In Everything Give Thanks

One of my favorite verses from the Apostle Paul is found in I Thessalonians 5:18, "In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."  I am often reminded of a testimony given by Corrie ten Boom and her sister Betsie, as they struggled to survive in the Nazi concentration camps.  One day, as they were holding a Bible study in the barracks, Corrie tells that Betsie began to thank God for the flea infestation.  Corrie thought her sister had finally lost it.  But later they discovered that the fleas kept the guards out of the barracks and they were able to hold their Bible studies because of this.


I have mentioned that my career entails managing a memory care unit for seniors living with Alzheimer's disease.  It is often stressful, especially when families don't understand why their loved ones act in the manner they act or misplace things (sometimes permanently). 


One day, I had to have a difficult meeting with a family and I dreaded to talk to them about how their loved one had declined and would be needing to move to another area of the facility.  I was so nervous about that meeting, until I got to work that morning.  As I sat my things down, the staff informed me that one of the resident's hearing aide was missing.  This was a replacement to a previous hearing aide that had been lost.  Needless to say, I frantically searched the entire unit - no success.


Just before the meeting, I called the resident's loved one to inform them of the hearing aide. I could hear the disappointment in their voice, but also a twinge of understanding.  I went to the meeting - that I had forgotten to dread. It went smoothly and without a hitch.  After the meeting, a staff brought me the missing hearing aide. God had worked it in such a way that my mind was taken off one thing that I dreaded so entirely much. He then came through and worked it out on the other end, as well.


Sometimes, we don't see what His purposes are, but we know He is behind the scenes.  We walk by faith, not by sight.

Ask and you shall receive...

My job entails working with patients who have Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. I am the director of the secure memory care unit in a nursing facility.  Therefore everyday is different and has many opportunities that can lead to stress.  I am often the liaison between families, the patient and the staff.  At the end of the day, I am the advocate for the patient.  However, many families are have a difficult time accepting the changes they see in mom or dad and this often reflects negative toward the professional caregivers.


Lately, I've had a patient who has began to exhibit different behaviors from their normal and has been somewhat challenging.  Last evening, this patient landed in a different room than theirs and misplaced their glasses.  Just before I left for the day, the staff informed me - "So-and-so's glasses are missing and we've searched the room."  I thought about the fact that this person was found in another patient's room and asked, "did you check that room?"  "Yes, they replied."  


But being the over-thinker, I thought, "Well, I'm sure they didn't look under the bed or night stand." So off I went, just to rest my case before I officially declared them missing.  Just as the nursing assistant said, they were obviously not in the room.  As I turned to leave the room, I looked up to the ceiling and prayed, "Lord, You said if we ask we can receive, if we seek....." At that moment, I made one final sweep of the room with my eyes, and there in plain sight, laying just under the window unit was the missing glasses.  God heard and answered even before I finished my prayer.

Hitbodedut

So today, I needed to make a greater connection with God and I went to a beautiful park, north of Indianapolis to do Hitbodedut.  What is hitbodedut?  It's the act of being alone with God, talking with Him about EVERYTHING that's on your mind, and listening for the answer. Hitbodedut is a Hebrew word and seemingly a Jewish concept.  But it is for everyone, at all times. It was emphasized by a great rabbi of the late 17- early 1800's - Rebbe Nachman of Breslov. 


However, it was the basis for Jewish prayer for all the patriarchs. As a believer in the Jewish Messiah, Yeshua (Jesus), it is clear that not only did He practice Hitbodedut, but also encourage it.

After sending the crowds away, He went up on the hillside by Himself to pray.

When evening came, He was there alone. Matthew14:23

In the morning, while it was still very dark,

Jesus got up and went to a deserted place and prayed there.

Mark 1:35 

After saying goodbye to them,

He went up on the hillside to pray.

Mark 4:46

At daybreak He left and wen to a deserted place,

and the crowds kept looking for Him.

Luke 4:42

However, He continued His habit of going away

to deserted places and praying.

Luke 5:16

One day while Jesus was praying privately

and the disciples were with Him,

He asked them, "Who do the crowds say I am?"

Luke 9:18

Now it was in those days that Jesus went to a mountain to pray.

He spent the whole night in prayer to God.

Luke 6:12

So then, where are we encouraged to keep this practice?  First of all, Jesus was our Rabbi (teacher) and He led us by example. For even hereunto were you called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps. I Peter 2:21 

However, in the Sermon on the Mount, He admonished us: Whenever you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father Who is in secret. And your Father Who sees in secret will reward you openly. Matthew 6:6 

About two years ago, I was blessed to stumble across a group of Breslov Hasidic Jews who are spending hours each day talking to the Father. The Rabbi teaches from the Torah and also words of Rebbe Nachman the importance of daily fellowship with the Creator. 

