The Current Economic Crisis: Don't Give In To Fear

I am a self-confessed news junkie. Lately all news sources (internet, television, newspapers and magazines) have concentrated on the current economic crisis.  Words like fear, nail biting, stress, perilous, risk-adverse, nervous, panic are commonly part of these news reports.

It is very hard not to give in to fear. The current situation has been compared to the Great Depression. President Franklin D. Roosevelt has been remembered most for his comment that "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself." His wife Eleanor said, "He who loses money loses much; he who loses a friend, loses much more; he who loses faith, loses all."

Since FDR presided from a wheelchair (as a result of polio), the nation listened to him with admiration and respect. He also commented, "Once you've spent two years trying to wiggle one toe, everything is in proportion."

When through no fault of your own, your accumulated nest egg disappears (as is happening with multitudes of people at this time), there is a natural tendency to be afraid that:

• you will no longer be able to provide for your needs or the needs of your family
• diminished or depleted savings will result in a bleak future
• a lower standard of living will mean unhappiness
• education and experience will no longer do you any good

Loss of resources you have worked hard to acquire is a major blow. 

However, despair is not inevitable.

If a lifestyle change is necessary, it need not be devastating. Solutions begin with a positive attitude and a faith that God is with you and has a plan for your life - a plan for your good and His glory.

My natural tendency is to panic and be fearful.  At age 13, I became a Christian. At that time, my father gave me a Bible inscribed with his favorite verse: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths (Proverbs 3:5-6). That verse, along with many others, has helped me make the choice to fight fear and trust God no matter what the circumstances.

Teamwork: My Job, Your Job, Our Job

My sons are both pilots in the U.S. Air Force.  I have visited many of the bases where they have served. Today was another chance for me to learn a little more about their jobs. I had the privilege of taking a guided tour of my son's Air Force base by the Airfield Manager.  As he was showing us the flight line from a different perspective than I had seen before, I was again reminded of the cooperation that is mandatory between military personnel.

Everyone in the military community seems to have some understanding of what the rest of their team does. Cooperation and big picture awareness is a trait of all Air Force personnel.

Base commanders are expected to see everything from the standpoint of the workings of the entire base; however, their operations are part of the workings of the entire U. S. Air Force.  Squadron commanders are not only concerned with their own squadrons, but must coordinate with the other squadrons on base.

Pilots see things from a unique perspective but they know that their safety depends on every other person on the team, especially maintenance personnel.  Without people dedicated to taking care of the airplanes, the pilots would not be safe.  Pilots are trained to recognize when something is wrong with the airplane, but keeping them airworthy is the assignment of the maintenance personnel.

Airfield maintenance is another category altogether, but a very important one.  The flight line must be clear of debris and maintained so that take offs and landings can be made safely.  The controllers in the tower have a most important job as they are must be aware of everything that is happening on the ground and in the air.  Teamwork is a necessary part of being safe, being productive and doing the assigned job.

This same teamwork principle is practiced in team sports.  Baseball, football, soccer and many other sports give examples of the necessity of working together.  That should also be the case in business and politics. The many examples of breakdowns in business and government are largely due to the inability to work as part of a team.

Being part of a whole is God's plan for the church, His family.  We are part of a family, a team, a body. When Christians follow His guidelines, His body functions as it should.  When some in the Body of Christ do not cooperate with the rest of the church, it becomes dysfunctional.  Not only can we learn from each other. We need each other to accomplish His will.

For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another (Romans 12:4-5).

The Christian Day of Worship

Yesterday was Sunday. I worshiped the Lord in my home church in Texas. As I did so, I was struck with the reminder that we were joining other Christians all around the world.  No matter where we live, we are all part of one family.  That family has a special bond on Sunday.  Our spirits are joined together in praise to our God.

Since my husband and I travel all over the world in our ministry, we are often in a different place on Sundays.  I might worship in America one Sunday, Cuba the next, France the next or Poland, Germany, China, Africa or Austria after that.  Wherever we go, I have a sense of belonging.  Even when I can't speak the language or totally understand the sermon, I feel the Spirit.

The First Day of the Week?
If you have ever traveled internationally, you know that there are differences in the way countries mark their dates and times.  If you observe local calendars or need to date a local document, you must check to see what standard is used.  The date is written differently across the world.  The International Organization for Standardization would use 2011-08-01 for today's date. Europeans would write it as 01-08-2011 while 08-01-2011 is the American usage.

