June 21 ~Mark 8:1-3
At about this same time he again found himself with a hungry crowd on his hands. He called his disciples together and said, "This crowd is breaking my heart. They have stuck with me for three days, and now they have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they'll faint along the way - some of them have come a long distance."
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
I told you the other day about Chuckie, the hungry little boy who was in my class one year. His was such a sad situation. Chuckie was nearly seven, but because of malnutrition and neglect, he functioned on the level of someone about age 3. He would spend hours playing with toys in the corner of the room, oblivious to the other children in the class. And was he ever hungry! Chuckie’s dad made sure that his mother ate first each night – for fear she might get upset and leave the family. So Chuckie and his sister ate the leftovers – if there were any – and mostly it was, as Chuckie put it, “p-skettie” (spaghetti). I think it was actually some sort of boxed noodle dish, like mac ‘n cheese.
Anyway, I knew that as sure as the sun came up, Chuckie would arrive at my door each morning hungry. I also knew if I didn’t feed him each afternoon, he might not eat again until morning. So I fed him… and fed him… and fed him some more. And he grew – physically and mentally. At Thanksgiving time, my class cooked our own holiday lunch and ate in the classroom. We decorated lavishly and had a wonderful time together, and a reporter from a Little Rock TV station came to do a story about us. His name was Chuck Dovish, and Chuckie found it amazing that he shared the reporter’s name! Chuck Dovish went around the room and asked the children, “What are you thankful for?” Chuckie’s answer, with wide eyes and a broad gesture of his arm was, “…all this food.”
This broke MY heart. You and I so take food for granted. We have no clue what it means to be hungry. We do not realize how many people in our own community are skipping meals because they can’t afford to eat… how many children are just as hungry as Chuckie and his little sister. We shouldshould be broken-hearted! But there is more… just as many people in our midst are spiritually starving. Just as many – or more – need to hear the word of God and know that He loves them and cares for their every need. Just as many people need to know that we care about their heart as much as their stomach. For some of them, it’s more than just the worry they will faint along the way… it could affect their eternity and whether they are with us in heaven!
How are you “feeding” those around you? Are you giving to food banks? Are you contributing to the food drives at holiday time? Are you witnessing to others in the name of Jesus and feeding their hungry souls? Who is nearly fainting in front of YOU today - and what will you do about it?
©2009 Debbie Robus
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June 20 ~ Mark 6:32-34
So they got in the boat and went off to a remote place by themselves. Someone saw them going and the word got around. From the surrounding towns people went out on foot, running, and got there ahead of them. When Jesus arrived, he saw this huge crowd. At the sight of them, his heart broke - like sheep with no shepherd they were. He went right to work teaching them.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
Have you ever been so tired that all you wanted to do was kick back and relax for awhile? Maybe you rented a movie that you’ve been wanting to see, and you stretched out on the couch or in your favorite chair with a snack, ready to enjoy a couple of hours of getting lost in the story. Or maybe you planned a quiet evening… dinner with just your family or a few really close friends and a good visit… or a lazy Saturday afternoon float on the lake… or a cozy Sunday afternoon nap. BUT… the phone rang, and someone needed you for something.
Maybe the call wasn’t necessarily an emergency, but it wasn’t one you could ignore either. All of a sudden, the reverie of your plans was shattered. What did you do? What did Jesus do? There are times in our lives when we can “just say ‘No!’,” but there are times when others need us. They need our time and attention – or our presence. We must ditch our plans in favor of their needs and do what needs to be done.
I know that in my own life, some of these times when I changed plans and did something with someone else – or FOR someone else – were some of the most rewarding times I have experienced. God blessed me in ways I couldn’t even imagine. I remember being awakened from a Sunday nap to sit with my great-aunt in the last hours of her life after she suffered a stroke. I can think of times that I stopped what I was doing to listen to a friend pour out his/her heart about a troubling issue. I can remember meals that were delayed and houses that didn’t get cleaned as planned, because someone needed my help. And as I look at those times, I see that God was orchestrating not only help for the person in need – but also tremendous blessings for me.
If we will listen to God, He will give us times of rest and relaxation. Obviously, even Jesus got tired and needed time alone - and God surely knows that WE do, too. He will grant this. But He wants us to be ready to answer the call of others. He wants us to be broken-hearted and sympathetic over their needs. What will we do? Will we turn up the television or roll over and pull the covers over our heads? Or will we get right to work and share God’s love? Will we answer His call?
