Monday, June 25, 2012

As for me, I TRUST IN YOU, O Lord. I say, "You are my God." MY TIMES ARE IN YOUR HAND.
NKJV (emphasis mine)  

Praying about God’s guidance for my future, the answer I received was that I should go to Florida to take care of my parents, especially my dad, but it wouldn’t be for long. My mother was determined not to put my father in a nursing home, but my dad’s dementia had reached a point where he required 24/7 supervision, and she could no longer take care of him alone.

Mom was too proud to tell me or ask for help, but she was visibly relieved when I made the decision to quit my job and follow God’s leading. And, as a widow and only child, I felt it my duty to stay on with my mother when my dad died. I knew firsthand how hard the first year after the death of a mate can be.

Four years have now past, and during that time I’ve had periods of depression and frustration about the “it wouldn’t be for long” part of God’s direction. Elder care is tough, no matter how much you love the one you’re taking care of. Like many caregivers, I have days when I long to run away; get on with my life.

Psalms 31:14-15 has been my anchor during this time.

I’ve always been a run-and-gun gal who could make her own way and make things happen. Sometimes I think of this period of my life as “house arrest,” but, being still, I have reached an even deeper relationship to my Lord. I’ve learned to trust that the Great I Am sees me and is working all things for my good; that I can have hope and a future. Obedience and trust are hard lessons but valuable ones.

Not only has God used this period to enhance my spiritual growth, but I’ve discovered a talent that I did not know I had. Being still led me to writing as an escape hatch, and I've had the opportunity to use my penchant for comedy to entertain and teach. Author and Christian comedian: two careers that I never considered before. My life is not over. 

The lesson in all this is that no matter what the circumstances of your life, no matter the sacrifices you are called on to make, an All-Powerful God loves you and wants to mold you and help you grow in the things that are really important.

The hard places draw us to God because we can no longer depend completely on ourselves. Along with spiritual growth, he gives us the gift of his love, a promise to be with us, and reasons to look back and thank him for the hard places. Be obedient and trust him even when the circumstances look impossible and never-ending.

My prayer: Father, help me to be patient and trust your will and your timing in my life.

—Sharon Russell
    Port St. Lucie, Florida

Monday, June 18, 2012

The man’s name was Nabal, and his wife’s name was Abigail. She was an intelligent and attractive woman.
1 Samuel 25:3
CEB

In 1986, I still wandered, especially in my faith. I'd strayed from the church, and while I still believed in God, I wasn't really sure about anything else.

At the time, I had been working as the editor of Ideals magazine for almost a year, and I received an invitation to a writers conference in Seattle. I went to teach about poetry and periodicals and to learn as much as I could. And it was thus that God set a scene that resonated for years to come.

I attended a class taught by author and scholar John R. Kohlenberger, III. Animated and knowledgable, Dr. Kohlenberger made a statement that hit me between the eyes: "Abigail was the first woman in the Bible whose brains are mentioned before her beauty."

Yow. For a girl who grew up knowing with an absolute certainty that she was unattractive, this had an unforeseen impact.

(Aside: Before anyone argues or suspects I'm pandering for compliments, please know we're talking about my internal beliefs here. I have known since the age of 6 that I was the "fat, ugly girl." Accepted fact, although no one teased me too much about it: children are less prone to tease a classmate who returns the insult in words that are a cross between Shakespeare and a truck driver...my brother eventually told me my trouble with men had less to do with my looks than my mouth....)

Although Abigail is still praised for her comeliness, the fact that her wisdom was valued above all by a king caused me pause. It made me take a look at women in the Bible beyond Proverbs 31, leading me to discover a wealth of wise, ground-breaking, women who were valued in their time by not only other women but by the men as well.

And God.

Especially God.

This set the stage for self-study that built on the master's degree I'd just earned. It prepared me to answer questions for a job I didn't even know existed: Bible Editor.

It led me to teach a 6-week class on Paul and women that one 70 year old lady told me made her understand Paul for the first time. (That made me cry.)

It led me back to my faith.

It's also the impetous behind this blog. We can do a lot of study, and the scriptures can be the bulwark of our faith. But sometimes it's a single verse that becomes a lighthouse, guiding you home safely through the rocks.