There are, of course, many other differences in noting time.  While many countries use a 24 hour clock, there are several that use a 12 hour clock.  Among those that use the 12 hour clock, the military, aviation and some other industries of those countries use the 24 hour clock to avoid confusion.

Many European countries do not count Sunday as the first day of the week.  They follow ISO 8601, set in 1988 by the International Organization for Standardization, which marks Monday as the first day of the week.

Most Christians today observe the day of worship on Sunday and regard it as the first day of the week.  They will often tell you if, for some reason, they cannot worship on Sunday, their week does not start off right. Of course, we should worship Jesus all during the week.  There is something about corporate worship, however, that energizes the soul.

No matter how one tells time or marks their weekly calendar, across the time zones of the world, there are gatherings to worship Christ and thank Him for the wonderful gift of His salvation. His Spirit joins us together. I have been privileged to worship Him with people from many nations.  It gives me a little taste of what eternity will be like when every knee will bow before Him.

Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb (Matthew 28:1).  Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week. . . Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you" (John 20:19). Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul. . . spoke to them and continued his message until midnight (Acts 20:7).  

Cleaning House

My husband and I own a house in the U.S., but we are seldom there.  When we do return home, it is obvious we have been gone.  Not so much from the outside (we have wonderful neighbors and church friends who look after the yard), but when I walk in the door, it isn't long before I head for the vacuum cleaner. There is a layer of dust all through the house, covering the furniture and floors.

Beautifully crafted pieces of furniture do not look attractive with a layer of dust.  In order to see details of a piece, dirt must be removed.  Sometimes a good polish is also in order.  After that is done, I remember why we bought that piece of furniture.  Clean, it is very appealing.  Dirty, it is not.

The house is a 1905 Queen Anne Victorian. Although there has been much restoration done (and more in the process), there are some things lacking that most modern houses have. There is no insulation in the walls or under the floors. Daylight can be seen underneath entry doors. Where pocket doors inset the wall, the ground is sometimes visible from the floor.

As a result, insects can easily find their way into our home. In our absence, spiders take up residence.  There are cobwebs everywhere - especially in the corners of the twelve foot ceilings. Getting rid of the cobwebs is quite an effort. I am short. I need to stand on a ladder just to reach them with the extension on the vacuum cleaner or a long handled broom.

I really notice those cobwebs when I first return home, but a strange thing happens if I don't tackle them right away with the dirt that is so easily seen.  I forget about them.  I no longer look up in the corners of the doorways or the ceilings. I get busy with other things - office work, yard work, shopping and visiting friends and neighbors. I feel a bit like Morticia from the Addams Family.  The cobwebs can stay. They are part of the decor.

It occurs to me that sin in my life is a lot like the dust on the furniture and those spider webs in the corner. If I don't insulate myself (by staying in the Word or talking to God about everything) against things displeasing to Him, I tend to get used to them.  I don't notice the irritable thoughts, the lazy attitude toward the commitments I have made to Him, the selfishness that rears its ugly head.  I get busy with other things and neglect to clean in the corners of my life.

The best remedy for cleanliness at home and in my spiritual life is to tackle the dirt immediately. A close examination of my house always requires more cleaning. A close examination of my life does the same. Maybe I get accustomed to those unattractive, sinful attitudes, but I'm sure God does not. His desire is for my life to be pure and clean. He wants to see the reflection of His Son in me.

Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart. . . (Psalm 24:3-4a NKJV). Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me (Psalm 51:10 NLT).  

National Checkpoints and Boundaries

Yesterday evening, I returned from yet another trip to see part of my very large family -  the family of God. As God has called my husband and me to work with His family internationally, we travel a great deal. So far this year, our ministry has taken us to France, Poland, Cuba and South Africa.

Most of the time we fly to our destinations. In the process, we encounter many checkpoints - passport checks, immigration checks, custom checks, etc. These checkpoints mark a boundary between two countries: either the country of our residence or the country where we are traveling from to the country we are traveling to. Each country has a specific form that must be filled out on entry with information on the person who is traveling - the foreigner.  Even though people at the checkpoints speak English, it is still obvious we are entering another country.

Although we mostly travel by air, we sometimes use a train or drive to another country.  When we lived in El Paso, TX and traveled to Mexico, the long lines at the border were stark reminders that this was a checkpoint - a boundary.

There was a time when car travel in European countries meant going through tedious checkpoints at national boundaries.  Now many who are part of the European Union can travel freely from one country to the next without being stopped, but the physical checkpoints are still there as a reminder of the boundary.

