Why Mary's Example Gives Us Hope

 

(Photo credit: Paul Csogi @csogi)

 

“Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”

 –Luke 1:45

These words were spoken by Elizabeth to Mary, who had just heard the angel Gabriel’s message and agreed to become the Mother of God. Though Mary didn’t understand all of it, she believed the angel’s words and trusted that God’s plan was rooted in His love for her.  

Mary didn’t ask to see the big picture or to be given all the answers before saying yes to God. She believed that He loved her and would guide her in her role as Jesus’ mother. She took each day as it came and was faithful to what she believed God was asking her to do, whether that was humbly accepting shelter in a stable, confidently telling the disciples to ‘do whatever He tells you’ at the wedding in Cana, courageously staying with Jesus at the foot of the cross, or praying and waiting with hope with the apostles for the Holy Spirit in the upper room.

Mary’s example of faithfulness gives us hope. Every year on August 15 we celebrate her assumption, body and soul, into heaven. Why do we celebrate this? Because she was a human being like us – she wasn’t divine -- and yet she’s with God. God rewarded her faithfulness by giving her eternal life. Mary’s assumption is a preview of what’s in store for us; it shows that there’s more to life than just our time here on earth. It proves that we, too, can hope for the reward of eternal life.

God loves you so much that He wants you to be with Him forever. He doesn’t require you to see the big picture or have all the answers now, just like He didn’t expect Mary to. He simply invites you to believe Him and follow Him. What does this look like? He asks you to show His love to the person in front of you, whether friend or foe, in whatever way you can. He asks you to be faithful to Him and to do what you believe is the loving thing to do in any given moment. He, in turn, promises you eternal life.

“I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be.” –John 14:3

Believe the words of Jesus. Trust Him. Live in His love. He wants you to be with Him forever.

“Lord, thank You for letting me hope for eternal life! Help me to follow Mary’s example of faithfulness to You.”

 

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2022 Gina Bedell    

If you would like to receive these reflections directly to your inbox, please email me at ginabedell1@gmail.com and I will add you to my ‘BCC’ email list.

Comments are always welcome! Feel free to share it with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below. Thanks!

 p.s.

We continue to pray for an end to the war. If you’d like to help the people of Ukraine through the Cleveland Maidan Association, you may use either PayPal or a credit/debit card here:

https://www.paypal.com/donate/...

 

When the Storms Rage

 

 “A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already filling up. Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. They woke him and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’ He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Quiet! Be still!’ The wind ceased and there was great calm.” –Mark 4:37-39

The wind is howling, rain is pelting the apostles, and waves are crashing over the sides of the boat. Anyone who has lived through this kind of nightmare can identify with the apostles’ terror. Yet through it all, Jesus is asleep in the stern. As the apostles struggle to stay afloat, they wake Him up and accuse Him of not caring that they’re all about to drown.

Jesus orders the wind to stop and it does. As miraculous as that is, we may wonder: Why did He allow the storm in the first place? Why didn’t He prevent it?

One answer is that He knew that their fear would bring them closer to Him; it would make them turn to Him for help. His stopping the storm let them witness His power, which strengthened their faith in Him, which made them want to follow Him more closely, which let them experience more of His love. Had the seas stayed calm, none of that would have happened, at least not there.

God wants you to experience His love, too. Is your boat being tossed around? Are you going through another storm right now? Do you feel far away from God, or think He’s sleeping through your ordeal? If so, call out to Him. Tell Him about your pain and your fears. Ask Him to guide you through them.

Look for Him, and see how He calms the storm through the people around you. If you’re preparing for a funeral, maybe friends are calling, texting, or bringing you meals to share in your sorrow and remind you that you’re not alone. If you’re suffering with an illness, feel His love expressed through the people caring for you. Maybe this downtime could be an opportunity to take care of yourself by slowing down, talking with Him more, listening to Him more, and letting Him remind you of His love for you. If you’re worried for someone else going through a storm, follow His promptings to reach out to them. You may be an answer to their prayers.  

Trust that God will be with you through every storm. Let your worry and fear inspire you to turn to Him for help. Trust Him to use His power to rescue you in one way or another. Let Him show you His love for you and strengthen you in body, mind, or spirit.

“Lord, help me to trust You’re with me when the storms are raging around me.”

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2022 Gina Bedell    

If you would like to receive these reflections directly to your inbox, please email me at ginabedell1@gmail.com and I will add you to my ‘BCC’ email list.

Comments are always welcome! Feel free to share it with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below. Thanks!

 p.s.

We continue to pray for an end to the war. If you’d like to help the people of Ukraine through the Cleveland Maidan Association, you may use either PayPal or a credit/debit card here:

https://www.paypal.com/donate/...

 

 

Building Campfires of Love

 

“Bring them here to me.” –Matthew 14:18

Jesus had been preaching and healing all day. As evening approached, the apostles suggested that He dismiss the crowd so the people could go and buy food in the nearby village. When He told them to feed the crowd themselves, they pointed out that all they had were a few loaves of bread and a couple fish. They knew that the people needed food; they also knew that what they had wasn’t enough to feed themselves, much less the whole crowd.  

We, too, see the needs of the people around us. We may look at our resources and think we don’t have enough to share. We might think that whatever we do share couldn’t possibly make a difference for anyone else. Maybe we feel foolish giving ‘just a little.’  

‘Bring them here to Me,’ is all Jesus said. He took what little they had, added His loving power to it, and transformed it from something meager into something significant. He can do the same thing with anything we give to our neighbors, whether that’s ourselves, our time, or our goods.

Think of how you build a campfire. You start with kindling and maybe a bit of paper and small broken sticks. A spark is needed to get the fire started, more wood is added a little at a time, and then the large logs are added to keep the fire going. Before long, what started as a small pile of twigs on the ground has become a blazing campfire.

Our kind deeds and humble offerings are like those sticks, and God’s love at work in us is the spark that sets the wood on fire. To build His campfire – His kingdom of love on earth – God needs our firewood. What might this look like?

A phone call to check in on someone who lives alone might be the ‘glowing twig’ that adds brightness to their day and keeps them from feeling lonely.

The items you overbought for your cookout could go to the foodbank or a soup kitchen. You might not have enough to feed many, but added together with others’ donations – sticks upon sticks – your contribution could be an answer to someone’s prayers.

A kind word at the checkout line might bring a smile to someone whose spirit needed to be lifted without your knowing it. The ‘campfire’ of their soul now has a couple more loving sticks on it to make it burn a little brighter.

So offer to Christ what you have, both modest and bountiful. Our Lord will use your good intentions, your random acts of kindness, and your humble donations for His ‘campfire.’ Let His love spark the ‘firewood’ in your own heart and in the hearts of your neighbors.  

“Lord, accept what I give and use it to build Your kingdom of love.”

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2022 Gina Bedell   If you would like to receive these reflections directly to your inbox, please email me at ginabedell1@gmail.com and I will add you to my ‘BCC’ email list. Comments are always welcome! Feel free to share it with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below. Thanks!

 p.s.

We continue to pray for an end to the war. If you’d like to help the people of Ukraine through the Cleveland Maidan Association, you may use either PayPal or a credit/debit card here:

https://www.paypal.com/donate/...

 

Local Events This Week!

 

As the war in Ukraine rages on, many of us continue to feel helpless and think, ‘I wish there were something I could do to help.’ There are two events being held in Northeast Ohio this week that you may be interested in.

First, in the Akron area:

“Art for Ukraine”

Wednesday, July 27, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.

The Jenks Building, 1884 Front St., Cuyahoga Falls 

“Art for Ukraine” is an art show/auction to benefit a family who has recently arrived in our area from Eastern Ukraine. Many prominent local artists have donated their work for this event including Don Drumm, Bob Pozarski, Christopher Hoot, Mark Soppeland, James Lenavitt, Steve Caler, Chuck Ayers, and more. Free admission! Come and see this beautiful art in one of The Falls’ most remarkable buildings.

 

Second, in the Cleveland area:

“Broadway Night for Ukraine”

Thursday, July 28, 6:30 p.m.

Astrodome Event Center, 5720 State Rd., Parma

$40/reservations required at stjosaphateparchy.com   440-886-6800 

This event boasts live American theater, a 5-course European meal, and cash bar. Proceeds will go to hospitals, orphanages, and Christian aid centers for refugees in Ukraine and Poland. Third-generation Ukrainian American and soprano Julie Anna Gulenko leads the cast of local talent in an evening of Broadway favorites including West Side Story, Phantom of the Opera, The Sound of Music, and many more!

Please forward this info to your friends. We continue to pray for an end to the war and also for the people whose lives have been torn apart by it.

Walk Humbly With God

 

 

 

“You have been told what is good, and what the Lord requires of you: Only to do the right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.” –Micah 6:8

 

The prophet Micah summarizes the Ten Commandments in these three: do what’s right; love goodness; walk humbly with God.

‘Walk humbly.’ When we’re humble, we acknowledge that all we are, all we do, and all we have are gifts from God. We recognize our need for His grace to help us generously and compassionately serve others, and that it’s through this loving service that we become more like Him. When we’re humble, we trust that He knows what’s best for us – what will bring us closer to Him -- and so we search for Him and His loving guidance.  We ask Him to lead us to the complete joy and true peace He wills for us; peace not as the world gives but as He gives (see John 14:27).

‘Walk with God.’ You can’t walk with someone who isn’t alive. Micah didn’t say, “You’re on your own. Memorize the Ten Commandments, and good luck following them.” No. He tells us to walk with God now, because God is alive and with us now.

This ‘walking’ may be taken both literally and figuratively. Let Him walk with you through the ups and downs of your days. Go for a walk or sit down for a bit and pour out your heart to Him. Tell Him what’s on your mind. Share with Him your deepest desires, hopes, joys, fears, and doubts. Let yourself feel loved by Him, protected by Him, affirmed and encouraged by Him. Learn from God what He wants to teach you. He uses anything and everything to speak to us, including nature, the people around us, and the words of Scripture. Let Him love you where you are.

‘Do what’s right, and love goodness.’ God is love, so when we love goodness, we want to stay close to Him. We reject what pulls us away from Him. When we have a choice to make – and we make many throughout the day -- we seek His wisdom, and we’re drawn to what’s loving, right, and good. Sometimes more than one option is good; in that case, we can be at peace with the one we select.

“Seek the Lord and His strength;
Seek His face continually.
Remember His wonders which He has done.” –Psalm 105:4-5

God is alive and He is with you! Seek Him. Walk with Him. With humble reverence ask Him to fill you with His power, peace, love, and joy so that you may become more like Him. Ask God to use you to show His love to the world so that the world may know Him.

“Lord, I need Your grace to become the loving person you created me to be. Walk with me and teach me to love what’s right and good.”

 

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2022 Gina Bedell    

If you would like to receive these reflections directly to your inbox, please email me at ginabedell1@gmail.com and I will add you to my ‘BCC’ email list.

Comments are always welcome! Feel free to share it with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below. Thanks!

 p.s.

We continue to pray for an end to the war. If you’d like to help the people of Ukraine through the Cleveland Maidan Association, you may use either PayPal or a credit/debit card here:

https://www.paypal.com/donate/...

 

Being Present in Our Relationships

 

 “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.” 

–Luke 10:41-42

“Mary has chosen the better part.” Jesus makes it clear that Martha’s working to prepare dinner was good; Mary’s stillness and being present to Him was better.

Jesus acknowledged that it took a lot of work to prepare a meal: “you’re worried about many things.” He wanted Martha to see, though, that stressing over her to-do list was keeping her away from Him and the other guests, and was fueling hostile feelings toward her sister. By supporting Mary’s decision to ‘choose the better part,’ Jesus showed that taking a few moments to be with Him was more important than getting dinner on the table on time. Feeding the body was good; feeding the soul was better.

We, too, have many obligations; most of these are good and necessary. Sometimes, though, we get so wrapped up in trying to get everything done that we let our work get in the way of our relationships. We may be so ‘busy’ checking things off our list that we don’t make time for each other. We don’t stop to be present to each other and enjoy each other’s company. No matter what obligations we have, our relationships are more important than the doing.

