First, there was a little boy shaking under the covers as a thunderstorm pounded his house. His mother came in to check on him. He asked her "Momma, could you please sleep in here with me tonight. I'm scared? She replied, "Honey, you know that I have to sleep with your father." To which the little boy said, "The big sissy!"
Another story was about a mom and dad sitting in the living room during a similar thunderstorm. Hearing loud noises and screaming from upstairs, they rushed to their 8 year-old daughters room. Upon opening the door, they saw what the commotion was all about. Their daughter had the curtains pulled back and was standing in her bed watching the storm. Every time the lightning flashed and thunder rattled the house, the little girl jumped up and down on the bed and screamed out, "Do it again, God! Do it again!"
The thing that made these two stories stick in my mind was a real incident in the 1960s. My brother and I were in our room playing when my mom rushed in and yelled for us to head to the basement "Right Now!" We did, and when we got there she pushed us under the large pool table and then got under it herself. It was only then I could understand what was going on. The sky was jet black and the wind was howling like I had never heard it before. The large metal basement door looked like an accordion as the wind pushed and pulled on it. It looked as though at any second the door was going to be blown away and us with it. I was scared more than I have ever been in my life.
Ten miles away, the same storm struck the home of young girl named Karen Wice. With no basement to run to, her mother grabbed her 5 children and put them underneath a large poster bed and then got under it herself. As the storm got closer, she looked around to make sure everyone was ok when she realized that one of the children was missing. Frantic, she got out from under the bed and went to find them. What she found was little Karen standing on the porch watching the trees being blown around wildly and the sky darker than midnight. She was in awe of it all! Her mother was not, and proceeded to pick her up and take her back inside.
That little Karen grew up, married me, and for over 35 years has been a constant reminder that there is a different way to look at this world. While I, some 45 years after the storm, still find myself anxious in the midst of storms and Dark Nights, Karen sees Jesus... EVERYWHERE!
From the late-1990's through 2002, Karen would drive me to Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina (8 hour drive) every 2-3 months for treatment. We had an old Ford E-150 2-tone van (well actually 3-tone if you count the spray paint Karen used to try to cover up the rust! No wait, 4-tone if you counted the rust!). The seats in the back made a bed, so I lay in the back.
To be honest, my view of the sky and landscape was limited. As we were crossing over the Smokies, I heard Karen exclaim, "Oh, how beautiful!" Something told me she wasn't referring to me, so I asked her what she was talking about. She said, "God's creation is SOOOOO Beautiful!" She obviously was looking at different scenery than me, so I raised up to see for myself. All I saw was a cloudy, dreary, foggy day with a heavy mist falling. And it was cold. Not one thing beautiful about it at all. You see, I saw the What while Karen saw the Who!
"There's absolutely nothing beautiful about this at all," I said sarcastically. Karen replied, "Everything God makes is beautiful! What a glorious day this is! God has painted a wonderful landscape, glorious clouds, and majestic mountains. He is AWESOME!" Being the smart aleck of the two (which I am guessing you already figured out), I pointed out that God's paint palette needed colors instead of gray-scale. And then I said the words that have come to best describe Karen's view of the world around her. I said, "Looks like God painted a postcard just for you!" It wasn't meant to be scriptural, theological, or life-altering. It was sarcastic. Yet, my wife said, "That's it! God has painted a postcard just for me. Thank You Lord!" Now that is scriptural, theological, and life-altering. That, my friends, is Karen! And that my friends, is seeing Jesus all around.
Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD! (Psalm 150:1-6 ESV)
Over the years, whether blue skies or cloudy, sunshine or rain, snow, sleet, hail, tornadoes, floods, electrical storms, mountains, valleys, wind, etc., I find myself turning to Karen and saying, "Another postcard from God?" "Yes, oh yes," she exclaims, which is followed by her favorite line, "It is SOOOO Beautiful."
But, seeing Jesus is not just meant for His physical creation, it is for all of His creation. Karen's attitude is the same when it come to people she meets and circumstances she encounters. Our running joke over the years is that I married a 12 year old who has yet to age one bit. She has never denied it. Even takes it as a compliment! Which explains why this remarkably intelligent woman with a Master's Degree in Agronomy from UT Knoxville, chose to teach pre-K children instead. A woman who understands single-variable calculus and statistics, as well as other concepts I can't pronounce, prefers to hold little babies and sing to them about Jesus. Who loves to read stories to children and teach them about Jesus.
She genuinely loves practically everyone she meets. I have never been around anyone like her. Sadly, I have never been close to being like her myself. She is one of the very few who can spend all day with 20 four year-olds and be more invigorated at the end of the day than when she started. I, on the other hand, can stop by her classroom to drop off lunch and find that in less than 2 minutes I need out of there. Where's the door? How does she do it? She sees Jesus in every child and every family. All I see is chaos. Again, the difference between the Who and the What.
