Lately on the news we've heard a lot about the unmarried, poor woman who had octuplets through invitro-fertilization. Lots of people have been casting their judgments on her throughout the media and talk-shows. It amazes me how many people can so quickly judge her for her choices, and talk about regulating her bad choices after-the-fact. Yes, what she did was not done in wisdom, but it is more a sign of the times showing what regulations need to happen with the "implant" industry, not individuals. In fact, she acted within the law, and the law actually permits her to raise all her many fatherless children under the impartial umbrella of the welfare system. People express their outrage at it, but it is part of the American freedom to make stupid legal choices.
Our taxes will pay for her to raise her kids, just like they pay for so many other smaller single parent families who are poor. She will be able to pay the hospital bills with Medicaid help, and the hospital will have to show no impartial bias against her just because her bill was so much more than most. Also, we have to remember that this is a democracy that we live in. Unfortunately, our government can't force wisdom on people, and in this event, everyone will have to live with the consequences that come from all the choices they have made: From passing welfare laws, that have to cover every case and not discriminate, to the this woman's choices to get impregnated by an industry that has no standards.
I am glad to know that she loves kids and wanted a big family. But the kids will miss not having a father, and their lives will forever be affected by it. But this comes down to parents' rights. She is the parent and she can raise her family the way she wants to because we live in a free country. It is upsetting to hear people condemn and write her off so quickly. Our country wants the freedom to sin and live with impunity and anonymity, but having so many kids - well, that's where they draw the line. Maybe before they cast that stone, a long hard look at some personal short-comings should happen.
People like to cast judgments. It makes them feel better about who they are.....hmmm....kind of like how bullies pick on the weak to show how powerful they are - and righteous. All are dust and have nothing to be proud of, but we do have a lot to thankful for. He who has been forgiven much, loves much. When we realize the awful truth that none of us deserves God's love or His forgiveness, but that it is given out of love, then we all should condemn others less and show more of the same kind of love and forgiveness that God has shown us.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
Day of the Ghost
I would like to share what today retrospectively looks like from my corner of the woods.
It started off like any other work day, except that I had a plan to take the van into the shop, and that one event kept popping up in my thoughts. But when I got to work, a strange day quickly began to unfold. The first person I saw, a woman named Teri who was spraying castings with glow-in-the-dark solution, looked at me with surprise and said, "Are you still here? Well, I'm glad, but I heard that you got laid off." Well, this was news to me, but the way things sometimes go at my work is that I find out more from the hourly folks than I do in my own group.
Five minutes later it happened again. A guy saw me in the hall and whispered over my shoulder, "I heard you got the axe today!" I assured him that I was there until I wasn't, but I was beginning to doubt. Well, then I went into the wax department, and about four people asked me if I was still there. "I'm still here," I said. People kept looking at me like they'd seen a ghost. Two people even said they thought they were seeing a ghost or the walking dead.
If there were ghosts that walked the earth, I think I can relate to them better now, because I got a lot of weird glances and stares - even shocked expressions! In all, about twenty people either told me they heard I was canned or they called my desk to see if I would answer, and to their shock, I did answer.
My boss told me I was mentioned in a meeting along with many others for the people that got laid off last Friday, but that for now I was not to worry. "Tell them they can't believe everything they hear, " he said.
It is evident that I did still have a job at the end of the day, and so did Stephanie - a woman that everybody thought had quit to take an insurance selling job. The "rumor mill" can be a very powerful thing. I later thought about it and decided that if anyone else tells me they heard I got canned, then I will just tell them that if they don't want me to be, then they should tell their supervisors what a good job they think I'm doing.
