When You Slide Into the Ditch--Is There Grace?

This morning dawned bright and clean with all the fresh, beautiful snow.

Suddenly the brown bareness and bits of mess here and there are covered up, just as God's blanket of grace covers our life's mess-ups and makes "something beautiful of my life."

The crescent moon was peeking through the branches of the austree.

We saw that the vehicle that had slid into the ditch last night was still there. We watched as a pickup came and winched it out later.

 The tow truck, snow plow, and other vehicles were by now gone from the other spot where they had still been working last night about midnight when both  Jonathan and I were up to use the you-know-which room, and to check the fire.

Cars in ditches and insurance notices coming in the mail to let you know that your child's accident a couple months ago is going to up your insurance by a few hundred dollars

is a good time to remember that God's grace is not all about sparing us trouble in this life.

Last week John Piper posted about how sometimes God's grace is supplied within the circle of grace denied.

He told about how on a beastly hot July day in Tennessee, the water pump on his car stopped working, stranding them twenty miles from any town.

That morning he had prayed that the car would work well and that they would arrive safely (a prayer we have a habit of praying as well). Now "the grace of trouble-free travel had been denied," and no one was stopping as they stood by the car. Then his son suggested that they pray, which they did, and after which a pickup pulled over to help.
 

It turned out to be a mechanic who took John Piper into town for parts and helped fix the car.
And during the ride, John shared the gospel with the mechanic!
 

 "Now the remarkable thing about that answer to our prayer," John Piper wrote, "is that it came inside the circle of a prayer denied. We asked for a trouble-free trip. God gave us trouble. But in the midst of a grace denied, we got a grace supplied. And I am learning to trust God’s wisdom in giving the grace that is best for me and for unbelieving mechanics and for the watching faith of eleven-year-old boys."

"We should not be surprised that God gives us wonderful graces in the midst of suffering that we had asked him to spare us. He knows best how to apportion his grace for our good and for his glory."

--John Piper

So we ask for grace for our day--for the hours of supervising chores and helping with schoolwork,

for teaching Spanish and checking lessons, and helping Timmy who wants to learn guitar, even though I have no idea whatsoever how to play guitar. But if cousin Ezra learned on his own by looking at how to finger the chords, then perhaps Timmy can do it, too, and so I play piano with him while he strums, trying out a new chord along with the old ones he already knew.

I give the children an hour and half first thing this morning to sled and play in the snow before it  melts and before school, and then they come in and enjoy hot chocolate, and actually behave well during school time today (unlike yesterday--no further comment!)

And I write a card to someone who felt they had slipped spiritually, after a daughter called on the phone in distress after hearing about it.
(So thankful neither you nor I ever slipped or went wrong spiritually. Let's pat ourselves on the back and put our noses a little higher into the air.)

 I have no stones to throw--no woodpecker beak to peck with, looking for bugs and hammering hard.

Only a hand to reach out and a heart that cares and wants to help.
I respect honesty and humility any day over hypocrisy, self-righteousness, spiritual pride, and perfectionism.

You haven't slipped or sinned in the last 40 years--or, excuse me, since you were so safely and wondrously sanctified?
You haven't slid into a ditch of any sort to the right hand or the left?

Congratulations!
Accept my low, low curtsey to the three or four of you who meet on a Sunday to prop each other up in your critical sinlessness!

The rest of us will continue to avail ourselves when necessary of the snowfall of God's grace covering up the blemishes and the messes and the mistakes and the problems that fill our humanity.
We don't have to sin in thought, word and deed every day.
We can live above sin by God's grace. 
But if and when we do sin, slip, slide into a ditch and can't get out on our own,
there is a Tow Truck and a Winch and an All-Powerful Snow Plow,
and there is a throne of Grace to which we can run in time of need.

Ganger Brothers CD on a Winter Evening

Last week at a viewing we attended, our friend Ken Ganger gave Jonathan this CD of the Ganger brothers singing.

We finally had a chance to get it out and listen to it today!

This was one of those days of warm winter weather in which you hurry up and cut more scrap wood, rake a side yard, clean up outside, and remember too late to tarp the hay because suddenly, after weeks of dry weather, it is raining and turning into snow.

Thankfully, Jonathan got home ahead of the snow and ice, but not long afterward, we saw two vehicles either ditched or stuck one way or another by the road in sight of our house.

 That is the tow truck coming for one vehicle--in case you can't figure out the photo!

And below is the front cover of the Ganger brothers' CD called "Homestead."

Of course, Jonathan knew all the brothers growing up, and I have known them for years, too.

The oldest brother, Ken, has often passed work on to Jonathan. And his wife, before she died, for years used to email me the sweetest, most encouraging emails to this homeschooling mom of a large brood.

So I really was happy when he shared this CD with us. 

I loved their choice of photos, songs, and the kind words spoken about faith and family inside. 

On the back of the cover, it tells about the birth of their mother on a beautiful Colorado homestead 90 years ago. This CD made it to completion just before she left this world a few months ago, which I am sure was special to all the family.

So I put this CD on and listened to it while I was ironing--and did I ever enjoy it!

It reminded me so much of my own four brothers singing together!

I especially enjoyed the songs with the piano (that pianist was outstanding, and just the style I love!) and the acappela songs, esp. the medley of "All God's Children Got Shoes/ Swing Low, Sweet Chariot." The latter, and "The Jericho Road" were both songs my brothers used to sing.

So on this cold winter evening while the fire is blazing and I am trying to recuperate from a bout with my stomach yesterday, we enjoyed some good music!

I put the CD on a second time during supper. (You can see my little boy dashing out of the photo, while Jonathan wonders what the photo is all about! Especially when there is just leftover mush on the plates! :)) Maybe kind of like what they had to eat on the old homestead! :)

 After three days of lots of cooking for various company, we kicked back with leftovers today!

