Keys to the Kingdom By Carolyn Hayward Tucker

During winter, the frosty windows often showcase a landscape of cedar trees laden with glittery snow. I enjoy looking at the wintry majesty of God‘s creation. As a youngster, I would play outside until my hands were numb and nearly frozen solid. I would also express my concern for the farm animals standing in the freezing temperatures with snow on their backs. Mom would make me feel better by telling me that they had thick hides. After three months of winter shivers, we would begin to look forward to the coming of spring. We were expectant and hopeful that the warmth, extra light, and new birth of spring was just around the corner.

The Messiah’s coming was prophesied in the Old Testament hundreds of years before Jesus’ birth in the New Testament. There was no instant “drive-through” Jesus. The people sat in darkness for a long time before the Light of the World came. In our impatient culture of fast food, microwaves, instant pots, and bread makers, I’m not sure how well today’s society would wait for the Messiah’s arrival.

Some of the sacred Christmas music just can’t be ignored. The haunting melody and lyrics of the hymn, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel “ is a compelling reminder of how  desperately we needed (and still need) a Savior. This ancient 12^th century Latin hymn was originally used in the medieval church liturgy. Each stanza concentrates on a different biblical name for Jesus: Emmanuel, Lord of Might, Rod of Jesse, Dayspring, Key of David, Bright and Morning Star, and King of Nations.

As the prophets foretold, the Messiah finally came 600 years after His coming was prophesied. Although Jesus fulfilled every single prophecy, many people still missed Him. At every turn, He frustrated the religious leaders. They expected one thing and He delivered another. They wanted Jesus to choose sides, but He chose sinners instead. He didn’t fit their religious ideology of who and what a Savior would be like. He was born to a virgin, delivered in a germy stable, learned the trade of a carpenter, and basically owned nothing. With that background check, Jesus fell short of their rigid religious expectations. But He was wilderness tested and God approved. Let’s face it, God often surprises us with how and when He accomplishes His will.

If you miss your 737 flight the first time, you can always catch the next flight out. For those who have continually missed the Messiah, we have God’s Word to help us find and accept the Savior today. God makes a way when there seems to be no way. The world, in and of itself, is without hope, but Jesus came to fix that. Not even Satan (Matt. 4:1-11) or Peter (Matt. 16:21-23) could scrub the divine mission that God planned for His only begotten Son.

Even though the religious leaders didn’t acknowledge the long-awaited Messiah, the demons knew exactly who He was. Jesus and His disciples went to Lake Galilee to teach and heal the people. “And whenever those possessed by evil spirits caught sight of Him, the spirits would throw them to the ground in front of Him shrieking, ’You are the Son of God!’” (Mark 3:11 NLT).

The Key: Let’s accept and allow the Key of David to open our heart’s door and change our lives forever. That’s why He came.

Kaden, my great-grandson, had an important role in his preschool’s Christmas program in Las Vegas last night.  He was a cow. He had asked to be a dinosaur but was given the choice of a cow, a sheep or a donkey. Along with 11 other three-year-olds, his job was to sit in a chair at the front of the stage and stand when it was his turn to sing a Christmas carol.  Upon entering the stage, he walked like a Raptor and his “moo” sounded more like a “ROAR,” so we guessed he was a cross between the two animals, more like a “cowasaur.”

Twenty preschool “angels” sat at the back of the stage.  They each had one line they were to deliver into the downstage microphone.  Directing dinosaurs would have been easier.  They, at least, returned to their seats after they spoke.  Kaden’s group, on the other hand, included a couple of runaways, a little girl who tried to put her hairbow in Kaden’s cow hat and then sat with her back to the audience, several who randomly stood and moved in the sanctuary wherever they wanted, and not a few who removed their costumes on stage (Kaden included).  Fortunately, there were clothes underneath.

We marveled at the patience of the adults in charge and the teenage “angels” who sat in strategic spots to try and keep the kiddies under control. An almost impossible task.

I love how God gives us all different gifts.  If you read my book, you know that working with a group of little tikes is not my thing.  I fail at it miserably.  What I appreciated about these adult workers was how they never stopped smiling, even if they had to leave their kneeling, directors’ positions in front of the kiddos to chase one of the escapees and return him (yes, him, always a him) to his assigned position on the stage.

