The Challenge of Change

“This is Superintendent Hamilton calling. Is Steve there?”

The phone call that morning caught me off-guard—by who was calling and his instruction. I felt my heart rate quicken even while responding: “No, but may I take a message?”

“I need for you and Steve to come to the district office—this afternoon, if possible. When you’re able to reach him, have Steve arrange a time with my secretary, and I’ll see you then!”

Dr. Hamilton quickly ended the call, busy as he was, especially given the season: appointment-announcement time. Surely this was what he wanted to discuss with us.

That afternoon we learned that my husband, a pastor, would be assigned to a new church, effective in three months’ time. As Dr. Hamilton prayed for us, tears filled my eyes.

We’d developed delightful friendships within our current church—people who’d become like family over the previous five years. But soon we’d no longer sing in the choir together, meet every Monday night at the parsonage for Small Group (which grew to about thirty-five or forty people), or laugh and whoop through holiday parties with one another.

A more sedate gathering of the group in Fellowship Hall at the church

This was the hardest part of being married to a pastor in our denomination: moving. In those days we had little voice in the matter. The bishop and district superintendents made the decisions; clergy families were expected to abide by them.

Change is hard, especially when thrust upon you. Some of you know full well; you’ve experienced much worse upheaval than moving.

For me, at that point in my young adult life, I still had much to learn about navigating the challenge of change. There’s actually much we can do to ease the transition and find ourselves changed-for-the-better in the process.

To begin, we might . . .

Embrace Heartening Truths about Change

For example:

  • “Change is God’s idea. He orchestrates it, and it never takes him by surprise [1].
  • Change is good! It can deliver us right into the palm of God’s hand, which is where we wanted to be all along [2].
  • The God who made us will equip us for the road ahead, even if it’s an unpleasant road [3].

Consider Change as a Gift . . .

. . . because along with the difficulties and heartaches come beautiful benefits as well:

Our faith grows as we’re compelled to press in closer to God for comfort and strength. We experience Spirit-orchestrated transformation as perseverance does its work to produce maturity (James 1:4). And tempered resilience develops as change pushes and pulls us, rebukes and remakes us [4] into better people than we were before.

In addition, new possibilities present themselves that never occurred to us. (Think of Joseph’s transition from household overseer to prime minister—by way of prison, or David from shepherd to king—by way of living as a fugitive for a dozen years or so.)

Allow the Transition to Lead to Transformation [5]

How? By:

  • Clinging to scripture truth. We can begin in the Psalms, copying, journaling and meditating on those truths about God that are relevant to our situations. We can copy promises that offer reassurance and hope. (Another post, The Favor of God, offers an example.)
  • Affirming that God has a hope-filled future awaiting us (Jeremiah 29:11) and taking the next step forward. Tomorrow, we do it again. Before long we see his plan for good unfolding before us [6].
  • Looking back with gratitude and remembering: Just as God has brought us through challenges in the past (sometimes quite wondrously!), he will bring us through our current challenges as well. (Again, another post, Sacred Hands Behind the Scenes, offers examples from my journal.)
  • Looking forward with anticipation and asking: What opportunities might lie ahead? How might God use me in this new life-chapter?

This is not to claim we should sail through the challenge of change hassle-free. But even when swamped by trouble, we can take heart in knowing our God is a strong, stabilizing anchor through every storm.

He’s our ever-present help through every trial, our full provider for every need, and our gracious guide for every path [7].

As for that move? The next church (and three more after that) provided new friends, new opportunities, and new joys!

[1] Sherry Surrat, https://www.todayschristianwoman.com/articles/2016/february/ how-to-cope-with-change.html.

[2] Sheila Niequist, Savor, 10.

[3] Karol Ladd, Thrive, Don’t Simply Survive, 36.

[4] Sheila Niequist

[5] Jean Wise, Sacred Surroundings, 150.

[6] Betsy de Cruz, https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/your-daily-prayer/a-prayer-for-when-you’re-facing-unwanted-changes.html.

[7] Hebrews 6:19; Psalm 46:1; Philippians 4:19; Psalm 48:14b.

