Why don't you come over here and make me do it?

Good morning!  Tell me something:  what is your purpose?  No, no, I don’t mean who are you and why are you here.  Rather, I mean what is it that you purpose, propose, plan to do today?  Get the kids off to school so you can start the household chores?  Wear matching shoes to work?  Try to get through the day without losing your calm?

I’m sure we all have something in mind to start off our Mondays on the right foot.  I’d like to share my purpose with you for a moment, if I may, and hope to encourage you along the way to develop yours into one that brings honor to our Jesus.

For too long I have been lazy.  I plan all sorts of things to start my day but before I know it, I’ve been on Facebook too long or searching Pintrest or doing some other recliner-type “work” and then when I look up, I see the clock is nearing 10:00.  That may not sound so bad until you consider that I’ve been in this position since 7:00.  By then, I’m usually starting to get drowsy and think that I’ll just save my real work, do my real plans when I’ve had a little rest and my mind is clearer. Somehow, most days, that just doesn’t really pan out.

So, I decided last week to be proactive.  I purposed to set myself a schedule and stick to it.  Whether it’s the memory of the theme mentioned in my writing class a couple of weeks ago about folks wanting maximum results from minimal effort, or if the lack of discipline in my ol’ self is finally making itself known to me, or whether it’s just time to be better, today I purpose for myself a new plan, a new agenda, and though it’s basic and in some ways elementary, I have no man (this is in reference to the man at the pool of Bethesda in John 5:1-15 that I wrote so much about last year) to do it for me.  I have no dictator standing over my shoulder to tell me what to do and when to do it.  I don’t have an accountability partner in the flesh to motivate me to fulfill my plans although I have asked my husband to “gently remind” me throughout the day when he checks in on me to see how my new schedule is going.  

So, wish me success?  In about ten minutes or so, part one goes into action--literally.  I purpose to walk for about 20-30 minutes each morning before the sun gets too hot for my delicate skin.  One of my neighbors might help me out with this as our relationship develops into a hopeful friendship.  And I’m the kind of girl who really needs feedback, affirmation, and accountability in my life.  Who knows that our paths didn’t cross yesterday for such a time as this?  Reminds me of a song called “Mary Did You Know?”  As for the other parts of my plans?  I need success with them to if I am to accomplish my goals.  And a helper would be nice for that too.  But until she comes along, it’s just me and the Lord, so let’s pray--’cause this ol’ girl has work to do!

Dear Lord, thank You for the ability to be light-hearted about a matter that really needs some work in my life.  While others have successfully dealt with time-management in their lives, self-discipline is something I have struggled with.  As I came across Psalm 143:8 earlier, it really got me.  While some versions use the words “make, show, teach, and reveal,” the KJV states “Cause me to hear Thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in Thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto Thee” (emphasis is mine).  Thank You for showing me that purpose is needed and You and I both know I need to be determined in my steps.  Self-control is not one fruit of Your Spirit that I have in my basket so help me today, Father, to obtain it.  I ask this in the name of Jesus, amen.

Stefan

If you know me at all then you know that there is a song that runs through my mind for nearly every occasion.  This morning is no exception!  As we consider verses 4-7 of John 5, the song pictured is the one that popped into my head.  "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" also has been going through my head but for today, let's use Squire Parson's melody "He Came To Me" to plant the seed of our hopeless and helpless state without Christ coming to us. 

Speaking of our verses, let's review them now.

For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.

And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.

When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?

The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.

This man--and since we are going to be speaking of him so often, don't you think we should give him a name?  No, I'm not trying to rewrite the Bible but it's just a bit easier to call him Fred or Larry instead of the Impotent Man.  Hmn.  I know!  We could refer to him as Stefan.  Stefan.  Sounds exotic, don't you think, and also keeps him on track with reminding me of how very much he and I are alike. 

