Down an Unfamiliar Road

Even before he was born, it was told that he would be someone special. A supernatural being had informed his mother that the child she was about to conceive would not be a mere mortal but would be divine. He was born miraculously, and he became an unusually precocious young man. As an adult he left home and went out on an itinerant preaching ministry, urging his listeners to live, not for the material things of this world, but for what is spiritual. He gathered a number of followers around him, who became convinced that his teachings were divinely inspired, in no small part because he himself was divine. He proved it to them by doing many miracles, healing the sick, casting out demons, and raising the dead. But at the end of his life his miracles roused severe opposition, and his enemies delivered him over to the the occupying force in their country for judgment. Still, after he left this world, he returned to meet his followers in order to convince them that he was not really dead but lived on in the heavenly realm. Later some of his followers wrote books about him. If you guessed that I was talking about Jesus of Nazareth, you’re wrong. I’m talking about Apollonius of Tyana, born in 3 B.C., in the Roman province of Cappadocia in Asia Minor (modern Turkey today), and lived until approximately 97 A.D. He was a contemporary of Jesus of Nazareth. This may have been the reason for Jesus’ warning in Luke 21:8. So keep your eyes open. – Dr. Robert R Seyda

I entered a hospital room at the cancer center where I served as a chaplain resident, and saw an elderly, white-haired woman sitting on the side of her bed. As I approached her, I smiled and said, “Hi! I’m Chaplain Seyda, how are things going with you today?” She looked up with a frown and said, “I don’t need any chaplain, I’m not interested in talking to a chaplain.” I looked back at her, and with a big sigh of relief I said, “Oh thank God! I’m so glad to hear that, because sometimes I don’t want to talk to people like a chaplain either!” So, would it be alright if we just talk like friends?” She looked up at me and said, “I didn’t mean to be rude, but you see, I’m Jewish, and didn’t think Christian chaplains talked to Jewish people.” I sat down and said to her “I like Jewish people, some of my best friends are rabbis, and it’s so nice to meet you.” She gazed at me with a quizzical look on her face and inquired, “Can I ask you something?” “Of course,” I said. “I’m a survivor of the holocaust,” she continued, “and I can’t understand why God would allow me to escape that death camp where I saw my whole family die, and now let me get cancer and die like this. I just don’t understand a God like that.” I said to her, “Well, it all depends on what God we’re talking about.” “What do you mean?” she said, “I thought Christians and Jews both believed in the same God.” “Let me explain,” I responded. “Many of us believe in the God our parents told us about. Some of us believe in the God our ministers or rabbis explained to us. And some of us believe in the God we made up in our own minds. Now if you are talking about the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; the God of the Bible, then I’d be happy to talk about Him.” “Yes! Yes! That’s the God I meant,” she responded. So, I then asked her if she believed the story of Noah, of Abraham, of Jacob, of Joseph, of Moses, of Joshua, of Daniel and the three Hebrew children? She nodded yes very vigorously to all my questions. Then I pointed out that all of these patriarchs went through tough times; sometimes being tortured and near death. However, one thing that impressed me about their God was that He went through it with them. He didn’t abandon or leave them to face it alone. Therefore, if that’s the God you’re talking about, then I have a feeling that He’s right here with you, and won’t let you go it alone. There was a pause as she looked up at me with an enlightened look on her face, and the said: “Tell me more about your God, that’s the one I want to know.” For the rest of her stay in the hospital, we had wonderful chats together, talking about the God she wanted to know. I never called her after she left or tried to follow up, since that was against the rules unless the patient asks. Rather, I turned it over to someone much more capable than I, the Holy Spirit. I’m absolutely sure He did a great job. I learned that there are our ways and other ways, but the best way, is God’s way.

SOMETIMES IT HELPS IF IT HURTS –

Every pilgrim knew that going to the Holy City to celebrate and offer God His rightful praise and worship, also involved the need to petition their Heavenly Father for strength and faith to carry on in spite of all the negative circumstances that went against them; trying them and their dedication to the One True God they served. So the compilers of the Psalter chose another psalm of David for the pilgrims to sing as they stood in the Holy Sanctuary. No one faced more danger and persecution than David as he tried to remain loyal in his quest to fulfill God’s will for his life. The important thing was that David was willing to accept any responsibility for actions that may have led to the difficult situation he faced, such as his dealing with Absalom that led to a rebellion which almost cost him the throne. His willingness to own up to his weaknesses made him stronger and more successful for God.

