Rebecca's Hope Chest

Pray Me Through

As I recover from my shoulder surgery, I have pondered what praying someone through truly means and the importance of praying someone through a tough situation.

So many times we are asked to pray for someone. So we pray for them. Once. Maybe even a few times. Is that enough? Sometimes it is. When the need is traveling mercies, the result of a test, a job interview or any number of other needs that involve a one time event, prayer for that one time may be enough. But what about those with ongoing needs?

Those who have been down-sized after 30 years of working for one company, those with extensive medical problems or residual effects from a medical issue, the child with a chronic illness, the death of a loved one, the mother whose youngest child leaves home, salvation for a loved one.

Grief doesn't disappear after the funeral, healing isn’t immediate after surgery, joy doesn’t come immediately when your last child leaves home and sometimes it takes years of prayer to see a loved one accept Christ.

These are the times that as Christians we need to stand in the gap for our brothers and sisters and pray until the need has been resolved - this, is praying them through. There is no time frame, and the resolution may not always be what we want or when we want it. It doesn’t mean our prayer is not heard or will not be answered. It simply means God answers prayer according to His time frame and His plan.

I have been very blessed during my recovery. I have had many, many friends, family members, church members - and brothers and sisters in Christ whom I don’t even know - praying me through my surgery and recovery. While I still have a ways to go, God has answered prayer and blessed me beyond my wildest imagination. I am just a minute speck in all His creation, yet he has heard and answered prayers that have gone up for me. I stand in awe of His grace and mercy.

Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. Acts 12:5 KJV

Empty Nest

June is a time of graduation. Graduation ceremonies from kindergarten, junior high, high school and college are taking place all over the nation. It’s a time of great joy and excitement for parents and children alike. A rite of passage. A time for looking towards the future.

It’s also a time of reflection and great sadness for mothers everywhere whose youngest or only child is graduating from high school and moving on. The joy and pride felt at this great accomplishment is overshadowed only by the realization that their baby is no longer a baby.

I remember sitting at my youngest child’s high school graduation and seeing the young man my boy had become, walk to the platform, accept his high school diploma, then thank his dad, his sister and me, for the part we each played in his life to get him to that day. Everything seemed to be in slow motion, yet happened so fast. Graduation was over, pictures were taken, dinner was eaten, and I felt overwhelmingly sad. Where had all the years gone? There were eighteen of them; how could they have passed so quickly and unnoticed? I remember thinking it was only the blink of an eye and the years were gone!

As the weeks passed, I was starting to understand why it’s called empty nest. No more dirty dishes in the sink that I didn’t put there. Large amounts of food were being thrown away - for the first time in my life, there was no one to eat what I cooked. No little boy to track in mud and sand, to show me the treasures he put in his pockets during the course of his day, or to throw is arms around my neck and hug me as only a little boy can. No teenage boy to eat everything in sight, ask for the car keys, or to tell me loved me every time he walked out the door.

Fortunately, I had many outlets in my life and being a mother did not completely define who I was. Yes, I am a mother and like every mother it was a sad time for me. Yet at that time I was also a dispatcher, an AWANA director, a puppet ministry director, a Sunday school helper and a friend. My work in the AWANA JV club was my favorite outlet. There were several junior high aged boys in the club and I enjoyed watching those boys grow and move on to high school.

Finding balance in all areas of our lives makes it easier to manage when change comes. Finding balance isn’t as easy as it sounds and we have to figure out what works for each of us. Through trial and error I have found balance my life. I have to absolutely trust and lean on the Lord in all things. He is the only one who can fill the huge hole left inside me with each loss I’ve suffered through my life. My son graduating and leaving home was no different. The more I turn to Christ, the more I find to fill me up.

Rebecca's Hope Chest

Rebecca's Hope Chest

THE GREATEST GIFT

Tonight as I sat at Bible study, I looked around the room at our group and realized how much they embody the true spirit of Christianity. About a year ago I was searching for a church, when I walked into their church they enveloped me with love, care and acceptance. Tonight as we sat in our circle to study the Bible, I was again overwhelmed by the outpouring of love as they each prayed for me as I face surgery in just a couple days. I wept as I felt the love of Christ emulated in each one of them.

