I stood gazing through the window from the 5th floor hospital room. The view is straight up I-55 and eastward out Lakeland Drive. Behind me were agonizing gasps for breath coming from the victim of bone cancer. It seemed as though each heart beat and each desperate breath would be the last.

Outside the window, traveling north and south, as well as east and west, were hundreds of vehicles. I silently wondered about the humanity each one carried. What were the vehicle's occupants thinking? Were they happy, sad, or just mad? Were their families together? What about their children? And I also wondered if their last breath came to them on that day, where would their next be breathed ... Heaven or Hell?

There was a school bus filled with youngsters ... happy, no doubt a lot of laughter. Pulling in behind them off from I-55 was an ambulance with lights flashing ... sad, no doubt a lot of concern. A cement truck was turning off Lakeland onto I-55 south, heading somewhere ... someone, somewhere was planning for the future, In the distance one can see the space where the boys of summer play their game of baseball. Below is a helicopter pad where helicopters can land, perhaps rushing victims of injury to waiting care-takers.

Behind me ... the gasping for air continued. Mixed in between the labored breathing and the quiet hush was heard a sniffle as tears welled up inside loved one's eyes. Some chatter is heard from those in the room. The cancer victim's struggle goes on.

"There it is", I quietly thought. Before my very eyes I was watching the cycle as it goes on. One lies dying, hundreds are making their way to who knows where. Children are unconscious of any danger around them. People are still being transported to hospitals. Plans for the future are being made. And between the gasps for air, I could almost hear from across town or from some other distant city, the cry of a new born baby and the laughter of new proud parents.

The cycle goes on ... conception, life, death, eternity. At that moment John 3:16 took center stage in my mind. "For God so loved the world"!

Birth: we have no control. Life: some things we control, others we can't. Death: more sure than taxes. Eternity: we have no control over the fact of its reality but we have all control over where it is lived. God provided that choice for us at Calvary's cross.

The cycle goes on ... until Jesus comes again. Then the cycle will be broken and eternity will be filled with its sorrows and joys; the sorrows of Hell and the joys of Heaven. Until He comes, the cycle goes on ... and on ...!

Conception; life; death; eternity. As one individual dies and enters into eternity, the cry of a new born baby is heard. And the cycle goes on. With birth we have no control, but life is our opportunity to prepare for death as a doorway into joy rather than it becoming a trap door to eternal separation from God.

And then ... the Godly woman, Ethelene Wilson, moves through the doorway of death, into the eternal presence of the Lord of Lords, and the King of Kings , Jesus Christ, God's Son.

oj@christian.net

The news was a sad reminder that life doesn’t always treat believers in pleasing ways. It was startling news which was heartbreaking. A car ambush in Mosul, Iraq resulted in the deaths of four missionaries. David McDonnell, Larry and Jean Elliot, along with Karen Watson were killed when the automobile in which they were riding was hit. David’s wife Carrie was the lone survivor.

She appeared before the Southern Baptist Convention in June of 2004. Her appearance was only a couple months after the March 15^th tragedy. Her testimony was an affirmation of God’s ways which are often beyond our understanding. She told the gathering that God makes no mistakes.

"Make no mistake" she said in her testimony. "David and I went to Iraq out of God’s call in our lives, to see His name glorified among the nations. That includes the hard and violent places." She gave every impression that God was in control and that His sustaining power was sufficient for her moment of trial.

We need to understand that when troubles come over our lives like the flood waters from its river bed that God isn’t surprised. He doesn’t say "oops"! Made a mistake".

We are prone to think "if only" in the aftermath of difficult situations. Instead, believers should glorify God that he counted us worthy to be molded into His image by the refining fire of trial.

How can we face daily challenges successfully? We begin by seeking God’s direction for our lives. Knowing the will of God for each individual is important to that individual’s happiness. Christians often skip through each day without being obedient to His will for that day. They don’t have a clue about why the Lord saved them. They just take whatever conveniently comes their way.

Paul the apostle spoke to all believers when he wrote, ". . . so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God" (Ro. 12:2). The word "you" can be understood as a general admonishment as well as a personal word. The road to real happiness is in discovering one’s place in the plan of God for all believers.

