I CALL YOU FRIEND

“I do not call you servants any longer, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you [My] friends, because I have revealed to you everything that I have heard from My Father.”John 15:15 (AMP)

In 1968, readers of the “Peanuts” comic strip saw something they thought they would never see.  Franklin Armstrong first appeared.  He was "born" after a school teacher, Harriet Glickman, wrote a letter to creator Charles Schulz, following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Glickman asked Schulz if he would consider adding a black character to his strip.

Glickman was especially aware of the power of comics among kids. “I realized black kids and white kids never saw themselves together in the classroom.” Schulz responded, saying he was intrigued with the idea.  The president of the distribution company believed that introducing a black child might affect Schulz' popularity and wanted him to change the cartoon. Schulz' response was, “Either you print it just the way I draw it, or I quit."

Glickman continued exchanging letters with Schulz, and he eventually asked her to check the July 31st newspaper. In his strip was a black child saying to Charlie Brown, “Is this your beach ball?” A white child responded “Hey! Yeah! Thank you very much!” 

In a subsequent strip, this black child meets Linus and the exchange is: “Hi, I’m Franklin.” Linus says, “I’m very glad to know you.” There was no big deal. It was just a natural conversation between children.

A friendship with Jesus, who calls us friends, is as simple as saying, "I am very glad to know you."

Lord help me embrace the simplicity of friendship with You.

© 2019 Lucy Evelyn

GOD'S FRIEND

. . . This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem. Song of Solomon 5:16 (RSV)

My dad died of cancer at 46. I was 23 at the time. I had just started a new job at a Westinghouse Plant and I knew very few people. At that time, Westinghouse gave a physical when hiring, and by the end of the morning, I had made friends with the nurse, Mary Ann. (I guess anyone who sees you in your underwear becomes your friend.)

During the three day viewing, lots of people came to pay their respects. Dad was the baby of eight and I never saw his many older siblings or their families. Many came from the factory where Dad worked. Folks well meaning greetings and condolences were graciously received. Many were Mom's sisters. They all gathered around Mom, offering words of comfort. Then they came to me saying, "Take care of your mother. She needs you." Mom was in dire need of comfort. 

By the end of the three days, my brother Dick and I, were numb. 

Then, late afternoon, more men arrived from Dad's work. They entered, all dressed in grubby work clothes. In their midst came Mary Ann in her white nursing uniform. She shined like a star, brightening my gloomy day. She asked, "How I was doing? Do you need anything? She came for me!

I thank God for sending her. She came to fill a need in me only God could see. Although her visit was brief, the blessing was everlasting. Fifty years later I still remember her act of kindness. It encouraged me to be there for others.

Thank You Jesus, I pray to be Your useable friend and brighten someone's day. Amen

Ⓒ 2019 Lois Gosley

I DON'T WANT TO

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11: 28-29 (NKJV)

God and I have been struggling lately. It’s me, not God. Nevertheless, the distance between us is great. I don’t want to pray, I don’t want to read my Bible, I don’t even want to go to church. What’s worse . . . I find myself increasingly angry with my fellow Christians. I question whether their living and loving mirrors Christ. Unfortunately, this frustration currently serves as the justification for my distance from God.

That is my complaint; now here’s my truth.

Being a Christian is not always easy. Having a heart for the hurting, the poor, the disenfranchised, and the lost is laborious. Seeking to build God’s kingdom on earth is hard. In all of my efforts to display Christ, do good, and be present for others, I have become burdened and heavy laden. In response to my burnout, I have distanced myself from the One who wants to restore me. That is not how Christ wants us to face our weariness.

The call of Christ is for all of us who are tired and weary to come unto Him. He wants to give us rest. Historically, a yoke was shared by a pair of oxen. The load was not designed to be carried by a single ox alone. Christ wants to share the weight of our daily struggles with us too, if only we will let Him.

Lord, when I am tired, carry the load with me. I don’t want to carry it alone. Amen.

© 2019 Dawn M. Wayman

LOCUSTS AND PROMISES

The threshing floors shall be full of wheat; and the vats will overflow with new wine and oil. So I will restore to you the years the swarming locusts has eaten . . .  Joel 2:24-25(NKJV)

Locusts didn’t destroy my citrus trees. It was neglect, and that made the loss so much harder to bear. I grew the trees from seeds and lovingly nurtured them in pots for almost two decades. They were my tree babies. One of my lemon trees now resides in the Rawlings Conservatory Botanical Gardens after it grew too large to move outside for summer—even parting with that one was bittersweet.

Unfortunately, a sudden onset of arthritis affected my knee so badly it was difficult and painful to climb the stairs where my trees winter. I couldn’t water and care for them properly.

Sadly, one afternoon I found two of them severely dried out and withered. Experience had taught me they usually cannot recover at that point. Not willing to give up, I took them outside to soak in rainwater.