It was a sobering and ominous experience. But I wasn't really afraid of being let go. Some people really did look at me as though they had seen a ghost. Well, I figure God is in control of the situation more than what anyone else decides. It had that feeling like I found out the day I was going to die, or that I had a week to live, or something like that. I guess to wherever someone works they like to think they can't be replaced - that no one could ever do their job. But the truth is we are all expendable. Someone else could do our job, even the boss, and do it well. I'll just keep on trusting God that he'll be in control no matter what happens. Regardless of the job I do, I work for God alone. I merely express my work to my employer. God has a much higher standard than any boss I've ever known. Yet He is the perfect boss. We just can't let work be our identity. It's not who we are. It's just part of what we do.
I wonder what tomorrow will be like. I'm already praising God that the van won't need nearly as much work as I thought it would. I've been praying about it for about a week. Praise God for being trustworthy!
It started off like any other work day, except that I had a plan to take the van into the shop, and that one event kept popping up in my thoughts. But when I got to work, a strange day quickly began to unfold. The first person I saw, a woman named Teri who was spraying castings with glow-in-the-dark solution, looked at me with surprise and said, "Are you still here? Well, I'm glad, but I heard that you got laid off." Well, this was news to me, but the way things sometimes go at my work is that I find out more from the hourly folks than I do in my own group.
Five minutes later it happened again. A guy saw me in the hall and whispered over my shoulder, "I heard you got the axe today!" I assured him that I was there until I wasn't, but I was beginning to doubt. Well, then I went into the wax department, and about four people asked me if I was still there. "I'm still here," I said. People kept looking at me like they'd seen a ghost. Two people even said they thought they were seeing a ghost or the walking dead.
If there were ghosts that walked the earth, I think I can relate to them better now, because I got a lot of weird glances and stares - even shocked expressions! In all, about twenty people either told me they heard I was canned or they called my desk to see if I would answer, and to their shock, I did answer.
My boss told me I was mentioned in a meeting along with many others for the people that got laid off last Friday, but that for now I was not to worry. "Tell them they can't believe everything they hear, " he said.
It is evident that I did still have a job at the end of the day, and so did Stephanie - a woman that everybody thought had quit to take an insurance selling job. The "rumor mill" can be a very powerful thing. I later thought about it and decided that if anyone else tells me they heard I got canned, then I will just tell them that if they don't want me to be, then they should tell their supervisors what a good job they think I'm doing.
It was a sobering and ominous experience. But I wasn't really afraid of being let go. Some people really did look at me as though they had seen a ghost. Well, I figure God is in control of the situation more than what anyone else decides. It had that feeling like I found out the day I was going to die, or that I had a week to live, or something like that. I guess to wherever someone works they like to think they can't be replaced - that no one could ever do their job. But the truth is we are all expendable. Someone else could do our job, even the boss, and do it well. I'll just keep on trusting God that he'll be in control no matter what happens. Regardless of the job I do, I work for God alone. I merely express my work to my employer. God has a much higher standard than any boss I've ever known. Yet He is the perfect boss. We just can't let work be our identity. It's not who we are. It's just part of what we do.
I wonder what tomorrow will be like. I'm already praising God that the van won't need nearly as much work as I thought it would. I've been praying about it for about a week. Praise God for being trustworthy!
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Poem: Remembering
Johnie Levell's Blog
Poem: Remembering
2/15/2009
Here I share a poem that I wrote quite a while ago, but it seems like yesterday. I found myself struggling with my past, trying to sort out all the joys and pains that have had a hand in shaping who I am, or at least who I was at the time. I do believe I have changed quite a bit since I wrote this, but I revisit the poem as one going back to an old childhood house.
Remembering by Johnie W. Levell on September 3, 2003
Deep within the hollow halls,
Deep within the catacombs,
Descend I the steps of my ancient thoughts,
The remembrances that haunt me.
They drip with tears of joy and pain,
And form puddles that I know
By name and place, time and face -
The remembrances that haunt me.
Were I chained to these walls,
My affections would stay where
Earth cushioned my weary feet,
And nature was my friend - in life...in rest.
But with my freedom I have claimed
To make myself a slave,
A lonely nomad who makes his home
In the remembrances that haunt me.
Can a man escape his past,
Or a woman her regrets?