You might be thinking, "Hey she has a great, kind, handsome, gentle, adoring, and extremely humble husband who has provided her with a cushy life." Those who know me will no likely think to themselves, "Karen has remarried? I still thought she was married to Tony!" As for the cushy life, she was hit by a car at UT Knoxville while walking in a crosswalk in 1994 which causes her problems to this day. She survived cancer. She survived 3 strokes over 11 years ago that have affected her greatly. She survived the teenage years with our 2 children. Well, to be honest, we have 2 biological children and over a hundred others who have called her mom over the years. She lost her sister Kathy who she was very close to over 10 years ago. AND she has cared for me and my health issues for over 20 years. She is a Saint. Just not a perfect one! Too good to be true? Yes! True? Absolutely!
OK, some may wonder if I am writing this blog because I am in trouble with my wife. I am always in trouble with my wife. I could have written this blog at about any point over the past 35 years. But, the Lord led me to do it now because many of us are going through life and missing the countless "Postcards From God" that He prepares for us each day. They end up returned as either "Undeliverable" or "Address Not Found." This is especially true when we are struggling through times of despair and hopelessness either from physical problems, family issues, finances, jobs, wrong choices, or a busy, materialistic, ME! ME! ME! outlook. We can't see Jesus in anything if our focus is on ourselves.
However, our faith in Jesus is strengthened when we see Jesus all around us. It reminds us that He is close, that He cares, that He is still at work in our lives, and that He is Alive! Our problems become His problems and part of His plan. As I have said, this is one area I struggle with the most. Fortunately, having Karen around encourages me so much. And the Lord has used her to change my focus radically.
For example, a few months ago someone stole $80 from Karen's pocketbook. In our financial situation, that was a fortune. My usual response would be to blame Karen for not paying attention, or accusing her of simply misplacing the money. I would not have been kind or thoughtful. I would have been furious! However, when she told me what happened, my first response was "I guess somebody needed it worse than we do. God has it all in control." WHAT! Did I actually say that? Yes! Did I mean it? Yes! But Why did I not respond like I usually did? Because I saw the Who (Jesus) and not the What ($80 stolen).
But there is more. Seeing Jesus in this particular situation caused me to miss out on a lot. I missed the arguing and anger that usually occurred. I missed Karen's tears that were normally a result of my words and actions. I missed the higher blood pressure, the headache, the churning stomach, and the loss of sleep. What I found was a peace and a faith that just knew God's plans had been confirmed.
We cannot see things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise with eyes that are focused on ourselves and the world. In this letter to the church at Philippi, the Apostle Paul told the people to think on these things. All of these things point to Jesus. Seeing Jesus requires that we must first have Jesus on our minds and in our hearts.
Only then are we able to find peace. Paul's faith in Jesus was evident to all. His conduct was an encouragement to all. His testimony was a strong and powerful example to all. Therefore, he could say to watch and imitate him. Then they would see Jesus in all things, and find the peace they desperately needed and desired.
In a Dark Night? Finding it impossible to see Jesus from where you are? Just look around. Who do you have around you? Whose example are you following? Do they see Jesus all around themselves? Are the Postcards from God evident in their lives? If not, can you see where, what, and who needs to change in your life?
Like the way you feel? Like feeling hopeless? Helpless? Alone? Worried? Angry? Frustrated? Good news! You already feel that way, so you don't need to change anything. Do you want a different life? A different perspective? Hope? Start with Jesus. End with Jesus. Walk with Jesus. Listen to Jesus. Seek out those who love and see Jesus all around them. Then imitate them.
Although there are literally hundreds of Karen stories I could tell (all absolutely true, yet a lot of people cannot believe that they are), one stands out as pertinent to this blog. From 1994-2001, I spent most of the time in bed unable to walk and in a lot of pain. One day I yelled and screamed at Karen practically the whole day. Nothing she did was right. I was angry and bitter and she bore the brunt of it all. Later I fell asleep.
At about 3:00 in the morning I woke up. When I did, I could hear Karen crying in the living room. However, she wasn't crying about how badly she was being treated or how terrible her husband was. She was on her knees pleading with the Lord...FOR ME! That's right, ME! She was praying for me, asking God to forgive me, pleading with Him to heal my pain and hurt. She never once asked anything for herself. No person can kneel before the throne of grace with that attitude and under those circumstances unless they see Jesus in absolutely all things. That's right, Karen saw Jesus in me even though there was no evidence of it at all.
Question: Do you see Jesus in all things? You have mail. Check out the Postcards from God in your life. Put them on the fridge. Share them with others. They are Postcards just for you! And they are SOOOOO beautiful!
But, seeing Jesus is not just meant for His physical creation, it is for all of His creation. Karen's attitude is the same when it come to people she meets and circumstances she encounters. Our running joke over the years is that I married a 12 year old who has yet to age one bit. She has never denied it. Even takes it as a compliment! Which explains why this remarkably intelligent woman with a Master's Degree in Agronomy from UT Knoxville, chose to teach pre-K children instead. A woman who understands single-variable calculus and statistics, as well as other concepts I can't pronounce, prefers to hold little babies and sing to them about Jesus. Who loves to read stories to children and teach them about Jesus.
