Diane Mickler's Blog

These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life; homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like the smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit-but nothing moved that house. It was fixed on rock. But if you just use my words in Bible Studies and don’t work them into your life, then you are like the stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards. Matthew 7:24-27 The Message

My parents owned a condominium in Panama City for 43 years. It is one of the first condos built on Thomas Drive, and it has weathered many storms during its tenure. The last hurricane of our ownership, Michael, came through several years ago and destroyed much of the surrounding beach areas. We were sweating the damage report which would come after the storm because electricity and phone lines were down and thus there was no communication.

As the first pictures emerged, we were amazed to see the Regency still standing with little damage. Ironically, most of the damage was contributed to the sand that blew in and accumulated. I was intrigued and began to ask around about the strong structure of that building. It seems that when it was built, the foundation, although on sand to begin with, was built down one half as far as the building was tall until it rested on rock. This foundation has kept it intact all these years.

Just like that building, the foundation of our life is what keeps us grounded. If we build our spiritual life on sand, it will eventually shift and we can lose the footing we need to deal with every day life and problems.

Storms on the ocean, just like storms in life, come fiercely and quickly. They crash the waves against the shore, wash through buildings and cars, shake boats loose from their moorings, uproot trees, and leave destruction behind on the shore. However, by the next morning or so, the ocean will return to normal, the sun will shine, and the winds will be calm. No one but God can explain it!

Life is full of the same kind of storms. Things happen in life which no mortal can explain. None of us can explain COVID-19 totally, just like none of us can explain the root cause of cancer, divorce, depression, alcoholism, drug abuse, child abuse, and so many other things. We like to try and find answers and justify storms, but only God knows why. The thing is, He doesn’t have to ask us for our opinion on it, or how we would solve the problems of life and nature. He is working, and only He knows the end result.

Just like a storm, if we dwell on the debris left behind, we can begin to feel anger and frustration which grows stronger than the storm itself. Driftwood is one of my favorite things to find on the beach after a storm. We usually find it all knotted and gnarled by storms and the journey it has made to reach the shore, but this only adds to its beauty for me. No two pieces will ever be the same because no two pieces have been through the same experience.

Each of us have journeyed through different storms in our life, and no two of us will emerge from them alike. The storms we have endured only add to our strength and beauty. Lives that are built on the sand are shallow at best, but if our lives are built on the rock then we only have to trust Him to see us through.

Why do people think storms will never come and build their houses on sand? No one knows. It is plain to me, that all we need to do is just dig a little deeper, go down until we hit the rock, then just like the storms, life can emerge slowly from the darkness and destruction to become more beautiful and stronger!

My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus’ name. On Christ the solid rock I stand; All other ground is sinking sand, All other ground is sinking sand. Edward Mote

Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Mark 2:3-4

Every time I read the scripture above, I think of how determined these men were to bring their friend to Jesus for healing. These men exemplified tenacity by finding a unique way to approach Jesus.

Tenacity is defined as the quality of being very determined or persistent. Tenacity calls up a picture of holding onto someone or something for dear life. Its a picture of holding on with all one’s strength against overwhelming odds. It makes me think of a God that holds his children tenaciously and in return, his children hold onto Him just as tenaciously.

Tenacity is about so much more than not giving up on a goal. It’s about pushing through barriers of self doubt and having the willingness to persist against all odds. It reminds me of The Little Engine that Could.

In order to demonstrate tenacity, we should start with an attainable goal, something that requires a new skill, something just out of our reach. We make that goal , then go on to add more and more difficult goals.

The most difficult thing is the decision to act. The rest is merely tenacity. We had a situation this summer on our family vacation that is an example of tenacity to me. After eating dinner at a restaurant, we were all boarding Lee’s boat for the ride home. The boat, which had been on a journey of its own, was wet all over. (That’s another story.) As Randy stepped down into the boat from the dock, his foot slipped, and he landed sitting straight up on the bottom of the boat. Now, to appreciate the horror of this moment, one must know that Randy has had two knees and two hips replaced, one hip just two months before.

The family group grew deafeningly quiet as we looked on in surprise, horror, and a little disbelief at him sitting on the floor wedged in between a seat and the side of the boat. We were all thinking the same thing, as we stood in anticipation of calling 911, “How can we get this man up?” Suddenly, before we had time to react, Randy was standing up! It seems that our grandson, Drew, had taken charge. He put his two hands underneath Randy, and he lifted that 240 pound man to his feet!

