The Courage to Believe

This past week I was blessed to be able to attend the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writer's Conference in North Carolina where I enjoyed seeing old friends and meeting new ones. I'm also thrilled to be able to announce that I won third place in the devotion category of their unpublished writers contest! God is so good to give me the encouragement I need as I pursue this unfamiliar territory of the writers world. So, this week I would like to share my winning entry. I hope you are as blessed by it as I am to share it.

 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy. ~ 1 Peter 1:8

Violet 

     She anxiously peered out the window, dark eyes dancing with anticipation. As the postman made his way up the sidewalk, he quickly lowered his gaze, pretending to be preoccupied with the letters in his bag. He hated to disappoint her again, not wanting her to give up hope; but to be honest, he was losing hope himself.

     It had been six weeks since Violet’s husband, Joe, was shipped back home to the United States, promising he’d write soon and send for her and their baby daughter, Christine. They’d met while he was stationed in Blackpool, England. She was a carefree, beautiful young woman whose long, wavy hair danced wildly in the wind when she met him on the beach. He was a flaming red-headed American in uniform who swept her off her feet and put a ring on her finger.

Joe and Christine

     It was heart-wrenching for him to leave without her, but the war was over and he had to go. He assured her she’d be stateside soon and they could build a beautiful life together. Then he left. And she didn’t hear back. She knew he loved her and would never desert her. Friends and neighbors whispered secretly in thick British accents. “Bet he won’t be calling for her. He’s left never to be heard from again, poor soul, leaving her alone with that little baby.”

     After weeks of waiting, the rumblings of gossip eventually reached her ears. She ignored their insensitive remarks, waiting every day for the postman to deliver letters from her love. But she hadn’t yet received even one. Not. One. Single. Letter. Her faith never wavered because she believed in him and that’s what she hung on to.

     She knew the day had finally arrived when the postman didn’t glance away as she ran to meet him. Noticing the wide grin plastered across his face while he quickened his step, her heart skipped a beat. “Here you go, lassie,” he said as he hoisted the letters from his bag, “just what you’ve been waiting for.”

     Her eyes widened with awe as he proceeded to hand her a stack of over 30 letters from her love. As she eagerly devoured them, she learned he’d been on a ship for over a month with no way of getting the letters out to her. He wrote a letter every day. Every. Single. Day.

     Her faith in her man had paid off. There would be no more whispers of abandonment now. He loved her and she had the words to prove it. Soon, she and her baby daughter would be joining her husband in his homeland.

Grandma and Grandpa as newlyweds

     That young English woman was my grandmother and the baby, my mother. Her husband was, of course, my grandfather; a loyal man who dearly loved my grandmother until the day he died. Grandma never gave up on Grandpa. She knew his character and believed him to be faithful and true; he proved her right by bringing her to live with him in a new land.

     Isn’t that a beautiful picture of what God does for us? We may be in a place of waiting, responding in faith while enduring His silence; telling others He hasn’t forgotten about us, while deep inside wondering if it’s true. Keep the faith. Others are watching to see how we respond. Unlike Grandma, we don’t have to go to the mailbox every day looking for our love letter from God. He’s already delivered it in His Word which reveals His promises to us. Once we understand the depth of God’s love through our study of the scriptures, it’s easier to hang on to hope. If we’re obedient to His leading, His delay doesn’t necessarily mean denial; but it does mean He’s working to perfect us. As hard as it is sometimes, our assignment is to glorify God in the waiting. It will all be worth it when He calls us home.

One Word

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ~ Lamentations 3:22-23

Last Tuesday, when I turned on the TV, there was breaking news of a horrific tragedy. A 35 year old mother had killed her seven year old daughter and five year old son, and then shot her husband in the head, leaving him in critical condition. She then tried to kill herself, but couldn’t do it.

I know mothers everywhere, including me, are asking how she could do that to her own husband and children. Our instinct as mothers is to protect our children at all cost, even if it means sacrificing ourselves. Many, I’m sure, would agree that losing a child would be their worst nightmare.