©2009 Debbie Robus
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June 19 ~ Matthew 23:37-39
"Jerusalem! Jerusalem! Murderer of prophets! Killer of the ones who brought you God's news! How often I've ached to embrace your children, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you wouldn't let me. And now you're so desolate, nothing but a ghost town. What is there left to say? Only this: I'm out of here soon. The next time you see me you'll say, 'Oh, God has blessed him! He's come, bringing God's rule!'"
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
Many of you know that I have a new great-nephew, Timothy. Now a month old, this baby is a 9-lb. bundle of joy. One of my favorite things to do is to stop by his house for a little “Timmy Time!” His favorite thing to do is to draw his legs up underneath him (assuming the fetal position) and nuzzle into my chest and neck. And I love that! I gather him into my arms and snuggle him closely.
I hope I am developing a bond with Timothy. Already he looks in my direction when I speak, and I am thinking he will learn to recognize my voice and my cologne and know his Aunt Debbie is near. Want to hear something cool? Jesus wants to develop a bond with us! He wants us to recognize His presence and to know that He is near! He aches to embrace us – to nuzzle and snuggles us in His arms. But so often, we are like the Pharisees and religious teachers of Jerusalem. We have turned away and rejected this affection – we have walked away from Jesus.
The Good News is that He is waiting to draw near to us and hug us tightly. This is what I mentioned a couple of days ago as I talked of the woman on the forum who has turned her back on God and walked away. How she needs someone to hug her… and how Jesus wants to do just that! We need to be sure that we recognize Jesus… that we rest in His arms. We need to be sure that we are encouraging others and reminding them of how much Jesus loves them – hugging them in His name. So many of us are “desolate” and empty on the inside… like a ghost town. But we can change this… we can start living – and loving – for Jesus. As wonderful as my bond is with baby Timothy – the bond with Jesus is even greater. Praise God… I plan to develop both. Who are YOU bonded with these days?
©2009 Debbie Robus
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June 18 ~ Matthew 20:34
Deeply moved, Jesus touched their eyes. They had their sight back that very instant, and joined the procession.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
Have you ever looked at one of those “Magic-Eye” books where you are supposed to squint your eyes tightly and a 3-D image comes into focus? Those pictures give me a headache. But the thing is, it’s like “now you see it, now you don’t” in reverse. One minute you see a blob of images on a page, and the next, the 3-D image has come into focus! In that very instant, you see the image, and from then on, it’s easy to see every time. The same thing happens with those “hidden pictures” we enjoyed in Highlights Magazine as a kid. Once you know where they are, you see them forever.
Don’t you wish our relationship with Jesus were that uncomplicated? It could be, if we would allow Him to work. He could “touch our eyes” – and our hearts – and we would be able to see that very instant and join in His work. Taking this one step further, our kindness, our compassion, our reaching out to another person – if only in prayer – could be the touch that gives them back their “sight.” The power of our love and kindness for others in the name of Jesus could have powerful, instantaneous results – results that could last forever!
Look around. Where do you see “Magic Eye Image” people who need to bring things into focus in an instant? Where do YOU need this touch from the Master? What can you do to join the procession… and who will you bring along with you?
©2009 Debbie Robus
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June 17 ~ Matthew 18:12-14
"Look at it this way. If someone has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders off, doesn't he leave the ninety-nine and go after the one? And if he finds it, doesn't he make far more over it than over the ninety-nine who stay put? Your Father in heaven feels the same way. He doesn't want to lose even one of these simple believers.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
I belong to a Caregiving forum at AARP.org. People post questions/comments/concerns about issues related to caregiving, mainly for elderly loved ones. Recently a woman wrote a LONG post about being at the end of her rope. As a 62-year-old mother of 3 children with health issues – and two of them wheelchair bound – she apparently has endured decades of frustrations and challenges. Her marriage has failed, her health has been compromised, both of her parents have died, and she has been unable to work because of the demands of caring for her children. Sadly, she is one of many people who feel so overwhelmed by their challenges. And it is easy for these folks to get lost in the crowd.
The saddest part is that this particular woman has given up on God. She doesn’t feel that the “real God” would allow so much suffering – she feels that she is completely on her own… left to fend for herself. She has decided that God does not exist, and she kept referring to “the pretend God” others worship. If ever there was one sheep wandering in the wilderness, it is this woman!
Now I don’t know this woman personally… but after prayerful consideration, I answered her post and assured her that God does exist, and He most certainly DOES care about her and her children. I offered some suggestions for ways to address her specific concerns and problems (mostly agencies in her area that might be able to help), and I encouraged her to find a church and talk with a minister and other church staff members. I don’t know if she will read my post, much less listen to what I said, but I did my best to encourage her and give her hope – specifically hope in God.
