Facing Challenges: Part 2

 

According to Merriam-Webester, "challenge" means "a stimulating task or a problem; the act or process of provoking or testing physiological activity by exposure to a specific substance."  I'm not sure how you define "challenge," but I've got many words I could use to define it.  This morning I got up a little early to run six miles, my challenge for the day.  I started the run EMBRACING the challenge of running six miles.  There was a little cloud cover and lower temps with a cool breeze.  Around the four-mile mark, I was no longer embracing the challenge; I was FIGHTING the challenge.  One of the reasons I ran a little earlier in the day was to beat the rain.  The rain came, and I did not invite it or want it during my morning run.  However, I pushed through the rain, and I finished my six-mile run.

Challenges are going to come in this life.  Sometimes the challenges are welcome; we invite them and even welcome them.  Sometimes we embrace the challenges that come our way.  There are times, though, when the challenges we face are unexpected and even uninvited.  Sometimes we fight against the challenges that come our way.  Even further, sometimes a challenge can start with our embrace but turn on a dime and be unwanted and unwelcome!  Today is June 10, 2022.  Twenty-six years ago, on June 10, 1996, we were blessed with our first child, our daughter Hillary Noble Thomas.  What an awesome challenge of become parents.  Marty and I were excited and overjoyed with our beautiful baby girl!  For days, weeks, and months, we soaked up the blessings of spending time with Hillary; we spent each and every moment spoiling her with anything and everything we could.  As I look back, I realized that she was the one who spoiled us.  She spoiled us with those big brown eyes and her crooked little grin.  She spoiled us with lots giggles and snuggles.  One hundred forty-four days.  One hundred forty-nine days.  The challenge we embraced and even longed for on June 10, 1996, was a challenge that changed after one hundred forty-four days.  On November 2, 1996, Hillary was diagnosed with a brain tumor.  She had surgery on November 4, 1996, and she passed away on November 6, 1996.  

Challenges are going to come in this life.  Sometimes we are ready.  Sometimes we are not.  Sometimes challenges are welcome.  Sometimes they are not.  I wish I could say that I handled the challenges we faced back in 1996 and into 1997 well, but I, in fact, did not.  I don't have time to go into all the details, but I was hurt and hurting.  I was angry.  I was confused.  I was selfish.  I tried to quit on God.  I tried to quit on my wife.  I tried to quit on everyone.  I did not want to face or go through this challenge or any challenges.  I just wanted to quit.  I don't know how true this statement is, but I will use it at this time: "Hurt people hurt people."  It was true in those moments of my life, but it was a choice I made.  I chose to live in the hurt and then become the hurt.  For a while, what seemed like eternity, I chose to blame God and to blame the world for all the hurt in my life.  Let me say this now: I WAS WRONG.  I was wrong for blaming God or for blaming anything or anyone.  I was wrong for a lot of my choices.  Let me say this now: I THANK GOD.  I thank God for not giving up on me.  I thank God for loving me.  I thank God for putting people around me who loved me, people who were patient with me, and people who were praying for me.  I thank God for challenges.  

James 1:2-4 says, "2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."  First of all,  joy is not a feeling; it is a gift; it is knowledge.  Joy comes from God.  It does not come from anything or anyone else.  Also, trials come in many shapes and sizes; trials come with purpose.  The kinds of trials and challenges that God brings or allows in our lives will test our faith, and they will produce perseverance.  As James says, we must "LET perseverance FINISH its work."  The goal is that we will become the mature and the complete beings that God created us to be and "not lacking anything."  I don't want to dismiss or downgrade our feelings.  God created us with feelings; He gave us feelings.  However, we don't become the mature and complete beings God created us to be by living according to our feelings; we become the mature and complete beings God created us to be by living according to the wisdom and the understanding that God gives us.  We TRUST Him...all the time...in every kind of challenge or trial.

Over the next few months, I will be training for my first marathon.  I've thought about it and talked about it many times; now is the time.  God is working this out in my life.  It is a challenge that sometimes I'm excited about, sometimes I'm worried about, sometimes I dread, and sometimes I fear.  However, this marathon will take place on November 6, 2022, twenty-six years to the day that our daughter Hillary Noble Thomas died.  Those challenges are in my heart and on my mind each and every time I go out and train and run.  New challenges are here and are ahead.  God is still growing me, still maturing me, and still completing me.  God is with me and is for me.  I know this.  I may not always feel it, but I always know it!  Whatever challenges you have faced, are facing, or will face, just know that God is with you and is for you!  Just know that you will make choices; some will be good and some will not.  God's grace covers you.  LET perseverance FINISH its work so that you may be mature and complete...not lacking anything...that God wants OF you and FOR you!

Facing Challenges: Part 1

I love the story of Joshua.  I can't fully imagine or understand the pressures that Joshua faced as he succeeded Moses in leading Israel into the Promise Land.  And if you read the last chapters of Deuteronomy and the book of Joshua, you will see that Joshua faced many challenges in his lifetime.  Some of those challenges were very personal and private, and some of those challenges were very corporate and public.  Joshua had proven his character and his ability many times as the Israelites left Egypt and headed toward the Promise Land.  As Moses grew older and realized Joshua was ready to lead the people, he gave Joshua and all of Israel an encouraging message.  Deuteronomy 31:7-8 says, "7 Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, 'Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance.  8 The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.'"