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Freshen Up

Let’s say you’ve just arrived home after a long day at work and in fifteen minutes you have to head out again for a dinner engagement.

No time to shower, but a quick “freshen-up,” a change of clothes, a brush through the hair, a touch-up of the make-up (for the women reading this!), and violá—you not only look more presentable, you actually feel more energized.

Such a scenario highlights a strategy we can apply in the spiritual realm as well. We can freshen up our faith. Sometimes all it takes is a new perspective, obtained in less than fifteen minutes!

For example, browse through the following quotes that offer notable perspectives on faith in God. See if your heart doesn’t liven up while reading one or two.

FAITH DEFINITIONS

“Faith is not about everything turning out OK. Faith is about being OK no matter how things turn out”—Unknown.

“Faith isn’t the ability to believe, long and far into the misty future. It’s simply taking God at His Word and taking the next step”—Joni Eareckson Tada.

“Faith is letting down our nets into the transparent deeps of the Divine command, not knowing what we shall draw”—Francois Fenelon.

“Faith is not the belief that God will do what you want. It is the belief that God will do what is right”—Max Lucado.

FAITH IN SPITE OF DOUBTS

“Trust God’s Word and his power more than you trust your own feelings and experiences. Remember, your Rock is Christ, it is the sea that ebbs and flows with the tides, not Him”—Samuel Rutherford.

“Feed your faith and your doubts will starve”—Debbie Macomber.

Hope is no less real because it seems small amid the darkness. Faith is no less yours to claim because you struggle against doubt” (Bodie and Brock Thoene, Take This Cup, 224).

“Don’t dig up in doubt what you planted in faith”—Elisabeth Elliot.

FAITH IN SPITE OF TROUBLE

“Faith doesn’t always take you out of the problem, faith takes you through the problem. Faith doesn’t always take away the pain, faith gives you the ability to handle the pain. Faith doesn’t take you out of the storm, faith calms you in the midst of the storm”—Unknown.

Jeremiah [the biblical prophet] often felt terrible and he was treated terribly. He felt weak and often was near despair. In fact, he was always strong. His emotions often failed him, his faith always held fast”—Eugene Peterson, Run with the Horses, 57.

“Faith is deliberate confidence in the character of God whose ways you may not understand”—Oswald Chambers.

“I believe in the sun even when it is not shining. I believe in love even when I cannot feel it. I believe in God even when he is silent”—Unknown.

FAITH INSPIRATION

“Faith sees the invisible, believes the unbelievable, and receives the impossible”—Corrie ten Boom.

“Face the future with expectancy. Believe that God will act in due time. He cannot lie, but he is not in a hurry . . . Thanking God that it will be so before it is so, that’s faith—Arnold Prater, Bonding with God, 81.

“Faith invites us into an enchanting journey—one marked by mysteries of divine beauty, holy courage, irrepressible hope, unending love”—Margaret Feinberg, Wonderstruck, 7.

“Faith is putting all your eggs in God’s basket, then counting your blessings before they hatch”—Ramona C. Carroll.

I pray these quotes did indeed freshen up your spirit with renewed faith.

Which one did you find most revitalizing? Why did it stand out to you? Please share in the comment section below!

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Ruth Siemens: Unconventional Missionary

Her application was ready to send, but college student Ruth Siemens didn’t even have money for the three-cent stamp. “Lord,” she prayed, “If you want me to train with Wycliffe Translators, * I ask that today you send money for the stamp!”

The mail arrived, but no money. The last letter came from an elderly woman Ruth had met just once. Out of that envelope fluttered a three-cent stamp.

So began what Ruth expected to be a career as a missionary—a dream she’d held since a girl—which narrowed to Peru while studying Spanish at Biola College.

But that dream shattered in 1945 when, at age twenty, she was diagnosed with tuberculosis, leaving her with only one functioning lung. What mission board will accept me now? she thought.

Deeply disappointed but still determined to serve God, Ruth enrolled at Chico State in California to earn a degree in education and English.