As I read this scripture passage, I thought about the lady I commented to on the forum. I thought about how lost and alone she feels – and how much God loves her and wants her back. She feels like she is a sheep that God has deserted, but nothing could be further from the case. If YOU feel this way, please know that God loves you as much as any other of His children, and He will go to the ends of the earth to claim you and restore you. If you know someone who feels as this woman does, please prayerfully do what you can to reassure that person of God’s love and care for him/her. If YOU are this “sheep,” don’t believe for one minute that God is only a “pretend God” and doesn’t care about you. Stay awake and alert to those who need this message – and be God’s agent of compassion, love, and encouragement! Our God loves us, and he doesn’t want a single “sheep” to wander away!
©2009 Debbie Robus
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June 16 ~ Matthew 15:32
But Jesus wasn't finished with them. He called his disciples and said, "I hurt for these people. For three days now they've been with me, and now they have nothing to eat. I can't send them away without a meal - they'd probably collapse on the road."
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
When I was teaching, I had a little girl in my classroom whose mother had a serious heart condition. The first few days of the school year, Patricia’s mother came to my door one day and said, “I’m going to the Mayo clinic for a few days for some surgery.” The next time I saw her was at the funeral home, a week or so later. She did not survive the surgery, and Patricia and her siblings were left without a mother. Her parents were divorced, and her father lived in another state, so Patricia’s grandmother took in the children – ages 6, 5, and 2.
Patricia’s grandmother desperately wanted to keep the family together, but even in her early seventies, she had seriously failing eyesight and little to no stamina for rearing such young children. Ladies from a local church stepped in to help as much as possible, but from their reports and my on home-visit observations, I knew that these children were pretty well on their own much of the time. Another child in my class slept each night in a room with his 4-year-old sister, in a bed with no blankets. His mobile home was so poorly constructed and insulated that when it rained, water ran in around any opening, like windows and electrical outlets, according to his social worker.
I grieved over these children. I found it hard to sleep some nights, knowing these children were cold and hungry. I gave the little boy an extra “snack” from our cafeteria or a personal “stash” in my closet each afternoon, because I knew he might not eat again before the next morning (when I promptly fed him a breakfast). But my efforts didn’t extend to his little sister. So I was very concerned for her.
Between my efforts and those of local Human Services personnel and a family physician, we did our best to supplement these children and compensate for parental neglect. But for all of the things we did, there were countless others who had no one. Now, just as twenty years ago, there are children in your area who go hungry at night. There are dozens of senior citizens in your community who need help and have no family or friends who see about them. There are college roommates and people in your apartment complex who appear to have it all together, but they are about to “collapse on the road.”
The question is… are we paying attention? Are we all doing as much as we should to be awake and alert to the needs of others around us? More than that, are we actually taking steps to meet these needs? Or are we in essence sending these people away without a meal? If we want to be like Jesus, we have to follow His example. The “rest of the story” in Matthew is a familiar one - a “few fish and seven loaves” story. Out of basically a sack lunch, Jesus fed over four thousand people. Jesus isn’t asking us to work miracles on the same scale, but He is calling us to do the most we can with what we have. Will you step up to the plate? Are you in?
©2009 Debbie Robus
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June 15 ~ Matthew 14:13-14
When Jesus got the news, he slipped away by boat to an out-of-the-way place by himself. But unsuccessfully - someone saw him and the word got around. Soon a lot of people from the nearby villages walked around the lake to where he was. When he saw them coming, he was overcome with pity and healed their sick.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
Take it from me… learn to expect the unexpected in life! You already know about my chicken experience as a child (!), but I’m talking about real-life challenges. Accidents happen, people get sick – or die – world events and natural disasters can change everything in an instant. And we must change with the times, so to speak. It is so tempting to say, “But I had plans! What about me?” We’ve talked in recent days about how easy it is to look at others in need and say, “That’s really not my problem.”
But what if Jesus did this? What if He retreated to a cove to relax in the boat for awhile and ignored our needs? Do you get that Jesus NEVER takes a break? Do you understand He NEVER goes on vacation? And aren’t we lucky He doesn’t! But hasn’t there ever been a time when you wished even ONE person would see how hard you were working to help others and come to give you a hand? Did it ever occur to you that Jesus could use our hands from time to time?
Don’t get me wrong… we are NOT Jesus. We can’t do anything under our own power. But Jesus can use us. We can be His earthly hands and feet, and when He sees the needs and is overcome with pity and begins to heal, He can often use a hand… ours! The question becomes… where will you be when the unexpected happens? Will you stay hidden in the bottom of the boat? Or will you have pity and come to the rescue of others? Will you be compassionate and do what you can to help, in Jesus’ name? How much are you willing to give for the One who has given everything?
©2009 Debbie Robus
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