Drew made the decision to act as the rest of us stood not knowing what to do! His goal was evidently attainable for him, but probably a little higher goal than he would have anticipated!! That’s tenacity!! Amelia Earhart said, “We are capable of so much more than we realize.”

Randy’s perspective said it all, “I was mentally checking off each new joint to make sure it wasn’t damaged when suddenly, two strong arms came underneath me and pulled me up.” Just like those friends who were tenacious about getting their friend to Jesus for healing, God is like two strong arms who are underneath to support and care.

In this day and time, we all need to cultivate a quality of tenacity! We are all capable of doing so much more than we believe to be possible, and if we act instead of waiting in an situation or during a momentous problem, we find ourselves developing tenacity, two strong arms, and a will to help others.

Three young boys were asked to give a definition of faith that illustrates the important aspect of tenacity. The first boy defined faith as “taking hold of Christ,” the second as “keeping our hold on Him” and the third as “never letting go of Him”. That’s tenacity!

He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal, took him to an inn and took care of him. Luke 10:34

In medical circles, the word triage is defined as the assignment of degrees of urgency to wounds or illnesses to decide the order of treatment of a large number of patients or casualties. The triage consists of three degrees of cases; emergent, urgent, and non urgent. When a person arrives in the emergency room, the first step is assessment by a triage nurse. The nurse them evaluates the condition and determines the patient’s priority for admission to the emergency department and for treatment.

I began to picture God as the triage nurse in our lives. He sees each of us and assesses our state of need, then He admits us to His love and care and helps us through it. His triage is a place to stop the bleeding in life. No matter the severity of the need, He is like a doctor in a triage unit fighting to save us and never giving up.

Just like the Good Samaritan in the scripture above, we are all called to provide a triage for those among us who are hurting, not only physically but spiritually. It’s easy to pass on being the Good Samarian or the one to bind up wounds and care for others, but it’s something that’s required of us as Christians.

There are different kinds of wounds going on all around us in this strange new world. There is the wound of loneliness, the wound of isolation, the wound of enabling, the wound of depression, the wound of abuse, the wound of a debilitating disease, even the wound of an unforgiven past.

We might ask, “What can we do for these wounded? We are all wounded in some way ourselves.” That’s exactly the point. Because we are all wounded, we can offer the gift of understanding.

Luckily for me, I have only been in the ER a few times in my life and each time turned out to be a minor event. However, there are people every day in a triage with doctors and nurses tirelessly trying to save them. These people are the heroes of this day and time – the Good Samaritans.

My nephew is a resident at UAB, and he recently wrote something that moved me because it gave an inside look at what medical personnel face daily. It also shows the power of the Good Samaritan in us all.

“I experienced something new for me recently. I’ve been in medicine for eight years now. I’ve seen many patients die. I’ve seen many doctors, including myself, orchestrate the preceding events in the room surrounding a patient’s death. This is the first time I’ve seen a physician in that role ask the room of disheveled and exhausted people who just spent the last hour trying to prolong a person’s life if he could pray for the patient. He prayed for God to be present with this patient and to usher him into the next stage with peace and to give that same peace to his soon to be grieving family. I am thankful for his example and hope that one day I’ll have a doctor who does the same for me, and that I can be a doctor who is bold enough to do the same for my patients.”

Sometimes we tend to give up on ourselves and on others. No matter how bad things might be, we should never give up too soon. If we keep trying and don’t give up on ourselves and others, God will make us paramedics of His love, mercy and grace. God hasn’t give up on any of us and neither should we!

Rescue the perishing, care for the dying, Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave; Weep o’er the erring one, Lift up the fallen; Tell them of Jesus the mighty to save. Rescue the perishing, care for the dying; Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save. Fannie Crosby

Thank you to all our heroes!

None is righteous, no not one.  Romans  3:10

My Mama used to love to find words with which she was unfamiliar and research their origin and meaning.  I think she would have loved a word which I happened to run across this week, Atelophobia.  Atelophobia means fear of not being good enough.

How many of us spend our lives thinking that we are not good enough to be the recipients of all God’s blessings, and love for us?  We simply can never be good enough to justify all He has given us.  So, instead of spending our days punishing ourselves for not being good enough, what if we just took each day and looked at it as God’s gift of grace and began to see His grace in all the things around us?

