What do you think? If someone has 100 sheep, and 1 of them goes astray, won’t he leave the 99 on the hillside and go and search for the stray? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over that sheep more than over the 99 that did not go astray (Matthew 18:12-13, slightly changed from CSB).

I’ve been considering this story lately. Sometimes in our churches, we have people who attend for a while, then drift away. Some may even be members, and then suddenly they aren’t there anymore. How do we respond to these? Do we even notice their absence? Do we shrug and think, “Oh, well. It’s their choice.” The larger the church, the easier for the “strays” to be lost through the cracks. Is it the pastor’s job to follow up on all these? Or should people in the church be equipped and challenged to follow up on those lingering around the exit gate?

As I think on this parable of Jesus, I see His concern for each individual “sheep” in His flock. We may scoff, “What’s one sheep?” But what if it were one of your children? You wouldn’t say, “I’ve got 7 of the 8 of our kids. Who cares if that last one isn’t found. We’ve got the ones who want to be here.” Right. It’s interesting to note that right before this parable, Jesus talks of becoming like little children, humbling oneself like a child to enter the kingdom of heaven. Immediately after this parable is a lesson on how to deal with a brother who has sinned against you. This is followed by another parable dealing on the necessity of forgiving each other.

John 10 has a lot more to say about sheep. The Good Shepherd is willing to lay down His life for the sheep, but hired hands will run at the first sign of difficulty.

What about me? Do I notice who is attending Sunday services and who has missed one recently? Am I willing to pursue a sister in Christ who has maybe been offended over something done to her? Should I feel responsible to give her a call, asking if she’s okay or needs something? Having smaller groups within our church body can help us keep on top of these things. I don’t always notice if one person is missing from our group in a good-sized church, but when one lady is missing from our Bible study, if I haven’t heard why, I can always follow up on her.

Why don’t we follow up? Maybe we’re scared that people will feel judged. As if we’re telling them, “Hey! Why were you absent, you slacker!” Hopefully, our attitude will be better than that! Recently, the small group of a friend missed an opportunity along these lines. My friend CJ was very sick and could have used some help (getting groceries, being checked on, being noticed). Unfortunately, no one reached out to him. Though God used other people in his life to meet his needs, the small group could have pursued him even a little.

So, the next time you notice someone isn’t in your midst, give them a call. Shoot them a text. Pray for them and tell them you did. Ask if they’re okay. See if they want to get together for coffee. Think of how God pursues you when you’re down, when you’re straying or growing indifferent, when you’re bogged down with irritations and frustrations, when you’re feeling unloved. How does God reach down to comfort and encourage you? Find a way to do that to someone else. Go after that 1 on the run. There will be great rejoicing when you catch up to them and they return to the sheepfold with your arm around them.

If a disciple is someone who is following Jesus, is being changed by Jesus, and is on the mission of Jesus, how does that impact our priorities in life? I take what some see as a radical view and believe that Jesus actually meant it when He said, “Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Me.” What that means is that HE IS our priority. There is no other.

The question that each of us must ask is, “What does it look like for me to keep Jesus first in my life?” What would your workplace look like if Jesus was actually first in all you said and did? What about your community and your family? Your “free” time? We give lip service to the commands to love God with our heart, soul, mind, and strength; but what would our lives look like if we actually intended to live that out every hour of every day?

I don’t know about you, but I am easily distracted. I start out with good intentions and soon find myself wondering what happened. Busyness takes over my schedule, and I wonder how my priorities are being reflected. I will wake up again tomorrow knowing that TODAY, I need to choose Jesus first. And the struggle will ensue as “good” things compete for my attention. We need a revival, and I need for it to start with me.

Let’s pray for each other that God would so capture our hearts and minds that we can’t look away, and let’s commit to living out His values and priorities in every relationship that we have. If it feels like a struggle, it is. But it is worth the effort, so fight to keep your heart and mind aligned with His.

written by Norman Smith, originally created for the WARBC Regional Connect blog, 8/28/24

This week I have been spending some extra time thinking about the reason we gather as a church. It’s easy to come together and enjoy the fellowship and good relationships that we have with our church family without really paying attention to the deeper reasons behind our gathering. While not all inclusive or in order of priority, I want to consider some of the reasons we gather as the family of God.