Facing daily challenges successfully also includes following God’s directions in one’s life. The right place often follows knowing the general will of God for all believers. Discovering God’s will for one’s personal life doesn’t happen until a believer is willing to first do what is known to be God’s general will about Kingdom living. Doing God’s will as believers in this world opens the spiritual doorway of understanding where God desires each individual to labor.

Being conformed to the morals or ethics of worldly wisdom brings only momentary happiness. On the other hand, a life constantly renewed through Biblical knowledge unveils His will for the individual believer.

The third quest in facing daily challenges successfully requires confirming God’s directions in life. Carrie McDonnell confirmed God’s will in her life. Remember she said, " . . . David and I went to Iraq out of God’s call".

Most days Christians face opportunities to share a positive witness for our Lord Jesus during times of trouble, tragedy, and heartache. How we respond to these unpleasant experiences determines the depth of our trust in Him for all of life’s situations. The call of God upon the lives of believers doesn’t always lead to comfortable assignments. But His call is always right!

Does all of this sound too good to be true? Someone will no doubt respond, "He doesn’t know my trouble". Let me conclude that it is all true, but the believer has to be willing to know His will and be willing to walk in it before this truth becomes reality in the individual life. Conforming to the world’s ways will keep one’s eyes blinded to God’s ways. Being transformed through His Word will turn on the light of truth and guide the individual to God’s perfect will for their life.

oj@christian.net

I heard this sad story the other day while listening to the radio. The story was related from a health worker who once worked in an abortion clinic. On one particular day, she recalled that a women and her daughter each had an abortion. The mother was in one area of the clinic while the daughter was in the another area. Neither knew the other was there.

The health worker later thought how sad their home must have been that night. Both, to some degree, were hurting. They needed, even though they might not have agreed, someone on whose shoulder they could have cried. But since neither knew of the other?s pregnancy before their abortion, then they couldn?t cry on each other?s shoulder.

The daughter didn?t know that a brother or sister was on that very day discarded as mere unwanted body tissue. The mother was unable to present a new daughter or son to her family. Here were two mothers who could have rejoiced with each other over the miracle of birth.

I heard about a situation in another state where a mother is abusing her motherhood rights. Her life is an endless line of ungodly acts. The lessons she is leaving with her children are horrifying. It?s hard to classify this woman as a mother.

My mind drifts back to the days of my youth. I can think of the days when my mother dutifully, unlike the two above illustrations, saw to the needs of her children. There are six of us, four girls and two boys, and she loved us each and every one. She was our mother.

Did she do all the right things? Was her punishment and motherhood perfect? Were there times when we wished she would have taken a different approach to some of our concerns? Without a doubt, mommy made a bundle of mistakes. But as one of her children, the second from the top, I can without hesitation say that her heart was always in the right place. I don?t regret a single hedge limb she wore out on my young legs. Her discipline wasn?t for punishment altogether, but it was for teaching me that doing right is rewarding and doing wrong brings sorrow.

She might have become more tenderhearted as she grew older. I don?t believe as many hedge limbs were utilized with the younger siblings as she used on me. That might say something about me, I don?t know, but she wanted her children to get more from life than she had experienced in her youthful days.

Her father left the family when she was just a small girl. She, her mother, and a house full of boys were left to make it on their own. This was before welfare assistance. I remember her telling of times when they would go into the woods and dig up some kind of roots so they could boil them just to get some nourishment. Being born in 1912 and growing up in the 20s wasn?t easy for even the more wealthy.

So, as we celebrate Mother?s Day in 2006, let us not forget to thank God for them. They went to the depths of death to present us to this world. If your mother is still alive, pray for her today, go see her if possible, and if not, give her a call.

If your mother is no longer in the flesh, just give a prayer of thanks to God for her unwavering love and devotion to you.

Some will want to give a special prayer of gratitude for a mother who went in search of a child because she couldn?t have one of her own. She?s as much a mother as one who actually went through physical child birthing.

So! Moms! This is your day. The kids can wash the dishes and perhaps persuade dad to take the family to lunch!

oj@christian.net