3.21-Lame man points people to faith in God

3.21-

Got this idea for a book or booklet broken out on my blog.  It would be dedicated to people who had gone through times with leg, knee, ankle and feet problems that made them “Lame”.

Write the book that you want to read.

“Lame”

I am reminded by Anne Lamont that good writing is good editing and re-writing.

60 Days with a Lame Couple.

60 Days with Leg, Knee, Feet Problem Slow Walking Folks’

You may have had times in your life when you were lame.  Then things got better or not.  Either way I hope these thoughts might strengthen you with some good news.

These 60 days started at the end of 2018 and the beginning of 2019.  I received a call from my good friend, Nathan Turek on 12.31.18 that my neighbor in Colorado who had cancer had passed.  This was a bit earlier than expected as often happens, but it was not unexpected.  Jerry had lived across from us in Aurora for about 20 years prior to our move to Texas.  He had seen the major transition of my life from being a go go person to a slow go person and a no go person and then a slow go person.

Here is what I mean.  On 3.22.13, almost six years ago now.  There was ice on the driveway to my house and I had some flowers I had gotten at church that I wanted to give to Jerry’s wife, Susan.  I slipped and fell, breaking my knee cap, patella, free from my muscle on top of my femur.  I could not get my lower leg to move.  So I crawled up to my garage.  Sheila called 911.  The EMT’s came and took me to the ER.  Doc. Says this will require surgery.  In the next week surgery.  In the next three months a big decision to move to Texas to be near our son and change the nature and speed of our work with God’s people.  Jerry had seen the fall and he and Susan hated to see the change because we had become more than neighbors, friends, family.  They came for holidays.  They had our key and we had theirs.  He took us to the airport in his black 2003 Saturn Vue.  

Jerry loved that car.  I remember how proud he was of it when new.  He took very good care of it.  Good, consistent maintenance.  After Jerry’s death I was blessed to be asked to make a video for his memorial.  Susan called us in February sometime.  She mentioned the guys from church had been coming over every ten days to drive Jerry’s black car to keep the battery charged.  I asked if any of the kids or grandkids wanted to get the Black car.  She said she didn’t know, but would check.  She found out they were not interested in it.  I mentioned that one of Amy’s cars in Atlanta was going out.  I would check as Amy might be interested.  I did and she was.  But getting the car from Denver in the winter to Atlanta.  How?  Transport by truck. One Thousand at least. No.

I had been wanting to find a time to go to Denver to personally strengthen and encourage Susan since Jerry’s death.  Perhaps Sheila and I could fly to Denver and drive back to Fort Worth then Atlanta.  No, Sheila didn’t feel like it.  Wondered if Jeff would be willing to fly up and drive back with me in one day.  Sheila thought not, but Jeff said he would be happy to do this.

We made the plans.  2.20.19, Wednesday I flew to Denver.  Hosted by Ken and Reniece Jones.  We drove to Susan’s insurance agent office and made her aware of the sale.  We went to my bank and got the money.  We went to Susan’s house.  We signed the papers.  I got into the car wondering if I could still drive a manual shift.  Yes, I could. Spent some time getting unloaded and then to the church food bank to visit some of the people I had hoped to strengthen and encourage.  There about 100 people came in the cold Denver evening to get $200 worth of food for a small donation.  Then a friend came by to saw a group were meeting to go out and visit some shut in’s.  Before the visits a dinner and fellowship.  Good catch up on our activities and then a visit to Jerry and Fern Pierce some of our good friends not in senior apartments.

Then a couple of days of visits with Dan and Jane Colvin over breakfast on Friday and Susan Sherlin a long and last visit prior to my leaving on Saturday am.

Our plans had been there to be no snow on this trip.  The weather changed.  Eight inches on Friday night.  Very cold and the Black car outside.  Up about 2.30am and packing. Then at 5am the big question.  Would it crank?  I brushed the snow off and it did.  Wow!

Then to the airport on slick roads. Then stuck briefly in the waiting area at the airport.  Then Jeff came.  Then we drove 17 hours to Fort Worth.

Then from Sunday 2.24.19 to Thursday 2.28.19 Sheila packed and I rested up.  Then Friday 3.1.19 and Saturday, 3.2.19 we drove.  These two people who are lame, slow go, stove up.  Struggling with our canes to support us we drove to Ruston, LA for our overnight,

Lost Downtown Birmingham.