Grace is defined as the love and mercy given to us by God because God desires us to have it not necessarily because we have done anything to earn it. I like the abbreviated version which says Grace is God’s riches at Christ’s expense. (copied)

What kind of person lives seeing the grace in everything?  This is the kind of person who sees grace all around them every day and daily sees grace in the good and the bad.  Miss Dorothy Summerour was that kind of person.  No matter when you called her or asked how she was doing, she would always say, “We do just fine over here”.  She never seemed to have a bad thing to say. and she saw everything in every day as God’s grace in action.

In this world of tragedies, viruses, fires, hurricanes, political and social unrest, and everyday stress, there is always grace.  Grace comes all the time and in the most normal of days.  It comes as a long time friend who calls just to check on you to see if you need anything and if your family is okay.  It comes from a neighbor who just wants to be sure you still have electricity after a storm. It’s grace when a friend sends a meal or a card in a time of grief.  Grace comes in the face of a service man, fire fighter, police officer, EMT, nurse, doctor, who are there when they are most needed.  All this and many more examples should be labeled as grace in our lives.

Grace in our lives can be a game changer.  It can take us from what we once were to what we can be.  I never will forget a scene that played out on the steps of our first church in the little community of Starrsville, Ga. in 1976.  Randy’s Daddy had come to visit and attend church that day.  As the people greeted him and told him how happy they were to have us there, his Daddy replied to their kind words by saying,  “Thank God for His grace.  There was a time when Randy’s Mother and I were worried he might end up in prison!”  A bit of a stretch, but a testimony to God’s grace none the less.

Grace is the key to the Christian faith. If it weren’t for grace none of us could qualify for heaven for there is not one of us who is good enough. Our problem comes because even though we might believe in the theory of grace, most of us have trouble believing that God will forgive us. We cling to our guilt instead of letting it go and letting God’s grace take hold. Randy’s Grandmama used to say that she would take all her problems to the altar and give them to God in prayer. Then, before she left, she would grab them all up again. It’s hard to leave our problems and fears, but Grace makes it possible.

Instead of walking around this week trying to pronounce the word, Atelophobia, and wrestling with the fear of not being good enough, why not use the week to look around and see the grace God is pouring out all around us even in the midst of all our problems?

This hymn describes the Christian doctrine of faith and justification by faith, the title is: Grace Greater Than All Our Sin, and the third stanza is: Marvelous, infinite matchless grace, Freely bestowed on all who believe; You that are longing to see his face; Will you this moment His grace receive? Grace, Grace, God’s Grace; Grace that will pardon and cleanse within; Grace, Grace, God’s Grace, Grace that is greater than all my sin. Julia Johnston

I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he die, he shall live. John 11:25

During my growing up years in school and even during the first few years of my own classroom teaching, it was required that the teacher call roll every morning. Now, in my small town, a teacher could easily look around and know who was absent, but they called the roll each morning anyway. I found it comforting to hear the well known voices reply, “here“, because it signaled that everyone was well, present and accounted for. If someone didn’t answer roll call, it affected us all.

In the old days, if a student were absent, the teacher would immediately reach out to the family to make sure that the student did actually have a reason to be absent, and that the parents knew about said absence. It was always important to know that nothing bad was going on at home.

There always were, of course, those with chronic absences no matter how many folks tried to help them or their family. The thinking was that it just wasn’t that important to be in school when there were other things to be done and they were needed at home. Nobody was surprised when on many occasions, they didn’t answer “here” when the roll was called.

Just like Christians who know there is a heaven and that it’s important to learn about Jesus now, some of us just don’t think it’s important enough to practice the things we know the Bible asks of us.

The old favorite hymn When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder was inspired by disappointment. James Black, the writer, was calling roll one day for a youth meeting at his Methodist Church. One name didn’t answer -young Bessie, the daughter of an alcoholic. Crestfallen at her absence, Mr. Black was heard to say, “Oh God, when my name is called up yonder, may I be there to respond.”

The important thing here is that sometimes we might miss roll call on earth such as in a classroom or a job, but we want to be sure we are able to answer “here” in heaven.

