Blog – Page 2

Deer Encounter: A Colorado Adventure

July 11, 2017

I turned onto Highway 24, coming from Charis Bible College in Woodland Park, CO and heading west toward Dawn of Hope Ranch where I was staying. After four days of conferences, the route was familiar. As I left the evening session the moon shed little light on the road. I considered turning on the brights, but there was too much oncoming traffic.

The speed limit sign said 60, so I set the cruise control at 58 and was rolling along. I was challenged by the message at the conference and knew I needed to pray about it. I told God I needed to focus on driving right now but would process it with Him when I got to my room. I was thinking about His goodness when Bam! Something hit the right side of my car. Out of the corner of my eye I caught a brief glimpse of a deer sliding out of sight.

My first response was, ”Oh my gosh, I just hit a deer!” Then I asked, ”Lord, what should I do?”

”Keep going. Get back to the ranch.” That was a 12-mile drive, the last 5 miles of which were dirt roads I hadn’t been fond of even in the daylight with a 100% functional car, but I kept going. At the next stoplight, a streetlight revealed that the hood was pushed up a bit, and something slid off the car. I heard metal hit the pavement.

I continued toward the ranch, praising God, thanking Him I wasn’t hurt, and declaring scriptures such as ”The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and he delivers them.” Psalm 103:20 says, “Bless the Lord, you His angels, who excel in strength, who do His Word, heeding the voice of His Word,” and I am convinced that angels were responding to the voice of His Word as I spoke it forth.

I breathed a sigh of relief upon entering the driveway to the ranch. When I stopped the car, I heard pieces fall to the ground. I glanced at the damage before making my way into the building. “Hmmm – This is worse than I thought! Thank you, Lord, for getting me here safely.”

I made the necessary phone calls. Some of the other guests heard what had happened and gathered around to pray for me. Then I went to bed. The next morning I went out to take a picture of the car. I was amazed I’d been able to get all the way to the ranch. The headlight was completely gone. I had driven all that way with only the left headlight and the right fog light.

As the tow truck driver pulled the car onto the flatbed, pieces kept falling off. Shattered headlight glass along the side of the road marks the spot where the accident occurred. Colossians 1:17 says that God holds all things together. I know an angel was holding that car together for me.

I’ve been facing my upcoming move from Illinois to Arizona with a bit of trepidation. Although it’s very exciting, it’s a big step and a little scary. But all my fear and worry is gone now. If God can get a completely undriveable car to the ranch, He can get me to Arizona with all pieces intact. He can and He will.

Letitia Suk: An “Inconvenient” Perspective

June 30, 2017

I really enjoy Tish’s blog posts. I featured one of them a few weeks ago, “Ride-along Chaplain.” In addition to being an author, Tish is a life coach and a hospital chaplain. I found this post very timely and thought-provoking as we approach the Fourth of July. Wishing you a happy and safe holiday.

The pager went off at what felt like the worst possible time: 01:38 AM. The few hours of sleep already stored weren’t enough and most of the next morning might be lost in recovery. I tried to get my voice to sound “normal” and then called back.

Someone was dying and the family asked for me to come. Not me by name, me in the role I was in that night. I promised to arrive in 30 minutes. My clothes were already laid out and I hadn’t washed my face in case something like this occurred, no time to re-do makeup in the middle of the night. Like who really cared anyway in these moments.

Not much traffic and I skidded through a couple of reds. One time a cop saw me do that and actually gave me a police escort right to the ER. “Just follow me, Reverend.” I’m technically not a Reverend.

I walked in the room and did my job. I prayed, read a Psalm, hugged, and tried to come up with words of comfort. There are few.

Drove home, laid awake for ages, finally got back to sleep and lost some of the morning. Just like I thought it would go.

But that’s it, inconvenienced. I wasn’t the dying one or the family or the medical team for that matter. My life pretty much picked up where it left off.

I was given a gift of Perspective that night.

I thought of the times of my travel delays because of an accident on the highway. Who was more affected, me or the person in the ambulance?

Or my sometimes frustration because some in front of me is not moving “fast enough?” Whatever is causing the slower pace is likely far more troublesome than my impatience.

