to as many people as possible: the truth about Jesus Christ.  Eighteen months ago her life had changed when she and her husband welcomed a man into their home; a man who shared their occupation but also devoted his time to teaching in the synagogue about the kingdom of God.  She looked over at him standing at the other end of the ship, thankful for his courage to proclaim the gospel, and ready to share the message with those people she and her husband would meet in the city across the sea.

 

• She could not understand why He was speaking to her; their differences were obvious, but that did not seem to bother Him as He asked her for a drink of water.  When she questioned His request, He began speaking to her about living water:  water that would never leave her thirsty, and that would lead to eternal life.  Yes, she wanted that water!  Then, He began to tell her things about her life; things He couldn’t possibly have known.  She guessed He was a prophet.  “Maybe he could answer the question concerning the proper place to worship?” she thought.  He explained to her that the time was coming when true worshipers would worship God the Father in spirit and in truth.  She told Him she knew the Messiah was coming and that He would explain all things to everyone.  Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.” 

She left her water pot and returned to the city, testifying to others about what she had seen and heard.  Many people believed in Jesus because of her words.

***

We read the inspirational stories of these women in the New Testament:  Eunice and Lois (2 Timothy 1:5), Lydia (Acts 16:14-15, 40)), Priscilla (Acts 18:1-4, 18-21), and the Samaritan Woman (John 4:7-26, 39).  We also cannot forget the accounts of Anna, Dorcas, Mary, Martha, and Phoebe.  Each woman used her unique circumstance to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ, and her influence continues to reach us today!

These women teach their modern day sisters something very important about evangelism:  all Christians, both men and women, have a responsibility to follow the command of “Go ye…” (Mark 16:15, Matthew 28:18).   The word evangelism is derived from the Greek word euaggelion, meaning “good news” and involves going and telling the message of redemption through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus to the entire world.  Every Christian must be committed to the “going”, whether near (to our own families and communities) or far (across the country or to foreign lands); and every Christian must be prepared, through diligent Bible study, to do the “telling”.

 

Eunice and Lois, Lydia, Priscilla, the Samaritan Woman, and the other faithful women of the New Testament, have shown us that Christian women are valuable in the process of evangelism and that they can effectively evangelize while also honoring the role God designed for his daughters in the church. 
 
As women, we cannot diminish the importance of teaching our children, as Eunice and Lois reared Timothy in the knowledge of the scriptures.  We cannot overlook the need for showing hospitality to fellow Christians, as Lydia extended kindness to Paul, Timothy, and the new converts in Thyatira.  We cannot ignore the duty of talking to our friends, neighbors, and co-workers about our faith, as Priscilla and the Samaritan Woman shared the gospel with those around them.  Teaching other women and children, writing Bible class materials, caring for the sick, encouraging the disheartened, participating in and supporting mission work, the opportunities for women to further God’s kingdom are abounding!
 

As a woman, she is loved and esteemed by her Creator.  When she realizes her worth in His eyes, she will understand that no effort made in spreading His word is an insignificant effort.   As a Christian, she serves as a light in this dark world.  When she recognizes her ability to influence others by sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, she doesn’t just glimmer……she shines!

Heads Up, Families

Isn’t it true that sometimes situations look differently when you are observing them as opposed to being caught up in the middle of them?  When that happens, it can result in a sudden realization, or an “A-ha!” moment, if you will.  Mine came a few weeks ago at the Outback Steakhouse. 

Our family had gone out to eat together and after giving our name to the hostess, we sat down in the crowded lobby to wait for our little black box to come alive.  I noticed another family of five sitting side by side on the bench across from us.  I cannot recall anything specific about their facial features, but I can describe in detail the tops of their heads as each one stared down at a glowing electronic device held in their hands.  In the time we spent waiting for our table, I never once saw them speak to each other.

This bothered me.  It still bothers me.  No laughing about the funny thing that brother did earlier, no recounting of what happened to sister at school, no brainstorming plans for the next family trip, not even a firm “keep your hands to yourself” reprimand or a quiet “keep your voice down” reminder.  Not a thing.  Just each person, head down, in their own virtual world.

