Season of Saráyu, My Monument

When one visits the great city of London, they are overwhelmed with so many historic sites to visit. Big Ben, Parliament, Piccadilly Circus…so many places to see. But one of the most popular, and most beautiful, is St. Paul’s Cathedral.

In such a great cavern, it is easy to be overwhelmed by the stained glass, the incredible arches and the lavishly decorated ceilings. But if you look around, you will eventually find the following plaque:

On it as inscribed these words, “Lector, si monumentum requiris, circumspice.”

Those words are engraved above the tomb of Christopher Wren, the cathedral’s architect. Written by his son to be his father’s eternal memorial, they translate “Reader, if you seek his monument, look around you.” Rather than trying to eulogize his father with words, Wren’s son knew his father’s masterpiece was the greatest evidence of his impact on London and the world. Everyone that knew Wren are now long dead, as well as their memories of him. His voice was never recorded, no videos were taken, and to the common visitor of St. Paul’s, he is unknown. But, while his name may not be remembered, his work is clearly there to see.

At this point, it would be easy for me to write about how I need to DO something to be remembered, to accomplish something great to “leave our mark on this world.” But, I think that only buys into the shallow philosophy of this world, not God’s desire for our lives. Our focus should not be on accomplishing things, or “building an empire” here on earth, but should be focused on our impact on OTHERS. That should be our monument. Who have I blessed today? Have I shown patience? Have I displayed the kindness of Christ? If I were to die today, would my memorial be a building, a huge stash of personal possessions, or would it be a line of people whose lives have been changed by my impact with them?

What have you left behind for others to see from you? Will you be remembered by a plaque, or by people?  

Season of Saráyu, Ministering to Christ in Prison

If we look throughout the Scriptures, we see numerous examples of the Pharisees and how they felt superior to so many citizens who were “below them.” Here are just a few:

Luke 18:9-14 – Jesus tells a parable of a Pharisee who judges himself to be much holier and justified than the hated tax collector.
John 7:47 – The Pharisees felt the crowds were mindless rabble, because they “did not know the law“, and felt they then had the authority to curse them.
Matthew 23 – Here we see Jesus’ powerful condemnation of the Pharisees’ arrogance.

The Pharisees excelled in self-righteousness, feeling their superior works and piousness gave them the authority to judge others and even to add rules and regulations to the Scriptures, all in the name of ”righteousness.“ Their legalistic laws elevated them in society, made life difficult for others and virtually eliminated God from everyday life. With their guidance, the Lord’s people unwittingly became Satan’s slaves.

Approximately 1500 years later, Martin Luther described how this Pharisitical way of life really saw works as a way for people to construct a ladder to heaven and thus grow closer to God. In reality, it was Christ who built the ladder TO US, allowing us to connect with the Father! But, even today, we cannot accept this truth of grace and instinctively add rules and regulations to our walk with the Lord. If we only do a little more, God would see how hard we work, be so proud of us and love us just a little more. We may not admit this in our conversations, but our everyday actions and judgments paint a very different picture. A picture very similar to one drawn over 2000 years ago….

In Matthew 25:31-39, Jesus is speaking to His disciples and is speaking of when He will come back in glory and judge the people of the world. We see that some will be given a Godly inheritance, but it is Christ’s comments that is very interesting here. He says, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”

Then, in verse 40, Christ told them, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”

What struck me about this passage was how I ignore the last part of Christ’s comments. I understand reaching out and loving those who are starving and thirsty, sheltering those who are homeless and unclothed, and even caring for those who are sick. These are people who have done nothing wrong but have come on hard times and I must love them “with the love of Christ.” NO PROBLEM.

But, I have never stopped to look at those last ten words, “I was in prison and you came to visit me.” Why? Maybe it is because I want to JUDGE those who have done wrong, not love and minister to them. “They deserve to be in prison! They do not deserve to be ministered to because they have done wrong! This is their deserved punishment! They deserve to be shunned and left alone! When they DO something to earn it, then I will love them!” But clearly in this verse, Christ tells me that ministering to those in prison is ministering to Him! In my effort to “build a ladder to God”, like my Pharisee brothers, I am actually building a ladder AWAY from Him! He is the easiest person to minister to because He is right in front of me! And yet, He also is the person that I want to judge the most!

Do you struggle with this too? Who is the person you do not want to reach out to? Maybe he or she is the very person Christ wants YOU to touch first. It is hard, yes, but maybe we can reach out together?

