essays 96-105

1. #105 Just change the baby!
2. #104 Unwrap it!
3. #103 A "cakey" attitude
4. #102 Selah!
5. #101 Quality Time?
6. #100 Feel the Burn
7. #99 "Who's Who"
8. #98 Bungee-Cord Faith
9. #97 Stunted?
10. #96 While You Are Waiting

#105 Just change the baby!

Picture this: an infant--wet or worse--is crying pitifully. He needs to have his diaper changed; post-haste! But the designated diaper changers are arguing...

"It's your turn; I changed him last"

"Yes, but you still owe me for last week; besides, I'm busy right now."

Seems silly, doesn't it? Just change the poor baby! Why does it matter who does the job as long as it gets done (and the sooner, the better!)

This teamwork concept is not easily conveyed to children, either. Whenever you broach the subject, you might as well be speaking in a foreign language...

"Michael, please put away the juice"
"But I didn't get it out--Sarah did"
"But he used it last!"

or you hear tidbits such as:

"It's not my turn to do that"
"She left me with the hardest part"
"It's not  fair!"

No, teamwork doesn't come naturally; not even in the body of Christ. Does it ever seem like the majority of work is done by the same minority of members? It is so easy to lag behind and hope that someone else will pick up the slack, especially under the guise: "I'm sure there are others who are better qualified than I." I'm guilty of this as well--it is especially easy in a large congregation.

Another good thing to remember about teamwork is that old saying: "it's amazing how much can be accomplished when no one cares who gets the credit". God alone gives the increase; it really doesn't matter who does the planting or watering. Whether your task is one of high visibility or more behind-the-scenes, remember--we're all on the same team!

(the baby is crying again--isn't it your turn to get up with him?)

just read all of I Corinthians 12:12-28; too long to type up here.
Lori Fiechter, December '97

#104 Unwrap it!

Why does it seem to be a mark of "spirituality" to confess that you have no spiritual gifts? That seems to me to be akin to being proud of one's humility. Are you saying that God neglected to give you anything? Are you making God out to be stingy?

Now, I'm not saying that you should brag about your gifts--"Look what God gave me! I got the biggest present!" No, you shouldn't brag about a gift--

But ignoring or denying a spiritual gift is like hiding your light under a bushel. How can God work through you if you insist that you are only fit for observing from the sidelines? Christianity is not a spectator sport! There should be no Christian "couch potatoes!

This spiritual gift is between you and God; you are not to open your present in front of others and start comparing the contents:

"Lord, why didn't you give me that gift instead? It would have been a perfect fit! I don't care for this one--could I exchange it for something else?"

Be content with such gifts as you have--the Giver doesn't make mistakes! Open that present, accept the gift, and then use it--to His glory and honor and praise.

(Not to your own...or the gift may be "returned to Sender")

If you honestly don't believe you have any spiritual gift at all, ask God to reveal it to you; maybe you kicked it under the couch and didn't even realize it!

#103 A "cakey" attitude

The most famous words that Marie Antoinette never uttered were "Let them eat cake." Supposedly, she heard that the peasants were out of bread and this was her infamous reply. Why, if they were out of bread, let them eat cake! She was clueless as to their dire condition. She was out of touch with reality.

Of course, we would never say that to a beggar on the street (or would we? "be ye warmed and filled" James 2:16) but how about to those spiritual beggars among us? Do we assume that everyone has the same level of spiritual blessings, gifts, and opportunities that we have? When we see a fellow Christian struggling spiritually or mentally--perhaps overcome by the bane of mental illness or instability--do we unsympathetically respond "let her eat cake"? Pray to God that He will help us to understand and help those in spiritual poverty or trouble!

His manna is more nourishing than the world's dainties!
Lori Fiechter, December '97

#102 Selah!

You are all acquainted with speed bumps. There are some at a nearby Wal-Mart which I think are overly bumpy--even at 5mph! What is the purpose of speed bumps?--to make us slow down. It struck me this morning as I was reading in Psalms that some Psalms have "speed bumps" built in! I was mentally skipping over the word "Selah" again when I pulled up short. I don't think that we are certain of the meaning of Selah; some think it may be a musical term. This is a definition, though, that I like: "Pause, and calmly think of that!"

Selah might be a speed bump--to deliberately force us to slow down, to stop and think, to digest the spiritual food we've just eaten instead of racing on to the next verse. Perhaps it would be a good idea to mentally insert "Selah's" into every Bible passage that we are reading. Pause, reflect, and think about that!

The Bible was not designed as a speed-reading course!
Lori Fiechter, December '97

"that I may know him..." (Philippians 3:10)

"Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart."--Psalms 37:4

"Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay."--Jeremiah 20:9

#99 "Who's Who"

I received an application in the mail the other day for possible inclusion in "Who's Who in the Midwest". This was so obviously a mistake (or a cruel joke!) that I promptly tossed the letter in the trash--the kitchen trash.

The next day, I dug it out again. I was curious--and I had an idea for another essay. Retrieving it was slightly messy. I gingerly opened up the soggy application form and looked it over. Sure enough, I had absolutely no credentials to recommend me to such a list. Where do they get those names anyway?? I don't think that my scant dossier ("college drop out stays home and home-schools her children") would impress them.

