Dana's Christian Journey

musings of a thankful cancer survivor

Author: Dana

  • hope

    —

    Dana

    “May the God of hope give you all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

    This verse fell out of my Bible our first morning in Africa. Kinsey had written it in a note while I was in the hospital this past summer. I quoted it to our friends, the Hunters, one morning and reflected on the name of the school they started in Namibia – Community Hope School. “God gave us that name six years ago on Easter Sunday,” Suzanne said. “The pastor was preaching about the hope Jesus had – even while hanging on the cross. His death was bringing hope to the world. His sacrifice would not be in vain. And since all things are possible for God, Jesus knew there was going to be a resurrection. We felt like these children we are serving and the community in which they live need this same miraculous hope.” Maybe we all need this miraculous hope.

    “… that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” I often think of the power of the Holy Spirit healing the sick or casting out demons or performing signs and wonders. But God knows in this world it takes the power of his Holy Spirit to hope the way we should. Katatura is the poorest section of Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. Many think it has the highest rate of AIDS in the nation. We hear statistics about AIDS and shake our heads, but I have a different perspective now. I rode to school one morning with Jodi, a Canadian missionary we’ve known for several years. We stopped to pick up Bless and Katerine, a four year old boy and nine year old girl. As they ran to our car, Jodi said, “I’ll be back.” A few minutes later a frail lady walked out of the house to tell her kids goodbye. “Bye bye Mommy,” the children shouted. I was introduced to Agnes and then we drove off.

    “Agnes is my age and she is about to die,” Jodi said. “She has AIDS.” “How old are you?” I asked. “Twenty-seven.” Statistics become more powerful when you see a face or when you carry impacted kids to school or when you think of your own twenty-something year old children. So where’s the hope? Bless and Katerine aren’t the only students at Community Hope School with such difficult circumstances. I think every child has already lost loved ones to this deadly disease. But when you walk into the school, hope is all around. Smiling faces reflect peace and joy. Teachers overflow with hope and love. Eager first graders through sixth graders study English, Math, Science, Health, and Bible. Beautiful African ladies prepare daily meals for the eighty-eight students. Each child gets a dose of vitamins for dessert. There is laughter, mischief, nurturing, and discipline… the things common in good schools. By the effort of committed educators and workers and by the power of the Holy Spirit, hope abounds.

    So I’ve decided I want to overflow with hope at my school and in my city and in my home. And when things seem dark and hopeless, I’m going to remember Jesus on the cross. No act of obedience will be in vain; resurrection is a part of the plan; and “with God, all things are possible.”

    “And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the power of the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” Romans 5:2-5

  • marathon

    —

    Dana

    Taylor crawled out of his girlfriend’s car Sunday morning in a bit of pain. But he had a smile on his face because he had just completed a marathon in Atlanta, breaking the time goal he had set for himself. “Do you remember the words, ‘Run with perseverance the race marked out for you’?” he asked. “Dad, that verse just took on new meaning.”

    We know ‘perseverance’ involves putting one foot in front of the other and never quitting, but I wonder if it also involves a certain type of belief. I talked to Taylor yesterday. “To finish that race, you had to believe you could do it, right?” He agreed. We know Peter sank because he took his eyes off Jesus, distracted by the wind and the waves surrounding him. But I imagine self doubt also crept in. “Why did I step out of the boat? I can’t do this!”

    Our friend Scott Harsh just got a great report from the doctor. No cancer activity was found in his body. We praise God. I know exactly how Scott felt as he came to the end of three months of chemotherapy. “I don’t think I handle this last treatment.” But you press on… because you must. You’re persevering for your wife and kids more than you’re doing it for yourself. When the race seems far more brutal than a marathon, but it is the one you’ve been given to run, you remember: “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” Jesus says, “My grace is sufficient” so we must believe and persevere.

    But what if the end comes? What if the job is lost or the relationship is severed or death occurs? How do we persevere when there is no more hope? Surely we must follow Abraham’s example: “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed…” Believe God can still bring good… is this not what we’re called to do? Jesus even has the power over death. Is this not true? You know I am not being flippant about such matters. We all want to know: “How does God want me to think? How does God want me to live?” Sometimes I take the next step because I’m young, I’m healthy, I believe I can do it, and I hear my girlfriend cheering me on. Other times I take the next step because I simply know I must. Christ is with me… that’s his promise and he cannot lie. But there are occasions that seem utterly impossible. I’m not young; I’m not healthy; I don’t believe I can do it; I can’t feel Christ’s presence; I can’t remember his promises; and I don’t even see a next step. What now? God says, “Believe, my child. Hope in me. Wait on me. In the end you will not be disappointed.”

    “Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, ‘My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God’? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:27-31

    (I won’t be able to write the next couple of weeks. Susan and I are going to see our missionary friends in Namibia. Thanks for your prayers.)

  • not our own

    —

    Dana

    “You are not your own; you were bought at a price.” I Corinthians 6:19-20

    Randy Moore is a friend who is a nurse. When the earthquake struck Haiti, he went down to offer his services. Randy was so struck by the needs and so attached to the people that he found it hard to leave. He hopes to stay in the country at least two more months. Our daughter, Karlyn, and a group from school plans to leave at the end of the month to assist with the overwhelming needs still present in Haiti.

