Decorating for Easter

One of the fun things about having a home again is being able to decorate.  After Christmas, Easter is my favorite time of the year.  I can’t imagine my life without the momentous events that happened that day so long ago – when the Lord and Creator of the Universe took my sin upon Himself, paid for it with his life, and then conquered death.  What a day to celebrate!  Yet the things available for decorating at Easter time are spring decorations rather than Easter ones.  Stores are full of spring flowers, chicks, bunnies, and pastel-colored eggs.

There is one suitable decoration that I can sometimes find.  It is not as easy to find as chicks and bunnies, but I do occasionally run across one.  Over the years, I have managed to collect a number of them.  Some are soft and cuddly stuffed animals, and some are quite realistic.  These lambs and sheep serve as a reminder to me of several wonderful things during this time of year.  I remember what Isaiah says:  “All we like sheep have gone astray.  We have turned everyone to his own way.” I think of Jesus, the Passover Lamb who gave Himself for our sins so that death would pass over us.  I remember that not only is He is the Passover Lamb, but He is also our great and wonderful Good Shepherd. 

So about six week before Easter, the lambs and sheep make their appearance – on the bed, dresser, coffee table, and anywhere else I can find that is appropriate.  When I head for bed at night and I move this one from its place, I remember, “The the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.”  As I drift off to sleep I can remind myself that He said, “I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. . . .I lay down my life for the sheep.”

In the morning when I get up and I settle down to read my Bible, this one sitting on the coffee table in the living room reminds me, “As a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.”  I think of Jesus’ quiet resolve before Pilate and his refusal to fight back when his beard was torn from his face and his back was ripped in shreds by the soldiers whips.  I think of his quiet agony as he was nailed to the cross.  The others being hung that day must have railed against the soldiers who crucified them.  But not Jesus.  He faced it in quiet agony.

When I walk through the dining room, this cute one watches me from atop the china cabinet.  When I see him, I remember: “He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter.”  Our dear Passover Lamb with no blemish whatsoever was assassinated for my sins.

Throughout these weeks leading up to Easter, I want to be reminded of the cost of redemption.  It goes beyond what I can fathom.  These little lambs and sheep serve as a continual reminder to me of the magnitude and magnificence of God.  Bound as He was by His own justice and holiness, He still found a way – a very costly way – to show us mercy and love by redeeming us.

On Easter morning  I will add some happy, joyful decorations to celebrate His victory over death.  For now, though, I want to be caught up again in the wonder of His amazing love.

Finding Buried Treasure

The disaster zone

Our house was a disaster area.  Boxes were stacked upon boxes.  Only a pathway allowed us to move from one room to another as we tried to figure out where to put things.  As we unpacked, a box, the mess grew.

These days I sometimes felt like a treasure hunter.  The next discovery was just around the next bend, or in our case, in the next box.  After four years of having things in storage, each held mysteries yet to be discovered. 

Some treasures I expected to find.  I remembered the dishes and kitchen appliances, though I didn’t remember that we no longer had a toaster.  I also was not expecting our coffee maker to die within a couple weeks of unpacking it, but I guess four years in storage was not necessarily good for it.  I remembered most of the clothing that has been in storage during this time.  (One of the dresses I’ve already given away since I didn’t need it all this time.  Others will probably follow.)  I thought I remembered the paintings, furniture, and other wall decorations.  But occasionally, in the midst of all the things I remembered, I found something that was a lost treasure – something I’d forgotten we had.

Here are the pictures of some of those things.

This piece of furniture was the biggest surprise.  I thought I remembered all of the furniture we had.  Before we went up north to collect our things, I figured out where every piece would go.  Then we unpacked this.  This was a piece Charlie’s father built, so I wanted to keep it.  But where would it go?  We found a place for it, but the dining room is now more crowded than I would have liked. 

Then there were these pieces I bought while working at Lenox.  They’ve found a home on the bookcase in the office.


But then there were these precious pieces I’d forgotten we had, made for us by different families in our church.  These hold special memories for us, especially now that we don’t get to see these dear people very often.
                 
There were books I was delighted to find and others I’d forgotten I have.  Then there are also some books I thought I had that I haven’t found.  With all the books we have, I suppose that’s not a surprise.  This year I plan to keep track of the books I actually use so that I can get rid of some to allow for some different ones.  We really do not have room to add any more bookcases.

