Tag: prayer

Of Sweet Potatoes & Schoolteachers – A Back to School Post

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Would you rather give the world more millionaires or more readers?

If you were education leader Mary McLeod Bethune, you would choose more readers. [1]

Mrs. Bethune (1875-1955) dedicated much of her life to doing just that. It was no job for wimps. Her school in Florida was funded by selling sweet potato pies. I don’t mean to idealize that situation, but I love that story because it illustrates the creativity, resourcefulness and work ethic of good entrepreneurs and the problem-solving projects found in an entrepreneur-friendly society.

While most teachers don’t have to bake pies to fund their schools these days, many do work long hours at low pay and high heart investment. Sure, they have Christmas break and summer holidays, but those breaks are not always as carefree as they may look from the outside.

Beyond that, teachers spend a great deal investing in tomorrow’s leaders. Doing this well requires a lot of wisdom and understanding, especially in our age. (Come to think of it, Mrs. Bethune might say it was different but just as hard in her day.)

With that in mind, here are three ideas to encourage and equip your teachers this year:

  1. Write a note of encouragement and thanks. At the beginning of the school year, even the best teachers may be facing insecurity as they step in front of a new group of students. Your vote of confidence and expression of gratitude could make a world of difference.
  2. Consider giving a little something as a “Back to School” gift or shopping in advance for Christmas. Sites like dayspring.com have many sweet ideas for teacher gifts. If you want something more unique, you could check out etsy.com. For example, teachers and apples seem to go together – at least in certain parts of the world! For a different spin on that tradition, you could get a trinket bowl made from apple tree wood to collect all the little odds and ends teachers need. Or how about a darling art print to remind your teacher of the gift that learning is?
  3. Don’t forget to pray for your teachers! Pray for joy in their work, engaging ideas, protection, stamina, good health, understanding administrators, and wisdom.

Ah, and you could always invite your teacher over for a slice of pie. Perhaps even sweet potato pie!

 [1] Dave and Neta Jackson, Defeat of the Ghost Riders – Mary McLeod Bethune (Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1997), 141-142).

Dear Caregiver

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Dear Caregiver,

I’m thinking of you this morning. Maybe you’re repeating yourself for the thirteenth time, heading out to a doctor’s appointment, answering yet another urgent phone call, preparing a meal, cleaning up, or catching a few rare moments of quiet. You might be a daughter, a son, a mother, a father, a wife, a husband, a nurse, a hospice worker, or an aid. Maybe you’re caring for someone in your own family, or perhaps you never knew this person existed until you were given their name. It’s possible you’re loving what you do. On the other hand, maybe you’re feeling like any joy has been zapped from your to-do’s.

However your story reads at this moment, I want to tell you something: Thank you. Thank you for caring enough to go the extra mile, to do the dirty work when necessary, to simply be there. I’ve seen some of you in action, and I know you have a big job. I know that to do it well takes patience, selflessness and self-control. I also know what a blessing it is to families like mine to have another set of capable hands ready to help and another kind heart to care. 

You live in a world that tempts everyone to value production over people, but your work stands in contrast to that. Those you serve may not be able to produce much of monetary value, but you value them anyway. Thus, you invest every day in something that lasts for eternity – living souls. For all of this and so much more, I’m grateful for you. Whether you feel like you deserve it or not, thank you.

I’m also praying for you this morning. From my experience, I’ve seen that your days can be filled with sad pictures. I’m praying that God will give you sunny blessings in the midst of grey skies. Your work may be wearing on your heart and your health. I’m praying that God will guard your heart, strengthen your hands, and give you refreshing sleep. And for those nights when you’re awakened yet again, I’m praying that His joy will be your strength to get you through another day. On the days when you feel like you have a thankless, unnoticed job, I’m praying that you’ll remember that not everyone whom Jesus helped thanked Him either and that – no matter where you are – He sees what you’re doing right now. If your cup is empty, I’m praying that God will make it overflow. When you’re the one who needs comfort but you have to give it instead, I’m praying that you’ll remember that the God of all comfort values your tears (Ps. 56:8) and is right there with you. I’m praying that when you need it most, He will give you the tender words you need, whether for yourself or someone else.

