Living in Abundance

Most of us in twenty-first century America have lived our lives in mindless abundance. Copious food. Plentiful opportunities. Frequent travel. Abundance in almost everything!

Only the oldest of Americans can remember true scarcity. I'm not talking about not being able to afford the food on the shelves; I'm talking about there not being food on the shelves at the grocery stores. Those who lived in the depression of the 1930's remember, I'm sure. I've heard a few of those stories. And there are those who came to America from a place of scarcity; they remember, too. And unfortunately, some children have been in families where abuse or deep poverty brought them scarcity.

But overall, we Americans are used to abundance. I certainly am! My family has intentionally changed our lifestyle in the past decade, leaving jobs with moderate to high pay to enter the ministry. But even now, our kids have a bountiful life. They ski. They go to zoos. They attend dance, gym, motorcycle, and art classes. We go out to eat occasionally. We play on our swings and trampoline... more than enough of everything!

And, wow! Do I have abundance in other areas. Overflowing love and gifts from the heart. Generous medical care (albeit expensive!). More than enough food to make everyone's favorites. Inexhaustible joy in playing and exploring with our children as a homeschooling family. There is so much richness in our lives!

We have taught ourselves and our children to be grateful, not to take this abundance for granted. And yet, much of the time, we live in mindless abundance.

We are, perhaps, waking up to a new reality this week. The last time I went to the store (a week ago), the shelves were full. There was a shortage of toilet paper, but it was still available. I didn't even buy any, figuring I could pick some up next week when it wasn't in short supply. We weren't in any dire need.

It's different today. The shelves are bare. People are scared, and they are hoarding. Even though they know this is wrong. They want to be sure that their family has enough.

It's different today. People are scared to go out to the stores, even where the goods are present. They are afraid that they might catch the COVID-19 virus. Many people are staying home out of fear. Others are staying home because they want to be part of the slowdown solution for our medical care systems.

It's different today. Today I used nine eggs instead of ten to make our breakfast burritos; I wanted to be sure to have enough eggs for a birthday cake next week if the store didn't get them in.

It's different today. All of a sudden, we are faced with the possibility of shortages. Real shortages that might go on for a while. Supply chains might be disrupted by illness.




It's different today.




But we can be different, too.

Americans have come through all sorts of difficulties in the past. Wars. Depressions. Epidemics. Fear. And we've faced them all and survived! We can share what we have with each other, and chances are we'll all have enough. We can telephone, text, message, or yell over the fence to our neighbors and make sure they're okay. We can take one of those fourteen packages of toilet paper over and leave it on the front steps.

And finally,

most importantly,

We can remember the abundance promised us in the Bible. John 1:16 says, "From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another." Psalm 65:11 assures us, "You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance." This may be a "hard pathway," but God's goodness is never lacking.

And God's promises are not just for our physical needs. He gives us peace in abundance (Isaiah 57:19). He gives us abundant joy (John 16:24)! And Romans 5:20b reminds us that "God's wonderful grace became more abundant."

We can do this. We can survive this pandemic with peace, joy, and grace. Turn to our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, and live.

Love God. Love each other.

Praying in the Rain

It's our third day of self-quarantine. As it turns out, between the state of New Mexico and the Jicarilla Apache Nation, we would have had an imposed quarantine by now, anyway. I think this is incredibly wise, and it will hopefully spread out the medical needs sufficiently to avoid overwhelming the hospital system.

What's it like to be quarantined in the 21st Century? 

It's like praying in the rain.

A man we know came to our door. He is homeless and addicted to alcohol. He sometimes comes to the door and asks for food, a ride, or prayer. Usually my pastor-husband takes care of these needs, but on this occasion he was busy. I debated about opening the door (due to the quarantine), but decided that need outweighed caution. Deciding to keep the quarantine by stepping outside myself, I answered the door, called the man by name and asked what I could do for him. Through tears, he asked for prayer. I didn't know his specific need; I just knew it was great. Usually we would hold hands and pray, but I simply put my hand on his shoulder and prayed while getting wet. When he left, I washed my hands thoroughly (while singing "Happy Birthday" twice) and returned to parenting.

What's it like to be quarantined in the 21st Century?

It's like ordering birthday gifts for the guy who's turning 7 next week, during the quarantine. No shopping, no party, but he will have cake and gifts.

