God continues to point out His perfect timing in directing Norman and me back to the States for this season. I see so many blessings in this chapter of our lives. Here are a few:

1. When Mom fell just 6 months after we arrived, I was in place with CNA training.
2. Norman and I are in the same time zone as all three of our kids who are now in college. We were here to help them move into the dorms. We can help them better from here, should the need rise.
3. Norman and I have been able to figure out some of our own health situations, with doctors we can understand perfectly.
4. I needed a break from the cultural stress of living in Japan. I didn’t fully realize this until I was back here for a time. Being part of a bigger, functioning church family has been extremely refreshing. Being able to do ministry and see tangible fruit more quickly is also encouraging.
5. We are learning different kinds of spiritual lessons in this time.
6. I was here to help Mom through some new health concerns. The past two weeks have been busy with doctor appointments, checkups, and a medical procedure.
7. We have been able to attend various family events — graduations, bridal and baby showers, and weddings.

Those are a lot of the “Pro’s” of being in the States. My main “Con” is my intense desire to be there for Japanese Christians and missionaries. Japan is so lonely and difficult as a member of God’s family. It’s hard to even describe how different it is. In Wisconsin, I have so many opportunities to see Christians every week. Sunday morning, evening, Wednesday night, ladies’ Bible study twice a month, texts from believers with a verse/prayer request/note of encouragement, being ministered to at church (not having to do the bulk of everything). On top of that, there are radio programs playing Christian music and airing sermons, Bible verses, and a Christian perspective. Billboards declare Bible truths. Anywhere I go, I could potentially meet a fellow believer and feel at home in minutes.

In Japan, however, most believers don’t have one other fellow Christian at their job or school. Maybe not in their entire town. They may meet once a week for a church service, and some may have a mid-week service. Some do have smaller Bible studies for women. The culture of Japan squashes those who are different from the traditional model. They put pressure on them to conform to the group. I’m kind of a group-culture ignoramous, but even I could feel this pressure. Please pray for the Christians in Japan. I’m happy to share that ABWE has 17 new missionaries on the pathway to Japan! They are preparing to go as soon as funding is established. Pray for them, too.

God’s timing. His plan is perfect. Why is it so difficult to see a nation-wide turning to Jesus as Savior? What is God’s plan involving Japan? I don’t know. But I trust that, just as God’s timing was perfect in sending me to Wisconsin, He is perfect in arranging everything regarding Japanese people as well. One day it will make more sense to me. In the meantime, I will serve my Lord here for His glory and trust Him to meet the needs of Christians around the world.

I have found myself becoming instantly panicked. Luke 12 informs me that I should never allow myself to stay in that state for long. There’s no need for it! It’s not helpful to anyone, and it shows my lack of faith in the only One who can change things.

What is it that panics me?

I’ve felt it when I thought I had cancer. And I had to wait for a week to find out results of a biopsy. I panicked when I thought my daughter had been snatched from a store. I was overcome with anxiety when I was bullied by a dental hygienist and had to go back to have dental work done (though I wasn’t sure if it was bullying or an actual health issue).

What drives my anxiety?

I feel anxious when answers are unknown to me. And I have to wait.

I feel panicked when my children are hurt or could potentially be hurt.

I feel anxious when I believe I’ve been taken advantage of.

I feel panic when life is out of my control. There are no obvious solutions.

How can God answer my anxiety?

* Every situation I face is known by God. The answers are obvious to Him.

* God loves me and my children more than I do. Nothing touches us unless He allows it for His purposes. If pain and suffering enter my life. there’s a reason for it that He will use for His glory and our spiritual growth.

* Nothing is ever out of God’s control.

* God desires me to turn to Him for direction, wisdom, and refuge. He wants me to trust Him – with my life, my children’s lives, my needs, my safety, my protection, my future – basically, everything!

* He has ministry designed just for me to do in this life. I can serve others, love others, and pursue God’s mission in this world instead of focusing on me and mine.