Our relationship with the Lord, too, is more important than even our charitable work. We strengthen our relationship with Him when we take time to be present to Him. We can do this by sitting outside and thanking Him for all the beauty around us. We might sit still for a few moments, invite Him to pour His peace into our heart, and then notice what thoughts and feelings come our way. He loves us and will bless us whenever we offer our time to Him.

If we have so much to do that we think we don’t have time to stop and be present to each other or to God, then maybe we have taken on too much, or maybe we need to reevaluate what’s important and what’s more important.  

Did you ever wonder what happened after this scene in scripture? Maybe Martha had a change of heart. Maybe she wiped her hands, took off her apron, and sat down to listen to what Jesus had to say. Maybe she felt relaxed and filled with Jesus’ peace after spending time with Him. Maybe she learned that it didn’t matter if dinner was a little later than usual -- it was better to let our Lord feed her soul first.

“Lord, help me see how I can make time for the people who are important to me, including You.”

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2022 Gina Bedell    

If you would like to receive these reflections directly to your inbox, please email me at ginabedell1@gmail.com and I will add you to my ‘BCC’ email list.

Comments are always welcome! Feel free to share it with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below. Thanks!

 p.s.

We continue to pray for an end to the war. If you’d like to help the people of Ukraine through the Cleveland Maidan Association, you may use either PayPal or a credit/debit card here:

https://www.paypal.com/donate/...

 

Loving Our Young Men

 

Photo credit: @Kaysha

 

“…He felt compassion for them because they were troubled and helpless like sheep without a shepherd.” –Matthew 9:36

Jesus’ heart went out to the people. They were distressed. They had physical and mental illnesses. Their needs were many and their burdens heavy.

We’ve been shocked and saddened beyond words to hear of one mass shooting after another. In his book The Boy Crisis and in a podcast titled “Avoiding School Shootings and The Boy Crisis,” Dr. Warren Farrell discusses the issues that lead to mass homicides. He points out that all of the mass shootings in the U.S. were committed by young men, and that these young men had many strikes against them, including having no father figure. They were troubled, lost, and angry. They mistakenly thought they had nothing to live for.

As with all other huge and complex issues, if there were a simple solution to this one it would have been implemented by now. Instead of throwing up our hands in despair, though, and letting someone else fix the problem, maybe we can do something. Parents and guardians, teachers, coaches, and mentors already know the positive impact they may have on young people. LeBron James talks often about how the male role models of his youth saved him from life on the streets. Without those father figures, he says, he would have become just another statistic. But thanks to those mentors, LeBron has succeeded in many ways and has used his influence to give the youth of Akron – and their parents and guardians – a future with promise through education and a network of other community resources.

What can the rest of us do? Maybe you’ve considered coaching, tutoring, or volunteering with an organization that serves youth. Whether in an official capacity or not, all of us can have a positive influence on the boys and young men in our lives. We can love them by creating opportunities to give them our undivided time and attention. Let them know that what they have to say is important. Assure them that their value isn’t dependent on their performance. Help them discover what their gifts are and see that they have something unique to offer.

Let’s use our particular circumstances to make a difference. And if you kick yourself for not taking advantage of an opportunity when it presented itself, resolve to do so next time.

The issue is difficult and complex. To choose not to do anything gives evil a free pass and an unfair advantage. Let’s start with trying to have the compassionate heart of Jesus. Let’s find ways to reach the young men in our lives and make sure they know they’re important, loved, and wanted – and convince them to believe it.

 “Lord, bless the young men in my community. Show me how I can be a positive source of affirmation to the boys and young men around me.”

 

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2022 Gina Bedell     If you would like to receive these reflections directly to your inbox, please email me at ginabedell1@gmail.com and I will add you to my ‘BCC’ email list.

Comments are always welcome! Feel free to share it with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below. Thanks!

p.s. We continue to pray for an end to the war. If you’d like to help the people of Ukraine through the Cleveland Maidan Association, you may use either PayPal or a credit/debit card here:  https://www.paypal.com/donate/...