A Legacy Left

More and more these past weeks I have grown to deeply appreciate the strong Christian heritage I grew up with.  I look around at the world...even my own community...and I see how empty and devoid of Truth people are.

What blessings God has given me.

My memories growing up are full of times spent with our extended family, usually at grandma and grandpa's house.  Family ties run deep in the Janssen blood.

Today our family gathered together one more time under a bright sky and unrelenting Kansas winds as we laid grandma to rest.

I remember many things about my grandma.  Things like the smell of her house, which I don't think I can ever describe but will never forget.

Things like the cookie jar that was always stocked with homemade chocolate chip cookies.  And the way she called them "chip chocolate" cookies.

And the cans of Dr. Pepper that were always in the fridge.  (I am convinced this is why Dr. Pepper is the drink of choice amongst our family members.)

And the way she always scolded and nagged at me to get my stringy hair out of my eyes because it drove her crazy.

And her love for sewing and embroidering.  She took each grand daughter shopping at her sixth birthday to pick out a sewing basket and supplies, and she taught each of us to sew.  (I'm sure I was a bit of a disappointment in this area as needlework never really caught on for me.)

And the dozens of quilts she stitched by hand, not to mention the even more dozens of pillowcases we were always receiving.

My fondest memories come from days long ago when our families would all gather at her house for Christmas.  Four children and their spouses, and ten grandchildren running wild in the basement, racing tricycles and playing "hide the thimble."

Grandma & grandpa, holding hands and surrounded by grandkids, Christmas 1997ish

I spent many summer days with grandma during wheat harvest, since my allergies kept me from breathing in my own house.  I slept in the blue room, and as I lay in bed under blue-painted walls and a blue floral blanket, I would hear grandma and grandpa across the hall talking to each other in the dark as they drifted off to sleep.

My grandparents were never overly vocal about their faith, but they daily lived out small ways that reflected the love of Jesus.  Old age didn't lessen their love for each other.  Often they would watch church services on television, and grandma would walk into the living room and sit right on grandpa's lap in the big rocking chair while the preacher's face filled the screen.  I have a framed 3"x5" picture on my wall of the two of them kissing on their front porch.

I never saw her do it, but my mom told me once that grandma would kneel beside her bed daily to pray.  I remember being impressed that an old person could do such a thing and still get off the floor.

My grandma was a strong force in our family.  In a way, she and grandpa were the glue that held us all together.  They were the center, both as a location and as a uniting force.  Thanks to them, we carry on a bond that will always exist, regardless of the challenges that may threaten us.

May I leave a legacy that runs as deep.

_________________________

Lois Lavern Kimple Janssen 

May 23, 1915-May 4, 2010

Old Friend?

Friends come and go in life.  When they go, sometimes it's a mutual and quiet parting.  Other times things end with a bang and a bad taste.

Every once in a while, after the dust settles, we run into these friends again.  When this happens, wounds may run so deep that it's hard to even look at the other person.  Or each one may be able to act politely toward the other, yet the whole time feeling the pain of something lost and irreconcilable.

Lately, I wonder how the tension felt between Jesus and Satan as they hung out in the desert together.

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him...  (Matthew 4:1-3)

Aside from being hungry, hot, hungry, tired, and hungry...what went through Jesus' mind?

What went through Satan's mind?

Because centuries earlier - or maybe only moments, for eternal beings are not confined to time - Satan (then Lucifer) and Jesus shared the same stomping grounds.

Scripture indicates that Lucifer was a very important angel, high up in rank.  I can only imagine that he and Jesus (who is also God, creator of Lucifer) had some form of relationship; whether they were BFFs or had more of a commander-soldier status I don't know.

What I do know is they used to share heaven together.  And then Lucifer messed up and got himself kicked out.

Now here in the desert staggers Jesus - God Himself - humbled to human likeness in a land much less than heaven.  Beside Him is Satan, also from heaven but no longer belonging there, kicked out by the very one who straggles and stumbles in the earthly desert sand.

Did either one of them find this meeting to be awkward?  Did Jesus look into the eyes of His tempter and remember times past when the two of them laughed and joked together?  Did He not only experience and fight temptation that day, but also feel an ache in His heart of a dear friend now gone forever?

