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Vol. 19 No. 09 | February 26, 2017

My journal entry began with these words: “It has been a difficult week in many ways. There have been lots of good things, but the pressures from without and within often seem to overpower me.”

Those words were written a few minutes after I finished reading Psalm 55. David laments of the battles raging around him that were created by his enemies. This particular battle is more difficult for David because it is being waged by one who was once “[his] close friend” (Psalm 55:12-14).

Throughout the Psalm, David expresses his desire for his enemies to be defeated and even destroyed: “Let death take my enemies by surprise; let them go down to the grave, for evil finds lodging among them” (v. 15). Near the end, however, his thoughts shift toward the One who “hears his voice” (v. 16). Read these words and let David’s words remind you of the One who also hears your voice.

But I call to God,
and the Lord saves me.
Evening, morning and noon
I cry out in distress,
and he hears my voice.
He ransoms me unharmed
from the battle waged against me,
even though many oppose me.
God, who is enthroned forever,
will hear them and afflict them—     Selah
men who never change their ways
and have no fear of God.
My companion attacks his friends;
he violates his covenant.
His speech is smooth as butter,
yet war is in his heart;
his words are more soothing than oil,
yet they are drawn swords.
Cast your cares on the Lord
and he will sustain you;
he will never let the righteous fall.
But you, O God, will bring down the wicked
into the pit of corruption;
bloodthirsty and deceitful men
will not live out half their days.^[1]

So I read those words as I reflected on my week and realized that the enemies I battle against are also very close to me. In fact, most of my enemies are within me. My enemies are the pressures that come from destructive thoughts, painful memories, negative thinking, reminders of failures and inadequacies, and fear.

These enemies, though within me, seem to be all around me. They lurk in the dark places of my soul. They hide in the secret places of my mind, waiting for the perfect moment to launch an attack.

There are days when I am able to see the attacks ahead of time, resist them, and walk away in victory. There are other days, when my defenses are down, that I am taken completely by surprise down, and I crumble in defeat.

These enemies are as real as any physical being that may have my destruction as their goal. The battles are just as difficult. And yet, to my amazement, I have survived this week of battle, and I am still standing.

The amazement comes as I realize that God has been with me through each battle. Some of the enemies He has defeated, some permanently. He has surrounded me, protected me, and empowered me to live to fight another day. He has reminded me that my task is to cast my cares on Him and He will sustain me. He will destroy the enemies.

With this recognition of God’s power, I, like David, conclude these thoughts with this simple statement of confidence in the one who will never let the righteous fall.

“But as for me, I trust in you.”

Tom

A Norvell Note © Copyright 2017. Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved.

[1] The Holy Bible: New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1984), Ps 55:16–23.

Vol. 19 No. 08 | February 19, 2017

It is Friday afternoon.

Many people look forward to Friday afternoon. For many, it is the last work day of the week. The majority of folks are clock-watching, counting the seconds until it is time to go. We use “hump day” as a marker for how much closer we are to Friday afternoon. We even have a restaurant named T.G.I.F (Thank God it’s Friday). All week long we make plans for what we are going to do on Friday after we get off work. Some want to party. Some want to relax. Some exercise. Some just relish in the fact that they are not at work.

For some people, Friday afternoons have a different feel. For some, Friday afternoons are lonely. I am a part of that ‘some’. I find Friday afternoons to be lonely.

Maybe it is because for most of my formative years, Friday afternoon was a time to get ready for a ballgame, a date, or dinner out.

Maybe it is because for all these years, our children were home on Friday afternoon, and it was a time to help them get ready for or go with them to a ball game, dinner out, or a movie.

Maybe it is because for much of my adult life, Friday afternoon meant I was either playing golf, doing yard work, or preparing to join friends or family for a meal.

Maybe it is because for so many years, and even still, the bulk of my work has been finished by Friday afternoon and I am ready to do something different, something fun, something relaxing.

We often plan to go to a movie or have dinner out on Friday evenings simply because it seems like a good thing to do.

Maybe Friday afternoon is often a struggle for some because it marks an end to the week, and we have more time to reflect. I tend to think about all the things I accomplished during the week. I think about all the things I wanted to accomplish. Then, I think about all the things that I did not accomplish that will be waiting for me tomorrow or Sunday or Monday.

I reflect a lot on Friday afternoon. I am more likely to listen to “Pacing the Cage” by Jimmy Buffet, or John Denver’s “Poems, Prayers, and Promises” on Friday afternoon. And it is not unusual for me to play “I Built Myself a Life.”