A little later, during out study, our leader asked, “What do people think when they hear the word Christian?” My answer was You’re a good person. This is true, many believe to qualify as a Christian you just have to be a good person, but who sets the standard? In the unsaved person's life that standard is set by how they were raised, what their parents taught them was “good”.

In the life of the born-again believer, that standard is set by Christ. In I Corinthians 12:28-30, Paul talks about the gifts that God has given, then in the next verse, verse 31 it says, But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet I show unto you a more excellent way.

As you continue to read I Corinthians 13, Paul says that all these gifts, prophecy, teaching, healing, speaking in tongues and miracles are nothing without charity (love). In I Corinthians 13:13, Paul reveals what the best gift is, And now abideth faith, hope charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity (love).

Love is the greatest gift from God and it seems the easiest to possess. Don’t we love fairly easily? We love our spouse, our children, parents, siblings, we love our families and friends. It’s easy to go out of our way to do for those we love. Ah, but here’s the test, do we love the unlovable? Do we love that those who are difficult to love? We all have people in our lives, whether at work or in church or at the market that just drive us nuts. We drive passed the homeless and think, get a job! When a stranger walks into church, do we love him/her, no matter what they look like? That young man or woman who has tattoos every place they have skin, do we love them? Or do we judge them?

When I walked into this church a year ago, not one person there knew me, yet at the end of the service I couldn't get to the door before being encircled by a group of lovely, sincere people thanking me for coming and asking me to join them for their Sunday night coffee fellowship at a local restaurant.

But the greatest of these is charity.

Father, open my heart to those who are unlovable. Let me see the good in them, Lord. They are Your children and are in need of Your love. Let me be the vessel that Your love shines through.

* All verses taken from the KJV

Rebecca's Hope Chest

TRUE FREEDOM

Sitting in church this morning, July 4, 2010, singing patriotic songs and praising God for the freedoms we have in this country, I had to fight back tears. They were tears of joy and tears of great sadness. Joy that I have been so blessed by God that I was born in America. Sadness, as I watch the very foundation of the country I love so much crumbling daily before my eyes.

So many have died for the freedoms we enjoy, freedoms we take for granted, and there are many still willing to die for freedom and liberty, as evidenced by so many young men and women who have volunteered to fight this war we are involved in now.

It seems to me, such an oxymoron, to be sending these young men and women overseas to fight for freedom, while here in our very own country, our own government attempts to remove the Christian foundation and freedoms of this country!

I love this country with all my heart, I always have. I remember as a child how I got goose bumps learning all those wonderful songs that are no longer taught in school. I remember the 4th of July parades and how my eyes would mist up when the veterans passed, sometimes looking like a rag-tag bunch, but always carrying the flag proudly. People stood then, and saluted the flag, as well as, the veterans.

People also stood and waved American flags when the National Anthem was played. I remember feeling like the luckiest kid in the world to be part of such a celebration and a citizen of a country with so many freedoms. The sight of American flags hanging in front of most houses made my heart swell with love of country.

Today, as I was overtaken with the sadness I feel at losing all this, I heard what the preacher was saying and I am filled with such joy because I was reminded that I am a child of God and in the end none of this will matter.

My freedom is not in this world or dependant upon men. My freedom is in God my Father.

Slowly, God is turning His back on America because of this county’s insistence that He leave - and anything Christian be removed from public view.

Sometimes I forget, and I get so weary with all the emails and news coverage of the liberal goings-on in government, but in II Chronicles 7:4 God says, “If My people ( i.e. the Christians of America! ) which are called by My name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven and forgive their sins and heal their land.”

There is hope in this verse, that God will always hear His people, and He has mercy for those who truly repent and ask for forgiveness. No matter what happens to this great nation of ours, I know where my freedom truly lies.

