Dana's Christian Journey

musings of a thankful cancer survivor

Author: Dana

  • Otis

    —

    Dana

    photo1Susan, John, and I met Susan’s brother Steve in Washington, D.C. during spring break last week. On the drive to our capitol, we spent Saturday night in Mt. Airy, North Carolina the hometown of Andy Griffith and the model for Mayberry on The Andy Griffith Show. Outside the replica courthouse were engraved stones of the much-loved characters: Barney, Opie, Aunt Bea, Gomer, Goober, Helen, Thelma Lou, Helen, Floyd, and Otis, the town drunk.

    In 1986, eighteen years after the show ended, the two-hour special ‘Return to Mayberry’ aired with fifteen members of the original cast. In this story, Otis Campbell was no longer a drunk. He had been sober for many years and was Mayberry’s ice cream man, a fine citizen. I like to think that Otis had an encounter with Jesus who delivered him from his addiction and gave him daily grace to say ‘no’ to temptation and live a godly life.

    photo2Of course the stories from Mayberry are fictional, but how many addicts, thieves, murderers, and other sinners have been changed by the power of God? Is not the invitation of Jesus all about coming to Him for Living Water and becoming a new creation? Our part is to believe His message, trust Him completely, and obey what He tells us to do. When we realize our sin helped nail the Savior to the cross and that He died because He loves us, we should bow in thanksgiving and surrender our lives to Him.

    Sunday morning we went to the only early church service we could find in Mt Airy. One of the men who led worship was a little overweight and built a bit like Otis. He did not have the greatest singing voice and he played no musical instrument, but when he prayed at the close of singing, I wished I knew his story. With tears streaming down his face and with deep emotion, he prayed something like this:

    “Dear God, We come to You this morning and just thank You for who You are and for what You’ve done for each one of us. Jesus, thank You for giving Your life for us and saving us from our sin. Lord, we love You and we want to live for You. But we can’t do this by ourselves so we simply tell You this morning that we need You – every hour we need You. Thanks for the promise that You are with us. In Jesus Name, Amen.”

    I cried too.

    “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display His unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on Him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.” I Timothy 1:15-17

  • believe

    —

    Dana

    Some believe the story celebrated this past weekend about the Jewish Rabbi rising from the dead on the third day; many don’t. Some believe the crucified One has paid the price for all sin and will live in the hearts of those who put their faith in Him; many don’t. Some believe He is coming back to earth to judge the living and the dead; many don’t.

    As He walked the earth, Jesus knew a person’s destiny depended on what he believed. He was the Answer… and He is still the Answer today. He is hope; He is nourishment; He is life. Jesus says, “Believe in Me!”

    “When they found Him on the other side of the lake, they asked Him, ‘Rabbi, when did You get here?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you the truth, you are looking for Me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On Him God the Father has placed His seal of approval.’

    “Then they asked Him, ‘What must we do to do the work God requires?’ Jesus answered, ‘The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.’

    “So they asked Him, ‘What miraculous sign will You give that we may see it and believe in You? What will You do? Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’’

    “Jesus said to them, ‘I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’

    “‘Sir,’ they said, ‘from now on give us this bread.’ Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me will never grow hungry, and he who believes in Me will never be thirsty. But as I told you, you have seen Me and still you do not believe. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me I will never drive away. For I have come down from heaven not to do My will but to do the will of Him who sent Me. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I shall lose none of all that He has given Me, but raise them up at the last day. For My Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.’” John 6:25-40

  • boys

    —

    Dana

    201603222201603221Taylor and Emma hosted a wonderful party this past weekend for Wilkes’ first birthday. Earlier the same day, Kinsey and Jordan saw their little one, weighing approximately 1.5 pounds, in a 4D ultrasound. My prayer for both grandsons is not only that their parents love, protect, and teach them and that friends and family do their part, but that Jesus will reveal Himself to these boys He has created for His glory.

    One of the lesser-known books written by C. S. Lewis in the Chronicles of Narnia series tells the story of Shasta trying to escape a cruel stepfather in a foreign land with a talking horse from Narnia. My favorite part of “The Horse and His Boy” is when the great Lion Aslan, who represents Jesus in all the books, makes Himself known to the boy.