    Reading Randy’s stories and thinking of God’s heart for the poor and the suffering, I imagine internal conflict is common. “I’m tired, Lord. There’s too much to be done, Lord. I don’t think I can go on, Lord. I see the needs, Lord, but is healing possible?” He gently reminds us, “You’re not your own; you were bought at a price. My grace is sufficient. Be filled with my Spirit and share my love.”

    We met a couple in Riobamba who left their home in Canada to take care of orphans in Ecuador. They had ten children of their own at the time and some would say they were foolish to go to a foreign land with no friends and no support. But that’s what they did and for the past fourteen years they’ve taken care of over 450 children.

    Glenda and Ron would say they were hippies who found Jesus and knew they were to spread his love to those who didn’t know him. They’ve experienced God’s grace, God’s provision, and God’s miracles. But the journey has not been easy. Besides the normal work of changing diapers, feeding babies, and raising children, they’ve experienced the opposition Satan creates when someone wholeheartedly says “yes” to the Lord.

    So how do you deal with fatigue, discouragement, worry, or any of the other things that come against mind, body, or spirit? We must go to the Giver of Life.

    “Yes, Lord, I am yours, but I’m not sure I can make it. Please give me the energy I need, the courage I need, the attitude I need, and the love I need to do what you’ve called me to do.” No one understands this prayer better than Jesus. He poured his heart out to his Father in the Garden and God gave him everything he needed to complete his journey. And now Jesus lives to intercede for us.

    “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

  • a parable

    —

    Dana

    Our high school students did Bible skits for the children of Verbo Christian School in Riobamba. After the skit there was usually an activity planned. One day a class of second graders was given an assignment to draw a picture dealing with the story of David and Goliath. I was sitting on the back row with José on my left and Ricardo on my right. Our American kids passed out crayons to the children. Like all the other children, José received three crayons and began drawing a picture. Ricardo was the last student to receive crayons and since there was an abundance, one of our students gave him an unopened box. Ricardo had 24 brand new crayons! He was so excited.

    But I noticed a huge difference between José and Ricardo. Without looking up, José diligently worked with his three crayons. Ricardo, though, spent the first five minutes just admiring his box. Then I noticed he kept running to other parts of the room. Our technology-savvy American kids often took pictures with their digital cameras. Ricardo wanted to be in every picture! Finally, he came back to his seat, opened his new box and gazed at the various colors inside. The craft time was coming to a close and Ricardo had not made one mark on his paper. One of our students said, “OK, time to finish up!” Ricardo then panicked. He looked over at José’s picture, pulled out a crayon and quickly tried to copy what his friend had done. At the close of the activity, José had created a beautiful picture with three colors. Ricardo only had an unoriginal sketch drawn in the color ‘gray’.

    I’m sure not trying to bash little Ricardo, but he made me think. How many colors have I been given? Have I even opened my box? How often am I distracted by the things of this world that get me off task? Do I have much time left? Am I doing what I’m really supposed to be doing or am I just copying someone else? Little kids in Ecuador can raise some important questions …

    “Again, the kingdom of heaven will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability…” Matt 25:14-30

  • baptism

    —

    Dana

    I met a beautiful family in a small town in Ecuador. Manuel and Mayela are the parents of twenty-six year old Marco and twenty-four year old Blanca. Manuel is the pastor of a small church in Cajabamba and their ministry extends into several rural villages and mountain communities.

    Toward the end of the week, one of our senior girls expressed the desire to be baptized. Since we were going to be in Cajabamba, we asked Manuel if he knew of a place for baptism. This humble family was so excited that one of our team wanted to be baptized in their country. They said they would be honored to make arrangements.

    Our bus parked at the top of a hill outside of town and we took a ten minute walk down a steep dirt road. When we neared the valley, one of our teenagers pointed to a bubbling brook and asked how a person could be baptized in the ankle-deep water. I said I didn’t know but we soon found out. At a bend in the stream, the water was a little deeper. Marco and Blanca had pulled off their shoes, rolled up their jeans, and started working. They stacked stones that dammed up the water and created a beautiful baptistry.

    So there we gathered… twenty-seven North Americans, a dozen or so South Americans, and one European. Meagan’s friends shared Scriptures, two of our guys led a couple of songs, Pastor Manuel prayed, a missionary from Denmark shared an encouragement from the Lord, a cow wandered up, and a sheep observed from a distance. I don’t think there could have been a more beautiful scene. As Meagan went under the chilly water the sun shone down, angels rejoiced, and believers hugged.

    I wonder what the Father, Son, and Spirit think about such holy moments. Does Jesus remember when John baptized him in the Jordan River? Does the Father recall telling his only begotten: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased”? Does the Spirit remember coming down like a dove? We ask, “Lord, who are we compared to you?” And God says, “You are my beloved child. I have chosen you to be a part of my kingdom that will last forever. I love you. Jesus remembered this truth every day he walked the earth. I want you to remember it too.”

    “Don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into his death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin – because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.” Rom 6:3-8

Random Post

Categories

Archives