Prayer Letter - June 2012

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Dear Friends and Family:

While most of you are probably trying to stay cool, as we near the summer months, I am sitting in my beautiful office my daughter in law, Mona recently converted from my guest room while I was off on a three-week speaking trip. Although my window is open, I am wearing a sweater. I don’t think any place on earth is as lovely as the town where I live. And I certainly hope you love your corner of the world.

I don’t know if age has anything to do with it, or maybe it’s because I’m a woman, and homemaker at heart, but if I had it my way, I would never, never leave the confines of my home. But I’ll have to admit, when I return from one of those trips, it’s wonderful to be greeted by my children and friends with special treats, and bouquets and banners. I am so loved!

But this is a letter about my ministry, because you and I are concerned about making sure people know how to go to Heaven, and are taught how to love and serve the Lord and others. So, I hope this will make you as happy as it does me:

I got to win a teenage girl, Sophie to the Lord on April 4. Her grandfather was recently saved from a life of alcoholism, and I wish you could see the drastic change from scraggly to clean-shaven and neat; from slurred greetings to clearly spoken “Sister, good morning,” at church. We have seen six baptisms; five were adults from one family!

Youth Camp April 3-6 brought many results, including the salvation of one particular young man, and young lives surrendered to full-time service.

My son, Joel, was here on a brief week-end visit. He and Margaret and their two little girls have a bi-lingual ministry in New Mexico. He preached at the conference of the new church in Nueva Maravilla, and was a blessing also with his beautiful singing.

The attendance in our monthly ladies’ prayer breakfasts has increased, and we are happy to have visitors and first ladies and military wives as our special guests every month.

In the month of May I was honored to speak in the Family Conference, Pastor Bob Murillo and Joy, in Guadalajara, where I was treated like a queen. Pastor Alejandro Ramírez, and his lovely wife, Rosie, gave me royal treatment, as I spoke at their Ladies’ Conference in Cuernavaca. My daughter, Ruthie, joined me there, and also spoke. Then we rode the bus for 6 hours to her home in Querétaro, where her husband Steve had stayed with their six children during her three-day absence. I spent two unforgettable weeks in their home, and spoke at their Mother-Daughter Banquet, and twice to their ladies’ Sunday school class. Their church has tripled in attendance since I was there two years ago! We made precious memories, especially as I accompanied her on the piano and she recorded two CD’s of old hymns…in English and in Spanish.

But life wouldn’t be real if it were all Eden-like climates, and spending time with those we love, would it? It was during one of those times when Ruthie and I were together, that we received the sad news that our friend, Catherine, faithful missionary to Ukraine, went to Heaven, after only two months of being diagnosed with cancer. To Matt Hudson and your children, Daniel, Rachel, and Deborah; and to Bro. and Mrs. Bob Ross, and your daughters, Cynthia, Nancy, and Emily, I extend my deepest sympathy. I’m not sure of the “whys” right now. But then I don’t have to be.

So I’ll just have to accept my questions as God’s answers to His working in mysterious ways, and go on serving Him. And I do joyfully!

Your friend,
Billie Sloan
Nahum 1:7

Tragedies, part 2

“…weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”

Even as I write, some of my dearest friends buried their beloved daughter today. The wife of a missionary to Ukraine went to Heaven a few days ago, after only two months of being diagnosed with cancer. A husband and three precious children said farewell to the one who only a few months ago was the joy of their lives. Hundreds of Ukrainians thousands of miles away are grieving in their own way, as the one who told them of Jesus is now seeing Him face to face.

I don’t really know if I’ve ever suffered a real tragedy like the ones my loved ones are suffering today. Oh, I can remember back over my life…things that at the time seemed tragic, like the night I went to bed, and realized I hadn’t felt any movement from the little baby I had carried for six months. He was such an active baby. I mentioned this to my pediatrician husband. “Sometimes when babies get bigger, they tend to be a little slower. I’ll check you in the morning.” As soon as the examination began, I could tell by the look on his face that something was wrong. I don’t know if we just refused to believe that this could be happening to us. I had very normal, happy pregnancies with our other seven healthy babies, and very uneventful, normal deliveries. It was tragic for me to carry our little baby for two weeks before his untimely birth.