I encourage you to learn this practice.  We often make prayer such a holy thing, that we put off doing it.  Prayer is a holy thing, but we should make it part of our daily life.  Whether it's in a field, a forest, your closet, your backyard, a religious structure, or just driving down the road in your car.  God is everywhere and He is always ready to hear from you.

I find that when I'm out in nature, whether hiking up hills or beside a babbling stream or just walking in a deserted meadow, God is right there and whatever I ask, He is already answering.

My father loved to spend hours at the back of a pasture, beside a rushing creek.  Whenever he would be unable to go a church on Sunday morning, he would go to the pasture to pray.  I remember one Sunday he came home and told me he was late for church. I was a little bewildered because I knew he didn't go to church that day. But I asked him anyway why he was late.  He told me, "The birds were already singing when I got there."  I knew exactly how he felt as I walked through the forest, this morning.  God was already there and the birds were already singing.  It reminded me of the old Hymn, "When through the woods and forest glades I wander, and hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees..."

God is not some far-off mythological being that is so remote and distant from our current state of being. He is right here with you, desiring communion and fellowship, just as Adam who first walked with Him in the Garden.

The Battle's Not Mine

Work has been taxing, the past several weeks - lots of staff turnover and I've felt I had to give more of my time and energy to work.  At the same time, my prayer life feels like it's suffered greatly.  I decided to request today off and my boss heartily agreed.  However, this morning, I got a text stating that my unit was short-staffed.  I began to cry out to God, "If this is Your will, I don't like. I'll do it, but I'm not happy about it." It wasn't long before word was sent that the shortage was covered. I then decided to go hiking at Battle Ground, IN where the Battle of Tippecanoe was fought in 1812.


Before I left the house, I asked God for a sign in the Scriptures if I should go.  When I opened my Bible, I looked down at 2 Cor. 10:4-5: "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of stongholds; casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."  Now, I just thought that was maybe a coincidence. So, I opened up my devotional - My Utmost for His Highest - September 09 "...bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ...."  Wasn't sure exactly what the sign meant, but on I went to Battle Ground.

http://www.ingenweb.org/intippecanoe/prophetsrock.htm

Battle Ground was formerly known by the Native Americans as Prophetstown because of a Shawnee named Tenskwatawa (name means: the Open Door). His early name meant noisemaker due to him trying to make a name for himself like his brother, Tecmuseh.  He ended up becoming a drunk and wasting his life away, until one day when he passed out drunk.  Some stories say he fell into the fire.  His family believed him to be dead and when he arose, he was a changed man.  He began to curse alcohol and discourage all the ways of the White man. He encouraged his people to return to the old ways.   I have no doubt that he had a religious experience and possibly visions from God.   However, eventually he moved his people to Indiana at the Wabash river until General William Harrison brought a troop there to resettle them.


Tenskwatawa told the natives that the bullets fired by the white man would be harmless and If they attacked in the dark, the whites would be confused and would fall down in a stupor. The darkness would blind the white men,  but the Master of Life would provide daylight vision to the tribes. He said that victory was certain for the red man and gave the signal for battle from what has become known as Prophet's Rock. He sat on the rock and sang chants of encouragement to the warriors.  They lost the battle and Prophetstown was burned to the ground.

 When I climbed up on the rock and was looking out through the trees, thinking about Elijah in his secret place in the cave, I started praying the Scriptures about spiritual warfare.  As I was getting ready to leave, the Spirit came over me and reminded me of I Samuel 17:45 - "You come to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to you in the Name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, Whom you defy."  Then He reminded me, "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of Hosts." Zech. 4:6b


My mind went to another prophet who sat on the hillside, while the armies of Israel fought.  He held his hands up until the going down of the sun and the battle was won. You can read about this in Exodus 17:11. 


One prophet led his people to warfare with carnal weapons and did not have "Thus saith the Lord."  The other prophet led his people to warfare with spirituals weapons and "Thus saith the Lord." The latter had the victory before the battle even started.  My heart was full.


While driving home, I stopped at the gas station. The gas station was named Luke and the sign declaring the price per gallon read $2.19.   When I pulled up, I read Luke 2:19 - "But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart."  The gas total was $24.45, so I read Luke 24:45 - "Then opened He their understanding that they might understand the Scripture."


Even when we're low, He reminds us to always walk by faith. What a journey it is.