Dana's Christian Journey

musings of a thankful cancer survivor

Author: Dana

  • victory

    —

    Dana

    One morning a few weeks ago, a friend dropped by school to see me.  He said, “I ran across this letter and thought of you, so I brought you a copy.”  The letter was written by his cousin Julie in 2006, who was battling cancer.

    Julie died later that year. I remember the courage and faith of a lady who lived a brief but victorious life.

    The afternoon of that same day, I learned that the father of Ashley, one of my former students, had been admitted to hospice. About two years ago, Ashley told me her dad had been diagnosed with cancer.  Knowing what her family faced, I did my best to encourage a student the same way others have encouraged my children throughout the years. Five days after being admitted to hospice care, Ashley’s dad passed away.

    The family asked me to share some thoughts at the funeral.  As I visited with Ashley, her mom, and her younger brother in their home, I could not help but remember that such sorrowful times are inevitable on this earth. If we are all to face death one day, why do we not constantly keep life’s brevity in mind? That was one thought the family wanted me to share: “Please remind everyone of what is really important.” Julie’s words from her letter written seven years ago seemed appropriate.

    You see, no matter what happens, I win! If the Lord graciously heals me with a miracle, I will rejoice and tell of his mighty power to save, giving him the credit! (It is certainly a situation that requires miraculous work.) If the Lord allows the continuation of this disease over the next months ending in death, I still win, because I can confidently say, ‘I love Jesus!’ He will not allow anything to harm me without his all-knowing, all-good direction. Nothing can separate me from him and his love. Nothing else matters, ultimately! What makes Heaven ‘Heaven’ is Jesus!

    Now, what about you? Do you love Jesus? Do you love him more than anything or anyone in your life? Don’t wait to decide! This is the most important question you will ever ask yourself. When you have nothing left but Jesus, it is easy to be bold. It is during ‘every day life’ that it is easy to sit back and coast with wasted time and energy on non-valuable things. It is easy to not love and to let those you love and care about continue along a path that leads to destruction and death. I love you all and desire for you to be able to live and die with confidence – not in yourselves, but in the Lord. Jesus saves… and not just for a few years of human life and struggle… He saves forever and completely!

    “Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalms 73:23-26

  • new song

    —

    Dana

    “Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy.” Psalm 33:3
    “Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.” Psalm 96:1
    “Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things.” Psalm 98:1

    So what new song will you sing to the Lord? If my life could be considered a song and this new year represents a clean slate, what would I want to express?

    Every song ever written was once a new song and the psalmist David wrote many. He wrote in the good times and in the bad; he wrote songs of praise and songs of lament; he wrote honestly, knowing God already knew his heart and circumstance.

    Though times aren’t always easy, I want to sing of the Lord’s goodness. Though life often requires waiting, I want to sing of God’s faithfulness. Even in the midst of trials, when we see what God has accomplished through Jesus and when we remember that he has given us the Holy Spirit as Comforter and Counselor, we recognize that we have a reason to sing and a reason to worship.

    O for fresh revelation this year! Paul prayed that the children of God could “grasp how wide and long and deep and wide is the love of Christ,” knowing such truth would produce many new songs. The world needs to hear such singing, as the absence of God can only result in worry, fear, and despair.

    So, let us sing of hope and a future! May our lives mirror God’s love and may we depend on him to live as Jesus did on this earth, remembering that “the Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being.”

    Happy New Year!

    I will exalt you, my God and King;
    I will praise your name for ever and ever.
    Every day I will praise you
    and extol your name for ever and ever.

    Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
    his greatness no one can fathom.
    One generation will commend your works to another;
    they will tell of your mighty acts.
    They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty —
    and I will meditate on your wonderful works.
    They will tell of the power of your awesome works —
    and I will proclaim your great deeds.
    They will celebrate your abundant goodness
    and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

    The Lord is gracious and compassionate,
    slow to anger and rich in love.

    The Lord is good to all;
    he has compassion on all he has made.
    All your works praise you, Lord;
    your faithful people extol you.
    They tell of the glory of your kingdom
    and speak of your might,
    so that all people may know of your mighty acts
    and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
    Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
    and your dominion endures through all generations.

    Psalm 145:1-13

  • sing

    —

    Dana

    Twelve men gathered for fellowship and prayer one recent Saturday morning and we sang two or three songs before we prayed. The singing reminded me a bit of the dwarfs singing in The Hobbit. J.R.R. Tolkien loved to put songs in his stories. Sad songs, happy songs, songs of war, songs of peace, silly songs, and serious songs were part of his fantasy world.