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Welcome to Rebecca's Hope Chest. Take a few moments to relax and let your spirit be free. I know you will warmly embrace the unique gifts and talents of my beautiful sister (in law) Becky, as she brings forth INSPIRING HOPE from the knowledge and wisdom of the LORD, stored-up in her heart. She has a nice -and- easy writing style.. like a female John-Boy Walton; she quickly takes you into the heart of the matter.. and then, blesses you in the going!

With

Rebecca Mick

With

Rebecca Mick

Winter Blessings

Fall has finally come! A beautiful transition from the hot summer months

to the cold, damp, snowy winter! I love fall and winter! I love the chill in the air that causes us to go to the closets and bring out sweaters, scarves, mittens and hats! I love the colors God paints the world this time of year. The blazing yellow, red and orange leaves, the pink and purple sunsets, and the last bits of green as the grass fades.

Oh! The brilliance of the sun reflected from crystals and prisms of ice which hang from the eaves of houses and bare branches of trees make my heart glad! The night sky takes my breath away! It looks like black velvet with diamonds sparkling on it. Then comes the beauty and quiet of waking up to a fresh snowfall and the hush of the early morning winter, when it seems the whole world is asleep except me! Wrapped in the warmth of my kitchen, looking out the window onto a world covered in an undisturbed blanket of white, I know the hope and peace in the quiet of that moment is something only God can put in my heart.

In the midst of all these physical changes in the world, come my favorite holidays! Thanksgiving and Christmas! We sometimes forget what these holidays are all about. We all have much to be thankful for, but it’s so easy get caught up in the preparations for a grand Thanksgiving and Christmas celebration that has nothing to do with being thankful, or with the birth of our Savior. We rush around trying to make the day perfect, only to be disappointed because there is no perfection in human plans.

This year start a new tradition. Make a list of all the things you are thankful for, then actually thank God for those blessings. Ask each person who will share Thanksgiving and Christmas with you to share with everyone just one thing they are thankful for. This gives everyone a chance to reflect on the year passed and to see what blessings they really have been given.

Only Gods’ plan is perfect and the only way to see Gods’ plan is to be open to it, to give thanks to Him and to ask Him to lead in your life.

My hope for each and every one is that as you prepare for your Thanksgiving

and Christmas celebrations, you will slow down long enough to reflect on your

blessings and to thank God for what He has given you this last year.

Rebecca’s Hope Chest

Rebecca's Hope Chest

Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatever state I am, therewith to be content.

Philippians 4:11 KJV

Contentment

How often are we content with what we have in our life? There is always something we want, whether it be material or emotional, we want. Sometimes the thing we desire most is the thing that seems to be the most elusive: love, companionship, or intimate friendship. These things cannot be bought, yet everyone desires them.

In the years after my divorce, I longed for the emotional intimacy that marriage brings. Yet, I never found it. I cried out to God, “Lord, why won’t you give me the thing I want most in my life?” Why would God deny me this, when I had so much love inside, that was screaming to get out? Why were there women all around me who divorced and remarried within just a few years and seemed to be happy and loved? WHY?

Doesn’t God know us better than we know ourselves? God has a plan for my life and marriage might not be in it. I was angry when this thought first dawned on me. Then as the years passed, I had to wonder, is marriage what I truly want most in my life?

What I really wanted was for my marriage to have turned out differently, but by the time I realized this, there was no way to change it. I came to the realization that no matter who I was involved with, that man was not the father of my children and the family I longed for was gone forever; I couldn’t get it back by being married to someone else.

Maybe what you long for is not the same, but there are many situations in our lives that we are unhappy with. Some are easily resolved, others take a lifetime to come to terms with. I didn’t resolve my issue overnight. It took years of walking with the Lord, of being angry at times and being grateful at others.

Exactly how do we become truly content with what we have in this life? Know that this life is temporary. Look to the Lord for all your needs to be met. There is nothing He won’t supply. The key is to come to the realization that He knows what His plan is for your life, and even when we veer off on the wrong path, He will bring us back to what was intended for our life.

