Battle

Today was a busy day, but in spite of the activity or actually because of it God gave me a living example of what's really important. I'm used to a variety of those life lessons coming through children. Most of the time they are mine. But today was different today, I met Katie.

I had left my house at 10:00 this morning dropping one boy off to farm with Kent. 3 kids to Grandma at the lake and 1 was with my dad helping to assist in the moving day at my parent's house. That left me with two and we made tracks.

Around 2:30 this afternoon after we had been to Muskegon for 1 appointment and made a mad dash for Grand Rapids for another. We had been at Isaiah's hemotologist appointment for an hour and a half. Isaiah and I  were escorted to the play room while we waited for his blood results and some other papers to link his health care providers together. I was playing with Isaiah when a little girl came bounding up to us.

"Hi," she blurted out, "my name is Katie!"

Katie was dressed in a pink plaid dress, pink tights, and for added flair she had a multi colored tu-tu around her waist and was sporting a pair of those plastic, dress up shoes that clip-clop when you walk.

"Hi, Katie," I grinned at her, "I loooovvvveee your shoes, they are so sparkly."

"Thank you," she beemed. "How old is he?" she inquired as she looked at Isaiah.

"He's 5" I replied, "How old are you?"

"I'm 4, " was her swift reply.  "Can I play with him?"

"Sure, that would be so great, wouldn't it Isaiah?" they both smiled at each other.

Katie sat down and then she looked at me with her beautiful brown eyes, framed by her sweet curls and she stopped my breath with her next statment.

"I am done with my chemo for today?" she said so happily.

"Wow, Katie, that's great, how did it go?" I asked as I wanted to cry.

"It went great." as she looked down concentrating on the game she and Isaiah were playing.

Katie's mom entered the play room  and was occupied with getting her things together, I imagined it had been a long day for them. She got out Katie's real shoes and asked her to put them on. Katie put up a bit of a fuss.

"But, mom I just started to play with Isaiah." she pleaded.

Another health care provider entered the room and was talking with Katie's mom and said she was sorry, but she didn't have Katie's count yet.

Katie quipped from the floor, "What's a count?"

The two women kept talking and Isaiah and Katie kept playing. I was an observer trying to understand this scene in front of me.

I was struck by Katie's amazing, little personality that I had known for like 5 minutes. But I was sure delighted with this creature, she had spunk, a beautiful spirit and amazing fashion sense!

I prayed for Katie and her mom as they finished getting ready and left the play room. I prayed that they knew Jesus and that if they did they were both able to display the joyful, peace they had because of all that He was giving to them at this difficult time.

On the way home in the car, I heard the song by Chris August, called Battle.

There's a battle between good and evil
And it's raging inside of me
There's a struggle, it's God and the devil
It's love against the enemy

Oh no, I'm not giving up now, Oh

Life's a fight of wrong and right that's tearing me apart
Oh but what the cross has done
Yeah the world will try to battle for my heart
But the war is already won

There's a snake that's hiding in the garden
There's a beautiful apple tree
There is trouble on the horizon
But I'm claiming victory

Oh no, I'm not giving in now, Oh
Life's a fight of wrong and right
That's tearing me apart
Oh but what the cross has done
Yeah the world will try to battle for my heart
But the war is already won

Won
Won
Mmmmm
Woooahhhhh
I'm not giving up now
Woooahhhhh
I'm not giving in

Life's a fight of wrong and right that's tearing me apart
Oh but what the cross has done
Yeah the world will try to battle for my heart
But the war is already won
Won
Won

I was reminded that although my heart longs for peace, this world is in a battle. But because of the cross the war is already won!!  I prayed for Katie again that she would keep fighting, that God would use that girl for His Kingdom and that she would know she was created not just for this world, but for another, that is far greater and to be enjoyed for so much longer.

 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Ephesians 6:12

“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

So grateful today, for a girl named Katie, for the picture she was to me of joy in suffering, (she didn't have any idea she was suffering). I am thankful for a Heavenly Father who listens to my questions and wonderings and shows me flashes of heaven here on earth!

“If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.”
― C.S. Lewis

It's a root thing!

One of the blessings of being a "city girl" married to a farmer, is that at 43 you can still be amazed at the things any farm kid figured out when they were 5.

For example, last week Kent commented as we were driving out of our driveway.

"Wow, see how green the corn looks? "

I wasn't entirely sure I saw a difference, but said, "Yeah?"  Just so I could hear what was behind the question.

