As I sat in a restaurant today, I was sipping coffee and going over notes for an upcoming conference. Normally, I face away from the door because it is less distracting. Otherwise, I tend to look at every person that enters. I am not sure why, but today I sat right by the door and faced it. I saw every person that walked into the restaurant.

At one point, I looked up to see a woman trying to enter the restaurant. She was having difficulty getting a boy to come inside. The young lad looked to be about ten to twelve years old. He struggled with his mother. (I assume it was his mother.) He had a terror-stricken face. Finally, she had to pick up this boy, so he would come into the restaurant. As they walked through the door, the boy was so frightened, and then he covered both of his ears and kept them covered the whole time while in the restaurant. It became obvious that the boy was either non-verbal or limited verbally. He clung to this woman for dear life.

The woman had a large takeout order, so it took a while to get it ready. She held this child the entire time. As she headed back to her vehicle, this boy was still so frightened, and his mother held him so tightly, while the young man continued to cover both ears.

After observing this woman and her son, it became apparent to me that the boy was autistic. My heart melted for her. I have since prayed for both the mom and son.

My grandson Joseph, who is on the autism spectrum, recently celebrated his fourteenth birthday. Joseph is so loved by his family and by both sides of extended family. We love him deeply. I can testify that this boy has an enormous chunk of my heart. When Joseph’s official diagnosis revealed that he was on the ASD scale, we all cried many tears. Through much prayer, love and therapy, Joseph has made progress, but at times, it is still a challenge.

We personally have learned of several pastoral families, several friends, and acquaintances who have received the same diagnosis. When I speak at conferences and mention Joseph, there are always people in the audience whose lives are touched by autism. ALWAYS.

This is autism awareness month. ASD is not often talked about in Christian circles, yet autism affects so many families. I always cared about children with special needs, but when it touched my family, my caring went to a whole new level. There is a significant difference in day-to-day living in a home affected by this disorder and wearing a blue shirt that mentions autism.

Much can be done to help these children if therapy is started early. Often insurance will not cover all the child needs to improve their lives, and in some cases will cover nothing. While some free therapies are available, they often need more.

I have realized that, as the Church, we must be caring and prayerful for these families. For instance, does your church have any kind of ministry in place for families affected by autism? Does your church offer any kind of ministry to families with children who have special needs? The Church must minister to these families. It is a mission field.

I am thankful that our local church is trying to help these families through small groups where families can gather to support and pray for each other. Our church also has a ministry called The Haven, which is for all children with disabilities. The Haven allows a family to attend a church service. while their child is loved and cared for. Even a teen and adult Haven is offered.

I know of a small church in the Midwest that raised funds to set up a sensory room, utilized workers trained in this area, and used it as outreach. They immediately got new families – families who had never been able to regularly attend a church service.

The Church must step up. Do not close your eyes to this need. Ask other churches for ideas. Search the Internet for ministry ideas for children with special needs. Call that mom and ask her how she is today. Pray with her. Men, reach out to a man who is trying to be a dad to an atypical child.

One of the things we pray for Joseph is that he will have a close personal relationship with the Lord. We ask God to communicate with Joseph and visit him in his dreams. We ask God to let Joseph fulfill the purpose for which he was placed on the earth. God can do all these things and more!

Think about it. Pray about it. Care about it. But please do not ignore it. Why? Because autism matters, children with special needs matter, and families matter.

“Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” – Galatians 6:2.

Maybe it is my age. Maybe it is not being able to turn my mind away from all the things I must do before leaving for a conference in Maine. Whatever it is – I hate when it shows up! Insomnia! I commanded my body to sleep. I claimed sleep. I rebuked lack of sleep. In my mind, I even rebuked my husband who dared to sleep!

Often when I cannot sleep, I quietly find my way through the dark to the living room. I will drop in my favorite chair and prop up my feet. Sleep still stays as far away as possible. This happened recently, so I decided to turn on the television to see if it would put me to sleep. (Yes, I know I could pray and read, but there are times I just want to veg out!)

There is little that I care to watch, but recently a few friends talked about a new show. They said, “You must watch this.” It is soooo good!” I have also seen many friends praise this program on their social media posts. After turning on the television, I saw that the program was offered as a choice, so I decided to see what all the fuss was about. After three minutes of watching the program, I was …   Let me speak in the Amplified Version: I was shocked, appalled, disturbed, astonished, and stunned!

The language in the first three minutes was shocking to me. I turned it off, and that program will never be played in my home again.

I remember a time in the USA that this kind of language was unacceptable in the open. Now, presidents, senators, congress members, and even believers find no problem with filthy language.  As a nation, we slowly walked to the edge, and now it seems we are in full-blown free fall in accepting the unacceptable.

