THE NEW EWE

"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'"

Luke 15:4-6

April 15, 2020

LIFE IN THE FOLD:

Jon and I went many years with a clock in our living room. A couple years ago, I bought a small clock that we sat on the table beneath our television. Neither of us really realize how much we used it, until it stopped working a few days ago. We tried replacing the battery, and that didn't fix it. It was a cheap clock, so Jon told me it wasn't worth repairing so to just throw it away.

We missed having a clock! Of course, we had our cell phones and electronics that we could check the time on, but it wasn't the same. We couldn't just look up to quickly see the time. So I ordered a wall clock, which we now have hanging up on the wall that we can see from our recliners. This is something extremely minor that we had grown accustomed to and was easily replaced.

Often we take things for granted and don't realize how much we use it, until it's gone. The same can be applied to many things! We can take people for granted, thinking that they will always be around; take church for granted, believing that the doors will always be open and we can attend whenever we want; and take groceries for granted that we can purchase whatever we want, whenever we want; just to name a few example. Some things can be bought or replaced, and some we have to learn how to live without.

In the past few weeks, we have had our lives disrupted in many ways, seeing that many of those things that we took for granted are no longer readily available. Grocery store shelves are emptier than normal and items that we want to buy are not always in stock. Church doors across America have been closed for the past three weeks. Families are not able to see one another or spend time together. Things that we never imagined happening, just a month or so ago, have now shaken our lives. Changes have happened very quickly.

Adam and Eve experienced this in a major way while living in the garden in Eden. They lived in a world that was perfection. I mean, God came down and walked with them every day in the cool of the evening! They had one rule to obey; not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The serpent came and tempted Eve... she chose to give into the temptation to taste the fruit of that tree... then Adam made that same choice. They quickly saw their lives turned around and things were never again the same.

They became aware of their nakedness, so made clothes to cover up with. When God came down for their nightly visit, Adam and Eve tried to hide from Him. When God did confront them, their lives were forever changed from that moment on. They were driven from the garden, unable to ever enter in again. Adam had to work and toil by the sweat of his brow. Eve suffered the pangs of childbirth. That perfect world in which they had been created was gone and they now knew what sin was. The only lives that they had known, perhaps had even taken for granted, was quickly changed and gone; and was not one that they were ever able to recover.

In 2 Kings chapter 7 we read another story where there was a sudden change. The army of Syria went up against Samaria and surrounded the city. The siege lasted so long that the people within the city couldn't get food, and they were starving. The king vowed to cut off the prophet Elisha's head. He told Elisha, "All this misery is from the Lord! Why should I wait for the Lord any longer?"

Elisha replied, "Listen to this message from the Lord! By this time tomorrow in the markets of Samaria, six quarts of choice flour will cost only one piece of silver, and twelve quarts of barley grain will cost only one piece of silver."

The king's men said, "That couldn't happen even if the Lord opened the windows of heaven!" These men obviously didn't know anything about the one true God!

Four leprous men were sitting at the gates of the city. "Why should we sit here waiting to die? We will starve if we stay here, but with the famine in the city, we will starve if we go back there. So we might as well go out to the Aramean army. If they let us live, so much the better. But if they kill us, we would have died anyway." So they took off walking to the camp of their enemy.

But when they arrived at the edge of the camp, no one was there! For the Lord had caused the Aramean army to hear the clatter of speeding chariots and the galloping of horses and the sounds of a great army approaching. "The king of Israel has hired the Hittites and Egyptians to attack us!" they cried to one another. So they panicked and ran, abandoning their tents, horses, donkeys, and everything else, as they fled for their lives.

The lepers went into the camp, going from tent to tent, eating and drinking; and they carried off silver and gold and clothing and hid it. Finally, they said to one another, "This is not right! This is a day of good news, and we aren't sharing it with anyone! Come on, let's go back and tell the people." So they went back and told the gatekeepers what had happened. Then the gatekeepers shouted the news to the king.

Everything happened just as the man of God, Elisha, had said!! One day changed everything! The people within Samaria went from starvation and famine to having plentiful supplies and enough food to feed them all.

