Renewing the Mind

At 11:30 last night the phone rang. Bad news. Details are still fleshing out, so I'll be general, but we all need to pray for our nephew, Bobby. As many of you may know (and I haven't had a chance to enter yet) Bobby has left Khouse. He couldn't abide the rules any more. He's been staying with friends and sometimes at his dad's. We've invited him to church and have tried to keep in touch-he's been working in the plumbing division at Vision and until now (even through his mom's death) has been showing up and working hard.
The old life is tugging hard on Bobby. He's lost weight, been seeing the wrong friends, and missed work a couple of days last week. Other troubling things are happening, and just 4 short months out of Sterling in March.
Ron & I got up to talk, and watch a little tv to settle down. Then, when we went back to bed, we saw some things as we prayed. A vivid picture came of Jesus in the hull of a boat, asleep while a storm raged around Him. God was steering His ship, and whatever happened was all right with Him. Ye of little faith were all up on deck losing their minds with fear. Who was steering theirs?
In this blog, we've talked before about an intense quest for that peace and rest promised by our Sabbath, the Messiah. In brief moments, we've touched on it, and in so doing, we've enjoyed respites from physical pain, wasted time and unnecessary aging. We'd just returned from one of the most restful, recharging times we've spent in a long time, and in a former life we might've said of all this bad news, "Isn't that the way it goes-get things moving in the right direction and along comes bad news to ruin it." We might've blamed the liar, and said that it was just like him to send such worry our way at such a time.
But, #1, the liar only has so much power. And #2, when we ask God to teach us something, and the curriculum calls for challenges like this, should we call them evil, or roll with them as part of the lesson, determined to pass the challenge, lest we revisit it over & over until we do?
We prayed that we meet the challenge without fear. We began to enlarge our God, and minimize our problem. We reminded ourselves of just how small and helpless we are, and became comfortable with that. We encouraged ourselves by remembering God's amazing miracles in our family (see article titled "Look what the Lord Has Done") and filled our hearts with His awe once again. Then we simply gave Bobby and his family into the HUGE hands of an able God, and turned over and went to sleep. Our dreams were positive, and our sleep refreshing. Of course, we took up the fight again this morning, but we know that each day it will get easier. There's a tremendous prize ahead. Peace.
"My peace I leave with you, My own peace I bequeath to you."
"Be anxious for nothing, but with prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God, and let the peace that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."
"Be ye not conformed to this world (read: smoking, drunkenness, worry, anger, dispair) but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind."
"Taking every thought captive which would exalt itself above the truth."
Ron has pain in his wrists that flares up when he's stressed. A few things make him stressed, including getting older, and grief over a broken family. But, he's been working out again (and looking good, by the way!) The increased power is showing. And even better, he's been able to give these concerns to the Lord more and more, and he's daily gaining strength and reward in the renewing of his mind that no bodily strength can ever give him. Now that's real power - power that we may well need every ounce of in the uncertain days to come.
"In this world, you'll have trouble. But cheer up. I've overcome the world." And for that, we're more than conquerors!
Please pray for Bobby, and for our family. God will help us. It ain't over till it's over, and it ain't over yet. Victory is on its way.