Dana's Christian Journey

musings of a thankful cancer survivor

Author: Dana

  • leap

    —

    Dana

    leapWe received another picture of our youngest child jumping into ‘devil’s pool’ atop Victoria Falls in Zambia. I am confident Karlyn did this only because she knew there was a natural rock at the end of the ledge that acted as a barrier preventing her from tumbling over the waterfall.

    When she was three years old, Karlyn used to perch on the fifth step of the stairs in our house waiting for me to walk around the corner. Then she would dive out like a flying squirrel knowing that her Dad would catch her. (Perhaps if I had stepped aside one time she would not now be jumping into dangerous waters??)

    Little Karlyn only made daring leaps from our staircase because she knew and trusted her father. Some say trusting God is like a ‘blind leap of faith,’ but I think we can keep our eyes open. When God says, “You can trust Me,” we must know there is a reality far stronger than any rock or earthly father.

    Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego probably underwent all types of emotions as they approached the fiery furnace, but their statement to the king expressed what they knew about God and their willingness to die for the One they loved. They did not know exactly what would happen, but the three young men experienced the blessing of fellowship in the fire. “The righteous will live by faith.”

    “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.’” Daniel 3:16-18

    “So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them. Then Nebuchadnezzar said, ‘Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.’” Daniel 3:26-28

  • disdain

    —

    Dana

    There was another brother in the story of the son who left home and squandered his inheritance. This older brother was also ‘lost’ but did not know it. His rebellion surfaced when his father extended outlandish mercy on his rebellious little brother. Jesus was familiar with the disdain so many have toward God because He experienced similar reactions.

    “He’s talking to a Samaritan woman.” “He’s healing on the Sabbath.” “He’s eating with sinners.” “He’s calling tax collectors to follow him.” “He’s praising the faith of Gentiles.” He’s telling parables about us!”

    These observations led to brutal judgments: “He’s a false teacher.” “He’s out of his mind.” “He’s possessed by the devil.”

    Though we marvel at how wrong such critics were, it is very easy to fall into similar traps. It is tempting to show disdain for the ‘self righteous’ brother in Jesus’ parable, but the father did not quit loving his older son. Instead, he left the party to reason with him and to ask him to join the celebration.

    If we ever belittle mercy and compassion, we probably don’t grasp the love of the Father. The Father is always searching for the lost… whether they are far away or close at hand. He wants fellowship with every person. He wants none to perish, but all to have eternal life.

    A few weeks ago, I was sitting in a chair receiving the chemotherapy I’ve been going through the past several months. A thin curtain separated me from an older man being treated for the same disease. I was not eavesdropping, but the man was very loud and I could not help but overhear his complaint to the nurse. “I went to my doctor back home and do you know what he wanted to talk to me about? He wanted to tell me about Jesus! I told him I didn’t want to hear about Jesus; I just wanted him to get rid of my cancer!”

    This man was not pleased with his doctor back home, but I was not pleased with him. I wanted to yell a sarcastic comment from behind my curtain, but then thought better of it. Oh, to love like God loves…

    “You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance?” Romans 2:1-4

  • rejoice

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    Dana

    How does God rejoice? Read Luke 15 and notice the joy described. Anyone who has ever lost something precious can relate to these parables. When the lost sheep is found, the owner does not keep it to himself: “Rejoice with me! I have found my lost sheep!” When the valuable coin is found, the woman calls her friends together. “Rejoice with me! I have found my lost coin!” Jesus said these stories described Heaven. “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” The Father cannot contain his joy… He celebrates!

    Have you ever noticed a father beam when he talks about his child? The father of a junior high student shared something with me about his daughter, and I smiled as his love and joy could not be contained. But have you also noticed the anguish of a parent when a child rebels? There is nothing more heart-breaking than to witness the devastation that takes place when a son or a daughter rejects the love of the good parent.