So, Stefan is literally on the ground.  Has been there for 38 years.  His only hope (or so he thinks) of getting better is to have a man--someone...anyone--put him into the healing waters of the Bethesda Pool.  Unfortunately, like poor ol' Ricky Bobby believed from the tales he heard growing up, if you aren't first, you're last.  If you aren't first, then too bad, so sad.  If you aren't first, then...Well, you stay in this condition until the next season when the angel comes to stir the waters again.

I wonder how hard he tried?  I wonder how much effort Stefan put into getting himself ready for that season when the angel would come.  Season.  Hmn.  Makes me ponder:  was it a specific time each year, such as when winter, spring, summer, and fall occur?  Was there advance notice that the angel would arrive on such and such date or...Or did one just have to chance it, to be ready in and out of season?  Did Stefan just lie there and hope to get a jump on the competition, counting on some "miracle" to help him out, or did he prepare for the spontaneity  of the angel's arrival?

"I have no man."  

Sounds to me like Stefan counted on the kindness of strangers to get him out of his bind and into the bountiful.  Sounds like he had no friends, for his words of  having "no man" lead me to believe there wasn't anyone close to him to help him out.  After 38 years of being in the same condition, in the same area surrounded by other hapless folks, and after countless times of frustration did he not share his angst with anyone?!

Maybe he did at first.  Maybe he commiserated with the others who had their own infirmities.  Maybe when he tried to tell someone what had led to him being in this condition, maybe they listened the first few times but then wanted to be heard more than they wanted to hear of another's woes.  Perhaps they themselves had been there longer than Stefan and tended to feel that they had it worse than he did.  Maybe Stefan was a whiner who only wanted attention but didn't really want their advice on how to position himself closer to the pool.  I mean really, this spot over here was so much more comfortable and had a prettier view.  He could watch the newbies arrive and keep an eye out for the latest happenings.   Besides, why bother getting close to anyone?  They only expected things from you and wanted to change you, to better you to suit their needs.  Right?  No one really cares about me, Stefan must have thought, otherwise surely I would be healed by now.

Have other people let you down, friends?  Have you ever had a problem or condition that required extra attention that at first these "friends" were glad to provide but soon tired of the time and energy it took into taking care of your needs when their own were so much more personal?  You became bothersome, an annoyance, and soon, you became an afterthought.  An "Oh yeah, whatever happened to Stefan" sort of soul.  When it came out that you were still poor and needy, they quickly wrote you off.  Again.  Out of sight; out of mind.  For years.  Decades.  More than half of your life.

Sigh.

Oh my sweet ones, how I feel your ache and empathize with your plight!  That feeling that no one--NO ONE--cares.  That realization that you are once and for all totally helpless, friendless, and hopeless is one I have been in and if truth be told, often still feel like I am in.  When the chips are down and I am in the pit with them, where is my "man," my buddy, my life-long friend who said she'd always be there for me yet when I call out to her, I get voice mail or unanswered texts?  Where is my "man" who said "for better or for worse" and went and found  the better and left me behind?  Where is my "man" who brought me into this world and then discarded me to suit his own selfish desires?  And what about those church folks who claim to be so much like Jesus?  Where are they when I need a hand out--I mean a hand up?  

He came to me.  Jesus came to me.  Just as He came to Stefan, He came to me and brought me out and through the gulf that separated me from Him.  Did it take Him 38 years to do so?  Did He not notice how badly I needed some help?  Did He not see me lying in my state for all of these years?  I mean, the Israelites wandered for 40 years.  The woman with the issue of blood suffered for 12 years, and the woman with a disabled spirit was bent over for 18 years.  He finally healed them but...what took Him so long?  Why did Jesus not heal immediately?

I don't know.  I don't know why folks are born with diseases and disabilities or why some are afflicted later in life with handicaps.  I don't know why so many hurt and if the condition is a result of sin or if it was created so that Jesus might be glorified, as in the story of the blind man from birth who was granted his sight.  What I do know is that Jesus came to me.  More than once.  Sometimes He came but I didn't acknowledge His presence.  I was happier (or so I told myself) being miserable rather than trusting once again in someone who might let me down as so many before had.  