And maybe it will help a little to know that today someone is thinking of, thankful for and praying for you.

Hugs&Blessings,

Kristen

P.S. Yes, I really did pray for you this morning!

I have been blessed to share some thoughts on A Little Bit Older, a website dedicated to encouraging Christ-like love for and life with the elderly. About a year ago, I posted this letter to caregivers. It touched enough hearts that I thought there might be more caregivers who could use the same encouragement today.

A Grief Novembered

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I’m discovering that grief goes through seasons. That makes sense since it’s intertwined into life, right?

And November is when the frills fade and grief settles down to overcast, bare realities. Note I didn’t say bad realities. The realities are just bare, stripped of the things that hide them or give them a rosy glow at other times of the year.

Today it has been nine months since Grandma passed away. So much has happened that I’d like to tell her about. If I could write her a letter, it would go something like this…

Dear Grandma,

I’ve been missing you more lately. I didn’t know that it would work like that – that I would miss you more later than at first. Maybe it’s because I’ve realized you won’t be here for Thanksgiving pie and I won’t be trying to figure out what to get you for Christmas. A lot of what I miss is getting to chat with you. Whether on the way to church or over our quiches and scones at that little coffee shop or here at home, we did a fair amount of chatting, didn’t we?

I’d like to be able to tell you about the changes in my life. Best of all is the new precious grandbaby. Tiny toes, always-moving hands, sleepy chirps, and kiss-me-please chubby cheeks! It really is true that babies grow so fast. Beyond that, you would love my new group of students. They’re exceptional, and I’m not just biased. I’m learning more about teaching and Spanish. Then there’s my writers’ group. I could probably make a book of stories about the different authors. You’d like reading some of their books. It would be a great way to find some you actually hadn’t read yet! Of course, I’d like to tell you about my own projects like how I’ve been tweaking that one last story I got to read to you and am also working on a new one. The new story involves pies…I guess that won’t surprise you. Then there are little things like how we repainted the bathroom. You might wonder about the combination of “watery” and “lei flower” paint, but, once you hear how it makes me think of the land of alohas and well-loved tales that take place there, you’ll laugh and decide it was a good – or at least ok – idea.

Speaking of laughing, I miss your clever ways of saying things. When you were alone, did you spend time just thinking up what to say to bring smiles to our faces? Some of your growing-up stories were pretty funny, too. You made life as one of seven kids in a pastor’s family sound pretty grand even with the hard times you faced. I’d like to hear those stories again and get to ask you more questions. There are things I never thought to ask you before that now I wish I knew.

It would be great to get your input on some of the decisions I’m working through. Like should we move to Norway and become reindeer ranchers or should we move to Ecuador and live in a house like Swiss Family Robinson? Ok, just kidding! The point is, our family tended to value your judgment on the big things, and I feel a little lost without it sometimes. I also miss asking you to pray for me, hearing you say you will and knowing I could count on it. Not that I don’t have other people who pray for me – it’s just not the same somehow…

That reminds me of something that came up at one of my writers’ meetings. In talking about our audiences, the thought popped up that generally young people today don’t have older mentors in their lives. I realized that that wasn’t true of me. How blessed I have been to have older people like you in my life. People with the time to listen, to laugh, to think and to pray. That’s definitely something to be thankful for, isn’t it?…

I guess that’s what happens when grief – and life – gets “Novembered”: we realize the things that really matter. With the extras blown away, we see, yes, what we’ve lost but also what we’ve been given and for what we can be truly thankful…even through the tears. 

Ivan – Stories of the Persecuted Church

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In the dark, I followed the person in front of me. We even crawled through a tunnel on our hands and knees. The whole group was quiet. Then we arrived in a room lit only by a single flashlight. By that light, the leader read to us…

That was my most memorable church experience. I believe I was three years old at the time, and I still remember it all these years later. 

We were learning about the persecuted church, specifically in Russia (USSR) as I recall. That evening gave me a taste – be it ever so small – of the challenges Christians in many parts of the world have to face in order to learn more about God. It brought the real-ness of it to me, gave me a connection and settled into a special place in my heart.