When traveling by train from one country to another, even if the train does not stop at the border, there are officials who enter the train and check your documents.  Boundaries exist for security reasons.  We have observed people without proper documentation being removed from the train we were on.

I learn a lot by watching people in airports and train stations.  I hear many languages being spoken around me. As I pass through the check out lines, I observe the variety of colors in the passports people are holding in their hands.  Even languages and passports are a type of boundary.

God's Family Has No Boundaries

Once we are through the checkpoints, have collected our luggage and are joined with our partners in ministry, there is a great sense of relief.  Boundaries no longer apply. We are all part of the family of God, no matter what country issued our passports.  Even if we don't speak the same language, there is still a bond. I am not a foreigner in their homes or in their churches. I am part of their family. What a blessing it is to be part of a world wide family of God where boundaries do not exist.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28). There is one body and one Spirit. . . one God and Father of all (Ephesians 4:4, 6).

The Anticipation and Excitement of Being Face to Face with Loved Ones

When it comes to a reunion with a loved one, I'm like a child. Not only do I prepare for the visit - cleaning house, making beds, preparing meals -  but there's something about the moment of greeting that brings joy to my heart. I get excited.

When my family drives in for a visit, I  go to the window or the door constantly looking for them. I am seldom in the house when they arrive.  I am usually waiting for them on the back porch.  By the time they turn off the ignition in the car, I am by their side.

My husband and I work together, travel together and play together. When he does go out by himself, I find myself listening for the car to come down the driveway or for the door of our house to open.  I am often upstairs, but head downstairs to greet him at the door. I want him to know I missed him.

We travel frequently and for the last few months have been living in a third story apartment in France. The kitchen window overlooks the entry way. Recently, anticipating the visit of a dear friend, I was able to greet her as she arrived - from the window!

If I am meeting family or friends at the airport, I look through the crowd until I see their faces. It is not hard for me to recognize them.  I know them. They know me. They are like me. They are part of my family, either my immediate family or my spiritual family.

The same is true when a loved one leaves.  I watch them until I can't see them any longer. I often feel like a part of me is leaving with them because we are family.

I can identify with the apostles who stood gazing into heaven as Jesus was taken up. They couldn't take their eyes off of the clouds just in case they could catch one more glimpse of Him.

The sense of joyful anticipation I feel when greeting loved ones, I believe, is a small preview to what it will be like for me to see Jesus face to face.  I want to be ready to greet Him.  I cannot wait to see Him. I know I will recognize Him because I know Him and He knows me.

As eager as I am to see Him, I believe He is also looking for me much like I watch for the arrival of my loved ones. I get excited just thinking about it.

But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is (1 John 3:2b).

America Bless God

Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! 

Bless the Lord O my soul, and forget not all His benefits (Psalm 103:1-2).

This year, as we celebrate Independence Day

There are some things we need to recall

How God has blessed us each step of the way

Without Him, we would have no blessings at all

What our ancestors acknowledged as true

We must remember this day and every day

It should be the same, even more now, for me and you

As there are those who would argue, the meaning is falling away

“All men are created equal and endowed by their Creator

 with inalienable rights,” states the Declaration of Independence.

Those men who unanimously penned this document, included later

Their “firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence.”

“The Star-Spangled Banner,” the anthem of our land

Praises the God who has blessed us

With His power and His hand

As the One in whom we should trust.

Read these words written by Francis Scott Key

In 1814, nearly two hundred years ago

As I read them today, I could plainly see

How he recognized that God had blessed us so

“Blest with vict’ry and peace, may the Heav’n rescued land

Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation!

Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,

And this be our motto: “In God is our trust;”

And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave

O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.”

In 1918 Irving Berlin wrote another patriotic verse

“God bless America, the land that we love"

In the form of a prayer, he acknowledged God first

And asked for this nation His blessings from above

“In God We Trust” was placed on the two-cent coin in 1864

Followed by the nickel, quarter, half dollar and the one

Finally all coins contained this motto, and more

For currency was also included, now it is on every single one

Over the years, God’s activity has been acknowledged

As our leaders continued to recognize His hand.

For Eisenhower, in 1954, included in the national pledge

“One nation under God” as Communism threatened our land.

It is not Communism today, but America is definitely under attack

Not from terrorists alone but also from some of our very own

There are those who want to rewrite history, turn the clock back

And say that what our ancestors said, they did not mean

The only hope that the blessings America has experienced will last

Is, like our ancestors, we recognize His hand on this land we trod

He does not need us - we need Him and His blessings of the past

God has blessed America.  America should acknowledge and bless God.

If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:14).