Okay, I know this has been a longer blog than you probably had hoped for.  So, I'll close for now.  There is still so much more to say though that I hope you will come back next time to see what incredibleness lies in our Saviour that He would take His time to come to us.  And if for some reason you don't know Jesus as Lord, I invite you to send me a note so I can tell you more about that and how to have Him lead your life.  

Let's pray!

Dear Lord, first off, thanks for coming to me.  I don't know if You didn't come sooner because I was still so Stef-involved and hard-headed and coldhearted that there wasn't room.  I don't know if perhaps You were there all along and I just refused to look up because the view from the bottom was so great (ahem).  I don't know when You came to me and I finally realized that without You there was just no chance at all for healing, for wholeness.  But You came.  You came to me.  Me!  

Thank You.  

You were there all along, weren't You, God?  Thank You for lifting my eyes, my soul, and my spirit.  Help us all today to remember that even when we don't feel You or see You, You are there.  You are here.  You came to us and You aren't going to leave us alone.  What wondrous love!  I accept You and love You in return, Father.  Amen.

Wilt thou be made whole?

I've chosen for my life verses for 2016 two parts of a passage from John 5.  They've been on my mind for a long time and if you know anything about me, being on my mind can be quite the adventure!  One thought leads to another that takes me down a different road where I wonder about this and then ponder about that.  As I told Steve yesterday when we wrapped up the morning's lesson on The Armor of God study we are doing and he had commented on how well he had enjoyed that lesson but wasn't sure that I had since I was so distracted by these life verses, I told him "I don't have a one-track mind.  I have a whole playlist going on in there!"  

Can you relate to me?  No matter how good your intentions, no matter how strong you purpose to do something, you find your mind on too many different tangents and you just wander about, hoping that eventually it will all come together and some sense can be made?  Yesterday, I woke up early, so excited to begin this journey but decided I'd do some pre-writing first.  After all, I used to tell my students to do this so that their essays would be more fluent.  Focus on three points, I'd tell them, and keep it to the point with just enough details to show a good understanding of what they were writing about.  If you are a faithful reader of mine, you know I can tend to ramble about on occasion so part of my plans for this year are to be more succinct.  We'll see how that turns out!  

John writes of a meeting of an impotent man and Jesus in chapter five of the Bible.  I will be referring to it for a while now so let's go ahead and read that passage now, shall we?

After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.

3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.

4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.

5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.

6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, He saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?

7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.

8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.

10 The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.

11 He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.

12 Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?

13 And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed Himself away, a multitude being in that place.

14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.

15 The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole.

16 And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay Him, because He had done these things on the sabbath day.

Quite a passage huh? There is so much to be gleaned from this and I hope I can do it justice!

As mentioned, I have two portions of this to claim as my life verses for this year. The first is the question itself: Wilt thou be made whole? The second is the response: Sir, I have no man...

Friends, are you like me and tired of not being all you were meant to be? Are you finally ready to stop making excuses and get on with the abundant life that Christ Jesus Himself has promised you? If so, I invite you again to wander with me on this journey of scripture and get real, get answers, and get better. Whole. Let's not be afraid to touch the hem of His garment and allow Jesus to press through our madness. Yeah, that is from another story but as mentioned, in my head there are so many thoughts going on in there and after all, doesn't all scripture work together for good?

Let's pray!

Dear God, I am so excited about this opportunity to delve into Your Word! I just know I am going to be the better for it.

Father, as others perhaps join me on this venture, I ask You to come to us just as You did to the impotent man. He lie in his condition for thirty-eight years. Thirty-eight years, Lord! Some of us have been in our messes for a long period of time as well and Lord? We too are tired of the excuses. Tired of being looked over and brushed aside as the world jumps ahead of us and tries to steal what is rightfully ours. Make us whole is my prayer, Lord God. Be our Man!

In the name of Jesus I pray this. Amen.