We were there because this Christmas was a reunion for the LaRoche clan.  We met at Dave’s daughter’s house for six days in Henderson, Nevada, and had a blast. Every couple was responsible for a meal for 27 relatives.  There were pickleball and wallyball competitions, bike rides, guys-against-girls board games, a crazy, neighborhood, Christmas scavenger hunt, times to watch two three-year-olds and three one-year-olds learn to share and get along, and lots of visits to catch up, to spend time with loved ones. Each of our “gifts” was evident.

From organizing child car seats in vehicles (think musical chairs with car seats) to food preparation/clean-up to game/activity orchestrating to scorekeeping to entertaining babies to praying and leading a devotional, we all had a purpose. 1 Peter 4:10 (ESV) reminds us of how we are to use our gifts: As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.                                                                                                           

Any time a group of people are involved (albeit conducting a children’s Christmas program or a family reunion), it is paramount that individuals work together for the good of all.  Had those volunteers at Kaden’s event allowed the kids to run amok, chaos would have ensued.  Had any of our relatives sat back and expected to be catered to, they would have found themselves in a very lonely position.            And probably very, very hungry.

As it turned out, we are already discussing our next get together.  I hope the volunteers at Kaden’s program are doing likewise.  One thing’s for certain—they deserve all the prayers they can get.

Merry Christmas, All!

Keys to the Kingdom By Carolyn Tucker

We often hear someone say, “I’ve got bad news and good news. Which do you want to hear first?” Mom would always tell me the positive ending of a catastrophe before giving the scary details. For example, she’d call and say, “Your Dad’s alright, but yesterday he fell in the garage and hit his head.” Several years ago, a guest speaker was invited to share his story at church. He spent the majority of his time sharing the horrible things he’d experienced in life, and then the last few sentences were about the miracles God had performed in the midst of his nightmare mess. As I left the building, I thought, “I would’ve rather heard 10% of the horrible and 90% of the wonderful ‘but God‘ part of his testimony.

The word ‘but‘ in scripture usually introduces the gracious and powerful intervention of God. There are many ‘but God’ scriptures and these two three-letter words are some of the best in the Bible. The phrase ’but God’ means that when everything seems broken,  useless, and hopeless, God gets involved and brings a miraculous change of events in our life. Here are a few examples:

In Genesis Chapter 7, God sent the flood and all the living things and people on earth were destroyed. He wiped out everything and everybody that wasn’t in the ark. The only people who survived the catastrophic flood were Noah and his seven family members. “But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and livestock with him in the boat. He sent a wind to blow across the earth, and the floodwaters began to recede“ (Genesis 8:1 NLT.) God doesn’t forget us when we go through a personal chaotic storm.

However, simply knowing the promises of God is not the same as believing and standing on them. When we take God at His Word, we have what it takes to overcome overwhelming odds. “God can do anything, you know — far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, His Spirit deeply and gently within us” (Ephesians 3:20 MSG.) There’s an unfortunate tendency among some Christ followers to keep God in a tiny box with a lid. This practice actually limits what God can do for us. Living an abundant life is a team effort with God as our I AM. We have to be united in purpose, obedient, and not bucking His system. He never intended for us to try to carry our burdens alone. When we take our hands off the mess and give it to the One who holds us in His hands, we’ll eventually experience a ‘but God’ outcome. Take the lid off and let God go to work.

God is a Redeemer and a Reverser. He takes people and circumstances and turns them completely around. BAM! Joseph’s brothers and others treated him cruelly and lied about him. After many years of God’s continual intervention in Egypt, Joseph was finally promoted and was able to say to his brothers: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people” (Genesis 50:20 NLT.) God literally took Joseph from the pit to the palace.

When Paul reached Macedonia he was exhausted from the troubles he’d experienced at every turn. And then He said, “But God, who encourages those who are discouraged, encouraged us by the arrival of Titus” (2 Corinthians 7:6 NLT.)

The Key: Let’s focus on the bigger ‘but God’ story when we find ourselves in a mess.

Cases of depression are at an all-time high, and for far too many people, the Christmas season exacerbates the problem. Shopping creates emotional stress as credit cards are maxed out in order to keep those little kiddies happy. Many feel overwhelmed by the endless television promotions of holiday celebrations, knowing they don’t measure up. I get it.  Their tables would make Martha Stewart envious.  Seriously.  I mean, who has a table big enough to hold 16 Lenox China place settings? Still, adults aren’t the only ones suffering.

