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January 18 - Sanctity of Life Sunday
Today’s Fading Roar
“The midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live.” Exodus 1:17
The biblical lioness roars when –
- her children are under attack
- her family is threatened
- her community fails to punish injustice
She roars in the form of:
- praying to the God who made her
- living to the glory of God
- standing up to the pressure to cave to worldliness
- loving the leadership of her husband
A lioness appears to be gentle and loving in her demeanor toward her cubs. She is instinctively devoted to their growth and welfare. She nurtures them with her body and gingerly cleans them while sheltering them with her body. The moment she senses their need for additional food she sets to hunt.
She is vigilant, fearless, and ever alert to prey and danger. The same mouth that swabs the furry cubs devours the flesh of her prey. Woe to any marauder whom she perceives as a threat!
Ever since the sixties, when feminists coined the phrase, “I am woman hear me roar,” women in our country have been losing their roar, not exercising it as many claim. American women today are increasingly self indulgent, self-obsessed, and indifferent to immorality. We are not as vigilant today in our efforts to nurture or protect our young ones. We are not as devoted to the care of our families as women of by gone eras. As a voting block women are increasingly liberal and actually vote for candidates who would prevent us from defending freedom and instead consider abortion to be a right to preserve, even expand!
One might ask, what has become of our society? As women we might take a close look at our own failures as a whole. It has been said that women are the arbiters of manners and values. Women are the conscience of a society. If that is so, then we largely have ourselves to blame for the demise. Not because we alone caused it, but because we dont' fight it with the courage of a lioness.
I am speaking of the fight for our families and young hearts and minds. A lioness fights for her babes. She is fierce on behalf of her cubs. She does not relent in their defense. She is at her best, at her strongest when under attack. She doesn't have time for self doubt or self indulgence!
The roar of a lioness was made for warring and warning, not whining! The roar of a lioness is meant to shake the earth with fear for one’s life when an intruder dares to take one more step toward the vulnerable cubs. And the human lioness is also protective of her man; he has no greater advocate than the wife he leads. Recent American history has not given us many lionesses to emulate. Since we are on the brink of extinction, let’s consider some of the greatest examples of lionesses, by God’s definition of feminine bravery.
Womanly courage is seen in Exodus 2 when the Hebrew midwives disobeyed the order from Pharaoh to kill male infants. They “feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded, but let the male children live.” They later lied to the king when questioned about this. They had no regard for a ruler who orders babies killed. His earthly authority could not compare to their fear of God Almighty.
Jochebed saw something special about her baby boy and concealed him from the murderous Pharaoh. Unable to hide him past three months, she made a water resistant basket in which to lay him and sent her daughter Miriam to strategically place the basket in the reeds near the bathing site of Pharaoh’s daughter. Who doesn’t admire the cleverness and composure of the big sister who not only saves her baby brother, but negotiates for his own mother to be the wet nurse?
In ancient Egypt even the pagan daughter of the evil ruler found it possible to have compassion for the vulnerable. She knew the child was a Hebrew and should have been slain according to her laws. Yet “she took pity on him”. All the women in this story, the midwives, Moses’ mother and sister, and the daughter of the evil ruler had something in common: they refused to do evil to a baby! It was life giving women who stood for the sanctity of life.
And yet, it was the boy they raised whom God used to lead his people out of Eqypt. Moses became a man who feared God more than anything else, as summarized in Hebrews 11:27, “by faith Moses …left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king.” Moses and the women in his life were brave because they had faith/fear in God!
How poetic that God would use the symbolism of the firstborn to signal his redemptive love for his people when they finally escaped from Pharaoh. A love still offered by God through Christ even to those who have taken life. Abortion has many kinds of victims: babies, mothers, fathers, society, womanhood itself.
As Christian women here is our post modern challenge. Before allowing yourself to feel deprived of anything for more than a few seconds, consider the millions of unborn babies who have been and will be murdered in America. Consider the young women who are willing to believe that abortion is going to solve problems. Think about the countless young women and their boyfriends and husbands who may well have been brought up to know better, or may indeed be uninformed, opting for the termination of life. Does this legalized murder of innocents make you angry? Does it make you mourn and pity the many victims? If you don’t feel an instinctive urge to howl prayers heavenward and find practical ways to impede the slaughter, then you have lost your roar. You have lost your womanliness.
Consider the purpose God had for the first woman at Creation. Eve – life giver; mother of life. Let us fulfill that purpose in a myriad of life giving ways.
Every Blessing,
Barbara B. Gardner
Christmas 2008 From Lori Thompson
Earth’s crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God.
But only he who sees takes off his shoes;
The rest sit ‘round it and pluck blackberries.
~ Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Emerging from holiday-crowded Wal-Mart, cart laden with week’s groceries, I notice a mentally-handicapped worker arduously pushing several dozen gathered carts through the dirty, snow-covered parking lot. I smile, marveling at this burning bush of perseverance and ambition, thankful for jobs that look past dis and affirm ability. Suddenly, jarring, critical voice extinguishes flames. Angry face juts out rolled-down car window. “What do you think you’re doing, holding up traffic, blocking all these cars from finding parking spots?!” Angry lecture continues, though seemingly ignored by intended recipient. Shoes stay on, blackberry juice runs down chin…
In the Thompson Family, as well, it has been a mixed year of bare feet and stained fingers. Our family thankfulness journal lies open on the family “Walter” (Ben and Eden’s malapropism for “altar”), beckoning us to praise the Lord and forget not all His benefits (Psalm 103). While we live in this vexatious muddle between ideals and reality, many times our thoughts, words, and emotions could compose an opus of a different genre – necessitating all the more the habit of chronicling what we are immersed in daily and yet often numbly oblivious toward: innumerable gifts of God’s grace.
“The discipline of gratitude is the explicit effort to acknowledge that all I am and have is given to me as a gift of love, a gift to be celebrated with joy. Indeed, I can choose to dwell in the darkness in which I stand, point to those who are seemingly better off than I am, lament about the many misfortunes that have plagued me and thereby wrap myself up in resentment. But I do not have to do this. There is the option to look into the eyes of the One who came out to search for me and see therein that all I am and all I have is a pure gift calling for gratitude. The choice of gratitude rarely comes without some real effort. But each time I make it, the next choice is a little easier. Every gift I acknowledge reveals another and another, until the most mundane event proves to be filled with grace. Acts of gratitude make one grateful because, step by step, they reveal that all is grace.” ~ Henri Nouwen
Wise Solomon would agree: “All the days of the oppressed are wretched, but the cheerful heart has a continual feast” (Proverbs 15:15).
Last March, Olivia and I were walking together at the park. True to our respective forms, I absorbed myself in ensuring a pace vigorous enough to count for some much-needed aerobic exercise, while Olivia lagged behind and searched for signs of spring. Excitedly she showed me tiny, blue flowers inconspicuously growing in the grass – surprising, considering the amount of snow still lingering on the ground. I would have missed these treasures myself, had Eagle-Eyes not drawn my attention to them. How much like my life, I mused, blossoming with beautiful flowers too often overlooked because, impatiently, all I see is snow on the ground. Cultivating a thankful heart helps me notice delicate, blue petals peeking through snow-soaked grass.
My favorite blogger, Ann Voskamp, of aholyexperience.com, writes: “My name means ‘Full of Grace.’ And, frankly, I haven’t been. Instead of brimming with gratitude for His grace, it’s true: I have been critical – of self, of the world, of family, of God – everything. Been one of unclean lips – demanding, dissatisfied, fault-finding lips. The 1000 Gift List began as a way of becoming present to His Presence and steadfast, overwhelming love, of intentionally choosing to see the giving heart of God in ordinary life. It was about repenting of being an ingrate and deciding to take seriously his command to give thanks in all things – to thank God specifically and in detail… I’ve found the way into God’s presence begins, simply, with gratitude. ‘Enter in His courts with thanksgiving…’ And yet, it hasn’t been so simple. It can be hard, in the midst, in the vortex of pain, suffering, soul-soreness, to see that all is gift, all is grace, all is God. The 1000 Gifts List has been about moving that theological knowledge down from the cerebrum into lips, feet, hands, to an everyday, transformative perspective. Not to mention that a daily gratitude journal has been found to measurably increase our happiness by 25%! And who doesn’t need to walk in more joy? Even if chronically ill, jotting down His gifts makes us feel happier, more optimistic, sleep better and feel more connected to others, facts confirmed in recent scientific research. And at His right hand, where we are when we are giving thanks, are His joys evermore. Letting even just 15 minutes per day ‘overflow with gratitude’ (Colossians 2:7) scientifically reduces the stress hormone cortisol and calm neurological and endocrine systems. Our bodies, lives and souls work best when we are giving thanks.”
My dad’s retirement from pathology landed us the inheritance of his microscope, along with many fascinating hours examining pond water, swatted mosquitoes, rabbit hairs, dissected flower parts, mold, and everything in between. Whatever we choose to focus on, that is what becomes magnified in our scope of vision, making the paramecium paramount, the proboscis profound, the stamen stately, the mycelium magnificent. It’s much like our outlook on life: What we focus on becomes amplified and consumes our attention. How I want a thankful heart to magnify not only the gifts but, more significantly, the Giver.
As of this writing, we are more than halfway to 1000 gifts recorded in the journal. Here are just a few:
#305 Our bountiful gardens, growing beans, zucchini, yellow squash, pumpkins, carrots, cucumbers,
radishes, beets, basil, cilantro, sugar snap peas, tomatoes, potatoes, marigolds, spinach…
#371 Eden’s reciprocated “secret” whispered in my ear as I tuck her in bed: “Here’s something I
appreciate about you, Mama: I appreciate that you’re my friend.”
