Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

I’m Jemima L. Yeggs, a.k.a. Stinker.  Pink Lady Apple Yeggs, my landlady and my auntie, wants to read about how younger people, especially couples respond to what the Bible says.  And she wants to know how God is at work at Lily the Pink.

B.B. and I were in our ‘green room’.

B.B. was working on my hair as usual, but she was extra careful.  “Stinker?  Will you forgive me?”

I snickered, “What have you done this time, girlfriend?”

B.B. huffed, “Stinker, have I ever been anything other than a loyal friend?  What do you mean by ‘this time’?”

I groaned, “Obviously you did something or you wouldn’t be wanting me to forgive you?  I must have already forgiven you.  I cannot think of why you are starting off our conversation with asking me to forgive you.  So, what did you do?”

B.B. moaned, “I was worried about my worrying harming the baby, and I was pulling your hair.  You tried not to let me know that it hurt, but you had a little gasp each time.”

I shrugged, “That was a week ago, B.B.  I love you.  You were distracted.  What I might have a hard time forgiving is that you should have been reading the Scriptures, and you should know that God quiets our fears.  Now this week, we talk about how God forgives and renews us.  And in spite of all our warts, God reflects Himself through us.  Please, tell me you read the verses.”

B.B. nodded, “Yes, and Joseph and I discussed them.  But sometimes, the comments from other people in the room get my mind down a rabbit hole.  Do you shorten your attention span while pregnant?”

I turned around and smiled at her.  “You are going to have to ask these questions to a search engine.  You get a lot more information that way.  And it could be that some of it is reliable.  But you have hormones flying around that are necessary for the baby.  Stresses and stressors can get you into a lather like never before, but you always have a near meltdown anyway, so I don’t know where that is going.  There is pruning going on.”

B.B. giggled, “What is pruning?”

I smiled, “Your brain starts readjusting priorities.  You need certain skills and certain priorities to be a young mother, and your brain prunes away things that it might not need now and starts growing those Mommie skill things that you are going to need.  That is pruning.  Or it is my take on what pruning is.  Look these things up, B.B.  You know computers better than I do.”

B.B. groaned, “But you are my bestie, and you have been through this.”

I moaned, “I have not been inside your body going through this.  Not all women are alike.”

We entered the den and nodded at Joseph to open us in prayer, but then the door burst open and Arabella ran to her spot in the choir.

I gave Arabella a questioning look.

She replied, “I nearly had an accident last week so I went to the conference center to go to the bathroom this time.  Half the ladies on shift had to go to the bathroom at the same time.  I can’t go when people are watching.  I just can’t win!”

Joseph led us in prayer.

Emmett’s band was great, as usual, but Emmett was not there.  The song was Lord, Renew my Hope.  Mike Kildare played the first notes for each group of singers on the tubulum, and the others played their instruments.  Mike kept the beat, kind of like bongo drums with the tubulum.  Tamara Collins joined them on her flute for the tune.  It was her first time.

Mike asked, “How was that, Aunt Jemima?  It is inspired by Psalm 94:19.”

I said, “That was beautiful.  I did not know that Tamara could play the flute.  But where is Emmett?  And is Sophie with him?”

Mike nodded, “I guess she is.  Emmett told me to ask everyone to pray for Donald Sanderson, the music director at First-Third.  He is in the Emergency Room at T.R.U.S.T. Medical Center, and they do not know anything else.  Rev C.S.L. asked Emmett to direct the choir and congregation at both services.”

I sighed.  “Yes, everyone bow your heads.  Lord, put your healing touch on Don Sanderson.  He is a wonderful man and a good friend.  Guide the doctors to the proper diagnosis.  And give your wisdom and strength to Emmett who is filling in.  In your name I pray, Amen.”

Samuel said, “Aunt Jemima, what Attribute of God are we studying today?”

I laughed, “Samuel, we are looking at God as the One who renews us, but part of that is that He forgives us.  When those are done, we reflect God on others.  Arabella, do we need Mr. Dictionary?”

Arabella asked, “Is renew like drinking a glass of water when you are thirsty?”