In order to make an investment in heaven, we must suffer losses of things we covet here. Things like anger, resentment, hatred, jealousy, unfaithfulness, greed, and so many other sins we harbor in our hearts must be given up. Even though others might call giving these up a sacrifice, we know another whose love has been proved by the greatest possible test, and He now lives in heaven and prepares a place for us. If we call ourselves Christians, we have a vision of something far beyond the difficulties and disappointments of this life. Our journey is one that leads to fulfillment, completion, and an enriched life.

Years ago in my first year of teaching, I taught in a school which was in a very “rough” neighborhood. There were gangs, drugs, and abuse in the homes all around the school. I was 22 years old, newly married, oblivious to a life other than the one I knew, and beginning my first teaching assignment. One morning on my way to school, I heard on the news about a shooting which had resulted in the death of a young man whose name I recognized as the brother of one of my students, Nancy. When I arrived at school, the bad news was confirmed. I was so ill prepared for the events of that day.

As I began the day knowing how sad all the children and us teachers were, we were instructed to make the day as normal as possible for these fourth graders, so I started by calling the roll. When we got to Nancy’s name, I hesitated, but called her name. From the doorway came her voice answering “here.” As she walked in and looked at all the familiar faces, her face turned from fear and tragedy into joy and love.

Nancy’s mother had sent her to school because she knew we were all waiting there to offer her acceptance, sympathy and love. As I moved toward the door and hugged her in my arms, I began to feel one after another of the children all wrapping arms around us and each other. It was as I would imagine Jesus hugging each of us when the roll is called for us.

That is the kind of reception we can all look forward to when we answer the roll in our eternal home. Two things are certain, our Father’s house is our home, and He is present there. Roll Call will be a joyous celebration!

The great weight of eternity hangs upon the small wire of time. Thomas Brooks

When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound and time shall be no more, And the morning breaks eternal bright and fair; When the saints of earth shall gather over on the other shore, And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.

And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter to be with you forever. John 14:16

About six years ago, our nineteen year old dog, Buck, died suddenly while I was out of town. This dog, which we inherited from Ashley on the occasion of her departure to college, was loved dearly. I didn’t have a clue that Buck had died until I came home, and Randy met me in the garage. Now, this is a suspicious occurrence because Randy never meets me in the garage, so I knew something had happened. I was devastated at the news to say the least.

After my breakdown, as we were walking into the house, Randy said, “Before you open the door, I have a surprise for you, but if you don’t like him – I can take him back.” I wasn’t ready for this! Inside was a sweet little puppy named Rocco, who jumped into my lap immediately and kissed me all over my face. However, it was not the time for me to welcome a new dog, so I pushed him aside and continued to be sad and grieve.

The special thing about Rocco is that he seemed to understand my grief and would not let me grieve alone. Everywhere I went, he was beside me offering comfort until I was able to love him back. These days, he is my third child!

Rocco was a rescue who was abused in his first six months or so of life, and maybe because of this, he seems to have an innate sense that tells him when someone needs comforting. He knows when people are sad, he knows when we are hurting, he knows when we are sick, and he knows when someone needs him. I’ve seen this dog walk over to a perfect stranger who had obviously had a stroke, sit at his feet and lick the man’s hand. I’ve seen him jump into a friend’s lap who is suffering and lick his face until he is laughing. I’ve seen him sit quietly by a grandchild with a fever.

I often wonder why we have to experience sorrow, loss, hurt, hopelessness, addiction, depression, cancer, or any other great pain. The answer has become a little clearer to me as I realize that before we can be competent for the mission of comforting others, we first have to have experienced the pain. God must equip us to be comforters. At that point, we can tell others how we have suffered with that same thing and how God comforted us.

Comfort isn’t given to us when we are lighthearted and cheerful, but rather after we have traveled through adversity and experienced comfort ourselves. John Henry Jowett said, “God comforts us not to make us comfortable but to make us comforters.”

When my sisters and I were little, we shared a bedroom with three twin beds all in a row. At night, Daddy would push the beds together, and we would sleep with me in the outside bed, my middle sister in the middle, and my younger sister on the end against the wall. I didn’t realize it then, but it was a great comfort to know that the other one was close.

For each of us there are people to whom we naturally go in times of trials and sorrow, sickness or grief. These are the comforters who always seem to say just the right words and those who can give wise counsel or direction. These are probably people who have been through the same valley and understand our need. God is the great comforter and when one has been through the healing with Him, then they become co workers with Him in helping to comfort others.

