Pain in Passion

“You will become more passionate and determined about your vision”

I smiled as I read the fortune that had come from the cookie. So many times God has spoken to me in this amusing way. I have no problem with this. God knows the message in each and every cookie in existence, and He can guarantee that I get the correct one.

Then I looked more closely. There is pain in passion.

Do you see it?

PAssIoN.

Though my mind is clouded with chemo drugs and radiation pains, God’s voice still manages to penetrate through the misty vale that surrounds my spirit. The thing that I so long for, the passion that drove me to heights in pursuing God’s will for my life, alludes me at this time. God whispers to me “There is pain in passion”.

When I began this cancer journey, wondering why this was happening to me, God spoke to me, “I will show him how much he must suffer for my name”. I quickly got out my concordance to find from where this verse had come. I found it in the book of Acts, speaking of the beginning of Paul’s journey with God. Paul exhibited much passion for God, but he also experienced much pain for God. I am hopeful that this painful experience is just the beginning of a long and passionate relationship with my Lord and Savior.

This is how we can grasp and rejoice in the verse that we should count it a joy when we are called upon to suffer for Jesus. Knowing that the end of the pain brings new heights of passion for God and joy in our lives helps us to endure the former in order to attain the latter. Endure the pain so that we may experience the greater passion.

There is a story of a gifted soprano who was brought before the master choral director by an eager assistant. The lady sang before them without flaw; and yet the Master told his assistant, “Yes, she is good, but she will sing more sweetly when she has experienced hardship and pain in her life.”

There is pain in passion.

Easter Miracle

On Thursday, April 9, at 6:30 p.m., I learned that both of my dogs were missing. At first, I had no idea how they possibly could have gotten out, and the thought that someone might have taken one of them was the first to cross my mind.

My neighbor, Alex, had seen one of the dogs in his backyard and came to my door to notify me, but by the time I got to the backyard, the dog was gone. Winds were blowing over potted plants on our patio, and my shouts for Crash and Sally were likewise thrown back toward me.

I ran inside my home to grab the car keys to begin a street search. As I drove slowly around the neighborhood, shouting into the raging wind, some neighbors pulled up in their car beside me to ask if I was looking for something. They held up a raggedy, white and brown bundle for my view. It was the male of our sister-brother pair, Crash, and they had picked him up as he was running down one of the major roads bordering our neighborhood.

Crash and Sally are Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, and quite evidently do not belong wandering roads, and these people were kind enough to pick Crash up and attempt to find his owners; however, Sally was still missing.

I searched for three hours until it was too dark to see, with no sign of our tiny 10lb dog, Sally. Oklahoma is infamous for the predators that are too willing to make a small dog or cat a meal. We had already lost a cat in this fashion. After searching in the dark for an hour, I finally headed back home. The high winds made it almost impossible for my voice to carry far enough to reach her. Sally was now alone at night in the company of coyotes and other predators.

The next day, Friday, my three grown children, son-in-law and I began hanging 8 1/2 X 11 fliers on neighborhood doors and neighboring subdivisions. We posted at major intersections toward the town as well as veterinarian and pet stores. Andi, the lady who we purchased Sally and Crash from (http://www.redbudcavaliers.com/), was helpful in how to begin the search for Sally.

Visiting websites did not improve my hopes for finding Sally, as the odds were against her. According to one site, less than 16% of lost dogs are actually returned to their owners, and dogs of Sally's size more often end up as meals for predators.

Friday passed with no sightings of Sally and then Saturday as well. Easter, Sunday morning, which this year was also my birthday, began with church and was followed by a birthday lunch after the service. The atmosphere was somewhat subdued with the absence of Sally.

Prayers went up for Sally's return, however, and though human odds were against her, God works despite the odds. Sunday evening around 6:15pm, we received a phone call from a family living in the back portion of our neighborhood.

Sally had become entangled in the briers in this neighbor's backyard, like a biblical Absalom with her beautiful long fur entangled in the branches, and her exposed to the elements and whatever danger might come her way. She had been gone for three nights and days, 72 hours; and without food for 90 hours.