Deep within each heart of us
Are lifeless chambers of remembrance.
Filled with halls and secret rooms -
Some so painful, I keep them locked,
Yet I am the ghost leaning on the door
Of the remembrances that haunt me.
Not afraid of an apparition am I,
Nor would it have fear of me.
Those who haunt are truly haunted
By remembering.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Incredible Providence
In the second book of Kings is the story of Naaman the Syrian commander who had leprosy and went to Elisha to be healed. But in the story there is mentioned a person that you might think had very hard luck. You might even say that what happened to her was just unfair!
During a Syrian raid into Israel a young girl was captured and made a slave. What an awful fate! She ended up being the servant of Naaman's wife. The circumstances that she found herself in would probably make some people, even Christians, question God's sovereignty. But this little slave girl is mentioned in the Bible because she told Naaman's wife that Elisha could heal Naaman. She didn't wish ill on her captors. She never lost faith in God. She is a really great example of how we can make the best of a bad situation, and to remember that there really isn't any chance or luck to what happens to us. God is in control. Even in where you are right now, and what you're going through, God is working out His will in your life. Look for Him past the pain, past the struggles, and past the "pity party".
Remember He is faithful to complete the good work He began in you, not forgetting that He created all the good works He has for your assignment here on earth. The Bible says in Ephesians 2:10 that "God prepared beforehand" the good works created for us in Jesus, "that we should walk in them." It is more LIVING in good works than DOING good works. They aren't ingenious ideas we come up with from our own imaginations. God has pre-prepared all that He wants us to live like. It's a continual way of life, not just a mission trip once a year, although that can be good.
How will we walk in good works today? How will our lives reflect His love and sacrifice? These are uncertain times we are living in, but that doesn't change God's care for us, even though, like with the slave girl, it may look like abandonment. He was still her God even after she was captured and enslaved. Could God say of us that we have the same faith in our circumstances as this girl did? It doesn't take money or power to walk in and live in a good works way.
Think pure thoughts and focus on the Way, Jesus, and you will find yourself living a life that you never thought was there. The joy in life that you seek is 100% there in the step by step following of Christ.
Your tough time has a choice, so what will you choose?
During a Syrian raid into Israel a young girl was captured and made a slave. What an awful fate! She ended up being the servant of Naaman's wife. The circumstances that she found herself in would probably make some people, even Christians, question God's sovereignty. But this little slave girl is mentioned in the Bible because she told Naaman's wife that Elisha could heal Naaman. She didn't wish ill on her captors. She never lost faith in God. She is a really great example of how we can make the best of a bad situation, and to remember that there really isn't any chance or luck to what happens to us. God is in control. Even in where you are right now, and what you're going through, God is working out His will in your life. Look for Him past the pain, past the struggles, and past the "pity party".
Remember He is faithful to complete the good work He began in you, not forgetting that He created all the good works He has for your assignment here on earth. The Bible says in Ephesians 2:10 that "God prepared beforehand" the good works created for us in Jesus, "that we should walk in them." It is more LIVING in good works than DOING good works. They aren't ingenious ideas we come up with from our own imaginations. God has pre-prepared all that He wants us to live like. It's a continual way of life, not just a mission trip once a year, although that can be good.
How will we walk in good works today? How will our lives reflect His love and sacrifice? These are uncertain times we are living in, but that doesn't change God's care for us, even though, like with the slave girl, it may look like abandonment. He was still her God even after she was captured and enslaved. Could God say of us that we have the same faith in our circumstances as this girl did? It doesn't take money or power to walk in and live in a good works way.
Think pure thoughts and focus on the Way, Jesus, and you will find yourself living a life that you never thought was there. The joy in life that you seek is 100% there in the step by step following of Christ.
Your tough time has a choice, so what will you choose?