Just like me however, many times we push the comforters away. We think we can do it all on our own, but most times, we need the comfort these comforters can offer.

I’ve heard it said that God never sends his rod without his staff. The staff He sends to support, give rest, and be a guide. The rod He sends as protection and a symbol of love. That is what a comforter is to me – someone who provides all these things.

Just like Rocco, we all need someone who is not willing to let us go through things alone, but rather will be there offering the comfort we need.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me. Psalm 23:4

This is dedicated to all our sweet family dogs who loved and comforted each of us. We miss you! Thank you, Buck, Chief, Cota, Cole, Velvet, and Beau.

They will rebuild the old ruins, raise a new city out of the wreckage. They will start over on the ruined cities, take the ashes left behind and make it new. Isaiah 61:4

This summer during our family vacation, we ended up staying at a condominium by the name of Phoenix. Even though I was reminded that the symbol of Atlanta is the Phoenix, which symbolizes the city’s rise from the ashes after the civil war, and I had heard the expression, Phoenix, rise from the ashes, I had never really explored the history behind the name.

The story of the Phoenix is popular in Greek mythology because the majestic bird dies and according to legend is reborn across cultures and throughout time. The Phoenix represents transformation, rebirth and death in its fire. It is the ultimate symbol of renewal and strength. It is said in mythology that the creature never truly dies but rather continually rises from the ashes.

The bird is symbolic for Christians as well because it represents renewal in general such as in the resurrection, life in heaven, Mary and Christ. The Greek myth continues to say that in death, the huge creature builds it own fire with a single clap of its huge wings, but during the fire, it rises from the ashes.

In this time of uncertainty, my prayer is that Christianity, the church, our democracy, and our country can be likened to the Phoenix. Throughout history, one can see so many times when, like the Phoenix, these things have risen from the ashes. We as Christians, a church, a democracy, and a country have risen from the ashes of depression, war, illnesses, social injustice, prejudice, natural disasters, poverty, religious persecution, and terrorism. We have risen from the ashes in each of the challenges that we have endured so far.

Now, as we go into our sixth month of seeking answers for the virus, added to the ever present issues of social injustice, natural disasters, spiritual issues, and threats from not only our foreign neighbors but also from internal sources as well, many are asking, “Where is God in all this?”

Sometimes the present events are so overpowering, so terrible, so intense, that we tend to forget the years that we have passed through until this time. If one remembers events in the Old Testament, it becomes obvious that there were differing political kingdoms, nations became just a shell of their former selves, Civil unrest was prevalent, religious observance was perverted by self serving priests and kings, and war was raging over territories. Where was God then? The answer is He was in the midst of it all just as He is today. Although we may not always see it, feel it, or understand it, we can know without a doubt that He is always here.

As we wait for God’s plan to become clear, what do we do? I have a feeling that we have a couple of options: we can either whine and cry “woe is me”, or we can bring a positive outlook to those around us and take bold steps to make things better. Even though we are all struggling to understand it all, I know as do you, that God is working and that we are not going at this alone.

God has not changed. Just as He brought the slaves out of bondage, just as He restored nations of old, just as He sent His son to us to raise humanity from the ashes; so God is still at work and will raise us from the ashes of national tragedy and turmoil to new life.

Just like the Phoenix rises from the ashes, so will our country, our democracy, our churches, our faith, and our hope.

Sometimes I take for granted the simple things; I can be His biggest critic when it starts to rain, but there’s always a bigger picture I can’t explain. When God paints, I pray I will always see the beauty inside the frame. When God Paints by Alan Jackson

Nothing will be impossible for you. Matthew 17:20

Everything is possible for one who believes. Mark 9:23

My mother was quite the musically talented lady, and since she had such a wonderful soprano voice, she thought it was possible for her oldest daughter to be gifted with that same voice. I’m afraid that although I can carry a tune, it was impossible for me to ever attain her God given gift. She did, however, gift me with her love of music and her desire to listen to and sing certain songs over and over.

In the year 1957, Rodgers and Hammerstein wrote the musical version of the fairy tale, Cinderella. Julie Andrews played the title role, and I can still hear her singing the song, Impossible, It’s Possible from the show. The song talks about everything that’s impossible, then ends with, Impossible things happen every day. The idea is turning the impossible into the possible i. e. “one yellow pumpkin into a golden carriage and four white mice into four white horses”, or maybe just turning impossible situations into possible ones.