Am I here to bash the USA? NEVER! I love this country. I lead a prayer group of almost four hundred people, and our sole purpose is to pray for the United States of America. I still get tears in my eyes when I see Olympians from the USA win a medal and stand on a podium while The Star-Spangled Banner is playing. I cry when I see vets come home to reunite with their loved ones. It is not unusual for me to cry when I hear Lee Greenwood sing “God Bless the USA.” I love this country.

It is also true that, as a nation, we have gone in directions that God never intended, and we are paying the price. Some blame it on liberals and others blame it on conservatives. There is plenty of blame to go around. What is the answer?

God’s people are the answer.

When Our Lord, Jesus Christ, came to this earth, He did not start a club. He started the Church. Oh, I know, it technically was birthed on the day of Pentecost, but without Jesus, there would be no Church. Jesus began changing people, who began changing their world.

Jesus said it this way, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not overcome it.” (Matthew 16:18). Jesus declared that He was building a Church, strong enough to have victory over all the power of hell.

If you have accepted Christ as Savior, you are part of the Church, the called-out ones. Jesus said, “I am going to change the lives of people and build my Church (the called out) with them, and they will be called out and different from the culture. It will be a Church that can stand against all that hell represents.”

What if the Church became the Church that Jesus described? What if I became the Christian Jesus described? If we stopped blending in with the culture, and become those Christians, what difference would it make in the Church? And, if the Church began to walk closely with God, what difference would it make in the city … the state … the nation?

God said this is how a nation is healed: “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV).

Notice that God said, “My people called by my Name.” He says nothing about the secular world. If we want to see our land healed, God said that it starts with His people. That is you, and that is me. This verse teaches us that God responds to a repentant, humble heart. I want to have a heart like that.

The hope for America is God, and God works through His Church.

When my husband was a pastor in South Carolina, he was asked to visit a woman in jail. “Sally” had killed her husband. She had lived in an abusive marriage for many years. After one particularly brutal night between Sally and her husband, he went to bed. While he was sleeping, she shot him. The judge said that his death was understandable but not justifiable.

Gaylon went to visit Sally and became a spiritual counselor to her. With the permission of the authorities, Sally was escorted to our church for church services. Sally accepted Jesus and was baptized at our church. I am sure there was rejoicing in Heaven.

While Heaven rejoiced, not all of earth joined in the celebration. There were those who objected to Sally being allowed to attend church or to be baptized. Sally was evil and did not deserve this kind of treatment. It was just jailhouse religion.

Sally was no longer allowed to be escorted to church services, but her name was written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, and no one could erase that! Jesus died for Sally, just like He did for me. Sally deserved to hear the Good News.

Everyone deserves to hear the Gospel. Jesus died for all, not just for the ones we like or the ones of which we approve. Jesus died for all, not just for the ones that we like their personalities or the way they dress or smell. Jesus died for all.

Oswald Smith said, “No one has the right to hear the gospel twice until everyone has had an opportunity to hear it at least once.” Every person on earth deserves to hear the truth about what Jesus accomplished on the cross.

We live in a bad news world. Each morning, we wake up and see it in the headlines. In the evening, we see bad news again on the local news. And we probably heard plenty of bad news in between those times. The daily reports are relentless and overwhelmingly negative.

All around us are people facing temptation, regret, pain, suffering, failure, and disappointment. The bad news is truly bad, but there is good news in the face of it all. The good news has a name, and it is Jesus. He is still saving people and offering them eternal life in Heaven. This message about Jesus is worth sharing every day.

Let’s give people some good news today.

We have heard the joyful sound: Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Spread the tidings all around: Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Bear the news to every land, climb the steeps and cross the waves;
Onward! ’tis our Lord’s command; Jesus saves! Jesus saves!

Sing above the battle strife: Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
By His death and endless life Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Shout it brightly through the gloom, when the heart for mercy craves;
Sing in triumph o’er the tomb: Jesus saves! Jesus saves!

“How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily?” –  Psalm 13:1,2

No newsflash is necessary for people to know how much I hate cold weather. Much of the chatter from me during winter is about how cold it is, and the countdown to spring. I dislike when winter is my present season. My desire is for the next season to hurry its arrival. Yet, the truth is I cannot hurry the next season! I must learn to live in the season I find myself. I cannot wish away the present season!

No matter how much we try to wish it away or long for the next season, we must learn to live victoriously in the present, until the new season arrives.