And here Carrie wanted a picture of four of our nine fat and flourishing puppies!

 Thank You, Lord, for a cozy home in the wind and snow and ice and storm,

and for good music besides!

Middle Age--"Cruddy" or "Fresh and Flourishing"?

A couple  months ago, a friend called Jonathan about some trees at an auction, and Jonathan went and bought several for a fraction of what it would cost to buy at a nursery. 

We planted them right away around the property. He was tickled to even get this bristlecone pine for about $30!

 There were a lot of holes to dig and stakes to pound in, and fences to put up around them so the goats won't ruin them.

I am thinking also of the cedar trees at our friends' place where we visited recently. They are hauling their own cedar logs out of their woods, splitting them in half and building fence that is not just useful but colorful and beautiful! 

I loved this fencing, and to think they made it themselves with a chainsaw!

Just after seeing the cedar logs and the fencing, I read in my Bible, "The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon."

"Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God.

They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing, to declare that the Lord is upright; He is  my rock." Psalm 92:12-14

It was comforting to think that God can help us who are getting older to still bear fruit and to flourish!

Sam and two of the other family's boys helped to move some concrete chunks out of the way for the fence.

It's wonderful to have the strength of youth!

But then there is middle age, which my sister with her great sense of humor just wrote about to another sister in such a funny way that I will have to quote her:

" I think your ottoman is very cool.  Some of these styles, for a while they were simply outdated. Everyone would know that your piece was old or came from some old person's estate sale or you're too poor or tasteless to have something better.  But now it is so old, it is next door to antique, which gives it increasing value.  Not to mention, that maybe we own something because we like it, and not just because we are so weird and out-of-touch that we don't have brand new things every season.

Makes me think of human beings," she continued. "Right now, some of us are out of that brand-new, sparkling, vivacious stage of youth-hood. 

                                         We find ourselves starting to look and act a bit old. 

 Everyone knows we are getting outdated.  But we haven't attained the honor that is due to the white-haired seniority.  Pretty cruddy stage. 

 

 The youth think you are out-dated and so weird, and the old people think you are still immature and foolish. 

 We middle-agers need to prop one another up. 

 Just like furniture that's a little warped, or missing a leg so you use a hymnal under it.  

 We might be too old to be new, but if we wait long enough we will be back to our original value for being antiques."
I loved her observations!

Hey, Kitty!--When Things Happen That Are Unfair

When we were visiting friends a few weeks ago, we got a good deal of entertainment just watching this cute little kitten.

There was also a little dog that its owner brought over for our friends to watch. The dog was not much bigger than the kitten. 

And that dog and this kitten had quite a merry time chasing each other around, batting at each other, and otherwise checking to see who was boss.

The dog crate belonged to the dog--at first, that is.

Then the kitten moved in.
She peeked in, peered in, stepped in, and step by step moved in and lay down in a corner, just like it owned the place.

It batted the dog's tail and caused a good deal of consternation to the poor dog who had simply come to lie down in his own crate!

The next thing we knew, the kitten was complete master of the crate, and the poor little dog was tiptoeing around the outside of it, peering in.

It could hardly have been more hilarious if we had made up the story!

And yet I thought how like human nature as well!
One person really does own something or have rights to it or belongs somewhere or has started a project, and then someone stronger, cuter, smarter, sharper, more spoiled or more assertive comes along and takes it over.
It's totally unfair, but it happens.

Pretty soon you are tiptoeing around looking inside instead of being at home in your own crate, the one you were given or that you made, built, bought, worked for, suffered for, used, and used to be peaceful in.
Now someone else serenely pockets your efforts, your possessions and your rights.

 Every so often we let our children know that life is not fair, and that things will not always be fair or equal. The sooner we figure this out and accept it, the better, and the happier we will be.

But you can't let it get the best of you.
You might have to let the other person have the thing, the project, the idea, the position, the promotion, the space, the rights, or the credit.
You might need to speak up and you might need to be quiet.
You might have to wait a while for them to get tired of the fun they are having at your expense.
You might have to let go and you might have to move on.

But we know God sees everything that is going on.
He sees the sparrow fall and He sees the sharp, daring little kitten that takes over the dog's crate.
And He sees you in your unfair situation.

Someday God will make everything right.
Until then, we can rest in Him and find joy in Him and know that He redeems every evil meant against us, and will work it for good in our lives.
He promised!

How About the Girl Cousins in PA?

Here is a picture one of my girls took of some of the girl cousins in PA!

Above--Back row--Natasha, Candace, Rose, Amaris

Front Row--Sarah, Pearl, Krissy, Carrie, Elisa

And below are Iva's three girls with Rose and Carrie.

 This was the announcement Amaris had for her graduation from nursing school.

This is Iva's family who had traveled in for the graduation. They had gone along with Elon's and Fain's family for the Sunday morning Christmas program and that is where this photo got taken.

Here is Fain's family.

The girls weren't with Gabriel's and Joella's families very much and didn't get photos of them.

In Missouri, where the children stopped to visit my folks, my Mom has a beautiful baby blanket project going. Different girl cousins are embroidering the patches, and then she sews them together into baby blankets for the great grandchildren.

Mom does such a lovely job!

The last Sunday of December, my two brothers' families, named Ringspiration, sang and rang at the God's Missionary Church in Lebanon, PA, where Fain's wife Regina's brother, Philip Burch is Spanish pastor. The Spanish church was going to have my brothers' families to sing, but the main church decided to join all together that evening to enjoy the music.  It was recorded live, and some of the children and I sat and watched it on Jonathan's phone because the computer kept stalling.

I really enjoyed their good Christmas music, and seeing or hearing a few people that we knew in the audience.