“O LORD Eternal, I come to You in prayer, because You’re known for Your reliability to answer; so please listen to my cry for mercy. I’m depending on Your kindness toward me as Your servant, not to hold this against me; no person claiming to be perfect could stand guiltless before You. But my integrity is being attacked; the person behind it has driven me into hiding; he has forced me to disappear from sight; like someone who suddenly died. I’m sick to my stomach; my heart is numbed by my pain. Yet, I lift my hands toward heaven as I think back to the good days, and am reminded of all the wonderful things You’ve done for me, and reflect on everything You helped me accomplish; because I need Your refreshing like parched ground needs water. So please respond quickly, O LORD Eternal, I’m totally exhausted; I beg You not to turn away from me; don’t let me end up in the grave. By morning let me sense Your sustaining arms wrapped around me, for I trust You to the fullest. I need to know how to cope with this, and I’m depending on You to show me the way. You’re the only one who can rescue me from this dilemma, O LORD Eternal, that’s why I’m running to You for help. I need to learn how to do things Your way, for You are my One True God. Therefore, let Your Spirit guide me to where I need to be. So in Your kindness, and for Your sake, O LORD Eternal, keep me going and lead me out of this distressful situation. And since You love me with an undying love, get rid of those who are causing all this turmoil. I am asking this of You as Your servant.” Psalm 143:1-12

Reflection: Monica Dickens tells the story of David, a 2-years old boy with leukemia, who was taken by his mother, Deborah, to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston to see Dr. John Truman, a specialist in treating children with cancer and various blood diseases. Dr. Truman’s diagnosis proved devastating, and he told her that little David only had a 50-50 chance of surviving. The countless clinic visits, the blood tests, the intravenous drugs that followed, and the resulting fear and anxiety brought the mother so much stress because she had to stand by and watch her boy’s pain and suffering. But her little David never cried in the waiting room; he always ran ahead of his mother with a smile, looking for the warm welcome he always received, in spite of the fact that those same friends would stick painful needles into his body. When he turned three years old, David needed a spinal tap – a painful procedure at any age. They explained to him that because of his sickness, Dr. Truman needed to do something to make him feel better. “If it hurts,” his mother cautioned him, “remember, it’s because Dr. Truman loves you.” The procedure proved horrendous. It took three nurses to hold little David down while he yelled and sobbed and struggled. When it finally ended, the tiny lad soaked with sweat and tears, looked up at the doctor and gasped, “Thank you, Dr. Truman, for my hurting.” King David faced a similar procedure, although not quite as painful. Yet he saw the same thing his little name-sake saw, that God allowed all of this for his good; to make him a better healthier person to complete the plans and opportunities that lay ahead. That’s why big David, like little David, did not resist even though he knew it would hurt. My, what great examples these two David’s provide us in how to face trying and agonizing experiences in our lives. So the next time God puts you through a procedure that causes pain and suffering, just look up to Him and say, as little David did, “Thank you, LORD, for my hurting.”

CRYING HELP DOES NOT MEAN YOU’RE HELPLESS –

After many pilgrims reached the Holy City and stood in the courts of the Temple on their way to worship the God they served, none of them confessed to being perfect. They all knew there were many times they felt hopeless and wondered if it was worth believing and obeying His will. So the compilers of the holy hymn book chose a psalm by David, written as he sat either in the cave of Adullam or the one at En Gedi, trying to deal with the constant hounding of King Saul and his murderous cohorts. While these situations lent themselves to periods of despair, they also offered opportunities for David’s faith to be strengthened and his resolve to be made stronger.

“O LORD Eternal, I’m praying as loud as I can; please hear me as I pour out my heart to You, my LORD Eternal. I won’t hold back; I’ll tell You exactly how I feel and how much distress and grief I feel. For when I can’t take it anymore You know precisely what I’m prone to do, and so does everyone else. That’s why they know just how to sneak up on me and hurt me when I least expect it. I look all around me, but it seems there is no one who cares if I live or die. The walls appear to be closing in on me; and it doesn’t matter to anyone, whether or not I survive. That’s why I’m calling out to You, O LORD Eternal; You are my only hope, my only reason for living. Please hear my sobbing cries, for I feel so dejected. The growing numbers of things bothering me are getting too much for me to handle, so I desperately need Your help, in order to cope. Break the sense of uselessness that I feel so I can worship You for the God You are. When those who live right see this; when they see how graciously You treated me, they will surely rally to my side.” Psalm 142:1-7