"You can tell the roots have reached the fertilizer." replied the seasoned farmer.

I asked, "What do you mean, it reached the fertilizer?"

"When we plant the corn, the planter places fertilizer two inches under the seed, and when the seed grows and the roots hit the fertilizer, you notice a difference in the plant. It goes from a green/yellow color to a deep green." He explained. (I think he enjoys explaining these kinds of things to a "clueless one".

I found that particular piece of information fascinating. I mean, who thinks this stuff up? Whoever invented the machine that knows where to place the fertilizer to make the plants grow. Genius!!

As I have been pondering this new farm fact, I knew there was a spiritual application for me, there are  probably more than one. But this is the one that came to me today.

On Sunday, Trent shared with our church before his departure for Worldview Academy. www.worldview.org He shared from Psalm 139, and the portion that stood out to Trent is the one that I've thought about since Sunday.

   My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
     your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

So when I was "planted" God put the fertilizer within my reach, it would take me growing to reach it, but when I do, I shine forth the evidence of his work in my life. The evidence that, He knew all of my days before one of them came to  be.

I've also realized that the things that make my roots grow deep are quite often the things I am not ready to receive enthusiastically. They are sometimes things that look scary, ugly and uncertain, but then my roots hit the fertilizer. My roots hit the amazing presence of God that was always there, but there is a comfort and growth only He can give and it was there all the time. I just needed to stretch to enjoy this fellowship that came in a dark place.

Take mono for instance, I'm still learning things from that experience. I have no idea why that illness was my daily life for so long, but I don't spend much time thinking about that, because the fellowship that I found, when so much was removed, perhaps caused my roots to hit some new fertilizer. Amazing!!!

James reminded me of the mystery of trials and the outcome that is available to us.

James 1:2-4
 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,    because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.    Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

I think if perserverance were a color it would be green. Evidence that the roots are going deep and drinking in all that the Creator intended, so that in the end...nothing is lacking!!

God is so good that way, using my boy's departure and a baby stalk of corn to show me once again how BIG He is, how He has thought of everything!!

Springtime and Harvest!

Spring is one of the busy seasons at the farm. It’s a season of great expectation.

After the long winter, most farmers are itching to get to the land. We work up the soil and prepare it for the seeds.

Then we plant the seeds, and pray for a harvest.

It’s fun to be an observer to this annual event. The more farmers that live in my house the more the excitement grows.

Sometimes things happen that scare the farmer’s wife, an example of that would be the phone call this spring from Trent.

“Mom, has dad called you yet?”

In my head I’m thinking, no, but what happened. “No, why”

(Trent has now been introduced to the proper procedure for telling a mother about close calls. He starts the conversation with, “mom, I’m o.k., but…, )

Trent began telling me how he was driving an open air tractor, and he was pulling a dump cart that was too big for it. As he began descending a hill the dump cart began bouncing and it continued to bounce until it was right beside Trent’s tractor and they both thought going into the ditch was a better place for this new configuration.

It reminded me that my prayer life is essential as we face a season of farming. You never know. But that’s really true for any season.

As I reflect on spring and the expectation of it, I am reminded of my short life on this earth. In the scope of eternity even if we live to be 100, that’s not that long. I want to live a life of great expectation.  A life that shows purpose, faith and a hope that does not fade. This requires for me to walk by faith not by sight.

2 Corinthians 4

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal!

When Kent prepares a field for seeds, there is a time of waiting where our eye cannot detect anything going on. But there is!! It’s actually an amazing miracle, God has designed a seed to burst forth with new life, and that life comes forth from the moisture He has given or allows us to give, and the sunshine that He shines down. Every field is a miracle, a reminder of let go and watch God!

I don’t mean to minimize what the farmer does or his sons, but I know they are very aware that with all they can do and the technology that has improved their ability to farm the land, God determines our harvest.

It’s that way for us too, in this life sometimes a step God is asking us to take makes sense and sometimes it doesn’t. But when I can remember that all God wants is my obedience, “Kim, just drop in the seed.” I can leave the harvest to Him.

I cannot wait to see what God is going to do with the harvest this year on the farm. I cannot wait to laugh and perhaps cry through some of the trials and opportunities that may arise between now and then.  But beyond that, I am confident that my mind cannot even comprehend the incredible harvest that He has in mind as I pursue Him and seek to find joy in this journey He has laid before me.

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him.

1 Corinthians 2:9

Thanks once again God for being so BIG and surprising me with your infinite Greatness and Goodness.

No turning back, no turning back!!