As I replayed that image in my mind over the next few days, I kept coming up with the same troubling conclusion--the devil must have been pleased.  Don’t get me wrong; I think technology is wonderful:  It can be fun, it can inspire learning, and it can afford us unique opportunities and help us to accomplish great works!  However, like so many other “good” things, the devil will pervert it and use it in such a way that can bring about harm or even destruction, if we are not careful.  He is all around us, using technology in many various forms, to gradually erode the lines of communication within a family and to continually interfere with precious opportunities for strengthening the family bond.

Texting is a wonderfully convenient way to send a message, Facebook can reunite old friends or keep you in touch with family members, and a DSiXL can be very handy when your children have to wait on you at the hair salon; but we have to know when to “turn off” and “look up”.  I don’t want my children to see the top of my head more than they see my face!  I also don’t want them to be so saturated with nonverbal, electronic activity that they forget, or maybe never even learn, how to cultivate and nurture a personal relationship.  Charles Dickens, the famous English writer, once said, “Electric communication will never be a substitute for the face of someone who with their soul encourages another person to be brave and true.”

I was talking to my older sister about this the other day and she told me about a new policy that her family has instituted at their house: something they refer to as “no media” days.  Every Tuesday and Thursday all forms of media, including television, movies, computers, iPhones, iPads, iPods, and video games, are off limits at their house.  She said her boys initially thought that the world would come to an end, but it didn’t take long for them to find other activities to do on those days and it gave them all a renewed focus on “family time”.  I loved the idea and talked to my husband about starting this same practice at our house.  (Although my sister made me promise not to tell my children that we got the idea from their Aunt Jenny).

God designed families for a divine purpose and throughout His Word He provides instruction on how family members should function in their respective roles.  In order to provide training and discipline for their children (Ephesians 6:4), parents need to keep their “heads up”.  For children to honor and obey their parents (Ephesians 6:1-2), they need to keep their “heads up”.  As Christian families, we need to know when to set our gadgets down and take the time to look at each other, talk to each other, and listen to each other.

I remember a time when Kate was five years old and she brought me a picture she had drawn during Bible Class.  It had a big red heart on it and at the top of the page she had written the words:  Wii LOVE GOD.  Looking back now, that probably should have been one of those “A-ha!” moments I mentioned earlier.  Heads up......it’s never too late!

To Fight or To Flee

I grew up in a family of medical professionals and consequently developed the heart of a caregiver before I could even say the word stethoscope.  With my father being a physician and my mother, a nurse, I gained a natural appreciation for the human body with its fascinating abilities and mechanisms.  I found that I liked the fit and feel of a white lab coat and decided to pursue a career in nursing.

Every facet of creation reflects the wisdom, power, and love of Almighty God, and our earthly bodies are among His most beautiful and awe-inspiring works.  From the microscopic red blood cell, to the vast integumentary system, the details of our human anatomy can only be the product of a divine Creator.

Over the past 17 years, my bedside experience in nursing has been primarily with cardiac patients.  The heart is an extraordinary organ!  It begins beating twenty-two days after conception and does not stop until death.  Its function affects every system, every tissue, and every organ in our bodies. 

While working with patients in the early and advanced stages of cardiovascular disease, I developed a greater appreciation the body’s innate ability to heal and its built-in responses that compensate when other systems fail.  I took special interest in the role of the sympathetic nervous system, and its effect which is commonly referred to as the “fight-or-flight” response. 

When we find ourselves faced with difficult, dangerous, or stressful situations, the sympathetic nervous system is activated.  Through a series of nerve impulses and the subsequent release of hormones, our bodies experience a variety of physical changes, including an increase in heart rate, an increase in blood pressure, an increase in sweat production, an increase in respiratory rate, and pupil dilation.   These changes are designed to help us survive threatening situations by preparing us to either fight for our lives or run for our lives!

When I consider this amazing God-given capability within our human bodies, I can’t help but recognize a spiritual application for the Christian.  The Bible describes a type of “fight or flight” response when we, as children of God, are faced with the threat of temptation.  Confronted with certain temptations, we must stand ready to fight, but there are other situations in which we are simply commanded to run.