When we arrived for our joyful reunion with Sally, the lovely lady and her daughters who had found her, handed me the briers that they had cut from Sally. As the thorns pricked my fingers, the family informed me that Sally's fur had become so entangled with the thorns that it was impossible to free her without cutting much of her long beautiful fur. I was reminded of the crown of thorns that our Savior wore and couldn't help but note that this was the second homecoming celebration that I had experienced that day, the first being Jesus' resurrection, and now Sally's miraculous return.

Fur will grow back, and Sally was so happy to be reunited with her half brother. She rolled, and scratched and rubbed against the table legs, and when I washed her, I found that she had been scratched and cut in many places as she attempted to free herself from the briers.

Karin Tarqwin, a pet detective that we contacted at http://www.petdetectivesinc.com/, was very kind and helpful in her suggestions for finding Sally and she was very sincere about her concern for the welfare of our pet. We offered to pay Karin for her services, but she refused to accept compensation for her advice. According to Karin, there are many bogus websites who are too willing to take money from worried pet owners, falsely claiming an ability to find their precious lost pets. Fortunately, we did not fall for these scams that are so common on the Internet and we are thankful that we found Karin.

Thanks to all who helped us retrieve our precious Crash and Sally! We are so grateful for our Easter blessing.

Connections

One of the most basic human needs is to connect with others. Finding things that we have in common with others is one way that connections are made.

In gatherings, conversations develop where one might hear, "Yeah, that happened to me, too!" or "You're from New York? I'm from New York, too! What city?"

We choose friends who share common interests and activities. In most instances, a common interest is the beginning of a relationship. I have formed friendships at church among my fellow workers, at my son's numerous soccer practices and at school where I progressed through the masters program for counseling with the same group of students.

As we seek a connection with God, the same principles apply. Jesus was God in human form, come to redeem all of mankind. If we are to find anything in common with a holy God, we must find it in Jesus as he is the only physical presence of God ever presented to humanity.

I remember ten years ago when I read in the New Testament that Jesus is considered to be the second Adam. This one verse changed my whole concept of who Jesus is, for the thought entered my mind, was this the Adam before or after Eve was created from him?

God created Adam from the dust of the earth. The word Adam in the Hebrew denotes both male and female. Male and female created he them, so the scripture says.

The power of God also created the second Adam in that Jesus had no earthly father and was conceived within the womb of Mary by the Holy Spirit. In both cases, there were no marriages needed in the creation of Adams. It is not difficult to conclude that Jesus was as the first Adam, encompassing both male AND female.

It is commonly thought that Eve was created from a rib of Adam, however the original Hebrew word actually means "side". Eve was created from a side of Adam. When a couple marries, two become one. We find that in many cases what is a weakness in a man might be a strength in the woman and vice versa. We jokingly refer to "our better half". Unlike the first Adam whose side was removed in the creation of Eve, Jesus did not undergo such an operation at the hands of God.

It is wondrous that Jesus was everything to everyone in his wholeness and as the perfectly created second Adam. A perfect and whole representative for all of humanity.

It is from here that men and women can truly begin to connect and find everything they need to find in Jesus.

The Journey Begins

My eyes filled with tears as I sat in the darkened theater. It wasn't that I didn't know where the story would lead, as I have seen The Color Purple in the film version three times, but that one particular line struck me with guilt over my selfishness.

The main character, Celie, had suffered tremendous abuses and cruelties at the hands of her stepfather. She had been beaten and sexually molested by her stepfather; and following the birth of two children had each of them, in turn, removed from her possession by this same man.

As her friend, Shug, spoke to Celie about God, Celie angrily replied, "What does God know about me, he's a man!"

I loved the response that Shug, made. "God aint a man, he's God".

I remembered back to a time about ten years ago when I had similar thoughts as Celie did about God. How could Jesus understand my trials and temptations? He was born a man. This was also at a time when the differences between men and women were proclaimed throughout the media. Men are From Mars, Women are From Venus as well as many church sermon series presented from the pulpit regarding these differences. How could a woman connect totally with Jesus, a man?

Ten years ago, I began a journey with God that has resolved these differences. I now enjoy a close and intimate relationship with him. As God revealed his attributes as well as the commonalities that God shares with women, my love for him grew exponentially as the years went by. God has laid on my heart that I should share with others what he has shown me through the years. I must not let my fears get in the way of an opportunity to help someone else.
I hope and pray that my experience will be encouraging to other women who desire a close connection to the Creator of the universe. Thus, the journey begins.