Rescue the Perishing

My Ted was known for his one- liner zingers. Just before he had to be resigned to a hospital bed for eleven months, Ed and Judy Underwood, two of our "kids" who have been in ministry for decades by now,  came to see him. At the kitchen table Judy asked this: "Ted, why would the Lord require this of you?" Ted's answer: "Judy, I am not in management!" ...and we all chuckled. I chuckled through sixty years of marriage to this pioneer I married.   Years ago, my sons found a  stick man in a craft store with a football under his arm,  running pell mell toward the goal line.  They removed the football and replaced it with a Bible. Picture it. That was Ted.

Here's another Tedism: "If you want to be on the map, draw your own map". ....and he did.  Finally, after I nearly died emotionally and physically after pioneering in two towns and five cities,  and launching missions on several continents,  Ted's agape love for me brought us to this mountain.  I am looking  to the top of Bear Mountain right now, a couple of thousand feet above me, where the sun is making the ice and frost sparkle on the trees. As the snow has come down by the bucket-full the past few days, I have required nothing more of myself than throwing another log on the fire, cranking up my fleece sheets to 5, and burying my soul in the Book of Genesis, where all great truths of the Bible are germane. Were Ted here, he would have lasted about a half day before he jumped in our four-wheel Honda and ventured out to find some action. I have connected around the United States by phone and Email these past few days. That's "action" enough for me when the snow is blowin'.

I have been reading about a few heroes of the faith this week:  Polycarp and Tyndale. ...then my thoughts have gone to Susanna Wesley. All were simple mortals with no selfish ambitions who lived large on the pages of history. ...They,  "by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight".  Hebrews 11:33,34.  Their stories are action-packed. Did they have a "map"? I don't know. God did. If Polycarp had a map, he certainly didn't anticipate being burned at the stake for his faith in Christ. Caesar 's intent was that the watching believers would be terror-stricken and forsake their belief in Christ. His plan back-fired. The believers saw Polycarp's unshakeable courage and joy in the face of death and became even more resolved to stand firm in their faith. Polycarp bravely pioneered uncharted territory and beckoned his fellow explorers to follow in his footsteps. They gained strength to face even death for their true King.

Tyndale, a theologian and scholar in England in the early 16th century, lived during a time of widespread church corruption. (When hasn't that been the case?) There was no Bible in the language of the people. Those who defied the church were burned at the stake. Tyndale made it his life's work to develop an accurate English translation of the Bible that could be read by every person. His Bibles were outlawed, seized and burned, and he was killed. ...but his death was not in vain. His very last words were: "Lord, open the king of England's eyes".  A century later Tyndale's Bible paved the way for the Reformation in England and served as the foundation for the King James Version of the Bible.

Susanna Wesley? ...mother of 17 (!) who taught her own children and their friends in scripture. Her "classes" reached such proportions that the Church of England excommunicated her. Did that stop her? ...uh, no. I am reading her son John's quote: "Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I care not a straw whether they be clerymen or laymen; such alone will shake the gates of hell and set up the kingdom of heaven on earth."

For a few weeks, I was less than excited about heading into 2013.  It's tough going on without my racing partner on some days, but I can't quit. There is fruit. Fruit galvinizes me into bearing more fruit. ...so let's GO!
                                              
                                               Hymn of the week: Rescue the Perishing
Rescue the perishing, care fot the dying
Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave.
Weep o'er the erring one, lift up the fallen
Tell them of Jesus the mighty to save.
RESCUE THE PERISHING, CARE FOR THE DYING;
JESUS IS MERCIFUL, JESUS WILL SAVE

Love, Jo