It's like taking a walk for exercise and seeing a youth you know from church and waving from across the street instead of hugging him. (I really love this kid! It was hard not to race over and hug him.)

It's like seeing a teacher-family (school's been ordered closed for three weeks) packing up their car to leave the reservation for the three-week break. I don't know where they were going, but their car was packed full.

It's like calling my 80+ year old parents to make sure they were protecting themselves.

It's like contacting my adult children to make sure they have what they need to make it through the social-distancing required by their local governments. And then sending them each some money to help them through this.

It's like rearranging a trip to Boston to celebrate my husband running the Boston Marathon in five weeks... because the marathon has been postponed till September. And realizing that it can't be a family trip in September because our teenager is going to attend public school next fall.

I'll also tell you what it's not like: 

It's not fear. It's prudence, not fear. 2nd Timothy 1:7 tells us that God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. Loving others enough to stay home to protect them is God's work. We are talking to our children about how we are helping the hospitals and doctors and nurses by keeping all our germs to ourselves right now. We've assured them that there is nothing to fear, even if we get sick. With all my asthma issues of late (thankfully, it seems under control with new medication), we've already talked about how, even if one of us parents dies, God has a good, good plan for their lives.

It's not chaos. I'm seeing lots of Facebook posts about how awful it's going to be to have your children home all the time for an extended period of time. Since we homeschool, this is our normal! And honestly, I really like our kids. I like spending time with them! I certainly understand how difficult it would be to financially have no choice but to work and then have the children be home without warning. I pray that families in that situation find the help they need to make it through and stay well.

It's prayer and love and willing sacrifice. For all of you in some kind of quarantine/isolation/social distancing... stay safe and well! Enjoy the slower pace of life for a bit. And pray for our health care workers across the nation; this isn't anywhere near over.

Why Self-Quarantine??

My husband and I decided to self-quarantine our family today. All that means is that we will be limiting our outings (and invitations) to the essential for the next couple of weeks. We have enough groceries and other supplies to make it for longer than that. We feel confident that we can accomplish this quarantine without major hardship.

But, WOW! The reactions we've gotten! They have ranged from "Good job, Mama, for protecting your babies!" to "You're crazy! You're buying into the media hype!" and "It's all in God's hands, so you should just keep doing your normal."

So, here I am to explain why we decided to self-quarantine... and why you should self-quarantine too!

Thing Number One: We are NOT doing this to protect our own family. We are doing this because the data from other countries facing this pandemic show clearly (one article here) that unless the vast majority of citizens in a country/area self-quarantine and distance themselves socially, the health systems in the United States will be overwhelmed. In just our own community of 3500ish, approximately 2200 people will probably get sick with COVID-19. That's according to the WHO's estimate that 70% of a population will contract the virus. Of those 70%, 8 out of 10 will have mild symptoms that require no medical care. WHO estimates that 20% of those with the illness will need hospitalization, but even if you estimate low and say 10%, that's 220 people from our small community who will need to be in the hospital! We don't even have a hospital! (This article explains the math at the national level.)

Thing Number Two: Media hype has nothing to do with our decision. We don't even have TV service! Both of us have been reading articles from many sources to understand the pandemic. We have become convinced that this is a necessary step to support the broader work of the Jicarilla Apache Nation, the state of New Mexico, and the CDC of the United States. All three have urged limited contact with others, avoidance of large gatherings, and even cancellation of small gatherings. We agree that these steps are helpful in slowing the progress of the disease through our society. If we (as a society) can slow the progress, the health care system will have fewer cases at a time, which will allow availability of medical resources for more people in the long run.

Thing Number Three: YES, God is in control of it all! We are not doubting the sovereignty of God, the power of God, or the provision of God. This post from The Gospel Coalition says all the things I would say in a blog post telling us all not to worry because God is in control.

So, here's our thinking:

This is a virus none of us has any immunity to. Every one of the 300 million people in the United States of America is vulnerable to it. If Italy is what the epidemic looks like without social distancing, then we don't want to go there. Health care workers will be vulnerable to the virus, as well. Health care resources are insufficient to meet the demands of even 10% of the ill, let alone the 20% predicted by WHO. The goal of avoiding the deluge of patients is the main consideration in our decision. We realize that if we are the only ones self-quarantining, it will be ineffective. This is part of why our timing is as it is.

