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Pregnant Words Part 1

Character

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“When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.  And she cried out with a loud voice and said, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me?  For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy.  And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.’  And Mary said:  ‘My soul exalts the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.  For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; for behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed.  For the Mighty One has done great things for me; and holy is His name.  And His mercy is upon generation after generation toward those who fear Him.  He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.  He has brought down rulers from their thrones, and has exalted those who were humble.  He has filled the hungry with good things; and sent away the rich empty-handed.  He has given help to Israel His servant, in remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his descendants forever.’”  Luke 1:41-55

I have a wife, two daughters, a mother, a mother-in-law, five sisters-in-law, seven nieces, and three great nieces.  Add to that friends’ wives and daughters and the fact that the majority of the people that I have supervised were women, I have heard my fair share of conversations between and about pregnant women.  First it’s the joy (or surprise) of pregnancy, then the trials of pregnancy, than all of the things that are needed for the baby, then the labor symptoms and finally upon the baby’s arrival comes the vital information i.e. sex, name, weight and length (and pity the poor guy that doesn’t get all of the pertinent information).  However, never have I ever heard a conversation even remotely similar to the one between Elizabeth and Mary recorded for us in Luke 1.  While they may have gotten around to the details of pregnancy later in their visit, their first priority was to acknowledge the works of the Lord.

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The Painful Truth of Christmas

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“And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him.  And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.  And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law,  then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, ‘Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a Light of revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.’  And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him.  And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, ‘Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed—and a sword will pierce even your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.’” Luke 2:25-35

December is a festive time of the year with lights, presents, good food and family gatherings. It’s that time of year when children are told the story of Christ’s incarnation in Sunday school and hopefully at home as well.  Many of them will also be involved in Christmas programs that either reenact the story or convey the sentiment of Christmas.  However, the focus will be on all of the happy parts of Christ’s birth while the more sobering bits will be left out.

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Adoring Our Lord

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“My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing, I will sing praises, even with my soul.  Awake, harp and lyre; I will awaken the dawn!  I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples, and I will sing praises to You among the nations.  For Your lovingkindness is great above the heavens, and Your truth reaches to the skies.  Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and Your glory above all the earth.”  Psalm 108:1-5

In the United States, we have officially entered the “Christmas Season”.  My wife prefers a clear delineation between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  From her perspective, one doesn’t play Christmas music until the day after Thanksgiving.  As I come from a different perspective, I’ve been known to bend and break that rule much to her consternation.  I have no problem playing “Christmas music” occasionally throughout the year.

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Living With a Thankful Heart

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“Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples.  Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; speak of all His wonders.  Glory in His holy name; let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad.”  Psalm 105:1-3

This week Thanksgiving is being celebrated across the United States.  The day has been set aside to thank God for His provisions and mercies.  However, as we approach the day, we hear more about food, football, sales and traveling rather than we do about giving thanks to God.  When the concept of being thankful is brought up, it’s usually in terms of a general attitude rather than focusing on the one to whom we give thanks. 

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Prelude

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“in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”.  1 Thessalonians 5:18

These are the miscellaneous ramblings of my mind as I ran that turned into a quick post.  It may not be as polished, but I hope that this post is a blessing just the same.

I just enjoyed what was probably my last unencumbered run of the year.  As the weather cools, I will need to bundle up more than the average person.  It was a good run.  As I ran, I was reminded of this passage and the depth of its meaning.  In all likelihood, I thought of it as a result of spending the morning prepping for next week’s post on a very predictable topic.  The rest of the run I considered many of the things I am grateful for.

I am thankful that I can run, even with all of its encumbrances, regulations and limitation.  Ten years ago I spent most of my time on the sofa with barely any energy.  My goal for each day was to be showered and dressed before Marie came home. I don’t know how long God will allow me to continue running, but I appreciate them so much these days and don’t take them for granted.

I am thankful for music that keeps me moving.  Today it was my Christmas running playlist and I’m thankful for the artists that share their gifts with us.  I was also thankful for the wind blowing making the run harder as it reminded me that life can be difficult, but God is always with me encouraging me to keep moving forward no matter what I face.

I am thankful for every ache and pain as I run.  They remind of the years and the miles this body has endured.  They remind me that through all of those journeys, and those yet to come, God has been faithful and loving in spite of my errors and missteps. Some times have been sweet, others bitter and many in between, but they have all been blessed and were God’s will for me.

I am thankful for my illness.  It has brought me out of legalism and religion to a real relationship with my Lord that I may not have experienced otherwise.  I am thankful for the small ministry that I have as a result.  I am thankful for those who have walked this journey with me…not the least of which are my wife and daughters who have given up and suffered as much as I.  On that subject alone, I could go on for some time.

I am thankful for parents who did not abort me.  It’s not that my parents would have ever considered the notion, but nevertheless, our current culture would allow it.  Despite the fact that my birthday is in March, it would not be until 60 years ago next month that my mother’s doctor would acknowledge that she was pregnant.  He insisted that I was a tumor.  Mom, as both a mother twice over and a nurse, knew differently and held her ground.  Further, while my mother would never say this, my birth created some adjustments as I was significantly younger than my siblings.  Also, my birth was literally sandwiched between missionary board meetings in which my father was laying out the proposal for a new mission in Ecuador.  It’s one thing to move two teenagers to another country, but a toddler certainly complicated the mix.  While that was not to be, it certainly must have weighed on their minds.

I am thankful for those saints who have enriched my life but have gone to be with our Lord.  Their deaths have caused great sorrow and pain.  Yet I know that they have met their Lord and are enjoying eternity with Him.  How could I ever wish that their reward be postponed?  It is bittersweet, but I am both thankful for their time with us and that they currently enjoy peace and joy that in inexpressible.

I am grateful for many more things like; a mother and father-in-law who loved me, a great son-in-law, and two grandsons; a church that is faithful to God’s word and my church family; as well as the many things we normally consider blessings at this time of year.  However, I wanted to share what came to mind as I considered this verse.  God has been my God since birth and has planned all of the events of my life to bring me to this point and I am grateful.  Consequently, “I will praise the name of God with song and magnify Him with thanksgiving.”  (Ps. 69:30)

 

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Relax

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“‘Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’  The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold.”  Psalm 46:10-11

We have raised two daughters and have the pleasure of spending a fair amount of time with our grandsons.  As a result, we have plenty of experience with children fighting sleep…especially when they are overtired.    They fight and fight until that moment that they are so worn out, that they can no longer stay awake and suddenly their little bodies go limp. 

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Fighting the Chameleon Within

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You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness    2 Peter 3:17

I was blessed with a mother and maternal grandparents who had very strong convictions about not letting people and circumstances move them from what their ethics and beliefs dictated.

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The Blessing of Social Media

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With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.  Ephesians 6:18

When I sang in our church choir, there was an unexpected benefit to facing the congregation.  Sometimes it was while singing and at other times it was while waiting for the announcements to be completed. 

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Honor and Respect

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Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.  Romans 13:7

I had some medical tests done today by men and women I had never met before.  They exhibited concern for me as patient and I trusted them for their knowledge.  These were brief exchanges, but despite the fact that these medical professionals were literally inflicting various levels of stress and pain on my body, they passed pleasantly and with rapport.

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Our Rock, Our Fortress and Our Deliverer

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The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.  Psalm 18:2

As I look over my life, there have been many ups and downs.  However, it is my belief that there have been two decidedly tempestuous times in my life that have shaken me to the core.

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