Vol. 16 No. 43 | October 28, 2013

Psalm 124:

If the Lord had not been on our side—
let Israel say—

Our help is in the name of the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

What if the Lord had not been on our side?

What if the Lord had not been on our side when we were attacked by forces committed to tearing us down, destroying our reputation, and robbing us of the peace? How would we have handled it? How would we have kept our sanity? How would we have been able to not seek revenge or retaliation? The forces against us would have swallowed us alive, the flood would have engulfed us, the torrent would have swept over us, and the raging waters would have swept us away. The Lord was on our side.

What if the Lord had not been on our side when our marriage was consumed by stress and confusion? What if the Lord had not been on our side when the stress and confusion turned into anger, rage, and resentment? What if the Lord had not been on our side when everything we thought was true and stable crumbled around us? We would have been swallowed alive, the flood would have engulfed us, the torrent would have swept over us, and the raging waters would have swept us away. The Lord was on our side.

What if the Lord had not been on our side when our children were hurting, battling temptations, and struggling to hold on to their faith? What if the Lord had not been on our side when our children walked away from their faith in pursuit of the good life? What if the Lord had not been on our side when our children denounced their heritage and became strangers to us? The Lord was on our side.

What if the Lord had not been on our side when we listened to our parents argue night after night as we pretended to be asleep? What if the Lord had not been on our side when our parents sat us down and informed us that they no longer loved one another and were getting a divorce? What if the Lord had not been on our side when our parents told us we had to choose which one of them we wanted to live with? We would have been swallowed alive, the flood would have engulfed us, the torrent would have swept over us, and the raging waters would have swept us away. The Lord was on our side.

What if the Lord is not on our side when we learn that our husband has been in a freak accident and will not survive? What if the Lord is not on our side when we learn that our wife’s cancer that was treated and declared gone appears again, and this time is more aggressive? What if the Lord is not on our side when our best friends reveal that their marriage has been in trouble for a long time and now they are giving up and are going to divorce? What if the job we thought was a sure thing does not materialize? If these things (or even worse) do happen, and they may, and the Lord is not on our side we could be swallowed alive, the flood could engulf us, the torrent could sweep over us, and the raging waters could sweep us away. But, the Lord is on our side.

Praise be to the Lord. Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Tom

© Copyright 2013 Tom Norvell. All rights reserved.

Vol. 16 No. 42 | October 21, 2013

Some things do not last long enough.

When believers come together for worship and the fellowship is rich and real, it’s not long enough.

When friends get together to renew their relationship, share the latest events of their lives, and pray with each other, it’s not long enough.

When the day is crisp and cool, the breeze is gentle and refreshing, and the sunset is brilliantly colorful, it’s not long enough.

When the meal is exquisite, the ambiance is perfect, and the conversation is encouraging, it’s not long enough.

When the family is on vacation, it’s not long enough.

When the golf is good, it’s not long enough.

When the weather is perfect and the speaker is compelling, the retreat is not long enough.

When the family is together, it’s not long enough.

When the years pass quickly and you cherish every day, it’s not long enough.

When you finally have a day off, it’s not long enough.

When your week has been hectic and harried and hassled and you make it to the weekend, it’s not long enough.

When you are under pressure to finish the project and you cannot get anyone to help you, you have time but you feel it’s not long enough.

When the cancer is growing and advancing, the chemo is not working, and time is running out, you realize it’s not long enough.

When you have not seen your special friend in weeks and you only have two days, it’s not long enough.

When the end of the semester is moving closer, your unfinished papers are piling up, you wish you had more time because you realize it’s not long enough.

When your birthday celebrations seem to arrive more often than they should, you sense your days are numbered, you wish you could make the days last longer, because the time you have is not long enough.

James talks about the passing of time:

“Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.’” (James 4:13-15, NIV)

Sometimes life seems to move too fast. We wish we could slow it down. We wish we could make it last. We are here for only a short time. We have today. We cannot speed it up and we cannot slow it down. But, we are not helpless and our battle against time is not hopeless.

“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” (Ephesians 5:15-17, NIV)

You have today. It may move faster than you prefer. Try not to waste the time you have wishing you had more. Make the most of the opportunity you have today.

Tom

© Copyright 2013 Tom Norvell. All rights reserved.

Vol. 16 No. 41 | October 14, 2013

We have had a problem with ants. They keep coming back. When pest control service people came for the regularly scheduled application we mentioned that we had seen several ants around our kitchen sink and on the cabinets in that area. They spayed and said, “Call us if you see any more ants.”