To start with we should remember that we are God’s family. We belong to Him, and the time we spend together with His family should point us back to Him. The special relationship that we have is a result of the relationship that we have with Jesus. We are tied together in ways that aren’t possible without the work of the Holy Spirit. You didn’t choose God’s family any more than you chose your parents. God chose you and placed you into a spiritual family that has a purpose. You have a role to play and gifts that your spiritual family needs, if we all are to be the family that God intends.

It’s also helpful to remember that none of us have “arrived” yet. The relationships that we form with our church family point out our flaws and drive us to our knees time and time again. And that is as it should be. Embrace the challenge of getting along with people who are not like you! In those moments when we struggle to understand each other and still allow the love of God to hold us together, we are the brightest lights in a dark world. Have patience and love each other.

The last thing for today, when we gather as God’s family we are uniting for a purpose that is bigger than any one of us. The mission of Jesus in the world is big enough to encompass all of our lives. The ministry of reconciliation demands more than any single believer, or any single church can give. It is only when we unite at the foot of the cross, drawn by the working of the gospel in our lives, and are compelled outward by God’s grace that we really begin to understand the church and her reason for being.

Today I thank God for each of you and the local church body that you represent. May God be glorified as you are strengthened in your faith.

Rejoicing!

Norman

Norman and Chloe are currently on their 3-week missions trip to Japan. There are two groups they are working with – one from Faith Baptist Bible College (FBBC) and one from CrossRoad Baptist Church in Ames, IA. The groups overlap one week in the middle. Chloe, a student at FBBC, is accompanied by 6 other students. Their goal is to be an encouragement to Japanese churches and Christians, create opportunities for ministry and connections within Japan, provide cross-cultural experience, and encourage these young people to consider missions as their vocation. (Hopefully, in Japan!) The CrossRoad group is Norman & Susan Smith’s sending church. They want to reach some of these same goals, but they also want to see where we’ve been, what we’ve been doing, and what ministry really looks like there.

Chloe and her group left May 11 at 2:30 AM from the FBBC campus. The day before was graduation, so they went from classes and ceremony to missions adventure. Their flight left Des Moines at 5:30 AM, took them to Dallas, Vancouver, and then Tokyo, where they got to spend the night. The next day they took their last flight to Kumamoto. Chloe texted me at 2:45 AM (my time) to say they’d arrived safely. Norman got to fly “solo”, which he wasn’t too sad about! Traveling with loads of people and all their luggage can be taxing. He left May 11 at 1 PM from WI, making it to Chicago to spend the night. (He had lots of long layovers.) He flew to San Diego the next morning and almost missed his flight to Tokyo due to delays in disembarking. He just squeaked into the plane before it left. Whew! Another layover in Tokyo before making it to Kumamoto, Norman made it around 3 AM (my time). He was able to stay awake for their first team meeting, but then he said his brain hurt! Sleep was blissful, I’m sure.

Please pray for the teams as they travel around. The churches in Japan are so tiny and separated from each other, it feels like you’re the only Christians in the world. Christian fellowship is such a blessing to them! The team plans to visit several churches we worked with, as well as the Filipino men Elijah has been ministering to for the past several years. Jonathan, the man who took over the ministry after we left, is helping line up places to go and people to meet. We’d appreciate your prayers for all involved. Maybe God will open someone’s heart during this trip. Or plant some seeds. Or water some seeds. Or give an increase of harvest!

I’m reading the book of Judges right now. I’m up to the life of Samson. First, I noticed the common sense Samson’s mother had. Manoah (Samson’s dad) was freaking out over seeing God in the flesh (angel of the LORD), but Mrs. Manoah looked at the situation logically: “If the Lord intended to kill us, why would he have accepted our burnt offering and spoken to us this way?” (my paraphrase of Judges 13:23). This reminded me that when people around me are panicked or anxious, a calm voice of reason can bring peace and relief.

When Manoah was talking with this angel of the LORD (before he realized who it was), he asked specifically, “What is your name?” The angel replied, “Why do you ask my name, since it is beyond understanding?” Isn’t this astounding? What kind of a Name can be beyond understanding?! Yet this reminds me of God calling Himself “I AM that I AM” to Moses. I always considered that as difficult to understand. Then, too, Revelation 19:11-16 lists several names of Jesus — “Faithful and True,” “The Word of God,” “King of kings and Lord of lords,” in addition to “a name written that no one knows except Himself” (CSB). God is SO AMAZING I can’t even know or comprehend His Name! Praise Him!

Also amazing is the truth that He knows my name! And cares to know me. What an honor.

Our whole family was able to be together over Christmas this past year. It was wonderful to be able to hang out together. In coming months and years, this will be increasingly more difficult, but we were thankful to have this time.