In this era of hearing how many things are impossible for us, I thought it would be encouraging to list some of the things that are still possible. It is possible to call or text someone who might be sheltering in place and catch up, it is possible to get medical attention when you need it, it is possible to see your new teacher whether virtually or in person, it is possible to worship, it is possible to see your colleagues via zoom or personally, it is possible to gather with masks and social distancing, it is possible to read a good book, it is possible to binge watch a good Netflix series, it is possible to get groceries, it is possible to hug your loved ones, it is possible to give someone a word of encouragement, it is possible to develop a cure for this virus, and the list goes on. Impossible things are happening every day.

There are also many divine possibilities for us each day!

It is possible for believers who are completely willing to trust the power of the Lord for their safekeeping and victory to lead a life of readily taking his promises exactly as they are and trust them to be true.

It is possible to daily cast all your anxiety on Him and to experience His peace.

It is possible to see God’s will in every circumstance and accept it with no complaining but rather with confidence.

It is possible to become stronger through and through every day by trusting in the power of God and realizing that our greatest weaknesses provide an opportunity to grow in faith.

It is possible that there is no situation that God can’t turn around including COVID 19.

It is possible, with God’s help to forgive others for wrongs done unto you.

It is possible, with God’s help, to love your enemies.

It is possible to have as much of God as we want. God places a key to His treasure chest in our hands and all we have to do is open it and take what we need.

There are so many times in the Bible when God did the impossible – the virgin birth, the resurrection – just to name a couple. Our God is the God of the possible.

During this time of impossibilities, it is good to remember the Divine Possibilities that God offers us. Once we take them, we will never be satisfied with anything less than turning the words, it is impossible into the words, it is possible.

The words of Saint Patrick seem to fit the thoughts, it is possible. He said: Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ where I lie, Christ where I sit, Christ where I arise, Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks to me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me. Salvation is of the Lord. Salvation is of Christ. May your salvation, Lord, be with us.

When Hathach told Mordecai what Ester had said, Mordecai sent her this message: “Don’t think that just because you live in the king’s house, you are the one Jew that will get out of this alive. If you persist in staying silent in such a time as this, help and deliverance will arrive for the Jews from somewhere else; but you and your family will be wiped out. Who knows? Maybe you were made queen for such a time as this.” Esther 4:14

During these past months, when someone asks, “How is your day going?”, I’ve begun to compare my day to the movie, Groundhog Day, in which Bill Murray was trapped reliving the same day over and over again. I decided to watch the movie again (since there is abundant time), and I realized something that had never occurred to me before! Instead of reliving each day the same way, Bill Murray’s character, Phil, began to make changes and include in each day a time for compassion, friendliness, learning, and respect. He began to listen to those around him, speak to those whom he really didn’t know, learn how to master a new skill, and offer help to those who were in need. It seems as though Phil decided that maybe he was there for such a time as this.

God has created each of us for a divine appointment – a unique role to fulfill in our lives just like Esther. He has placed us wherever we are right now, and there is something we were created to do for God that no one else can do the way He intends.

The circumstances are different for each of us, but no matter what, God has given us an assignment. Maybe we are in the midst of a family situation, maybe we are lonely, maybe we need help with finances, or maybe things are good, but we feel a need to do more for others. No matter what, we are all created for such a time as this.

As we contemplate our calling knowing that this world is in the midst of a fight between good and evil, consider these things. There are people around us that need rescuing, people who need to see compassion in action, people who need to feel respected, people who need to see a friendly nod or action, and people who need a hand learning new things. Nobody else has the specialties to reach out to these people except us as Christians. There lies before each of us both an opportunity and a challenge.

First, people need to see compassion in this world. They need us, as Christians, to respond to the need and get our hands dirty trying to help one person after another. No one person can do it all – it takes all of us for such a time as this.

People also need to see friendliness in each of us. Just as a good host would welcome guests, take their coat, and introduce them to others so that they feel included, people in this world need to feel that way. We can all step up and offer friendliness for such a time as this.

Respect is necessary for life. Every person that was created by God deserves respect, and what a perfect time for us to exemplify the qualities of respect to this world. God expects it of us for such a time as this.

Finally, we all have the ability to learn new ways to help others. I know many ladies who set out to learn how to make masks for those who need them, and they used that skill to help others. I know many others who take their talent with building materials and donate their time unselfishly to others who need it. These and so many others are working for such a time as this.

