Author: Sarah Tauber

A recent tragic event has entered my world. Not involving me directly but penetrating my heart and temporarily taking up residence there. It started me thinking about suffering. As I prayed this morning, that was the word that came out of my mouth, “suffering.”

This is what the bible says about suffering.

2 Corinthians 4:8-10  We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.

Isaiah 43:2  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.

Psalm 23:4  Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Reading over these passages, I ask myself, do the words console me? Yes, because I believe them. For someone who does not believe, the world can be a devastatingly frightening and miserable place. I can’t imagine getting through this life without knowing God.

Do you remember the song, “I never promised you a rose garden?” I do. It basically reminds us that life is unfair, bad things happen and we were never assured that everything would always be okay.  I hope you were never told that because that would just be cruel. Life is hard!

Before becoming a Christ follower, I still believed in God. I still spoke to God and prayed to God. So when disaster struck, I would turn to him for help, for comfort, for assurances that I would make it through whatever I was going through. I can’t imagine not being able to reach out to him.

Now as a devoted follower of Christ, I know he is always with me. Instead of praying to a bearded old man in the sky, I can access him by looking within. I am never without him. He walks with me, communicates with me (even when I am not paying attention) and holds me when I am in pain.

He reminds me of his presence when I am frightened.  A couple of years ago I woke up in the middle of the night with terrible belly pain. I couldn’t sleep. I paced the floor while my husband lie sleeping in the bed. I did not want to wake him. I wanted to will the pain to stop. Because I was so tired, I tried lying down again. I was afraid. What if I die? I looked to my left and into my walk- in closet. I have a window in that room. The night sky was clear (unusual for that time of year in Portland). It projected the light through the window pane and onto the wall. Because of the horizontal and vertical grids on the glass, the projected image was that of a cross. I had never noticed it before.  But it was crystal clear that night. God was letting me know that he was there with me and not to be afraid.

Life is unpredictable, ever changing. Sometimes things happen to us that are painful. Sometimes joyful. It is all part of life. We must be ready for the rough seas, the strong winds, being knocked off our feet. How do you do that? Turn to God. He is always there and always listening. Take comfort in knowing that. You can find solace in knowing that in the form of Jesus, God suffered greatly in order to understand our suffering. He provides comfort to us in times of great need so that we are equipped to provide it to others. See how that works?

When you are engulfed by pain and sorrow, know this; it will not always hurt as badly as it hurts now. It will not last forever. There is a God who loves you and wants to carry you through your suffering. All you have to do is ask. God bless.

 

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With 2020 coming to an end, I think we are all cheering its departure.  Corona virus, a divisive election, riots, looting, deaths from the virus but also from suicide, overdoses and yes, even murder. Divorces increased and small businesses closed their doors for the last time. A stellar year it was not. Good riddance, 2020!

With 2021 peaking through the window, I wonder how much of the ugliness and  sadness,  hatred and corruption from 2020 will continue? If I let myself fall into the trap of “what if’s”, I would go crazy, to be quickly followed by depressed.  So I made the decision recently to let it all go. Not an easy thing for a control freak like me. Things I worry about but cannot control I pray about, sometimes really, really hard. With a broken heart and tears in my eyes hard. How can a person live like this?

The key is to change your perspective. Bad things happen, all the time. Things that are beyond our human control, no matter how hard we try to make it otherwise. What we can always control is how we react to the bad stuff. (Reminder: “bad stuff” is how WE label things we don’t like. We also have control over how we label things.) Do I let these “bad” times take me down? Do I let them destroy me, or at the very least, ruin my day? Well, that’s where we have some control.

“This side of heaven” is our current world. We are here now and have to navigate our way through, until we are in that other place, that better place, that much, much better place.  (I realize you may not all agree with me about the other place and that’s fine.  No judgement here.)

How to change my perspective when all I see around me is ugly. Well, that’s just not true. All the good stuff is still there, you just can’t see it because you are focused on the bad. I don’t know where you live but there is a lot of beauty in the Pacific Northwest. I am a long time lover of trees and we have them everywhere you look.  I frequently drive this one route linking my town with another where I have many activities. It is mostly just vast, green fields bordered by magnificent evergreens. So beautiful. It takes my breath away when I pay attention to it instead of rushing through.

Spending time with my Portland son and his family. Babysitting my two grandkids up here. Time with them takes all of the bad in this world and tosses it out the window. This is important, I say to myself. This is what makes my life good and full and rich.