On this holiday weekend there might be a few opportunities to practice the perspective of being “inconvenienced.” The weather might be hot or rainy, you will experience lots of traffic or too many crowds. Your grill might run out of gas or you will forget to buy ice. Whatever might push your button, let it go. You and your loved ones will be around to tell about it Monday.

Hope you have a fabulous celebration!

Hope for the best,

Tish

Letitia Suk invites women to chase the intentional life. She writes and speaks of renewal and restoration offering platters of hope to women in each season of life. Tish blogs at hopeforthebest.org and is the author of Getaway with God: The Everywoman’s Guide to Personal Retreat (http://amzn.to/2pPE7Iu) and Rhythms of Renewal.

Letitia Suk: Ride-along Chaplain

June 10, 2017

Letitia Suk is a friend from forty years ago with whom I lost contact until we recently discovered each other at a Christian writers’ conference. I heard her name when they introduced her as the conference chaplain, but silly me, I didn’t put it together that Letitia was actually Tish. I remember wondering if she was related to the Tish Suk I had once known. Eventually we became Facebook friends and I saw a picture of her with her husband, Tom. The lightbulb finally went on. Her recently released book, Getaway with God, inspired me to begin taking personal retreats. I recommend this book, and her blog (see below). The posts are always thought provoking and uplifting. I hope you enjoy this one.

I love my Uber app. Just a few clicks and I am good to go somewhere when Tom is using our shared car. Of course I learned about it from my 20-something daughter who stayed on the phone with me while I signed up as I was anxious about somehow “doing it wrong.”

My opening question is always, “How long have you been driving with Uber?” The answer has ranged from three years to one day. Most of the time it is just a few months.

Perhaps because I may or may not have a “Mom-like” presence, I’m honored with hearing many stories from the drivers during our rides. I don’t broadcast an invitation like “Tell me your life history in the next 10 minutes” but that’s often what happens.

About half the time, especially if I’m transported to the hospital, I mention I’m a chaplain (i.e. I pray for people.) The most common response: Will you pray for me? I do, of course, right there. No time for theology or inter-faith discussions, just simple prayer.

My favorite encounter was on a long ride to the airport, lots of time for stories. As we were pulling in, the driver turned around, “Ma’am, we are almost there and you haven’t prayed for me yet!” Another time the driver asked me if it would be OK to give me a hug after we had prayed about some tough family stuff. Yup, just fine.

Funny but I’ve never had the same driver twice and never hear how things worked out but that’s OK.

Looking forward to the next round of stories, everyone has one.

Hope for the best,

Tish

Answer to a Mother’s Prayer

May 13, 2017

The Bible contains many stories about the mothers of important characters. One of my favorites is Hannah. Her story sets an example of faith for us all – men and women alike. In Hannah, we see a great illustration of what it means to “walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).

The story is in 1 Samuel Chapter 1. For many years, Hannah desired to have a child, but she was barren. Her husband’s other wife had many children. Every year when they would visit the temple, the other wife would taunt her about being childless, and Hannah would end up in such despair that she couldn’t eat.

Finally, during one of these yearly visits, she got up from the table and went to the entrance of the temple, and cried out in anguish to the Lord, promising Him if He would enable her to conceive a male child, she would dedicate him to the temple to serve God for his entire life. While she was praying, Eli the Priest saw her. He thought she was drunk, but she explained she was pouring out her heart to the Lord. Eli didn’t ask what she was requesting, but he promised God would grant her petition.

Hannah thanked Eli, then “went on her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.” She immediately believed his word. Faith rose up in her. Her countenance changed and her appetite returned. She became happy, not when she found out she was pregnant, but when she believed the word Eli had spoken.

After she and her husband returned home, she conceived a child. She became the mother of Samuel, one of Israel’s greatest prophets. “For now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Faith means believing what God has said, and rejoicing, before we see the physical evidence.

Do you have an unanswered prayer? Think about how your actions would be different if you were truly expecting God to answer it. Incorporate some of those attitudes and behaviors now – before you see the answer.