Month: March 2020

Holding On and Letting Go: Hold On To What You Have
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Holding On and Letting Go: Hold On To What You Have

In light of the current “chaos” being caused by both the known and unknown facets of COVID-19 (Coronavirus), here is day three of the daily devotions from the prayer-based devotional I wrote to be used within disaster relief situations.  I believe many of the same lessons we need to learn when dealing with recovery from a tornado, hurricane, or earthquake can be helpful as we get through, and recover from, the current levels of chaos we are experiencing.  The book itself is laid out with each day’s devotion alternating between something to hold on to and something to let go of in the midst of life’s chaos.  I’ll be posting a devotion from the book each day or you can find the book on Amazon.  For 5 days, March 13-17, the Kindle edition will be free and you can find it at the following link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HGGBPQ9

Here is day three and an important reminder to not forget the things you still have.

Hold On To What You Have

“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
(Revelation 3:11)

Hold On To What You Have

What do you have?  How difficult is it to answer that question?  Why?  In your current situation, do you tend to think more about what you have lost or about what you still have?  Why?  I don’t know what you have lost in this current crisis.  Perhaps finances, health, trust, peace of mind, freedom of activity, or an entire list of other things may have disappeared in the midst of the chaos surrounding us.  Even if it seems you have lost everything, how focused are you at holding on to faith?

One of the most difficult things for many people to do in the midst of loss is to see what they haven’t lost.  Our mind gets so focused on the disaster we faced that we become blinded to the things we still have.  As we discussed earlier, one of those things should be the people God will bring into our life to provide help and comfort.  The old hymn that says, “Count your blessings, name them one by one”, may sound trite when recovering from a disaster, but taking inventory of what you do have really is a good practice at any time.  When we begin to count more than possessions, we often find much that is within our grasp to hold on to that should give us at least glimmers of hope.  For most of us, there seems to be something within our nature that longs to possess things that we can call our own.  Even the most open and sharing child seems to learn how to say “Mine!” all on their own.  So as you do inventory of both the tangible and intangible things that you still have, find hope as you hold on to the things you have and especially to the things that can never be taken from you.

As you pray, ask God to help you grieve what you have lost even as you identify what you still have.  Pray that you would find hope and comfort through holding on to relationships that continue in the midst of your chaos.  Pray that your time of inventory would help you discover important things that God would have you hold on to.  Pray for the courage to hold loosely even as you hold on to what you have.

In prayer,
Tom  

Holding On and Letting Go: Let Go of Things You Can’t Control
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Holding On and Letting Go: Let Go of Things You Can’t Control

In light of the current “chaos” being caused by both the known and unknown facets of COVID-19 (Coronavirus), here is day two of the daily devotions from the prayer-based devotional I wrote to be used within disaster relief situations.  I believe many of the same lessons we need to learn when dealing with recovery from a tornado, hurricane, or earthquake can be helpful as we get through, and recover from, the current levels of chaos we are experiencing.  The book itself is laid out with each day’s devotion alternating between something to hold on to and something to let go of in the midst of life’s chaos.  I’ll be posting a devotion from the book each day or you can find the book on Amazon.  For 5 days, March 13-17, the Kindle edition will be free and you can find it at the following link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HGGBPQ9

Here is day two and an important reminder to let go of the things you can’t control as you trust God to bring you to a place of peace and hope in the midst of chaos.

Let Go Of Things You Can’t Control

“Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life ?”
(Matthew 6:27)

Let Go Of Things You Can’t Control

What part of your current situation feels most beyond your control?  How much do you worry about things you can’t change?  Are there things in the midst of your current chaos that you do have some control over?  How much does the lack of control over some things keep you from taking control of what you can?

Facing a disaster of any kind often brings with it a bewildering feeling of having no control over anything that is going on.  The truth is, even in our most controlling moments, we have far less control than we would like to admit.  When faced with loss, it is important to identify specific things that we simply can’t control.  Some of those things may well be the disaster which brought about the loss, as well as the timetable for any recovery.  Letting go of control doesn’t mean that we give up, or that we don’t put any effort into doing what we can, rather it means that we learn to accept that our recovery will take place on a timetable that will likely change often and is very different than what we would want.  Letting go of the things we can’t control can be one of the early steps toward trusting God to bring hope in the midst of our chaos.  It is important to remember that just because we can’t control what is going on, it doesn’t mean that it is out of His control.  Often times identifying what we can’t control, and then letting go of it, frees us to take appropriate action in the areas that can make a difference in our recovery.  Letting go of what we can’t control helps to bring hope not only because it shows our trust of God, but it allows us concentrate on the things we can still do.

As you pray, ask God to help you let go of the things that you can’t control.  Pray that He would give you wisdom in distinguishing between that which is simply difficult and that which isn’t yours to take care of.  Pray that your trust of Him would grow as you learn to let go of control.

In prayer,
Tom  

Holding On and Letting Go: Hold On to One Another
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Holding On and Letting Go: Hold On to One Another

In light of the current “chaos” being caused by both the known and unknown facets of the Coronavirus, for the next nineteen days I will be sharing the daily devotions from the prayer-based devotional I wrote to be used within disaster relief situations.  I believe many of the same lessons we need to learn when dealing with recovery from a tornado, hurricane, or earthquake can be helpful as we get through, and recover from, the current levels of chaos we are experiencing.  The book itself is laid out with each day’s devotion alternating between something to hold on to and something to let go of in the midst of life’s chaos.  I’ll be posting a devotion from the book each day or you can find the book on Amazon.  For the next 5 days, March 13-17, the Kindle edition will be free and you can find it at the following link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HGGBPQ9

Here is day one and an important reminder to hold on to one another as you look out for each other’s needs and share in their joys and sorrows.