Reminder: Worst Blanket Ever Up For Auction!

Don't forget about my worst-blanket-ever auction!  There have been a few bids already, so don't miss your chance to be the proud new owner of the worst blanket ever!  (Remember, there's a twist - I do NOT receive the proceeds!)

Bidding is open until midnight on Friday, April 23rd.

Prayer: Then and Now

I mentioned in my previous post how Acts 6 kinda stopped me in my tracks the other day.  My last post was only half the reason for my stoppage.  This post is the second half.

Jesus had just died, risen, and ascended to heaven.  His Church was now taking root and disciples were springing up like dandelions in my yard.  But a minor problem was brought to attention by the Greek Jews:  their widows weren't receiving any food and the Hebrew Jews were.  So the Twelve disciples gathered the other disciples together and said,

"Choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom.  We will turn this responsibility over to them... (v 3)"

And so the matter was settled.  The issue was small enough that the disciples felt it wasn't worth the energy of having everyone try to resolve it because there were bigger responsibilities at hand (see verse 2).

Here comes the part that snagged me.

What exactly did these disciples feel was so important and deserved their utmost attention?

"[We] will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word (v 4)."

Two areas that demanded their full focus, that determined how they spent their days, that drove their Mission.  One of them:

Prayer.

They gave their attention to prayer.

And I can't help but wonder what the Church would look like today if we gave our attention to prayer.

If even just the leaders of our Churches gave their attention to prayer.

Not just praying for thirty seconds before meetings, for five minutes during Sunday service, for ten seconds before lunch.  Not just "God-bless-this-time-and-heal-the-sick-amen."

Devoting our attention to prayer.

Did you know the disciples - 120 of them - spent probably ten days praying and waiting to receive the Holy Spirit?

Ten days!

"They all joined together constantly in prayer (1:14)."

How many of us pray even ten minutes for a single thing?  How vastly different would our lives look if we truly devoted ourselves constantly to prayer?  If, instead of praying for thirty seconds before a meeting for guidance to make decisions...what if we spent the meeting praying until God provided an answer?

What if, instead of praying a single prayer for healing or blessing or the Spirit's power...what if we got on our knees and prayed until God answered?

Can you imagine the power He would display through our lives?

They Had a Mission

My reading in Acts this morning kinda knocked me off balance.

In general, as I read about the early Church and its believers, I can't help but notice a joy and enthusiasm for sharing the Gospel that feels quite lacking in my life.  I'm loving reading about these first followers of The Way and how nothing could stop them.

Today I started in Acts 6 and made it all the way through verse two before I had to stop for a moment.

In those days...the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.  So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables."

A complaint had risen amongst the believers.  Greek widows weren't getting fed, but the Hebrew widows were.  The disicples go on to work out a plan to take care of this need, but what gets me is the initial response.

"We have a task at hand, and we can't be hindered by the details.  A few of you will stay here and work out the conflict, but the rest of us need to keep moving forward with the Mission."

I'm so convinced we do things backwards.

Make sure the music has enough hymns.  Do fun things to keep the youth coming back.  Keep doing all our regular programming, because that's the way it's always been.  This person did this.  That person said that.  On and on we go, trying to take care of all the details every time a person raises a fuss.  We have to keep everyone happy, because we want everyone to have a positive church experience.  (Am I stepping on any toes yet?)

I like to make sure I pray for the right amount of time, read the right amount of Scripture, and worship the right amount of worship.  I stress out when things don't "feel" smooth or good, when I can't focus to pray or read, when I oversleep and miss my time with Him. 

And in the midst of all our chaotic circles we run around ourselves, we totally lose sight of the Mission.

The one thing that used to take priority over every other detail.

That's not to say that the things I listed above aren't important, nor are they ineffective at helping to complete the Mission.  I'm also not pointing fingers at any specific congregation.  I'm simply putting into words what I've observed my whole life, both in the Church and my personal journey.

Jesus didn't become sin and die on the cross so we would have more numbers in our pews, so we would run Sunday morning service to keep everyone happy, so that all the details could take precedence.

No, He did all that so every man, woman, and child might have the opportunity to know Him and be saved.  He saved us so that we might share that salvation with others, whatever the cost.