* I can recognize the temptation to worry and panic and, instead of going that route, I can fall on my knees before God in faith and reliance. He has the answers!

Psalm 94 has some insights and confirmation of what we’re talking about here.

The psalmist was growing anxious about evil men getting away with crushing innocent people. The wicked think: “The LORD doesn’t see it.” But the psalmist says,

– “Can the one who shaped the ear not hear, the one who formed the eye not see? The one who instructs nations, the one who teaches mankind knowledge – does he not discipline? The LORD knows the thoughts of mankind; they are futile. LORD, how happy is anyone you discipline and teach from your law to give him relief from troubled times..” (Ps. 94:7, 9-13).

– “The LORD will not leave his people or abandon his heritage.” (Ps. 94:14)

– “If the LORD had not been my helper, I would soon rest in the silence of death.” (Ps. 94:17)

– “But the LORD is my refuge; my God is the rock of my protection.” (Ps. 94:22)

– And my favorite: “When I am filled with cares, your comfort brings me joy.” (Ps. 94:19)

When I read this psalm, my faith begins to grow! I’m reminded of just who God is! He is not weak and out of control like I am. He is stronger than any foe, able to humble the most arrogant and wicked person, and sees all that goes on in the entire world. My job is to seek Him first, keep doing the job He’s given me, and trust Him no matter what.

Worry and anxiety is a temptation, not a condition or sickness. How do I fight against temptation? The Bible tells me how. I am tempted every day to sin in a multitude of ways. God has provided a way out from every temptation. If I know Jesus as my personal Savior and have been born again spiritually, I no longer have to sin when temptation comes knocking on my door. I’ve been made free! Sin can no longer dominate me. But it will take effort on my part to refuse to go down that road. I don’t go it alone, however. God is with me, His Spirit resides inside me, and God has provided the wonderful support group of my local church. They are my reinforcements! I can share my burden with them, and they can help me lift it. I can help lift others’ burdens, too.

Lord, thank You for Your perfect care of me, of us. Thank You for knowing we’d be worrisome creatures and providing help and answers. Help me to overcome the sin of worry and anxiety. You never meant for me to carry that burden. I want to remain free of it. May I turn to You more quickly each time I’m tempted to panic or fear. Thank You that You are always near. You hold my hand and tell me, “Don’t be afraid.” Help me trust You. Amen.

Sometimes I look to someone else to meet my needs. I begin demanding that they fill them. Yet no human being can meet my true needs. Only God can. When I come to Him with my needs, He often reveals to me that my needs are just desires and preferences. All I truly need is what God provides. Only He can satisfy me. Anything less will come up empty, less than expected, and short-lived.

My sense of Need can turn into Greed.

“Watch out and be on guard against all greed, because life is not in the abundance of his possessions,” said Jesus (Lk. 12:15). My needs can grow exponentially to the point where I greedily seek to fill them myself or force others to fill them for me.

Jesus told the parable of the man who had a great harvest. He decided to build bigger barns to “store up treasure for himself, … and not toward God” (v. 21). Why is it that when our needs have been abundantly met, we don’t think about filling someone else’s needs? Instead, we think we need to grab our blessings close so we’ll have it later when we need it. “Mine!” This sounds like the opposite of what the Christian life should look like! We’re supposed to seek those things above, setting our minds on things above, not on earthly things. Christ is my life! (Colossians 3:1-4)

In Luke 12, I see this comparison:

LIFE IS MORE THAN . . .

– Looking perfect (vv. 1-3)

– Protecting my body (vv. 4-7)

– Protecting my reputation (vv. 8-12)

– Having a life filled with possessions and ease (vv. 13-21)

– Having all my needs met

– Eating good food, wearing nice clothes, providing for my own needs (vv. 22-34)

LIFE IS ABOUT . . .