When I realized there is no getting back what I threw away, I turned to the Lord. (Don’t we always seem to turn to God when there’s no place else to go?) The Lord gave me friendships and a church family that took away much of the ache for what wasn’t available to me. I found that the more I trusted in the Lord, the more time I spent in His Word, the more time I poured into ministry, the less I hurt for what I didn’t have.

We can buy the material things of this world, but we cannot buy contentment, friendship or love. These things come to us through the effort we put forth. Once we stop thinking about ourselves and start thinking about God - and how we can serve Him - the emptiness is somehow filled up!

Rebecca's Hope Chest

MY JESUS DWELLS WITHIN

I woke up late this morning, the sky was dark and gray.

As I stumbled out of bed, not quite ready to start my day.

I went to the kitchen to put the coffee on,

I thought, this is a bad day, as I stifled a yawn.

I sat down at my computer, just to check my mail.

I chatted with my daughter and played the games offered there.

As I sipped my coffee, suddenly, it was revealed:

How blessed I am to be here, my earlier thought repealed.

I looked out the window, at the tree bending against the wind,

And heard the wind howling outside, but I was safe within.

I thought about the people in Haiti, those without a home.

I looked at my surroundings and realized how blessed I truly am.

Oh, my furniture is nothing fancy and worn with years of use,

But here I have warmth and safety and my Jesus dwells within.

I have so much to be thankful for, too much to even list.

So how could I forget so quickly, the things that matter most?

Then the Lord opened my eyes, and I began to see,

The problem isn’t with the day, the problem’s within me.

My day should always start with my reading of the Word,

How else could I have the protection of God’s Mighty Sword?

I bowed my head and asked my Lord for forgiveness in this sin,

The peace that fills my heart assures me, my Jesus dwells within.

Rebecca's Hope Chest

Grace

When asked to define grace I thought it would be easy. I always thought of grace as receiving what is not deserved. As Christians we sometimes use the words mercy and grace almost interchangeably. We define mercy as not receiving the punishment we deserve and grace as receiving blessings we don’t deserve. These two things can become confused, and this is a simplistic definition of grace. Grace is so much more.

Grace is a character trait of God. It’s a trait all Christians should aspire to possess. Some people seem to have been born with grace, but for others it’s something that needs some work.

According to Strong’s Concordance the original word used in the Bible was Charis (khar’ ece), which means “that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness, grace of speech, goodwill, loving kindness, favor“. Some of the older King James Version (KJV) Bible translations uses “favor”. The New American Standard (NAS), uses “blessing”.

Personally I prefer the word favor. It denotes being special, like a favored child or a best friend. Anyone can receive a blessing from God, but not everyone is favored by God. In the Old Testament (OT) God blessed many people, not all were His favored people. One of my favorite stories of God’s grace can be found in Joshua 2 and 6. It’s the story of Rahab. She helped the two Israelites when they were sent to spy out Jericho. She knew who they were, she knew of their God and feared Him. I believe she must have known of God’s grace, too. When the Israelites attacked Jericho, the lives of Rahab and her family were spared because she helped God’s people. She was shown God’s favor.

Another example of God’s grace was when He sent Jonah to Nineveh. Jonah didn’t want to go, but as we know, eventually he did go and preach. When God spared the Ninevites, Jonah became angry at God. Jonah passed judgment that the Ninevites didn’t deserve to be spared. God showed favor to the Ninevites because after Jonah’s preaching, they believed and repented.

Numerous times in the Old Testament the Israelites turned their backs on God, yet He showed them favor, or grace, and didn’t destroy them (Psalm 78:38).

In the New Testament (NT) God’s grace to humanity is shown in Jesus. In John 1:14 it says, And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. In John 14:17 it says, For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth come by Jesus Christ.

In Titus 2:11, Paul wrote, For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men.

Throughout His ministry Jesus showed grace though His words as well as His works. He was recognized by how He spoke! In Luke 4:22, it says, And all bare Him witness, and wondered at the gracious words, which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph’s son?

