From the Inside Out

With Passion and Courage

October 18, 2018 by Nancy Ruegg

(Wilfred Grenfell, 1865-1940)

Dr. Wilfred Grenfell listened to the ill fisherman’s labored breathing. He took note of the patient’s fever-flushed cheeks and chill-induced tremors. The diagnosis: severe pneumonia, and possibly tuberculosis as well.

With little equipment and scant supplies at hand, Grenfell was unable to save the man. Left behind were the man’s wife and six children, subsisting in a tiny sod house.

Who would care for the destitute family? Everyone in the fishing village of Battle Harbor, Labrador was barely surviving. In fact, up and down the coast similar tragedies occurred frequently because of the primitive living conditions.

The year was 1892. Dr. Grenfell had just recently arrived on the northeastern coast of Canada.

Over the next three months of summer, he treated about nine hundred people for a variety of medical conditions. And God used those experiences to stir him into action—action for which he had been preparing Grenfell for his entire life.

During his childhood, Wilfred’s parents, Reverend Algernon and Jane Grenfell, provided a strong Christian upbringing for their four sons. Grenfell then studied medicine at London Hospital and London University under the mentorship of the highly respected Christian surgeon, Sir Frederick Treves.

(Sir Frederick Treves)

But a life-changing moment occurred for Grenfell in 1885 when he attended a tent-revival meeting held by D. L. Moody. Grenfell accepted Moody’s spirited challenge to serve Christ with passion and courage.

Not long after, he heard the Cambridge Seven speak—famous student athletes at the time, serving as missionaries in China. Wilfred felt further inspired to follow God’s leading toward Christian service.

(The Cambridge Seven in Mandarin garb, 1885)

Upon graduation from medical school, Wilfred joined the Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen, on recommendation of his mentor and board member of the mission, Sir Frederick Treves.

The RNMDSF already provided floating libraries, clothing stores, and chapels. Now Grenfell could add medical services to the other benefits.

(The Royal National Mission to Deep-Sea Fishermen,

still in operation since its founding in 1881.)

His travels with the mission brought Grenfell to Labrador where the living conditions were so dire he felt compelled to do what he could to improve them.

In addition to offering medical care, Grenfell held simple church services, preaching what he remembered from his father’s sermons. Numerous people chose to follow Jesus; others were strengthened in their faith.

Over the course of the next four decades Grenfell built six hospitals and opened seven nursing stations. He established fourteen industrial centers, a number of churches, and four boarding schools.

At first, the Royal National Mission to Deep-Sea Fishermen financed his work. But it soon became necessary for Grenfell to raise monies himself. God equipped him for this aspect of the work also, and very quickly he became a successful fundraiser and charismatic speaker.

One close-call adventure Grenfell relayed often on his speaking tours, and it finally became a book. (He wrote more than thirty books—all for the support of his mission work.)

In April of 1908 he found himself drifting out to sea on a chunk of ice with no hope of survival. He’d been dog sledding across the frozen Hope Bay, headed for a remote community in Newfoundland where a young boy needed surgery.

But conditions on the bay changed overnight while he rested. The ice began to break up. Though Grenfell tried to jump from one ice chunk to another in order to return to shore, he soon realized it was wasted effort. The floe was moving too fast.

(Drift ice off the coast of Labrador)

For a day and a night, Grenfell continued to drift. He was sure the rough seas would make rescue impossible. But a small group of fishermen in a boat did spot him and came to his aid.

Later, he described his rescuers as five men “with Newfoundland muscles in their backs and five as brave hearts as ever beat in the bodies of human beings” (Adrift on an Ice Pan, 1909).

Two days later, Grenfell was able to perform surgery on the young boy, who was brought to the local hospital by boat—a much more satisfactory solution.

In addition to his accomplishments and great adventures, Grenfell’s full life also included disappointment and doubt, trouble and sorrow, even failure. But he knew where to find strength and encouragement:

“The word of God is the Christian soul’s best weapon,

and it is essential to have it with him always.

In doubt it decides; in consultation it directs;

in anxiety it reassures, in sorrow it comforts;

in failure it encourages; in defense it protects;

in offense it is mightier than the mighty.”

–Wilfred Grenfell

Thus empowered, the great doctor accomplished his divinely appointed mission–day by day, year after year—with passion and courage.

* * * * * * * * * *

That is what we desire as well, Father, to accomplish the mission you’ve divinely-appointed for each of us. May we embrace with faith, courage, and passion the possibilities you present before us, in honor of you, and because your pleasure always becomes ours as well.

(P.S. The winter after the ice floe rescue, Grenfell met Anna MacClanahan of Lake Forest, Illinois. They were married in November of 1909, and she quickly became Grenfell’s private secretary, editor, and adviser. They had two sons and one daughter.)