– Alertly waiting for Jesus’ return (vv. 35-40)

– Serving others (v. 33)

– Ministering in such a way as to invest in heavenly treasures (vv. 31-34, 42-44)

– Faithfully and responsibly doing the job God has give me (vv. 41-48)

What is my life all about today? Am I worried about what others can do to me? Am I consumed with things that are out of my control?

Lord, teach me to trust You more! Help me keep the main thing the main thing. Thank You for spelling out what life should look like. Forgive me for seeking to fill my needs by myself, instead of looking to You. I love You!

It amazes me how much can nag at me in the back of my mind:

– “You’d better consider this scary possibility!”

– “Have you thought of what might happen if….”

– “What if this situation never changes?”

– “How will you deal with life if that happens?”

– “Maybe your friend is betraying you, not honest, talking about you behind your back.”

– “Is she taking advantage of me?”

– “Why would he be so mean to me? Did I do something?”

– “This hurtful thing is in the past, but when I think of it, it’s almost comforting.”

– “What he did was not right. That’s terrible.”

– “You’d better get on that right now. If you don’t, bad things will happen.”

– “The doctor said that, but I’m not sure she understood all your symptoms. I don’t trust her.”

– “The plumber said we need new pipes. Maybe he’s just saying that to make more money.”

– “My needs aren’t being met. What can I do to make sure they are?”

Being worried, concerned, anxious, ill-at-ease, and feeling unsettled are common to us these days. God tells me in His Word that I don’t need to be worried . . . about anything! How can this be? Isn’t that part of my job as a human? Wouldn’t I be negligent as a mom if I didn’t worry at least a little about my child? Wouldn’t that testify that I don’t care? If I don’t worry when my kid is in the ER, something would be wrong with me. Right?!

In Luke chapter 12, I am reminded SEVEN times not to worry, be anxious, or be afraid. This is GOD telling me how to behave! He even goes so far as to give reasons why we shouldn’t worry.

1. Don’t fear what humans can do to your physical body. There’s no need to worry about physical safety from torture, for instance. People can kill your body, but that’s all they can do. (v. 4).

2. Don’t be afraid that God doesn’t see you or care. You are valuable to Him! (vv. 6-7).

3. Don’t worry how to defend yourself when faced with persecution, accusations, and condemnation. The Spirit will aid you (vv. 11-12).

4. Don’t worry about your daily life – what to eat, what to wear. God takes care of you (v. 22).

5. Don’t worry about anything! You have no control of the tiniest parts of your life! (vv. 25-26).

6. Don’t be anxious about striving to meet your own needs. God knows! (vv. 29-30).

7. Don’t be afraid in seeking God’s kingdom. The Father delights to give it to you (vv. 31-32).

My worry doesn’t change anything for the better. It might make me feel somewhat productive, like I’m busy doing what’s expected of me by other humans anyway! But by worrying, I can’t add one minute to my lifespan (or anyone else’s). I can’t change someone by worrying. God asks me: “If you can’t do these small things, why should you worry about anything else?” Which leads me to remember that adding one minute to a lifespan IS easy for the Lord! He called it easy!

What it comes down to is this: My Father knows what I need. I’m to seek Him, His kingdom, and His righteousness (Mt. 6:33), and He’ll provide ALL I need. In fact, He delights to give it to me!

Thoughts from Luke 12 (CSB)

I started my own journey as a caregiver in March of this year. As I continue to read through the Bible since then, I am bombarded by so many verses, thoughts, challenges, instructions, and encouragements for those of us walking this path. Please allow me to share with you what God pointed out to me today.

The apostle Paul addressed the Thessalonian Christians in his first letter to them (1 Thessalonians 1:1-3). He mentions their work and labor for the Lord, describing it vividly in verse 3. I want to compare how these early Christians served the Lord with how I want to serve Him today. Listen to verse 3:

(Paul says): “We recall . . . your work produced by faith, your labor motivated by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in the Lord Jesus Christ.” (CSB)

Work produced by faith

My ministry to my mom includes work! Has faith brought me here? Yes! God’s commands and character opened this ministry to me. Yet DUTY is a cold motive if it’s alone.

