We were standing at what was supposed to be my grandmother’s graveside service. For the last forty minutes, the minister, my relatives, and I had been standing around the grave, just sort of staring at each other, wondering what to do. None of us had ever been to a funeral without the casket!

After another hour of waiting, the minister was growing restless. He said he had to be somewhere else soon. “If the hearse doesn’t show up shortly, I’m not sure what we’re going to do.”

Rather than have a funeral without a casket or a minister, we decided to begin the service. The reverend made it all the way to the part where he was to commit my grandmother’s body to the grave. “Ashes to ashes . . . ,” he said, then stopped. “I can’t really go any further without her body actually being here!” he said. “I’m sorry.”

Just as he turned to leave, the hearse arrived. It screeched to a halt near the graveside, and out popped a bearded lady in a pin-striped, three-piece suit. It wasn’t a full beard, but it was the beginnings of a respectable one by any standard, complete with mustache.

“So sorry I’m late! I took a wrong turn and went north instead of south. But I’m ready to do the ceremony,” she said, brandishing a script she’d pulled from her coat pocket. “It’s my first time, but I’ve got notes here.”

“Do the ceremony?” my mother asked, her normally calm façade beginning to show a few cracks. “What are you talking about?”

The bearded lady looked puzzled. “That was part of the package—I transport the deceased, and I do the ceremony,” she insisted. “You’re going to have to pay for it anyway.”

My mother paused and struggled visibly for control. Then she informed the driver that our family would pay the fee but that my grandmother’s minister, who was standing right there, would be finishing the service.

The bearded lady hearse driver deflated a bit but delivered my grandmother’s casket to us and drove away.

And the funeral, from that point on, really went off without a hitch.

My grandmother had never been late a day of her life. But she was, as they say, late to her own funeral—literally. In the same way, many of us are late to our funerals. I’m not speaking of the physical, of course, but of the spiritual. Both Romans and Galatians tell us that we died with Christ:

For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. (Rom. 6:6–7)

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Gal. 2:20)

Spiritually speaking, we participated in a funeral—our own. But we need to “attend” that funeral, to witness it and be aware of its implications.

So are you late to your own funeral?

(from the bestselling book, “God Without Religion”)

Jesus had a workshop. Do you suppose it was tidy?

Did He find fulfillment in creating things with His hands? (How different from the worlds He created “in the beginning” . . . with just a word!)

Did He have a carpenters belt around His waist?

Did He whistle while He worked . . . or hum?

Did He ever smash His thumb? What did He do?

Did Mary go out to the shop and brag on His work, or just sit and talk to Him? Take Him a glass of water when it was unbearably warm outside?

Was He proud to be a carpenter?

Were there blemishes at times that He had to smooth out?

Did He make mistakes? Was every finished product perfect?

Were His hands callous from holding His tools?

Did He consider “making this stuff” a waste of time?

Did He train His younger brothers? Was He a patient teacher?

Did He give the money He made to Mary to help with household expenses?

How long was Joseph with Him?

Father and Son working together . . . did they laugh? Did they have a good time? Did they embrace when they were happy?

Did Mary kiss her Son, Jesus, goodnight?

This is the One who spoke the universe into existence! What must have gone through His mind, moment by moment, as He worked, the sweat running down His face? Isn’t that amazing? To choose to limit Himself to living in the confines of an earthsuit. . . .

What a God! What a wonderful, magnificent God!

O Lord, the thoughts that plague me. Anxious thoughts about what’s happening in my world and in the lives of the people who live in my world with me. And Lord, these anxious thoughts interfere with my relationship with You. Your sweetness. Your purity. Your compassion and kindness. Your faithfulness. Your power. Your peace. And this interference is what brings on my distress, my depression, my defeating thoughts.

In my Journal I have a section for prayer marked “Urgent.” But every one of the things on that page I know unequivocally (leaving no doubt) I have entrusted into Your hands. Are they still urgent? Can’t I trust You with those things? Am I still supposed to be anxious about them? I think it would probably be an affront to You if I kept putting them on your desk day after day with big red letters: URGENT!

And once I let those anxious thoughts into my mind, the travail of birth begins, because thoughts birth emotions. And the anxious thoughts multiply and the intensity of the birthing process increases . . . and so does the pain.

Please, Lord, give me the discernment to recognize the intent of these thoughts and the will and desire to refuse them entrance into my mind, where the dividing and multiplying tricks begin.

