Silent Saturday

Etymology. 

The word holiday comes from the Old English word hāligdæg (hālig "holy" + dæg "day"). The word originally referred only to special religious days. In modern use, it means any special day of rest or relaxation, as opposed to normal days away from work or school.

Passover was the religious holiday they were celebrating until the people saw Jesus as He carried the cross through the town.  It was not "special" or restful or relaxing to see the blood dripping in pools around His beaten body.  How could anyone rest or relax as they heard the sound of the nails being pounded into His hands and feet.  How could anyone eat as they watch and heard all the commotion that came from such an event.  Yet we kind of do that when we watch sport figures try to take the players down by slamming their bodies into them in football. Hey a hot dog and coke goes real good when a face gets bloody in a boxing match.  Not a whole lots has changed since Jesus hung on the cross.  Everyone was in town for the Passover so why not add a few Crucifixions to  the religions holiday.  


It's Friday and Sunday 's coming is the best message of hope ever preached.  So much hustle and bustle about a secular Easter, new clothes, shoes, candy, that the soberness of what took place on the cross and the tomb gets crowded out.    Most of the people left after Christ was taken down and buried in the tomb but I am so glad God did not. He had a valuable lesson to teach us with a silent Saturday .  Max Lucado can say it so much better than I can, so the below  is from him.  

Max Lucado says ,  Easter weekend discussions tend to skip Saturday. Friday and Sunday get the press. The crucifixion and resurrection command our attention.  For His reasons, God inserts a Saturday between our Fridays and Sundays.   

Don’t ignore Saturday.  You have them, too.

Silent Saturdays.  The day between the struggle and the solution; the question and the answer; the offered prayer and the answer thereof.

Saturday’s silence torments us.  Is God angry?  Did I disappoint him? God knows Jesus is in the tomb, why doesn’t He do something?  Or, in your case God knows your career is in the tank, your finances are in the pit, your marriage is in a mess. Why doesn’t He act?  What are you supposed to do until He does?

You do what Jesus did.  Lie still.  Stay silent.  Trust God.  Jesus died with this conviction: “You will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay” (Acts 2:27 NIV).

Jesus knew God would not leave him alone in the grave.  You need to know, God will not leave you alone with your struggles.  His silence is not his absence, inactivity is never apathy.  Saturdays have their purpose. They let us feel the full force of God’s strength. Had God raised Jesus fifteen minutes after the death of His son, would we have appreciated the act? Were He to solve your problems the second they appear, would you appreciate His strength?

 “Be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord” (James 5:7 NKJV

Fringes of God

Coming home for good from Papua New Guinea in 2012  was a heart break for us. We knew it was a permanent change, no more living overseas, our health was dictating our journey at that time. We took a position of Member Care reps covering six southwest states. Decided to live in California where our son who was getting a divorce lived. Long story short we rented a place together. Through all the changes depression had already moved into my mind and I hung onto the God who hung the moon. Job 26

Years ago I ask the Lord for three things, allow us to live close to at least one of our children and grand children, to live in the mountains, in a place with a fireplace, a real fireplace.

One day sitting outside with our son watching his two children play,  I was  enjoying the beautiful southern Californian mountain air. Yep, we are surrounded by mountains.  To top it off we had rented a condo with a wood burning fireplace. And did you get who I was sitting outside with? Son and grandchildren.

Depression is like a dark cloud that stands between earth and heaven. Our God, the one that hung the moon also hung the clouds as it says in Job 26:5-14.  He did not cause the depression but He was going to work in my darkness.    When there is tons of light you don't have to trust as much because light shatters darkness.  Walking in faith is easier in the light.    In the darkness of my  depression I was tripping and falling all over those around me, wounding some of them.   I was easily frustrated for no real reason most of the time, miserable  to be around.  Even I did not want to be around me. 

I don’t understand the pull of gravity but I believe it is there and my heart believed the Lord could and would lift me out.  He showed me the fringes of His ways that day, and that was enough to pull me out of the pit I was in. Since God does not waste anything He did not waste the pit.  I was tired and weary from trying to get out of the pit myself, I felt helpless.   This is where I learned, AGAIN, God loves helpless people. 

 Part of this post is actually a comment I made on someone else post. As I am writing my comment   it popped into my mind that I could use it as my next blog post.

Then I started gathering ways to beat depression.  Exercise, journaling, take vitamins, avoid sugar, get some sunlight even if you have to buy a sunlamp, drink power smoothies, pray, read Bible of course and the one I like the best, laugh.  There is nothing quite so lively than a good belly laugh till the tears roll.  So I am gonna leave you with a couple of jokes that I think are funny.

 What do Alexander the Great and Winnie the Pooh have in common?

Same middle name.

 I couldn’t believe that the highway department called my dad a thief.

But when I got home, all the signs were there.

See, I told you it would take your mind off of whatever was depressing you.





Perspective is everything.

It's Our Time

With the passing of Billy Graham it feels like there is a hole in our spiritual defense.   Who is going to be as bold and clear in presenting the gospel, the love of God sending His only Son to die for the sins of the world.

All week I have listened to one after another tell how Bro. Graham impacted their life with the simple gospel message.   Kathy Gifford said she gets ask often why she is so bold about the her faith.  She replied, if we had a cure for cancer we would not keep it to ourselves then went on to say, I have the cure for the malignancy of the soul and His name is Jesus.

I remember a video I watched by Beth Moore and she challenged those ladies, this is our time, we have the truth for this time.  It's the same truth Jesus preached but we did not live in His time, we live in this time, this is our time.

So who is the  "who that is going to shore up our spiritual defense?  Who?  Most of the time when we give a thumbs up to someone our thumb is pointed back to ourselves.  There is the who, it's me and you and me and you and me and you and me and you....

Just could not pass up sharing this song for it so fits my  heart right now.  I, me, this 71 year old woman with all her frailties,  have the cure for the malignancy of the soul and His name is Jesus so   I am praying for boldness like never before.  Praying God use me right where I am.  I'll never share before thousands my faith but I can take up courage and share the gospel with those lost that cross my path.

“Courage is contagious. When a brave man or woman takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened.” Billy Graham