Season of Saráyu, Working For A Gift

In Galatians 5:22-23, we read about the fruits of the Spirit. Love, joy, peace, patience….amazing outpourings of the redemptive Spirit within us. But for years, I have not seen that list as a blessing, but as a curse. Yes, a curse. Why? Because I have always seen it as a benchmark to show that I was saved. If I did not feel love, I must not be saved. If I do not overflow with peace, joy and patience, maybe I don’t have Christ’s work in me or maybe I am doing something wrong to somehow block Christ’s working in me. They were simply a report card of the things I did NOT have and thus was proof of my failure.

But these fruits are GIFTS from the Holy Spirit, not standards of holiness! In Luke 11:13, we are reminded that all we have to do is ASK the Father and He will bless us beyond measure with His gifts. He promises to give us the Holy Spirit and to work through us in unbelievable ways, if we simply stop trying to EARN it and ASK for it.

He promises to speak through us (Mark 13:11)
He promises to teach us and remind us (John 14:26)
He promises to give us power to be His witnesses (Acts 1:8)
He promises to help us overcome sin (Romans 8:13)
He promises to give us the assurance that He is our Father (Romans 8:15-16)
He promises to make us overflow with hope (Romans 15:13)
He promises to give us gifts to bless others (1 Cor. 12:7)
He promises to GIVE us love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23)

If these things are gifts, then that means they are things that I do not have. And if I do not possess those things, how can I expect myself to produce them on-demand? That is impossible. Instead, I must stop trying to create those things and instead start ASKING for them. That’s what God’s grace is all about: giving us what we do not deserve and cannot produce on our own. Maybe then I can truly sing,

I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy
Down in my heart,
Down in my heart,
Down in my heart,
I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy
Down in my heart,
Down in my heart to stay!

Season of Saráyu, God’s Voice

“Into marvelous light I’m running,
Out of darkness, out of shame.
By the cross you are the truth,
You are the life, you are the way!!!”

My little girl LOVES to sing. And she is unashamed about her singing. When she drives with her mom in the car, they sing their favorite songs together and it is amazing. In fact, when I have the privilege of hearing this chorus when I am driving, it brings tears to my eyes. Pure joy flowing out of a little girl’s mouth.

“This world keeps spinning faster
Into a new disaster so I run to you
I run to you baby
And when it all starts coming undone
Baby you’re the only one I run to
I run to you!!!”

This last week in the hospital, my precious angel did not sing. Her attention was on resting and healing, not on making a joyful noise. The breath in her lungs was her main concern. And it hit me, my little girl has fought for oxygen this past year and yet she still sang! Why??? Because it was her JOY to do it! She did not know any different, she just wanted to SING! And now that her lungs are working properly again, I cannot wait to hear the car pool chorus!

In Zephaniah 3:17, it says, “He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” Our God sings and will sing over us!!! And, like my little princess, He sings because it is an outpouring of joy. Unbridled, unabashed, unashamed. Just love and joy, pouring out in song. Unfortunately, too many times during my day, I cannot hear His song. Do you hear His song? Can you feel His joy in you? If not, may we slow down and take some time to sing. If you are stressing, hum a chorus. If you are driving, crank up the stereo and sing along!

“God of wonders beyond our galaxy
You are Holy, Holy
The universe declares your Majesty
And you are holy holy!!!”

An Update on Abbie – Dec. 31

Well, we are still here at the hospital. This morning, the doctor came in, looked at Abbie’s oxygen levels from the night and said that she had not improved enough for her to head home. Basically, they want her to be able to maintain healthy oxygen levels without additional oxygen. So she has had oxygen all day. Abbie is in surprisingly good spirits, charming everyone that comes into the room, but Mommy & Daddy are starting to wear. As Treshia mentioned yesterday, Zach cannot come and visit Abbie, due to the danger of him carrying additional viruses and such into the hospital. So, I (Brian) have been running back-and-forth from our apartment and the hospital, visiting both and trying to maintain a little “normality” throughout. Meanwhile, Mom & Dad Kuiper have earned jewels in their crown for taking care of Zach, cleaning the apartment and dropping their plans to help us. Thank you Mom & Dad.