Thursday, February 12, 2009
You Can't Forget Giving
I finished reading A Little Princess to the kids tonight. There is so much good about this book, I almost couldn't read because I was getting choked up. Something that I thought of was that the gifts that are given from your "needs", the things that are not just extras - well, those are the things that you remember most, both on the giving and receiving ends. When you give out of love, thinking more about others than yourself, it changes you.
Jesus said to lay up our treasures in heaven instead of on earth. I think that part of that treasure is the way that we are changed by how we let God use us and work through us. That is part of a purification process that is making us more of the citizen of heaven that we rightly are. The change is as much part of laying up treasure in heaven as whatever else God will surprise us with when we get there. Giving inspires more giving. It makes life more lovely to us in a way because of how it changes us! It is a mysterious process of God that turns us from the selfish slaves of sin that we were, into a beautiful shining creature that we never thought we could be. Does the caterpillar know he will get wings? How many times do we get myopic in our faith and can't rightly imagine a better transformation that God do in us?
I have lately found myself finding that though I thought I trusted God, that when I had to do it, I wasn't trusting Him nearly like I thought I did. I have told God my worries many times lately, and He keeps telling me the same thing - "Trust Me." I wonder sometimes why I write this blog. Do the things I write have an impact? Do I connect with anyone? Well, if anything, I guess you could look at it like a therapy session for me that you are free to read. I am glad to put my thoughts down. I figure that there are others that can benefit from it, too. I hope you do.
Jesus said to lay up our treasures in heaven instead of on earth. I think that part of that treasure is the way that we are changed by how we let God use us and work through us. That is part of a purification process that is making us more of the citizen of heaven that we rightly are. The change is as much part of laying up treasure in heaven as whatever else God will surprise us with when we get there. Giving inspires more giving. It makes life more lovely to us in a way because of how it changes us! It is a mysterious process of God that turns us from the selfish slaves of sin that we were, into a beautiful shining creature that we never thought we could be. Does the caterpillar know he will get wings? How many times do we get myopic in our faith and can't rightly imagine a better transformation that God do in us?
I have lately found myself finding that though I thought I trusted God, that when I had to do it, I wasn't trusting Him nearly like I thought I did. I have told God my worries many times lately, and He keeps telling me the same thing - "Trust Me." I wonder sometimes why I write this blog. Do the things I write have an impact? Do I connect with anyone? Well, if anything, I guess you could look at it like a therapy session for me that you are free to read. I am glad to put my thoughts down. I figure that there are others that can benefit from it, too. I hope you do.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Loving One of the Populace
In the story A Little Princess, young Sara Crewe was one day wrongfully scolded and had her meals kept from her and made to go run many errands through the wet, cold, muddy streets of London with the poorest of clothes and shoes. Her mind was fixed on her hunger, but she was trying not to let it. Then she saw in the gutter a four pence, and right across the street a baker's shop. She was almost up the stairs and through the door when she saw a little girl standing out in the rain unprotected and more poorly clothed than she. She asked her if she was hungry, and the little girl told her she didn't remember when she last ate, it had been so long. "This is one of the populace," she said to herself. Sara went into the bakers, and asked the tending woman if she had lost a four pence, and she said no, but the woman could see the hunger in her eyes. She had a little pity on Sara, and gave her two extra rolls besides the four Sara bought. But to her amazement, she saw Sara go out and give five of the rolls to the little girl outside the door. She knew Sara was hungry. Why would she give almost all her food away?
The woman felt convicted by Sara's charity and sacrifice, and seeing how much she had to offer, she then called the little girl into the shop and told her that whenever she was hungry to come to her for food and a sat her by the warm fire.
Their is something very powerful about love, especially when the sacrifice that goes with it is a difficult or painful sacrifice. When one complains the least bit while showing compassion, it takes away from the deed because that person kept part of it for himself in voicing his complaint. When we give without any chance of repayment or even acknowledgement, it means so much more. It blesses not only the receiver, but also the giver, and fills one with more joy than one would ever expect.