The Apostle Paul, when writing to the church at Corinth and later in letters to young Timothy, encouraged those Christians to run from temptation.  He instructed them to flee:

·         sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 6:18)

·         idolatry (1 Corinthians 10:14)

·         the love of money (1 Timothy 6:9-11)

·         youthful lusts (2 Timothy 2:22)

 There are occasions where we are not expected to fight temptation, instead, we should immediately remove ourselves from the threat.  Run away!  Remember the story in the Bible of Joseph and Potiphar’s wife:

“But it happened about this time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was inside, that she caught him by his garment, saying, ‘Lie with me.’ But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside.”                     (Genesis 39:11-12)

As important as it is, running is not always the appropriate response.  At times, we encounter circumstances, spiritually, that require us to fight.  We are exhorted in scripture to “earnestly contend for the faith” (Jude 1:3).  In other words, fight for what you believe!  We are also told, “Therefore submit to God.  Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7).  Stand firm against the actions of the devil and he will run from you! 

How then do Christians prepare themselves for the spiritual “fight or flight” response?  Just as the sympathetic nervous system causes physical changes in our bodies which prepare us to deal with situations in the world around us, we also have biblical instruction on how we prepare to deal with temptations as we encounter them in our daily lives. 

 

1.       We pray. “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.  The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Mark 14:38)

2.      We read and study the Word of God.  It is our offensive weapon – the “sword of the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:17).  It was Jesus’ strategy for opposing the devil in the wilderness:  “It is written…” (Matthew 4:1-11)

3.      We recognize our weaknesses.  “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.” (James 1:14).

4.      We confess our sins to one another.  “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed” (James 5:16).  Lean on your brothers and sisters in Christ for help and accountability.  Pray for each other!

 

Fighting or fleeing; both take courage, and both take preparation.  Through prayer, Bible study, recognizing temptation, and support from other Christians we can have the strength and readiness to take action when confronted with the threat of sin.  In our physical bodies, this response is designed to support self-preservation; in our spiritual lives, however, it’s an eternal matter of soul-preservation.

The Butterfly Remembers

I read something interesting the other day.  A study, conducted by researchers at Georgetown University, found that butterflies remember aspects of their lives as caterpillars.  This may sound completely unremarkable at first, but consider what takes place in the chrysalis.  The caterpillar experiences a metamorphosis:  a complete change in form, structure, or function as a result of development.  I’ve heard it compared to recycling where something entirely new is created from something else.  A large portion of the caterpillar’s body is broken down to the stem cell level and the stem cells then put themselves back together into a different shape, referred to as holometabolism.  It is amazing that, through that process, the butterfly emerges and can even recall some of its previous life as a larva.

This should sound very familiar to the Christian!  We can relate to the butterfly because of the complete life change that is experienced through baptism.  Before being immersed into Christ (Galatians 3:27), we were wingless and…well, wormlike.  Sin bound us to the world, left us belly crawling, growing larger and larger as we continually munched on the cares of the world.  Then, God saved us!  Through the free gift of grace, God provided an opportunity for transformation.  All we have to do is listen to His directions that will lead us to a safe place, believe in His promise for our future, shed our old skins, declare Jesus Christ as His Son, and then enter into the watery chrysalis of baptism to become new creatures with new lives.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”  (2 Corinthians 5:17)

 “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:4)

 

Now, here is where the Christian and the butterfly travel a different pathway.  In as much as butterflies exhibit behaviors that are reminiscent of their former lives as larvae, the Christian must “not remember the former things nor consider the things of old” (Isaiah 43:18).  Paul, in his life, recognized that he had not yet reached the ultimate prize of eternal glory, then committed himself to forgetting the past and reaching forward to the future as he pressed toward that goal (Philippians 3:13-14).

For the Christian, it’s not remembering how bad life was as a caterpillar, it’s the daily reminder that we are butterflies because of Jesus and the sacrifice that He made for us on the cross.  Every day we “transform” and remind ourselves that we are not of this world, we’ve left behind our lives as caterpillars, and we renew our minds.  Not my words, but Paul’s, as he wrote to the Romans about giving their lives over completely to God.  (Romans 12:2)

As butterflies, there should be an obvious difference in the way we look and behave from caterpillars.  If we continue to read chapter 12, in Paul’s letter to the Romans we find many suggestions he gave as to how Christians should conduct themselves, actions that would help distinguish between that ”ewwww” stage of life as a larva to the “ahhhhhh” stage of life as a majestic butterfly! 