Labor motivated by love

But when LOVE enters the equation, it changes everything. (See 1 Corinthians 13:1-3.) This includes both love for God, first of all, as well as love for my mother.

Endurance inspired by hope

I love this last line! Having endurance and feeling inspired seem like opposites. Yet HOPE keeps me enduring this race God has given me. And what does my hope rest in? The fact that this is merely a “season” of my life? That heaven’s coming? Future rewards? Well, no, though those can bring a measure of hope. But my hope must be in my Lord Jesus Christ. What does that even mean? I’m not 100% sure! I have a feeling that I may just learn that on this journey. But I do know that looking at the example Jesus gave me of enduring the cross and looking ahead to the joy awaiting Him, definitely inspires me to keep on going one day at a time.

Maybe you’re not a caregiver today. But in whatever ministry or work or labor you are facing, I hope you can find encouragement from this verse, too. May we live in faith, love, and hope . . . for the right reasons, based on the right foundation, with the right Model to follow.

Between reading Acts and Psalms, I realized what a blessing it is to “be known.” Acts 1:24 acknowledges that God knows everyone’s hearts; Psalm 31:7 says, “I will rejoice and be glad in your faithful love because you have seen my affliction. You know the troubles of my soul” (CSB). I believe God has given each human a desire to be known, whether it’s by our family, our friends, or God. There’s something wonderful about people really knowing me! When I meet someone new, and they don’t even try to know more about me, I come away feeling disappointed. I remember feeling this way even as a child.

It’s not easy or quick to really know another person . . . or God. It takes time, diligence, and love. This idea is changing how I relate to people. This past week, we visited a church where I don’t know many people. One guy sat a row ahead of my family, and since we were there early, I decided to try to get to know him. I asked about his family, his siblings, how he’d spend Christmas this year. I learned more about him, and it will make talking to him again easier. I’d like to think that he went home happy, to know someone cared enough to dig a little deeper. It reminds me of Jesus when He “saw” an individual against the background of the crowd. He reached out to individuals. He noticed them.

Norman’s been saying for years now that, in order to bear one another’s burdens, we must know people well enough to know what burdens they have! I get it now! It’s so simple, yet I have missed it. To my shame, I haven’t always been interested enough to learn more about individuals. If they need help, I might reach out. Too often, people become projects.

Of course, not everyone is open to being known. I could have attempted to get to know the guy at church, and he could have answered in monosyllables, shutting me out. I can only do what I can do. Their response is up to them.

What better way to mirror God’s love for me than to love someone enough to get to know them! Sometimes it takes times of simply being together with someone before they feel ready to open up and share of themselves. Or feel like they can trust me. I’m like that, too! It’s also good not to overlook those closest to me (my children, husband, family members, church people). I have the opportunity to know these on a deeper level than those I see only occasionally. Haven’t you ever wished your parents understood you better? How about your spouse? Wish you knew what your kids were thinking or feeling? Part of the challenge is figuring out ways to draw them out, to make them feel comfortable revealing the inner workings of their hearts.

As we hang out with extended family and our church body in the coming days, let’s try to show greater interest in the people God brings into our circle. How well do you know each one? Who might be receptive to you? Who is on the fringes? Let’s learn to truly know better the people around us, one by one.

If you have suggestions for good questions to use or tips for getting to know others, please send a comment! I have lots of room to grow in this area.

Jesus told His disciples, “You will become sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn to joy” (John 16:20 CSB). He said this relating to His coming death and return to the Father. Yes, His disciples would be sad when they witnessed His crucifixion, but later, after they understood its purpose, they would be joyful. They’d be SO joyful, in fact, that their sorrow would be all but forgotten, like a mother after giving birth forgets the agony of labor (verse 21).