Jesus said to not seek recognition or reward when blessing others or doing good, because you will forfeit your eternal reward for the pat on the back of the moment. I think that part of the eternal reward is also how it changes you to give in a way that you get no credit. It is purifying to show kindness without expecting or wanting something in return. It is like a servant who goes and gives a basket of food to a family, and the proud father says they don't need it, but the servant says that they must take it for the master said to give it to them and them only, so they take it because it was intended for them by some unknown important figure. God is our Master and He has called us to share and to give as He leads us.
If you have been bought out of sin by the sacrifice of Christ, then you are a royal child of the Living and eternal Creator God. You are royalty! We must remember that God does not call the lost to live as good of lives as they can so that He might find favor with them. No! He can only commission those whom He owns to do His work, and the lost are His work. He is a mystery to the lost world - a God who would sacrifice His own Son for people who hate Him - a God who does truly love them and is not out to get them - a God who wants to adopt them and give them favor they could never earn! They do not understand a God like that, but He draws them to Himself when His own children show that kind of love, even to those who hate them.
The lost are the populace - blind led by the blind and sheep with no shepherd. Have pity on them, and do not be afraid of sacrifice. The time is coming when our money will be worth nothing and our possessions worthless. Do not trust your wealth or the promise of it. Trust God who can make a dollar have the purchase power of a thousand and who can provide for all your needs.
The woman felt convicted by Sara's charity and sacrifice, and seeing how much she had to offer, she then called the little girl into the shop and told her that whenever she was hungry to come to her for food and a sat her by the warm fire.
Their is something very powerful about love, especially when the sacrifice that goes with it is a difficult or painful sacrifice. When one complains the least bit while showing compassion, it takes away from the deed because that person kept part of it for himself in voicing his complaint. When we give without any chance of repayment or even acknowledgement, it means so much more. It blesses not only the receiver, but also the giver, and fills one with more joy than one would ever expect.
Jesus said to not seek recognition or reward when blessing others or doing good, because you will forfeit your eternal reward for the pat on the back of the moment. I think that part of the eternal reward is also how it changes you to give in a way that you get no credit. It is purifying to show kindness without expecting or wanting something in return. It is like a servant who goes and gives a basket of food to a family, and the proud father says they don't need it, but the servant says that they must take it for the master said to give it to them and them only, so they take it because it was intended for them by some unknown important figure. God is our Master and He has called us to share and to give as He leads us.
If you have been bought out of sin by the sacrifice of Christ, then you are a royal child of the Living and eternal Creator God. You are royalty! We must remember that God does not call the lost to live as good of lives as they can so that He might find favor with them. No! He can only commission those whom He owns to do His work, and the lost are His work. He is a mystery to the lost world - a God who would sacrifice His own Son for people who hate Him - a God who does truly love them and is not out to get them - a God who wants to adopt them and give them favor they could never earn! They do not understand a God like that, but He draws them to Himself when His own children show that kind of love, even to those who hate them.
The lost are the populace - blind led by the blind and sheep with no shepherd. Have pity on them, and do not be afraid of sacrifice. The time is coming when our money will be worth nothing and our possessions worthless. Do not trust your wealth or the promise of it. Trust God who can make a dollar have the purchase power of a thousand and who can provide for all your needs.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Trusting God
There has been a lot of uncertainty in the world lately with people losing their retirements, their jobs, and their confidence in what they thought was security. The fact is, God says "Trust Me, no matter what." I never knew how little I trusted Him until I felt like I had to do it. I thought I trusted Him and my confidence was in Him, but that was when times were good. Now that times are hard I see that I am not where I thought I was in trusting God.
What if my work cuts back again, and I'm one of the ones to go? I can't let my work define who I am. In the end, I am confident that I will never say the words, "oh, if only I had worked harder...." I know that I am called to do my work, whatever it is, as to God, not to men. He is my boss, not the general manager of our factory. So I will continue to give my best and do my best where I am. And if I lose my job, I have to trust God because He knows where He wants me and He will lead me there. I truly have a peace about whatever happens, even if it might be painful. But to do something that God calls you away from is more painful.