I wrote the previous paragraph yesterday. And something I learned, that I would like to teach you is the following: while the tragedies of my life seem small in comparison to what some of my friends are suffering today, at the time I was going through those terrible times, they were as tragic to me, as those are to my friends today. And this is what I’ve learned: with time, past tragedies seem to weave themselves into the fabric of our lives. We learn a new “normal,” and life goes on. At the risk of sounding cold and hard (which I’m not) I know with the passing of days, and weeks and months, and years, the death of my dear missionary friend will eventually become part of her family’s past, and they will be able once again to feel. The numbness of grief will subside, and there will be hope for tomorrow, new dreams, new plans, and new goals to be reached.

I remember sitting on the side of my bed in the home of friends the day following my husband’s funeral. I had lost my sense of direction. For so many, many years he was the center of my life, he was my “ministry.” In many ways, he was my “decision maker.” Then suddenly he was gone. I went in for my 10:00 appointment with my pastor, Dr. Jim Vineyard, and he “set my feet on solid ground,” giving me direction for my life. That was over seven years ago. Today it would seem as strange for my Heavenly sweetheart to be sitting in his rocking chair next to my desk, as it was seven years ago for him to be gone. His absence has become part of my life. Our separation has become my “normal,” and anything else would seem strange. While I miss him, and will love him until the day we meet in Heaven, I’ve come to terms with the fact that God’s plan was to take him to Heaven, and leave me behind. Looking for ways to accuse God of being unjust, blaming others for taking the dearest to my heart from me, going into fits of depression would have been obstacles for the bountiful blessings and for the things I’ve learned through his death. I’ve been able to help other widows, as we cried together, and I told them, “Joy will come in the morning.”

It’s when we lose sight of that fact, that despair sets in. The “Will I ever be happy again?” and “Will life ever make sense again?” must not take control of our thoughts and actions, thus leading to bad decisions, broken relationships, and even to suicide. The death of a child, a child who turns his back on God, the desertion by a spouse, are tragedies, for sure. We will not get out of this life without tragedies to a certain degree. It’s what we do with those tragedies, and how we respond to them that determine our survival, and yes, even God’s blessings and the ability to see “tragedy-turned-blessing.”

Words seem so empty at a time like this. But if you’re standing in a heap of ashes left by tragedy:

1. Trust in the Lord.  He wants to be your Anchor, your Strength, and the only “Constant” in your life. He doesn’t change. He is Worthy of our trust. Put your trust in Him, and in no one else to save you. “The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble;” Nahum 1:7

2. Live today as if it were the last day you would spend with your loved one, because it very well could be. “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” James 4:14

3. If you love the Lord, all your tragedies are for your good. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 Those words seemed so empty to me when I was carrying our little dead unborn baby. And honestly, to this day, I see absolutely no “good to me.” Or do I? Come to think of it, I guess I can. I’ve been able to “comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted by God.” II Corinthians 1:4 I have used my tragedy to comfort others who are going through the tragedy of losing a baby. How is it possible that the cruel death of the Son of God could be turned into something good? He rose the third day, and said to His disciples, “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.” John 16:7 If the Lord had not died on the cross, we would have had to die for our sins. He was our Substitute. He took our place, and if we choose to accept His sacrifice, we won’t have to suffer the tragedy of eternal death when we die. Because he rose again, I have a Comforter, the blessed Holy Spirit, to go with me through all my tragedies. The death of Jesus, the day when “the sun was darkened,” was changed into victory when on the third day He rose from the dead. Let Him turn all your tragedies into victories.

Prayer Letter - April 2012

 Dear Friends and Family,

If you don’t know the Lord, I don’t know how you cope with the challenges of this life. I’ve been a widow now for over seven years, and I believe because of that, the Lord seems Dearer to me than to some people, and surely Dearer than when my Heavenly sweetheart was here to listen to my woes, and share my burdens. I must several times a day, ask my Father to just give me joy in order to be a blessing to others. And He does.

I want my reports to you to always be uplifting, and on the positive side. But I would be less than honest to make you think the life of a missionary is care-free. I thank the Lord for my Salvation, and for good health to serve Him. I praise Him for my children, all loving and serving the Lord. I thank Him for you, my friends, and for a lovely place to live.

