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NOTES  FROM  THE  VALLEY - April 22, 2001

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of
death, I will fear no evil for you are with me."  Psalm 23.
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TOPIC:  WORD  THERAPY

Have you ever started writing something without knowing what you were going
to say?  It's suppose to be good therapy if you're struggling with
something.  At least that's what I was told by a counselor many years ago.
As evidence, there's a big binder of poetry I wrote to Cathy during our
courtship days that started out much that way.  I had no idea what I wanted
to say to her, but I knew I had to say something.  The feelings bottled up
inside me were too wonderful not to be expressed.  And that's pretty much my
situation now.  It's time to do another edition of Notes, but I have no idea
what to say.  There are these feelings inside me.  This love and gratitude I
feel towards God and Jesus, concern for Cathy and her Mom, and other
emotions that need to be expressed.  But I have no idea how to express them.
So I've decided I'm just going to start writing and we'll see what comes
out.

Easter weekend was a lonely affair with Cathy in Seal Beach helping her Mom.
The service on Sunday morning, though, was such a joy.  The music, the
drama, the fellowship with so many wonderful Christian friends, and Pastor
Steve's sermon truly gave my spirit a major boost.  But after it was over, I
headed back home and the emptiness was all the more noticeable.  Cathy made
it home late on Monday for a couple of days, but as I write this she's
preparing to head back to her Mom's tomorrow morning.  We're both a bit sad
anticipating another good-bye.  I guess the good news is, once we say
good-bye, we'll be able to look forward to her coming home again.

That last sentence may sound a bit odd, but it's a behavior trait I've noted
in myself, Cathy and in most of the people who've shared their private
thoughts with me over the years.  We often are so focused in on upcoming
events, good or bad, that we miss the blessings that are all around us right
now.  Think about it.

Cathy and I have a dozen or so hours before she leaves.  Instead of
thoroughly enjoying those precious hours we still have together, we're
feeling and acting like it's already time to say good-bye.  Similarly, Cathy
and her Mom have a number of days left to share before it's time for her Mom
to go home to be with the Lord.  The time they have shared these last
several months has been such a blessing to them both.  There is a closeness
and tenderness, an unspoken understanding of each others hearts, that has
blossomed between them.  And yet, Cathy finds herself mourning her Mom's
passing well before the time for passing has come.

This forward focus isn't necessarily wrong.  To anticipate what God desires
of us in an upcoming situation; to look forward to what He will do in us
through both the happy and the hurtful times; is one of many wonderful
traits all Christians should share because of the hope we have in Christ
Jesus.  But when that focus turns from anticipation of God's plans and
actions to worry about ours, it begins robbing us of the multitude of
blessings God desires to give us right here and now.  It hurts to admit it,
but that's what Cathy and I have started doing and it's created a downward
cycle we need to break out of right now.  Some of you may be in that cycle
too:

How many of you are so busy working towards your next promotion or your
retirement dreams that you're missing the glorious days with your family and
friends that are available to you right now?  How many of you have isolated
yourself from others, skipping reunions and family gatherings until you can
look and feel better about yourself?  How many of you are so worried about
what you'll do if you should lose a loved one that you're unable to enjoy
the time they still have to spend with you?

The situations and circumstances may vary, but what it all comes down to is,
"How many of you have allowed worry about tomorrow to steal the joy God
planned for you today?"

Two weeks ago we did an edition entitled "Where Do You Find Joy?"  And what
God had inside of me that still needed to be expressed today was how we lose
our joy in the first place.  We lose it through worry.  Worry is a thief
that whispers in you ear that God isn't big enough or God doesn't care
enough to take care of you in your current situation.  The thief that
convinces you not to trust in what God will do, but to trust in yourself and
plan for the worst that could happen.  And let's face it, when we won't let
go of things and trust God with them, the worst usually does happen -
doesn't it?

Those watching the news this week have seen all the reports of the
Mississippi River rising and all the levees that people are reinforcing to
hold the flood waters back.  Worry is like that first tiny trickle of water
through a levee, that if it is allowed to continue will grow bigger and
wider until the levee is breached and the flood is unleashed.  The levee is
our faith and the flood waters are the depression and despair that come with
the loss of our faith in God and His Son.

As I was preparing to wrap up the writing this edition this morning, I
opened my daily devotional program based upon Oswald Chambers, "My Utmost
for His Highest."  As if to confirm what God has ministered to my heart for
this edition, I found this from Mr. Chambers for today's devotion:

 "The mystery of God is not in what is going to be - it is now, though we
look for it to be revealed in the future in some overwhelming, momentous
event. We have no reluctance to obey Jesus, but it is highly probable that
we are hurting Him by what we ask, 'Lord, show us the Father .' (John14:8).
His response immediately comes back to us as He says, 'Can't you see Him? He
is always right here or He is nowhere to be found.'  We look for God to
exhibit Himself to His children, but God only exhibits Himself in His
children. And while others see the evidence, the child of God does not.  We
want to be fully aware of what God is doing in us, but we cannot have
complete awareness and expect to remain reasonable or balanced in our
expectations of Him.  If all we are asking God to give us is experiences,
and the awareness of those experiences is blocking our way, we hurt the
Lord.  The very questions we ask hurt Jesus, because they are not the
questions of a child.  'Let not your heart be troubled .' (14:1, 27).

 Am I then hurting Jesus by allowing my heart to be troubled? . If I believe
in Jesus and His attributes, am I living up to my belief?  Am I allowing
anything to disturb my heart, or am I allowing any questions to come in
which are unsound or unbalanced?  I have to get to the point of the absolute
and unquestionable relationship that takes everything exactly as it comes
from Him. God never guides us at some time in the future, but always here
and now. Realize that the Lord is here now, and the freedom you receive is
immediate."

Freedom from doubt and worry.  Freedom to experience the "joy" of Christ.

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who
for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat
down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured such
opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."
Hebrews 12:2-3 (NIV)

I remain as always your brother,  sheltered under His wing and overwhelmed
by His love,

Steve Hall



SOME  PERSPECTIVES  ON  WORRY

"If only we would stop lamenting and look up. God is here. Christ is risen.
The Spirit has been poured out from on high. All this we know as theological
truth. It remains for us to turn it into joyous spiritual experience."

A. W. Tozer

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"Years ago, in the pioneer days of aviation, a pilot was making a flight
around the world. After he had been gone for some two hours from his last
landing field, he heard a noise in his plane, which he recognized as the
gnawing of a rat. He realized that while his plane had been on the ground a
rat had gotten in. For all he knew the rat could be gnawing through a vital
cable or control of the plane. It was a very serious situation. He was both
concerned and anxious. At first he did not know what to do. It was two hours
back to the landing field from which he had taken off and more than two
hours to the next field ahead. Then he remembered that the rat is a rodent.
It is not made for the heights; it is made to live on the ground and under
the ground. Therefore the pilot began to climb. He went up a thousand feet,
then another thousand and another until he was more than twenty thousand
feet up. The gnawing ceased. The rat was dead. He could not survive in the
atmosphere of those heights. More than two hours later the pilot brought the
plane safely to the next landing field and found the dead rat.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, worry is a rodent. It cannot live in the
secret place of the Most High. It cannot breathe in the atmosphere made
vital by prayer and familiarity with the Scripture. Worry dies when we
ascend to the Lord through prayer and His Word."

Clovis Chappell, "Questions Jesus Asked"



LETTER  FROM  A  FRIEND
(Author Unknown)


Dear Friend,

As you got up this morning, I watched you and hoped you would talk to me,
even if it was just a few word.  Maybe you'd ask my opinion or thank me for
something good that happened to your life yesterday.  But you were too busy
choosing the right outfit to wear, getting your breakfast, and gathering
your things for work.  I waited anyway because I sure you'd find at least a
few minutes  to stop and say hello.  Sure enough, when everything was ready,
you sat down in your chair.  I thought you'd want to talk to me then, but
instead you reached for the phone and called a friend to catch up on the
latest gossip.  15 minutes later you grabbed your things and out the door
you ran.  I ran after you and followed you the rest of the day, waiting
patiently for you to talk to me.

I noticed while at lunch you looked around.  You saw some of your friends a
few tables down who talked to me briefly before they ate, but you didn't.
Maybe you were too embarrassed to talk to me with all those people around.
Is that why you didn't bow your head?  But that's okay I thought, there's
still plenty of time for us to talk later on.

Your work kept you really busy, lots of activities to fill your day.  And
when you went home at the end of the work day, it was much the same.  So
many things you had to do.  Dinner and errands, a variety of chores.  But
finally, when they were all done, you dropped into your chair to relax.  I
thought that would be our chance to talk, but instead you reached for the TV
remote.  I don't like TV.  You spend too much time watching it, not
thinking, and not talking to me.  And some of the things you watch are
really upsetting to me.  But I stayed there with you, waiting, patiently
hoping for the chance for us to talk, about your day, about us.

At bedtime, I guess you felt too tired to talk.  You said goodnight to your
family, plopped into to bed, and were asleep in no time.  And still I
waited, watching you as you slept, hoping you might wake up with a problem
or question on your mind and want to talk about it with me.

And now, here you are again, rushing about, getting ready for another day.
And, here I am, waiting, with nothing but love for you and the hope that
today you will give me some time.  You see, I've got more patience than
you'll ever know.  Patience that I'd like to teach you someday, so you can
be patient with others the way I am with you.  And I have more love for you
than you can imagine.  In fact, I love you so much that a long time ago I
left a wonderful place called Heaven and came to be with you here on Earth.
I gave it all up to be with you.  I was ridiculed, made fun of, and finally
killed.  Yes, I even died so you wouldn't have to take my place.  And I
still love you so much that I will wait everyday for a nod, a prayer, or the
briefest chance to talk.  It is hard to have a one-sided conversation.  But
I think you're worth it.  So I'll wait.

 Your friend,
 Jesus

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Copyright © 1998-2001 by Stephen J. Hall  -   Weekly letters of
encouragement to Christians written by Stephen J. Hall unless otherwise
indicated.  Notes from the Valley and Humor from the Valley are meant to
brighten your day and encourage you along the way.  Most of "Notes" and
"Humor" are a collection of items provided to me by subscribers and friends.
Credit is given to both the contributor and to the true author, where known.
If you are blessed by them, please feel free to make copies and pass them
along to others.  If you have something you'd like to contribute to a future
edition or would like to ask us a question or make a comment, please contact
us at:

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Your love, God, is my song, and I'll sing it!  I'm forever telling everyone
how faithful you are.  I'll never quit telling the story of your love - how
you built the cosmos and guaranteed everything in it.  Your love has always
been our lives foundation, your fidelity has been the roof over our world.
(Psalm 89:1-3 The Message)