Mid-week News 2-13-13

Dear Family of faith, I’m just getting back in the office after a wonderful Ash Wednesday experience. The soup and bread were absolutely delicious (I had two helpings myself!), and the Holy Spirit’s presence was very real to me and others around me as we looked into our hearts and accepted God’s grace anew. I am so glad that this congregation has been open to having such a service, for many Protestant churches don’t have any traditions associated with ashes and Lent. This past week I had the privilege of finally seeing Bob Edmonds. (Bob had a liver transplant in Massachusetts last fall.) He and Joann shared how they surrendered Bob’s life to Jesus (since his chances of a successful surgery were so small). They talked about how hard it was to “leave things in Jesus’ hands.” We so want to control everything, to be in charge of our own destinies. I find that a lot lately. I want to control my future, want to determine what happens to me and when. But life gets to be too much for me at times, and I have either to surrender it to God or break. Maybe some of you know what I’m talking about. If you feel like you can’t take it anymore or can’t deal with all the troubles of life, just let go! Put your future in God’s hands and leave it there. Ask God to give you a vision of something beautiful to come out of whatever is worrisome or horrible. And then just trust, remembering that God is the Author of miracles we can’t even imagine. That’s what Bob and Joann found out. Bob looks better now than I’ve ever seen him look! A friend of mine put the following Rick Warren quote on Facebook recently: “Strong people affirm the strengths of others. Weak people attack the strengths of others.” I have found that to be painfully true in my life. The stronger we are, the more interesting we become to those who wish to bring us down. Yet our true strength is never our own, but God’s. And when we trust in God, we can weather any attack. I am so grateful for all of you and your love. Continue to help each other and bless those around you. With affection, Pastor Carlan