    God intends for songs to be a part of our world too. “And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” Jesus had just completed his last supper with his disciples; and knowing what lay ahead, they sang a song.

    This is the month of much singing. Fun songs of the season and serious songs of the Savior are traditions of Christmas. And don’t we now remember the heavenly host who sang the Good News to the shepherds in the field? “Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

    I pray you and your families have a wonderful holiday week. And may we always sing the praises of the One who gives us life.

    Merry Christmas!

    “Don’t drink too much wine. That cheapens your life. Drink the Spirit of God, huge draughts of him. Sing hymns instead of drinking songs! Sing songs from your heart to Christ. Sing praises over everything, any excuse for a song to God the Father in the name of our Master, Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:18-20 (The Message)

  • focus

    —

    Dana

    From Luke 9: “Now it came to pass, when the time had come for him to be received up, that he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem…” (v 51 – NKJV)

    Jesus knew his purpose would be fulfilled in Jerusalem, so he went steadfastly. There were many things that happened in his life before passion week, but Jesus stayed focused on the will of the Father. Whether there were victories or losses on the road, nothing would distract him from his purpose.

    Oh to have this focus! But how often do I look more like Martha? From Luke 10: “As Jesus and his disciples were on the way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’ ‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’” (vv 38-42 – NIV)

    For Jesus, the ‘one thing’ was surely his Father, and he depended on the Holy Spirit to lead him daily until his purpose was complete. Is not Jesus the ‘one thing’ we need? Will I choose ‘what is better’ or will I let all the worries and distractions of life knock me off course?

    “Father, let me follow your Spirit in focused living. Let me choose the ‘one thing’ every day on this earth. Thank you that Jesus shows the way. Amen.”

    “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 12:1-3

  • disciples

    —

    Dana

    Peter, Andrew, James, John, Mary Magdalene, Stephen, Philip, Paul, Barnabas, John Mark, Aquilla, Priscilla, Lydia, Mary the mother of Jesus, James the brother of Jesus… these are a few of the disciples we read about in the New Testament. These (and all others) were sinners who found forgiveness and grace in the Good News of Jesus Christ. They all made mistakes after being saved, but they believed their righteousness was fully dependent on the Messiah. “This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” (Romans 3:22-24)

    Disciples are those who, after receiving such a great gift, dedicate themselves to follow the Master. Disciples take seriously the life they live on earth, desiring to bring lasting fruit to the Father. This fruit only comes as one abides in Christ and receives Living Water from the One who gave his life.

    When our oldest daughter Kinsey came back from Zambia five years ago, she told us about a young missionary who had moved there after graduating from college. During Kinsey’s three months in Africa, Megan was a living example of a disciple of Christ. Knowing she still lived there, Kinsey told her little sister to get to know Megan as she studied abroad in Zambia.

    Because of schedules and work loads, Karlyn did not get to be around Megan much the first several weeks of the semester, but eventually they got to work together. Megan is now thirty years old and has had an impact on hundreds of children in Zambia. After children leave the base orphanage, Megan continues relationship with many of them in the outlying villages.

    Karlyn accompanied her to one village where a blind couple lives. Their five children were cared for at the base until they were old enough to move back with their parents. Megan counsels, encourages, and loves this family through some difficult circumstances. Disciples of Jesus remember the most important command of the Master is to love others the way He loves us.

    During one of the team’s long excursions on the rough African roads, Megan got to encourage the Americans. She instigated a conversation with one of Karlyn’s friends that clearly impacted a young life. The discussion centered on using our gifts for the glory of God. The Father gives gifts to build up the Body. If we bury our gifts, we rob others of the blessings God intends to give. As Karlyn shared this story and the subsequent effect it had on her whole team, I thanked God for a young disciple willing to humbly yet boldly pass on important truths. Disciples constantly point to the Father, Son, and Spirit using God’s Word as light and life.

    I imagine Megan shies away from being held up as an example, but disciples walk in such a way that others can look to them. Jesus is the only One worthy to be exalted, but a disciple can honestly live with an open heart and open home. “Come see the way I live. Come be my guest in my home. Everything good I have comes from the Father above and I will be happy to share. Jesus has changed me; He is my Hero and my best Friend. He is also my Lord so I will follow wherever He leads. I love Him, but the truth is: He loved me first. And He loves you too! Don’t you want to be his disciple?”

    “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” I Corinthians 11:1

Random Post

Categories

Archives