Sources:

Art & photo credits: http://www.flickr.com;www.wikimedia.org; http://www.wikipedia.org; http://www.wikimedia.org (2); http://www.geograph.org.uk; http://www.flickr.com (2); http://www.picryl.com; http://www.wikimedia.org; http://www.picryl.com.

Posted in Courage, Excellence, Faith, God-Given Abilities, Heroes of the Faith, Perseverance, Service, Uncategorized | Tagged courageous service for God, passionate service for God, Wilfred Grenfell | 15 Comments »

Immovable Foundations

October 11, 2018 by Nancy Ruegg

“He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved.”

–Psalm 104:5

The ancient psalm writer, with his limited knowledge of how the universe works, could only express what he observed: the earth remains stable. Perhaps he noticed we never veer too close or too far from the life-giving sun. And without knowing why, he knew who was responsible: God Almighty.

Now, after centuries of research, we can understand more clearly the reasons for our constant position in space.

Isaac Newton (1643-1727)

Isaac Newton was the first to surmise that the planets are held in place by the sun’s gravity. Why? The more massive an object, the more gravitational pull it produces. Since the sun is by far the largest entity in our solar system, it exerts the strongest pull.

But what keeps the planets and their moons from being drawn into the sun and consumed? Rotation. As the sun exerts pressure inward, the planets’ orbit around the sun pulls them outward. (Think of an object tied to the end of a string and spun in a circle.) Centrifugal force pulls the object outward. Perfect tension between these two forces keeps every celestial body in its place within the solar system.

And because earth’s foundations are never moved, life is sustained. Any closer to the sun and our glaciers would melt, causing sea levels to rise and massive coastal flooding to occur. More water surface on the globe would mean more heat absorption as well.

Just a minor move closer to the sun would cause drastic results.

On the other hand, if Earth were just a few million miles farther away from the sun, the reverse effects would occur. More ice would form, diminishing the oceans. Their function to absorb heat would be lessened. Colder oceans would not evaporate as quickly, causing less rain to fall.

Again, just a minor change would cause drastic results.

Now we know: Our specific, firmly established distance from the sun is crucial to sustaining life.

But our foundations are unique in another regard. Planet Earth is tilted on its axis 23 ½ degrees. (How’s that for precise?)

The tilt keeps our overall temperature stable. Each hemisphere, north and south, receives three months of greater sun exposure, creating warmth. They also receive three months of less sun exposure, bringing the temperature down.

If the world was not tilted at all, there would be no seasons. All points on the globe would retain the same temperature in July as in January—equatorial regions would remain intolerably hot; regions toward the poles would be unbearably cold.

Weather patterns would remain rather static, creating areas of high humidity and other locations of insufferable aridity. As a result, only the mid-latitudes–about half the planet– would be suitable for human habitation and favorable for cultivation.

With these facts in mind, I’m much more appreciative of that truth tucked into Psalm 104: “He set the earth on its foundations.”

Did you notice the psalmist used the plural form of foundation? Perhaps he spoke more truth than he realized.

The viability of Planet Earth rests on at least these three foundations described above: gravity, centrifugal force , and tilt.

Such precision, multiplied again and again throughout the universe, proves God has thought of everything to keep his creation functioning millennium after millennium. And…

“Nothing under his control can ever be out of control.”

–Chuck Swindoll*

If he can perfectly orchestrate numerous factors, with absolute exactitude, in order to maintain life on this planet, he can certainly handle the less-complicated, smaller-scale aspects of my life and yours.

All that’s required of us is the application of one foundational principle:

Faith.

* * * * * * * * * *

*from Intimacy with the Almighty

Sources: https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/review/dr-marc-solar-system/planet-orbits.html and http://www.icr.org/article/planet-eart-plan-or-accident/

Art & photo credits: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov; http://www.wikimedia.com; http://www.pixabay.com; http://www.maxpixel.net; http://www.wikimedia.com; http://www.pxhere.com (2); http://www.canva.com.

Posted in God's Power, God's Wisdom, Uncategorized | Tagged God's Creative Genius, God's Power, Proverbs 16:4, Psalm 104:5, why earth can sustain life | 12 Comments »

Resting Secure

October 4, 2018 by Nancy Ruegg

It was almost time for Mom and Dad to say good-bye and leave five-year old me—by myself—to spend the night at the hospital.

Yes, there was a pretty, friendly nurse who promised careful attention. But, of course, a strange bed in strange surroundings with strangers in charge, left me feeling very uncomfortable—in addition to the tonsillectomy-induced sore throat.

The thought occurred to me, I should have brought my special blanket. Its soft, pink familiarity would surely make me feel better.