Schools today are spending much of their resources, hiring mental health counselors to help students cope, and pharmaceutical companies are making billions on drugs intended to reduce anxiety and depression. At a doctor’s visit this past week, I was asked a routine question: “Are you depressed?”  I knew she didn’t mean the usual feelings of working through the stress of Christmas travels or being sad because I didn’t lose the weight I vowed to lose for the last several New Years’ Eve resolutions.  She was talking about the overriding feeling of being down with no hope.  Just a few years ago, that question was not asked in a doctor’s office.

Yesterday, I visited with a local woman who shared the story of her relative who spent years suffering from drug-induced depression, and after multiple stays in the penitentiary, decided to come clean and turn back to Jesus. For over two years, he has held a job, been promoted to management, and now speaks to students, warning them never to start drugs.  His heart-felt prayer at Thanksgiving, I was told, caused every adult to tear up.

A few days ago, I met a woman who is seeking answers for her granddaughter who feels hopeless and claims she is picked on in school.  Her medication doesn’t seem to help.

Granted, there are people who need medicine.  But there are some who do not.  They just need Jesus.  Of course, our laws prohibit us from sharing this answer with our students or our employees or our soldiers or our patients.  We who can offer Hope, are told we cannot.  And yes, for some, the answer is medicine-plus-Jesus, but we don’t even give him a chance to make a difference.

It makes no sense.  If you had a migraine and I had a pill that would cure your headache, should I not be able to tell you about it?  If your marriage were on the rocks and I had a way to solve your problem, should our legislative body deny me the right to explain such Hope to you?  If your company was about to go belly-up and I had an answer to keep you in the black, should anyone keep me from speaking up?

Finding 2023 statistics on how many people suffer from depression led to ads on specific drugs to reduce depression, but Rexulti did promote its company by saying this: “Major depressive disorder is a serious medical illness affecting an estimated 21 million American adults…A large study showed that 2 out of 3 people taking an antidepressant still experienced symptoms of depression.”

Someone posted this:     “When Elijah said ‘Lord, I want to die,’ God gave him the strength to live.  Depression is real. But so is God.  Anxiety is real. But so is hope.”

The worst thing we Christians can do is to judge those who suffer with mental health struggles. But we should be allowed to intersect faith and mental health by supporting and loving those who seek answers. By offering them the Hope that Jesus offers.

Keys to the Kingdom

By Carolyn Tucker

My good friend, Ralph, shared a funny story about his young neighbor boy. Many years ago, this cute little guy was about three years of age and he couldn’t speak very clearly.   One day, Ralph was over there visiting and the youngster noticed that Ralph was looking at him.  Somewhat annoyed, he bluntly asked, “What are you yuckin’ at?”

Jesus knows that mankind tends to be judgmental and critical of others, and this sets a bad example for all who identify as Christ followers. We simply are not to judge another person. “Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults — unless, of course, you want the same treatment” (Matthew 7:1 MSG). For one reason, we don’t have all the required information to make a proper judgment. One of Elvis’ best songs (in my opinion) has the following lyrics: “Yah, before you abuse, criticize, and accuse, walk a mile in my shoes.“ The only person a believer is to judge is himself/herself. But oftentimes we’d rather judge others because, when we inspect our own heart, we may find jealousy, a lack of love, and pride — ouch!

God intends for us to treat one another’s background story with the same kind of love, respect, and mercy as He has shown us. Everyone needs compassion, mercy, and forgiveness. We need to remember that the past failures of a redeemed individual are  gone in the eyes of God. So let it be gone in our eyes too. “The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear Him. For He knows how weak we are; He remembers we are only dust” (Psalm 103:8-10,12-14 NLT). If Jesus forgives and forgets sins, then we should too. Everyone’s journey is full of twists and turns, highs and lows, and it’s personal and confidential between the individual and their Savior.

Sometimes the decision to follow Christ begins in the gutter. In the Book of John, we find that the religious scholars and Pharisees had brought to Jesus a woman who’d been caught in the act of adultery. They said that the Law gives orders to stone her to death and they asked what Jesus had to say. He responded that the sinless one among them could throw the first stone. After hearing Jesus’ wise statement, they all walked away. When they inspected their heart and judged themselves, they discovered they weren’t as righteous as they had thought. Jesus came to change rules and lives by His love and His blood. “Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, ’Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?’ ’No, Lord,’ she said. And Jesus said, ’Neither do I. Go and sin no more’” (John 8:10-11 NLT).

God is awesome, holy, perfect, and to be revered. Yet, He forgives and forgets our sins, failures, and shortcomings. So who do we think we are to not do the same with our friends and family? If God can, that means we must. Rather than judge, let’s be a reflection of mercy and lend a helping hand, a loving heart, and a warm smile.