In life, we, too, feel sorrow from time to time. I think of my friend who is facing cancer and a life-changing surgery. We grieve a loss (of many kinds). We sorrow over life change; we find new physical limitations; we are treated poorly or betrayed; we hurt in all sorts of ways. But having faith — we will understand the purpose later — we can access that joy even in the sorrow. That is a work of God! Only divine help supporting our faith can enable us to see past the sorrow of today to embrace the joy of the future.

“Therefore we do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day. For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18 CSB)

“Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross . . .” (Hebrews 12:1b-2a).

Oh, Father! May this kind of faith be true for me! When difficult news comes my way, help me look past the temporary discomfort to the joy awaiting me, understanding that You have a divine purpose in every sorrow You allow into my life. Increase my faith! Help me lift up my eyes to the joy ahead. Amen.

I am reading 2 Samuel this month. Today I read about several armies uniting against Israel. Joab, Israel’s military commander, led the charge against the enemies. The attacking armies divided, some on this side of Israel, some on that side. Joab told his brother Abishai, “You go attack that side, and I’ll fight over here. If the Aramaens are too strong for me, then you will be my help. But if the Ammonites are too much for you, I’ll come to your aid” (paraphrase of verse 11).

What a great picture of the Christian family, the church! When times are tough for me, I’ll look to you for added strength and support. I will allow you to help me. (This is not always easy!) When the tables are turned, and you are in a bind, then I’ll be ready to jump in and give you a hand. We’re in this battle together. Together, we can be stronger. We’ve got each other’s back.

I love this imagery. Too often, it feels like it’s every man for himself, but God never meant it to be that way. I’m guilty of trying too hard to do everything myself. And I am hesitant to “push” myself into someone else’s life. I’ve experienced times when others have come to my rescue, and it’s been wonderful. Why is it so hard to admit the need for help? Pride, I suppose.

This week, let’s look around and see if a brother or sister looks like they could use some support. And if it’s you or me who needs extra help, let’s be brave enough (and humble enough) to reach out to a brother or sister and request a hand. Let’s encourage a Together relationship with our church family.

As I read through Luke 22 this week, several thoughts struck me.

Jesus and His disciples celebrated the Passover together, at which time Jesus told Peter that Satan demanded permission to “sift” Peter like wheat. Jesus told Peter that He prayed for his faith. Peter confidently stated that he was willing to go to prison or even to death for Him. Jesus predicted Peter’s denials.

The disciples followed Jesus up the Mount of Olives where Jesus urged them to pray that they would not fall into temptation. They slept instead. Jesus went off a ways and faced His own temptation: “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.”

I believe Peter was physically and mentally ready to fight with swords to help deliver Jesus from harm. He would have protected Him with his own life. He felt ready for the challenge. Yet that wasn’t God’s plan of attack. When Jesus stopped Peter from using the sword and fighting back, I think it threw Peter off his game. Confusion paralyzed him. If physical action wasn’t allowed, there seemed to be no plan . . . other than to lie down and let the bad guys win.

Peter’s heart was willing to do his plan, but it wasn’t God‘s plan. Peter wasn’t sure what God’s plan was, but it didn’t seem as effective as his own! Accepting God’s plan would need . . .

** eyes of faith,

** a non-human perspective, and

** a willingness to let go of his own plan.

Peter would need to follow Jesus’ lead. Fit into His plan as it unfolded.

Isn’t this what it’s like when we get a cancer verdict, or a job layoff, or the sudden death of a loved one? That wasn’t part of our plan! What now? My plans are out the window, and God’s plan is murky and confusing. Right now, anyway. But God does have a plan, and we can follow Him one step at a time, one day at a time, praying to not fall into temptation, but viewing the changes from God’s perspective. We will need to stand firm in faith (in Who God is and how He sees me) and let go of our own plan.