Cameron has left the nest in order to begin his adulting, which isn’t always so fun. He has begun his semester of EMT training in Iowa. Please keep him in your prayers as he manages school work, his part-time job, and preparing for a medical missions trip to Papua New Guinea this summer. He has had some car problems, too.

Norman continues to keep busy, whether it’s to keep the sidewalks clear of the dumping of snow we got in January or keeping our older cars in running order. He has been sharing his vision for disciple-making with the Council of Six of the WARBC (Wisconsin Association of Regular Baptist Churches). We are praying for God to do more than we can ask or imagine! There is so much work to be done to reach the lost and disciple the believers to do the work of the ministry.

As for me, I continue to take Mom to doctor appointments, keep up with the housework and meals, spend time with our last child at home, and serve in our local church. I also try to encourage our college kids to hang in there and go in faith in the Lord. Prayer has been more on my agenda since the kids are “on their own”!

from Psalm 84 (CSB)

There are five ways to be happy in this psalm! The life of a caregiver doesn’t lend itself to happiness, necessarily. It can be described in many less-than-desirable terms! But here we see God’s advice on how to be happy, no matter what.

1. “How happy are those who reside in your house.” (Ps. 84:4a)

Relishing in God’s nearness every day is possible for everyone! In the time of the psalm-writer, “God’s house” was probably the Temple, the place where God’s glory and “presence” was signified. But since the Messiah came, everything changed. Now God makes His dwelling inside His family of believers. My body is His Temple now! He is always with me. His Holy Spirit indwells me and never leaves me. Focusing on the truth of God’s ever-present nearness should bring me much joy and happiness. He sees what I’m facing today. He knows how I’m feeling. He understands my frustrations and challenges, as well as my sinful tendencies and responses. He is ready to forgive and cleanse me from my poor reactions whenever I confess my failings to Him.

2. “How happy are those who praise you continually.” (Ps. 84:4b)

This sounds so easy! Yet I am so ready to be negative and critical, to focus on all the challenges instead of my Savior’s beautiful face. My elderly parent is not like she used to be. She’s changed and is changing to be less capable than I remember. I need to learn to interact with her differently than I have for decades. Yet how my attitude changes when I focus on God and what He’s doing! There are so may things to be grateful for if I’ll only think on them. God brings little blessings every single day. If I’m not looking, I may miss them! An encouraging text from a friend, saying she’s praying for me; a Bible verse that lifts my focus to the Lord; a hug from an elderly woman with dementia; being able to encourage someone else; a bright sunny day; a beautiful snowfall; safety in a near-accident; a good health report; a reminder of all God has done to save me from my sins and restore a relationship with Him – there are so many reasons to praise God every day!

3. “Happy are the people whose strength is in you.” (Ps. 84:5a)

The longer I care for my elderly mother, the more I see how weak my own strength is! My capacity to endure has its limits, but God’s strength never ends. He may choose to give me the endurance to face life, or He may bring someone else alongside me to help out at just the right time. I can’t do it all on my own. I must be walking closely with the Lord every day, finding my strength in Him. Then I can happily serve others over and over again.

4. “Happy are the people whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.” (Ps. 84:5b)

The life is not the end goal. I’m on a journey to eternal life! One day, all the troubles of this world will be over. My trials and suffering are temporary. What a blessing to remember! Whatever ailment, struggle, worry, or fear I have now, it will not bother me one iota in eternity! This verse reminds me of those faithful saints in Hebrews 11:13-16, who persevered, seeing the promised kingdom through eyes of faith. They realized they were “foreigners and temporary residents on the earth” (v. 13). Caring for an elderly person can seem like a life-long commitment. We don’t know when the end of that journey will come. But it won’t last for eternity!

5. “Happy is the person who trusts in you, LORD of Armies!” (Ps. 84:12)

So much in life comes down to trust. Who will I believe? Who can I truly depend on? If I rely on popular wisdom, I won’t be trusting in the Lord. He will always guide me in His right path, the path toward blessing, peace, and true joy. I want to put all my eggs in His basket, trusting that the outcome He promises will come to pass. When I trust in the Lord, I can release my fears and anxieties and simply rest in His care for me.

I don’t know where you are in your journey of faith or what you’re struggling with today. But God has made it possible for His children to be happy despite great odds. Let’s face this day with His promises from Psalm 84, happy in His presence, with hearts full of His praise, bolstered by His strength, remembering this life is short, and trusting in the LORD of Lords!

