Month: September 2025

You Never Do That To Me!

One of Aaron’s biggest struggles is with jealousy.  And sadly, he is often the most jealous of the attention that we pay to our grandchildren.

Being Uncie Aaron is not always the joy to him that we hoped it would be.

On Saturday, Gary took Ryker for a ride around our yard on his riding lawn mower.   (No worries – the blades were up).  Sure enough, Aaron took note and soon said the all too familiar, “You never do that to me!”

So, Gary looked at Aaron and said, “Hop on!”

It was hilarious to look at Aaron sitting on Gary’s lap.  Aaron was really too big to fit and it was very awkward.  But good for Gary to give it a go!  And he could only go in reverse, which made it even funnier.  

How many times we have talked to Aaron about his place in our family as we assure him of our love!  

I was thinking about this as I continued my study in Nehemiah today.  Those that worked to restore the walls of Jerusalem, the temple, and the worship shared many various duties and positions.

Some were in high positions of leadership while others carried wood or cleaned up the many messes that were made.  Yet each person was appointed by God to the job he had for them.

Do you ever wonder about your place in life?  

Maybe you once held a position that is now gone.  

Or you never had a chance to prove that you could do what that other person is doing.  

Perhaps life has radically changed for you because of your health issues or age or finances or…you fill in the blank.

It’s so tempting to look at God and say, like Aaron, “God, you never do that for me!”

Comparison to others is the robber of joy.

Social media can be a real problem in this area.  I can be just fine and out of the blue see a post that makes me wish for something I don’t have.  

It can be any number of things, but the result is the same.

Ugly jealousy.

Discontent.

And if I don’t nip it in the bud, I might begin questioning God.

When we started our married life, Gary and I never dreamed that we would have a child with special needs.

Caregiving is not a life of leisure and does not allow for spontaneity in our lives.  Caring for Aaron is our life.  

We must consider him first in everything we do.

Your struggles are probably different from mine, but each of us do have those areas of raw questions that we may not share with anyone else but God.

Oh, but God!

He has given me that visual of Aaron riding on Gary’s lap to remind me that what I may desire is not His place for me.

I wouldn’t fit there.

God has put me here, where I am.  

If I don’t believe that then I am not living in obedience and trust to the God Who really does love me.

The God Who has put me in this place in His family for a specific reason.

So Lord, help me to get off that tractor where I sometimes want to be. 

Change my “You never do that to me!” to “Thank you for what you do FOR me in this place where you have put me!”

Not Of The World

The assassination of Charlie Kirk has shaken us to the core.  

Years ago, I wrote about the hatred of this world toward those who follow Christ.  The world yells that Christians are haters because we don’t condone every lifestyle that they promote and legislate.  

In their mind, it’s ok to hate the haters.  Haters must not be tolerated.  Sin of every sort must be tolerated, but not those who call their choices sin.  

The words of Jesus ring very true to us today.

“If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.  If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.”   (John 15:18-19)

Clearly, if we are following Christ we will be hated by the world.  We stand in the good company of Jesus in that regard.

If you are comfortable in this world…if the sins of Romans 1 don’t cause you great alarm and concern…then you are of this world and you will be warmly welcomed by this world.

But those of us who follow Christ will not be tolerated by this world.  

We saw that full display of intolerance when Charlie’s blood was so publicly spilled by the blind hatred of Satan himself.

Martyrdom seems so other-worldly.  

So not American.

But no longer.  The mask is off.  

Light and darkness are on full display.

Spiritual warfare has become a reality to American Christians.

I read again the story of Stephen, the first Christian martyr.  How much his story resonates with us now!

“And Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people.  But some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen…rose up and argued with Stephen.  BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO COPE WITH THE WISDOM AND THE SPIRIT WITH WHICH HE WAS SPEAKING.”  (Acts 6:8-10)

We know what happened.  Stephen preached a great sermon.

The reaction?  When they heard his words, they were cut to the quick and began gnashing their teeth at him.

They drove Stephen out of the city and then stoned him to death.

But let’s not forget this part of the story.

Those murderers took off their robes and laid them at the feet of a very religious murderer of Christians. 

His name was Saul.

And Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death, we are told.

But Saul was later miraculously saved and became the Apostle Paul.

Fear not, Christians!

I believe that we are going to see a great work of God on this earth because of the death of Charlie Kirk.

I believe we will have many Sauls who will become Pauls…ones whom God will raise up to proclaim Him.

God knows what He is doing.

And we know that we can trust Him fully to perfect and perform His plan.

Suit up in the armor of God, believers!  

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