Easy, my husband, a.k.a. Mr. Dictionary, said, “In a way, it might be, but that is more like being refreshed.  But when God comes into our lives, we are a new creation.  At times, we mess up and have sin in our lives.  So, we go to God and ask Him to forgive us.  He not only forgives us, but He also renews us to a renewed relationship with Jesus.  Then, we can shine the light of the Lord to others.  But this light is not of us.  Our ability to repent from sin is a gift of God.  Only God can wash away our sins.  So, this renewal, forgiveness, and reflecting the light of God are kind of cyclical.  If we could keep our eyes on Jesus all the time, our path is less bumpy, but as we stumble, God has a means for us to get back on the right track.”

Arabella shrunk her head between her shoulders and giggled, “Thank you, Mr. Dictionary.”

Professor Angus (2 Corinthians 4:16) “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.”

Angus said, “I would like to continue reading.  Here are verses 17 and 18.  ‘For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.’ (2 Corinthians 4:17-18)Easy talked about how we mess up, and the best way to not mess up is to have our eyes on Jesus.  First, our troubles are only temporary, and they prepare us for the glory to come.  Second, we keep our eyes on God and Jesus, neither are seen in this world today.  And through this cycle of confessing our sins and then refreshing our gaze upon God, we are renewed day by day.  Does that sum it up adequately?”

I laughed, “Thank you, that was very good.  The word renew could mean a lot of things.  Anything that is periodic and can lapse or expire can be renewed.  Magazines used to be bigger than they are now.  Newspaper subscriptions can be renewed.”

Mags added, “You can renew medication prescriptions.  You can have a treatment or therapy of some kind and renew the procedure.”

I asked, “Anyone else?”

Tamara moaned, “I work at the pharmacy down the street and Mags stole my ideas, but I work in the cosmetics area for a little extra cash at times.  You can use a special shampoo and then when you switch to a cheaper brand, the dandruff can come back.  The same can be said for moisturizing cream and stuff like that.  You could renew using the good stuff.”

I smiled, “Great!  My Mom gets bored cooking every day, but my brothers complain that she doesn’t fix one special meal or another, so she renews cooking the special meal by adding it to what she prepares that week.  So, God renews more than our relationship with Him.  Our choir’s song, since Emmett was not leading the band today, is a song about renewing hope.  You are suffering.  You are in pain.  There seems no end to it.  Thus, God renews hope.  In Deuteronomy 29, Joshua 8, and Joshua 24, God renews His covenant with the people of Israel.  Now let’s look at the wonders of God.”

Mamma Missy (Ruth 4:15) “He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.’”

Missy said, “This isn’t about God renewing.  This is talking about the birth of Obed, and Obed renewed the promise of someone to pass the land that had been portioned to Naomi’s husband.”

I smiled, “But how did that happen?  Ruth loved Naomi so much that she would accept the Hebrew ways in order to stay with her.  Ruth made that choice, but it was God orchestrating it.  Then, Boaz had just the right kind of compassion to allow Ruth to glean from his fields, even telling his servants to get sloppy, so that Ruth had more that she could gather.  Then the night on the threshing floor, when nothing happened other than they realized that they were in love.  Then the intrigue over the person who was first in line as kinsman redeemer.  Everything fell in place just as God wanted it so that David would be Obed’s grandson.  This is a lot of God’s providence in this book.  People lose that concept by saying that Ruth is just a love story sandwiched between other history books.  Yes, Obed allowed Naomi to be renewed, but God orchestrated it, and Jesus would come from that bloodline.”

Dr. Ben (2 Chronicles 34:31) “The king stood by his pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the Lord—to follow the Lord and keep his commands, statutes and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, and to obey the words of the covenant written in this book.”

Dr. Ben said, “This is during the reign of Josiah, but the people were sent into exile during the reign of Josiah’s sons, and one grandson.  So, Josiah renewed the covenant, but the people were too far gone and all it accomplished was that Josiah did not see the collapse happen.”

I said, “We can learn from this.  Some scholars think that the sin of the USA by turning from God is so great that we are like Judah during the time of Josiah.  But Josiah’s humility and renewal of the covenant extended Judah until the three sons of Josiah and a grandson ruined everything.  We need to vote for God-fearing people to be in office.  If they humble themselves before God, then God may extend this nation for another generation.  And just think of how many lives can be turned to God in those years.”

Dr. Ellie (Job 14:14) “If someone dies, will they live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait for my renewal to come.”

Dr. Ellie smiled, “When we go to be with Jesus, our bodies are renewed.  No more struggle to regain my girlish figure.”

I giggled, “I am with you on that one.”

Arabella giggled, “Keep talking.  I’d love to look like you two when I get that old.  I mean o-o-o-old!”

