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| Carter Reece Phillips |
But, Satan is a defeated foe. Jesus made sure of that through His death, burial, and resurrection. Furthermore, we know Satan is a liar. So, we can take those thoughts he tries to use to demoralize and harm us and see them for what they truly are. For example, if Satan says you are a burden to everyone, and he is a liar, then we can know that we are not a burden at all. If he says God has given up on us, then we know that God has NOT done such a thing. If he says we should just give up and die, then we know that that is Satan's desire, not God's.
It is important to also understand that not every thought, feeling, or negative emotion we have comes from Satan. It would be too easy to blame him for everything. Chronic illness, pain, stress, relationship problems, depression, anxiety, fear, doubt, anger, and many other issues take a tremendous toll on us. We find that we can't wish them away. We can't medicate them away, We can't pull the covers over our heads and hope they will leave us alone.
So, whether it is Satan or it is a difficult trial that we must go through, our response should be the same: Trust that no matter how we feel or what we think, God is in control. Read His word every day (I recommend the Psalms to begin with). Praise Him daily for the blessings He has so richly bestowed upon you and your family. Pray for others who are struggling. Pray for your family and yourself that no matter what happens, that the end result will bring glory to God. Finally, intentionally find ways to minister to others. Pray for opportunities to be a blessing to them. Be willing to listen as they share their own pain. You will be surprised how focusing on someone else can relieve your own pain and help renew and restore your own sense of well-being.
Once again, I come back to my grandson, Carter, for an example of what I am talking about. God has given Carter a special gift to know when someone is hurting. He is sensitive to the needs of those around him. Carter's initial response is a hug! Not just a small hug. Not a quick hug. But a genuine, heartfelt hug that lasts as long as it takes. And He never stops with just one. He will often walk down to the house to check on me. When he does, the first thing I get is a hug. Then another hug. Followed by "I love you Poppy" at least 2 or 3 times.
Sometimes, he gets to the house and I am, as usual, lying in bed in a great deal of pain. I can't count the number of times that Carter has crawled into the bed next to me and just sat there as I slept. He will get out the computer and put on headphones, and just play a game while he sits next to me. He knows he doesn't have to say or do anything. Just his presence speaks volumes to me and helps me to feel better.
All of us could learn a lot from Carter on how to visit the sick. First, we have to have hearts that are sensitive to those around us and more importantly, willing hearts to act on what we sense. In the "busyness" of our lives, we rush right past so many folks who are hurting.
Secondly, human touch is so important. I was never a hugger. But since Carter was born, I found myself hugging everyone. Kinda of scary to a lot of folks to have a 350 pound man put his arms around them, but they get used to it. But there is something healing and calming in human touch. Those who struggle through "Dark Nights" often cringe at the thought of being hugged or touched. If you are one of those people, give it a try. I can't send Carter to your house, but I believe there are huggers around you just waiting for the opportunity to bless you.
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| Carter 2007 |
On August 15, 2007, when Carter came home from school, his momma found a picture in his folder that he had drawn that day. It was a drawing of 2 stick people (one big and one small) and the smaller figure had a round object in his hand. On the back of that picture (which I am looking at right now), I wrote these words:
Mary was going through Carter's folder from school when she found this picture. She asked him who it was and he said "Me and Pop Pop playing baseball." He said that his teacher had told his Kindergarten Class to draw a picture and this was what he was thinking about. God has blessed me through so many people in my life, but I don't believe any single act has ever meant so much to me as my grandson drawing this picture and thinking about me. He is special and I thank God for him (8/15/2007).
You know, it means a lot to each of us to know someone has been thinking about us. The fact that we mean something to someone else blesses us in profound ways. Often, in the "Dark Nights" we struggle to believe there is actually anyone out there thinking about us or caring about us. There are! But the key question we must answer is who do WE spend our days thinking about. When we are in the midst of our pain, we usually think of noone but ourselves.
That attitude is unhealthy. It only deepens the pit of despair we are in. You have heard the old saying, "How do you get out of the hole you are in? First, quit digging!" Many of us just continue to dig and dig. We keep doing and thinking the same things over and over again, and then wonder why life just gets darker and darker with each passing day. Give someone a call today and let them know that you were thinking of them. You might even write a handwritten letter (for the young people reading this, you may need to Google "handwritten letter" to know what I am referring to). Maybe all it will take is a stick figure drawing of you and that person. It will absolutely bless them and boost your own spirit as well. What have you got to lose?
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| Carter 2 months ago pretending to be a mannequin in the Sports department. |
Carter Reece Phillips is 13 years old now and in the 7th grade. He is still a one-of-a-kind young man. As you can tell, I love to brag on him. But even more, I love to brag on Jesus. For it has been Jesus who has used Carter to bless me, my family, and many, many other people throughout his life. Jesus could not have accomplished that without Carter having a willing spirit to use the gifts that the Lord has given him.
That is perhaps the greatest lesson He has taught me through Carter. God has given each of us special and unique gifts. When we willingly submit and use those gifts to bless others, they are blessed, we are blessed, and God is glorified. I am so thankful for the love that He has shown me by surrounding me with so many willing hearts. I hope that when I grow up, I can be a Carter Reece Phillips too!
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| Carter - October 2014 |