She joined IVCF (InterVarsity Christian Fellowship) and attended every training session they offered. Frequently she didn’t have the money to get home afterward, but God always provided.

“It’s not easy to get first-hand experience of God’s love and power, if loans and credit cards are easily available!” she observed.

As Ruth began teaching in San Francisco she met two other teachers with IVCF training. They volunteered with the local chapter and also established a Christian fellowship for teachers which grew into Bible study groups, outreach breakfasts and teas.

Soon such events were being held beyond their district.

In 1954, Ruth happened to meet two missionaries, Don and Nadine Burns, who suggested she apply for a teaching position at the binational school in the city where they served: Lima, Peru!

Ruth didn’t even know such schools existed. She applied and was accepted.

But when she arrived, no one met her at the airport. All she had for contact information was a post office box number. While she wondered  what to do next, Don Burns approached.

“How did you know I was coming?” Ruth asked.

“I didn’t!” Don declared. “I just brought another person who’s departing today.” 

Once again, God proved to Ruth his presence, love, and power. She made her way to school the next day, confident that God would guide and provide.

Ruth soon met Peruvian teacher, Marta. While the two were getting acquainted, Marta suddenly remarked, “You probably know what’s in the Bible. Would you teach me?”

Marta soon became a believer, and then brought her three teenage sons so they could know Jesus.

Ruth began teaching a Sunday School class of sixth graders (all of whom became Christians) and started a Bible club for high school girls.

In her spare time (!) she audited classes at San Marcos University to improve her Spanish. There she met Maria who agreed to give Ruth Spanish lessons which turned into Bible studies, and Maria put her faith in Christ.

She brought friends and Ruth realized God was guiding her into college student ministry. When she approached the local chapter of IFES (International Fellowship of Evangelical Students), they invited her to join their staff–effective immediately–since Ruth didn’t need to raise support; she was already employed.

And it dawned on Ruth, I’m a missionary—just not in the conventional way!

Ruth led campus Bible studies, wrote Bible study materials, and worked with other missionaries to host week-long training conferences. By the time her three-year school contract had ended, numerous students were serving in leadership positions with IFES.

Ruth began to pray about teaching in another Spanish-speaking country and starting a campus ministry there. She applied for a number of positions but heard nothing. Again, funds dwindled and her visa would soon expire.

Then a telegram arrived from a Brazilian school, asking for her decision concerning their job offer. Although she’d briefly met the head administrator, she’d never applied. Brazilians speak Portuguese, and Ruth still felt inadequate in Spanish.

“But when all doors close except one,” she explained, “guidance is clear.”

For eleven years in Brazil, Ruth undertook much the same work among students she’d accomplished in Peru—and experienced more miracles.  “It would take a book to tell of all God’s constant provision and protection,” she wrote.

In 1968, Ruth was sent by IFES to Spain and Portugal to pioneer student ministries there—this time as a full-time staff member.

And God continued to bless her efforts. Opportunities there led to large-scale conferences, attended by representatives from fifty-five countries.

She even held secret training sessions in Communist-controlled Poland.

Upon her return to the States in 1975, IFES asked Ruth to participate in missions promotions and training sessions on campuses across the country.

Many students accepted Christ into their lives; Christian students wanted to know how they could find employment overseas to combine “work and witness” as she had. Ruth collected their names and addresses—six hundred of them.

As a result, she established a ministry called Global Opportunities, to find employment abroad for such individuals, and offer them counseling and training.

Making inquiries by mail was laborious, but Ruth and her volunteers persisted. Then, with the introduction of the internet, the task became easier. By 2018, the team was posting 70,000 job openings per day.  

Today the network is known as Global Intent.  

Missionaries live and work in ninety-one countries, ministering and sharing their faith as God provides opportunity.

And provide he does. Ruth Siemens (1925-2005) would be the first to affirm that.

* An organization that translates the Bible into languages that do not yet have it.

Image credits: http://www.picrylcom; http://www.canva.com; http://www.wikimedia.com; http://www.easy-peasy AI; http://www.canva.com; http://www.dailyverses.net.

