"The Ball Cannot Obey."

Yesterday, while getting some exercise outside, my girls were bouncing a soccer ball back and forth. The little one was getting frustrated because she had trouble catching the ball when it was bounced to her. She grumbled to her sister, "The ball is just obeying you." I continued walking but in a matter of fact way retorted, "Balls cannot obey because they cannot make choices. They go wherever they are kicked or pushed. Obedience requires a choice."

As I kept walking, I began thinking about the statement I had made. Was what I said true? Can it still be obedience if there is not a choice? The dictionary defines obedience as, "The act of obeying rules, laws, or requests. The state of being obedient." Obedient is defined as, "Wiling to obey." Obey is defined as, "To carry out or comply with (a request, an order, a law)."

So, does obedience require a choice?

Jesus told the story of a man with two sons. He asked both of his sons to go work in the field. One son said, "Yes," and the other said, "No." In the end, it was the son who said, "No," that ultimately went to the field. So sometimes, it is not the presence of many options, but a choice merely of yes or no.

Wait, is there more to it than that, even?

How did it define "obedient?" "Willing to obey." Willing is defined as, "Disposed or inclined; prepared. Acting or ready to act gladly. Done, given, accepted, or borne voluntarily or ungrudgingly." By that definition, being obedient is more than just action, but rather it is a matter of the heart. It is an attitude of gladly and ungrudgingly doing what we have been asked. It is ready to act even before the request is made.

Two weeks ago, we asked you to pray for wisdom as we and our supervisors begin to seek our next steps. Three days later, we got an email with a list of possible job opportunities. One immediately jumped out at us. The next day Rich sent an email to supervisors requesting more information regarding the email we had received. We expressed that we felt this was the way the Lord was leading us, but somewhere in my mind I wondered if it was really what we were supposed to be doing or just the absence of other choices. Then we were asked to pray about another possibility. It had lots of positive things about it, but the more we prayed between the options, the more sure we were of the original position. Out of obedience to our supervisors, we kept praying about the second option. It was no longer a matter of not having other options but rather indeed being convinced that this was where the Lord was guiding us. (We have talked with our supervisors and things will move forward in the process.). When it came to being asked to consider the other option, we were willing to obey.

On the way home last night from dinner, we were driving through the neighborhood. It was after the time of breaking the fast and people were praying at their gathering place before eating their big meal of the day. It was both beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. Many of them would say that we are Christians because we were born into Christian homes. (We know that we are Christians because we have chosen to follow Jesus in all areas of our lives.) Many of them would say they are their religion because they were born into it. Being born into it does not make it obedience, because it is not a choice. Many of them do not even know that there is a choice to be made. Please ask that God would reveal to those that are earnestly seeking Him that there is a choice and what the options are. Pray that they will choose the Way of Truth and that they will be wholly committed to it.

Obedience then could be defined as "The state of being prepared to obey gladly and ungrudgingly." So, no, Lydia-Ann, balls cannot obey.

Out of Place

Displaced and out of place are not the same thing. As I have shared, we have been displaced for the last two months, however we are certain thus far we have not been out of place. We have seen several times why we are here at such a time as this, including, but not limited to, my being in close proximity to working on a project that has been needed for years but had no one with the time and proximity to accomplish the task. However, as we begin to seek out what the next step is and where the Father would send us, we are ever conscious of not wanting to be out of place.

Joseph, in Genesis, is sold into slavery by his brothers and arrives in Egypt. When the day comes that he is reunited with his brothers. Joseph consoles them that what they meant for evil, God meant for good. Joseph had been displaced but not out of place.

Exodus once again speaks volumes. (I know, "Exodus, again?") Moses and Aaron spoke to Pharaoh to secure the release of the Israelites. After much pain and suffering for the Egyptians and God's protection over the Israelites, Pharaoh releases them. The Israelites cross the Sea on dry ground. They grumble for food and God provides manna. God tells Moses to get the people ready to hear from Him and then to bring Aaron up the mountain with him. Moses prepares the people. God speaks. The people ask Moses to meet with God and then tell them what He says. Moses goes back up but leaves Aaron behind. A few chapters later God tells Moses to bring elders up to meet on the mountain but Moses only ascend to the top. At what point did God decide to leave Aaron down with the people? Did He intend for Aaron to get left behind this time or did He just let Moses and Aaron decide where Aaron was to go? Eight chapters later, we see that Aaron succumbed to pressure from the people to provide an idol for them to worship. It had been less than forty days, and already the people had forgotten their commitment to obey the Lord completely. Had the Lord intended for Aaron to be on the mountain and by being out of place, he facilitated the idol worship? Had the Lord changed His mind and intended for Aaron to stay to keep the people focused on the Lord, which he failed to do? Who decided for Aaron to stay? Was Aaron out of place?

Another beloved man of God is seen years later out of place and goes down sin's slippery slope. In 2 Samuel 11, David sent out his generals and army, but he himself stayed behind. Because he was not away "at the time when the kings go out to battle," he beheld a beautiful woman and has her brought to him, and then she conceives his child. As if that were not enough, he then conspires to cover up his sin and then conspires to have her husband killed when his first plan to conceal falls through. Then heartbreak comes when the child of this unholy union dies. Because David was out of place, sin and heart break were compounded.

When the Messiah was born, the reigning king was jealous. He determined to kill any child that could possibly be the age of this King. God sent an angel to warn Joseph to take Mary and Jesus and escape to Egypt. They were displaced but obviously not out of place.

The Word is bursting with examples of those who were both out of place and those displaced. We do not want to be out of place, though we are displaced. Pray for wisdom for us as well as our supervisors to know where we are to be and what we are to be doing there. James 1:5 promises, "But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him." True wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord, and much wisdom will be needed in the days to come.

Feast Day

Cancer stinks, to put it mildly. It just does. I watched my brother fight a nine month battle, but he never lost his joy. I have known many who were diagnosed and were told they were clear following treatment only to have it return with more force later. A sweet seven year old boy has been fighting this battle hard most of his life, but his family was told this week that the treatments are not effective. He has lived life to the fullest and they are enjoying the days they have with him. A friend here went to a funeral yesterday for a friend of her son. The friend had been suffering with cancer for a while. Many here assume no one dies in America from cancer because of better medical care, but we all know that is not accurate.

Almost two years ago, I was diagnosed with cancer. Treatment was not easy. Eight rounds of chemotherapy. A very intense surgery, from which I will forever bear scars. Thirty sessions of radiation. Some have certainly been through more, but it was my road to walk. Then after all of that was done, we waited three months to do a scan to look for cancer in the body. The scan came up empty. A year ago tomorrow, I was declared cancer free. Praises filled our hearts.

That was not the end of the road though. I still had another surgery. I will be taking a drug to prevent its return for the next several years. I will probably take vitamins for the rest of my life, which is not such a bad idea anyway.  I have to see the doctor often to make sure the cancer has not returned. Some have endured far more. Once again, it is my journey.

When I look at Exodus, I see that God ordained feast days for His people to remind them of His deliverance and His faithfulness. In Exodus 13:3, Moses says to the people, "Remember this day...for by a powerful hand the Lord brought you out from this place." They were to observe the feast days as they journeyed through the wilderness as well as the Promised Land. Whether in hard times or in places of "milk and honey," we must remember how the Lord has provided for us.

Two months ago yesterday, we were displaced. Since then, we have been encouraged as we look back on God's provision and faithfulness throughout the cancer journey. Though we are wandering, we will hold our feast day and remember His provision.
Happy June 10th!