When I expressed my wish out loud, Dad said he’d go home and get it. (It wasn’t far.) Mom stayed until he returned.

Dad’s response surprised me. I thought he’d say, “Don’t worry. You’ll be fine without it.”

But Dad understood this was hard for me, and did what he could to ease my discomfort.

Nonetheless, it took a long time to fall asleep that night. But holding my security blanket close and rubbing my fingers against the satin trim did provide sweet comfort.

Perhaps as a child, you too owned a special blanket or stuffed animal that provided a sense of calm well-being at bedtime. However, part of the maturing process is letting go of such things, right?

No, in actuality, it’s just the source of security that changes as we grow up. Everyone seeks comfort in something, perhaps:

A settled career that provides a comfortable income
Meaningful and stable relationships
Good health, enhanced by careful eating habits and exercise
Physical safety, procured through security systems, guard dogs, etc.

But all of these examples offer only external security. And no matter how protected a person might feel today, we all know how quickly circumstances can change. Ask the one whose company downsized during the recession, the one whose spouse suddenly wanted “space,” the one who received life-altering news from his doctor, or the one whose computer files were hacked.

What we need is internal security. And that can only be found in God.

At the first sign of distress we can call out to him, asking him to draw especially close (Psalm 145:18).

And when difficult situations linger, we can meditate on God’s wonderful works, as King David did in his psalm of praise, #145. He suggests we:

Buoy our faith by remembering God’s miracles (vs. 4-6)
Affirm all the benefits and support he’s supplied (vs. 5-6)
Keep our minds focused on his glorious attributes (vs, 7-9, 11, 20)
Review God’s promises—such as those listed in verses 13-16
Remind ourselves that all his actions are absolutely perfect (v. 17)

Each uplifting thought offers soothing comfort. And strand after strand weaves a virtual security blanket for our souls–a blanket under which we can rest secure.

“The Lord’s beloved rests securely on him.

He shields him all day long,

And he rests on his shoulders.”

–Deuteronomy 33:12 CSB

* * * * * * * * * *

We praise You, Father, for the comfort, peace, and security you provide. You alone are able to make us dwell in safety and serenity, where no lasting harm can penetrate. Thank you for your abundant goodness to care for us as we trust in you.

(Psalm 4:8, 91:4; Romans 11:38; Nahum 1:7)

(Photo credits: http://www.wikimedia.org; http://www.pexels.com; http://www.pxhere.com; http://www.dailyverses.net (2); http://www.recreation.gov.)

Is there a particular scripture you turn to for comfort? Please share in the comment section below.

Posted in God's Faithfulness, God's Presence, God's Promises, God's Protection, God's Refuge, Uncategorized | Tagged comfort, Psalm 145, Psalm 4:8, security, security blanket | 10 Comments »

In the Quiet

September 27, 2018 by Nancy Ruegg

Wingstem waltzes at woodland edge,

Gilt buckeye leaves tumble and twirl.

Creation sighs a cool breeze of relief

As summer wanes and fall approaches.

Squirrels scamper over tree-branch highways,

A hummingbird breakfasts on day lilies,

Mums turn round faces to bask in the sun–

A bustle of activity, but not a sound.

Much is accomplished in the quiet.

Trees stretch skyward, adding rings of growth,

Dew crystals bring moisture to petal and leaf,

Butterflies pollinate flower after flower.

God orchestrates harmony, even in stillness,

But not for self-flattering fanfare.

His efforts provide undeniable evidence

Of who he is—proof of his glory.

Note his artistry on sunset dahlias,

His genius in the strength of spider silk,

His wisdom in the female finch’s cloak,

His faithfulness in the circle of seasons.

God also desires to work within us,

Applying his artistry, genius, and wisdom—

Fostering change, fulfilling purpose—

Quietly, faithfully, day by day.

Within the silence of God’s holy presence,

We find strength and serenity of soul.

All we need do is accept his welcome

Into the quiet discovery of HIM.

(Romans 1:20; Psalm 104:24; Job 12:7-10; Philippians 1:6; Psalm 28:7, 29: 11, & 46:10.)

Photo credits: http://www.wikimedia.com; http://www.maxpixel.net; http://www.pxhere.com; http://www.pixabay.com; http://www.pixnio.com; http://www.flickr.com; http://www.pixabay.com (2).

Posted in God's Faithfulness, God's Power, God's Presence, God's Strength, Intimacy with God, Seeking God, Uncategorized | Tagged God's attributes revealed in nature, God's work within us, Philippians 1:6, Psalm 46:10, Romans 1:20 | 11 Comments »

New Every Morning

September 20, 2018 by Nancy Ruegg

“Oh, what a beautiful tree!” my mother-in-law exclaimed with enthusiasm. Her comment referred to a tall bush, planted near the house and visible outside our kitchen window. “What’s the name of it?” she asked. Being from Ohio, Mom wasn’t familiar with some of the unique foliage of South Florida.