    The third parable in Luke 15 tells a story of the separation that came when the youngest of two sons chose to go his own way rather than stay in fellowship with his father. But his father continued to love and hope. And when the young man crushed by wrong choices walked a lonely road back home, his father could not contain his joy. He ran to his son and hugged him and kissed him. He gave him a robe and put a ring on his finger. He then planned a party. “Prepare the finest meal! Invite all friends and family! Let’s play music! Let’s dance! Let’s enjoy a feast! My son was dead but now he’s alive! My son was lost but now he’s found! Rejoice with me!”

    Jesus was describing his Father… and no one knew his Father better than the Son. God loves to rejoice.

    Some ask every now and then about my health, so I’ll give a little update. The chemo I’ve been taking for the last seven months has lost effectiveness. So I now am going through the normal tests to qualify for another trial. Probably in the next two weeks I will begin a different path of treatment. Susan and I appreciate your prayers for wisdom and good results. If you would like to be specific, you can pray for an increase in white blood cells, red blood cells, and especially platelets. We are both at peace regarding everything, but the unknowns tend to be a little annoying. Thanks for all your past and continued prayers for our whole family. God is faithful.

    “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:4-7

  • four things

    —

    Dana

    I heard a catchy tune on the radio this morning by a singer named Kris Allen. The name of the song is Gotta Live Like We’re Dying.  A good friend and brother in Christ who was diagnosed with multiple myeloma about a year ago shared a similar message this past weekend.  He described the change of thinking that takes place when you learn you have a fatal disease. Needless to say, unimportant matters become less important and the essentials gain heightened focus.

    No one articulated priorities better than Jesus and his apostles, knowing their life was short.  Peter once wrote, “The end of all things is near,” then shared four simple reminders of how to live:

    • Keep clear minded so we can pray
    • Love others deeply
    • Show hospitality
    • Use what God gives us to serve others

    Of course our enemy will constantly tempt us to:

    • Be so busy or unfocused that we don’t pray
    • Be so self-absorbed that we fail to love deeply
    • Forget to be kind to strangers or to open our homes to guests
    • Forget that God has given us gifts to use for his glory

    The beautiful truth is that we can heed God’s Word wherever we live on this earth. Some of Karlyn’s Zambian team spent this past weekend in an outlying village. A teenage girl welcomed the foreigners into her modest African home. When the mother met her daughter’s new friends, she went out back and brought a chicken to present to the group. To this family, the gift of a chicken was an act of hospitality. To the Americans, the gift of a chicken was a sign of love. To God, the giving and receiving of a chicken meant his children from different nations were choosing to live in a way that brings him glory. May we do the same. (We have not yet heard what happened to the chicken…)

    “The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised though Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.” I Peter 4:7-11

  • daughters

    —

    Dana

    Peter highlighted the beauty of the inner self and used Abraham’s wife, Sarah, as an example of a woman who pleased God. He connected the women of his day to Sarah with two criteria: “You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.” (I Peter 3:6)

    bungieI love our beautiful daughters, Kinsey and Karlyn. I admire their inner beauty and their love for God. Of course I want them to always do what is right, but I am a bit concerned about how they interpret “not giving way to fear.”

    Five years ago, Kinsey spent a semester in Zambia. This season of time sealed her desire to be nurse. She is now a labor and delivery nurse in Little Rock. On their class excursion to Livingstone, Kinsey and her roommate bungee jumped off a bridge over Victoria Falls, one of the seven natural wonders of the world. She lived to tell about it, but in January of 2012, an Australian girl jumped at the exact place and the bungee chord broke. This brave young lady survived the fall into the crocodile-infested Zambezi River, but Kinsey and Karlyn’s university decided to forbid future jumps by their students who study abroad in Zambia.

    Victoria FallsSusan and I were pleased with the school’s wise decision as Karlyn left in August to spend a semester in Africa. Needless to say, we were quite shocked by the picture our youngest daughter sent from Livingstone this past weekend. There is a certain place at the top of the falls that can serve as an overlook when the water is not too high. This spot is called ‘the devil’s pool’ and instead of ‘fleeing from the devil,’ Karlyn fearlessly swam to the edge for a happy pose. Heaven help us.

    karlyn“Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves. They submitted themselves to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her lord. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.” I Peter 3:3-6

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