#213 Sweet faith, innocence, and friendship of two six-year-olds singing “Jesus Loves Me” in the shade
of the mulberry tree.
#545 Brothers cross-country skiing together around the pond by our house, Josiah frequently looking
behind to encourage novice, younger sibling, who responds thoughtfully, “He’s such a good
brother to me.”
#401 Hearing the sweet, uninhibited voice of Benjamin – even while he’s stuck with the unpleasant task
of cleaning the disastrous basement – singing spontaneous, compose-as-he-goes worship songs to
Jesus.
#514 A fun and nostalgic time watching video footage of our life in Kazakhstan, when Ben and Eden
were sweet, chubby-cheeked babies and Olivia and Josiah were cute four- and six-year-olds.
The reminder of how quickly they grow.
#476 One of the most breath-taking autumns I’ve ever feasted my eyes upon – the xanthophylls and
anthocyanins and carotenes and tannins brilliant and surprisingly lingering.
#341 Peter Pan and Tinkerbelle, clutching umbrellas and gingerly crossing the yard through pouring
rain for neighbor boy’s costume party. How precious is the gift of childhood!
#551 Josiah, always ready to amaze us with some new magic trick up his sleeve.
#81 Benjamin in dapper shirt and tie, confidently marching up on stage at Homeschool Fine Arts Day,
delivering lisping but unflinching recitation of Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy
Evening,” his high-beam smile unwavering even after head hits microphone during bow.
#72 Quotidian concerts from four budding musicians – featuring piano, violins, drums, guitar, trumpet,
vocals, harmonicas, kazoos, etc. – reverberating throughout our home.
#304 Seventeen years of marriage to my favorite person on the face of the earth.
#549 The glorious incongruity of the girls’ violin “duets” – Eden enthusiastically sawing away,
accompanying Olivia’s elaborate Vivaldi Concertos with her own avant-garde rhythms and
harmonies.
#443 Troy running the Chicago Marathon to celebrate turning 40.
#444 The myriad of options besides marathons to celebrate my own 4-decade mark next spring.
#192 This quote from 19th-Century missionary pastor and author, Andrew Murray: “With every child
something of heaven and of Christ comes into the home.” Four pieces of heaven right in our own
home!
#480 Trials that keep us on our knees, relying on God, and longing for our true Home.
Heaven’s infinite gift catalogue, each item with accompanying price of $0. Free gifts from God’s hand. What a blessing in these hard economic times.
Recently, out of sheer curiosity, I asked Benjamin to share with me his earliest memory. Without having to ponder long, he replied, “My earliest memory is when God created me as a sculpture of gold.” Now there’s a kid cognizant of Who made him and, hence, his inestimable value! On the other side of the world, another little boy recently contemplated his worth. Radheyshyam, a World Vision sponsored child in India, after experiencing his first-ever birthday party at the age of 8, responded: “I was not aware of the importance of my birth in this world.” Oh, that every child knew his or her infinite preciousness in God’s sight!
Two millennia ago, not many were aware of the importance of a certain birth in this world. And today, many would rather pluck blackberries than remove their shoes. Nevertheless, He came. God-in-flesh descended to earth from heaven, paid our debt by dying in our place on the cross, conquered death by rising again, and returned to heaven, where He now prepares a place for those who put their faith in Him. And while we wait for that day, He freely surrounds us with gifts of His grace. “A little faith will bring your soul to heaven, but a lot of faith will bring heaven to your soul.” ~ D. L. Moody
Dearest friends and family, we give thanks for you. May you celebrate Christmas and enter the New Year with bare feet, delighting in the continual feast of a thankful heart.
Troy, Lori, Olivia, Josiah, Benjamin & Eden Thompson
Thanks Lori for sharing your beautiful family's newsletter with us.
Dr. Lisa Fink
1. "Putting into Practice"
2. "Places that Use to Fit"
3. "To Do Is Done" (New Years)
4. "Choose Your Way"
Mrs. Ann Wilkinson
1. "Illumination" (11-7-07)
Mrs. Bobbie Anderson
"Lessons In the Garden"
Mrs. Robin Winkel
1. "The Spirit of Christmas"
2. "Where Has God Placed You"
Mrs. Ginger Hanchey
1. "The Music of the Glorious Conductor"
2. "Blooms From the Night"
Mrs. Barbara Gardner
1. "I Have Calmed and Quieted My Soul"
2. "What Glorifies God at Christmastime?"
3. "The Offensive Guest"
4. "Whispers of Grace" (poem)
5. "The Beautiful Gospel Message for Women"
6. "A Woman's Search for Virtuous Woman of Pro. 31"
7. Part One: "The Risky Ministry of Hospitality II Kings 4:8-47
8. Part Two: "The Hostesses Unspoken Need"
9. Part Three: "The Prayer of a Lioness"
Mrs. Lila Chandler
1. "See A Label, Pray For China"
If you authored something not listed, please refresh my memory!
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