“That’s a sea grape,” I told her. “It’s actually a shrub, but they can grow quite tall.”

“Well, it’s lovely. Such big leaves!”

Now clearly there’s nothing remarkable about this conversation, until you know that Mom had asked the very same question with the very same enthusiasm every morning of her visit. And each morning I supplied the same answer. Mom was in her late 80s, and her dementia was becoming more and more noticeable.

Mom’s fresh outlook each morning reminded me of Lamentations 3:22-23:

The faithful love of the LORD never ends!

His mercies never cease.

Great is his faithfulness;

his mercies begin afresh each morning (NLT).

Just as Mom brought new enthusiasm to each morning, so God brings new mercies for each day. Yes, the challenges we faced yesterday required wisdom, strength, and perseverance. But today we’ll need a fresh supply. Praise God he never runs out of such gifts; he is always able to provide.

In the same way, God’s new mercies for today are not meant to be sufficient for tomorrow. In other words, we shouldn’t expect to feel ready this morning for the potential challenges of the future—much as we’d like to. (Who hasn’t wished to know now exactly how the next day or week will unfold, and how best to respond?)

Instead, our wise and loving Heavenly Father has chosen to lead us one day at a time, to protect us from being overwhelmed, easy prey to depression and paralyzed by fear.

No, our best course of action is to avail ourselves of God’s mercies for this one day. As for tomorrow, we can trust God to supply new mercies, more than sufficient for whatever we might face when the time comes.

I’m remembering Corrie ten Boom. (Maybe this post brought her to your mind, too.)

Corrie and her family suffered cruel hardships in the concentration camps of Nazi Germany, as a result of helping Jews escape the Holocaust.

After the war, people would often say to Corrie, “I wish I had such great faith as yours. I could never live through the experiences you survived.”

Corrie would tell a story to explain.

When she was a child, Corrie happened to see a dead baby. A terrible fear gripped her that one of her family might also die. When Papa ten Boom came to tuck her in that night, she burst into tears.

“I need you!” she sobbed. “You can’t die!”

Her sister, Betsy, explained why Corrie was so afraid.

Papa asked, “When you and I go to Amsterdam, when do I give you your ticket?”

“Just before we get on the train,” she responded.

“Exactly,” Papa replied. “And God knows when you’re going to need things, too. Don’t run out ahead of him, Corrie. When the time comes that some of us have to die, you will look into your heart and find the strength you need—just in time.”

Papa ten Boom was proven right. When Corrie needed supernatural strength, God did provide. We can rest assured that his mercies will be new and fresh each morning for each of us–just in time.

* * * * * * * * * *

I praise you, Lord God, that we can face each day with fresh enthusiasm, because for every trial, you have prepared great mercies of endurance, strength, and wisdom.

I thank you that in the midst of trouble, you also provide blessings: a more acute awareness of your presence, peace that defies explanation, family and friends to come alongside, miraculous provision, and delightful surprises to make us smile.

You are more than a sufficient God; you are an abundantly gracious God!

(Revised and reblogged from 5-28-15. Photo credits: http://www.flickr.com; http://www.heartlight.org; http://www.canva.com; http://www.wikimedia.com.)

Posted in Courage, Encouragement, Faith, God's Faithfulness, God's Goodness, God's Grace, God's Provision, God's Strength, Heroes of the Faith, Hope, Perseverance, Suffering, Uncategorized | Tagged Corrie ten Boom, God's Provision, Lamentations 3:22-23, Matthew 6:34 | 10 Comments »

Are You There, God?

September 13, 2018 by Nancy Ruegg

Jesus made it perfectly clear: “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20b, emphasis added).

And in our minds we affirm that truth. Yes, he’s invisible, but we know God is involved in our lives. We look back over our personal histories and see evidence of his work, as he engineered circumstances for our good.

But sometimes our emotions long to feel his bodily presence. Wouldn’t it be wonderful, we daydream, if he literally took us by the hand, put his arm around our shoulders, or pulled us toward him in a close embrace?

Sometimes our ears long to hear his voice, telling us loud and clear exactly what step to take next, encouraging us we’re headed in the right direction, or offering perfect words of comfort that assuage our pain.

And sometimes our spirits long for assurance of his love in spite of our frailty, that progress in maturity is occurring, and the trials we face today will have meaning tomorrow.

There have been close encounters. Every now and then we’ve come within an angel hair of his touch—he felt that close. We’ve received impressions so strong they’ve almost been audible. And we’ve sensed his affirmation in our spirits that immediately settled our uncertainty for the moment.