I found photos and memorabilia that I have not seen in a long time.  There were even some clothes that I now think I no longer need since I haven’t needed them for four years. 

In the midst of all the discoveries, we occasionally found something that was ruined.  It was during those times that I had to smile.  While I have referred to these things we own as buried treasure, they really are not.  Not even close.  They are just things that rust and moth destroy and thieves may try to steal.

I know where my real buried treasure is. It will have to wait a long time before I will be able to uncover it, but I know that it is safe.  These things that we have uncovered and put into our house help us live life here on earth.  Hopefully, they are also a benefit to us doing ministry while we are here.  In the long run, though, they do not matter.  They are just things.  What matters are the precious people we work with and the souls that God has saved.  They are our true treasure. 

Ladies’ Winter Retreat

Most of the ladies’ retreats I encountered in Maine were day-long retreats packed with teaching.  This was valuable and a great boost to the women who attended.  Yet I longed for something that I had experienced years ago where people got together in a beautiful setting away from home with a little bit more relaxed schedule.  That way we would actually spend time with the other people there and have extra time for meditation and time with the Lord.  I wanted an overnight retreat in a beautiful location with the women of our church. 

The first question that needed to be answered was “When should it be?” As we looked over the church calendar, it looked quite full. There was one gaping hole: January. The let-down after Christmas was felt by a number of women. I also began to hear the women expressing a desire to get together during those cold winter months when it seemed that winter would never end. Then there were other advantages to planning it for the depth of winter. Retreat locations would be cheaper. Schedules would be freer. Speakers would be more likely to be available. So the idea of a winter retreat was born.

Ladies gathered for evening session on Friday night.

Since leaving our church, it is this event that I have most missed.  I loved hearing the women lift their voices in song together.  I loved seeing the fruit from times spent alone with God.  I loved hearing the laughter that came from being in a relaxed location.  I loved seeing the women head out into the snow for a walk together and then come back with cheeks bright red, stomping the feeling back into their toes, and seeing the growing bond between them.  If I could be there every year for this event, I would be very happy. 

So it was a delight to me when it worked out for me to both attend and speak to my precious sisters at this event.  Here are some of the blessings from those two days together.      

College women taking a "selfie".

• It was the first time in years that we did not have to drive through the snow to get there.  The resort where we gathered was about two hours from Bangor, so good weather for driving was a real blessing.
• Lynn taught a craft so that everyone who came early was able to take home a handmade project as a reminder of the event.
• Gwen shared her testimony of how God has faithfully led them through the years.
• Corinne, one of our supporters, came and shared her 85th birthday with us during the event.  Deborah, (who was not able to stay because of childcare duties) drove her down.
• I met new women who have become part of our church since we left. 

  

  Alone time with God.

• After each session, the women retreated to a quiet place to reflect and pray over what they had heard.  It was a blessing to see these women seeking the Lord.  There were a few tears for some women during this time, and it did my heart good to see God’s working in their lives.
• Once again, there was singing and a lot of laughter. 
• On Sunday morning and evening, a number of women gave praise to God for the ways He taught and blessed them during the retreat.

What a blessing it was to me to be there.  It may well be the last time I will be able to attend this event.  Who knows?  Maybe some of the women we’ve gotten to know down here will want to see something like this started here.

A Winter Trip to Maine

Why in the world would we pick January to take a trip to Maine?  After all, you can expect it to be snowy at this time of the year and definitely cold.  Road conditions are not the best and airline travel is “Iffy”.

We went because we now have a house and needed to collect our belongings from storage.  There were also speaking engagements available for us.  For me, it meant that I could spend some precious time with the ladies of West Hampden Baptist Church on their winter retreat.

God definitely prospered our journey.  We give him thanks for all that He did for us.  Here is a brief summary of some of the many blessings He poured out on us on this trip.