Your consolations — Your words of comfort, of strength, of purpose, of hope — yes, these will bring rest to my weary soul. They will bring peace and contentment, and I will delight in them. What I have to do is be sure I’m not putting the same file on Your desk that I plopped on there yesterday. Then Ive got to believe that Youre a very efficient Administrator and that You will not let things pile up that are important to the people under Your authority.

I see: Your consolations won’t do me any good at all unless I think about them.

I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him.
2 Timothy 1:12

Am I really?

Dear Anabel

Yesterday’s note about tying up the package was just great, Anabel. I thought of every concern and fear about the disastrous situation I was in; what the consequences might be, both positive and negative; the kids, me, my husband; the years behind and the tragic events of those years, the uncertainty of the years ahead . . . so many dreams, so many hopes, so many unknowns.

I boxed it all up (in my mind), put everything in, wrapped it, and tied it securely. Then I actually drove down to the beach. I met Jesus in a very secluded spot, gave it all to Him, and He walked off with it.

I remind myself that He has it and I am not to fret about it. When I do get uptight, I close my eyes and I see again the picture of Jesus walking away from me with that wrapped package under His arm. Relief springs up from within and I find myself rejoicing . . . way down deep.

HE WILL BE AS REAL TO ME AS I

ALLOW HIM TO BE.

You can throw the whole weight of your anxieties upon Him, for you are His personal concern (phillips).

Casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you (nasb).

Let Him have all your worries and cares, for He is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you (tlb).

THROW: to cause to fly through the air by releasing from the hand while the arm is in rapid motion.

CAST: to hurl with force.

LET: to allow; to permit; a command using an auxiliary verb: “Let him go.”

* * *

Do you have something you are anxious about? Something you’re worried about?

Well, imagine yourself having wrapped up into a secure bundle that “something” that’s worrying you. Go through every step: Find a box, get your wrapping paper, some twine, the scissors, and of course the Scotch tape. (Every time we were wrapping a package my sweet daddy used to say, “Anabel, what did we ever do without Scotch tape?”) Of course, you’ll have to reduce your problem in size, but that’s all right. A marriage or a seventeen-year-old would be pretty hard to contain in a bundle!

Now it’s all wrapped and tied. Pick a secluded meeting place — one of your choice. Go there mentally (or physically, preferably), carrying your package.

You will meet the Lord there. Don’t worry about what He looks like. You’ll recognize Him.

See? Over there. There He is. Go to meet Him. Now give the package to Him. No instructions are necessary. He already knows all about it.

Watch Him turn and walk away from you with the package under His arm. Are you going to run after Him and grab it back? Never! It is His. You just gave it to Him. Write down the exact time and the date when you gave Him “the whole weight of your anxieties.”

You have just driven a “stake.”

You have just put into your memory banks a time when you really gave Him your problem.

You have built a tiny altar where you and your God met and He lifted a burden from your shoulders. Dont forget it.

I will meditate on Your precepts.
I will regard Your ways.
I will delight in Your statutes.
I will not forget Your words.
Psalm 119:15,16 my paraphrase

For the Lord your God is a compassionate God.
Deuteronomy 4:31

Whom He foreknew, He also predestined
to become conformed to the image of His Son.
Romans 8:29

I am confident of this very thing, that
He who began a good work in you will
perfect it.
Philippians 1:6

“Cmon, Buttons, you can do it! Jump! Hey, you’re supposed to go over the poles,not try to knock them down with your head! Jump! Please jump!”

Sherrie watched as the lamb tried every way to get around or under the hurdle rather than to jump over it. He was dirty and completely exhausted, and she was dirty and completely exhausted.

It was only three months until the first competition, and this stubborn Buttons adamantly refused to do what she knew must be done in order to win. She picked him up and put him over the barricade. She guided him through her legs and arms, making a tunnel that would be his only way to go. No success. She was dealing with an obstinate, stupid, rebellious little sheep.

This wasn’t the first time Sherrie had entered a lamb in the livestock show, but it was the first time she had experienced such difficulty in training an animal that was bent on bucking someone so much bigger and smarter than he was. And she wasn’t doing anything that would hurt him . . . only what it would take to make him into a prizewinning sheep.

Sherrie had tried everything to get him to go through this simple routine that was needed to strengthen his hindquarters. It was an important point in the judging, so she was obviously going to have to take more drastic measures. She had put his food on the other side of the hurdle and the silly little lamb still balked. In fact, he nearly wore himself out trying to get under the hurdle.