The Key:  God’s work of art is a constant work of heart in all believers.

Since publishing my book, I have been admitted to AWSA, the Advanced Writers’ and Speakers’ Association.  From this group of female writers, I have learned much.  Recently, I, like several others, was contacted to speak in Great Britain.  We all received the same email, and because one of our women checked into the inviter’s credentials, we were alerted that this invitation was a scam.  This is not the only scammer working with authors.

One writer began her email with these words: “This week a scammer got me.”  She wrote that he used her pastor’s name and asked her to buy gift cards for two women at church who were suffering from cancer; he would give the cards to the women the following Sunday.  She purchased the cards. Then the scammer asked her to photograph the cards front and back and send them to him so the women could start spending them early.  She obliged…and lost $1000 in the process.

The author called the police.  Because of the amount, it was a federal crime, so the F.B.I. was alerted. She also notified her pastor and other members of the congregation—many who had received the same email.  The scammer contacted her again and wanted $3,000 more to help other people in need.

This time, the author prayed about what she should do.  Jude 22 told her to reach others for Jesus through mercy mixed with fear, and the story of Ananias and Sapphira came to mind.

This is what she wrote the scammer:

“Once there was a man named Ananias, who came up with a scheme with his wife to steal from the first church. God struck them both dead. You may not believe in God, but he sees what you are doing. Your only hope for being saved is to call on Jesus. And by the way, what you’re doing is a felony and has been handed over to the FBI. You will very likely be receiving some earthly pay-back, too.”

In the email to fellow members of AWSA, she wrote that she knew that Ananias and Sapphira weren’t after money; they were after acclaim.  “But it’s still stealing,” she wrote. She shared that she put the scammer on her daily prayer list.  “I’ve turned his theft into my investment in his soul.”

She ended with this:

“So beware of what’s out there, like I was not. And if you are approached by a scammer, think of how you can invest in his or her soul for eternity. Prayer can snatch him from the flames of hell.

“Boy, did this scammer unknowingly hit the jackpot! LOL!”

Several authors responded to her email, me included, thanking her for demonstrating a heart for ministry for someone who had cost her…literally.  Her ability to see a chance to lead someone to know Christ superseded her desire for payback.  What a lesson for everyone who sees only their own pain instead of recognizing an opportunity to help save someone’s soul!

Keys to the Kingdom By Carolyn Tucker

Several of my classmates married right after their high school graduation in 1976. I was asked to sing The Lord’s Prayer at one of these weddings. (This will sound really strange,   but I’d rather sing at five funerals than one wedding. Because a wedding ceremony is a huge production and everyone expects everything to be perfect. But funerals are a ministry to provide comfort through music and that‘s right in my wheelhouse.) An accomplished organist was to accompany me, and everything went well at the rehearsal. But on the evening of the wedding, the organ settings had been changed so that when the introduction was played, all I could hear was a low-pitched rumble. For the life of me, I couldn’t hear my starting note. I realized it wasn’t going to get any better, so I just started singing and sang about half of the song before I could determine the correct pitch. Of all the songs in the world, I totally botched The Lord’s Prayer. This incident was one of my most-embarrassing music fails ever! I can’t remember if I crawled out of the sanctuary or just dug a hole in the carpet and climbed in. I hope it wasn’t my fault, but this particular couple later divorced.

God will never fail us, but humans will. It’s our nature, not our intention. When Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, he took His inner circle of three (Peter, James and John) and asked them to pray and watch with Him. But they failed.

God, however, has always shown Himself to be an unfailing and faithful Father because He never makes mistakes and He never abandons His children. He is a solid Rock and dependable when life is not at its best. It’s comforting to know that God is the same through every situation; and that means He’s always good. “So we praise God for the glorious grace He has poured out on us who belong to His dear Son. He has showered His kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding” (Ephesians 1:6,8 NLT).

By faith, we can lay hold of the blessings God has for us.  “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ” (Ephesians 1:3 NLT). Christ followers need to be reminded that our spiritual blessings are vital to a victorious life in Him. But there’s no doubt that material blessings are also important. We need both types of blessings and God will not fail to provide us with everything we need as we place our complete trust in Him.   Jesus said, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33 NKJV).