Natalie Grant wrote a song called Our Hope Endures. In it she says the following:
"Sometimes the sun stays hidden for years
Sometimes the sky rains night after night
When will it clear
But our hope endures the worst of conditions
It's more than our optimism
Let the earth quake
Our hope is unchanged."
If you're there then ask Him for the strength to just stop worrying and trust Him. He is faithful and He loves you very, very much.
--Johnie
What if my work cuts back again, and I'm one of the ones to go? I can't let my work define who I am. In the end, I am confident that I will never say the words, "oh, if only I had worked harder...." I know that I am called to do my work, whatever it is, as to God, not to men. He is my boss, not the general manager of our factory. So I will continue to give my best and do my best where I am. And if I lose my job, I have to trust God because He knows where He wants me and He will lead me there. I truly have a peace about whatever happens, even if it might be painful. But to do something that God calls you away from is more painful.
Natalie Grant wrote a song called Our Hope Endures. In it she says the following:
"Sometimes the sun stays hidden for years
Sometimes the sky rains night after night
When will it clear
But our hope endures the worst of conditions
It's more than our optimism
Let the earth quake
Our hope is unchanged."
If you're there then ask Him for the strength to just stop worrying and trust Him. He is faithful and He loves you very, very much.
--Johnie
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Sin, Stubble, and Motives
A thought hit me this morning during the sermon. Not only do I want to stay pure from sin, but I want to stay clear of stubble. How many times have I wasted a day on stupid stuff like reading the news on Yahoo's front page, or just trying to find something to entertain me because I'm bored. I'll take out a blank sheet of paper and just doodle. Most of those drawings are day dreams of buildings or house designs, but I can honestly say as I think about them that they are a result of me not having a plan. I can't say that I was doing those things for the Lord. I can think of a lot of Saturday mornings or holidays where I just vegged out.
I know that it's fine to just rest. I just want to have a plan for my time. I guess what I'm trying to say is that there are some pretty worthless things we can spend our time on that will burn up in the end. The Bible talks about it as stubble, the worthless grass stalks left over after the harvest. It's not necessarily sin, but it can be. To him who knows to do good, and doesn't do it, to him is it sin.
But I also know that it has to do with my motives. If I do a bunch of good stuff just to look good, and not because I'm serving God, then it too is worthless. Your motives can also be good, and you are seek to please God before all else, and then it may seem like nothing really happens or gets done. Well, I believe that if in your heart you are fellowshipping with God, that nothing else matters. A young child may not really be able to help you with the laundry, but if they offer to help then you adore their efforts and their heart attitude to help, even if they only take a couple of socks out of the basket. It's the same way with God. He judges our motives for what we do, not necessarily the quality of our work. When we spend our down time focusing on God and praying, it is more valuable than if we just watch TV or try to find something to entertain us.
--Johnie
I know that it's fine to just rest. I just want to have a plan for my time. I guess what I'm trying to say is that there are some pretty worthless things we can spend our time on that will burn up in the end. The Bible talks about it as stubble, the worthless grass stalks left over after the harvest. It's not necessarily sin, but it can be. To him who knows to do good, and doesn't do it, to him is it sin.
But I also know that it has to do with my motives. If I do a bunch of good stuff just to look good, and not because I'm serving God, then it too is worthless. Your motives can also be good, and you are seek to please God before all else, and then it may seem like nothing really happens or gets done. Well, I believe that if in your heart you are fellowshipping with God, that nothing else matters. A young child may not really be able to help you with the laundry, but if they offer to help then you adore their efforts and their heart attitude to help, even if they only take a couple of socks out of the basket. It's the same way with God. He judges our motives for what we do, not necessarily the quality of our work. When we spend our down time focusing on God and praying, it is more valuable than if we just watch TV or try to find something to entertain us.
--Johnie
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)