I thank Him for my ministry, where I was able to see several ladies saved these past two months; another gentleman, who was saved from a life of alcoholism; an entire family has been saved, and is faithful in church since I last wrote to you. Our church building is progressing, and one of the men who were saved this past month is giving us a very good price for his labor as a brick mason. What a joy to hear him when he goes past my kitchen door early in the morning on his way out to the property, “Good morning, Sister!”

My daughter in law, Mona, has started a ladies’ Bible class in her home every Thursday evening after ladies’ soul winning, and she is doing a magnificent job holding the attention of both lost ladies, and the ladies and teenage girls in our church.

Things are really coming together for the opening of Compassion Radio station that Tommy feels God would have him start. He has done a splendid job taking over the work while Philip and Liz have been away. We look forward to their return in a few days. The mission in San Lucas that Tommy started is progressing, as well as the new church in Nueva Maravilla, with souls being saved. Another young man in the church feels like God would have him start a work in La Concordia.

On a personal side, in September I look forward to the arrival of two new grandbabies. Please pray for my daughters, Ruthie and Elizabeth, and for the safety of these precious little ones…grandbabies #35 and#36!

My son, David, and his wife, Jolene, and their four children recently moved to Israel, where God has opened incredible doors of service for them. He is serving as tour guide at the Garden Tomb, leading Spanish and Russian speaking groups. Please pray for their safety. While they miss their beloved Ukraine and the people miss them, they are excited to be in this land where Jesus lived.

Your friend,
Billie Sloan
Nahum 1:7    

Tragedies, part 1

“And the sun was darkened,…” 

Luke 23:45 

In the last few weeks I have received news that has darkened my spirit: a young girl in our church was raped; the death of another little girl whose parents are missionaries; news of some huge changes in the lives of people whom I love more than my life; a near fatal accident of my friend; and the news of serious illness of a lady whom I admire.

At least for me, these are tragedies…some I share with dear friends, others in the lives of those I don’t know; and still other tragedies that make me cry every day.

Tragedies…disasters…it doesn’t matter what you call them. They leave us with a feeling of something that has come to an end, whether it’s the purity of a godly young girl; the death of another little girl; or the ministry of others.

Tragedy almost always marks the end of something that up until then brought happiness and joy. Tragedy gives way to mourning, sadness and as our Scripture says, “the sun was darkened,” when just a few seconds before, it was shining. Tragedy always brings changes, and most of the time, permanent changes.

I don’t know how Mary felt the day of the death of her Son on the cross. For sure, she knew even before His birth that He would be born to die. Sometimes I think sudden tragedy is far more painful than those we expected.

I remember the day I received the phone call from my brother that my Daddy had cancer. His death was tragic, but I didn’t feel the same sadness the day of his death on March 11, 1990, as I did the day of that phone call. What a shock! In my mind, and in my heart, I thought Daddy would live forever. At least for me, the months following the day I heard he had cancer were much harder than those following his death. I had time to be alone with him; I told him everything that was in my heart, and we did everything we wanted to do, we went to all the places where we wanted to go.

But when my husband went to Heaven it was sudden. We weren’t expecting it. My children and I weren’t prepared. Although he had been sick for years, I never thought about his dying. For me, the day of his death was a tragedy.

In the past few weeks, I’ve received news of “tragedies” that I wasn’t prepared for. Just like the day my husband went to Heaven, I’ve wanted to go back and “undo” some of the things I’ve done, take back some things I’ve said, but I can’t. There’s no time.

How wonderful that Mary had time to say to her Son all the things she wanted to tell Him, to do with Him all the things she wanted to do while He was with her! She was prepared for that “tragedy” of His crucifixion. Although she suffered as only a mother can, she was prepared, because His death was prophesied.

But what about those tragedies that don’t warn us before their arrival?

I don’t really know what people who don’t know the Lord do in times of sudden tragedies. And although I’ve never suffered some of the disasters that my friends are going through today, with complete confidence, using my personal experiences, observing the lives of others, but above all, using the Word of God, I’m going to offer some words of comfort. If you’ve never suffered a tragedy, one day, sooner or later, tragedy will knock at your door. I hope you will take to heart what I’m going to tell you when it does.