Reflection: Years ago, they told the story about a young lady who went to work in a textile mill in the State of North Carolina, U.S.A. As part of her orientation they showed her a sign near her station that read: “When your thread becomes tangled, immediately call the foreman.” Being new on the job, and wanting to show everyone she was more than capable of taking care of any tangled thread, she decided to lean on her years of sewing experience at home. Sure enough, one day her thread became tangled, and so she embarked on untangling it herself, hoping it would make her look like an expert, and at the same time, keep her from looking incompetent by having to call for help. But the more she tried and the longer she worked at it the worse the situation got. But she was determined not to give up, so she tried and tried even harder, but matters worsened even more. Finally, in desperation she rang for the foreman. When he arrived she showed him the knotted mess and said, “I did the very best I could!” Looking at her, the foreman shook his head and exclaimed, “No you didn’t! Your best you could have done was to call me at once as soon as the tangle occurred.” David learned this lesson early in his life. After his spectacular defeat of Goliath, it would be easy for him to depend on his own prowess to get himself out of trouble. But David remembered how many times he needed God’s help to protect his father’s sheep from lions and bears. So he showed no hesitation in calling on his Divine Foreman to come to his aid. This young lady in the textile mill gives us just the opposite view on how to handle problems. While sitting in that damp, cold cave, David knew that if God helped get him out, then God would help him continue his mission. So the next time you find yourself in a situation beyond your ability to control or manage, call out to the One in charge. Telling your family and friends how God got you out of your mess is a lot better than having to tell them how you only made things worse by not asking for God’s help.

STAYING ON COURSE –

In order to provide songs for the pilgrims to sing, the compilers of this hymn book for worship chose another psalm of David in which he shares how he wrestled with temptations in life to do as others do, not as God wanted him to do. He was under tremendous pressure to give up on becoming the king of Israel as God promised, and for which the prophet Samuel anointed him. They wanted to offer him something else, something less grand, something less risky. But David did not want to disappoint his God; he wanted to stay on course to complete his calling. This message in song no doubt touched the hearts of the pilgrims to do the same for the One they served.

“O LORD Eternal, I’m calling out to You, hurry to help me; please take notice of what I’m saying as I call on You; as I lift my hands toward heaven at the end of the day, let my prayer ascend up to You like sweet incense from the altar. O LORD Eternal, please station a guard to keep watch over what I say to provide security at the door of my lips. Don’t let my heart be persuaded to do something bad in response to offers made by people with evil motives; don’t let me desire what they have. Let any true believer give me a slap to alert me of the danger; I won’t retaliate against such an act of loving concern, I want to continue standing firm against these pretenders. Even though I told them I had nothing against them and wanted to get along, their stony hearts only made matters worse. What they did was like someone digging a hole in the ground and then throwing me in and covering me up with dirt. That’s why I’m turning my eyes toward You, O LORD God, my Divine Master; so You can protect me, please don’t let me down. Keep me safe from they are trying to do to me; keep me from taking the bait they’ve offered to entrap me. Let these evil-minded people fall into the traps they’ve set, allowing me to continue on with the life You’ve given me.” Psalm 141:1-10

Reflection: Miss Frances Havergal was born on Wednesday, December 14, 1836 as the youngest child of Anglican Church minister, Canon W. H. Havergal, of Worcestershire, England, the composer of many hymn melodies and sacred music. Although she suffered from frail health, she grew up to lead an active life. One time, on a five day visit to a well-known halfway house for girls in Stourport, known as Areley House, she shared with ten destitute girls who lived there the love of Jesus, and prayed in her heart that with God’s help she might lead them in confession and faith. On her last night there, Wednesday, February 4, 1874, the governess asked Frances to visit her two daughters as well, for they had begged her to let Frances to pray with them. After they tearfully accepted Christ as their Savior, Frances went to her room rejoicing. She was so moved, that she sat down and wrote some touching words that flowed from her heart through her pen: “Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee. Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise. Take my hands, and let them move at the impulse of Thy love. Take my feet, and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee.” Frances fulfilled her heart’s desire until she died five years later of hepatitis on Tuesday, June 3, 1879, in Swansea, England. Like King David, Frances wanted to remain faithful to God’s calling no matter what the time or cost. In her case she fought against disease and other handicaps that might tempt others to stay at home and waste their lives feeling sorry for themselves. She also resisted suggestions that she live life to its fullest while she still had time. Rather, she concentrated on God’s plan for her life and would let nothing stop her. As a result, girls who otherwise would have been lost were born again, and she gave the church a song that is still sung to this day. What wonderful examples both King David and Miss Frances give us in carrying out God’s will, albeit with pain and hardship. So when you’re not sure exactly what to do when faced with obstacles and opposition, look to God and let Him give you His smile of approval and encouragement. You’ll find it pays to stand up for God, even if done in pain and agony, more than sitting in misery and suffering, complaining because you can’t do the things you want to do. People will be inspired by you when you stand fast in your faith, they’ll only feel pity for you when you remain seated as you stew in your unhappiness.