Weeks passed with nothing, and then one began to show a tiny bit of life. The other appeared dead. With nothing to lose, I pruned it back severely. Several more weeks passed. Finally, the tiniest promise of green! Each day more and more baby leaves popped out and grew.

What appeared devastation, was now restoration.

I am reminded of God’s promises. No one is too far gone for God to redeem and restore. As in the Book of Joel, God allowed the locusts to destroy the Israelites’ crops, driving them to their knees in repentance. There, He met them with restoration and blessings.

Thank You Lord, no matter how hopeless our situation appears, when we repent, You will restore. Amen.

©2019 Bonnie Mae Evans

PRAYER CHANGES THINGS

 pray one for another, that ye may be healed. James 5:16a (KJV).

My sister called and said she had been ill all night. She sounded very weak, In thirty minutes we were on our way to the Emergency Room. After checking in, we sat, waiting to be called. That was the operative word—WAIT.

I sat beside my sister and prayed she would be called soon. We had been waiting eight hours,and there were many people ahead of us.

A woman nearby seemed in distress. I felt the Holy Spirit say, "go talk to her," so I approached. She embraced my hand and told me she was pregnant and bleeding. She was afraid she was losing her baby.

"Would you like me to pray for you and your baby?"

She answered,"Yes. I am a Christian."

My heart leapt for joy Standing closer,I quietly said a bold prayer of hope, healing and love. The worry on her face vanished. Her hands warmed as I hugged and assured her of God's love and concern for her and her family. She thanked me. Fifteen minutes later her name was called. She hurried to me and said, "It's because of your prayer that I was called."

This same scenario repeated itself twice more in the seventeen hours we waited. I was not so tired now, filled with the warmth and fire of God"s Holy Spirit.

My sister was finally called. The Doctor stayed with her for five minutes and hung another bottle of glucose.When it was completed, the doctor released her.

Perhaps God had another purpose for my trip to the Emergency Room. Hmm?

Father, help me be boldly outspoken when praying for others.


© 2019 Evelyn B. Ryan

NEGATIVE INVENTORY

Who comforted us in our tribulation that we may be able to comfort them which are in trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. II Corinthians 1:4 (KJV)

Sharing with my friend, Helen, about a very enlightening meeting I had attended the previous evening, I told her about being locked into negative inventories.  We live with challenging people and spend too much time listing all their negative attributes. I continued with “I tried to list all of Harry’s good qualities, but couldn’t come up with one!" The more I talked, the more depressed I felt. 

I had prayed for him to change, but when you pray for people to change, who does God change? Whose attention does He have? Harry wasn’t praying to change. So, feeling hopeless, I withdrew.

Helen looked at me like I was from another planet. Feeling I'd talked too much, I ceased my negative inventory, and became quiet.

The next day, Helen approached me, “You really helped me yesterday with your negative inventory information. I had been ‘locked in’ to making negative inventories of Glenn over dumb things, like he didn’t know how to set the table. He retired and was home all the time. He should have noticed how I set the table all these years. Mealtime as now a challenge! I had married him for life, but not for lunch. Recalling what you said about inventory, I changed my negative to positive inventory and I came up with a list of good qualities, and realized what a good man he is. I happily taught him how to set the table. Thank you for sharing with me your most personal information. 

Thank you Lord, that no matter what happens to us, nothing goes to waste.

(C)  2019 Lois Gosley 

HE TAKES CARE OF HIS FLOCK

I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep and my sheep know me. John 10:14 (NIV)

Driving home after Sunday morning church service, my husband and I were singing some of the sweet hymns that had captured our hearts that morning. As usual, Route 95 was busy with local and interstate traffic.

Suddenly, we were thrown forward in our seats. Thank God for seat belts!

My husband drove carefully and slowly to the shoulder of the road to gather our thoughts and examine the damage.

The other car followed and pulled up behind us. As the driver exited his car, he walked towards us repeating, "Are you all right?"

My husband answered, "We're not hurt. What happened?"

"Evidently I hit the back of your car. Let's look at the damage," he suggested.

After examining the bumper and back of the car, my husband said, "I don't see any damage at all. Let's look at your car."

"Praise God," the gentleman said when he looked at his front bumper. "There is no damage here either."

We introduced ourselves and we all smiled because we recognized this man to be the minister of a church near our home.

The reverent explained, "I was returning from New York where I officiated at the funeral of my best friend. I suppose I did not sleep well last night. I am glad no one was hurt and I apologize for causing you any inconvenience."

We prayed together by the side of the road, then went on our way in peace.

Dear Lord, such an occurrence seems more than accident to me. Your hand was on Your flock that day.Thank you, Lord. Amen

© 2019 Christy Struben