Thursday evening, we tried a first for our family, Skype from the hospital. Whenever I travel, we use Skype to communicate and it has been amazing, so we decided to try it here. My parents got Zach on our iMac at home, while I used my MacBook Pro here at the hospital, and brother and sister were able to talk. It was one of the sweetest things I think I have ever seen. Zach lit up when he saw his best friend Abbie and Mouse was thrilled to see the little brother she has missed so much. They talked for only a few minutes, but I think it really gave him a charge. Hopefully we will be coming home from the hospital tomorrow (sound familiar?) but if not, we will definitely be using Skype again. If anyone else is on Skype and wants to talk to Abbie, let me know and we will set it up!

I will update you tomorrow morning, when we get her nighttime oxygen numbers, but PLEASE pray that Abbie is healed and that she can come home soon. Also, please pray for strength for Treshia, who is carrying the weight here at the hospital. Thank you for all of the incredibly kind comments and prayers that you have posted on this blog and on Facebook. I share every one of them with Abbie and she usually beams with joy and tells every one of the nurses, doctors and breathing therapists that she “has a lot of people praying for me!” What a cool witness!

Thank you again everyone!!!! We love you!

Brian

An Update on Abbie – Dec. 30

Day three in the hospital. by Abbie’s mom

I woke up this morning with dread. It was 12:30 A.M. The nurse was in for the sixth time to turn up Abbie’s oxygen. Through a shift change, both nurse and respiratory therapist, we went from no oxygen to a nose tube (forgive the lack of medical jargon) to a mask; from breathing air in the room to a half liter of oxygen up to six liters. The more oxygen Abbie needed, the more our chances to go home disappeared.

How is Abbie doing, you ask? If you have spent any time with Abbie, you know she is happy, kind, witty, funny and silly. There is a country song by Martina McBride called
“I Just Call You Mine” that reminds me of her:

Cause everyone who sees you
Always want’s to know you
And everyone who knows you
Always has a smile
You’re a standing ovation after years of waiting
For a chance to finally shine
Everyone calls you amazing
I just call you mine

That’s how Abbie is. She has been brave and strong.

How is she physically? Here are some numbers.
She was off oxygen yesterday for about six hours. Her numbers went as high as 97. (They use a scale of 1-100) They hovered around 94.
Around 7 P.M., she started going down to 90.
Around 9 P.M, her numbers plummeted. She went as low as 81, but hovered around 85.
They bumped up her oxygen from 1/2 a liter up to 6 liters. Now, she is receiving 1 1/2 liters. She has not been on room air yet today.

The thing that is most frustrating is her lungs are clear. The doctor said there is still some gunk in her lungs that is blocking the air from being soaked in. At least, that’s my basic, basic understanding. So, we wait and pray her lungs start taking in air consistently without the oxygen tank.

She is homesick and misses her brother. He’s banned from the hospital because he could be a flu carrier. He is spending time with Grandpa and Grandma Kuiper. What would we do without grandparents?

Her daddy brought his playstation to the hospital, so she will be entertained by her new Dora video game for at least the rest of the evening!

I want to thank you all for praying for us. Abbie tells every new nurse, doctor, respiratory therapist, food services person, maintenance person, etc., that she has a lot of people praying for her. Thank you! Not only is it bringing her comfort, but it God is answering them. No, we aren’t out of the hospital, but we are not alone. Many friends have stepped forward to help. And, we are learning more about asthma than I ever thought we would. We aren’t home yet. I am grateful we can say, “yet”. She will be able to go home.

An Update on Abbie – Dec. 29, Part Two

Well, the doctor came by and took a look at Abbie. She said she is doing better but they would like to keep her here at least one more night, just to be sure she continues to progress. While this is a little disappointing, Abbie continues to amaze the nurses and doctors by how sweet and happy she has been throughout the whole experience.

Please pray for her continued healing and that she gets some good sleep tonight (last night was a little rough). Again, THANK YOU SO MUCH my friends! You truly are the body of Christ at work!

Blessings to you all….

Brian

An update on Abbie – December 29

Hello my friends!

I know a number of you are following Abbie’s progress on my Facebook page, but for those who are not friends with me there, here is an update on our little angel.

This past week, we went down to Oklahoma and celebrated Christmas with Treshia’s friends and family. After a very busy (cold & snowy!!) week, we headed back for Colorado Springs on Saturday. On the trip, Abbie came down with a pretty bad cough, which reminded us of the cough she had a few weeks ago when she battled through pneumonia. So, on Monday, Treshia scheduled an appointment with Abbie’s doctor, to make sure the pneumonia had not returned. At the doctor’s, they tested Abbie’s blood oxygen levels and they were consistently low (84, rather than the usual 98-99).