I must admit taking time to reflect is one of my special pleasures in life. Some might call it daydreaming, but that is something different. There is a purpose to reflecting. There is a purpose to reflecting on the day, the week, the month, the year, on life. I think reflection is a much needed and much forgotten instrument for developing a healthy soul.

Obviously, you can drive yourself crazy in your reflection time if you focus only on those unfinished tasks. Instead, try your hardest to reflect on what you have accomplished. Reflect on how God has helped you accomplish those things. Reflect on all the moments of beauty and rest and peace that God provided for you. Reflect on the struggles that God has helped you through. Reflect on promises He has made to you that you have yet to see fulfilled.

I wonder about Jesus’ reflections on that Friday afternoon on the cross. (No, I do not want to argue whether it was Friday or Thursday.) The story tells us He often went away by himself to pray, and I suspect reflect. On this particular Friday afternoon, He was focused on what was waiting for Him. The pain. The humiliation. The angry crowds. The nails. The tears. The hours before He finished what He came to do.

As He pondered those things ahead of him, I wonder if, to help get through it all, He might have reflected on being with the Father when they, along with the Spirit, created the world. I wonder if He might have reflected on the twelve who He had chosen and the times of teaching, sharing meals, laughing with them, and watching them struggle to understand His teaching.

I wonder if He reflected on the time He changed water to wine, watched Peter stop out of the boat and walk toward Him, and the look on the blind man’s face when he first opened his eyes and could see.

I wonder if He reflected on those things and so many other things that He and the Father had done together as he pleaded for there to be “another way.”

Obviously, I will never know all the things, what Jesus reflected on as he prayed in the garden on that Friday afternoon. But one thing I am sure of, He prayed. As He reflected, He was thinking of you and me, even though we were centuries from being born, and the provision for our sins to be forgiven that He was about to reveal to the world.

As I reflect on this Friday afternoon, I am reminded of children that are grown and living on the meals shared between them and good friends, lonely Friday afternoons when no one was around, and that special Friday afternoon when Jesus said, “This is why I came. And it is finished!” And I find that in the midst of my reflections, I am extremely grateful and forgiven.

It is Friday afternoon, and I am thankful.

Tom

A Norvell Note © Copyright 2017. Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved.

Vol. 19 No. 07 | February 12, 2017

I am not sick! I am not in a health crisis of any sort (physical, mental or spiritual)!

I have kept this to myself to avoid rumors starting, but I have discovered in recent weeks that I may not be as healthy as I thought.

I had my annual physical a few weeks ago. After having made some adjustments to my blood pressure medicine at the end of 2016, I was pleased that my numbers were again in the acceptable range. I did the rest of the things a 63-year-old-men is supposed to do in those check-ups- blood work and a serious conversation with the doctor, which included, “Why are you not exercising?” Left the office feeling pretty good, thinking “I’m doing pretty well for a semi-old guy.”

A few days later the doctor’s nurse called saying, “The doctor wants you to make a few adjustments.” I will not go into the details but some numbers were not where they should be. She went on to inform me that I needed to back off on some foods, increase some of my meds and vitamins, and begin taking another med. Turns out that I’m not as healthy as I thought.

Several months after leaving my preaching position, my wife and I were binging on the West Wing. Many times we had to pause between episodes for brief conversations on how that scene impacted us. Most included a passing wish that Josiah Bartlett could be in the current presidential race, or how we had forgotten about that actor or actress being on the show.

During one season, the White House team had faced several challenges but had survived them all and came out victorious in the second term election. C. J., Toby, Josh, Leo and the whole team enjoyed a jubilant time of celebration. During that episode, I paused it, wiped tears from my eyes, and when my wife questioned me, I muttered, “I miss the team!” Turns out, I’m not as healthy as I thought.

Having survived a few months in this new chapter of life, I was feeling pretty good about things. I decided to venture off into a pretty exciting and demanding new phase to develop some skills and add a few more tools to my ministry tool box. I was pumped. I was excited. I was invigorated by how enjoyable and helpful this was going to be.

That is, until I had a mind implosion. “I have no room for this information in my brain.” “As much as I want to do this, I cannot.” I was sad. I was disappointed with myself. I was angry with myself. I was frustrated with wasting money we did not have to waste. Turns out, I’m not as healthy as I thought.

I’m not as healthy as I thought. That is quite a realization. Yes, I realized years ago that I was not as young as I once was and could not physically do many of the things I once did. That is part of life. That is part of getting semi-older. No Sweat! (Partly because I do not move as quickly as I once did, so I don’t sweat as much as I once did.)

So it is, or will be, with accepting the reality that I am not as healthy as I thought. After numerous conversations with my wife, friends, and the Lord, I am understanding more about what these things mean and how to deal with them.

