Not Everything Changes...

I recently had a conversation with a good friend of mine. It was long overdue and we had the chance to catch up a bit. This friend of mine has spent a significant amount of time in third world countries serving God in various ways. She has recently come back to the U.S. and is employed as a social worker.

In our conversation she said something that got me to thinking. It was one of those “things that make you go hmmmm”, kind of moments.

What she said was that there had been a very big change in the country, and that she was struggling with all the things that were different from how she had remembered them before she left the country.

I couldn’t argue with her, she was right. There have been many changes. There have been political, social and even faith-based changes that have come to pass in the last several years.

To you and I, the majority of the changes that have taken place have not been overnight. Living here day in and day out, we have seen these changes on the horizon at least for a short period of time. But I can sure see how if you were out of the country and your focus was not so much on what was going on at home, but on serving where you were, things would sure seem different upon your return home.

Then I got to thinking (dangerous I know), that lots of other things change in our lives too. Kids grow up and leave home. We change jobs (not always because we want to). We experience and deal with illnesses and injuries. Relationships end (also not always because we want them to), and new ones begin.

And so much more.

So I guess what I am saying is that our lives are actually quite full of change. I have heard it said that, “Change is the one constant in our lives.” On some levels that may be true, however, there is one thing that hasn’t changed in the past, isn’t changing today, and will never change in the future, God. (When I say “God” I am referring to God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.)

God, speaking to the nation of Israel through the prophet Malachi said, “I the Lord do not change…” (Malachi 3:6a). He was saying that while the Israelites may turn away from Him and go off and do their own thing, He will still be the same God, their God, when and if they should return to Him.

I find this comforting.

No matter where we run, how far we run, or what direction we run in, to get away from God, He will always be there waiting for our return. This is very well illustrated in the story Jesus told about the “Prodigal Son”. (Luke 15:11-32).

In the New Testament, the writer of Hebrews says that, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8). That is great news! He is talking about Jesus who sacrificed His divinity to be born into our circumstances to pay the ultimate price for us and to defeat death in a very public way. So no matter what may change in the world or in our lives, the sacrifice and payment that Christ made for each of us still stands.

No. Matter. What.

We need to hang on to that. In the midst of a chaotic world, and a personal life that may be filled with divorce, sickness, struggles, pain and challenges…as surrendered believers our place with Christ is secure. It is the one thing that cannot be taken away from us because the one who paid for it NEVER changes and neither does His love for us.

So the next time you hear about the craziness in the world and experience a dose of painful brokenness in your own life…pause, take a deep breath and remember that you are still loved, and your God and Savior are still on the job with your best interests at heart.

Whew, I feel better being reminded of that, don’t you?

A Story of Prayer

This past October a nineteen year old boy was going to community college and spending time with his friends. At one point he and a few friends went to a haunted house. While going through the haunted house and roughhousing, he injured his knee. It was the same knee that he had injured before. The first time arthroscopic surgical repair was needed. That would be the case again.

The surgery was done in December and the healing began. There were crutches, doctor visits, instructions and a plan for physical therapy in the not-too-distant future.

The healing wasn’t coming as quickly as he had hoped it would, but he continued to look forward to getting back on his feet. Eventually the time required to stay off of the injured leg was nearing its end. The young man began to walk on it a little bit. He felt stronger and walked on it more. Things seemed to be going well.

Then one night he didn’t feel well. He had a temperature of 103 and a severe headache. Eventually both symptoms went away only to be replaced by body shakes and stuttering. The shakes he could tell he was having, the stuttering he didn’t hear, so when others told him that he was doing it was the first he had heard of it.

He went to the local small-town emergency room. The doctor didn’t know what was wrong and sent the young man home telling him to go and find another doctor, a specialist.

The young man was in communication with his mother who drove 100 miles to pick him up and another 100 to take him to her home in a bigger city. Once there they went to the bigger hospital’s emergency room. Once again doctors were at a loss. After 12 hours in the emergency room and multiple tests and scans the cause of the young man’s shaking and what had become a complete inability to speak escaped the doctor.

He was again sent home.

It was now January and the young man’s mother was advised to seek a specialist in a yet bigger city. Upon making a call for an appointment with a neurologist she was told that the soonest he could be seen was in March. This would be more than a 30-day wait.

The call for prayer then went out. Local friends and family were asked to pray. The request went onto social media and dozens joined in praying for the young man. Some took the prayer request to their home churches in various communities both in Colorado and in the midwest. The request was added to multiple church prayer chains.

Paul writes in his letter to the church in Rome that we are to, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” (Romans 12:12)

Shortly after the appointment was made with out of town neurologists the young man was scheduled to go for his final check by the orthopedic surgeon prior to starting physical therapy. Still shaking and unable to talk, he went. While there the surgeon examined the knee discovering it to be healing nicely, but was unhappy with the 30-day delay in the young man’s being examined by the out of town neurologist. The surgeon got on the phone and was able to get the appointment pushed up allowing the young man to be seen in less than a week’s time.

People continued to pray.

In his letter to the church in Philippi Paul writes, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Phil 4:6)

At the neurologist’s office the young man was examined and a diagnosis was given. It wasn’t diagnosed as a stroke, or cancer, or any other well known disease. Instead, what had happened was that the part of his brain that controls his emotions had started to control his movements. How this happened isn’t exactly clear. It may have had something to do with the high fever weeks before. At any rate, the treatment was to be physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy in the hopes that the young man would be able to relearn how to do these things. The neurologist was hopeful that with hard work, the young man would recover.

People continued to pray.

In speaking through the prophet Jeremiah God said, “Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.” (Jer. 29:12).

Plans were made, therapy was scheduled and the idea was to get going on the road to healing as soon as possible. The young man rolled up his sleeves and prepared to do what needed to be done to recover. He was going to do this.

People continued to pray.

Jesus said in the Gospel of Mark, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (Mark 11:24)

Then one morning just a couple of weeks ago he woke up and something was different. His flawless (or at least as flawless as it can be for a 19 year-old) speech had returned. The stuttering was gone. Since the young man was on medication to control his shaking he wasn’t sure if that was gone too, but after discontinuing the meds he discovered the shakes were completely gone too.

Jesus said that, ““Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” (Matt. 18:19-20)

There is something so very comforting and empowering about a Savior who says that when you get together and pray, I’ll be there, I’ll be listening and that God will answer your prayers. That my friends is what it is like to have Jesus in your corner.

I have often heard it said that there is power in prayer. I say that is untrue. For if that were true, then the power would be ours. The truth is that there is power in the One who answers prayer. Prayer is just the way we have been given to access our Heavenly Father and His power. I am incredibly and eternally grateful for all those who joined in crying out for the power to be unleashed for the healing of this young man.

My Barry.