She genuinely loves practically everyone she meets. I have never been around anyone like her. Sadly, I have never been close to being like her myself. She is one of the very few who can spend all day with 20 four year-olds and be more invigorated at the end of the day than when she started. I, on the other hand, can stop by her classroom to drop off lunch and find that in less than 2 minutes I need out of there. Where's the door? How does she do it? She sees Jesus in every child and every family. All I see is chaos. Again, the difference between the Who and the What.
You might be thinking, "Hey she has a great, kind, handsome, gentle, adoring, and extremely humble husband who has provided her with a cushy life." Those who know me will no likely think to themselves, "Karen has remarried? I still thought she was married to Tony!" As for the cushy life, she was hit by a car at UT Knoxville while walking in a crosswalk in 1994 which causes her problems to this day. She survived cancer. She survived 3 strokes over 11 years ago that have affected her greatly. She survived the teenage years with our 2 children. Well, to be honest, we have 2 biological children and over a hundred others who have called her mom over the years. She lost her sister Kathy who she was very close to over 10 years ago. AND she has cared for me and my health issues for over 20 years. She is a Saint. Just not a perfect one! Too good to be true? Yes! True? Absolutely!
OK, some may wonder if I am writing this blog because I am in trouble with my wife. I am always in trouble with my wife. I could have written this blog at about any point over the past 35 years. But, the Lord led me to do it now because many of us are going through life and missing the countless "Postcards From God" that He prepares for us each day. They end up returned as either "Undeliverable" or "Address Not Found." This is especially true when we are struggling through times of despair and hopelessness either from physical problems, family issues, finances, jobs, wrong choices, or a busy, materialistic, ME! ME! ME! outlook. We can't see Jesus in anything if our focus is on ourselves.
For example, a few months ago someone stole $80 from Karen's pocketbook. In our financial situation, that was a fortune. My usual response would be to blame Karen for not paying attention, or accusing her of simply misplacing the money. I would not have been kind or thoughtful. I would have been furious! However, when she told me what happened, my first response was "I guess somebody needed it worse than we do. God has it all in control." WHAT! Did I actually say that? Yes! Did I mean it? Yes! But Why did I not respond like I usually did? Because I saw the Who (Jesus) and not the What ($80 stolen).
But there is more. Seeing Jesus in this particular situation caused me to miss out on a lot. I missed the arguing and anger that usually occurred. I missed Karen's tears that were normally a result of my words and actions. I missed the higher blood pressure, the headache, the churning stomach, and the loss of sleep. What I found was a peace and a faith that just knew God's plans had been confirmed.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:8-9 ESV)
We cannot see things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise with eyes that are focused on ourselves and the world. In this letter to the church at Philippi, the Apostle Paul told the people to think on these things. All of these things point to Jesus. Seeing Jesus requires that we must first have Jesus on our minds and in our hearts.
Only then are we able to find peace. Paul's faith in Jesus was evident to all. His conduct was an encouragement to all. His testimony was a strong and powerful example to all. Therefore, he could say to watch and imitate him. Then they would see Jesus in all things, and find the peace they desperately needed and desired.
In a Dark Night? Finding it impossible to see Jesus from where you are? Just look around. Who do you have around you? Whose example are you following? Do they see Jesus all around themselves? Are the Postcards from God evident in their lives? If not, can you see where, what, and who needs to change in your life?
Like the way you feel? Like feeling hopeless? Helpless? Alone? Worried? Angry? Frustrated? Good news! You already feel that way, so you don't need to change anything. Do you want a different life? A different perspective? Hope? Start with Jesus. End with Jesus. Walk with Jesus. Listen to Jesus. Seek out those who love and see Jesus all around them. Then imitate them.
Although there are literally hundreds of Karen stories I could tell (all absolutely true, yet a lot of people cannot believe that they are), one stands out as pertinent to this blog. From 1994-2001, I spent most of the time in bed unable to walk and in a lot of pain. One day I yelled and screamed at Karen practically the whole day. Nothing she did was right. I was angry and bitter and she bore the brunt of it all. Later I fell asleep.
At about 3:00 in the morning I woke up. When I did, I could hear Karen crying in the living room. However, she wasn't crying about how badly she was being treated or how terrible her husband was. She was on her knees pleading with the Lord...FOR ME! That's right, ME! She was praying for me, asking God to forgive me, pleading with Him to heal my pain and hurt. She never once asked anything for herself. No person can kneel before the throne of grace with that attitude and under those circumstances unless they see Jesus in absolutely all things. That's right, Karen saw Jesus in me even though there was no evidence of it at all.
Question: Do you see Jesus in all things? You have mail. Check out the Postcards from God in your life. Put them on the fridge. Share them with others. They are Postcards just for you! And they are SOOOOO beautiful!