When thou art far away | From an Old Soul
When are you most alive? That’s the puzzle George MacDonald is chewing on in today’s sonnet. His answer is unexpected. Read the rest of this entry »
Telling the Truth
connecting the dots of my life
Tag: Christian Faith
October 15, 2015
because it is thy will | From an Old Soul
Why do you think MacDonald called his collection of sonnets A Book of Strife in the form of the Diary of an Old Soul? Thanks to the reader who asked the question! My response is below. Read the rest of this entry »
October 11, 2015
the pathless night | From a Old Soul
George MacDonald didn’t write Diary of an Old Soul for publication. He wrote it as his private journal, in the form of one sonnet per day of the year. Read the rest of this entry »
October 4, 2015
When my heart sinks | From an Old Soul
When your heart sinks, how do you think about yourself in relation to God? Things aren’t always as they seem. Read the rest of this entry »
August 30, 2015
Birthday Gifts for Jesus | from Diane
It’s Christmastime 1995, just days before Diane received her ALS diagnosis. She’s already challenged because of unexplained muscle loss.
When I transcribed this children’s sermon I was surprised to hear the words she whispered at the end, right after her children’s prayer. The microphone was still turned on. I could hear that she already needed some of that kindness and extra help she just talked about. A telling moment.
17 December 1995
You can see I’ve got my bag here that says I’ve been doing heavy-duty Christmas shopping! Actually some of it isn’t just for Christmas. You might call it birthday shopping.
Is there somebody’s birthday on Christmas? Whose? Oh, yes, it’s Jesus’ birthday! I was just testing to see if you remembered.
So I did some birthday shopping for Jesus. Let me show you what I got.
- Here’s one of the items–a box of Cheerios. Ever seen one of those? Do you want one of those under your Christmas tree?
- Let’s see something else. Here’s a jar of peanut butter. Peanut butter? Uh….
- Let’s see. Sugary Sam Golden Yams! Mmm. A can of yams! I can tell you love ‘em.
- And some cornmeal?
- Now this one I do like! Instant oatmeal. This is the creamy variety. That’s the kind I like.
So that was some birthday shopping for Jesus! Of course Jesus really doesn’t need to come and eat any of this.
But he told us in the Bible that if we do a kind thing for someone who needs it–if we provide food for someone who doesn’t have enough food, or–I could have bought some clothes, because he said if we provide clothes for people who don’t have warm clothes, or don’t have the clothes they need–If we do it for someone else who needs it, it’s the same as doing it for him!
How about that? If I want to buy gifts for Jesus, all I need to do is go get some gifts, and give them to somebody who needs them! Or even show some kindness to someone who needs a little kindness.
There’s one other thing down here in the bag. One of these. You know what it is? That’s one of our Christmas offering envelopes that we use for giving a missionary offering. That’s another way to give a gift to Jesus.
Why? Because the kindest thing we can do for another person is to make sure they know about Jesus, and his love for them. And that’s a birthday gift for Jesus, too!
In a couple of weeks we’re going to collect more food for folks in our area who might need some. So I brought these things today, and I’ll make sure they get in with all the food others will bring. Maybe some of you will, too.
Did you know we can give gifts to Jesus all year round in this way? You do? Good!
I like having this really neat way to give Jesus gifts for his birthday! Some of you already brought Christmas gifts that went to a children’s Bible club yesterday. That’s another way of giving gifts to Jesus this Christmas.
Of course I’m doing shopping for my family, too. They don’t have to worry!
But here’s my point. Let’s be sure to include some shopping for Jesus. Not just for our families. We can give food or clothing or even kindness to someone who needs it. Let’s pray together.
Thank you, Jesus, that you’ve told us a good way to give you gifts that show our love for you. We pray that at this special time of year and the rest of the year we’ll remember to do kind things and give food and clothes to other people because we love you, and want to please you. And we pray that because we do those things, more people will know that you love them, too. These things we pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
[Whispered into the mic, as Diane is getting up from the platform stairs: “I’ve got my helper! Thank you.” Diane’s helper was either her husband, who was almost always with her on Sundays, or a staff member or friend who’d agreed to help her stand up after the children’s sermon.]
© Elouise Renich Fraser, 29 August 2015
Image from aliexpress.com
August 29, 2015
Getting with the Program | From an Old Soul
Do you long for world peace? George MacDonald’s theme here is similar to earlier sonnets—the slow pace of our progress toward peace. Or, put another way, Read the rest of this entry »
August 23, 2015
Help is Near–Anytime, Anywhere | from Diane
1995 Mobile Phones, from suggestkeyword.com
By March 1995, Diane has undiagnosed ALS symptoms. Muscles that are here today may disappear overnight. Whatever this is, it’s bigger than post-polio syndrome. Connections with family members become a top priority. Anytime, anywhere.
March 19, 1995
Do you know what this is? It’s a telephone! Usually I don’t bring it to church. But if I need to make a phone call, I like to have it handy.
Here’s the really neat thing about it. I don’t have to be at a certain place to make a phone call! I can be anywhere I want. In my car somewhere. Shopping in the mall. Maybe in the grocery store—more often in a restaurant! I could even make a phone call in the church. I haven’t done that yet, and don’t plan to. But I could!
This phone reminds me a bit of talking to God.
- Do I have to be in a special place to talk to God? No!
- Do I have to be at church to talk to God? No!
- Could I talk to God in my bedroom, all by myself? Yes!
- How about if I’m on vacation like a lot of people are this week? Yes!
I can talk to God anywhere I go!
Here’s another great thing about this phone. Suppose somebody wants to call me when I’m not near the usual kind of phone. Maybe I’m out in my car, or doing some of that shopping in the mall. Can they call me there? Yes!