But in between those intermittent occasions, our Heavenly Father would have us exercise a bit of faith (1) and take to heart what he’s already told us—truths such as these:

God isn’t even the width of an angel hair away from us. Remember the passage where Jesus declares he is the vine and we are the branches (John 15:5)? Just how far is the branch from the vine?

Exactly.

And because he’s right there, we can face uncertainty. God is no cheerleader, standing on the sidelines and shouting encouragement. He’s promised to be deeply involved, to strengthen, help, and support (Isaiah 41:10).

God hasn’t lost his voice. He most often chooses to communicate with us through his written Word. But sometimes he speaks to us through other Christians—their writings or spoken words. And he still implants impressions into the quietness of our souls—if we sit still long enough to listen.

Writer and theologian, Mike Yaconelli was probably right: “The problem isn’t that God has stopped speaking; it’s that our lives have become louder.”

God wastes nothing. Every event, every relationship, every circumstance has potential for meaning and benefit somewhere down the road—including mistakes, disappointments, our own poor choices and those of others.

They become transformational moments to develop our maturity and prepare us for opportunities to come.

Consider:

Moses, once prince of Egypt, reduced to tending sheep for forty years. Yet God chose him to lead his people out of slavery.
Young Daniel, taken captive to live faraway in a strange culture. Yet God’s plan included his rise to provincial ruler in that land.
The man born blind, in order to one day display the work of God in his life (John 9, especially v. 3).

God doesn’t require hoop-jumping. We don’t have to conjure up articulate prayers to access his presence or follow a prescribed set of steps to avail ourselves of his guidance, comfort, and power.

Even the simple act of speaking Jesus’ name invokes all that he is and all that he can do (John 16:24). How reassuring to know: “When there are no words, when there is no strength, there is always his Name” (2). God intends for us to use it.

Finally, and most encouraging:

God is on our side. We. Cannot. Lose (Romans 8:31-37).

Now the question becomes: Will we move forward on what we know, or stagnate because we cannot see, hear or touch?

Notes:

(1) Faith is a quality God greatly values. “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6). But all it takes is the equivalent of a mustard seed (Matthew 17:20), and our God can move mountains of insurmountable difficulty!

(2) Marilyn Meberg, Boundless Love

Art & photo credits: http://www.flickr.com (Salvatore Gerace Tuscan); http://www.pixabay.com; http://www.photolib.noaa.gov; http://www.wikimedia.com; http://www.canva.com.

Posted in Encouragement, Faith, God's Faithfulness, God's Goodness, God's Love, God's Presence, Hope, Uncategorized | Tagged Faith in God, God's Love, God's Presence, God's Voice, Isaiah 41:10, Matthew 28:20, Romans 8:31-37 | 12 Comments »

Simplehearted

September 6, 2018 by Nancy Ruegg

See if this biblical statement surprises you as it did me:

“The Lord protects the simplehearted.” Isn’t that puzzling? I thought scripture warned us against Simple Simon behaviors.

For example, the book of Proverbs speaks repeatedly about the folly of naiveté, foolishness, and recklessness:

“A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps” (14:15).
“The simple inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge” (14:18).
“A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it” (22:3).

God does not generally protect those given to foolishness. More often he allows foolish behaviors to point out our need of him. Clearly simple of heart must mean something else.

I turned to other translations, to see what terms they may have used, and another surprise awaited me. Seven different translations chose seven different descriptors.

The simplehearted are:

Unwary (New International Version, 2011)
Helpless (Good News Translation)
Innocent (New English Translation)
Inexperienced (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
Ordinary (Contemporary English Version)
Defenseless (GOD’S WORD® Translation)
Those of childlike faith (New Living Translation)

M-m-m. Those are not particularly desirable qualities in our culture. We tend to value shrewdness and self-reliance, sophistication and exceptionality, strength and power.

But simplehearted is a positive trait in another culture–the kingdom of God–where those with childlike faith are commended (Matthew 19:14).

Further consideration reveals why the simplehearted are in need of protection. At any given time, we are:

Unwary of potential danger caused by our enemy, Satan
Caught in troubling situations with no means of escape
Blameless yet accused (Consider false guilt part of this category)
Amateurs in applying God’s Word to the hard choices of life
Trapped on the treadmill of humdrum routine
Vulnerable to burnout, discouragement, jealousy, anger—you name it

Did you see yourself among those descriptors? I sure do.

But praise God, my frailties do not repulse him. On the contrary, because of his loving and caring nature, he deeply desires to protect us simplehearted folks.

Now there’s another word that can trip us up: protect. We’d like God to keep us completely safe from trouble, pain, and harm. And sometimes he does—even in miraculous ways.

Other times, God protects us through the trouble (2).