Faith in an unfailing God is a routine that believers are to practice hourly. It’s not something we rely on sometimes. Faith in God’s love and power for us as individuals must be consistent. When we live out our everyday life grounded on God’s Word, our lives can positively impact others for the Kingdom of God.

God will always do what is best for His children; He‘s always up to something good. “So what should we say about this? If God is with us, no one can defeat us. He did not spare His own Son but gave Him for us all. So with Jesus, God will surely give us all things” (Romans 8:31,32 NCV).

The Key: God loves us and we can trust that He will never fail us or sing off pitch.

I write, not as an expert on Christianity (as far as I know, Jesus was the only one who qualified for that title) but as one who wakes up every morning determined to love God more than myself.  Typically, that lasts for about an hour (two if I take time to read my Bible and pray).  Then I become…well, Patty.

Pretty much, a house of cards that falls flat.  Should I stack up my “pair of two’s” against almost every Christian I know, their “Royal Flush” will beat me every time. They pray, witness, disciple, memorize scripture, feed the sick, clothe the poor, write encouraging notes, remember peoples’ names and love their enemies better and more than I do. They are not annoyed by small talk or disinterested listeners; instead of whining about the state of politics, they get involved; and they are at the top of the church volunteer list.

Nope, I’m not going to compare myself to them.  Instead, I will compare myself to evil people like Charles Manson, Hitler and Jeffrey Dahmer where my three-of-a-kind trumps their one-of-a-kind.  That lasts for, oh say, about 30 seconds at which time the divide widens because now I can add pride and judgmentalism to my deck of unimpressive cards.

I need a new hand.

Correct that. I need a new heart.

While researching, I googled “hypocrite.”  Up popped some commentary that dealt with the 10 biggest hypocrites ever (and no, I was not listed).  Scrolling down the list, I gasped when I saw Jesus’ name.  The author’s rationale?  Anyone who could preach love yet condemn people to hell is a hypocrite.

A hypocrite? Jesus pretended to be something he wasn’t?  If Jesus was a hypocrite, then what are we?  Hypocrites on steroids to the umpteenth power? If Jesus was a phony, what was the cross all about?  I know of no other person who willingly would take the place of sinners (including the author of that article…and me…and you, if you’re honest) and ask only that, because of his sacrifice, we love him back, no matter what deck we have been dealt.

Who else is in our corner like he is? We never will have a cheerleader like Jesus Christ who, according to 1 Timothy 2:5, mediates for us when Satan stands in the heavens, reciting his litany of where we have fallen short (which, in some of our cases-ahem!–is more often than others). I can just see Satan puffing out his chest, and in his best accusing tone, informing Jesus that I was impatient in the express lane when the woman ahead of me had 13 items instead of 12.

Jesus responds with one word: “Forgiven.”

“Yeah, well what about this one?  Today she told her neighbor she’d pray for her but didn’t.

“Forgiven.”

No matter what Satan throws out, Jesus reminds him that he paid the price to cover my sins. I wish I could see myself the same way Jesus does. When I see five unmatched cards as I compare myself to the saintly types listed above, Jesus sees five aces (and yes, I know that’s not possible, but you get the point). Where I see myself failing as his representative, he recognizes it as part of my journey to rely more on him.  When I judge, he nudges me to remember what it’s like to be judged.  When I compare myself to others (seriously, is JayLo stunning or what?), he reminds me that I am loved, 100%, right where I am.

Who else does that?

No hypocrite that I know, that’s for sure.

Keys to the Kingdom By Carolyn Tucker

I have a wild variety of Thanksgiving memories from my younger years. My Aunt Velda was a hairdresser and sometimes she would cut my hair on Thanksgiving at our house. In the late 1970s, I got a speeding ticket driving from Springfield to Stockton. I found it hard to be thankful that day. My Dad innocently threw out the dressing to the dogs before Mom baked it. (It looked like scraps to him!) One year, we ate wild turkey that had previously lived across the road. Thanksgiving was/is a time for family togetherness, home-cooked food, hugs, loud stories, laughter, and a sincere prayer of thanks to God for His goodness. I have witnessed and experienced God’s great faithfulness all my life.

Thanksgiving is a special occasion to pause and be grateful that we’re not hopeless or helpless. Even though believers can’t fully grasp what God has done for us, we can bow low, raise our hands high, and worship Him. We should humbly thank God for His mercy — for what He’s done and all He hasn’t done. Dottie Rambo penned these compelling song lyrics: “If we had gotten justice we would surely be lost. But we found mercy when we knelt at the cross.”