Today, the Jicarilla Apache Nation (on whose homeland we live and work) urged all its citizens to avoid unnecessary gatherings and canceled all out-of-state travel for official purposes. The state of New Mexico has likewise limited employees' travel and in-office work as well as canceling or postponing several large gatherings (i.e. The Gathering of Nations). These efforts will only be effective if enough of the citizens join in! We decided to join the efforts immediately to increase their potential efficacy.

God gave humans the ability to think and to plan. He gave us a heart to care about others, not just ourselves or our immediate family. We are not making this decision out of fear for ourselves or our children. We love those nameless physicians who are making horrific decisions about which patients receive life-saving care in Italy. We don't want that to happen to the doctors and nurses we know and love here in the USA (or those we don't know here!).

If we are wrong (and we pray we are!), we will rejoin the regular flow of society in a couple of weeks, and we will thank God for sparing us all. If we are right and many join us, we will all get back to normal in a while, and we will pray for those affected in so many different ways. If we are right, and few join in social distancing, we will pray for the ill and those caring for them.

Please consider joining us in disrupting the spread of the coronavirus. It seems a small price to pay to protect the health systems of our nation and its people.

Serving Others

There are many places in the Bible where we are told to serve one another. Galatians 5:13-14 is one of my favorites: For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

When I was young, I had grand ideas about what it meant to love your neighbor or to serve God and one another. Serving as a missionary in a foreign country. Becoming a pastor's wife or a pastor myself. Being a Mother Teresa woman. Something noteworthy. Something important.

Instead, I have spent a life teaching and raising children. "My" kids number in the hundreds. I even won a few awards, but it was nothing like I anticipated for myself. And I don't think my life's service is going to change greatly before I arrive home with Jesus... my youngest kiddos are 5, 6, and 13!

So, did I miss God's call for me? Did I somehow neglect to see my moment? I did become a pastor's wife, but I hardly have time to contribute to his ministry...sometimes I wonder these things.

Then, this morning, I returned home from a walk and saw this on the counter. Totally mundane. A water bottle that I carry with me most everywhere.

But...when I left for my walk it was almost empty. And when I returned, it was full of icy-goodness! This is an act of service from my husband. He often fills my water bottle. And every single time, it brings me joy. It fills me with joy because I love ice water and my husband loves me. This is only one of the many ways in which Brad serves me as his wife.

Today, this small act of service clearly spoke to me. If Brad is serving God by filling my water bottle, surely I am serving God in doing laundry and cooking meals! My leading devotions around our homeschool table matters. Teaching scores of children to read counts. Holding a hurting child is significant. The magnitude of what I'm doing and have done is not enormous, but this is what God has called me to.

So, I say to you, Christian, do your work. Large or small, grand or commonplace, it doesn't matter. Some are called to preach on a world stage. Some are called to make sure the church has enough coffee. Be faithful in your life work. What God has called you to, He will bless you in.

And, oh, am I blessed!
Amen

Uncertainty

To say that we live in a time of uncertainty is an understatement. First, there's the chaos at the national level: Supreme Court Justices issuing scathing dissents and the President of the United States tweeting thoughts that are un-American, to say the least. Then there is the looming pandemic of the coronavirus and the ensuing public almost-panic following the CDC's update today.

Then there's the reality of my husband's role as pastor here in Dulce: He just did his 66th funeral in six and a half years. More than 85% of them have been for people under the age of 60. Many have been a result of violence or addiction.

And personally, we are dealing with some pretty distressing behaviors from our kids this week. Things that make us worry about their futures. And ours. Plus, we are still debating our time line for retirement... and where we should settle as we retire. Considering not just our own needs and desires, but the needs and desires of our three minor children, ages 13, almost 7, and 5. We have a lot of years of parenting ahead yet, well into our retirement years (unless Brad pastors for a very long time).

Uncertainty.

It's unnerving. It's hard not to know what the plan is! It's difficult to wonder what might happen... how it will affect us personally. For some people, it creates anxiety. For others, full-on panic!

For the Christian? In Philippians, the Bible tells us not to worry, but to pray. So pray, Christians, pray! Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. Philippians goes on to say that we will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.

So when my thoughts wander to parenting a teenager in my 70s...I pray! God gives peace that surpasses all understanding! It doesn't have to make sense, but I feel confident that God will provide all we need as parents.

