Talk

I love listening to Contemporary Christian music, especially worship songs. Sadly, the local station that played Contemporary Christian has reformatted to all talk. I had gradually stopped listening to that station over the last 3 years because nearly every time I turned on my radio, I only heard talk, talk, talk. Now, there is nothing wrong with talking…I have been known to do so myself at unbearable speeds. But when you do all that talking, when is there time for all the good music that lifts praises to The Lord? Yes, it is good to recognize sin and be armed against it in our own lives, but isn't it better for us to use our voices to praise and worship Him than to criticize other people who are caught up in the ignorance of their own sin? Which choice brings Him the most Glory? Gossip disguised as knowledge and wisdom, or uplifting words of His indefinable greatness?

God told me one day that when I allowed worldly music into my ears, I was wasting the time that He gave me. I had spent many hours a day listening to the world talk about love and sex and getting rich, when I should have been listening to music that magnified Him. Once under that conviction, I began to search radio stations for Godly music. I found a new radio home, and when I re-tuned my ears, I began to hear some of the most beautiful sounds! I supported my local station financially many times, because I wanted my children and grandchildren to be able to hear what I heard. Too often, teenagers assume that all Christian music is the same stuff that is in the church hymnals, but it's absolutely not.

Now I am disappointed that there is no local station to stand in that musical gap for our young people. I will do my part for my family with help from iTunes and affordable CDs at the Christian Bookstore, but what about all those people out there who will search for something new to fill a hole in their soul? When they search their radio, will they listen to the negative words about the homosexual agenda, politicians, or public schools? Or will they just go back to the world's music and hear about beer, baby mamas, and unfaithful boyfriends?

Happy

I turned on the Today Show this morning, which I do maybe 3 times a year. I was immediately interested in the big story they were calling "Miracle on the Hudson", and how birds struck an US Airways plane and disabled it.

The pilot quickly determined they would not make it back to the airport, and he knew that to land in New York City would be dangerous to both the passengers and the people on land. His best option was to use the Hudson River as a runway. He announced a crash landing to the passengers and crew, and they were all told to tuck and brace for impact. The plane glided and landed atop the water and all the people on board exited onto the wings. Some went into lifeboats, and some into the frigid water. Many nearby boats approached and pulled them out of the water to safety. Coast Guard divers were there quickly to assist as well. Before he left the plane, the pilot walked up and down the sinking vessel searching for anyone who might have been left behind. He was being lauded by the reporters as a true hero. They spoke his name several times and praised his wisdom and experience as both a fighter pilot and then a commercial pilot for 29 years. He was called "brilliant" and "a hero". They interviewed passengers and witnesses and each had a different perspective to add to the victorious tale.

Now here comes the good part, when Matt Lauer asked passengers to tell how they responded and what they felt before they crashed. One man said he could hear prayers all throughout the plane. He began to pray as well. Another woman said she heard the prayers, and as she is a born again Christian, she joined in. I could see the peace of The Lord on her face. One couple was asked if they were thankful to the pilot, and she answered "AND GOD", smiling.

In those moments, the passengers did not know whether they would live or die, so many of them called to the Lord. They saw the water getting closer and they felt the plane drop and bounce and hit, and they cried out to God to save them. As a few did, others joined in. Because they put their trust in Him, He saved them from death. The pilot didn't save them, God did. The divers and boat captains didn't save them, Jesus did. As all of these thoughts came to me, I felt joy at the wonder of Him, and a few happy tears came. Number 7 was sitting between me and My Guy as we watched the videos of the sinking plane and she asked me why I was sad. I told her that I was not sad, but happy that God had saved all those people, and that He was getting Glory for it. She looked at the TV and said "but I can't see it". I told her that we can't see God and the work that He does, and that is what faith is. We have to have faith in our hearts. She said "Jesus in my heart an your heart an Daddy's heart." I said "Yes, baby, He is" and cried some more happy tears.