If we set our mind on for such a time as this, then we allow God to step in and mold us for His work. The words of a hymn come to mind: Have thine own way, Lord, have thine own way; Thou art the potter, I am the clay. Mold me and make me after thy will; while I am waiting yielded and still. Adelaide Al Pollard

As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand…Jeremiah 18:6

And no wonder, even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. II Corinthians 11:14

A good friend and I were talking the other night, and she was telling me about a broadcast made by Paul Harvey years ago. I googled it, and I must say it is right on target for today’s world! The name of it is, If I Were The Devil, and it’s well worth a listen.

When I was young, pictures of the devil were always floating around, and well meaning people sometimes used those pictures to frighten and scare others into fearing the evil represented. The picture was normally of a red guy with a goatee and horns, a pitchfork, a long tail, and a scowl on his face.

In later years, Flip Wilson made light of this image when he referenced the devil in his television show of the 70″s where his character, Geraldine, often remarked that “the devil made me do it”. There was also the legendary The Devil Went Down to Georgia by Charlie Daniels where the “devil was looking for a soul to steal”.

It is my personal opinion that the devil is best portrayed in the movie, Devil’s Advocate, where a seemingly normal looking guy disguises his true identity (the devil or Satan) in order to control people’s lives. Satan uses many disguises to sway us from the will of God.

Satan is the ultimate enemy, the ultimate evil, standing in the background and orchestrating opposition to God through his highly trained servants. Satan’s motive is always the same, he seeks to exalt himself above God by opposing God and men of God.

Satan is using so many forms in this world today, and I must admit, that If I Were the Devil, I would look over this world, and I would smile. We have people afraid to say anything that’s not politically correct because they might be threatened or held up to ridicule. We have races in this country fighting each other when we should all be pulling together. We have political parties using this terrible virus to advance their political prowess and power. We have churches which are closed and thus can’t keep people focused on the will of God. We have families split by death and illness, and we have people who are isolated with no contact with those who can lift their spirits.

I can picture the devil whispering into the ears of Americans that it’s OK to break the laws and do all the things that will eventually defeat them. He never misses a chance to advance evil and test God’s omnipotence.

This is a trite example of how people can fall into traps of believing what that want to hear and forgetting the laws, but it can happen. Our family takes a “family trip” every year, and this year we ventured out to Orange Beach, Alabama. Knowing these trips, our son in law, Lee, always says, “Let the adventure begin” as soon as we all arrive. There’s always something adventuresome that happens which only adds to the memories. This year was no exception. Evidently, this particular beach has a Sundown Law which basically says, “don’t leave anything on the beach after sunset”. That seemed a little over the top to us, as it is quite a job to haul everything back and forth every day, and I don’t believe Georgia or Florida has such a law!

Knowing we could be easily swayed on this law, Satan placed into our midst an Auburn fan who happened to have his tent placed beside us on the beach our first day there. As we talked with him and lamented having to carry everything inside every day, the treacherous Auburn guy said these words, “If you just lower your tent, and leave all your stuff here, they won’t bother anything.” He must have figured out we were Georgia and Ole Miss graduates because he had our attention at “If”. (Even the lone Auburn sympathizer in our midst did not pick up on the deceit.) Bottom line, we ignored the law, lowered our tent, and left all our chairs, games, etc. under it on the beach after sunset.

Flash forward to the next morning when we walked out on our balcony to greet the day, looked down the beach, and realized everything we owned and left there was gone! We later learned that around 2 am, the beach patrol comes by and scoops up everything left there, but we have our suspicions that the Auburn guy has everything!! Funny, he said he was staying a week, but we never saw him again!! I think Satan works in much the same way.

Satan is just not teachable, and he will not change his mind about things. The sad thing is that Satan holds men and women captive to do his will, and most times they are not even aware of it. He often opposes Christians while disguising himself as a true believer and teacher of the truth. Fortunately, for all of us, Satan has never won a battle with God.

Satan is out there. Sometimes we recognize him, and sometimes we don’t. However, behind him stands the God Almighty of the universe who is in complete control and will use His powers to achieve His plan for all of us.

Meanwhile, Be alert and of a sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. I Peter 5:8

Heartfelt apologies to all my Auburn friends! It happens to all of us!!