Have you ever gone to bed, and didn’t want to ever wake up? I have. A darkness that I’ve never felt overwhelmed me. Many years ago, my Daddy and I were traveling alone. We visited Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. As our guide directed us, he warned us that he was going to turn off all the lights. There in the depth of those caves, I remember “feeling” darkness that I had never experienced…you could feel it, as though you could reach out and touch it.

That was the same darkness I felt the day of my tragedy.

Divorce is one of the greatest tragedies a person can experience. Although, by the grace of God, I’ve never felt the effects of that disaster, I had the same reaction a few weeks ago, as a child has when he discovers his parents are no longer going to live together, and that is guilt. How many times have we heard little children say, “It’s my fault my parents don’t want to live together any more.”?

That was my reaction a few weeks ago over some pretty devastating news: “Is this my fault?”

Too late we want to fix broken things. We wish we hadn’t said things we have spoken. But once words are spoken, they’re like eggs: once they’re broken, it’s impossible to return them to their shell. 

We regret lost opportunities which we will never again have. There is finality in some tragedies. Even the sound of the word “tragedy” sounds like the end, the endless “nevers.” What existed a few seconds before is suddenly gone forever.

Besides guilt feelings, and lost opportunities, there is always the question, “Why?” “Why MY daughter,” “Why MY job,” “Why HIS health?”

Tragedy always brings changes, it takes away a certain sense of security, and life is never again the same. Surely the disciples felt forsaken when their Master died. So many people loved the Lord, and they were going to miss Him.

If you’re standing in a heap of ashes left by tragedy:

1. Trust in the Lord. He wants to be your Anchor, your Strength, and the only “Constant” in your life. He doesn’t change. He is Worthy of our trust. Put your trust in Him, and in no one else to save you. “The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.” Nahum 1:7 

2. Live today as if it were the last day you would spend with your loved one, because it very well could be. “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” James 4:14 

3. If you love the Lord, all your tragedies are for your good. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 How is it possible that the cruel death of the Son of God could be turned into something good? He arose the third day, and said to His disciples, “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.” John 16:7 If the Lord had not died on the cross, we would have had to die for our sins. He was our Substitute. He took our place, and if we choose to accept His sacrifice, we won’t have to suffer the tragedy of eternal death when we die. The death of Jesus, the day when “the sun was darkened,” was changed into victory when on the third day He rose from the dead.

Prayer Letter - February 2012

Does it seem to you like the first month of this year just flew by? I’m constantly reminded of how precious the gift of time is. I want to use every second of my waking hours for the Lord.

The months of December and January have been loaded to the brim with excitement. The auditorium we rented was packed out the nights of the conference December 13-15. Visiting pastors did a magnificent job preaching the Word, and challenging Christians. How thrilling it was to see the unsaved wife of one of our members attending every night. She also attends our ladies’ monthly prayer breakfasts. I have faith that some day she will be saved.

My son, Tommy, is doing a great job taking care of the work while his brother, Philip is in the USA on a short furlough. Even as I write, preparations are being made to have a three-day campaign in a village about an hour from San Cristóbal. Thousands of flyers have been passed out not only in that village, but in neighboring villages as well.

On January 7, I received a happy phone call from my granddaughter, Debbie. “Mimi, I’m saved!” Tommy received the same call, “Uncle Tommy, I’m saved, and I want to get baptized,” and he baptized her the next day.

There were two new ladies present at our ladies’ prayer breakfast January 25, both military wives. Thank you for your prayers for these special ladies.

Bro. Rodolfo and his son, Wilber, the young man who hosts the children’s Saturday Bible club in his home, feel that the Lord would have them start a church in the same neighborhood. The children’s ministry has been a great tool in reaching the parents of these children. Back in December, Wilber and Jessica hosted a Christmas party, and invited the parents of these children. I was delighted to have led two little boys to the Lord that afternoon. Pray for this father-son team as they start this new work.

People are being saved and baptized, and the church is growing. I led a young lady to the Lord on January 8. She was convicted that she should “get her life straightened out,” in her words.