God has been reminding me that life has seasons, and that at some point, one season must give way to the next. Think of how winter becomes spring. It is not instantaneous. It is still very cold and then “suddenly” there will be a warm day, then back to cold, repeat and repeat. In time, the cold is gone and the warm is present every day. That means there has been a change of season.

As David wrote Psalm 13, he was on the run from King Saul and found himself in the hard place of losing hope. He was in dire need of encouragement and strength. Words of anguish filled his heart and then came forth as words from his mouth. He cried out to God, “How long?”

Are you living in the unbearable days of “How long?”  How long will I be unemployed? How long will my marriage be like this? How long will I have financial problems? How long must I continue to pray to become pregnant? How long will my child be a prodigal? How long will I live with this life-threatening diagnosis? How long will I be lonely? How long will my family continue to hurt me?

Our stay in “How long?” can seem “very long.”

You might be in a season that is difficult, the winter of life. Let me be honest enough to tell you that I have experienced the winters of life that have lingered way too long for my liking! I was chatting with a friend recently and my tears began to flow. She reminded me that I was going through a season of “how long?”

How thankful I am that the words of David can become my words to God. I can bring my pain to Him. It strengthens my faith to know that He will bring me through the season of “How long?”

Don’t give up, child of God. He knows where you are and what the cry of your heart is! A change of season will come! Until then, His grace is sufficient.

“And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9.

Don’t waste your pain. Some of you are immediately thinking, “That is easy for you to say. You do not know what I am going through.”  In most cases I don’t know what readers of this blog are going through, but this I do know: Life is peppered with all kinds of pain, and each of us will be touched by some kind of pain. While it is nice to confess, “Because I am a child of God, I shall live a pain-free life,” that is simply not reality.

I have no plans to preach or pontificate at this point. I simply want to say that pain can help us to become more loving and caring to others in pain. Who can better comfort a widow, than one who has walked that path?  Who can better encourage a person with cancer than one who has walked through a cancer battle? The scripture says it this way, “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.”  – 2 Corinthians 1:3,4

Therefore:

1. I refuse to waste my pain of child abuse.
2. I refuse to waste my pain of being betrayed.
3. I refuse to waste my pain of having a child with cancer.
4. I refuse to waste my pain of Church hurt and disillusionment.
5. I refuse to waste my pain of miscarriage.
6. I refuse to waste my pain of a tear-stained face as I visit my son’s grave.

While I wish life was pain-free, it is not! Loved ones die, tragedy visits, betrayal comes, but through it all, God is with us. He will bring us through it.  I cannot stop pain, but I can decide to use it to comfort others, to say God will bring you through this.

No, I cannot stop pain, but I refuse to waste it!

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.” – Isaiah 61:1 NKJV.

Though I wrote this years ago, I revisited it. I pondered the message both for myself and the Church today.

There was a time when I would circle around the parking lot of a grocery store multiple times, just so I could park as close to the door as possible. What good charismatic hasn’t claimed the best parking space “in the Name of Jesus!” Then, I would get a cart full of groceries, unload them into my car, and leave the cart wherever I could squeeze it.

Over time, stores installed cart return areas. I am one of the people who pushes my cart to the return stall. By doing that, it doesn’t hit someone’s vehicle, doesn’t block a parking spot and makes it much easier for employees to gather the carts. As a result, I rarely park close to the store. Why? The cart returns are never close to the store. I want to be in the best place to return the cart. I am more concerned about the end of my journey than the beginning of the journey.

There is a man in scripture by the name of Esau. His story is found in Genesis 25. Esau is a man who shows us that spiritual blessings can be lost by living for the moment, and he did it all for bowl of stew! Take time to read the story.

Life is full of choices. Every one of us will be offered the opportunity to live for the moment or to live for eternity. It may be an occasion to cheat on your spouse or to make a lot of money in a wicked way. It may be an opportunity to indulge fleshly desires or to become popular in an ungodly manner, or to compromise the truth of scripture. Esau made the foolish decision to take the immediate “payoff” of what he could see, touch, taste, and smell over much greater blessings in the future. Many people still do that today. Their whole lives are focused on what they can get now, and they end up missing the blessings of tomorrow.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”  Jeremiah 29:11

God does indeed have wonderful plans for His children but be careful about parking in a place because it feels good right now. How will it feel at the end of the journey? I do not want to look back in regret of what could have been, should have been or would have been, if only I had made decisions based on the will of God, instead of a bowl of stew or an easy parking place.

Spiritual blessings can be lost by living for the moment.

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”  Matthew 6:33

Writing a weekly devotional blog can be trying at times. How do the subjects of this blog come about? There are times when events in life present a subject to me, memories bring up an idea, or there are times when I so sense the Spirit of God speaking to my heart.