Today, my husband and I put our 19 year old daughter on a plane for the first time ever-to California of all places-to meet her boyfriend’s family. Now, flying isn’t one of my favorite pastimes. I just can’t get over the fact that you are 35,000 feet in the air with nothing underneath. So sending our daughter off into the wild blue yonder to the opposite side of the country was not a comforting thought. When her plane lifted off the runway my stomach lurched forward. What if… scenarios kept creeping into my mind. I prayed the entire time she was in the air, asking God to keep her safe in the palm of His hand. I know some of you must think I’m crazy by this point. It’s just an airplane! But no matter, fears assuaged me just the same. Everything within me wants to protect my children.

And so, as I was praising God for our daughter’s safe landing this afternoon, thoughts of this young mother swirled in my mind. Why on earth would someone kill their children? Did she think in some warped way she was protecting them from something? Or did she just snap after a period of trying to deal with the worries of life? We may never know. I can’t help but wonder, though, if there was someone she could talk to before she lost control; a church family who could pray for her; or if anyone had ever introduced her to Jesus Christ and the hope He brings. Would any of this have happened? Again, we don’t know what resources were available to her. All we are left with are the questions why and how could she?

Someone posted a picture on facebook of this mother happily hugging her two beautiful children. Several people who knew her said she was a good parent who was active in her children’s lives and was even a room mom at school. Sounds like she was much like many of us . On the outside looking in, no one suspected the danger lurking beneath.

Never judge a book by its cover.

I must say that, before learning all of this, I was thinking she must have been an unfit mother whose actions didn’t surprise those who knew her. But when I saw her photo as I was scrolling through facebook, I stopped cold. She looked so… normal. Unless I’d seen the words killing and children, I probably wouldn’t have noticed the pertinence of the photo. As I stared at her seemingly cheerful countenance, one word came to mind. Grace. Give her grace.

That’s what Jesus would do. He proved it over and over again as He walked through the New Testament; forgiving the adulterous woman as well as the tax collectors, sharing the gospel with the Samaritan woman who’d had five husbands, even allowing the criminal who hung beside him on a cross to enter Paradise with Him that very day. What this woman did was wrong in every way, but it’s not unforgivable with God. Although my heart aches for this family and their tragic loss, I know God loves this mother as much as anyone else. Their pain is His pain. Her pain is His pain.

I’m not saying she shouldn’t suffer the consequences of this heinous crime. But we need to remember that Satan prowls around like a roaring lion, ready to steal, kill and destroy, and the family is his primary target. Yes, Satan won this battle, but he hasn’t won the war. Instead of condemning, let’s pray for her and her family. We don’t know the circumstances that led to her unthinkable actions, but God does. We are called to be ambassadors of God’s love and, if we can live in obedience to that, we may never know this side of heaven how God will use us to avert evil and destruction in this world.

Have you been able to make an impact for God’s kingdom by showing someone His unconditional love? Why don’t we commit daily to asking God to reveal those who may need a

kind word or gesture shown to them?

My Journey to Motherhood

He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the Lord. ~
Psalm 113:9

The joy of motherhood!

Two years. That’s how long it took me to get pregnant with my first child. I remember many nights spent crying, wondering if God would ever allow me to become a mother. I bit my lip when others around me celebrated their pregnancies, trying not to give way to hopelessness. I didn’t understand why so many women seemed to just think about having a baby and viola! they were pregnant. Meanwhile, I dealt with the pain of disappointment each month.

Until that point, my life had gone perfectly according to plan:

Get my associates degree in architecture within two years of graduating high school. Check.

Marry my high-school sweetheart right out of college. Check

Work for an architectural firm right out of school. Check.

Buy our first house within the first five years of marriage. Check.

Open a dream business with my sister-in-law when I was twenty-five. Check

Start having children after my husband and I had been married five years. Umm… well, that one wasn’t working out according to plan.

My type A, perfectionist personality didn’t know how to deal with this detour. I thought I was capable of making all of my dreams and goals come true as long as I was a good girl, followed the rules and worked hard. Looking back, I know that was when God really began dealing with my pride, using that time of waiting to draw me closer to Him.

Our Firstborn, Elise

Almost three years after starting our journey to become parents, Lauren Elise Roper was born. (Ten days late, I might add.) I couldn’t help but cry tears of joy over this beautiful gift from God.