I thought, "Who's Who?"--Who cares! No one reads such a book anyway except to find his/her own name; or perhaps as a cure for insomnia (see Esther 6:1). (Does that sound like "sour grapes"?) I'll never be in "Who's Who"--not even if they had one for Bluffton! And that's OK. I aspire to be included in another book. A lot of good it would do to have my name in "Who's Who" if it was not in the Lamb's book of life! (Rev. 21:27)

"Who's Who" in God's eyes? We might be surprised at His list of notables. He doesn't see things the way man does (see Isaiah 55: 8&9 and Is. 11:3&4). What have I accomplished for Him? I'm glad that God does not look at outward achievments but at the heart. (at least, I think I'm glad....) He is more concerned with motives and quality.

Who's Who--in heaven? "Is my name written there?"

lori fiechter, fall of '97

#98 Bungee-Cord Faith

It looks dangerous--plunging from a dizzy height with only a stretchy cord as protection against death or serious injury: Bungee-jumping. Miscalculations can kill; is the rope strong enough? elastic enough? not too long or too close to the ground?

Do we trust God the way a bungee-jumper trusts that cord--having the faith that He will hold us up when we jump out in faith? Do we have....bungee-cord faith?

Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah did (you know them by their Babylonian names). They told King Nebuchadnezzar "our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. BUT IF NOT, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up." (Daniel 3:17,18)

They would trust God--even if He did not miraculously deliver them! (As Job said, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him."13:15) There was no bargaining with God for these three friends; none of this "if you do this for me Lord, THEN..." Better than bungee-cord faith--absolute trust in God and His will. No "murmurings and disputings"--no complaining about their lot in life (we are captives in a foreign land--taken here against our will). They didn't argue with God, muttering, "Why me, Lord?

Abraham had that kind of faith. He believed that God's promises would be kept through Isaac even though he was asked to slay his son. (see Hebrews 11:19) Abraham didn't balk or try to understand first; he just obeyed. (Obedience to God's word comes before understanding; with God, "believing is seeing" and not the other way 'round") Notice that in Biblical examples of faith it was testing--even severe testing-- that proved how strong faith really was. We wouldn't think a bungee-jumper courageous if he plunged a mere four feet, would we?

Such a simple phrase "Trust and Obey"--a Sunday School song. And yet how true: there is no other way to be happy in Jesus.

Take the leap of faith--His strength will bear you up!

"Lord, increase our faith"
lori fiechter, fall of '97

#97 Stunted?

Several years ago, we planted two identical dwarf cherry trees in our yard. They were each watered and fertilized, planted at the same depth, planted on the same day. One tree is bearing lovely cherries now. The other....well, we finally chopped it down. It never grew at all; it never even bloomed, must less bore fruit. It was stunted. It just stayed alive and that's all. After 3 years, it looked exactly as it did on the day we planted it. No discerable growth, no fruit.

It reminded me of God's words to Israel in Isaiah 5:4

Such promise; such unfulfilled potential. Why?

Are any of us stunted in our Christian growth? Have we not really made any progress since we first believed? Do we bear only "wild grapes"; poor misshapen fruit? If our life is like this--still immature after all these years--can we blame the Gardener? As a minister once said, "if we are not as close to God as we once were--who moved?"

I am not sure why our little cherry tree never thrived. Perhaps we planted it too close to that big beech tree with its spreading roots. I don't know. The tree that is still producing fruit now was planted only a mere 5 feet away from the unproductive one.

What is the secret of those Christians who bear fruit 100-fold? Is it a total surrender of self to God? Is the secret in abiding, remaining, continuing in the true Vine?

One last thought: Some plants are very hardy and can grow anywhere--even in the desert or mountain heights; others require more tender care. If you are one of those hardy plants, be careful not to despise the more delicate ones. God has perhaps a different purpose for them. Take care to grow and produce the kind of fruit that God has designed you to bear.

Just don't be a thistle.  We're talking useful plants here!

Also, read the whole of John 15 on abiding in the True Vine, Jesus.

Lori Fiechter, fall of '97

#96 While You Are Waiting

There was a song on Mr. Roger's children's show called "Something to do while you're waiting". I thought about that when I was reading a short sketch of John Bunyan. John Bunyan spent 12 years in prison for preaching unlawfully (not approved by the State). But he didn't waste those prison years--he made laces to help support his family and he wrote the classic "Pilgrim's Progress". Martin Luther used the time when he was holed up in a friend's castle (in hiding) to translate the Bible into German. And that is where Luther wrote the great Reformation hymn "A Mighty Fortress is our God" (inspired by Psalm 46). The Apostle Paul wrote many of his Epistles from prison. You can think of many other examples of those who used "waiting time"--even prison time--to God's glory and honor.

Are you waiting now? Maybe some are elderly, bedridden and waiting to die. They can yet pray. I am watching and waiting for Jesus Christ to return for His own--but there is plenty to do while I am waiting.

God can use waiting times to draw us closer to Him and to His will--to force us to trust Him more....if we Let Him. No time is wasted if it accomplishes His purpose in us.

Do something--for God--while you're waiting!
Wait--and murmur not!

Lori Fiechter
fall of '97