Later that morning, I received a text message from Treshia, informing me that the doctor was admitting Abbie to the hospital with low blood oxygen levels. Needless to say this was a scary time and we scrambled to get things packed and get Abbie to the hospital. When we got here, they admitted Abbie and got her hooked up to oxygen, the monitoring equipment and started to spoil her rotten. In fact, I cannot express how incredible the staff has been here at Penrose-St. Francis hospital. When Abbie walked into the room, she was greeted with a Littlest Pet Shop animal, a gift for Abbie. Since then, she has been given stuffed animals, a small Christmas quilt blanket and all of the attention she can handle. Meanwhile, the people at the Ronald McDonald House have taken care of Treshia, Zach and me, giving us food, drinks, a shower and even laundry facilities. If I didn’t like McDonald’s before, I sure love it now!!

Last night, Treshia stayed with Abbie while I took Zach home. During the night, Abbie’s oxygen levels remained strong, but early morning they crashed. So, they had to increase her oxygen levels and we wait to see how she reacts. Unfortunately, this may mean another night in the hospital but we want to be sure our Mouse is back to health. I will try to update this blog as much as possible. Thank you for your prayers and thoughts! They have REALLY been felt!

We love you all!

Brian

An update…and Merry Christmas!

Hello everyone! This morning, my family and I leave for a week-long vacation to Oklahoma for Christmas. Unfortunately, where we are staying does not always have reliable internet, so I will not be able to update our blog while we are gone. So, I want to wish everyone a VERY Merry Christmas! May you feel the Lord’s deep and rich blessings over this season and may we all remember the real reason for this celebration, the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Blessings everyone!

Brian

SOLI DEO GLORIA!!!

Forced Interaction, Conviction & Ministry

I can’t do everything! But I need to do something….

Have you ever been to a Christian gathering where they played a video, or preached a sermon, on an outreach to starving people in Africa and felt terribly convicted? Your heart goes out to those people and you want to help. Then a month or more later, you hear a similar message about an outreach to bring clean water to third world countries and you want to help. Then, a few months later you hear about a group that is reaching the millions of young children who are caught up in the disgusting human trafficking trade in Asia, you see your own children in their places, and you are forced to tears to help. But after a while, you realize that you cannot do everything for everyone, and are hit with realities of finances, time and family, but also face a conviction of making a difference in a dying world. How can I do it? Should I be doing more?

I can’t do everything! But I need to do something….

I will be vulnerable and tell you that I have struggled with this for years. First I feel moved to act when I see injustice in the world, but soon fall back into my comfort zone of everyday “struggles” and forget about the mission. Then I hear multiple messages on different outreaches and “defend” myself from being convicted again by dismissing them as “someone else’s calling.” Or, if I am honest, I take on a defensive perspective and get angry that there are so many “vultures trying to get my money for their pet projects.” Obviously, this last reaction is fueled by my selfishness and desires for the world, but how do I balance so many missions, so many incredible outreaches, but so little time and so little money? Heck, I honestly struggle to pay the basic bills every month, so how can I take on human trafficking, the homeless, the impoverished, the widow and the orphan? That’s the point when I give up….But Christ calls me to acts of kindness and service, to a life of sacrifice and to move across the street and help like the Good Samaritan. So how do I do it?

I can’t do everything! But I need to do something….

I need to stop feeling guilty for not doing everything. By nature, I am a rescuer and want to solve people’s problems, even if it means depriving myself of those same things. But instead of trying to serve every need, I need to focus on those needs the LORD has called me to serve! We do not read about the Good Samaritan’s travels around the world, solving famine, drought and enslavement. We read about his moving across the road and help the ONE person God brought into his life to serve. And that is what I am pursuing now. Not a mission to solve all of the world’s problems now, but a prayer for the Lord to show me who He wants me to reach. Maybe it is simply loving my neighbor. Maybe it is blessing my friends who don’t know Jesus. Or maybe it is getting involved in fighting human trafficking around the world. Right now, I don’t know what it is, but I pray that the Lord will show me because….

I can’t do everything! But I need to do something….

What is it that the Lord has called you to do? I would LOVE to hear about it and how you found out what you calling was!