I love when God speaks to my heart, and I am so excited to sit down and write. The words seem to race from my fingers to the keyboard. Those times are glorious … at least most of the time. There are days when I let God know that perhaps that is not a promising idea for a blog. After all, I know better than God what He wants to say! (Said with great sarcasm.) Today was one of those days!

As I thought about the trials that so many are facing, some of them beyond comprehension, my heart was heavy. As my mind traveled to the conflict in the Middle East, my heart was heavy. It is hard to fathom what those in the line of fire must be feeling. There is so much loss of life, and too often the loss includes the innocent.

Talking with God, I simply shared with Him that my heart is overwhelmed by so many things around me. The burden is heavy for so many. I sensed God saying, “Tell people that I care.” I explained to God, that people expect me to say something a little deeper than that! Again, I sensed God saying, “Tell people that I care.”

So, that is what I shall do. From God’s mouth to your ears, “God cares.”

When the world seems cold and your friends seem few,
There is someone who cares for you;
When you’ve tears in your eyes, your heart bleeds inside,
There is someone who cares for you.

Someone to care, someone to share,
All your troubles like no other can do;
He’ll come down from the skies, brush the tears from your eyes,
You’re His child and He cares for you.

When your disappointments come and you feel so blue,
There is someone who cares for you;
And when you need a friend, a friend till the end,
There is someone who’s a friend to you.

Someone to care, someone to share,
All your troubles like no other can do;
He’ll come down from the skies, brush the tears from your eyes,
You’re His child and He cares for you.

“Now let your unfailing love comfort me, just as you promised me, your servant.” – Psalm 119:76

Before the age of computers and word processors, some of us actually used a pen or pencil to write on paper. In the good old days, I often wrote lists, notes, and reminders on note pads, and I was one who pressed hard when I wrote. I remember writing down a name and address once, tearing off the page, but somehow losing it. Desperately needing that address, I cried; I prayed; I hunted; I panicked, but to no avail. Days later as I sat down at my desk, I picked up my note pad and noticed indentation that resembled writing. With a pencil in hand, I began to lightly color over the words and there was the address appearing before my very eyes! I had forgotten about it and moved on, but the address was there all the time. It just had not been revealed yet.

How often when we pray do we experience the same thing! Life situations present themselves, and we need answers. We cry! We pray! We panic! We wait! Heaven seems to be deaf to our cries. Yet from the moment we prayed, God prepared an answer. He has not forgotten those things for which we have prayed. He has not forgotten our pain. He has not forgotten our sorrow. He has not forgotten our loneliness. He has not forgotten that the rent must be paid. He has not forgotten that which concerns us. God had it on the tablet of his heart the whole time, and just like the words on my note pad, His answer will appear. He will reveal Himself.

Delay and timing do not often make sense to us, but this I know – God’s character can be trusted. Beloved child of God, He has heard your prayers, and the answer is on the way. Just think – this could be the day that it appears before your eyes.

“God will perfect everything that concerns you.” (Psalm 138:8, NKJV)

Have you ever asked yourself this question, “Why bother?”

Let’s ponder a story found in the book of Mark chapter five. Mark is my favorite gospel, and I love chapter five. It is filled with so much truth. I cannot cover the chapter in a blog, but we can explore a small part of the chapter.

Jesus had calmed the storm as He and His disciples crossed the lake to the other side. As Jesus stepped onto the shore, much ministry awaited Him. The crowd grew large and began to press in on Him. A synagogue leader named Jairus worked his way to Jesus and fell at the Master’s feet. He began to plead for his daughter who was very sick. “Jesus, if you will come to my house and place Your hands upon her, I know she will be healed.” Immediately Jesus began following Jairus to his home.

Don’t you know Jairus was so excited? I can just see his tears and his smile because he knows the great healer is about to turn the situation around!

As they headed to the home of Jairus, Jesus was interrupted on the journey. A woman we know as the woman with the issue of blood, touched the hem of the robe Jesus was wearing, and instantly she was healed. Maybe Jairus was thankful that the woman’s miracle came quickly, but no, Jesus had to stop and have a chat about the miracle. I wonder if Jairus was thinking, “Come on, Jesus, we have to hurry!”

After chatting with the woman and the crowd, Jesus turned back to follow Jairus. Then, some of Jairus’s friends told him it was too late. “The child is dead. No need to bother the Teacher anymore.” Why bother? It is too late.

