Goodbyes & Lessons

One week ago I stayed up till about 3:30 in the morning with my sister as she finished last minute packing...then Tuesday morning my parents took her to the airport three hours away to fly to Bolivia.

Having my sister leave was a lot harder than I had thought it would be. I've had to say goodbye to my sisters before, but I've never really had to consider the fact that we might not all be able to be together again on this earth. And yet, what a wonderful hope we have in Christ! Goodbye is not forever.

All day long on Tuesday, I was fighting back tears threatening to spill out of my eyes. I was so happy that she was going, I wouldn't want her to stay here, and yet I was already missing her so much. When Amy called from the Los Angelos airport later that night, Karie answered the phone since I was cleaning the kitchen. Saralyn, it's Amy! pick up the phone! I walked over to my Mom's desk where the phone was, but I couldn't pick up the phone right away, first I had to gain control over the sudden storm of tears that had errupted from what seemed like nowhere...so it took a minute before I could talk on the phone. That was the last time I talked to her since she left.

Later that night, I was in the shower and just talking to God about everything that was going on in my life. I'm so tired of telling the people I love goodbye. Why is it so hard to say goodbye God? Then a thought that had never occured to me before, hit me like a bolt of lightning. God said, Now you know what I felt when I let my Son leave home to come to your earth. Now you know more what that pain of separation was like for me.

Honestly, I've never thought of it this way before. I have often thought about what Jesus had to give up--heaven, being in a place where there is perfect love, face to face communion with His Father, being surrounded by angels all ready to do His bidding... but what about the relationship, the closeness of Father and Son, what was it like to let Him go?

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. ~John 3:16

I know that my sister and friends who are going all over the world are safe. Because their lives are in God's hands, they are going to do His will, and so no matter what happens, thier salvation is secure in Christ. What is a little sleep now until that day when we see Him face to face? No, it doesn't take away the pain, but God gives hope in the midst of it. I know that this hope is the only reason I can go on living in this sinful world. But I think must be easier for me than it was for God. What if something had gone wrong in the plan? God is perfect, and so are His plans, but Jesus had the same opportunity to choose God or not as we have in every temptation. And if He had failed, we'd be lost. Would this have also meant eternal separation for Father and Son? I don't know for sure, but if so, then He has taken such a greater risk than we'll ever have to take. To me, the thought that He would be willing to risk so much, is more than I can comprehend. It's totally not human, that's for sure. And such a God is safe to trust, wherever He calls, wherever He leads, calvary shows that God is selfless and 100% safe to trust. Seeing this love enables us to give no mater the cost too. What wondrous love is this!

What Everyone Can Do...

This morning, Karie shared a paragraph with me that she'd read in Ministry of Healing. We both really liked this story because it takes the gospel commission and makes it something that anyone who knows Jesus can do. Many times, I think I don't know very much. What can I do? But Jesus has done something for me, this is enough! This in itself is the qualification. All I'm called to do is to share what He's already done.

(The context for the story is in Matthew 8 & Mark 5.)
Two helpless men, so controlled by Satan that no one could stand to be around them, the disciples fled them in terror, and when their Savior appeared they charged at Him to kill him.

This situation didn't alarm Jesus. He'd just stilled a storm on the sea, and He knew the longing deep within the stormy hearts of those demoniacs, and He knew that He was able to still this storm too. (Oh, for that kind of peace in the face of such a storm... I know it's only possible if I stand next to this Jesus, and let Him brave the storm for me.)

Soon there were two healed men, two transformed me, two men who were lost but now found. They sat there at Jesus' feet. They wanted to never be separated from Him who had showed them such mercy, love and blessing. But in His wisdom, Jesus had another plan. Go, go back home.

"The two restored demoniacs were the first missionaries whom Christ sent to teach the gospel in the region of Decapolis. For a short time only, these men had listened to His words. Not one sermon from His lips had ever fallen upon their ears. They could not instruct the people as the disciples who had been daily with Christ were able to do. But they could tell what they knew; what they themselves had seen, and heard, and felt of the Savior's power. This is what everyone can do whose heart has been touched by the grace of God. This is the witness for which our Lord calls, and for want of which the world is perishing." ~Ministry of Healing, page 99

This story is like a mini picture of the Great Controversy.