My plans for this year include traveling to speak at ladies’ conferences: the states of Veracruz, Morelos and Querétaro in the country of México; the states of Illinois and California in the USA; and the countries of El Salvador, and Ukraine. Pray for strength, wisdom, and finances as I gladly carry out my mission here on earth.

Your friend,

Billie Sloan    

Chapter 14 - "Visions"

Tommy (my oldest son) has big, big plans to visit the other little villages one day. One night, as we were traveling back home, he pulled the van over...well, actually he stopped in the middle of the road, because there is no place to pull off the road. From San Cristóbal, you go down, down, down until you reach the bottom of the valley where San Lucas is located. So at a certain point along the way, at night, you can see the lights of village after village, the most incredible sight. I was sitting right behind Tommy, and he said, "Mom, I'm just going to get out and look at this." In the darkness, no one saw my tears, but I could imagine Daddy getting out, or getting off his donkey, and looking out over that vast valley, seeing past the lights, into homes and hearts, and wondering if anyone would ever go and take them the Gospel.

You know that verse that talks about Mary pondering? I think that must be what that means, and she must have felt like I felt that night, pondering and pondering...my mind and my body were so tired, but God gave me a little more strength to feel joy unspeakable. (Excerpt from a letter to my children.)

The dictionary defines “vision” as the act or power of anticipating that which will or may come to be: prophetic vision;

Have you ever had a vision? Don’t go all spooky on me, now. If you know me, you know I’m the most “un-spooky” person you’ve ever met.

This book is about my children and what I learned from living with them for twenty-three years (the length of time I home-mothered: from the time the first one was born, until the last one was married.) Boy, did I learn a lot from them!

But let me tell you a story from my childhood…actually I was a young adult at the time.

I practically grew up on the mission field of Mexico with my three little brothers. This story probably happened when my middle brother, Lanny, was about 15. My parents were out of town, my “little” brother, Tommy had by then left for Bible College, and my “baby” brother, David, was with my parents. One night I was fixing to go to bed. It was very hot…no air conditioner, so I had my windows open. I turned off the light, and as I was opening my curtain to let the cool evening breeze in, I noticed a figure under the beautiful big shade tree in our front yard. We lived out in the country, right on the highway, and evidently a bum, or a drunk had wandered up in our yard, and helped himself to bedding down for the night in a chair, which was leaning up against the tree. I was sure he wasn’t there to harm me, but just to have a safe place to snooze for a few hours. Still, I couldn’t bring myself to lie down and sleep, knowing a strange who-knows-what was in my yard.

So I did what any red blooded girl would do: I went in and woke up my teenage brother. “Come here,” I know I scared the daylights out of him, “there’s a man under the tree in the front yard.”

He was a mighty brave about-15-year-old, and shot out the door, as if just waiting for an adventure. “Be careful,” I warned him, and I can’t remember to save me if he grabbed a weapon. I think a machete would have been the only one available.

I ran back to my window to watch the scene. Looking back, I don’t know what on earth I would have done if the stranger had attacked him. There were no cell phones back then, and we had no house phone. The nearest neighbor was across the highway, and I would have had to run right past the villain to get help.

I watched as slowly and quietly my brave little guardian angel slipped carefully past my bedroom window, out toward the tree. I could hear my heart, and thought it would beat right out my ears!

But to my surprise, when he reached the ax murderer, he grabbed the empty chair, and turned around, and just shook his head at me. What appeared to be a man leaning up against the tree was just an empty chair someone had left earlier while seeking a shade from the hot sun. My vision turned out to be a harmless chair, with eerie shadows cast from the tree, creating the form of a man in my imagination.

My little sleepy headed brother came calmly back into the house, but I praised him for his bravery. He had no idea what he would confront out there in the dark, but he was willing to risk his life for me.

My adventure turned out to be just a vision formed by the illusion of the shadow cast by that old tree, and probably my wild imagination.

That’s a good story, but it’s not the kind of vision I want to tell you about…the visions I had when my children were growing up.

Neither am I talking about the mystic visions people say they have of angels or devils, or of their future husband.