Mark 5:35-36, “While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?” Overhearingwhat they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”

Jairus is hearing more than one voice. He is hearing voices around him saying, “Why bother? Jesus cannot do anything now.” Why bother to believe? Why bother to ask? There it is – the question the devil would love for us to get stuck in our heads. “Why bother?”

Why bother to lose weight because I just gain it all back, and I have so much to lose. Why bother? Why bother trying to improve my relationship with this person? I do all the work. Why bother? I messed up so badly as a parent and I cannot change things. Why bother? Why bother praying about this another time? I have prayed about it so many times. It is like Jesus does not even hear me. Why bother? I have tried to walk with Jesus, but I fail repeatedly, so why bother?

We all have lists of “why bothers.” I know I have had mine over the years.

Beloved, that is exactly where the devil would like you to get stuck! He wants you to ask the question over and over – why bother?

Then, Jesus, after hearing what the crowd had said, told Jairus, “Don’t be afraid, just believe.” 

Which voice will Jairus listen to? The voice that says, do not continue bothering Jesus. You are a bother. He does not care. Or will he listen to the voice of Jesus who says, “You are not a bother. I am still at work here. Do not be afraid. Believe.”

Jesus told Jairus to ignore what others were saying and listen to Him, walk with Him, continue the journey with Him. “Jairus, I am still at work in the situation. I have not forgotten about you. Keep walking with me. You are not a bother!”

Jesus arrives at the home of Jairus, and there were plenty of naysayers awaiting Him. Jesus put them outside of the house. He then raised the girl. Do you think Jairus was thankful that he listened to THE voice instead of the voices?

Are you wrestling with why bother today? Do not listen to the voices, but THE voice. We must do what Jesus did and put the negativity outside the house. We must be like Jairus and keep walking toward victory even when it looks impossible.

When “why bother” is tormenting you, stop and read Mark chapter five. Read about Jairus who could have said, “Yes, why bother?” Instead Jairus stepped up in faith and kept walking toward a miracle.

This story teaches us that God delights in rescuing us. Do not miss this! God. Delights. In. You. “Why bother the teacher anymore?”  Because He delights in you. You are not a bother. 

Today, as I write this blog, we are in the season of the Winter Olympics. Athletes from all around the world have converged upon Italy to ski, ice skate, and bobsleigh. And let us not forget everyone’s favorite –  curling! Every athlete’s desire is to step up to the winner’s podium and be awarded a medal.

Let me tell you about John Stephen Akhwari of Tanzania. He did not win a medal. In fact, he came nowhere near the medal platform. But, in defeat and in pain, he came to represent something much more profound and enduring than many sportsmen achieve in illustrious careers.

The year was 1968 at the Summer Olympics in Mexico City. Tanzanian John Stephen Akhwari started the Olympic marathon with all the other runners but finished it alone and in last place. Several miles into the race, Akhwari encountered a pivotal moment that echoed far beyond the finish line. As he ran the race, a severe fall left him bruised and bleeding, and he was urged by the medical team to withdraw. But Akhwari pressed on through pain, leg cramps, and dehydration. He was determined to finish the race. As he crossed the finish line, well after all the other contestants, the stadium stood mostly empty, yet the few remaining witnesses cheered fervently for the battered athlete. His courage was captured by a television crew, and what he said echoed louder than any medal ceremony.

His resounding declaration, “My country did not send me five thousand miles just to start the race. They sent me to finish the race.”

Over my decades of serving God, I have watched many embark on the journey with God, only to falter and abandon their pursuits. Distractions, discouragement, fatigue, the allure of sin, painful situations, disappointments, and apathy can derail spiritual journeys.

I will be seventy-fives years old in September, and I want to finish the race strong. I want these remaining years of my life to demonstrate living a powerful Christian life amid pressure and adversity. I was not saved to just start the race but to finish the race.

A few years ago, I worked with a personal trainer who pushed me to become stronger. After a tiring time of weightlifting and sweating, I would be ready to quit. My trainer would say to me, “Come on, Barbara. Last set, best set.”  With determination, I would give it my all.

I do not know how much longer I have on this earth, but as I walk with God, I can hear Heaven saying, “Come on Barbara! Last set, best set.”

Recently, I have found myself listening to an old song over and over. The song was written by the late Nancy Harmon. I do not regret almost six decades of walking with God. It has been a joy and a privilege. Without hesitation, I say, “I’ve Come Too Far to Look Back.”

I’ve come too far to look back
My feet have walked through the valley,
I’ve climbed mountains, crossed rivers,
Desert places I’ve known.

But I’m nearing the home shore
The redeemed are rejoicing,
And heaven’s angels are singing,
I’ve come too far to look back.

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” – Hebrews 12:1-2 NKJV