CLOSURE WITH GOD, OR CLOSER TO GOD –

Almost every pilgrim that finally made it up to the Holy City and had the privilege of standing in the presence of God Almighty to worship Him and praise Him, knew that they were the few among many. They had to overcome many obstacles to get there and only the brave-at-heart made it. So the compilers of the Psalter chose one of David’s psalms for them to sing that offered comfort and encouragement to tired and weary pilgrims. David experienced what it was like to be on a mission and run into opposition from those who did not understand God’s will and purpose for his life. But David knew that all he needed to do for God to bring him victory was to stick with what was true.

“I promise this one thing to You, O LORD Eternal: I will always acknowledge and accept You as my only Sovereign God. That’s why I’m asking You now, O LORD Eternal, to please pay attention to the words in my plea to You for help. I’m asking You, O LORD my God, my Divine Master; the One whose power brought my deliverance; the One who once protected me from being wounded in the heat of battle; please do not grant the evil-minded their wishes; O LORD Eternal, do not make it easy for their evil plans to succeed; it will only increase the pride they have in themselves. Likewise, never let those who attack other people’s character gain a foothold in our nation. Instead, let their harmful attacks end up leading to their own downfall. I believe the LORD Eternal will stand by those unable to help themselves, and get justice for those unable to fight back. I’m convinced, those who live right always trust in You for who You are; yes, the right-at-heart will always stay in harmony with Your will. Psalm 140:6-8, 11-13

Reflection: At the graveside service for assassinated U.S. President James A. Garfield, on Monday, September 19, 1881, a beautiful hymn was played. Then on Friday afternoon, September 13, 1901, assassinated U.S. President William McKinley made the lyrics of the same hymn his dying words. And again, as the great ship Titanic was sinking into the icy waters of the North Atlantic Ocean on Monday, April 15, 1912, the ship’s orchestra played this hymn up to the bitter end. What hymn was it? The one whose lyrics go as follows: “Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee! E’en though it be a cross that raiseth me, still all my song shall be, nearer, my God, to Thee. Nearer my God to Thee, nearer to Thee.” It just so happened that British poet Sarah F. Adams, an aspiring actress whose bout with tuberculosis cut short her budding career, was being visited by her pastor one afternoon, and he mentioned that he was having difficulty finding a hymn to go along with his sermon on Jacob’s of a ladder reaching into heaven that coming Sunday. So Sarah volunteered to write the lyrics, for which her sister Eliza would write the music. She penned these words at the age of 36, and seven years later she would die from her illness. In this hymn she expressed the same desire that was in Jacob’s heart. Could it be that David was thinking along the same lines when he wrote this psalm? All of them not only wanted to be in harmony with God’s will, but in accord with His ways as much as possible. That is a lofty goal for any believer to set, and one that must really be yearned for if there is any hope of attaining it. It has been proven that a person does not solve their problems, or find solutions to their difficulties by trying to run from God’s will, but by embracing it with all their heart and soul. Presidents Garfield and McKinley, as well as Miss Adams, the patriarch Jacob, and King David, believed with all their heart and soul that if they embraced God’s will He would embrace them. The psalm of David just before this one, points out clearly that it’s impossible to run from God or escape from His presence. Therefore, since it is not possible to run from God, what is it that people are fleeing from? Fact is, they are running from His truth, His will, His purpose and His destiny for their lives! No wonder people who live outside God’s will feel so forsaken and lost. No wonder they look everywhere to find some beacon of light to guide their lives and give them meaning and a reason for living. King David had no such illusion, he knew where to look, and he was not about to let anyone mislead him or discourage him from applying the truth of God’s word to his life.