    As most of us have done in low moments, Shasta laments all the difficulties of his life and concludes he must be the unluckiest boy anywhere. Then he realizes he is not alone. Riding his horse in a fog that prevents Shasta from seeing the great Lion, Aslan shares perfect knowledge of every complaint the boy had registered. In fact, He revealed He had been present at each instance.

    “’Who are you?’ asked Shasta. ‘Myself,’ said the Voice, very deep and low so that the ground shook: and again ‘Myself,’ loud and clear and gay: and then a third time ‘Myself,’ whispered so softly you could hardly hear it, and yet it seemed to come from all around as if leaves rustled with it.”

    As the mist began to lift and a strange whiteness appeared, “Shasta turned and saw, pacing beside him, taller than the horse, a Lion. The horse did not seem to be afraid of it or else could not see it. It was from the Lion that the light came. No one ever saw anything more terrible or beautiful… After one glance at the Lion’s face Shasta slipped out of the saddle and fell at its feet. He couldn’t say anything but then he didn’t want to say anything, and he knew he needn’t say anything.”

    What does it profit a boy if he has everything on earth a boy could want but never meets the Lion?

    “I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe.” Ephesians 1:16-19

    Quotes from “The Horse and His Boy” by C.S. Lewis, ©1954 by C.S. Lewis Limited

  • Jim

    —

    Dana

    The first time I wrote about Jim was in September 2001. The roller coaster of addiction has been quite a journey the twenty plus years we’ve been friends, but this week marks three years clean.

    Sunday, several of us gathered to praise God and encourage our brother. As you know, the encouragement works both ways as we each run the race God has given us to run.

    Mary Grace is a friend of Jim’s who has also suffered the repercussions of drug abuse. Next month she celebrates twelve years of being drug free. No person was more faithful to Jim than Mary Grace while he was homeless on the streets of Atlanta. She would bring clothes, food, and a little money to help Jim know he was not forgotten.

    Several others of us would pray constantly and occasionally go searching the dark places to see if Jim was ready to come home. Sunday we recounted the ways God worked supernaturally to bring about what He desired. To look back and remember builds faith in all of us.

    Sunday, Mary Grace shared with tears her gratitude to God and His children. Others shared the things Jim has taught us as he has persevered, worked hard in a physically challenging job, and kept us all laughing with his uncommon sense of humor.

    I was reminded of the old hymn Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing:

    Come, Thou Fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
    Streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for sounds of loudest praise.
    Teach me some melodious sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above.
    Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it, mount of Thy redeeming love.

    Here I raise my Ebenezer; hither by Thy help I’ve come;
    And I hope, by Thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home.
    Jesus sought me when a stranger, wandering from the fold of God;
    He, to rescue me from danger, interposed His precious blood.

    O to grace, how great a debtor daily I’m constrained to be!
    Let Thy goodness, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to Thee.
    Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love;
    Here’s my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for Thy courts above.

    “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
    Hebrews 10:23-25

    (Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing written by Robert Robinson in 1757)

  • tents

    —

    Dana

    “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die.”

    I read these words from the Gospel of John at the funeral of a friend this past weekend, words that Jesus spoke to Martha. Pat Rising is a child of God, a loving husband, a great father, and a wonderful grandfather… and he loves Jesus. I use the present tense, because Jesus says he still lives. How can this be?

    “Do you know what Jesus said next to Martha?” I asked the congregation. “He asked, ‘Do you believe this?’” There, in front of a few hundred people, I asked myself: “Do I believe this?” Martha gave an instructive reply that didn’t really seem to answer the question but was accepted by Jesus: “I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God.”

    “Here’s how Pat still lives,” I proposed. “Pat Rising lives in Christ. When he passed away from this earth, he still remains in Christ. Since Jesus lives at the right hand of the Father and Pat is in Christ, Pat also lives.”

    Paul wrote: “But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus…” Ephesians 2:4-6

    After the funeral, all were invited to go to the fellowship hall of the church building for a meal. Wonderful reunions took place and all the family members were encouraged. People hung around for quite a while. As I was getting ready to leave, a friend of the Risings, older and wiser than me, shook my hand. “I loved what you shared about Pat being alive in Christ. Here’s another thought: our bodies are just tents. Pat’s tent was in decline because of cancer but his soul was always alive. And his soul lives with Jesus today.” Praise God for His great love!

    “Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

    “Therefore, we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please Him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”
    II Corinthians 5:1-10

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