SOURCES:

https://intent.org/ruth-siemens-story-how-one-woman-started-a-tentmaking-movement/

https://intervarsity.org/news/ruth-siemens–in-his-presence

Severance, Diana Lynn. “Tentmaker Training Tentmakers,” Her Story, 388.

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Take Heart!

Life is full of setbacks and stress, dilemmas and disappointments, conflicts and crises:

  • The new dishwasher springs a leak and damages the adjacent cabinet before it’s discovered
  • Your new boss consistently demands more than you can deliver without overtime, but there’s no extra pay since you’re salaried
  • The company you work for is looking to sell; everyone is anxious how the sale will impact employees
  • Your sister and her husband seem headed for divorce; he won’t go to counseling
  • Your daughter was just diagnosed with Type-1 diabetes

If it’s not one thing, it’s another. How can we “be strong and take heart” as the imaged scripture above encourages us to do?

The psalmist King David tells us where to begin in the very same verse:

HOPE IN THE LORD

And how do we do that?

We keep our eyes open for God’s encouragement as he gives light to our path, provision for our needs, and blessings to lift our spirits. (A previous post, “Sacred Hands Behind the Scenes,” provides a few examples.)

Watchfulness often leads to amazement, and noticing what God is doing now fuels our hope for what he will do in the future.

Also good to remember? Some of the most beautiful and sacred encounters with God occur during the difficult seasons of life.

Christina Gibson observed, “In positions of flux, in the horrible disappointments, I usually have the greatest opportunity for a sacred encounter . . . I don’t know if it’s because I’m more malleable or if God has a soft spot for suffering” [1].

We’d also be wise to:

EMBRACE GRACE

“The greater your knowledge of the goodness and grace of God in your life, the more likely you are to praise him in the storm”[2].

And praise has a way of cheering and strengthening the soul.

We mustn’t forget to also embrace grace for ourselves. We’re human, with physical, mental, and emotional limits.

God has provided the grace of sleep, rest, food, relationships and more to replenish us. We’re wise to take time to do so—and set aside the false guilt for doing so.

ACT KINDLY TOWARD OTHERS

A strange phenomenon occurs when we care for others and ease their burdens—even through small acts of thoughtfulness. Our own heavy hearts grow lighter.

Kindness produces a number of benefits by reducing unhealthy self-focus, fostering joy and gratitude, contributing to spiritual maturity, and growing our dependence on God.

RESOLVE TO STAND FIRM

First, stand firm on truth (Ephesians 6:14a).

“It’s important to rehearse the lovely, rich truths and promises that remain when other things change. Keep telling these truths, in all their many-sided glory, and one day, walls already cracked will crumble and fall”[3].

Second, stand firm on praise (Psalm 147:1).

“No exercise or medicine will cure the ill of discouragement like praise. Depression and praise cannot long live in the same heart. They are absolutely incompatible roommates.

“Praise brings the consciousness of the presence of God and liars from the pit cannot effectively market their wares in the atmosphere of praise”[4].

Third, stand firm in expectancy (Psalm 5:3).

TAKE ONE STEP AT A TIME

We mustn’t allow our thoughts to run ahead into the swirling “what’-ifs” that spiral us downward. Instead, we focus on what needs to be done in this moment, remembering it just might be rest.

Know also that even in suffering “there is enough beauty to get through the minute and then to get through the hour and then to get through the day”[5].

Practice these strategies and find the H.E.A.R.T.—the courage—that Kind David urged:

H = Hope in God

E = Embrace grace

A = Act kindly toward others

R = Resolve to stand firm

T = Take one step at a time

“Trouble is our common lot. The big difference is the people who follow Jesus get to add this tiny little hand grenade of a footnote to our bumper sticker:

“But take heart!  I have overcome the world”[6].

[1] Soul Bare, 94.

[2] Matt Chandler.

[3] Jim MGuiggan, quoted by Beth Moore in Praying God’s Word, 138.

[4] Jack Taylor, quoted by Linda Dillow in Satisfy the Thirsty Soul,191.