Satan, however, wants us to think that God’s promises have failed us if we have to endure hardship.

But one look at the godly people around us who suffer and it becomes clear: God does not create heaven on earth for the subjects of his kingdom.

God’s idea of protection is to keep us out of the hands of the enemy, Satan (2 Thessalonians 3:3)…

…and to guard our hearts and minds with his peace in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7)—until he takes us home. That’s when all heartache and pain will cease.

Meantime, “There isn’t a single moment when you’re not tucked next to the heart of God” (3).

Such sweet comfort for those of us with simple hearts, reaching out with childlike faith for our Father’s perfect protection.

* * * * * * * * * *

I praise you, O God, that you protect the simplehearted. Your eye is upon us, your arm is around us, your ear is open to our prayers. Your grace is sufficient, your promises unchangeable. My simple heart is filled with grateful praise!

(2 Chronicles 16:9; Isaiah 40:11; Psalm 34:15; 2 Corinthians 12:9;

Psalm 145:13b, and a John Newton quote)

Notes:

(1) Psalm 116:6a (NIV, 1984, emphasis added)

(2) See Perfect Trouble for more reflection on this topic.

(3) Tony Evans and Chrystal Evans Hurst, Kingdom Woman Devotional

Art & photo credits: http://www.pixnio.com; http://www.pixabay.com; http://www.maxpixel.net; http://www.flickr.com; http://www.goodfreephotos.

Posted in Blessings, Encouragement, Faith, God's Faithfulness, God's Protection, Suffering, Uncategorized | Tagged childlike faith, God's Protection, Matthew 19:14, Psalm 116:6 | 13 Comments »

Micki’s Story

August 30, 2018 by Nancy Ruegg

Micki and I first met at church, and within moments it became clear: this woman would make a great friend. Not only did she exude warmth and smile easily, she asked questions. Good questions. And then she listened intently to my answers.

Fast forward a few years from that initial encounter. God did bring Micki and me together, and we’ve been friends ever since—over ten years now.

To know Micki is to experience loving acceptance from her heart, hear godly wisdom from her spirit, and receive splashes of joy from her effervescent personality.

You would not know that this well-balanced and vibrant person has suffered much pain and loss.

With Micki’s permission I am sharing with you her story:

At one time or another during her youth, Micki lived in the same house with an alcoholic, a drug abuser, and a person suffering from mental illness.

In addition, she is an incest survivor and rape survivor.

“When you are abused by a person who should represent safety and security, and no one comes to rescue you, your entire world shifts,” Micki explains. “All the foundational undergirding and security a healthy child experiences is taken away. The world becomes terribly unsafe, with no one to trust or run to. And even though it is the abuser who is wrong, it is the child who feels dirty and bad.”

Those dreadful circumstances, however, were not the only tragedies to enter Micki’s life. She endured the trauma of teenage pregnancy and a doomed marriage as well.

“My first husband was a good and honorable man, but he was so wounded by his own childhood, he could not express love. For five years I was married to a man to whom I would say, ‘I love you’, and from whom would come silence. A man I hugged who couldn’t hug back. A man who regularly moved away from my touch.

“He never abused me, never fought with me, always provided for me, but his rejection was like a cancer, slowly eating away at my self-esteem. At that time I didn’t know he’d been wounded. I only knew he couldn’t stand to touch me, and the conclusion I drew was he must have discovered the truth—that I was dirty, unlovable and ugly.”

Micki recognized the damage in her life from living with an alcoholic, so she began attending Al-Anon, the sister organization of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Through that program, Micki was drawn to people with this light inside them—people who seemed happy despite their desperate circumstances—people who appeared to have a handle on that “Higher Power” the Al-Anon leaders taught about.

Of course, those people who radiated that Light were Christians, and in due time one of them led her to Jesus. She didn’t know it, but that was Micki’s first step toward wholeness.

Not long after she became a Christian, someone asked her, “Do you know how special you are to God?” She remembers sobbing because, how could ANYONE, much less GOD, think she was special?

Micki was so blinded by her past she could not fully grasp God’s personal love. But gently and tenderly over a number of years, he led her toward emotional and spiritual healing, that moment in time when she could finally accept God’s warm and gracious love.

Micki participated in her healing through enthusiastic Bible study. Where once she found scripture rather meaningless, the new Micki reveled in the instruction, inspiration, and encouragement she found within its pages.

Prayer became a lifeline as she navigated the rough waters of challenging family relationships and a stressful job.

Later, ministries at church became a source of great fulfillment. God has put her on a healing team and the planning team for women’s retreats, given her Bible study groups to lead and young women to mentor, as well as put her at the podium occasionally to speak. She has impacted hundreds of lives throughout the three decades since she said “yes” to Jesus.

