Even Rogue Cells

Tomorrow (January 22nd) my step-dad is having brain surgery around noon to remove a tumor.  The tumor is likely either a lymphoma or a glioblastoma. 

Both of those are scary, especially the glioblastoma.

Since the news of his tumor I've been watching him and my mom and my whole family fight the fight of faith.  I've been doing it, too.  Surprisingly ( or maybe not surprisingly) we are experiencing more peace than I might have expected, but Philippians 4:7 promised us peace that passes all understanding so I shouldn't be surprised.

Last Wednesday I was helping teach a class on the book Astonished by God by John Piper.  We looked at chapter two which is about the glory of God.  I told the class that God is always all glorious and everything He does displays that glory.  Then in the middle of class I got a call saying that the neuro-surgeon thinks Larry's tumor is a glioblastoma, which is the worst case scenario.

God is always all glorious and everything He does displays that glory.  The purpose of EVERYTHING is to make much of God.  Really?  Yes, really, even if I don't understand how that's true right now.

Everything is for the displaying of God's glory.  Every person's life, every plant, every mountain, every stream, every star and even every seemingly rogue cell.  Even rogue cells.  Even rogue cells.  Even rogue cells.  I say that multiple times because I have to remind myself that everything God does is for His glory, even rogue cells. 

One of my pastors often says "God does everything for His glory and our good."  I need to preach that to myself right now.  

Believing this doesn't mean that we can't hate a piece of God's glorious puzzle, but it does mean we have to trust Him.  This is what faith is.

"Every valley shall be raised up,

every mountain and hill made low;

 the rough ground shall become level,

the rugged places a plain.

And the glory of the LORD will be revealed,

and all the people will see it together." Isaiah 40:4-5a

Some day we'll understand how this is all for the glory of God, but for now we trust that it is and yearn for Isaiah 40:4-5 and cry "How long, Oh LORD" today.

A Text From a Friend

There are few things more uplifting than getting a text from a friend when you are in need.  Texts like, “If you need anything, I’m a call away” or “Praying for you” or “Let me know how I can help you.”  These texts from friends encourage us when we are feeling down.

It was recently announced at my church that we would be memorizing verses together through a program called Fighter Verses.  When this was first floated as an idea amongst the elders by our lead-pastor I thought, “That is a very good thing to do but I kind of hope we don’t do it because I’m not good at memorizing.”

Well, despite my fears of not being able to memorize, we went ahead with the plan.  This week was the very first week and we’ve done our very first verse.  Fighter Verses has an app with memorizing games and cell phone wallpapers you can use, which has made it easy.  I memorized the verse the first night and have been quoting it over and over this week to keep it in my mind.

Friday night I got a call from my mom, but I was calling basketball games on the radio and couldn’t answer.  I texted her during a commercial break to let her know I couldn’t answer, but she didn’t respond.  She then tried calling again during the second game of the doubleheader, but again I couldn’t answer.

Following my broadcast I got into my car and called my mom back. 

“Larry has a brain tumor,” she said.

What a shock.  My step-dad has a brain tumor.  He is currently at the University of Iowa Hospital as I type this.  We don’t know a lot but very soon he will need to have brain surgery.  One’s mind rushes to all the other implications of this scary diagnosis when it collides into your life, but we don’t know much.

“Larry has a brain tumor,” she said through tears.

I listened over the phone, fighting worry and tears myself, as my mom filled me in with what she knew so far.  We talked for just a little while and before we said goodbye we prayed over the phone and this is what I could pray.

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

The Fighter Verse for this week that I had been rehearsing over and over met me at my point of need Friday night.  While driving, without a Bible open in front of me, I was able to quote the right verse at the right time for my mother to hear and believe. 

I have chewed on this verse all week long and its implications are sweet in this bitter hour.  Fear not.  Why?  Because Emmanuel is with us.  Be not dismayed.  Why?  Because the all-powerful, all-good, all-knowing, all-sovereign, all-merciful God is my God and He is for me and He is for Larry.  When I think that I can’t not be afraid right now, God will strengthen me, help me and uplift me to enable me to do exactly what He commanded.  