I’m talking about the vision defined above; I guess a “prophetic vision,” although I’m not a prophetess.  There’s a Scripture in the book of Luke in the Bible that has always grabbed my attention ever since I became a mother. It’s a comment about perhaps one of the most famous mothers of all time, Mary, the mother of Jesus.  It’s found in Luke 2:19, and it says, “But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.” I’ve always “envisioned” Mary sitting there in the stable, right after the shepherds had visited her newborn Son. “To ponder” means according to the dictionary, “to weigh in the mind with thoroughness and care. To reflect or consider with thoroughness”

Can you even begin to imagine what Mary was pondering in those quiet moments right after her Baby’s birth? I can remember so vividly sitting up in my hospital bed (eight times, to be exact) and looking into the face of my precious little baby I had just brought into the world, and “pondering, and pondering and pondering: What will he be when he grows up?...has her husband already been born?...will she someday be sitting here, holding her newborn in her arms?...what will those little hands hold someday?...will he be a doctor like his Daddy?...”

I can almost “hear” you nodding your head. You’ve been there, haven’t you, Mom? Dreams…ambitions…visions!

I can close my eyes, and see him standing there. It’s 7:00 in the morning, really too early for a three-year old to be out of the house. But he determined to go with me every morning, Monday through Friday to my little class next to our house. We lived in a little village called Ixtapa back in the 70’s, and my husband had decided it would be good for the little boys in our boys’ home, to have a Bible lesson every morning. We had taken these little boys, mostly street urchins, some their destitute mothers brought to us. Every morning they would march off to the village school. But before they put “book learnin’” into their little heads, I would teach them a short Bible lesson, go over their memory work, and then teach them a song we would be learning for the children’s choir.

My little boy would stand up as tall as his little legs would allow, open his little mouth as wide as he could, and sing with all his heart.

One morning, I had a vision. I don’t know what else to call it. I was playing my accordion and the boys were singing, just like they did every morning. But this morning was different. Suddenly, my little son looked like the choir boy on a Christmas card. And my mind fast-forwarded about twenty years. He was standing before a large congregation singing with all his might in the most beautiful tenor voice I have ever heard.

As quickly as it appeared, it went away, and was completely forgotten…

…until years and years later. He was in Bible College, and he was singing with his brothers and sisters at a Christmas banquet. There he stood, as handsome as any young man I had ever seen. Suddenly, as if the Lord turned back the clock, I was standing in a little Indian village, accordion strapped to me, and I was looking into the little face of a little choir boy.

A vision? A dream? I don’t know. I never shared this story with anyone until now. Not even back in the 70’s with his Daddy. I think I must have doubted my little country boy could ever stand in a nice church in the USA, much less sing at a fancy American college Banquet. Someone thought he was good enough to sing, though. His music teacher thought he had potential…enough to record a CD with him.

Yesterday, I wrote my weekly e-mail to all eight of my children and their spouses, and I told the story I included at the beginning of this chapter. While I was having “visions” of the past, my son was having a “vision” of the future. I hope he will do the same thing with his children.

Look at those pudgy little hands. What do you see? Let your imagination run wild. I did that early morning, when there was absolutely no one else around to envision in my little boy what he could someday become. Looking back, I don’t think even I believed it enough to share that vision with his Daddy. So impossible!

Impossible?

You know what visions do? They build skyscrapers, and they go to the moon, and they swim the English Channel.

The next time you wash your baby’s hair, or trim her nails, or tie another shoestring, “ponder.”

That’s what that college music professor did with my son.

That’s what my pastor, Dr. Jim Vineyard, did with college kids. He envisioned pastors, and writers, and musicians, and missionaries. He envisioned unlikely kids with diplomas marching across the platform on graduation day.

Don’t limit your vision to the now. Visions turn drab rainy days into exciting challenges. If visions can change a pile of dirty laundry into neatly ironed and folded clothes, if that’s what keeps you diligently working and working until it’s all put away, imagine what visions can do to a stay-at-home mom while she’s explaining a Math problem, or giving out Spelling words.

Sometimes we labor at mommy-ing without a vision. I certainly did. Now that I’m a full-grown Mom, I have the joy of looking back, which is the opposite of vision.

I watch him in the pulpit, reading his passage for the Sunday morning service, and I think, “Wow, I taught that preacher to read!”

She’s a mommy now, and I’m amazed at how she can juggle housework, homework, church work, and six children…at the same time sometimes. And I wow her with, “I don’t see how you do it!” Her response? “Mom, you used to do it with eight!”