Years later, I discovered a set of books written for children – I like to check out books for my younger friends, as if you haven’t noticed – that take place during the final years of the USSR. Of course, I had to read them. 

Ivan and the Moscow Circus is Book #1 in the series. There are 6 titles in all.

Ivan and the Moscow Circus is Book #1 in the series. There are 6 titles in all.

Within the Ivan series, Myrna Grant shares the escapades of Ivan, his sister Katya and the struggles they face growing up as Christians in the USSR. Whether at the circus, in school and even in America, Ivan is faced with choices of whether to do things God’s way and invite persecution or to take the easy way out. Each book is packed with suspense, including interrogations by the police and smuggling God’s Word. While the action is gripping, the realities of life for Christians in the USSR are dealt with in a way suitable for most children (I would say ages 9+). Beyond that, I think many children today will be able to empathize with Ivan and will gain a greater understanding and compassion for the persecuted church.

I wished I had read these books before my college class on the “Rise & Fall of the Soviet Union”. Frankly, stories seem so much more memorable than mere facts! Besides that, I would have had interesting pegs to hang my new knowledge on and heightened interest in the skeletal matter of Soviet history.

From both the stories and the class, I came away with a deeper understanding of Russia’s history and sociology – why it is the way it is today – but the biggest take-away for me was gratitude. Gratitude for a freedom-filled history, gratitude for family, gratitude for the opportunity to work hard to benefit myself and those I love, gratitude for the ability to speak my mind, gratitude for liberty to worship God. 

Yes, the name USSSR no longer scrawls across the continent of Asia, but persecution of the global church is still very real. Since Sunday, November 8 is an international day of prayer for the persecuted church, let’s come before Christ our Advocate (I John 2:1, ESV) on behalf of our brothers and sisters around the world. Along with our petitions, let’s also thank Him for three things:

  1. Those who have gone before us in faithfully walking through trials whether in the USSR or elsewhere around the world.
  2. The liberties we enjoy – however great or small they are.
  3. His faithfulness (Psalm 117:2, ESV).

“Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.” ~Colossians 4:2, ESV 

More than One Answer…

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Genevieve peeked around the marble pillar. She wasn’t supposed to be here. Well, at least not at this exact moment. The king was listening to his subjects’ petitions, and Genevieve was eavesdropping.

She knew from experience that the king usually gave one of three answers – either “Yes,” “No,” or “Wait” – to the supplications of those under his protection. Of course, everyone hoped to hear a “Yes”. When the king said “Yes,” you knew that he meant it, and you went on your way merrily.

Nobody really wanted to hear a “No” or a “Wait”. Nobody, including the man kneeling before the king just then.

As Genevieve watched, her eyes grew wide. The man stood and stomped his foot. His hands clenched.

Genevieve felt for the man. After all, what he had asked for seemed like a good thing.

Sadness crossed the king’s face. Rising from his throne, he reached out his hand.

The man refused to take it. “I came to you for help, and this is all you give me? You didn’t even answer my request!” He turned, stormed past the marble pillars and left the throne room.

Genevieve ducked back into the shadow of the pillar. Doesn’t that man realize that the king did answer him? It was just a different answer than he wanted. Doesn’t the king have his best interests in mind and know more about what is going on in his vast kingdom than this man?

Genevieve has a good perspective on things from her hiding place, doesn’t she? I know I’d like to stand in her shoes. But you know what? I’ve also been like the man in this story.

There have been times when I’ve come before the throne of grace, before the King of Kings, with requests for what I saw as deep-down good things. But God didn’t answer all of my prayers. That is, He didn’t answer them with a “Yes” (what I wanted) or with what I expected.

And sometimes that was really hard to take. 

With the release of the box-office-surprise film War Room I’ve been contemplating prayer. What does it mean to have God answer our prayers?

Clearly, God does answer our prayers, even when He gives a different answer than we would like. If He isn’t worth trusting with a “Wait” or a “No”, He isn’t Almighty God, is He?

Well, that’s a start on my thoughts. I think little bits will be popping up throughout posts in the coming weeks. For now, I’ll leave you with these verses that are becoming precious to me. I hope they’ll encourage you as well.

 

“…[D]o not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” Romans 12:12

“Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.” Psalm 62:8