Despite what many in the press say, God Almighty is the True Hero. His name is God, Jesus, Jehovah, Truth, Mercy, Grace, Wonderful, Savior, and Father, to name a few. He heard His people cry out, and He fulfilled His promises by sending His Son to save us from a sinking vessel. He walks from one end to the other, searching for lost sheep, and rescues them. He pulls us out of the miry clay and takes us to green pastures. Let us all praise and worship and glorify Him! He makes me so happy.

An Answered Prayer

 

When I was around the age of 4, I was molested by someone in my family. It was a recurring event, but fortunately it stopped when I was near the age of 6. The person who did it took care of me and my sister for a time. We were temporarily without our mother and father, and not old enough to go to school. He was what some would call in those years a "junk man". He collected broken down cars and sold the parts off of them at his junk yard. He was also an alcoholic. When he was sober, he was the nicest man you ever met. He usually began drinking around 11 in the morning, and was unpredictable the rest of the day.

Strange as it may sound, I have many happy memories of that time in my life. My sister and I explored the old cars in his junkyard and found great treasures. Underneath the seats and in the trunks there were things such as telephones, tape recorders, toys, hats, and jewelry…limitless fun for a 3 and 4 year old. We played racecar more times than you could count, and I always won. Often we went barefoot through the yard, tiptoeing around the broken glass and metal. When he had time, he took us to the movies or to get ice cream. He made up little songs for us and played games. I will never forget my favorite trips to McDonald's. In 1970 in California everything was different, even Mickey D's. They didn't have a drive through window yet, so Grandpa sat in the wrecker with my sister while I went in and got our food. I could barely see over the counter, but when I finally got someone to notice me I ordered hamburgers, fries, cokes, and paid the bill all by myself. We would eat in the truck and then head to our next destination. Usually we stood up in the seat, so we could see where we were going. I can't even remember a time we used seatbelts.

I finally told my best friend when I was in the 7^th grade. She kept it to herself for a long time, but finally insisted that I tell my mother. Not surprisingly, mom was furious and confronted my grandparents on the telephone immediately. That was the beginning of the end of my relationship with him. He denied it, and called me a myriad of hurtful names. I was not surprised that he lied. Even a child molester is capable of feeling shame. No one wants his shame broadcast to the world, and most would do anything to contain it.

Needless to say, the enemy of my soul used all of those things to distract me from God. There were years that I struggled to control my life and protect myself instead of letting Him do it. When I entered into my true relationship with God, my healing began. It would have been so much easier for me to continue to hate my Grandpa, but God's Word taught me that I had to forgive him, so I did. I laid my bitterness and hatred and anger at the foot of The Cross and walked away from it. I even wrote a letter of forgiveness and sent it to him.

Years later, I heard that his health was failing and he would not live much longer. I felt impressed to pray for his soul. It was easy to assume that he was "too far gone" and that it was too late to save him. At least the enemy wanted me to think that, but I prayed and asked in faith. My Heavenly Father is capable of ANYTHING. Now a few more years have gone by and his health is getting worse, and I have neither heard from him directly, nor have I seen him. I still love him, in Jesus' name. I don't want him to spend eternity in fire. I sorrow over what the enemy has done to his life, and the pain he once caused me and who knows how many other children.

As ugly as he has been in his 80+ years, God still loves him, and it is not His will that any man should perish. Somehow, some way, God got to my Grandpa's heart. I do not know how, when, where or why, but I know that I know that I know that I know. Last week when my mom was visiting for Christmas, I got a true gift from God; a treasure worth more than any gold, telephone, tape recorder, or toys! I got three facts about my Grandpa:

1. He told my mom that he regretted things he had done in his life, and wished he had not done them. (REMORSE/REPENTANCE)
   
2. He keeps a Bible on his desk at the junkyard, and refers to it frequently; sharing what he's read with other people. (ACCEPTANCE OF TRUTH)
   
3. When told he would not likely survive surgery last week, he answered that it was ok because he had made his peace with God. (RELATIONSHIP)
   

Isn't it beautiful? Only God can do that.