When I see a butterfly I feel humbled by its beauty and the power that God has to make such an awesome change.  I wonder if the butterfly remembers what it felt like to crawl as it gracefully takes flight?  I am thankful that because I left my old life behind and accepted God’s grace through obedience in baptism, I don’t have to remember.  I pray that I never take for granted the opportunity God has given me to fly above this world and that without Him I wouldn’t have the wings to try.

 

In Memory of Carol

Carol Corlew Boyd was called home to be with our Heavenly Father on May 14, 2013.  Carol had already conquered death when she made the decision to become a Christian many years ago and put on Christ in baptism.  She was lovely; and as I wrote about butterflies I couldn’t help but be reminded of her.  She was beautiful, happy, always busy doing good, and quietly touched the lives of so many.  Carol truly possessed the marks of a true Christian that Paul described in Romans 12 and flew above this world with strong wings.  She was and will continue to be an inspiration to all who were blessed to know her.

This is She

“Male and female, He created them.” (Genesis 1:27)

If there is a subject that impassions me, one that gets my heart racing and tightens up my chest just a bit, one that fills me with joy but also rallies my defenses, it would be “the worth of a woman”.  I attribute this conviction partly to the fact that I have two sisters, a mother who can do anything, and a father who is both a retired military general and a practicing physician (who never let the reality of having three daughters keep him from treating us any differently had we been three sons); but even more, I feel strongly about this subject because I know that God loves and values women.  He has since the beginning of time and He still does today.

I have happy memories of a childhood spent flying across this beautiful country under Air Force wing.  Through the disquiet of transition, our parents made it priority to instill in each of us a strong sense of who we are and whose we are.   They raised three confident women who whole-heartedly love God and who are fiercely devoted to family.   I have looked back over the years and often wondered, “How in the world did they do that?” 

I’ve made mental notes of the activities we did, the places we saw, and the people we met.  I even sat down and made a list of the most important lessons we were taught, and when I did, I found that I could group those lessons under the three essential concepts found in Matthew 22:36-40:  love God, love others, and love yourself. 

^“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”

Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’  On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

However, in a society that believes we no longer need God, an education system that promotes secular humanism, the push of radical feminists to erase all gender distinctions, and the continual moral decline of our country…how do I teach my daughters those concepts today so that they will cherish their womanhood and recognize their worth?

1.      Love God.  We teach our daughters to love God when we make Him the center of our family.  God comes first…always.

Mom is a master story teller and made the men and women of the Bible come to life as she told me and my sisters about their amazing experiences.  Dad shared pictures and stories of his mission work in Africa and I could feel his excitement when he described preaching a sermon in Swahili.  I watched Mom prepare for teaching Bible classes over and over and the times we’ve held hands while Dad lead our family in prayer are innumerable.

We attended worship services, Bible classes, devotionals, gospel meetings, Vacation Bible School, youth events, and potlucks; but we also sang worship songs in the car, talked about the Bible at home, and heard our parents sharing the gospel with others.  Loving God was not just an occasional demonstration of faith, it was a way of living day to day that defined who we were as a Christian family.

2.     Love Others.  We teach our daughters to love others when we look for opportunities to serve and help people in need. 

Dad’s travels to Africa during the time that he was studying Tropical Medicine always began with a ritual “gathering”.   My sisters and I would go through our clothes and toys and gather items for Dad to take to the children in the villages where he stayed.  I loved this ritual, because Dad would come home and tell us about how much the children enjoyed the gifts.  I remember sending a frisbee with Dad one year and when he came back he told me how the frisbee had been used as a toy, a drum, and a bowl for water!  I was so proud!

Mom is also a master chef and I will never forget the many, many times she welcomed people into our home to share a meal with us.  She made food for church functions or for someone who was sick or for her co-workers at the hospital as a midnight treat.  She is the epitome of southern hospitality and loves to open her door to others.  One of my favorite memories as a child is the smell and feel of our home just before guests came over.  Loving others was not just an occasional gesture, it was a way of living that defined who we were as a Christian family.

3.     Love Yourself.  We teach our daughters to love themselves when we show them that they are valued by their parents and their Creator.

“You can do anything!”  “I love you.”  “Have I hugged you yet today?”  “I’m so proud of you.”  “When I see you cry it breaks my heart.”  “You’re a Belihar, and Belihars never quit!”  I could go on, and on, and on listing simple words and repeated phrases that constantly reaffirmed our parents love and support.  Through that continual encouragement, Mom and Dad taught us that we were special, just as God had made us to be.