With all of God’s abundant goodness in our lives, let’s not be guilty of running around like Chicken Little and squawking, “The sky is falling!” That hopeless attitude makes Christians look foolish and faithless and disappoints God. When we act like God won’t keep His word to provide and protect us, we make Him out to be a liar. He needs us to be good examples and choose to trust Him. “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13). We mustn’t act like silly chickens but rather thankful believers full of hope, joy, peace, and gratitude.

God is in the past, present, and future. Christ followers need not fear the future because God is already there and He’s not the least bit disturbed. Recently, I was visiting with my late sister-in-law about a certain situation. I said, “I’m not worried about it,” so then she said, “Well, if you’re not worried, then I’m not going to worry.” I believe that conversation greatly pleased our heavenly Father. “And call for help when you’re in trouble — I’ll help you, and you’ll honor Me” (Psalm 50:15 MSG). God is not limited in any way, shape, or form. Therefore, we glorify Him when we surrender and place our trust in Him. No matter where we go or what we do, God is already there with patient arms full of love, grace, and mercy. Now that’s something to squawk about!

During Thanksgiving (and everyday) let’s focus on God’s constant presence in our life. “I am a God who is everywhere and not in one place only. Do you not know that I am everywhere in heaven and on earth?“ (Jeremiah 23:23-24 TEV). If God can keep the universe in perfection motion, shouldn’t we be confident to trust Him with all our concerns? And shouldn’t we be thankful for His mercy (getting what we don’t deserve and not getting what we do deserve)?

King David wrote, “The Lord is my Strength and my [impenetrable] Shield; my heart trusts in, relies on, and confidently leans on Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song will I praise Him” (Psalm 28:7 AMP).

The Key: Let’s open the eyes of our heart and realize we’re blessed and be thankful.

No matter what.

No matter what our circumstances, we can trust that God is in charge.  No matter what storm we encounter, no matter what is happening in our relationships, no matter what is going on across the ocean, no matter how the world has canceled us, God is in charge.

Even if you are in Mexico and wait for five hours at Immigration and the men ahead of you are told they don’t have the right paperwork and you tap them on the shoulder and whisper to them to walk down the street to the Coca-Cola lady and she will prepare their paperwork for them (for a fee) and then you have to do the same and you end up in line behind them and they sit in the only two chairs on the sidewalk and never offer you a seat and never even thank you when they end up leaving the Immigration office an hour before you.  As a final insult, Immigration tells you to pull your hair back to take your official photo and, in your official document, you look like you have been mauled by a grizzly bear.

Even then.

Everyone I meet is dealing with something (and yes, I know, much more challenging than my Immigration story).  Two of my closest Christian friends are dealing with auto-immune diseases and three with Parkinson’s disease.  As I watch them become more debilitated, I am touched to see them lean on God and trust that He is the only One in charge.

No matter what.

This morning, I listened to a podcast by speaker/author Linda Shepherd whose 18-month- old daughter, strapped in her car seat, was thrown from a vehicle onto a freeway.”  For a year, the toddler was in a coma—referred to a “vegetative state” by 21 health care professionals– and only when her newborn baby brother was placed next to her in her bed did she awaken.  Linda spoke about what a blessing it was to care for a mentally and physically handicapped child for 26 years.  Because “God is in charge.”  In another interview, she said this: “When we are despairing, Jesus is caring.”

I’m not sure there is anything that moves me more than watching people with extreme burdens lean into God and profess that He is in charge.  They don’t blame.  They don’t ever ask “Why me?”  They don’t turn to alcohol or drugs to help them deal.  They find blessings amidst their trials.

No one did that better than Paul.  In Acts 16 we read that he and his traveling companion Silas were “severely flogged” and then thrown into prison.  Flogging was especially brutal. The usual instrument was a short whip with several single or braided leather thongs of variable lengths, in which small iron balls or sharp pieces of sheep bones were tied at intervals. The maximum number of blows was 39, or until the victim was considered “near death.”

We can assume these disciples were in bad shape when they were thrown into jail, their feet fastened in the stock.  What did they do?  Paul and Silas prayed and sang hymns to God.  No moaning.  No self-pity.  Let’s pick up in verse 26:  Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake…All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! Panicked, yet understanding something supernatural had happened, the jailer asked what he needed to do to follow the same God Paul and Silas served.  In the end, the jailer and his family became Christians and were baptized.

All because, no matter what happened to these disciples, they kept the faith.

And so should we.  No matter what.