Dr. Ellie turned to me, “Next girl talk, we need to torture the youngest member.”

Arabella quickly added, “I’m inviting Sarah.  So there!”  Sarah just growled.  I shook my head.

Bart (Isaiah 40:31) “but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

Bart said, “I would sure like to soar like an eagle.  But I have been by the side of a beautiful woman whose strength has been restored.  In more ways than one, Tamara is stronger than I am.  She is quite a lady, and now she is playing the flute.  I didn’t know she could do that.”

Tamara said, “Emmett gave me confidence.  He is patient and kind.  And he is a great encourager.”

I said, “There are a lot more renewals, but let’s move on to forgiveness

Tamara (Psalm 103:11-12) “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”

Tamara said, “Aunt Jemima, I am so glad you gave me this verse.  When Bart and I discussed it, he was talking about how the earth is round, and if you went east and the other person went west, you would meet on the far side of the earth.  That is when I said that David, who wrote this psalm, was a flat-earther.  And maybe that is how God sees us.  He knows better than we do that the earth is round, but when it comes to our sins, this verse is talking about a flat earth or at least that sin is not affected by gravitational pull.  That way when we walk all the way around the world and get back to where we started, God has sent our sins out past the Milky Way.”

Arabella made the hand motions of her mind exploding with sound effects.  Clay leaned in to whisper to Sarah, “Your sister is funny at times.”

Then Sarah’s tablet said, “Yeah, and the rest of the time she gets on your nerves.”

I said, “Behave you two! Um, three!”

Sarah (Isaiah 1:18), and from Sarah’s tablet, “’Come now, let us settle the matter,’ says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.’”

Then Mike started playing a child’s song on the tubulum.  Sarah gave him a dirty look, but then Mike nodded, “You can do this.”

Then Sarah sang to the tune, “We are forgiven.  Sin was scarlet, but now white as snow.  Sin was crimson. Now just like wool.  All God sees is clean.”

The entire class erupted in applause.  Sarah covered her face with her tablet.  Clay held out a hand and she squeezed it.  Sarah stood up and went to Mike and hugged him.  I guess Emmett wasn’t the only encourager in the band.

I smiled, “Okay, I cannot add anything to Sarah’s song.  Let’s at least mention our reflection.”

Tony Painter (2 Corinthians 3:17-18) “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”

Tony smiled, “God is a spirit.  He does not have a body like a man.  My wife had died, and I didn’t have enough income to keep food on the table.  Then, Barbara Bounty fixed up Little Joe’s knee, and when I saw her the first time, it was like I was seeing God smiling at me.  If it were not for her, I would not be going to church.  I would not have Jesus in my heart.  I would not be friends with Mary Jo, and I would not be seeing God when I see Mary Jo smile.  And we may not get everything right in this class, but I love every minute of it.”

I nodded, “I like that.  Sarah’s song and Tony’s testimony.  I feel renewed already.”

I smiled, “Is Grannie Fannie behind me?”

Grannie Fannie snickered, “You know I am right behind you, Jemima”

I asked, “Grannie Fannie, can you lead us in our benediction?”

Grannie Fannie (Romans 15:13) “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Lauren ran up to Menzie and Samuel, “Mommie!  Daddy!  The buses!  The bus driver is here.  And Liam, Lympie, and Ellie Rain are with her.”  Then, she ran to Grannie Fannie and hugged her.

Brooke came over and got Stormie’s carrier.  “Hi, Stormie.  It’s Aunt Brooke.  Are you ready to go to church?”

Stormie laughed.

And as I saw the band putting away their instruments, I was remembering my dream that I had shortly before Stormie was born.  I counted the details of the dream.  I had a daughter named Stormie.  Dr. Ellie had a daughter named Joan.  Joseph Jones was going to be Reverend Jones between Christmas and New Years.  And it is only one Sunday, but Emmett is filling in as the music director.  If Easy and I can manage a little boy named Dusty, then the only other detail is that Dr. Ellie will be reunited with her father, a father she has never met.  And I doubt if her father even knows she exists.

Credits

The nature of the blog from Sweet to the Soul Ministries gives only one verse.  I used various searches and cross references for the other verses.  I used just a few sources.

Here is Risen Tunes singing Lord, Renew my Hope.  This song is inspired by Psalm 94:19, “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.”  Some translations use the word “renew.”

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.