The primary message I have received is simple: It is okay! Maybe you’re not as healthy as you thought, but you still have a good heart, a good mind, two good legs, good friends, a loving family, and all kinds of opportunities to serve the Lord in your present condition. So, it is okay.

Closely attached to that is: It is a time for you to rest. Enjoy it, and rest.

Words like the following have brought me peace as I realize that I am not as healthy as I thought.

Ecclesiastes 2:22-24, (NIV)

22 What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun? 23 All their days their work is grief and pain; even at night their minds do not rest. This too is meaningless.

24 A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God,..

Matthew 11:27-29, (NIV)

27 All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

28 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Isaiah 40:28-31 (NIV)

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.

29 He gives strength to the weary

and increases the power of the weak.

30 Even youths grow tired and weary,

and young men stumble and fall;

31 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.

Maybe you are going through a similar phase of life. Against your will, you are slowing your pace. You keep hearing the same message in every sermon, every song, and seeing it in everything you read: “It’s okay to take a break. It’s okay to slow down. It’s okay to back away for a while and let yourself heal.”

Jesus did it regularly. God considered it important enough to include it as one of His laws. If He thought it was such a good idea, and necessary, maybe you can crawl down off your self-made pedestal long enough to let the Lord run the world. He has been doing it for a long time.

Maybe you need to rest a while so He can make you healthier than you ever thought you could be. The things He has planned for you to do will get done when He is ready for them to get done.

Tom

A Norvell Note © Copyright 2017. Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved.

Vol. 19 No. 06 | February 6, 2017

Gas prices change at irregular intervals. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to the changes. Gas prices go up and go down, sometimes multiple times during a twenty-four period. In our area, you can drive down the road and the price of gas will fluctuate as much as ten cents higher or lower. This varies from week to week, depending on which location you go to. If a gas line is ruptured in Alabama, the price of gas in areas near us will go up, and some will not. Economists try to predict what will happen with gas prices, and sometimes they are right, and sometimes they are not. There seems to be little consistency.

Politics is as inconsistent as gas prices. Whoever is in a position of leadership determines the protestors and the supporters. The amount of power of the president is dependent upon which political party has control of the various branches of government. Even then, it seems that the bill he signs or does not sign can cause a shift in those who are supporters and those considered the opposition. Political analyst try to predict how politicians will act or react and how the constituents will respond, sometimes they are right, and sometimes they are not. There seems to be little consistency.

The weather, particularly during this season, is almost impossible to predict. We get frustrated with, amused with, and sympathetic towards those who have the task of making accurate predictions. Temperatures on some winter days are more like early spring or late fall. Predictions of light snow are overturned with a slight shift in the jet stream that produces several inches (and of course global warming must also be factored in). Predictions of heavy snow excite children, only to disappoint them when the jet streams moves just a degree or two in one direction or another. Forecasters, using all of their advanced technologies, do their best to make predictions that are as accurate as possible, sometimes they are exactly right, and sometimes they are not. There seems to be little consistency.

Jesus! Ahhh, Jesus! Jesus is someone who you can know, with absolute certainty, is consistent. We can consistently depend on Jesus. Jesus offers us something solid to hold on to. Jesus provides us with a tangible understanding of consistency. The writer of the Hebrews encourages the followers who were weary of the inconsistencies of living the holy life in a very hostile world with these words. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings.” (Hebrews 13:8, NIV)

Sometime today I will fill my car up with gas. Before I go, I will check an app on my phone to see who has the cheapest price in my area.

Several times within the next twenty-four hours, I will get updates on all my devices or scan comments on social media that are giving details and opinions on the latest decisions coming out of the White House.

Before I leave the house, I will check the weather to see if there will be rain, sunshine, or clouds.

The sources that provide me with information about gas prices, politics, and the weather are useful and as dependable as ‘humanly’ possible. I am blessed to have these many tools at my fingertips to help make life more predictable and easier to manage.

Jesus, however, is always on target. His Word is always right. His predictions of what will happen to those who follow Him are true. His projections for those who do not follow Him are solid. He is never surprised by the price of gas, the actions of politicians, the weather, or anything else that happens in our world. When we turn to Him for direction, for wisdom, and for strength, He always comes through with exactly what we need.

As you face the inconsistencies of day-to-day life, use whatever is available to help you live the best life you can live. But more than anything or anyone else, keep your eyes and your heart focused on Jesus. He is the one you can depend on all of the time. “He is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

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, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he 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 sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:1-3, NIV)

Tom

A Norvell Note © Copyright 2017. Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved.