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Time to Carry the Torch

Well, it’s official. It is time to carry the torch. My uncle died a few days ago. In his passing, he signals the end of a generation.

Uncle Sonny was the last living uncle on my mom’s side of my family. He had been married to mom’s youngest sister, Viola.

His smile. That is what I remember most about him. A warm expression that seemed to go straight from his eyes down into his soul.

As the last surviving member of the “senior generation,” he had held a special distinction — an honor bearing the inherent responsibility of family and faith. My mom enjoyed the same regard when she was the last surviving aunt on the Haertling side, my daddy’s family. To some extent, those “seniors” took me off the hook.

But now, that generation is gone. It is time to carry on the spiritual torch of faith.

My mother, her sisters and brothers, with their spouses, and my Grandpa Richter, circa 1978.

A Legacy Worth Living Blog

I lived among people who were distinguished as both speaking and seeing witnesses of their faith. Parents and grandparents and aunts and uncles who by their words spoke of who Jesus Christ is. Through the hard times, in dark nights of grief, and in celebrations of joy, they sang of the Lord’s faithful love. In their prayers and words of encouragement, in their stories, and in what they taught raising and correcting their children, they spoke of what they knew.

As seeing witnesses, nothing was circumstantial, nothing indirect. Recounted in how they lived, they testified to a heritage of faith in Christ Jesus from what they understood firsthand: God is good. It was the same torch they had seen. The one the generation before them had passed on, preceded by the one previous. Flawed, imperfect people? Obviously. Faithful to God? Unmistakably.

Cutting My Teeth on Christmas Blog

In circa 67 AD, knowing his time here on earth was growing short, the Apostle Paul prepares to pass the torch. He writes the most amazing letter “to Timothy, my dear son” (2 Timothy 1:1-2).

Full disclosure: You may feel a little embarrassed reading such a personal message. It is one filled with deep emotion. (2 Timothy)

You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.
2 Timothy 2:1-2

A speaking witness and a seeing witness, Paul charges Timothy, “You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings … the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them …” (2 Timothy 3:10-11).

It is now Timothy’s time to carry the torch: “But as for you [Timothy], continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:14-15).

Quite a stirring message for us living in the 21st century. We are each recipients of the same Truth. Earnest remarks that Paul appealed to Timothy: to remain loyal to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to avoid godless chatter, to remain on guard of false teaching, to keep our head in all situations. To endure.

So, a generation is gone. They were people who ran with perseverance. Their testimonies remain.

I am no longer a daughter or a grandchild or a niece. But, I am not alone. Less I forget, I am in the company of four siblings and 17 cousins who each belong to the now senior group of the Ben Haertling-Hugo Richter clan (sans spouses). And what a group we are.  

The torch of faith is entrusted to each of us. It is now officially ours. And sustained by God’s faithfulness, it is time to carry the torch forward.

  • The Hugo Richter Seniors
    One cousin missing from photo. c. 2000
  • The Ben Haertling Seniors
    Vernon and Norma Haertling, four cousins now deceased. c. 2000

Let us ever walk with Jesus, Follow His example pure,
Flee the world, which would deceive us, And to sin our souls allure.
Ever in His footsteps treading, Body here, yet soul above,
Full of faith and hope and love, Let us do the Father’s bidding.
Faithful Lord, abide with me; Savior, lead, I follow Thee.

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Cutting My Teeth on Christmas

Gott ist die Liebe, Läßt mich erlösen: Gott ist die Liebe, Er liebt auch mich. Drum sag ich noch einmal: Gott ist die Liebe, Gott ist die Liebe, Er liebt auch mich.*

“God Loves Me Dearly.” Growing up in a Christian home set in a rural Southeast Missouri farming community, I cut my teeth on this beloved children’s Christmas hymn. Faith and family were the foundations of life.

On Christmas Eve, chores were completed a little earlier than usual. Cows were milked, livestock fed and bedded down, the chicken coop was secured; and we headed to church.

There in the hush of a cold winter evening, children’s voices rang out. My siblings and I, together with our elementary school classmates, eagerly told the story of God’s amazing love, of Jesus’ birth. Sentimental thoughts. Treasured Christmas memories.