What to do? “Well, Ill just put in more barriers to where he can’t possibly get under the barricade or go around it. He will have to go over it! Why he’s so determined to go against what I have planned for him, and where he got it into his little brain that I’m trying to hurt him or that I’m doing something that will ruin his life, is beyond me.”

All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way.
Isaiah 53:6

Hmmmmm. I think I understand a little better now why were sometimes compared to sheep in Your Word.

My head is throbbing from trying to knock my problems out of the way. I’m weary. Exhausted. Bewildered. And why am I so determined that what You allow to come into my life is meant to hurt me or to wreck my plans, when Your only purpose is to make me into a prizewinning sheep?

Im sorry, Lord. Thank You for working so hard with me. And I’m very thankful to know that You aren’t going to give up on me.

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
John 10:27

Come to think of it, You’re the only One who knows the date of the competition. Maybe You’re working overtime on some of us?

* * *

I felt Your touch on my cheek as I walked . . .
the breeze
I received Your beautiful love gifts . . .
the tiny flower
the new growth on the trees
the sky
the dove
the many sounds of morning.
Thank You for showing Your love to me.

Deuteronomy 31:8
Ephesians 1:3
James 1:17

What one thing do we seem to fear more than anything else?
DEATH

Would God desire to teach us not to fear death?
YES

How could He teach us–show us how to meet this fearful event–most effectively?

(Before you read my suggestions, think of your own plan for taking the “sting” out of this “most-feared”experience for His children.)

By allowing some of His most choice servants–including His Son–to experience death…
meeting it with peace
with gentleness
with dignity
with hope
with strength and
with victory.

And while we observe–watching them stand bravely–our fear would begin to diminish and would be replaced…
with peace
with gentleness
with dignity
with hope
with strength and
with victory.

So that when that time comes I, too, will stand, for He has said to me …
And stand you will, for the Lord is able to make you stand. – Romans 14: 4b

Men and women all over the USA are on the waiting list to get advice from Stacy and Clinton—advice they feel will make them better looking and more appealing to others. As a result, they’ll feel better about themselves.

Behavior verses in the New Testament aren’t much different from the advice that Stacy and Clinton give. We’re told to “put on love” and “put on Christ” and “put on compassion” much like the guests on the TV show are told what to wear. In addition, we’re told to toss away attitudes and behaviors that aren’t profitable, just as Stacy and Clinton hold up certain outfits to the mirror and then toss them aside, saying, “That looks awful!”

Some clothes simply don’t fit, while others fit just right and look great. In the same way, some attitudes and behaviors are not “fitting for saints” (Eph. 5:3 NKJV), while others are the perfect fit for God’s children.

Does this sound like oppressive religion to you? It’s not in the least! Throughout the Epistles, we’re just discovering the most fashionable way for saints to dress. And, hey, who doesn’t want to travel in heavenly style?

So next time you come across that passage in Ephesians or Romans or wherever about “what to do,” remember your identity as a child of God. With that in mind, know that God is simply pointing out the clothes that fit you well:

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (Col. 3:12)

(from the bestselling book, “God Without Religion”)

“Peter, the time is coming when you will grow old and someone will force you to go where you don’t want to go. But don’t concern yourself with this, Peter. You will glorify Me in your death.

“In the meantime, Follow Me.”

“But Lord, what about John?”

“What difference should that make to you? He may be around longer than you are, maybe even until I come again. Peter, keep your focus on yourself. You follow Me” (John 21:18-22 my paraphrase).

Dear Peter. Isn’t it so easy to relate to him? He didn’t think about what to say before he said it. He just blurted it out–”What about John?”

It’s fairly plain to me, Lord, what You were trying to get across to him: The important thing is that I follow You. That I not look at others to see how You’re leading them or using them. That I don’t try to analyze how You’re working in their lives or what their relationship with You might be like. Focus on myself . . . I am to follow You .

That pretty well takes care of my todays and my tomorrows, doesn’t it?

And when death comes? “This He said, signifying by what kind of death [Peter] would glorify God” (John 21:19). I don’t know what kind of a death I’m going to die, but whatever comes, I’m to glorify Him in it and through it.

You know, Lord, I doubt my ability to do either of those things: to follow You today, or to glorify You in my death when it comes sometime tomorrow.

“I don’t recall having told you that it was up to you, Anabel. Remember, you are under the New Covenant, and I have come to live within you for the express purpose of meeting life–and death–for you. I too would doubt your ability to do these things yourself, dear one. That’s the very reason the covenant takes care of this. I do not doubt My ability, so why not let Me handle it all for you?

“Follow Me, Anabel.”