Being creative around my home. Making small changes that produce big results. Feeling proud of myself for the courage to make the changes. Getting new ideas for hobbies (since I have ceased horseback riding).  Being excited about the prospects.

Loving people. Starting with my husband. Putting in the effort to love him more. Loving others and helping others. A remarkable thing happened a week ago. I carry blankets in my car in case I run into any homeless people. It’s winter here and nights are in the low 30s. In a few weeks it will be even colder. I prayed that day that God would put someone in my path that I could serve. Long story short,  I came across an older homeless couple (in their 70s!) . After chasing them down in my car (I was on a mission!) I finally caught up with them and asked if they could use some blankets. The man smiled at me and said ” We have been praying for some.” I gave them the two blankets left in my car. That small gesture filled my heart to overflowing. Answered prayer. Not something to get but something to give. It’s true what they say, giving is better than receiving.

These are things I have done to take my mind off 2020 and the worry about any foreseeable continuance of same.  Focus on the beautiful that surrounds you, not the ugliness. Focus on the love in your life, not the hatred. Focus on giving to others, especially those who have greater needs. Focus on Him. The creator of all things good.

Yes, things have been pretty awful this year, and for some, devastatingly so. Search outside yourself to rediscover the good things. They do exist. You just have to look.  And then, with a grateful heart, say thank you. God bless.

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I don’t know about you but I am fed up and sad. I look at our world today, especially in America, and it is unrecognizable. What happened? I don’t wish to talk politics and I hope after you read this you still can’t tell which side I am on because right now I am fed up with both sides. You cannot believe anything you hear on the news. Much of what we hear is either straight up  lies or a very big stretch of the truth. Exaggeration, fantasy, anything that will help promote someone’s agenda. And here we are, the non-politicians, in the middle of a big mess they all created.  I’m sick of it. I want my country back!

Bad things got us here. Bad people got us here. When will it end? The agenda of the politicians is to turn us against each other so that they can control us. I don’t want to be against my neighbor. I don’t want to hate those who disagree with me about what is best for our country. I have many friends with whom I disagree, but I still love them. I don’t say they are wrong or that I am right. Their friendship is more important to me than being politically polarized. What’s wrong with us? How did we get here?

I am a Christian and I take it very seriously. I have been angry with the opposite side for too long. The fuel for that anger comes from others in leadership roles who tell me I should hate. I for one am tired of it. Unless you do me harm, I am not going to be angry with you.  Unless you try to destroy the things that I hold dear, I will not turn against you.

It’s time to wake up and see that our politicians and leaders are pitting us against one another for their gain. They don’t care about us. They only care about their power and control. We can and must stop them before our country is destroyed.

Love your enemies. A command from Jesus. He did not mean we need to feel about our enemies the way we feel about our loved ones. That would be impossible. He meant we should “love” them where love is a verb. It is action. Give to those less fortunate, help those who need your help, whether you agree or disagree with them. Listen to their story. Be empathetic. Try to understand where they are coming from. Put yourself in their shoes. That is what we are supposed to do. We are not supposed to hate them. There shouldn’t even be an “us” vs “them”. We are one people.

Are there days when I get angry at what is going on? Yes. Do I sometimes direct that anger at those I believe responsible? Yes. But I want to change that. I try to turn all of those worries, fears, anger and hatred over to God to handle. I am not in charge of this world.  (Thank God.) I can only do my small part. I can help those who need it. I can stand up for what I believe in. I can share stories with others. I can be a friend to someone who needs one. I can lend a hand. I can pray, which I do, often, that my country survives the madness, the chaos, the evil that is attacking it now. I pray that we all get back to living our lives in peace with one another. Is that too much to ask? I don’t know. But I will continue to pray. I will do my part to make it better. Will you join me? God bless.

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Yesterday my husband and I went out to look at couches. I was tired and therefore easily irritated. I can’t speak to why but he wasn’t in a great mood either.  Not the best time to look for couches or anything for that matter.  Consequently, we got into a heated discussion in the store. Voices were raised and all I could think of is  Oh great, now we’ re THAT couple.  I was imagining that after we left (Needless to say we didn’t buy anything.)  the sales staff would talk about us and what a sorry couple we were.  Feeling hot, exhausted and wanting only to be away from him, I sat quietly in the car on the ride home. Why did I marry this guy? I pondered.  I wanted us to have a fun excursion together (Yes, with Covid, going out to a store to buy a couch could be considered fun) and all we did was argue.

On the way home we passed by a church on my side of the street. I glanced at the sign out front which changed every few seconds. At the moment I looked at it I saw the words,  “Love each other.” The message annoyed me. I don’t feel like it,  I said inside my head, probably directed to God.  I pouted a while longer, wishing I had never suggested going out in the first place. If only I were home, ALONE.  My husband asked me a question and my response was “I don’t care. Whatever you want.” “Oh, still in a mood are we?” “No, I’m just trying to be accommodating.”  I lied. I was still being a brat. Eventually my husband, being the more mature one (at least this time) patted me on the knee and said “We’ll figure it out when we get home. Everything will work out just fine.” I slowly came around, reluctantly, and the rest of the evening was far better.

My point? How quickly one can turn into a petulant, selfish, whiny child when you are in the wrong frame of mind. How quickly two people who clearly care about each other can go from love to anger. And if left unchecked, that anger can prevail and then grow to be larger than your relationship. The next thing you know you are saying goodbye. Is that what you wanted? Usually the answer is a resounding “No!” But it is easy to get there. When I was going through it, I noticed my unwillingness to stop and the resistance I felt to swallowing my pride. It almost felt good to be obstinate for a while. But at what price?

I am far from a relationship expert but have a great deal of experience and can tell you that your need to be right can wreak havoc. Your pride can ruin a perfectly good friendship. Being inflexible in any relationship can lead to its demise. If you choose to be in a relationship, then you must understand from the start it is no longer about YOU; it’s about “WE”. If that realization is too difficult to accept then perhaps you are not ready for a relationship.

Sometimes I play a game with myself when I feel about to be upset with my spouse. I try to put myself in his shoes and argue his side of things. That’s an old technique I learned in college when I was studying to become a Marriage, Family, Child Therapist. It’s a great technique and almost always works in building a bridge between two people. Try it sometime. You can use it during any argument or heated discussion with a spouse,  partner, friend, co-worker or even a child that is old enough to reason.

When you are on the other side of the argument, say a prayer of thanks that this person is in your life. It’s a nice way to bring closure. God bless.

 

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If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you…..   

Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies, Or being hated, don’t give way to hating…

from Rudyard Kipling, “If”                                                                                                                                                                                         

 

I don’t know about you but lately I would rather not dwell on or contemplate the world. I don’t even want my mind to go outside the front door, let alone to Washington, D.C.  Am I burying my head in the sand? I don’t think so. I watch news. I read news. I discuss news. But some days I want my mind to go to other places, nicer places, happier places.  If you are old enough, you have heard the expression “It’s all gone to hell in a hand basket!” My sister says we have done just that. And here we are, crammed into the proverbial hand basket with our fellow humans, struggling for air and hungry for justice.  For peace and rescue. Today I’m going to play pretend.  I’m going, for one day, to recall better days. I’m going to bring forth memories that make me smile on the inside and the out. I’m going to think of things in my life today that bring me joy. I’m going to be calm and hopeful and I am going to seek God.

When things are falling apart around you and you have little to no control, there are many things you can do to feel better. Think of things that make you happy. When I was in High School, my drama coach told us to take an orange and write down on little pieces of paper things that made us happy then stick them on the orange with pins for a rainy day. I’m not sure what happens to an orange kept around for a long time but perhaps you could try something other than fruit. Years ago my daughter-in-law gave both me and my sister blessing jars. You write down on little pieces of paper things you are thankful for and put them in the jar. Then when you are feeling blue, pull them out one at a time and read them. I believe that’s called regaining your perspective.  When you feel like you haven’t anything to be happy about, recall what you are truly grateful for. That should make you alter your thinking and subsequently how you feel.

My husband and I have been watching different series on TV as a means to escape the regularly awful news. We just finished (I’m missing it already!)  Downton Abbey. Now I have the arduous task of finding something of equal or only slightly lesser value. How wonderful it is to get wrapped up in a story to the complete and utter oblivion of the world. It’s better than drugs!

Listening to Christian music in my car whenever I am going somewhere is also a mood booster.  That music lifts me high above the muck that surrounds me. Of course I have been a music lover all my life, thanks to my Dad.  I used to choose particular pieces knowing they would make me cry because I needed to move the inside pain to the outside. Strange, but I did that more often than listening to uplifting music. I think I was more dramatic then.