We have just celebrated Easter this past weekend. We have once again been reminded of the story of how quickly things happened within three days. Jesus was arrested.... beaten and tortured.... crucified on a cross... then rose from the dead. The purpose of Jesus coming to earth was fulfilled! The people went from having to go to the temple yearly to sacrificing animals as an atonement for their sins, to Jesus being the supreme sacrifice and shedding His blood as our atonement once and for all.

The disciples went from three years of ministering alongside Jesus, to now being responsible for carrying on His ministry without Him by their side. The church went through persecution, with many of the disciples and other godly leaders being imprisoned for preaching the gospel. Yet they chose to persevere and faithfully fulfill the calling that they had been commissioned with.

The apostle Paul went from being a "religious" man who persecuted the christians, to suddenly being struck blind on the road to Damascus. That experience was life-changing, and he suddenly went from persecutor to being persecuted for the sake of the gospel! He became a great minister of the gospel, boldly proclaiming that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. Even though he was arrested and put in prison many times, shipwrecked, and face numerous obstacles, Paul chose to faithfully running his race and finishing his course for the kingdom of God.

Life can bring about many changes, some happening slowly over a period of time, but many often happening very quickly with little or no warning. When that happens, we see what is inside of us and what we are made of. We see if we can adapt and remain faithful to God, regardless of what is going on, or if we fall apart and become spiritually bitter or disheartened. When obstacles crop up in our path, we choose to allow God to direct our steps and remain steadfast in following His plan for our life; or we try to find a detour, which often leads to heartache and distress.

What are those things which you find yourself having to do without or having to adapt to? Perhaps it's something as minor and simple as a living room clock; or something major as losing a job or dealing with the COVID-19; or a plethora of things in between. It's during those times that we must choose to keep our focus on Jesus and allow Him to direct our steps. We must remain faithful to Him to the very end, knowing that one day, it will be worth it all when we see Jesus. Nothing is worth losing our salvation or heaven for! Let's remain steadfast and faithful!!

JON'S PERSPECTIVE:

Some of the changes lately have been disruptive. But some are good. We already wrote about families learning to enjoy each others' company.

We are are catching up on some much needed rest and sleep. We're saving money on fast food, gas, and a variety of other costs we don't really need.

We usually attend Praise Assembly Deaf Church. Because of the virus, we aren't meeting in person now. That's disappointing, but it has a hidden blessing. We used to have about 20-40 people each week. But we have had many more watching online, now. Through facebook, we logged 221 for April 13^th, 560 for April 6^th, and more the week before that. Some of those are repeats, but there were probably many sharing a screen, too. Either way, we are reaching many more people than ever before. We've heard similar from other churches.

Please take some time to look for other good things coming out of this time. I'm sure there are many more things we haven't mentioned.

ON THE MENEWE:

Cherry Fluff

Stir all of the ingredients together. Sprinkle nuts on top, if desired.

THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER:

During this time when we find ourselves mostly homebound and the many changes which has taken place in our lives, don't forget to check on elderly neighbors. You don't have to go to their homes, but if you see them outside, holler over the fence or walk over to ask if they are okay or need anything. Perhaps they just need to to hear a friendly voice telling them hello. We have elderly neighbors next door, and Jon has been going over when the man walks to the end of his drive to get his mail, to say hello. A few evenings ago, they called to ask if Jon could open a jar for them that they couldn't get the lid off. Jon met the man outside and was able to open it for them. Sometimes it's the little things that makes a difference.

If you have a family living in a nursing home or independent senior living, where they can have no visitors, call or email them every day or so to let them know that you are thinking of them. Just give an update on what you've been doing, even if it seems mundane to you. They need that contact.

There are many ways that we can show kindness to one another! Let's be the hands and feet of Jesus and show love to others, as He would.

THOUGHT TO PONDER:

God didn't remove the Red Sea; He opened it.

Just because God hasn't removed your problem doesn't mean He won't provide a way through it. - TobyMac

OUR HEARTFELT THANKS TO YOU:

We love you!

Loretta & Jon

http://www.graysheep.org