I never had a vision of my little girl watching me clean beans, give out spelling words at the same time, and dreaming that one day she would be doing the same thing. But she does!

I never listened, and listened and listened and listened to my little son while he stumbled over the words in his reading exercise, and think, “WOW! I’m teaching a preacher to read!” But I was.

I never dreamed while I listened to him recite the Declaration of Independence, that one day he would entertain a Vice Prime Minister. But he does.

If he’s flying a kite, will he someday be flying Air Force One?

Stumbling through her piano lesson? She could be a concert pianist in your vision, in your dream.

Let’s face it, Mom. Your job right now could be downright nightmarish, when you think of your responsibility. How I flubbed it so many times! I would go to bed at night, and visions of criminals, and druggies danced in my head. That “what’s-the-use” feeling of absolutely being a failure.

I wish I had been smart enough to realize who was putting those visions in my head. It certainly wasn’t the Lord. So when you-know-who puts those negative visions in your head, run him off to where he came from.

Do you want to be successful at anything? You can’t without a vision, whether it’s taking off 20 pounds by envisioning yourself in your dream dress, or tackling that closet by envisioning neatly organized shelves. Can’t do it!

Or maybe you can produce “dream kids” without a vision. I know Moms who didn’t half try, and they have marvelous children, who are mature, responsible adults. But wouldn’t it be fun someday, as you hear a wonderful inspiring sermon, or watch your little girl knead bread while listening to your grandchild recite poetry, and watch as that vision you had 20 years ago unfolds into reality?

Nothin’ like it!

And absolutely nothin’ like mothering. I’m still doing it!

How to Prosper, How to Fail

“And he sought God…and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper.”

II Chronicles 26:5

Have you written your New Year’s resolutions?  I have, and you know what? They’re the same ones I had last year. We wish each other a “Happy New Year,” and others wish us a “Happy One” right back.

When we wish happiness for each other, what we’re really saying is “I hope you’re prosperous this year.” I want to be prosperous in 2012, not materially, but spiritually. I desire to draw closer to God than I did in 2011. I think when you get right down to it, “to be prosperous” is to “be blessed.”  Well, there’s no better place to find the “formula” for “prosperity, or blessings, or happiness” than in the Word of God.

Some months ago, I was reading in the book of II Chronicles the story of a king named Uzziah. He was only sixteen years old when the people of Judah took him and made him king. Uzziah feared God. The Bible says, “he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord,” (v. 4)

If you want to have a Happy New Year, if you want to be “blessed,” and prosperous, you need to:

Do right.  Perhaps in the eyes of men you can be successful by lying, living an immoral lifestyle, and mistreating others in order to reach your goals this year. But when you do that, you’re not doing that which is right, and the key phrase is “in the sight of the Lord.” As long as Uzziah did what was right, God “made him to prosper.” I’ve heard it said, “Do right though the stars fall.” But we can only do right, when we know what’s right.  The will of God in our lives, the “what’s right” is found in the Word of God. One of your resolutions for this year should be to “read the Bible through.” Start in Genesis, and read it all the way through to the end of Revelation. Even though you don’t understand what you’re reading, read it anyway. If you’ll dedicate just twenty minutes every morning to systematically reading the Bible, in one year you will have finished reading it through. January has already gone? Then start now to read it through, and start all over in February of next year. Dedicate another fifteen minutes to memorizing verses and chapters, one new verse every week. Teach them to your children and grandchildren. There are many methods, many books that encourage people to memorize Scripture. There are even clubs that children can join, organized with the purpose of stimulating children’s memory to “hide the Word in their hearts.” But it’s you, Mom, who are responsible for that, not the church. I don’t know what your routine or your lifestyle is. But there’s nothing more important that you can include in the lives of your children than learning Bible verses by memory.

Uzziah was a good man, and he did what was right, and as long as he did what was right, God made him to prosper. What a simple formula!

But who of us can qualify as a good person, like the people we read of in the Bible? Well, even the good men, like King David, had their weaknesses.

There are at least three sins of which Uzziah was guilty in this story. If we’re honest these same three sins can be a hindrance to God’s prospering us this year.