Have you ever been lost in a city unfamiliar to you?

I guess I should admit the build up to the situation in Birmingham Alabama. I helped my daughter and grandson to buy a good used car they needed, but the issue was the car was in Denver and they live in Atlanta. To pay for transport on a truck would be completely prohibitive. I had been wanting a trip to visit with my friends in Denver for some time.

So I could fly up and drive it back to Fort Worth, but Sheila and the kids don’t want me driving twelve hours back to Fort Worth alone. My son volunteered to fly up and drive all the way back the same day. This got the car with Jeff’s help (22 hours total flying and driving in one day) to Fort Worth, but now the trip to Atlanta. 

We had planned a spring trip to visit the grandsons while Amy took a cruise so we can just cancel the flying out part and drive. We did but we got lost in Birmingham.

There is construction on I20 in downtown and I got off track on the detour. I was on 22 Ave. turned right on 6th avenue. Stopped to pull my mind together and use my google maps and stretch. Almost got run over when I got out. I was tired, frustrated confused and my google map on my phone was not working. I also desperately needed a restroom break. 

I went further on 6th. Turned right on 16th and there were tour buses and people taking pictures of a building. This must be the historic 16th Street Baptist church. Wow! Here four young people had been killed by dynamite due to the deep lostness of racial hate.

Then I went North ran into a very bad section of town that included and adult bookstore and warehouses and construction blind alleys. I went in circles for a while seeing boarded up, run down apartment buildings. 

After doing a dead end into Norwood Elementary School and back South on 31st street I saw a Texaco station. I filled up and went inside to see a man behind the plexiglass. I told him I was lost trying to get to Atlanta on I 20. He told me to go a couple of miles on this street and I would see a blue sign pointing me to Atlanta on I 20. I used the facilities and headed out. He was right and I was no longer lost.

As we moved out of Birmingham I was blessed again. We stopped at a McDonald’s/Loves. I asked for tea and asked how much and the answer was “free”.

So I got lost in Birmingham. Got to see a reminder that all of us get deeply lost from time to time as I viewed the 16th Street church. Got we see expressions of God’s grace from the middle eastern man behind the plexiglass who gave me good direction and the teenager who wanted to give me a free glass of tea.

I am reminded the world is full of amazing things. There are some very messed up people. There are some very helpful people. The next time I am lost I will remember to align myself with the helpers. That is the way out of being lost in Birmingham or anywhere.

Matthew 5.

7 Blessed are the merciful,

for they will be shown mercy.

Larry Wishard
3.3.19

 then on to Atlanta on Saturday evening.  Then a week of supporting and enjoying our two grandsons while our daughter Amy was on a vacation and cruise.  Then on Friday evening she returned safely and our grandson did his first drive with the manual transmission Black, Saturn Vue.

Then on Saturday morning, 3.09.19, he drove the Saturn stick shift to his work and I caught up the story and decided to write it out at length regarding the Spiritual Realities Surrounding Lame People Walking by Faith.

Sometimes God heals lame people based on their faith.

Sometimes God heals lame people based on the faith of those helping them.

Sometimes God uses the work of lame people to help others but a bit more slowly than others who have healthy legs, knees and feet.

Acts 14.

⁸ In Lystra there sat a man who was lame. He had been that way from birth and had never walked. ⁹ He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed ¹⁰ and called out, “Stand up on your feet!” At that, the man jumped up and began to walk.

We who are healthy in legs and feet or lame who are called to be teachers of the good news do so in a variety of settings.  We do this work in religious places like a church building or synagogue or school class room.

Some are interested in learning more and others are opposed to the good news of Jesus.

14 At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed. ² But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the other Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.

People are created with free will choice.  This leads to rebellion and resistance against the good news of God being the king of His Kingdom and us as His beloved children.

This leads to a variety of kings of rebellion.  At the core it seems to me it is idolatry.  Putting something else in the central place where God should be.  It can be the worship of men or women.  The worship of money and things.  It can be pride and arrogance in the self or worship of the self.  It can be the worship of a religious institution.  It can be the centralizing of food, drink, drugs and pleasure.  It could be even centering one’s life on the worries of this life.

Acts 14.

14 At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed. ² But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the other Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.

God can use these rebels.  If they repent and turn to God those who have been the worst of sinners can become the workers to pass along the good news of God’s grace.

Acts 14.