I know this was thousands of years ago, and I know this was Joshua and the Israelites.  However, I also know that my God never changes.  He is the same today as He was yesterday, and He will be the same tomorrow.  Moses encouraged Joshua with important words.  He wanted Joshua to be strong and be courageous.  He wanted Joshua to lead the people well.  He reminded Joshua that the LORD GOES BEFORE him and that eat LORD WILL BE WITH him.  He also encouraged Joshua not to cave in to fear or cave in to discouragement.  I don't know about you, but those are words that I need desperately today.  The encouragement and truth we see in Deuteronomy can be and is ours today!  Over the past few months, and especially the past few weeks, I have faced challenges in my life.  Some of those challenges were expected, but most of those challenges caught me completely by surprise.  Most of my challenges lately have been more personal and private, but some are challenges that we all are facing...the corporate and public challenges.  I have been tempted to cave in to both fear and discouragement.  In fact, there have been a few times when my fears got the best of me.  There have been a few times when the discouragement got the best of me.  It has been easy for me to give encouraging words to others when they are facing the challenges of life, but it has not been as easy for me to swallow my own words in the midst of my own challenges.  However, I am not just reading these words in Deuteronomy 31:7-8 today; I am BELIEVING these words today in my life!  MY GOD GOES BEFORE ME, and I know He will never leave me nor forsake me!  I know that my God wants me to be strong and courageous while facing challenges in this life.  There is nothing that takes place in my life that ever catches God by surprise; He is sovereign.  So as I face the challenges in my life, whether private or public, I have a choice: I can face them with strength and courage that God gives me, or I can cower from them with fear and discouragement.  I choose strength and courage!  Does it mean that I know what will happen in the midst of these challenges, good or bad?  No, but I do know that my GOD GOES BEFORE ME, and He will always be with me, never leaving me nor forsaking me.  I know these truths, and I am going to keep telling myself these truths...today and in the days ahead!  My prayer is that you know these truths, as well, and my prayer is that you BELIEVE these truths in your own life today and in the days ahead!

Happy 14th Birthday, Jonah!

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." - Proverbs 3:5-6

Jonah, you are a blessing from God!  We love you so much, and we are so proud of you!  You make us laugh...a lot, and your smile always melts our hearts.  Year 13 has been an awesome ride...basketball, track, trips to the beach, and to NYC.  We can't wait to see what year 14 brings you!  Our prayer for you is found in Proverbs 3:5-6.  Keep on trusting in the Lord.  Keep on submitting to the Lord.  He created you in His image, and He has the perfect plan for your life.  We hope you have an awesome 14th birthday!  We love you - dad, mom, Francie, Jacob, and Katie!

Conversations Full of Grace

One of my favorite books of the Bible is the book of Colossians.  Paul wrote this letter to the church at Colossae while he was imprisoned in Rome.  He had heard that the church members were fixated on rules and ceremonies and that they were not treating one another or speaking to one another with love.  Paul pointed the church back to God and to the grace of God given to them through Jesus Christ.

Paul says in Colossians 4:2-6, "2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.  3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.  4 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.  5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.  6 Let you conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."  As Christ followers, our PRAYER LIFE WILL DIRECT OUR TALK AND OUR WALK.  Paul says, "Devote yourselves to prayer."  He goes on to say two more times in this short passage, "Pray!"  What are we devoted to in this life?  We might be devoted to a spouse or to a child.  We might be devoted to a job or to a hobby.  Whatever we are devoted to is what we sacrifice time and resources for.  Whatever we are devoted to is something that our hearts and minds are invested in.  Are we devoted to prayer?  Paul goes on to say, "Be wise."  If we are devoted to prayer, then the Lord will lead us and guide us in the way we are to treat other people, especially strangers or those who are not in our circle of family and friends.  We need to take advantage of every opportunity God gives us to treat people with love and compassion, treat people the way Jesus treated people.  And finally, Paul says, "LET YOUR CONVERSATION BE ALWAYS FULL OF GRACE."  The words that we use when speaking to others, whether family and friends or outsiders, matters.  If we are devoted to prayer, then the Lord will help us stay focused on the grace God has given us.  Then we can become vessels of God's grace to others in the way we listen to them and the way we talk to them.  We can listen like Jesus and talk like Jesus, bringing glory to God and showering grace on others.

I don't know about you, but I want to be a part of CONVERSATIONS FULL OF GRACE!  I want to listen with grace and to speak with grace...to everyone!  If this is what I want and if this is what you want, then we need to be devoted to prayer.  We need to spend time in prayer with God, not just talking to Him but, most importantly, listening to Him.  He will give us grace and wisdom and love, and we can be funnels of God's grace, wisdom, and love to others.  And God can be glorified in my life and your life, which is what we are called to do in this world! 

Happy Mother's Day - 2022!

"As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you." - Isaiah 66:13

I have been so incredibly blessed in my life to have ladies like these in my life (my wife Marty, my mom Pat, my mom-in-love Trudy, and my Aunt Nancy)!  God is so, so good, and today I celebrate His goodness to say, "Happy Mother's Day," to all our moms out there!  Your children and your communities love and appreciate you so much!  In my own life, these ladies have shown me unconditional love, sweet love, tough love, and many other forms of love that I desperately needed.  But most importantly, these ladies have shown me godly love...love that is faithful and comforting.  Thank you, Heavenly Father, for giving us moms who both RELY on Your love and RELAY Your love to us!  Bless all of our moms today, and may You receive all glory and honor through their faithfulness.  Amen!