We saw more more ants. We called. They suggested, “Try vinegar and water and if you still see ants call us.” We tried vinegar and water. We continued to see ants.

We called. The technician returned and used a different chemical. “That should take care of them, but if you see any more call us.”

We continued to see more, and more, and more. We called again. A new “Bug Man” came armed to wage war against the ants. When he walked in the door he exuded confidence and seemed excited about the battle. He began by catching one ant, smashing it between his thumb and forefinger and sniffing it to determine “the type of ant we are dealing with.” With great enthusiasm he explained that each ant gives off a special scent. Although he told me, I do not remember the type “we are dealing with.” He then proceeded to explain his technique for killing the ants, the chemical he was using, and how it worked. He shared that the ants hunt for food, then communicate with one another when they discover food.

After applying the new dose he began to watch and share how they “are taking the bait” and insisted that I come see a particular group that had swarmed and congregated just above the dishwasher. I am pretty sure he let out a “Yessir!” at this point.

I thanked him for his determination and knowledge. He thanked me for our business, once again explained the nature of the ant, explained what he had done and how it works, and assured me that “This should take care of the problem.”

As he walked to his truck I was reminded of the lesson, not a new lesson, but an old and familiar lesson: We have all been created by God and none of us are exactly the same.

The first verse of the Bible that introduces the creation story in Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” As the story unfolds we see the detail and the uniqueness of every creature that God created. He created us all and He created us all exactly like He wanted us to be. Ants, humans, dogs and beautiful trees covered in the brilliant colors of autumn.

Thank you Larry, the Bug Man, for letting me watch you and listen to you and once again be reminded of what a good thing it is that God created us all to be different. No wonder when God finished His creation He said, “This is good.”

Tom

© Copyright 2013 Tom Norvell. All rights reserved.

Vol. 16 No. 40 | October 7, 2013

Do you ever wish you had a home on the range? You know, the range. Where never is heard a discouraging word. Ever wish you could live there?

We should never underestimate the power of a discouraging word. There is a reason discouraging words are called discouraging words…they discourage.

You’ve received them.

You played your best. You gave it all. You “left it all on the field.” You helped your team win the game. After the game your dad reminded you that you missed a couple of tackles.

You practiced and practiced for your part in the school play. You memorized all your lines. You performed well. You were dubbed the “Star of the show” in the school paper. On the drive home your mother pointed out that in one scene your collar was not laying down like it was supposed to.

You worked hard on the project. Logged more hours than on any job since joining the firm. You won the account. Your team goes out to celebrate a job well done. Your boss stops by to commend you for your leadership, but reminds you that the deal could have been closed much sooner if you had followed his initial suggestions.

You worked all afternoon on a special birthday dinner. All his favorites prepared just the way he likes them…just the way his mother always cooked them. You greet him at the door with his favorite drink and usher him to the table, and you’re wearing his favorite outfit. He eats. He seems to enjoy it. You are holding your breath. As he gets up from the table he mutters, “Oh, man! That took so long we missed the kickoff.”

You’ve given them.

Your daughter has worked hard to get the scholarships she needs to attend the college she has dreamed of attending. Your alma-mater. She is trying so hard to make you proud. She runs to you with her acceptance letter. You read the letter, hand it back to her and say, “Is that the only offer you’ve gotten?”

Your best friend calls you to tell you that she is engaged. She is excited and wanted you to be the first to know. You are excited and thank her for calling you, then quickly change the subject to your horrible bad day.

You know that your friend from church is having a tough time. His marriage is struggling. His job situation is tenuous. He recently lost his mother to cancer. He tries to keep up a good front, but you know he’s struggling. One day during lunch, he opens up and shares the whole story. You listen sympathetically but somewhat impatiently until he finally finishes. He asks you what you think. You respond by asking him, “How is your prayer life? Sounds like you need to be in the word more.”

You worked all afternoon on a special birthday dinner. All your favorites prepared just the way you like them…just the way your mother always cooked them. She greets you at the door with your favorite drink and usher you to the table, and she is wearing your favorite outfit. You eat. You enjoy it. She is holding her breath. As you get up from the table you mutter, “Oh, man! That took so long we missed the kickoff.”

We know the power of discouraging words. We’ve received our share and we’ve given our share. We know their pain when they are spoken to us. We find out too late the impact of our words on those we love. We try to ignore their power, but we cannot.

Let’s make this our “Home, Home on the Range” and encourage one another.

“But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today,’ so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”(Hebrews 3:13)

Tom

© Copyright 2013 Tom Norvell. All rights reserved.