¹⁴ But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: ¹⁵ “Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human, like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them. ¹⁶ In the past, he let all nations go their own way. ¹⁷ Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.” ¹⁸ Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them.

The core message is that God doesn’t want the worship of powerful men and women.  He knows this will not work out well.  Paul and Barnabus told them to stop and think about what they were doing.  Why worship any human.  Worship God who made the heavens and earth and sea.  He is the one who has shown kindness to us in Atlanta this week with sunshine and rain and this lovely Gala Apple I’m about to have for breakfast. 
  God has blessed us with good fruit in this 59 day mission trip and He has filled our hearts with joy.  My friend, Jerry Sherlin, gave us such joy during his life.  Watching him take care of his shiny black, Saturn Vue.  Watching him cook out on July 4^th and the smell of his steak are still with me.  God is still with me, but my friend Jerry is gone to be with Jesus.  So we worship God and thank God for our family and friends, but we do not worship them, regardless of their power to heal and help.

We must keep speaking boldly of these matters to each other.  Our life is much more secure in God than in human beings.

We will have opposition to these things we speak with God as the center of our world rather than the most powerful doctors who heal us.  When I broke my knee I was blessed by the firemen and EMT and the nurses and Doctors in the ER and in the surgery, but the great healer is the only one I can worship.  God.  His Son Jesus is the great physician who will be with me forever.  There are primary sources and secondary ones and I will only worship the primary source.  The living God.

Those who oppose God as central will at times seem to be against me, but I will turn them over to God.  I am not the ultimate judge.  God takes care of the opposition to Himself in His own time and His own way.

This is freedom.  Some side with Jesus and the apostles.  Some don’t.  That is the freedom God has given all humans.

Beth Moore wrote,

"For some of you in the fire trying to stand firm for what you believe is right: when lines are drawn so tightly it’s not a matter of choosing whether to be liked or disliked. Oh you’re going to be disliked alright. It’s a matter of choosing what you’re willing to be disliked for."

Matthew 5.

¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,

    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Acts 14.

¹⁹ Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. ²⁰ But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.

We will keep on preaching the good news.  Whether healthy and go go.  Or not healthy and slow go.  We will keep on preaching the good news.  God is the provider.  Sunshine.  Rain.  Fruit.  Joy in our hearts.  That is our constant message because it is true.  Sheila and I have observed so much in this 59 days how God has blessed us not just during this mission trip time, but all our lives.

Has God blessed you with a wonderful family?  Has He given you good food and good health?  Has He blessed you with a great set of friends?  Praise Him for His great provision.

We keep on strengthening our fellowman to be best we can regardless of our situation in life.

Acts 14.

²¹ They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, ²² strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. ²³ Paul and Barnabas appointed elders^[a] for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. ²⁴ After going through Pisidia, they came into Pamphylia, ²⁵ and when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.

A part of our work is to encourage people and even at times push them hard as a physical therapist might.  I remember on Wednesday evening as I was visiting with visitation group over dinner we talked about this need to push each other at times.  Barbara Anderson, a nurse, had gone through a serious near death experience.  She had entered the hospital for some normal procedure.  Something had gone wrong.  She ended up in a coma for a long time.  They called in her family.  It could be the end.  We kept praying for her.  God raised her up.  She is such a powerful nurse to push patients to get up out of bed and walk.  GET UP and WALK.  Became a motto she was known for.  She wouldn’t accept no for an answer.  At times we need to hear these words as a challenge.

Acts 14.

⁹ He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed ¹⁰ and called out, “Stand up on your feet!” At that, the man jumped up and began to walk.

This is called a time of discipline.

Hebrews 12.

⁴ In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. ⁵ And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
    and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
⁶ because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
    and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”^[a]

⁷ Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? ⁸ If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. ⁹ Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! ¹⁰ They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. ¹¹ No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

¹² Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. ¹³ “Make level paths for your feet,”^[b] so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

Again, Doctors and nurses help us.  But the glory goes to the God who provides for our healing using the help of a variety of workers and sometimes without any workers.

Acts 14.

²¹ They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, ²² strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. ²³ Paul and Barnabas appointed elders^[a] for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. ²⁴ After going through Pisidia, they came into Pamphylia, ²⁵ and when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.

Those who follow Jesus become disciples of His.  Not Paul or Barnabus but God.  We must remain true to the faith of Jesus.  His way is a way of hardships at times.