Christmas with my sisters, brothers and me, circa 1960.

August Rische, a German Lutheran pastor, penned “Gott Ist Die Liebe” desiring to introduce the homeless children with whom he worked to God. First seen in 1852, the words prevail true today nearly 170 years later:

How does God love me? Dearly. Profoundly. So that I may live.
This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. 1 John 4:9-10

How does God love me? Eternally. From eternity past into eternity future, God set me free from sin forever.
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

How does God love me? Completely. All the way. Jesus, the Son of God, suffered the full wrath and punishment for my sin.
But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners,
Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

How does God love me? Mercifully. Seeking the lost, forgiving and
restoring those who repent and turn to Him in faith. Jesus Christ was literally born to die.
But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved. Ephesians 2:4-5

In the stillness of the night at another time in history, heavenly voices rang throughout the sky. Angels. Messengers of God announcing, “I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:10-11 (emphasis added)

Who am I to you? Blog

Jesus was born of the virgin Mary. He took on humanity and lived a perfect life for you. He died a sacrificial death and rose to everlasting life for you. Even you. Yes, God loves you dearly!

*God loves me dearly, Grants me salvation,
God loves me dearly, Loves even me.
Therefore I’ll say again: God loves me dearly,
God loves me dearly, Loves even me.

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I Never Asked

Great joy filled the Haertling home situated just east of the village of New Wells, Missouri, that July day in 1932. Into a family of three daughters, a healthy son was born.

The child came from a long line of Saxony German Lutherans who had immigrated to America in the mid-1800s for religious freedom. His father was a farmer, as was his father before him, and his father before him, who was also born to a farmer. By the grace of God, that boy child grew to adulthood. He became a farmer, too … and my father. A man of character. An authentic mix of courage, commitment and creativity.

I don’t know where my daddy was born. “Behind the wood pile” he would say with an impish grin during one of those silly childhood questioning games. To which I can still hear my grandma’s “O Gott!” response. He was likely born at home. But I never asked.

A Saxon father was concerned for the well-being of his family. Consequently, faith played a vital role in a child’s upbringing. Daddy was Baptized into the Christian faith on August 14 shortly after his birth. Fourteen years later, after instruction and having “professed faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and vowed obedience to His Word,” he was “received into full Communion with the Evangelical Lutheran Church by the solemn rite of Confirmation.”

Professed faith. Vowed obedience. Solemn rite. Some rather weighty words for any person, much less a young teen. Did he ever question his commitment? I never asked.

Daddy attended a one-room school through the eighth grade. Did his sister Melva, who was six years older, show him the ropes the first days? Maybe where to store his lunch box or put his coat?

His First Grade marks hint at a slow start to his schooling. It seems after the first quarter, however, he figured things out. In fact, in later years he received National Board of Examiners certificates in both penmanship and reading. I wonder what books he enjoyed most? Who was his best friend? What games did he play at recess? I’m afraid I never asked.

He and my mom began their married life in the same church in which he was Baptized and Confirmed. They remained together 53 years, until his death. I never asked how they met or how he knew she was “the one,” nor about the courage he mustered at age twenty-five to raise five children under the age of three.

My sisters, two of my three brothers, and me, circa 1958.

I loved watching him record the play-by-play action during the St. Louis baseball games we attended. Daddy was a “south paw.” The brisk strokes of his pen gave an account of athletic skill; letters and digits documenting each player’s performance. That’s right … penmanship certificate … grade school. I never asked why as a Cardinals fan he came to admire Steve Carlton, a Philadelphia Phillies player.

Focus on the Family, A Father’s Day Tribute Blog

Dad sang in the church choir. Mom was in the choir loft, and my sisters and I eventually joined, too. He loved to dance: polkas and two-steps, waltzes and the Schottische. And when he got the chance to combine the two — to sing his favorite, “Lucille,” at a community dance — well, that was the cat’s meow! When did he develop a fondness for music? I never asked.

My dad was not flawless. His commitment could border on hardheadedness, as surely as it could reflect a tender heart. What joys and heartaches of life shaped him? Was it family needs? Community issues? Our nation’s struggles? I never asked.

Daddy with his firstborn son, Glenn.

On another day some 2,000 years ago, there was no joy in a home in the village of Bethany, located on the eastern slope of Mt. Olivet, southeast of Jerusalem. Only deep sorrow. Jesus had delayed arriving. The young man Lazarus, who had been ill, had died. (John 11)

From the language of the New Testament book of John and the order of the three names, we may reasonably conclude that Lazarus was the youngest of the family, with two older sisters. And Jesus loved them — Martha and her sister [Mary] and Lazarus. John 11:5

Likely, the last time Jesus had been with them, He left the family well, in health, and joy. (Luke 10:38-42) But changes come, don’t they? When we part from our friends, we don’t know what may affect us, or them, before we meet again.

Now present, Jesus — the true Son of God and true Son of Man — stands before the grief-stricken Martha.

Confident of His power to heal the sick, Martha addresses Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” John 11:21

With no explanation for his absence, Jesus tenderly leads Martha’s thoughts away from her dead brother to the most remarkable revelation of Himself. Listen. Hear his compassionate voice. “Your brother will rise again … I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.”

And then He poses to Martha the most decisive personal question: “Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26

Who am I to you? Blog

Martha knew what the ancient Hebrew Scriptures taught and what Jesus Himself endorsed concerning the resurrection (Daniel 12:2; John 5:28, 6:40, 44, 54). Yet, was she prepared that the One who stood in her presence did not merely have power to resurrect, but that He is the Resurrection and the Life? How astounded she must have been as she listened.

In the midst of her pain, with her heart stilled in the calm majesty of His presence, the Master beckons Martha to the most significant confession of faith. To declare what she knows about Him: “Yes, Lord. I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.” John 11:27

Martha may not have fully understood the depth of her own words. She may not as yet fully connected Jesus’ teachings with who He is. Could she have ever dared to imagine what she was about to witness?

At the tomb of Lazarus, Jesus’ claim becomes clearer: He calls in a loud voice and raises the man dead four days to life. In this momentous event — in which others are allowed to share — they lift the stone, but only Jesus can bring the dead man out. They free him from the grave cloths, but only after Jesus has given life to him.

Jesus is the author of the Resurrection. More than a doctrine, much more than a theological concept, Jesus not only gives new, eternal life, He is the very source of Life. That is part of His glory! (John 11:4, 40)

Jesus performed many signs while He walked on this earth, with the raising of Lazarus the seventh and final sign recorded in the book of John. And like a historian, the Apostle summarizes his narrative in the book’s final chapter: But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. John 20:30-31

It is a shame that many questions in life never get asked. This one, the most significant, however, does: Do you believe Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life?

Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; for He is faithful that promised.
Hebrews 10:23

Cover photo: My then 10-year-old father’s elementary school class of 1942, #16, far right side.

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Living Requires Effort

Life is not a movie. Criminals are not brought to justice, nor are terrorist’s plots or attempts at world domination foiled, in a short 120 minutes of time, sans commercials, by the likes of Jessica Fletcher, Benjamin Matlock, or Ethan Hunt. Chance meetings leading to misunderstandings and broken hearts are most definitely not resolved into happily-ever-after endings in single two-hour sittings.

No. Living is just not that simple. Living life through faith in Jesus Christ requires effort.

In “A View from the Zoo,” Gary Richmond writes about one such remarkable effort in the animal kingdom — the birthing of a giraffe calf.

Who would not agree that the Creator God’s amazing design of this gentle giant is quite extraordinary: long spindly legs with an equally soaring, powerful neck? Distinctive spotted markings, much like a human fingerprint, make each animal individual. Gorgeous!

At delivery, momma giraffe drops her bundle a scant ten feet to the ground … the plucky little one landing on its back. Ouch.

Lying there, getting its bearings, the calf scrambles. Legs underneath, it peers out to see what is going on. There is momma!

Then in the most unreasonable manner, momma giraffe swings her pendulous leg sending her calf sprawling head over heels. What? Why?

Richmond notes, “Because she wants the little guy to get up!”

As the baby struggles, momma is not hesitant to stimulate its efforts with another kick.

Soon the calf gets to a wobbly stand. And momma? Well, she is at the ready to serve up another helping of effort — another boot sending the little one back to the ground.

In the wild, this little guy needs to remember how to get up and get on with it … and it must do so with haste, without hesitation. Mother giraffe knows they both need to get with the herd for protection from life’s predators: lions, hyenas and hunting dogs.

In the Old Testament book of Genesis we read of Joseph who experienced his share of kicks as he got his bearings. (Genesis 37-50)

Joseph was the son of Jacob, the grandson of Isaac, and the great-grandson of Abraham, who is called God’s friend. (James 2:23). Quite a lineage with which to begin one’s life. But ancestry does not make for uncomplicated living.

The favorite son of his father, Joseph’s ten brothers hated him and could not speak a kind word to him. Genesis 37:4

Somewhere around age seventeen, Joseph’s father sent him to see how the elder brothers were doing grazing the family’s flocks some miles from home. Arriving in camp, Joseph’s brothers stripped him of the richly ornamental robe he wore. They threw him into an empty cistern with plans to kill him. Now, that was one good kick.

When an Ishmaelite caravan came through on its way to Egypt, the brothers instead sold Joseph as a slave. (Genesis 37:12-36) That double whop* must have sent Joseph sprawling!

Arriving in Egypt, one of the Pharaoh’s officials bought Joseph. And there in Potiphar’s house, Joseph prospered; that is, until his master’s wife took notice of the well-built, handsome young slave. Refusing the woman’s advances, Joseph is falsely accused of attempted rape and thrown into prison. (Genesis 39) Smack! Down again.

In prison, Joseph found favor with the warden, who put him in charge of those held in the prison. When the Pharaoh’s chief cupbearer and baker were put in custody, Joseph interpreted dreams that the two men had. He asked the cupbearer, whose dream was one of restoration to his original position, to remember him and get him out of prison. The chief cupbearer was reinstated … Joseph was forgotten. (Genesis 40) What a wallop!

Two full years passed before Joseph was remembered. This was when Joseph was brought before the Pharaoh to interpret the king’s two unexplainable dreams, and Joseph is recognized as a man in whom is the spirit of God.

It had been some thirteen years since Joseph was taken from his homeland. At age 30, he enters the service of the Pharaoh becoming second-in-command in the whole land of Egypt. (Genesis 41)

God toughens us in the ups and downs of living. He prepares to use us in days to come, for His glory, for His work. Alone in a pagan land filled with idolatry, Joseph needed strength to live a lifetime for Jehovah God.

Thankfully, our Father God is more gentle than a giraffe — although at times life’s “kicks” may not feel very good.  

Look back again at Joseph’s life. When Joseph arrived on that slave block in Egypt, we are told, The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered. Genesis 39:2

When Joseph landed in prison under false allegations, the LORD was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. Genesis 39:21

And upon interpreting his dreams, the Pharaoh said, “Since God has made all this known to you [Joseph], there is no one as discerning and wise as you. You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders.” Genesis 41:39-40

The Lord God never left Joseph. In humility, Joseph remained under His loving hand; he made the effort to cooperate with God throughout his life.

“How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God!” Joseph told Potiphar’s wife. Genesis 39:9

Taking no credit for himself, Joseph told the chief cupbearer and baker, “Do not interpretations belong to God?” Genesis 40:8

To the Pharaoh, Joseph said, “God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do.” Genesis 41:25

Joseph was a real man living in a real place in a real time in history. He got up each day. He made the effort. He lived a life faithful to the Lord God. By the grace of God, so can we.

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of living water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.
Psalm 1:1-3

*NOTE: Abraham had two sons: Isaac, the child of God’s promise, and Ishmael, the child of compromise. Ishmaelites, also known as Midianites, were descendants of Ishmael. (Genesis 21:8-21)

Bitter fruit was produced when Abraham sent Ishmael away. This bitterness survives in the religion of Mohammed, of those in the Moslem Arab world. Little did Sarah know when she persuaded Abraham to take Hagar to have a child, she was originating a rivalry which has run in the keenest strife through the ages, and which oceans of blood have not stopped. (Biblegateway.com/All the Men of the Bible)

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Those Left Behind

“You leaving feels like a funeral to me,” my good friend said as she stared straight into my eyes. Tears trickled down her cheeks. “You see, Bon, you are going on to something new, something exciting. I am truly thrilled for you. But I am already feeling so lonely by the hole you are leaving in my daily life by not being here physically.”

Now, more than twenty-seven years later, I clearly remember my friend’s tender emotion as my family and I prepared to relocate for the first time.

She was right. My husband, kids and I were heading out on to a whole new adventure. We were caught up in the activity, and the frenzy — an advanced position with fresh opportunities, a new house, new places to discover and explore. In our eagerness, we forgot those left behind.

“My son’s best friend is leaving; my daughter’s, too.” It was not a guilt trip on my friend’s part. But a simply stated fact. A fact reflecting the reality of how one’s life impacts another.

In the New Testament book of John, Jesus comforts His friends as He prepares to leave. For three years this rag-tag band of twelve men had traveled the dusty roads of Judea and Galilee with Him. They experienced things they could never have imagined had they tried. Water turned into wine. Rescues from life-threatening storms. Miraculous healings. People raised from the dead. They ate with Him. And He taught them — including how to pray.

They had given up everything to follow Him. (Matthew 19:27)

Now their Friend was telling them He was going away.

In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. John 14:2

Overwhelming thoughts. Powerful emotions. Jesus knew that the friends He was leaving behind felt confused and fearful; already experiencing the loneliness caused by the hole He was leaving in their daily lives.

Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. John 14:1

But Jesus did not leave His disciples there in their pain. He would not leave them as orphans. He promised His friends another. A Counselor, who would be with them forever: The Spirit of truth. (John 14:15-18)

And in all the best yet to come, Jesus promised, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” John 14:3

Jesus’ promises reach through to this very day, to each of us who believes Jesus is the way and the truth and the life. (John 14:6) Never will He leave us; never will He forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5)

Truth be told, I am thankful for what my friend felt — it said something about the influence that both I and my children had on her and her family. We had truly been present living in the here and now. It was a lesson with which I encouraged my kids in subsequent moves as they grieved having to move again, leaving behind friends and activities and schools … and dreams for what life would be like if they could stay.

Caring for others. Making time to develop friendships. Giving a piece of our heart. Yes, even though the time may come when we will have to leave it all. Making a difference now — in the present — in the lives of those left behind.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.
I do not give as the world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
You heard me say, ‘I am going away
and I am coming back to you.’
John 14:27-28

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I’ve Had All I Can Stands I Can’t Stands No More

She was crushed; her emotions spent. Oh, she knew her husband loved her dearly. He said what he could to comfort her. But her heart was broken. Her empty, childless arms ached — a bitter pill all but impossible to stand up under.  

Her rival’s cruel insults hurt; hateful taunts sinking deep into her soul. Lashing out in reply would have been the easy way. But had she uttered those unkind words they would have hung suspended, casting an even gloomier shadow over the entire household. How would that have added to an already painful situation?

This is the story of Hannah. Truth be told, it could be any one of our stories: a bitter pill. An agonizing ache under which to stand. We all have them. In comparison some might be of greater, or even lesser, consequence. But when it is our heartache, it never feels small.

Hannah’s husband was Elkanah, a Levite of the family of Kohath, the most honorable of that tribe. This was at a time when the Israelite nation was in decay; and although he was a godly man, Elkanah too had compromised. In disobedience to God he married a second wife, Peninnah, who could give him children when Hannah could not.

Service to God was also remiss, “when every man did that which was right in the sight of his own eyes.” Still Elkanah goes every year to the solemn feasts at Shiloh with his family — Elkanah, Peninnah with all her children … and Hannah.

The feasts were meant as a time of sacrifice, and a time of worship and prayers and thanksgiving to the Lord of hosts. And they were. They were also a time when Peninnah threw fresh salt on an open wound, provoking Hannah with new abuse, mocking her childlessness.

This went on year after year. Long enough, in fact, for Peninnah to have “sons and daughters.”

This time Hannah had all she could stands, she could stands no more: Overwhelmed with grief and unable to eat, Hannah stood up.

Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. 1 Samuel 1:9

Hannah may have been childless, but she was not prayerless. Instead of dampening the joy of the celebration for everyone else, Hannah went straight away to the One who alone could help her: The Sovereign God.

And what a prayer she prayed. With lips moving, yet no sound, words tumbled from her heart just as tears fell from her eyes.

Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head. 1 Samuel 1:11

After it was said, in faith she left it with Him — believing that either He would grant her request or make it right in some way.

Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast. 1 Samuel 1:18

In the course of time, Hannah did become pregnant and she had a child. She was given the very thing she desired — a son. When the child turned three years old, Hannah brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh, just as she pledged.

She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.” 1 Samuel 1:20

What a beautiful example of pain producing character that blesses the world! Hannah’s heartache was real. She was in a dire, troublesome circumstance. A circumstance that could so easily have turned her bitter, like acid eating her inside.

Matthew Henry wrote “Prayer is heart’s-ease to a gracious soul … Prayer will smooth the countenance.” What an incredible joy knowing our God Almighty, El Shaddai, never forgets His people. He hears our prayers still to this day. What an amazing privilege to have access before His mighty throne!

As for the child Samuel, he grew up to serve the Lord all his days. (1 Samuel 2:18-21)

There is no one holy like the Lord;
there is no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God. 1 Samuel 2:2

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When Dreams Fall Apart

She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: ‘You are the God who sees me,’ for she said, ‘I have now seen the One who sees me.’ That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi; it is still there, between Kadesh and Bered. Genesis 16:13-14

The dust had not settled much in the last 14 years. After six moves back and forth across the United States, we were back in our home state. Our tent pegs staked in more familiar ground.

Our son, a recent college graduate, was excited about a full-time job in sync with his degree; our daughter eager as she navigated her first year of college. Having gone on before me to start work in our new location, my husband and I were back together after months apart.

A good place to be. Until, that is, the afternoon it fell apart when my husband met me coming up the stairway saying, “Well, I guess I’m going to be home for a while …”

In the Old Testament book of Genesis, we hear of Hagar. A short chapter of only sixteen verses, Genesis 16 is filled with dreams that fall apart.  

We may never have heard of this obscure Egyptian slave girl had Abram not gone down to Egypt escaping a famine in Canaan (Genesis 12). Hagar was likely one of the maidservants the pharaoh of Egypt gave Abram when he moved on.

Abram was living on a ten-year-old promise from God of a life of fruitfulness, “… if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted.” (Genesis 13:16) Sarai, his wife, was getting older. Now some seventy-five years of age, she was still childless.

Believing it humanly impossible for her to give Abram a child, Sarai decides to follow the Middle Eastern custom of the day: She proposes Abram take Hagar as his wife so that she, Sarai, might have a child through her.

Abram agrees. Hagar submits. And no one seems to appeal to God, asking Him for His will.

Ahh, yes. The benefit of hindsight allows us to see clearly the absolute foolishness of this decision. Heartache. Rivalry. Jealousy. Conflict. All follow … for centuries.

Hagar becomes pregnant. Thinking she is now the better woman, she begins to despise Sarai.

Irrational, Sarai blames Abram: “It’s all your fault!” She treats Hagar cruelly. And Hagar runs; something forbidden of a slave, not to mention threatening both her life and that of her unborn child.  

The Angel of the Lord meets the distressed, pregnant fugitive beside a desert spring: Where have you come from, Hagar? Where are you going?

Answering the first question — I’m running away from my mistress, Hagar seems to have no answer for the second.

But the Lord was at Hagar’s heels. Go back to your mistress and submit to her. (Genesis 16:9) She must return. She left without permission. True, Sarai had wronged Hagar; but Hagar was not permitted to even the score by doing wrong herself. Two wrongs do not make a right. God points Hagar to the only way to receive grace and His blessing.

It could not have been easy, but Hagar goes back.

She returns with a promise from God. I will increase your descendants that they will be too numerous to count. (Genesis 16:10)

She goes back with the profound experience having glimpsed the truly omniscient and powerful God, with assurance that she was the object of His special care.

She names Him “The God Who Sees Me” for I have now seen the One who sees me. (Genesis 16:13)

The foolishness of hasty actions. The care by the all-seeing God over the lonely. The strength and comfort that accompany trials and difficulties. God working out His gracious purpose, even through seemingly harsh circumstances.

El Roi — The God Who Sees Me — still seeing each of us today, especially when dreams fall apart.

Precious Lord, take my hand,
Lead me on, let me stand;
I am tired, I am weary, I am worn.
Through the storm, through the night,
Lead me on to the light.
Take my hand, precious Lord; lead me home.

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A Legacy Worth Living

Nomad Wife Blog A Legacy Worth Living

Were she still alive, we would have celebrated my mother’s 91st birthday recently.

Mom lived 88 full years. She didn’t have it easy. She didn’t have a lot of stuff. But she had purpose and meaning. She left a legacy worth living.

She was the great-great-granddaughter of legal German immigrants, common farm folks who left their homeland for a home where they might enjoy religious freedom.

Her own mother died in childbirth when Mom was eight years old. A relative raised the infant sister. Her father never remarried. Mom helped her 15-year-old sister with the care of their four siblings; on the heels of the 1929 Great Depression.

Faith was central in Mom’s life. An enduring faith lived out in the everydayness of life. Belief in the One True God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus was her Savior from sin, death, and the devil. She was baptized and confirmed in the Christian faith and attended school through the eighth grade. The Scripture verse she was given on her 1942 Confirmation Day to help guide her through life was alive in her memory until her death: Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground. (Psalm 143:10)

1942 Confirmation Class of Evangelical Trinity Lutheran Church. Mom seated, first on the left.

As to marriage, a covenant relationship with God between one man and one woman for life (Genesis 2:23-25, Matthew 19:4-6). She never entertained other options. She and my daddy were married until his death. 53 years. Sure, they had their differences. But I guess you learn how to work through those when together you trudge to the milk barn every morning at 4:30 a.m. and again in the evening and milk some 60 dairy cows. Every day. Twice a day. Seven days a week. Fifty-two weeks a year. On the coldest, darkest days of winter and the blistering, hot days of Missouri summers. Note to self: Substantial “gray matter” required.

Life was precious. Children a heritage, a gift from God (Psalm 127:3-5). Mom gave birth to three boys and three girls; one child was lost through miscarriage. The taking of an innocent life through abortion: incomprehensible. Mom silently carried to her death the grief of burying her 5-year-old firstborn son lost in a tragic accident.

My mother had a gentle, giving spirit combined with grit. She lived patiently, worked hard, and minded her own business (1 Thessalonians 4:10-12). Following her wedding day, she moved in with her husband’s parents, into their home for 20 plus years. Mom performed with grace the very delicate act balancing her roles of wife, mother and daughter-in-law in a three-generation household.

Faith. Marriage. Life. Family. My Mom left a legacy worth living. That I leave such a heritage.

Jesus lead thou on
Till our rest is won;
And although the way be cheerless,
We will follow calm and fearless.
Guide us by Thy hand
To our fatherland.

Cover photo: One of my favorite memories with my Mom. (Norma Haertling, 1929-2017)

Posted on by Faithfully Following

The Big Three in Moving

New schools? Check. Place to live? Check. A Christ-centered church? Check. The big three in moving.

My husband’s business career gave our family a grand tour of the United States — from Colorado’s majestic mountains in the West to the region of our country’s founding in the East to snowy winters in the North and the old-fashioned charm of the South. Along the way I learned the big three in moving: schools in which our children could thrive, a community in which our family might flourish, and a Christ-centered church to worship God and grow our faith. These three became intricately intertwined.

So he [Abram] built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him. (Genesis 12:7)

The Scriptures do not record much about Abram’s early years. Born in Ur, a Chaldean city located in Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq), his father was Terah, his two brothers Nahor and Haran. His wife was Sarai and his nephew was Lot.

Archaeological and historical facts identify the area of Abram’s birth as the cradle of civilization, a thriving place, bustling with culture, commerce, learning, and pagan worship of mythical gods ruled by Sin, the moon god. It was from this place, this life that Stephen (the first Christian martyr) tells us God called Abram (Acts 7).