As he so often does, God took the great brokenness of Micki’s life and created beautiful wholeness.

Then God took her wholeness, broke it open and poured it out, to multiply the beauty in others.

It’s what our God loves to do.

Micki and me, April 2018

Posted in Encouragement, God's Goodness, God's Grace, God's Love, God's Power, God's Salvation, Heroes of the Faith | Tagged 2 Corinthians 5:17, From brokenness to wholeness, Isaiah 61:3, Transformed Life | 31 Comments »

Perfect Trouble

August 23, 2018 by Nancy Ruegg

Expect to find trouble in this day.

At the same time, trust that [God’s] way is perfect,

even in the midst of such messy imperfection.

—Sarah Young (1)

Wait a minute. Trouble and perfection sound like opposites to me. Trouble is pain; perfection is bliss. How can those two concepts possibly coexist in our experience?

Sarah didn’t answer my question, so I headed to scripture to find out how God’s way could possibly be perfect for us in the midst of trouble.

My first stop occurred in Deuteronomy 32:4. “He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.”

And if I virtually click on a few words of that verse, the following truths reveal themselves:

God my Rock is utterly reliable and unshakably trustworthy
All of his works perfectly execute all of his plans
His ways reflect right judgments and highest wisdom
God is devoted to his children and faithful to his Word
All his actions are founded on absolute justice and supreme equity

But when trouble enters our lives, our Rock foundation can feel unreliable and untrustworthy. We might question the perfection of his plans, the wisdom of his ways, and the trustworthiness of his promises.

Then more than ever we must affirm: “Our inability to discern why bad things sometimes happen to us does not disprove God’s benevolence, it merely exposes our ignorance” (2).

Our finite minds cannot understand the all-wise, far-reaching, untraceable workings of a perfectly blameless and righteous God (3).

So the choice becomes ours. Will we: A) give in to worry, defeatism, and frustration, or B) seek to displace those emotions with scriptural truth and perhaps discover a better way to live?

I prefer Plan B! I’m guessing you do too. And a profitable place to begin is in the book of Psalms. We can collect numerous statements of God’s perfections at work on our behalf, even as we navigate through trouble.

For example, our Heavenly Father:

Watches over us (1:6). He knows what’s happening.
Gives us refuge (2:12)—not from trouble, but in the trouble.
Sustains us (3:5) with hope.
Hears us when we call to him (4:3), and is already working to bring beauty out of the ashes of adversity.

Fills our hearts with great joy (4:7)—despite the circumstances.
Encourages us (10:17) with his Word.
Turns our darkness into light (18:28), as he brings bright blessings out of dismal situations.
Arms us with strength (18:32) to endure.

Makes our ways perfect (18:32) as he gives us everything we need.
Guides us along right paths (23:3) toward maturity, serenity, and fulfillment.
Infuses us with peace (29:11) as we remember all things are possible with God.
Shows his wonderful love to us (31:21). And as we celebrate each day the manifestations of that love, our trust and contentment grow (4).

There you have it—a perfect dozen promises for troublesome times, gleaned from the first thirty-one chapters of just one biblical book. Many more are tucked within the pages of our Bibles, waiting to be discovered and embraced.

But worry, confusion, and discouragement don’t easily give up front-and-center attention in our minds. We must continually replace such thoughts with statements of faith, reminding ourselves: “The God who made us can equip us for the road ahead, even if it is an unpleasant road” (5).

After all, he’s in the driver’s seat, he has an impeccable driving record, and he deeply desires to accompany us toward our destination in heaven—to perfectly protect us, counsel us, and guide us safely all the way home–even through trouble.

P.S. An update on my husband, Steve: Many of you know he is fighting liver cancer right now. Next week he will undergo another chemo treatment and radiation. Our prayer is these procedures will eradicate the last tumor and no more will develop before he receives a transplant, perhaps early winter. Thank you again for your love, support, encouragement, and prayer. We are cocooned in God’s peace!

Notes:

(1) Jesus Calling, Thomas Nelson, 2004 p. 160.

(2) Ravi Zacharias and Norman Geisler, Who Made God? and Answers to Over 100 Other Tough Questions of Faith, Zondervan, 2003, p. 46.

(3) Romans 11:33-36.

(4) The following twelve scriptures provide further support: Psalm 139:1-6; 2 Thessalonians 3:16; Romans 15:13; Isaiah 61:3; Psalm 94:19; Psalm 119:50; Romans 8:28; Philippians 4:13; 2 Peter 1:3-4; James 1:2-4; Luke 1:37; Philippians 4:4, 12.

(5) Karol Ladd, Thrive, Don’t Simply Survive, Howard Books, 2009, p. 47.