Jesus came to their town. The people there begged Him to leave, so He did. (Love won't force itself where it isn't waned. It can't stay when asked to leave.) But Jesus didn't give up on the town. He sent the healed men back to their hometown area. Maybe they'd get who He was if some of their own people went and told them. (Sometimes God in all His power is too much for we humans to take.)

Jesus came to our world. We rejected and crucified our Savior. He died and later went back to heaven. But this doesn't mean He's not intensely interested in what's going on here or about people's misconceptions of His love. He doesn't give up! When Jesus went back to heaven, He sent His disciples out as His representatives.

Later in Jesus' ministry, He returned to the Decapolis area, and this time the people received him gladly. What does this say to me regarding my role and position in the Great Controversy today? He's coming back!

Upon Every Flower

"God is love," is written upon every opening bud, upon every spire of springing grass. The lovely birds making the air vocal with their happy songs, the delicately tinted flowers in their perfection perfuming the air, the lofty trees of the forest with their rich foliage of living green--all testify to the tender, fatherly care of our God, and to His desire to make His children happy.
~Keys to Happiness, pg. 2

God gave me a special blessing the other day! About a week and a half ago, Karie graduated from high school...after the program was done, there were a lot of flowers left over...it's a rather long story, but one of the ladies who was taking them home asked if I wanted a few flowers, then before I knew it, she was offering me the entire boquet. I left the place with an armload of flowers almost too big to hold! To me, it was a special gift from my heavenly Father who knows how powerfully each blossom speaks to me of His love.

Backpacking Lesson

Sitting on a rock in the middle of the South Fork of the Smith River

Surrounded by mountains reaching the sky

Trees pointing ever upward towards their creator

The sound of the water rushing over some rocks and pounding into others,

A deafening roar.

I'm keenly aware that to slip off this rock would likely mean great injury

or death, The water is so strong.

And yet, to be out like this, miles from any telephones, cities, cars...

It's so wonderful.

My Father's voice is so much more distinct.
His power is so evident. Life's purpose seems so clear.
And yet, as I realize how big He is,
I realize how much I don't know, don't understand His limitlessness...

As I pray,
I ask, God is there more you want to tell me?

The next morning, I open my little Bible. He guides my hands to Psalm 147, and whispers,

"[I] delighteth not in the strength of the horse: [I] taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man. [I] taketh pleasure in them that fear [me], in those that hope in [My] mercy." (vs. 10 & 11)

Just think--the God of the universe isn't impressed with the greatness of His mountains, the strength of horses or bears that He's made, or in the abilities of man...I love to climp to the top of a mountain and look down. Sometimes I stop and think, wow, my legs brought me all the way up here! But this is nothing to God. He cares, but only because He cares about me, not because He's so impressed at my strength, which isn't much anyway.

What He takes pleasure in is my awe of Him. What brings Him joy is when I believe in and hope in His mercy! Mercy--is that not what we all want, what we all need, what He freely offers? He says stop trying to do it all in your own strength. Trust me, hope in my mercy. Let me be your Savior.

I sit in thoughful silence for awhile... wow, God. Thanks. Thanks for reminding me what you really want from me--not my strength but my need of and faith in your mercy.

To Make a Difference

This morning, I got an email from friends with AFM in Ireland. The end of their letter had a thought that I found simple but profound and far reaching... Something for all to consider as we try to share His love. They wrote,

"The longer we’re here, the more we’re convinced that the single biggest thing we can do to create the influence we need and want to create is to retain a physical presence. There is no amount of stuff we do, literature we send out [or] things we build that can communicate the same message as a personal commitment to the people by giving of our life by being a member of their community. This is at the heart of how God does it, and it cost Him everything. Any day He could have decided [He'd] had enough dust, disease and sleeping on the ground and gone back to His throne [in] heaven; but He stayed until His work was done—and it made a difference, all the difference."