It is so good to get a text from a friend when we are in need.  My friend and Lord gave me a text this week.  The Sovereign Lord of the Universe ordained that my church memorize a verse this week and that we would use a very specific tool and Plan 4 of that very specific tool and that the verse of the week would be Isaiah 41:10 and that I would overcome my fear of memorizing verses this week.

I got a text from a friend this week and I’m thankful.

Now, we are fighting to believe this text.  Pray for us so that we would believe this promise of God and would follow His command.  Pray for Larry’s health.  Pray that the way God causes us to react to this trial would display His glory through our lives.  Thank God that He is who He is and that we can fully trust Him.

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

Thank you for praying for my family.  And may I encourage you to memorize verses.  I implore you to hide God’s Word in your heart.  A lifeboat seems very uninspiring perhaps, but when your life is going down you will be thankful that you attached lifeboat promises to your memory.  No matter how you go about it, I hope that you begin to hide God’s Word in your heart and meditate on His promises today.

Toothbrush Prayers in 2019

You may think it's too late for New Year's Resolutions, but I have one for you.  In 2019 you and I are going to pray more and we will add 42.5 hours of prayer this year and it won't take much effort at all.

I have done this in the past but got out of the practice of doing it. 

Toothbrush prayers.

I used to have a list of names divided out by days of the week.  I taped that list of names to my bathroom mirror.  Every day and night I would pray for the names of the day.  This year I'm going to use the prayer sheets provided by our church.  An example of the prayer sheet is below.



I don't know why I ever stopped doing this.  Everyday I conservatively estimate that I spend 7 minutes in front of the bathroom mirror brushing my teeth, shaving, putting on deodorant, etc .  Other places estimate mirror time differently, but I'll use 7 minutes a day.  At 7 minutes a day I will spend 42.583 hours or 2,555 minutes a year doing these toothbrush prayers.

Too much of our mirror time is spent thinking about us.  While I'm not arguing that you don't look at yourself in the mirror, I am saying this time could be spent talking with God and petitioning for others.  How would your mornings and evenings change if you spent this time in prayer?

In 2019 I encourage you to add toothbrush prayers to your daily routine.  Grace Baptist Church attenders, the resource pictured above can help keep your prayers fresh.  Why wouldn't we do this?

Spend an extra 42.5 hours of prayer with me in 2019 beginning today.

Birthday Reflections

My son Joshua is 19 months old.  For Christmas his favorite toys, other than his books and stuffed Curious George, were anything daddy related.  Joshua got a toolbox and set of tools and he loves them.  He has been fascinated with screwdrivers and says "Daddy" anytime he sees them and tries to twist screws he finds.  He also has been enamored with my guitar and he got a little guitar his size for Christmas, too.

Anything I do he tries to do, too.  He likes my shirts, my shoes, my screwdrivers, my Bible... anything of mine.

Today is my 32nd birthday and a chance to be reflective.  A chance to take stock in my life and my fathering.

Before Christmas two questions burned in me.  Two questions came into my mind and have stayed there:

Would my son want to be like me and would I want him to?

At 19 months my son thinks I'm all that.  I remember thinking my dad was the biggest, strongest, smartest guy, too.  But will my son want to be like me when he's a man?  Will my life look to him as something to be copied?  Will my son see my life as something to aspire to or to avoid?

Would I want my son to be like me?  Am I living a life that I would want my son to strive toward?  Is my character one that I want to see duplicated in this world?  I can't control the answer to the first question as much as I can control this one.  Having children has increased my desire to live a life worth xeroxing.

"Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ." 1 Corinthians 11:1

Is that something I could say to my son and daughters?  Will my example blaze a trail toward Christlikeness for my kids or toward selfishness? 

On my birthday I ask for one gift: would you pray that God conform me to the image of Christ so that I would be worthy of my son's adoring and copying today?