A little over a year later, my husband and I started trying for our second child. Once again, the disappointment came each month. But this time I had hope and, after struggling fourteen months with infertility, became pregnant. Three years and three days after Elise was born, another beautiful gift from God, little Jacob Owen Roper, arrived. Our family was now complete.

Our newest addition, Jacob

I realize not everyone’s story has a happy ending, leaving them with unanswered prayers and questions. Many couples struggle for years trying to have a child of their own to no avail. I don’t understand why God answers some prayers for children and not others. All I can say is He is sovereign and His purposes will prevail.

I know a couple who, after discovering they couldn’t have children, decided to adopt and eventually welcomed a beautiful baby girl into their family. Eventually, they added two more adopted children, another girl and a boy, making their family complete. I’m sure when their journey of infertility began they wondered if they’d ever have the privilege of becoming parents. But God has blessed them abundantly beyond all they could have imagined. Isn’t it amazing how God takes our hopelessness and turns it into joy if we’ll allow it?

This Mothers Day and every day, I thank God for allowing me the joy and honor of becoming Elise and Jacob’s mother. In spite of there being many ups and downs along the way, my husband and I have been blessed beyond measure. God has humbled me greatly over the last twenty years as I’ve learned to let go of my perfect plan and trust Him with my future. I still have moments where I want to cling desperately to my way of doing things, but God isn’t finished with me yet...

Elise and Jacob- the joy of having teenagers!

Do you have a special story about your journey to parenthood you’d like to share?

 I’d love to hear it!

Happy Mothers Day to my mom, Christine Limoges, and my mother-in-love, June Roper. You are both very special women who have trained me up in the ways of the Lord.

I love you!

Lessons From The Least Of These

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.  

~ Ephesians 4:2

This past week as I was scrolling through Facebook, I noticed a video title that intrigued me. It was an interview with a homeless man, Ronald Davis, from Chicago. I clicked on the link and listened to the utter hopelessness of this man who wanted to work, but no one would hire him because of his attire and lack of home address. He was discouraged, but not bitter. He just wanted the simple things in life like food, a job and a home to return to each evening along with the other commuters who passed him by on their way home from work.

He shared how humiliating it was for him to extend his cup to passerby while asking for any change they could spare, hoping for enough to pay for a sixteen dollar room each night. One man in particular looked at him in disgust as he approached and called him a bum. Ronald was hurt by the comment but, understanding the man’s misconception of his situation, turned and said, “God bless you.”

Immediately, the man was convicted. He came back to Ronald and apologized, saying how sorry he was and that he’d just had a bad day. Then he gave Ronald thirty dollars, enough for almost two nights lodging.

As I contemplated this homeless man’s response to an insensitive comment, I doubted I’d have given the same reply. I probably would’ve been hurt, wanting to lash back at the man. But God used his kind blessing to prick this man’s heart and, in return, Ronald was blessed.

I must say, I’ve had to deal with a few insensitive comments this week and haven’t responded with God bless you. Instead, I’ve reacted in anger and, as a result, feel as if I’m about to explode. I keep praying for God to give me peace toward these people, but it has eluded me.

When I received the second rudely stated and unreasonable request this week, I blew up in front of my daughter, my frustration almost bringing me to tears. She hugged me and said it would all work out, but had to rush back to school for an exam, so we didn’t get to talk.

Later that afternoon, however, she sent me a text stating what an awesome mom I am and she had no doubt I could do a good job and show this woman Jesus’ love by doing so. Then she thanked me for showing her Jesus’ love by the way I love her.

Wow! Out of the mouth of babes. She knew I needed to respond with love and God bless you, while all I wanted to do was pine away in a corner licking my wounds.

Humbled by her sweet praise, I’m going to give it another try. I’m praying for God to fill me with love and compassion toward this woman and to do my work as working for the Lord. I want to please God with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength, and this is certainly one way to do it.

Isn’t it amazing how the least of these, a homeless man and a teenage girl, reflect the love of God in such a way as to draw us back to Him?

Have you been dealing with difficult people lately? What was your response? If not one of love, how could you have changed it?