Bye, Bye Bully

Tuesday 10/29/19 4:49 AM

Yesterday I had my first physical therapy appointment following my hip replacement surgery nine days ago. The outcome was way better than I had expected. I was able to walk unassisted down the hallway at my appointment. My physical therapist was very pleased with my progress and has given me permission to walk around the house without either cane or walker. The only pain I had was in the muscles of my leg, with no discomfort whatsoever in my hip. I was given a few more exercises designed to strengthen the muscles around the hip that I can work on at home. The prescription I got from Dr. Tiberi was for 2 therapy sessions per week for 8 weeks. Given the progress I’ve already made, the therapist thought I should be able to be done with the physical therapy after only 4 weeks. All of this was extremely great news and I am grateful to Jaci for the good care she is providing and I am also grateful to God for the healing he has given me through this whole process.

My psalm for the week is Psalm 139. David begins the psalm by showing God’s intimacy with him, how God perceives his thoughts and is familiar with all his ways. Verse 5 caught my attention this morning as I reflect on the healing God has given me over the past ten days. “You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand on me.” I’ve felt God’s presence throughout the whole process of my hip replacement, from the leading up to it all the way through it, I have had a strong feeling of God being behind me and before me, assuring me that he was with me throughout.

My reading also included Zephaniah 3. I am embarrassed by the broader Christian church in the United States today who seem to think that political power and our current President, Donald Trump, are the key to making our nation great again. President Trump often sounds like a schoolyard bully, calling his detractors petty names and belittling all those who disagree with his way of thinking and acting. His supporters spew hatred and vitriol toward anyone who criticizes him and say things that, to me, are divisive and hateful. Zephaniah 3 begins with a description of God’s people in Jerusalem, and their leaders. “Woe to the city of oppressors, rebellious and defiled! She obeys no one, she accepts no correction. She does not trust in the Lord, she does not draw near to her God. Her officials within her are roaring lions; her rulers are evening wolves, who leave nothing for the morning. Her prophets are unprincipled; they are treacherous people. Her priests profane the sanctuary and do violence to the law.” It seems like this describes the political climate in our society pretty accurately.

After that sharp criticism of God’s people, the tone of Zephaniah changes and he describes what God will do to restore his people. “Then I will purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the Lord and serve him shoulder to shoulder. … On that day you, Jerusalem, will not be put to shame for all the wrongs you have done to me, because I will remove from you your arrogant boasters. Never again will you be haughty on my holy hill. But I will leave within you the meek and humble. The remnant of Israel will trust in the name of the Lord. They will do no wrong; they will tell no lies. A deceitful tongue will not be found in their mouths. They will eat and lie down and no one will make them afraid.” It seems like many modern evangelical Christians are arrogant, feeling they know the right way and have the idea that, if only everyone else in society would follow them, everything would be hunky-dory. It is possible they do know the right way, but Christ did not come into our world with an attitude of an arrogant bully. He came as a suffering servant. The description Zephaniah gives of a restored creation includes the removal of the arrogant boasters, leaving only the meek and humble as a remnant. In that restored world there is no room for arrogance and pride.

Our society also feeds on fear, with twenty-four-hour news programs fueling our fears with videos of natural disasters, mass shootings, inflated crime statistics, etc., which are often shown to be an inaccurate portrayal of the facts. In the restored creation Zephaniah describes, no one will tell lies or be deceitful and no one will make the people afraid. It seems to me the Christians in our society should strive for this type of society by lovingly serving others, speaking the truth with humility, and alleviating fears with quiet reassurance rather than fighting against those with whom they differ using the same bullying and fearmongering techniques.

At my church we are going through a transition. Many of the members have left for other churches for various reasons. There are many in our church who want to return to the good old days when things seemed better. One of the last descriptions Zephaniah gives of the restored people of God is this: “I will remove from you all who mourn over the loss of your appointed festivals, which is a burden and a reproach for you. At that time I will deal with all who oppressed you. I will rescue the lame; I will gather the exiles. I will give them praise and honor in every land where they have suffered shame. At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you home.” As a church it is easy to look back to what we think were the good old days, and long for their return. God is looking forward to a time when those who have been injured by an unjust world, who have been exiled from society, or suffered shame can be drawn together within God’s people and experience the loving community we all like to call home. As a church we need to enfold those who are hurting, those who have suffered unjustly, and those who have been rejected by others and show them love and compassion. Then we will be the restored people of God, a family drawn from every nation and tribe. Bye bye, bully.