Sheila and I have had to slow down.  I had big fall on 3.22.13 that changed my life in its speed and its direction and place.  Sheila also had a fall on 2.7.19 that could have easily killed her, but as it turned out she just had a 3” gash in her head.  No permanent damage.

Went to the doctor today and got the staples out of her Sheila’s scalp.

I guess I should go back and catch some of you up on the story.

As I woke up to a new sunrise Saturday morning (2/7/19), things were not the same. I was looking at my life from a new perspective. I was very open-eyed about how fragile life is.

Sheila had a severe gash in her head from an accident in our kitchen Friday night. She had reached for the refrigerator door, but missed. She lost her balance and fell and hit her head on the corner of the countertop. 911, firetrucks, firemen, EMTs, ambulance ride, eight staples, and amazingly, not as much pain as you would expect from a three-inch gash in her scalp.

I had some dark thoughts while waiting in the ER. I must have looked like a zombie from the way Jeff and Donna described me. I think my world and how I thought it would always be was broken. Life would not continue forever like it had for 52 years of our partnership. In the next few days I would have to find a new way to look at my life with less security that things would always be as I planned them to be.

I got a new understanding of the heart of Jesus in this process -- especially when I saw the fireman on the floor swabbing up the blood for us. Jesus poured out His blood and His life to clean up our life. Just as the fireman was cleaning up this mess, Jesus has been cleaning up the mess of my life for years and years.

Sheila was extremely calm, peaceful and experienced less pain than expected except for that staple gun on her head. She has a new scar. It tells a new chapter of who she is. She is more aware of the faithfulness of God and so am I. She is not loaded down with fear as much as full of gratefulness for the helpers that came to our aid. First responders run in when others run out. They run to pain instead of away from it as do the doctor, nurses and other people helpers. Thank God for them.

Scars speak and give confidence. Jesus held His hands out to a doubting Thomas and changed His life and all of those who walk in the steps of doubt. Look at the scars from the scalp of Jesus’ contact with thorns. Feel the scars on His hands and feet. Stick your hand into the pierced side of Jesus and you touch reality beyond death and the grave.

I am sorry Sheila went through this. I am thankful for her healing and victory over it. She is back doing about everything she was doing last week. She knows even more God’s love for her and the care of people in our wonderful community of North Richland Hills. I hope she finds out more and more how much her family and friends, and especially her husband, love and need her.

John 20.

²⁴ But Thomas, one of the twelve, called ^[d]Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵ So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”

^26 [e]After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus *came, the doors having been ^[f]shut, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” ²⁷ Then He *said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.” ²⁸ Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” ²⁹ Jesus *said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”

Our work together continues to spread the good news of God’s love.

Acts 14.

²⁶ From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. ²⁷ On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. ²⁸ And they stayed there a long time with the disciples.

Our 60 day mission trip, if God wills, will end back at home on 3.10.19, and we hope to keep our work going of helping the lame and the healthy to be strengthened and encouraged with the good news of God’s love as seen through Jesus Christ.

God is opening doors for us.  He has opened doors in DFW 

On about 4.1.69, nearly 50 years ago there was a big change that came in my life.

I had an idea about ministers that was off track. 

I thought that they were trying to get us to quit doing all the fun things in life so that we could have a good life after we died for an eternity.

Then I had the chance to get to know God and His word in depth.  I was hired to be a public school teacher and coach.  This job led me to Boles Home School in September of 1968.  I was to teach PE, Biology, Bookkeeping, and Earth Science.  These were not revolutionary for me.  But there was another elective subject that I was asked to teach that changed everything in my life and thought structure.

Prior to this date, 4.1.69, I thought ministers had this job.

Stress men are foolish.

Stress men are disobedient.

Stress men are deceived.

Stress men are enslaved by passions and pleasures.

Stress men are full of malice, envy and hate.

After spending six months digging into the Scriptures to teach it to high school boys in an interesting and exciting way I found that the work of a minister was to 

Stress we are saved by God.

Stress we are saved by His mercy.

Stress we are saved by His kindness.

Stress we are saved by his love.

Stress that He has poured these things out to us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior.

Stress that we are co-heirs with Jesus of all the blessings of being sons and daughters of God.

Stress that we have hope for eternity.

Titus 3.

³ At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. ⁴ But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, ⁵ he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, ⁶ whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷ so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. ⁸ This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.

area and Denver and Atlanta this year and we hope He continues to use to encourage others and they have encouraged us.

Larry Wishard

3.9.19