Photo credits: http://www.ymi.today; http://www.pexels.com; http://www.dailyverses.net’ http://www.canva.com; http://www.pixabay.com; http://www.flickr (Chris Bartnik); http://www.geograph.org.uk.

Posted in Encouragement, God's Faithfulness, God's Provision, Hope, Renewing the Mind, Suffering, Uncategorized, Worry | Tagged Deuteronomy 32:4, God's Care, Handling Difficulty, Renewing the Mind, Romans 11:33-36, troublesome times | 18 Comments »

Shades of Grace

August 16, 2018 by Nancy Ruegg

Late summer abounds with color. Produce bins overflow with jewel-toned peppers, butter yellow corn, curly green lettuce, and deep purple eggplant.

Flowerpots and planters proffer cascades of royal plum petunias, lemon drop begonias, hot coral geraniums, and more.

Even our clothing this time of year can dazzle the eyes with such hues as sunflower yellow, Caribbean blue, and Calypso orange.

We are surrounded by color in the physical realm.

In the spiritual realm, we are also surrounded—by the shades of God’s grace. Every moment, his love for us inclines him to bestow a plethora of benefits, even though we’re completely undeserving.

Those shades of grace include the following:

Red for Jesus’ Blood

In the alchemy of God’s grace, our sin-blackened hearts become as white as snow (1).

And from the day we each invite Jesus to perform that transformation, we become the sons and daughters of the Ruler of the universe, with all the privileges of his kingdom, including his comfort, security, and peace.

Orange for God’s Countless Blessings

Every day begins with the sun’s fiery appearance and ends with its glowing departure. All day long everything on earth benefits from its light.

Similarly, all day long we benefit from God’s countless blessings—especially if we’re attentive and grateful.

“Let the thankful heart sweep through the day and,

as the magnet finds the iron,

so it will find, in every hour,

some heavenly blessings.”

–Henry Ward Beecher

On Monday I worked in our foliage/flower beds and tried to be a magnet, finding heavenly blessings while on my hands and knees in the dirt.

I collected the following gifts:

cooler temps and less humidity
only a few weeds to dig up
a cute little worm doing aerobic wiggles
refreshing sips of ice water
the undulating, soft strum of cicadas (Is there a more quintessential sound of summer?)
a few birds in a serenading mood

Even working in the dirt offers transcendent moments of awe.

Gold for God’s Word

What other book offers such a treasure trove of instruction and inspiration, encouragement and comfort, strength and hope—as well as a place to become acquainted with God himself?

“The Holy Scriptures are our letters from home.”

–Saint Augustine

Green for Growth

“God loves us just the way we are,

but he refuses to leave us that way.

He wants us to be just like Jesus.”

–Max Lucado (2)

Growth happens slowly, however. We sometimes wonder if progress is happening at all. Perhaps the four stages of spiritual growth described long ago by Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) will provide a useful measuring tool:

Loving ourselves for our own sakes
Loving God for our own sake, for what God does for us
Loving God for God’s sake, unselfishly, and
Loving ourselves for God’s sake, in awareness of God’s great love for us

Phillip Yancey added a fifth state: Loving others for God’s sake (3).

Wherever we find ourselves on the continuum, our God who started this great work in us will “keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears” (4).

(And just in that one verse alone, we have an example of the inspiration, encouragement, comfort, and hope we find in scripture!)

Blue for God’s Character and Heaven

The color blue symbolizes loyalty, wisdom, intelligence, truth, and heaven (5).

Interesting that the first four qualities describe God. Out of his grace, he is: loyal to us, wise in his dealings with us, intelligent in his governance over the universe, and the source of absolute truth for us.

As for heaven:

“If heaven were a beautiful place only,

it would not be enough.

But heaven is also a blessed place—

a place that receives the fullness of God’s favor.”

Anne Graham Lotz (6)

Think about that: the fullness of all God is, all the glorious shades of God’s grace, exist in heaven and will one day surround us there—forever.

Notes:

(1) Psalm 51:7; Hebrews 10:22

(2) Just Like Jesus, Thomas Nelson, 2012.

(3) Reaching for the Invisible God, Zondervan, 2001.

(4) Philippians 1:6 MSG, emphasis added

(5) http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-meaninig.html

(6) The Vision of His Glory, Word Publishing, 1996.

(Photo credits: http://www.wikimedia.com (2); http://www.wikipedia.org; http://www.canva.com; http://www.pixnio.com; http://www.flickr.com (Kenneth Konica); http://www.flickr.com (Jim Killock); http://www.wikimedia.com’ http://www.flickr.com (Jose Luis Pelaez); http://www.pixabay.com.)

Posted in Blessings, Encouragement, God's Grace, Uncategorized | Tagged Ephesians 1:7, God's Blessings, God's Grace, The fullness of God | 8 Comments »

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