Scripture does not speak specifically about Abram’s beliefs prior to his encounter with God; although he likely worshiped idols and accepted mythology as truth, as did his family and neighbors (Joshua 24:2). Once called by God, however, Abram went without knowing where he was going (Hebrews 11:8).

Moving in the general direction of Canaan, Abram got stalled when he came to the city of Haran. Three main trade routes converged there offering an abundance of materials. Did Abram get sidetracked by the appeal of building his fortune? Was it the lure of Haran’s “house of rejoicing” sanctuary devoted to the worship of Sin? Maybe Terah, a lifelong devotee of the moon god, lingered and Abram couldn’t say good-bye to his father.

We don’t know how long it took, but at the age of 75, following the death of his father, Abram sets out again for the land of Canaan.

This time something different happens: Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem … So he built an altar there to the LORD. (Genesis 12:6-7) Abram then went on toward Bethel and There he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD. (Genesis 12:8)

The altar is a symbol of a two-fold purpose: worship, an active response to God whereby we declare His worth. And cleansing, the foundation of true worship found in the blood of Christ shed on the cross. Bible teacher Ray Stedman writes, “When we come before the cross and rightly judge the reality of our lives, acknowledging and confessing our sins to God, He cleanses us.”

As a pilgrim in the Christian life I need a daily altar experience with God. I need to connect with Jesus my Savior. Certainly in the privacy of my home. But, oh! Add in a community of fellow believers and the benefits are incomparable.

The Church, over which Jesus rules, is a calling together of all God’s people. Its purpose is to glorify God, to ascribe to Him supreme worth for He alone is worthy. To meet in a local church with fellow believers — everyday folks, like me, with broken lives — we come for worship, for encouragement, for instruction, for expression, for support. To receive forgiveness, grace and mercy to live out a God-given role that will never be matched or surpassed on earth. A Christ-centered church. An unrivaled big three!

Just as I am, without one plea
But that Thy blood was shed for me
And that Thou bid’st me come to Thee
O Lamb of God I come, I come.

Posted on by Faithfully Following

Caught Off Guard

Caught Off Guard - Nomad Wife Blog

Sierra. Stop. My dog enjoys our daily walks even more than I do, as long as we are not caught off guard.

Our purpose is exercise, so we move at a pretty good clip. We follow a familiar route and I pretty well know where to watch for other dogs. The length of freedom of those leashed to a stake. The little, yappy ones controlled by an invisible fence (man, do they get under Sierra’s skin). Ahh, yes. And those with no restraint, allowed to roam freely.

Focused. Alert. Eyes up. I’m good. It’s when I become distracted, absorbed in my thoughts, that trouble hits. Mentally I revisit a learning from Bible study, dwell on a family issue, plan out what I will do next when I get home, or simply think nothing at all.

BAM! A hard tug – sometimes a down-and-out yank – on the leash I hold, usually accompanied by some unfriendly, gruff barking. Roused out of my thoughts I quickly rein Sierra back into safety.

So it is with the everydayness of life. In the New Testament book of 1 Peter the Apostle urges us, Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)

Yes, the devil is out to consume, to destroy us. Interestingly enough, he comes at us with nothing new. His three-fold strategy has not changed since Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3) and Jesus in the desert (Matthew 4): the desires of our flesh, the longings of our eyes, and the pride of life.

Jesus shows us best how to handle those unexpected moments. Reaching into His armory He unleashes the Word of God. Three times Jesus responds, It is written … . (Matthew 4:4, 7, 10)

That same armory, the Word of God, is available to you. A lamp to your feet, God’s Word throws a beam of light on your path keeping you from hitting ditches and ruts (Psalm 119:105). Holy Scripture guards your heart, helping you stand against the devil’s schemes (Romans 8:37-39 MSG). It is a well-made weapon of the best material. But only effective if put to use.

Eugene Peterson writes, Be prepared. We’re up against far more than we can handle on our own. Take all the help … every weapon God has issued so when it is all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. (Ephesians 6:13-18 MSG)

Commit to it. Read it. Learn it. Memorize it. Use it. God’s true Word will help keep you from getting caught off guard.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17