1. One of Uzziah’s weaknesses was his pride. “But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction:” (verse 16) Sometimes success is the worst thing that can happen to us, because we’re lifted up in pride. Think about your goals you’ve set for this year. Why do you want to achieve what you want to achieve? If pride, the desire to have more, or to be better than others motivates you to do more this year than you did last year, this could be a reason for God’s failure to prosper you. Do you remember the story in the Bible of the mother of James and John? Matthew 20: 21 and 22 say she went to Jesus, and asked a favor of Him. She said, “Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.” She wanted a place of preeminence for her sons, to show them off. Pride manifests itself in many ways in our lives. Sometimes we’re proud without even realizing it, because pride is very subtle. When we interrupt a conversation we’re showing a proud spirit with this attitude: “I know more than you do. What you’re saying is boring to me…it’s not as important as my opinion.” I don’t know if I just have a very critical spirit, but lately I’ve noticed how common it is for people not to pay attention to what others are saying. Sometimes it’s hard to detect. But when someone is very distracted when others are talking, at the same time it may be possible that the person talking is very boring, it could very well be for lack of courtesy. That’s a sign of pride. Sometimes I’m talking with someone, and some little something will distract them. It’s because they’re not interested in what I’m saying. When this happens with one of my children, I stand in front of the wall, and start talking to my curtain. It’s very obvious what I’m doing.  Maybe the word “bless” would be a better choice of words than “prosper.” I love the phrase some of my friends have written to me this year, “May you have a year full of the blessings of God,” which means, “May you have a prosperous year.”
2. Uzziah rebelled against God. He entered the temple to make sacrifice and to burn incense upon the altar. This was the office of the priest, and the priest could even resist the king in this matter. Uzziah’s rebellion was manifested when he disrespected the position of the priest. How about you? Do you respect your husband’s position? What about the position of your son in law in his home? And the authority of your Pastor? The Bible says that “rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft…” I Samuel 15:23 I say this kindly, but this year, let’s not be witches.
3. Lack of self control. Uzziah got angry. He had the censer in his hand to burn it. While he was “wroth” or angry, “the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests…” (V. 19) This was the instant judgment of God. I haven’t seen your resolutions for this year, but I’m sure that most of them, if not all of them require discipline…self control. Have you decided to take off some pounds this year? That requires self control. Do you want to read the Bible through this year? You’re going to have to discipline yourself, get control of yourself. We all get angry, we lose control. We say things, we do things that we wish we hadn’t said or done. We should ask the Lord every morning of this year to take control of our actions, our thoughts, and even our moods. Do you ever wake up in a bad mood? You know what? It’s my very personal opinion that every woman should get up before anyone else in her household. Why? Because we set the atmosphere in our home, whether we’re a wife, mother or grandmother.   The lady of the house sets the mood of her children, her husband and her grandchildren. The First Person every lady should meet in the morning is the Lord…He’ll help you to start your day in a good mood.  No one likes to get out of bed on a cold morning. During the winter months, our bed is more delicious than any other time of the year. But just tell God, “Lord, help me to have enough character to get up, and spend time alone with You.” Guess what! Did you know He wants to spend time with you, more than you want to spend it with Him?

As long as Uzziah sought the Lord, God made him to prosper. As long as he did what was right, he was prosperous. But when he was lifted up in pride, when he rebelled, and when he lost his temper, “the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of the Lord, from beside the incense altar.” (v. 19) “And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house; for he was cut off from the house of the Lord:…” (v. 21)

Imagine being a queen one day, surrounded by people who serve you, and probably love you, who live for your comfort, and the next moment to live in a “several house;” …apart, alone, with no one to care for you. Does that sound like people you know who are in nursing homes? What a lonely life some people live. My heart goes out to them. But I often wonder how many lonely elderly people are where they are, because when they were younger, they didn’t seek the Lord. Maybe they were rebellious, and proud, and had no control over their temper, and they lost their children. Their family rejects them, as though they had leprosy.

Just like King Uzziah, you can enjoy the prosperity of God today in your life. But if you don’t seek Him, you’ll end up like the king did, apart from those who surround you today.

What does 2012 hold for you? Prosperity or loneliness? Blessings or curses? It’s up to you!