• Delta contributed to our travel fund.  We were waiting for the plane when we heard an announcement.  “If anyone would be willing to give up their seat and be driven to Atlanta to make their connection, we will give you a $400 voucher for future travel.”  Charlie jumped up and went to the counter.  A few minutes later we were on our way to Atlanta via taxi.  Since it was a holiday, we did not even have to deal with traffic.  We were there in plenty of time for our flight to Maine, and we think we may have arrived before the delayed flight.
• Our flight up was without incident.  We flew on a Monday.  The weekend before there had been many weather-related delays.  The next day another storm blew in and once again there were many delays, but we were already there.
• We have such generous friends.  Friends picked us up in Portland and drove us two hours north and dropped us off with another friend to stay for a couple days.  Another friend gave us a very nice vehicle to use while we were there.  Another friend drove me down to the ladies’ retreat. 
• We were able to visit people in Farmington.  Charlie’s uncle lives there, so we were able to drop in and see him and his wife.  Then on Wednesday evening we shared our ministry with the people of New Hope Baptist and stayed overnight in their “Prophets’ Chamber.”
• The ladies’ retreat was a real joy to my heart.  It is the event I miss most now that we’re gone.  Gathering with those dear friends to learn together from the Word of God is such a joy.  There was time for a few heart-to-heart talks, walks in the snow, and enjoying the beauty of God’s creation there in Southwest Harbor.  (More about that in another blog.)
• The men were available, flexible, and speedy in packing the moving truck.  The night before we were supposed to pick up the truck, Charlie got a call from U-Haul saying that the battery in “our” truck was dead.  So instead of picking the truck up early, Charlie had to let the men know that it wouldn’t be available until later.  When they gathered to pack, it only took them an hour to load.  As cold as it was, it’s good there were many men there to make it happen quickly.
• The pastor and his family are loving and hospitable.  The last half of the week while I was at the ladies’ retreat, Charlie stayed with the pastor, and we were both there when I returned.  They were very warm and welcoming, and we love to see that the church is growing under their leadership.  When we left, they loaded us up with sandwiches and treats for the journey that lasted almost until we arrived home.
• God kept us safe on the trip home.  We encountered the worst weather on our second day of the trip home.  After we’d been on the road a couple hours, the snow started, and it stayed with us all the rest of the way.  We saw a number of cars off the road, but the Lord kept us safe. 



Finally home in Georgia!

• We were able to unload the truck with just minutes to spare.  We had hoped to get some help on this end, but the bad road conditions meant that people were not venturing out.  Churches cancelled on Wednesday night, so the promise of a crew to “help with the heavy stuff” did not materialize.  So on Thursday morning, after a night of much needed rest, Charlie and I finished with the remaining items and returned the truck.  The man at the U-Haul store said to us, “You are three minutes early.”  Then we rejoiced at the unplanned delay at picking up the truck as it kept us from having to pay for an extra day.

It was a blessed trip from start to finish, and we give thanks to God for his many blessings to us.

On Choosing a Church

We sat quietly, reading the menu.  Everything sounded so delicious.  It was hard to choose.  But soon our choices were made and our orders spoken to the waiter.  He filled our water glasses and left, and we began to talk.

Almost fifteen years had passed since I first met her.  Although I could tell she was older, she had the same energy and sparkle that endeared me to her then.  We had kept in touch, but almost ten years had passed since that cool spring day when we joined her for a conference at her church.  That was the last time we saw her.  Now she had a dear husband by her side.

By the time the steaming plates of food arrived, we had compared notes on others that had formed our circle of friends fifteen years ago.  Now we moved on to contemporary news.  We filled them in on our ministry.  They filled us in on their work and family. We knew they were not attending the same church where we had last seen her, so we asked her about that change.

“I love my old church,” she explained, “but they have so many talented people there.  They didn’t really need me.  Our little church needs more people who will serve.  We are very happy to be able to serve there.” 
After extended conversation, our hearts were full and so were our bellies. We promised to stay in touch and went our separate ways.

Since that conversation, I have been thinking more about her comments.  One of the things Charlie and I love about small churches is that there is no such thing as unemployment.  Everyone’s hands and gifts are needed.  No one slips in unnoticed or leaves without a greeting.  There is a need and a place for everyone. 

It is all too easy to choose a church the way we choose our an item off a menu.

• This one appeals to my tastes.  
• This one looks better to me. 
• I had something like this before, and I didn’t like it. 
• My friend says this one is really good.  

Instead of looking for the church that needs my service the most, we look for a church that will serve me the best.

Large churches have taken a major place in America, and I’m thankful for them. But every once in a while I wish that more of the talented people from those large churches would take our friend’s advice to spread out to help some of the smaller churches. She’s right.  The large churches don’t need more talented people, but the small ones really do.  If two or three more young families would join one of the small churches where we have been, maybe they would be able to do more to spread God’s good news to the neighborhood around them.