This picture doesn’t seem life-changing. But to my mother, it changed the next month of her life! (And then some!) Mom was doing something in the kitchen, turned to walk the other direction, and stumbled over this cat. She fell hard, broke her hip, and ended up having a partial hip replacement that same day! Three days in the hospital were followed by twenty days in a rehab facility. This all started on September 5th — the Beginning of The Fall.

Here’s the culprit! Cute as he is, he could no longer co-exist with my mom. My sister has taken “Big Cat” and his brother “Little Cat” home with her. The cat sustained no injury!

Melodie and Fritz went to visit Grandma at the rehab place. It was beautiful fall weather!

In other news, I (Susan) was able to get Chloe settled in to college. Her roommate is an MK (Missionary’s Kid) from Africa, so they have much in common.

We had a few things to do to prepare for Grandma to return home from rehab. Norman replaced the back porch steps, and Melodie helped sand and stain extra railings.

We finally have been able to use the office space we’ve rented in the building next door! Just in time for Cameron to begin his fall semester of college online. A pastor friend of Norman’s is coming this week to help build some walls to create a couple rooms, one of which will contain Norman’s office and recording studio (for podcasts).

We are amazed at God’s timing of events! Just three weeks after I finished my CNA class, Mom fell. I was instantly available to help out in a variety of ways with ease. It would have been much more stressful if I hadn’t been through that course! I was there in the room with Mom when she fell and could call the ambulance just minutes afterward. I was here in Wisconsin to visit her daily at the hospital and rehab center, not unavailable in Japan. When Mom came home, she had certain restrictions in place, including the one that required her to have assistance every time she walked anywhere. I had been trained to do this, and I could follow her around for five days. Home therapy began coming last week, and she was given the okay to walk without assistance (except with a walker). This was a huge relief for both of us!

I’m grateful to my other siblings who visited, gave me a break from time to time, covered Mom’s bill paying needs, and saw to other details. This is what family looks like!

Going through this experience has opened my eyes to the needs of other caregivers. Now I know how even a couple hours’ break to just get away, having Mom cared for in my absence, makes such a huge difference! There are many caregivers out there! They are all around us! I never paid them much attention, but now I’m part of that club. Let’s do what we can to support and encourage others on this journey!

Sometimes life seems to fly past. Then there are weeks that seem to inch by. The summer has flown past for us. It’s hard to believe the end of August is in sight. Melodie is living in disbelief that she may need to wear a hat to walk the dog on August mornings in Wisconsin! Unheard of in southern Japan! (I’m not complaining!)

Here are a few updates from the last month or two:

NORMAN has scheduled meetings with our supporting churches into October. He has a full calendar of events that makes my head spin. Somehow he still finds time to savor His Savior, exercise daily, and spend time with his wife!

SUSAN — I completed my CNA course today! I’m planning to set up a time to take the state certification test. I enjoyed working at the clinical site, a nursing home nearby. Meeting and helping the residents was the highlight for me.

CHLOE is in mid-tour now. She’s had concerts in Wisconsin, Iowa, and Kansas. She’ll be moving into a college dorm this month to begin her first experience of in-person college classes! Listen to her dad interview her on www.runwithhorses.net.

CAMERON came back from Bolivia with lots of stories and testimonies of God at work. You can listen to an interview with him on www.runwithhorses.net. Cameron will be returning to Wisconsin to complete another semester of online college this fall.

MELODIE has completed her initial 10 hour requirement of driving time in order to take Behind the Wheel training. Following that, she will need more hours of practice before she can obtain her driver’s license. She’s also been busy designing her dad’s new business cards, his podcast logo, and designs for book covers. She’s getting to know several young women at the church we attend.

My MOM has enjoyed a couple mini-vacations with my sister. My mom has been going to the pool pretty faithfully for exercise and social interaction. She can meet people anywhere she goes! She faithfully shares her faith, too. We are all still adjusting to living with each other, making small changes over time.

Thank you for praying for each of us! We are so encouraged to hear your stories of how you have cared for your parents and loved ones, and to hear of how you stayed the course. We are truly blessed. We want to finish our race well, too, for the glory of the Lord.

Our pastor just spoke on James 1:12: “Blessed is the man who endures temptation (or trials); for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him” (NKJV).

We desire to endure to the end, faithfully serving the Lord wherever He leads. We love Him because He first loved us! Praise the name of Jesus!