My family knows the number for this phone, so that when they dial me, it rings. Most of the time. Sometimes I don’t turn on my phone, so they can’t reach me! And sometimes my husband will ask, “Where were you, and why wasn’t your phone turned on?”
In fact, no one can reach me if I don’t turn my phone on. Which reminds me of something else about talking to God.
Sometimes God wants to talk to me, and I’m not listening. It usually happens here at church when the preacher is preaching, or when I’m reading the Bible, or maybe when I’m listening to a Sunday School teacher. Those are all ways God talks to us. Sometimes I know I’m not listening.
So this little phone reminds me to stay turned on so that when God wants to talk to me I’m listening, and I can hear what God has to say to me.
I knew a child (not one of my kids!), who once told her mother, “Yes I hear you, but I’m not listening!” Sometimes we can be that way with God, right now and as we get older. Sometimes we really don’t want to hear what God is telling us. So sometimes we can just turn God off the way I can turn my telephone off.
So I ask God to help me to be a good listener, and to keep my “on” button turned on, so that whenever God wants to talk to me, I’m ready to listen.
Sometimes the batteries on my telephone run down, or there may be other problems with the phone. But when I talk to God, I don’t need to worry about any of that! The batteries never run down and I’m never too far away. I don’t even have to worry about monthly bills coming later.
That’s because God set it all up! It’s a free call anytime of the day! Whenever I need to call! And anytime I just want to talk with God, because God is a good friend who loves to have us call and talk.
Let’s pray together.
Thank you, Father, that even without a special device or telephone, we can talk to you anytime, anyplace, no matter what’s going on. And you hear us. Thank you for being that kind of listener for us. I pray, Father, that when you want to speak to us, we’ll be good listeners, too, and be able to hear what you’re saying to us, and learn the things that you want us to learn. Be with us in church today. If there are things you want to say to us today, I pray that we’ll be good listeners, and hear everything that you want us to hear today. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
© Elouise Renich Fraser, 22 August 2015
Image of 1995 Mobile Phones from suggestkeyword.com
August 17, 2015
Hence come thy checks | From an Old Soul
In this sonnet George MacDonald shows us his foot-dragging, and what it takes to get him moving. I’m not MacDonald, but I’ve been where he’s been. My comments follow, in my voice. Read on! Read the rest of this entry »
August 5, 2015
Faculty Wife | Part 4
Fall 1969. Most of our first year back at the Bible College is a blur of activity and pregnancy. Our second child is on its way, and the clock is ticking down fast! We’re renting a house, thanks to a friend who hopes we’ll rent it the entire academic year.
D has new lectures to prepare every time he turns around. Our new son’s energy increases to warp speed. I have morning sickness for the first three months of pregnancy, and enjoy having Diane (Sister #3) hanging out with us. She took the photo above.
Then we start thinking. What if we had a house of our own and could move in well before our second child arrives? We start looking. We find it! Our friend isn’t happy when we tell him we’ll be moving out right after Christmas.
The house is brand new, in a growing subdivision where we know at least one of the families. Small, almost boxy, all on one floor, simple layout with lots of kitchen, dining and living room space for having guests over, and enough bedrooms for our growing family.
I have my usual doubts and fear about money running out or not being there at the end of the month. How do we know we can pay for it? And won’t we have to buy a lot of furniture? Indeed, we will.
Oh, one more thing. What will people think about us? Spending all this money? It seems I have fear about not having enough, and shame about having too much. Both are familiar old feelings from way back.
Part of me is excited about the new house. The other part feels guilty and even ashamed. I never felt guilt or shame when we lived in Mr. Griswold’s house. That was different. We weren’t paying for it. But now we’re using our hard-earned money to buy a house and brand new furniture?
When we were students at the Bible College, if you didn’t have a lot of money and lived by faith, you would surely be admired. In fact, asking people to pray that I’ll have enough money to buy a bar of soap was better than having too much money.
On the other hand, being well-off enough to afford a house could be dangerous to my spiritual health. That was the Bible College way. Am I trusting in God or trusting in money? Am I living by faith or living by my own earthly means?
When I was growing up, George Mueller’s example was often referred to and spoken of with great reverence. Here was a man of true faith—no income, an orphanage with children to feed every day, and nothing but prayer as the way to go. Mueller prayed, and food showed up when and as needed. Here’s a link to a children’s version of his story. Very interesting.
I didn’t get this way about money all by myself, you know. The mission organization with which my parents served for 15 years didn’t allow its members to have steady jobs or regular incomes from regular employment. Love offerings and honoraria were fine, but nothing was to take the place of living by faith.
This was also the theme of the Bible College. Living by faith was part of what they called “victorious Christian living.” The institution was funded through prayers and the unexpected gifts that ensued. This was better than the world’s way of depending on steady income instead of faith in God. Hence, too, the faculty allowance system instead of a guaranteed paycheck.
So signs that we might have more money than is absolutely necessary were still shameful to me. That included seemingly small things like trinkets that weren’t purchased for any practical use, or store-bought clothes (instead of altered hand-me-downs or home-made clothes).
And then there was that investment thing. Buying a house might be a wise investment. But to at least some, this was treading a fine line. Investment might be another form of gambling. Definitely not a sign of living by faith.
To be continued….
© Elouise Renich Fraser, 4 August 2015
Photo credit: DRenich, Fall 1969
July 28, 2015
Faculty Wife | Part 1
August 1969. Does anyone know what a Faculty Wife is? We’re on our way from Cambridge, Massachusetts to Columbia, South Carolina. When we married in 1965, we moved to Cambridge for D’s graduate studies.
For me, this meant liberation from sometimes intrusive expectations and scrutiny. Read the rest of this entry »
Telling the Truth 