And when the CDC says that we should prepare for a disruption of our normal lives due to the coronavirus...pray! God will give you peace in the midst of chaos.

And when my lung specialist (who has been figuring out my asthma issues) is suddenly "out of network" and therefore, out of my price range...I pray! I pray that God will lead me to another doctor who can help me decipher and manage my suddenly unpredictable asthma. And God gives me peace in the process.

Uncertainty in the world and in our lives is expected. In John 16, Jesus says, "Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world."

So, Christian, take heart in these uncertain times. You have everything you need: Jesus has overcome the world! In the worst of times, we can pray. We can know God's peace that surpasses all understanding. We can lean into the uncertainty with a certainty of faith, itself a gift of God. Thank God!

What is "Truth"?

The man in the picture to the right is my president. He was duly elected by the people of the United States of America. I pray for him regularly.

However, I do not support him personally. I cannot. There are innumerable reasons for this, but his degrading attitude toward women, persons with disabilities, and people of color are all I need. I do not understand how people can overlook his despicable actions and attitudes prior to and during his presidency.

Last week's admission that he did in fact send Rudy Guiliani to the Ukraine (read or watch here) after denying for months that he had done so (read or watch here) takes us all to a new level of immoral and illegal behavior. And we should ALL be appalled! Every citizen of the United States of America should be calling for Donald Trump to step down from office. I agree with Mitt Romney that President Trump should have been removed from office in the impeachment hearings, but this admission (as soon as he was acquitted) demonstrates in a crystal clear manner that Donald Trump does not represent what the American people want in a president.

Whether or not you agree with me about personal support of Donald Trump; whether or not you are moderate, conservative, or liberal; whether or not you think the media is "one-sided;" you should be concerned about a sitting president who changes the "truth" based on his purposes for the moment. It is NOT OKAY for the President of the United States to lie/misrepresent the truth/change his story/whatever you want to call it!!!

John Kelly, a highly regarded conservative retired Marine Corps general, spoke out recently at Drew University. He stood behind Alexander Vindman and Vindman's testimony regarding the Ukraine phone call by President Trump at the Senate impeachment hearings (for which Vindman has now been fired by Trump). Read Kelly's assessment of President Trump here.

Please, my readers, take the time to investigate this matter. Take the time and energy to understand what has happened. And assess whether you support the re-election of Donald Trump. I urge you to find a candidate who more closely resembles what we desire for our country!

It's Been a Long Time

I looked up a previous blog post and realized it's been almost a year since I blogged. I have no excuse, except for being "busy." 

There is no doubt that this is true. I am a busy woman! I have three children at home (and I'm homeschooling!), thirty-three grandchildren to send birthday gifts to (and text with, as many are getting old enough to have phones), and a church children's ministry to keep on track. Not to mention a house to clean, dance and acrobatics lessons, choir rehearsals, and random other events to take kids to. Add my mom's 80th birthday party and my niece's wedding, both 1000+ miles away, and you get one busy mama.

However, that is not all I am. I am also a daughter of the One True King. I am a child of God. So today I am reflecting on the ways God has worked in my life in the past ten months.

1. God has taken away my fear. Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Isaiah 41:10a This is something God has been doing in my life for more than 50 years. I used to be very afraid of very many things, but the one thing that terrified me the most was making people angry. I've grown and grown in this area, and I am seriously without fear 

                                                                                 at this point. It's still  unnerving to disappoint or 

                                                                                 anger people, but I no longer fear that they will 

                                                                                 destroy me or themselves in their anger at me. 

2. God has given me strength.  But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31 This life is not for the timid! Being in my 50's and raising young children tests my strength and endurance frequently. I want to be the kind of mom that races up water slides with her teenager. I want to be the kind of mom that can handle having random extra kids around when her children want friends over. And God has given me strength for all that and more! I can't say that I don't grow weary, but I can always find enough energy to truly be there for them. 

3. God has grown my faith. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28 Life isn't always easy; this past year hasn't always been easy. But it has been very good. I am learning to lean on God more and more in every thing that happens. I trust He has a plan for my life. He has called me to this place and to these tasks, and He has good reason for this. I trust that He will provide and He will use me for His purposes. May God continue to grow my faith!

It is my plan to be more intentional about blogging. I love to write, and it brings me joy to share with others. I rely upon God for inspiration, but I'm going to follow up when I have an idea! My God bless each of you...and me!