Let Go, Let God

Monday 10/28/19 5:39 AM

I am very pleased and surprised by the progress I’m making after my hip surgery. I still have a general achiness in my leg, especially in the morning, but the pain has pretty much subsided. I have cut way back on my narcotic pain medication so I feel like that means I am healing. The bruise on the side of my thigh has lightened and is slowing turning colors, another indication that things are healing well. I am able to walk without my walker, although I always have it along for balance. I can move around the house much faster than I previously did and yesterday I took a short walk outside with nothing but my cane. Today is my first physical therapy appointment and I am looking forward to that quite a bit. Hopefully that will help with the strengthening of the muscles around the hip and maybe they will help me learn to walk properly with my new hip. It will be interesting to see what God has in store for me in the coming weeks.

I have been reviewing my memory verses over the past few weeks. Yesterday I spent my entire devotional time simply doing that. One of the verses is Proverbs 16:9, “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.” This verse describes my life very well. When I first started teaching my plan was to teach a few years and then get a job using my math ability somewhere in industry. God gave me a love of teaching and I ended up staying in the education field. I planned to try to get a job teaching somewhere in the Midwest, closer to Jaci’s family. When I applied for various positions, I was never offered a contract, sometimes I never even got an interview. God decided teaching in Southern California was where he wanted me. I planned to teach at Valley Christian for forty-five years and then retire. After twenty-one years teaching at Valley Christian God saw fit to move me to teaching in the public-school sector, at the college level, something to which I had never aspired. I made my plans for my life, but God determined my steps. Looking back, it almost feels like I’ve been floating down a river doing my best to steer and paddle my boat to a desired location, but ultimately, the riverbed and the current determines the speed at which I travel and the path I traverse.

In his book I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes, Glenn Clark uses a different metaphor, describing one’s life as a picture that is being painted. “When one strains and labors over his dream he is too often carving ivory and not polishing horn. Don’t cut too deeply, don’t carve too hard, don’t paint the picture too much yourself. Get still awhile, and let God paint it through you.” My sabbatical, and now my surgery, has afforded me the time to get still awhile and reflect on what God has done and is doing in my life. Looking at my past and seeing God’s guiding presence along the way gives me great confidence and bolsters my faith as move into the future. Isaiah 26:12, another memory verse, expresses my feelings well. “Lord, you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for us.” I think I should personalize it like this: Lord, you establish peace for me; all that I have accomplished you have done for me.

Some would argue that my efforts and abilities have contributed to the outcome of my life. While this is true, I would argue that God has given me my abilities, my drive, and the circumstances in which I live, so ultimately, it is still all the work of God. I need to remember another memory verse as I move forward, Colossians 3:23-24. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, … It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

Standing Firm

Sunday 10/20/19 5:22 AM

Yesterday I had hip replacement surgery. It went remarkably well and I have no adverse side effects from the anesthesia. I was wheeled from the pre-op room into the operating room at 7:30 AM and was discharged at about 1:30 PM. After the surgery I was able to walk and climb stairs without pain, truly remarkable. Throughout the day yesterday, as the pain meds from the hospital wore off, I had a dull ache in my hip, but that was all. This morning the pain is a little worse, but, from what I understand, that is to be expected. I am grateful to God for my restored body and for the peace and lack of anxiety about this procedure for the past few weeks. I am experiencing the peace and presence of God as I go throughout my day like I did more than twenty years ago when I left my job at Valley Christian to teach at Cerritos College.  I am constantly reminded that he is with me, and that brings a lot of comfort and confidence. Jaci and I have been overwhelmed with the encouragement of our family, our church family, friends, and acquaintances. We have received text messages, Facebook comments, and phone calls from hundreds of people and it is very encouraging and appreciated.

As I had my devotions today there were a few verses, or parts of verses, which resonated with me. Philippians 4:1 reads, “Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and my crown, stand firm then in the Lord in this way, dear friends!” While completely out of context, the phrase “stand firm then in the Lord” had a different meaning for me today. When I stand within the confines of my walker, I can stand firmly and securely, without fear of falling. Similarly, when I consciously stand in the presence of the Lord, I can remain secure in my faith, without fear.

Philippians 4:4-7 states: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again, Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” This is a good reminder for me to be joyful and gentle in my relationships with others. I have really experienced the presence of God concretely over the past weeks. It is almost like he is in the room having a conversation with me. Deuteronomy 34:10 says, “… no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, …” While I make no claim of being in the same category as Moses, I feel like I am experiencing the same thing, knowing and speaking to God face to face. I believe that is the reason for my lack of anxiety and the great sense of peace I experience daily.

The experiences of being confined within the presence of God and knowing him face to face remind me of this verse from St. Patrick’s Breastplate. “Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me. Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ in quiet, Christ in danger, Christ in hearts of all that love me, Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.” Thank you, God, for your surrounding presence, which I experience through my devotions, the loving care of Jaci, and the expressions of love and concern from the mouths of family, friends, and acquaintances.