HOW GREAT THOU ART –

The compilers of the Psalter want to make sure that no pilgrim walked into God’s holy sanctuary; lifted up their hands and began praising the LORD, thinking He’d be surprised to see they had found Him. They wanted each pilgrim to realize that from the day of their conception until the very moment they opened their mouths to worship Him, He knew all there was to know about them. It was important that they understood that God would be fully aware if they were sincere or not in their adoration of Him; that would He discerned whether or not they really meant what they said. They must not be fooled into thinking that they could sing a song with their lips while their minds wandered elsewhere. No matter how far back we look or how far into the future we gaze, God is always in the moment. So in order to really respect and pay honor to Him, we must always worship Him in the moment. That’s why they chose a psalm written by a returned exile from captivity to emphasize these truths, because it expressed the feelings of someone who knew what they were talking about.

“O LORD Eternal, no one knows me as thoroughly as You do. You know when I plan to sit down or stand up; You know what I’m thinking ahead of time; You know what road I’m going to take and where I’ll stop to rest; You know everything there is to know about me. Before I say a word You already know what I’m going to say. You know all about what I’ve been and what I’m going to be. You are in total control of my life. Such a revelation just makes me shake my head in awe, it’s too deep for me; as a matter of fact, it’s more than I can grasp. It means there is no place I can hide from Your Spirit; no place I can run and not find myself in Your presence. No matter how high I try to climb, You are there; or if I attempt to descend into the lowest cavern, You are there; if I take flight early in the morning and fly far beyond the horizon, You go along with me, holding tightly to my hand. If I were to suppose that I could hide in the dark with all the lights out and be invisible to You, even darkness cannot hide anything from You; as a matter of fact, You see as well at night as You do during the daytime. In other words, there’s no difference between night and day with You. After all, You’re the One who created me as I am; yes, You assembled me in my mother’s womb. Therefore, I worship You because I have been marvelously and wonderfully created; Your handiwork is spectacular; and believe me, I’m more conscious of this now than ever. You knew all along what I was going to be, even as I was being conceived in intimacy and skillfully fashioned in seclusion. Your eyes were on me even as an undeveloped embryo because You laid down the formula for everyone to be formed this way. Oh how precious for me to know, O One True God, that you even think to bless me. As a matter of fact if I were to try and count Your blessings, they would outnumber the grains of sand around me, and were I able to do so, as soon as I got finished there would be even more blessings for me to count.” Psalm 139:1-18

Reflection: Howard Thurman, an African-American, born in Daytona Beach, Florida in 1900, during the days when segregation and racial bias ran rampant, refused to let this stop him from the goals his grandmother, a former slave, instilled in him while growing up. During one of his most stressful moments, after suffering hurtful discrimination at the hands of heartless segregationists, he ran to his room and threw himself on his cot and sobbed for hours. After a while, he opened his eyes and spotted his Bible laying on the night stand; he reached out and grabbed it. It fell open to this Psalm 139; he read these comforting words of God’s abiding presence. So Howard was encouraged and eventually went off to the nearest Negro high school in Jacksonville, Florida; then later enrolled in Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. Although he was rejected by Andover Theological Seminary for graduate studies, he didn’t quit. He pursued his doctoral studies at Colgate-Rochester Divinity School in Rochester, New York, earning a Ph.D. This led him to become a professor of theology at Boston University. He went on to write twenty-two books, and became a leader in the religious community across America. Like the Psalmist, Dr. Thurman found out that God never abandons His children. He stays with them in both their brightest and darkest hours. Only fools contemplate trying to run from God or deny His existence. Wise people know the best thing to do is run toward God. So let the examples of the Psalmist’s faith and Dr. Thurman’s experience become a guiding light for every moment of your life. God was before our own existence; before we came into being, and is beyond our present time and will be there to welcome us when we exit this life. Why not let Him become a constant daily companion in everything you do and everywhere you go along the way. Believe me; the trip will be a lot more exciting and beneficial to both.

Most Christians have heard Jesus said about us being the light of the world. Put another way, it means that believers are like a light in this dark world. As children we often sang the chorus, “This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine.” To many Christians, the term “light” means that we are to be examples of good Christian living to a world of wrongdoers. In John’s Revelation 21:23, we get a clearer glimpse of what role our light plays. Speaking of the New Jerusalem it says, “The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.” Put more specifically, God provides the energy and Jesus is the light bulb. The same goes for us. The light people see in us is not ours, we are simple chosen to be the instrument through which God’s illumination of truth beams. So the next time you talk about being a light, don’t forget, you have to be plugged into the source in order to really shine for Him. – Dr. Robert R Seyda