[5] Cara Sexton, contributor to Soul Bare, 198.

[6] J. D. Walt, quoted at https://wrestlingwordblog.wordpress, 11-7-2020.

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Let FUN Impact Your Faith!

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(The famous Chicken Potholder)

The game is called “Chicken Run”; the rules are simple. IT tries to tag another player with a chicken-shaped potholder, or he/she may throw the potholder Frisbee-style, and snag someone that way. If the chicken touches you below the shoulder, you’re the next IT.

I love playing this game with our granddaughters. Laughter is guaranteed– sometimes the result of a clever move that avoids the potholder, or when “You-missed-me!” is soon followed by a solid chicken-thwack.

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(A 30-second rest before the next round.)

We don’t bother keeping score. When we get too tired to run, the game is over, yet everyone feels energized and relaxed. No surprise there. You’ve surely experienced how rejuvenating a bit of fun can be—physically, mentally, and emotionally.

But here’s an idea that may surprise you:  Fun also rejuvenates us spiritually.

Fun can impact our faith.

I admit: Faith and fun are two words we seldom use together. We sometimes feel guilty for having fun, wondering with King Solomon:

But at least several benefits await those who embrace faith and fun together.

Before I list them though, please understand: I’m not suggesting a bit of fun will erase all pain and sorrow. Trouble clearly overshadows fun–at least for a season. But, praise God, joy does come in the morning (Psalm 30:5)!

The benefits of embracing faith and fun together include:

The Euphoria of Answered Prayer

God allows us to be a part of his miracles as we pray for the needs of others. What fun to see his answers come to pass—sometimes way beyond our requests or daydreams (Ephesians 3:20)! Several years ago, I wrote about just such an incident in “Part of the Process.”

 The Pursuit of All Things Praiseworthy

God provides pleasurable fun for us to enjoy every day—even in the midst of difficulty. Such pleasures include: sliding into a fleecy robe on a chilly morning; catching the carefree laughter of children on the breeze; spooning into the season’s first bowl of autumn squash soup.

The Realization That God Engineers Circumstances—Even in Small Matters

Steve and I stopped at a furniture store to inquire about a recliner we’d purchased there, because the bottom and top sections seemed to be separating.  A cheerful salesman showed us how to make the simple repair ourselves.

While there, we checked the clearance section and found a rug and another chair—absolutely perfect for our new home and super-bargain priced. What fun that we would “just happen” into that store at that time!

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Even lovlier in person!

The Special Delight of Faith-Filled People Who Also Know How to Laugh

Somehow God augments the pleasure of fun that rests on a foundation of faith—perhaps because a Christian secure in Jesus is not looking to impress others. They can even tell stories on themselves.

parking-lot-684160_960_720

My grandfather was just such a person. One time years ago, as he was about to leave the mall, he put his key in the lock of his car and nothing happened. The key would not turn. He wondered if the lock had frozen up and he’d have to call Triple-A.

Suddenly a man’s voice from behind him said, “Here. Try this key.” It was the owner of the car. Gramps was trying to get into a similar-but-incorrect vehicle. The two of them enjoyed a good chuckle and wide-eyed amazement that the car owner arrived on the scene when he did.

Now we never would have known about the incident except Gramps told us.  Unlike some who’d feel foolish after such a mistake, he had fun relating the story.  

And perhaps without knowing it, Gramps modeled for us a humble, unself-conscious celebration of life—mistakes included–due to his strong faith-foundation on Jesus. (You may enjoy Gramps’ amazing life-turnaround story  in “The God of Rachel, Henry, and Clara.”)

Billy Sunday used to say:

Let’s plug the leaks with a little fun!

Meanwhile, what kind of fun impacts your faith?  Please share in the Comments below!

(Revised and reblogged from 10-3-2016 during an ultra-busy week.)

Image credits: Nancy Ruegg (2); http://www.rawpixel.com; http://www.pxhere.com; Nancy Ruegg; http://www.pixhere.com; http://www.geograph.org.uk (Jim Barton).

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