Getting lost in a good book can be wonderful. It carries you away for hours at a time and lets you forget, even for just a short while, where you are. I would recommend the Bible. It provides escape from the bad and teaches you about the Lord at the same time. Win-win!

Go outside. Go for a walk. Choose to be around animals and focus on them instead of yourself and how lost you feel.  Share time with a close friend or loved one. All are healthy ways of lifting you above your troubles.

We, as humans living in the United States, have been dealt not a double whammy but a quadruple one. It started with the pandemic followed by a senseless death that brought protestors and rioters, looting and destruction.  A war has now erupted over racism which is tearing our country apart. Last but not least we have a government (local or otherwise) that has run amuck and doesn’t appear to care about any of us. It seems to be every man for himself. You can get involved and try to make a difference. If you do, I both applaud and support you. If you don’t but you are still afraid, please know that there is an end to everything in life. Both the good times and the bad come and go. Nothing is forever except for God. He is ultimately in charge. If you’re going to choose a side, choose his. There is more peace and comfort to be found in him than in anything or anyone else in this world. God bless.

 

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Make you think of a popular song from the 60s? Maybe not, depending on your age. Regardless, unless you live in a cave, you are experiencing now what we all are – chaos in a world gone mad. It started with the Corona Virus, back at the beginning of the year. Before we could say “Rumpelstiltskin” we were all ordered to “Stay safe – stay home!”. Next, all of the businesses around us were closing. Churches were closed! Gyms were closed. Restaurants and shops were closed. Nail salons and hair salons. Movie theaters. Schools! Concerts were cancelled.  Did I mention that churches were closed?

We tried to adapt and adapt (in our own ways) we did. Stay home unless you have a medical emergency or you need food or medicine. And if you are over 65, don’t go anywhere! If you have to go out, wear a mask and keep at least six feet away from your fellow humans. If you live with others, you can be close to them, but if they go out and return, they must wash their hands and best if they change clothes immediately before touching you.

If you were unfortunate to have a loved one in the hospital or a nursing home, sorry, but you best stay away.  Even if they are dying. Too risky. So many died without family. That is beyond my comprehension.

We found our rhythm. We all got masks and dutifully did what we were told. We had no idea how long it would last. I don’t think anyone expected that we would be in the same place today, with a small amount of progress made toward normality, whatever that looks like. And yet here we are.

As if the Covid19 virus were not enough to get us out of our comfort zones, along came a terrible tragedy that rocked our world once more. A murder, but not just any murder. Those happen on a regular basis unfortunately. A black man murdered by a white police officer.  Outrage ensued all over the country. Protests erupted and then riots and looting. Businesses broken into and products stolen or damaged. Buildings burned.  Can you hear us America? We’re angry and we’re going to get even with you! You are going down, America!

And this is where we are now. A country that was divided before that is even more so today. Messages of hatred, anger, pain, revenge crying out to be heard. A nation that once brought people together was splitting them apart. The country I grew up in is no more. It is completely unrecognizable.

What is missing? Love, compassion, empathy, understanding. Truth is in short supply. Fear is hovering over us all. Self-righteousness abounds. Divisiveness is the order of the day. How do the broken pieces of our nation get back together? How do we live together in peace and harmony? How do we love our neighbor when they are screaming at us that we don’t get it? How do we get back to the days gone by? Where do we begin?

Listen.  Take a deep breath. Pray for wisdom and understanding.

What the world needs now              is                       God. 

If you chase him away, which our country has done over the last several years, then peace is impossible. Harmony can’t exist. Loving one another won’t happen. You cannot have a world that works for everyone if God is not in it.  The world abhors a vacuum. When we kicked God out, the enemy came in, seeing a perfect opportunity to destroy everything good, everything we hold dear.

Bring him back! We are truly lost without him.  Trust me on this. We cannot afford to push him out of our lives and expect our lives to work. When human beings try to live without God they inevitably fail. Humans have a way of making messes and mistakes and stepping in it and sabotaging their own happiness, not to mention what they do to others.  We need God!

Does the world need love, like the song says? Without a doubt. More than ever. But first and foremost, what the world needs is to bring God back. Then when we are truly following him, we will make the world even better than before. I pray for that like you wouldn’t believe…

God bless.

 

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