Could you imagine someone who never laid eyes on you recognizing you by your graciousness, having your reputation of speaking kindly to people precede you? In Matthew 9:36, it says Jesus was moved to compassion when He saw the multitudes of people. When we have compassion for people we tend to be more gracious and less judgmental towards them.

Throughout the Bible there are many kinds of grace, but as Christians we tend to think of saving grace first. There are numerous verses that tell us of the saving grace of Christ, but I’ll just reference a couple of my favorite. When I substitute the word favor for the word grace these verses are so much sweeter.

Ephesians 2:8-9 comes to mind, For by grace are ye saved through faith,; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works lest any man should boast.

Romans 3:24 says, Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is Christ Jesus.

As children of God we are favored by Him. To me that’s like being favored by my earthly father.

God gives us sustaining grace. In II Corinthians 12:9, God tells Paul, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.

How do we manage to get through the crisis’ and catastrophes that befall us throughout our lives? The loss of a loved one, a child who becomes involved in drugs, gangs or a multitude of other self -destructive behaviors, a marriage that is destroyed, financial set -backs. How do we cope with these things? Do favorite Bible verses come to mind? Is there comfort in being in God’s house and near God’s people? Who do you turn to for advice and comfort?

Lastly is the grace I believe we should aspire to, and that’s common grace. This is grace that’s shown to all men, no matter what their spiritual condition. It’s how we treat people, whether in our home or when we’re out and about. In Colossians 4:6, it says to let your speech always be with grace. In I Peter 5:5, it says God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. In Matthew 5:44-45, Jesus says to love your enemies and to pray for those who hate you.

It’s only through our relationship with Christ that we can be gracious to others. God has shown us favor, is it not only right to show grace or favor to others? I have decided to strive to be like Christ in Luke 4:22, I want to be known for my kind words.

How about you?

Rebecca’s Hope Chest

Sticks and Stones

As kids most of our parents told us, “sticks and stones may break your bones, but words can never hurt you.” What a lie! As kids, how many of us believed that? How many tried to believe it, even when other children would say cruel, wounding things to, and about us? How many finally realized how untrue those words were, and still are?

James 3:8, says, But the tongue no man can tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. This is true when thoughtless children cruelly taunt their classmates or siblings. It’s true when adults participate in gossip. It’s true when disagreements become heated arguments and cruel hurtful words are spewed out in anger.

In James 4:11, it says, Speak not evil one of another, brethren….. Yet, Christians are not immune to participating in gossip or spitting out angry words at their spouse, children and friends. If the words once said would dissipate into the air, it wouldn’t matter what came out of our mouth. The problem is those words strike the heart of the victim. Words can cause wounds that never heal. They can destroy marriages and friendships and they can destroy a child‘s self worth. Words can destroy a church.

There are numerous Bible verses that tell us how difficult it is to control what we say. So, how do we control the words that proceed out of our mouth?

James 4:7, says, Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

James 4:10, says, Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up.

Ephesians 4:31-32, says, Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

How many of us don’t think before we speak? We say something thoughtless or repeat something we’ve heard. It doesn’t matter if we have first hand knowledge of a situation, it’s gossip unless the person it involved has given permission to pass the details along.

I believe it’s through a personal relationship with our Lord that we can control what we say and how we treat others. We need to turn to Christ to give us the wisdom we need when dealing with others. We need to confess to the Lord when we’ve said or behaved in such a way that caused injury to another. We also need to humble ourselves and go to the person we’ve wronged and ask for their forgiveness. Without forgiveness there can be no healing.

We need to teach today’s children the Golden Rule. It derives from the Bible in Matthew 7:12, where Jesus said, Therefore all things, whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is [the fulfilling of ] the law and [the message of ] the prophets.

I supervise a lot of younger people who have grown up believing everything is about them, and they have the right to say and do whatever they please regardless of the impact on anyone else. As a result there are at times a lot of hurt feelings.

I want to put a huge banner on the wall above my desk that says:

TREAT OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE OTHERS TREAT YOU!

*All Scripture from KJV

Rebecca's Hope Chest

Rebecca's Hope Chest