Some years ago I had the privilege of serving as a Chaplain Resident on the Clinical Pastoral Education staff at the Miami-Dade Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Florida. As part of our outreach, I was assigned, along with an associate chaplain, to conduct spiritual therapy sessions in the inpatient ward of the Psychology Clinic. Each week we met with the chief psychologist to see how we could coordinate psychological and spiritual therapy for the patients. During one session the chief psychologist asked me what happened to one of the patients, because his sudden turnaround from a person with a severe psychological disorder, to a person who seemed normal and interacted well with others, had astounded everyone. I told the doctor, that rather than meet with the young man on an individual basis, I invited him to a group session. In that group session I asked all the patients if any of them ever went to church. Then I asked those who responded if they had a favorite hymn. This young man raised his hand and said he loved the song, “Rock of Ages”. Therefore, with my associate chaplain helping me we began to sing: “Rock of ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee…” I watched the young man close his eyes while singing softly. A week later, they allowed this young man to go home, to the surprise and joy of his family. The head psychologist told me, this episode convinced him that getting in touch with God, even through song, can do wonders. Therefore, the next time you may be feeling down, sing or hum your favorite hymn to God, you may be amazed at what can happen.

TO GOD BE THE GLORY –

The pilgrims did not arrive in the Holy City and stand in the holy sanctuary without having struggled to get there. Each one could tell a story about lengthy hot days and long cold nights; about hunger and thirst; about aches and pains; and about obstacles they met and had to cope with along the way. So now it was time to lift up their hands before the LORD and exalt Him for bringing them through; giving them the privilege of standing on holy ground to worship the King of Heaven. So the compilers of the Psalter chose a psalm written by David after all his struggles and trials to be finally crowned King of all Israel. David’s prayer was not some hollow “Thank you” to God just to be courteous and impress others, but a heartfelt and deeply moving expression of gratitude for God’s amazing grace in helping him to remain strong and resolute to be what God wanted him to be.

“My heart bursts with joy when I worship You; yes, in the presence of angels I sing songs of praise to You as I lift my head in Your holy sanctuary; I worship You because of Your unfailing love and faithfulness. For You made Yourself famous for being One who carries out His promises, more than anything else. You’ve never failed to respond when I’ve call out to You; this gave me the inner strength to carry on. Someday the kings of the earth will worship You, O LORD Eternal, once they listen to what You have to say; yes, they will sing songs about how the LORD Eternal works His miracles, for when You do them they are spectacular. Not only that, but even though the LORD Eternal is so highly honored, He still pays attention to the down and out, and remains constantly in touch with them. Even though I’ve encountered stressful situations, You have always kept me strong when facing difficulties by reaching out Your arm and letting Your right hand pull me through. Now I believe the LORD Eternal will finish what He’s has started in my life. O LORD Eternal, Your unfailing love is never ending, that’s why I trust You to never abandon me, because I am Your prized possession.” Psalm 138:1-8

Reflection: To her dismay, CT scans and tests proved that Sister Aileen Murray’s illness was in fact cancer. To some degree, Aileen was relieved to know that the specialists at the oncology unit in Brighton, England had finally identified what made her feel so bad. Notwithstanding the disappointment, she decided to carry on her life and leave whatever happened in God’s hands. In other words, she chose not to ask the Lord for any particular outcome, but trusted Him to do what was best for Him and for her, and to do it His way. So she decided to go on a retreat at St. Mary’s Convent in the small town of Wantage, near Oxford, England, and serve as a lay minister while there. During that time one of the nuns asked her if she planned to carry on in the ministry given to her, or was she ready for the Lord to do something really special through her life. Aileen told the nun that she needed to pray about that. Later, while having her devotions she turned to Psalm 138, and after reading the last two verses she decided to trust God not to give up on her until He was finished with what He had started. So she agreed to launch out into new waters, and after leaving the convent went on to become even busier than before by going around and sharing the power of prayer and the strength that comes from holding on to God’s unchanging hand. What testimonies we have here from both the psalmist and Sister Aileen to the truth that God always carries through on His plans for our lives. Sometimes plans seem to go awry because we decide to take over, or we refuse to do our part in making sure God’s will prevails in our lives. Often that’s because we don’t see things turning out the way we want them to, or we believe we know better than God what’s best for us. The psalmist did not operate under any such illusions. He wanted to be what God designed him to be, no matter what. We all can be sure of one thing: God will never leave His work unfinished, and He certainly won’t turn it over to us to finish because He can’t get it done. Although we may not be what we want to be, let’s thank God we’re not what we once were. Furthermore, to keep on believing that He desires to continue His work in us, transforming us into what He intends us to become. The only question that remains is this: are we, like Sister Aileen and the psalmist, willing to let Him have His way with us until He’s finished.