Hold On To One Another

“And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.”
(2 Corinthians 1:7)

How alone does your current situation make you feel?  Why?  Are there others affected by the same thing you are currently going through?  Do you think they feel alone?  Why?  Are there people in similar circumstances who would benefit from your willingness to hold on to them?  Do you know people who have already been through what you are dealing with that you could hold on to?  Who?

In the midst of loss, it is God’s desire to bring seeds of comfort to you through people who have received the same comfort that you now need.  No matter the loss, it will generally feel amplified if you must face it alone.  Sometimes the loss is very personal and the enemy would want you to think no one will understand.  Other times the loss is one suffered by many others and the enemy will try to convince you that people have enough grief of their own to worry about.  Neither of those could be further from the truth.  Whether in our most private pain or a very public loss, God has helped to carry others through the very nature of what you are dealing with.  While it may be fun to “rejoice with those who rejoice”, it is just as necessary to “weep with those who weep”.  Holding on to one another won’t solve all the problems, or bring back what was lost, but when those we hold on to are holding on to God, we discover we truly are not alone.

As you pray today, ask God to help you find those who will be someone you can hold on to.  Pray that God would give you the strength needed so that you can be someone others will hold on to, even in your weakness.  Pray that you would find, and be, a community that holds on to one another.

 

In prayer,
Tom  

Finding CALM In the Midst of Chaos! (Sermon Audio)
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Finding CALM In the Midst of Chaos! (Sermon Audio)

 

This is the audio from the March 1, 2020 sermon, “Finding CALM In the Midst of Chaos”, shared by Tom Lemler at the North Wayne Mennonite Church.

Text: Mark 1:29-45

Life has a way of being chaotic and full of trouble . . . and that’s just on the good days!  As we finish out the first chapter of Mark, I find Jesus setting the example of finding calm in the midst of some very chaotic circumstances.  I don’t believe the chaos of life will every disappear from this earth, but our response to it will greatly influence our effectiveness in sharing the good news of Christ with others during their chaos.

So, let’s take a look at what it takes to find CALM in the midst of chaos:

  • Find Compassion:
    • Mark 1:29-31, 40-41 — Our human nature is often quick to pass judgment when we see chaos in the lives of people . . . especially when that chaos spills over into our life.  Whether in the chaos of a family dealing with illness or an individual living as an outcast, Jesus found compassion for people.  As you read the gospels, it seems that the most common reaction of Jesus to crowds, the sick, the unstable, the lonely, the confused the harassed, the lost, the outcast, and nearly anyone else in the midst of chaos was to be filled with compassion for them.  Finding, and living with, compassion for people will go a long ways toward filling you with calm in the midst of chaos.
  • Find Authority: 
    • Mark 1:33-34 — Sometimes we exasperate the existing chaos by thinking it is ours to resolve or fix.  Jesus could find calm in the midst of chaos because He knew that all authority belonged to His Father was His to use on earth as the Father’s representative.  Jesus could approach every chaotic situation knowing the forces behind the chaos would never be greater than the authority of His Father.  While Jesus was indeed more than a simple representative — He was God’s own Son — our pursuit of calm in the midst of chaos gains momentum when we acknowledge and live under the authority of God over us and over that which causes the chaos. 
  • Find Lessons:
    • Mark 1:38-39 — God has a way of using everything for our good and sometimes we will not find the calm we seek until we look for, and discover, the lessons we need to learn.  There is plenty of trouble in this world and sometimes it can be a challenge to discover whether the current lesson is one in perseverance or in moving on.  Even as Jesus remained calm in the midst of chaos and helped to resolve the problems faced by those who would come to Him, one lesson He taught was that popularity wasn’t as important as obedience.  When an entire town is looking for Him because He has healed their sick and cast out demons, His message to His disciples is that it is time to move on.  Understanding the lessons to be learned through the chaos is best accomplished when we realize the next point is probably the primary key in finding the calm we seek.
  • Find Moments:
    • Mark 1:35, 45 — Trouble and chaos will always be with us which makes the practice of finding moments with God one of the most critically important things we can do.  As Jesus dealt on a daily basis with the chaos of this world, He would often seek out the lonely and solitary places to spend time with His Father.  It is the moments we spend with God in prayer and His Word that transforms our hearts into the compassionate heart that He desires.  It is those same moments that bring us into a willing submission and obedience to His authority.  It is only in having consistent time with God that we can discern the lessons we ought to be learning and how He would have us respond to the chaos.  In fact, the moments we spend with God ought to be of both a continual nature and a deliberate nature.  Every breath of our day ought to be taken with an awareness of God’s presence yet we still need times of deliberately drawing ourselves away from the distractions of life to just spend whatever moments we can enjoying the loving presence of our Father.

Finding CALM in the midst of the chaos of life will always take effort, but in Christ it is always possible! 

It is my prayer that you pursue God in such a way that learn from Him the Compassion, Authority, Lessons, and Moments that will help you to be calm in the midst of chaos.

In prayer,
Tom