They celebrated our victories, provided help when we needed it, cheered us on with every endeavor, motivated us to try new things, and they never made us feel we couldn’t do something because we were women, but rather inspired us to live to our full potential  as women of God and always in harmony with His Word.  Loving ourselves was not just an occasional feeling, it was a way of living that defined who we were as a Christian family.

When we teach our daughters to love God, love others, and love themselves, we help them to develop a strong sense of who they are and whose they are.  The role God gave us as women is one to be honored, never resented.  We must realize our worth and.…“AIM HIGH”!

The Mysteries of God

As I began gathering my thoughts on the subject of “stewardship” I decided to consult my three children for their understanding of the word and glean from their youthful wisdom.  When I asked the first two the question, “What is a steward?”, it surprised me to hear that they weren’t really sure; but when the third one asked, “Who’s he?”, I realized I had some serious teaching to do!

I explained to my kids that a “steward” is someone who has been given the responsibility of managing the property of another.  In the Bible, it is translated from the Greek word “oikonomos”, which literally means “household manager”.  For the Christian, it is the understanding that everything in the world belongs to God (Psalm 24:10) and, as His stewards, we are to take good care of the things we have been given.  Now this started sounding familiar, and when I asked the next question, “What are some things that God has given us of which we should be good stewards?”, they were ready with the answers!

“Our bodies!”

 “Our money!”

“Our toys!”

“Our talents!”

“Our pets!”

“Yes!  Yes!  Yes!”   (Whew!  I was beginning to worry that I had completely missed the boat on this concept).  I reminded them about how we should also carefully manage our time, and that as a parent, I need to be a good steward of my children.

So, I was feeling pretty good about The Boyd’s understanding of stewardship, practicing it daily is another story, but at least now there is no confusion as to what it means to be a steward.  Until, in my own study, I read 1 Corinthians 4:1-2:  “Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.  Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.”

What?!   What are the “mysteries of God”?  How can I be a steward of them, a faithful steward, when I’m not even sure what they are!  There I was trying to teach my children about stewardship and found out that there was more for me to learn!

At times like these, I have to take a minute to stop—breathe—and realize that Christianity is characterized by continual growth and constant learning.  I am not perfect and I won’t know all of the answers, all of the time, even though I desperately want to be able to give them to my children.  I have to be receptive to my own teachable moments and then share what I learn with my family and others.

I began to do more Bible study and found many verses throughout the New Testament that made reference to “mysteries”.  I had read them all before, but this time I read them from the perspective of a steward and with a renewed sense of responsibility.

What I discovered is that the “mysteries of God” aren’t secrets at all, instead, they are truths that have been revealed by God and can be discovered through the reading of His Word.  They are called “mysteries” because they were hidden in the past, but in God’s wisdom, and in His perfect timing, He made them known to man.

Consider the inspired words of Paul as He wrote to the Ephesians:

“For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles—if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets:  that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through gospel, of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.”  (Ephesians 3:1-7)

 

Paul referred to the “mystery” in other letters, describing it as Christ relationship to the church (Ephesians 5:28-32), Christ in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:24-27), and God manifested in the flesh—preached, believed, and received in glory (1 Timothy 3:16).

The “mysteries of God”, of which we are to be stewards, make up the gospel message of Jesus Christ—the good news of His life, death, burial, and resurrection and the glorious hope that comes through our belief and obedience to God’s plan for our salvation.

We have been entrusted with this marvelous treasure, the gospel, and we are commanded to manage it faithfully.  I am reminded of the familiar passage found in Matthew 25:14-30, when Jesus told his disciples the parable of the talents.  In the story, the “good and faithful” servants made a profit with the talents they had been given, while the “wicked and lazy” servant fearfully hid his talent in the ground and brought no gain to his master.

Just as those stewards had to give an account for the way they handled their master’s property, so we will give an account for how we handled God’s gifts (Romans 14:12).  When we consider all of the gifts we have been given, are not the “mysteries of God” the most precious?  We must not neglect our stewardship of the gospel of Jesus Christ, so that one day we can hear the voice of our Heavenly Father say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.  Enter into the joy of your Lord.”