Prayer Request!

We are all set to send our docs to apply for visas tomorrow morning, but just discovered that I have no more empty pages in my passport! How could we have missed this? We waited as late as possible to apply with the hopes of getting an extended visa beyond the Olympics. And there is enough time for that. But definitely not enough to send away for new pages too. So since its 11:30pm, I’m going to choose not to freak out, but ask you to pray and go to bed instead. I suppose the worst it could mean is that I send Jim and the girls ahead of me, and take a personal retreat in Colorado while I wait for my passport.

#3 Jesus, Be our Shepherd!

This is the third devotional in a series, explained in the former post on July 30th.

When I first moved overseas after college, I brought along an enormous cross-stitch as a creative outlet—a pastoral natural scene rich in color and symbolism. In the picture, countless sheep donned the backdrop as Jesus stood large in the forefront. In one arm he grasped the strong shepherd’s staff, and in the other, a defenseless baby sheep. At the top were these simple yet profound words—Lost no more. As I lived out my first two years in China, God freed me from my previous high regards of my own spiritual maturity and the title of the cross-stitch took on new meaning for me. I wondered, By the time I finish stitching this, will I understand more about resting in the loving care of my Shepherd?

Since that time, I have become a shepherd to a little flock of my own. As a mother I often feel the weight of responsibility to nourish and protect my children from harm. Yet even more having become a shepherd of sorts, I daily feel the need for a Great Shepherd who will guide my steps as I guide theirs. Everyday brings forth need for spontaneous wisdom and instant sage counsel that I lack! I too am just a little sheep!

In John 10, Jesus reveals one of the most comforting pictures found of Himself in the Scriptures—He is our good Shepherd. It is challenging for our Western, 20^th century minds to grasp what the 1^st century Jew heard when Jesus related this teaching. When Jesus called Himself the Good Shepherd, He spoke to an agrarian audience that daily lived in the world of smelly sheep. They knew the vulnerabilities of the flock and the dangers of exposure to carnivores and the elements. A shepherd was a worker of humble means, yet the learned Jew would have known God’s condescension as He often referred to Himself as a Shepherd in the Old Testament (Genesis 49:24; Isaiah 40:11; Ezekiel 34:1-12). They would have been familiar with commanding figures such as Moses and King David who were referred to as shepherds of the people of Israel. (Numbers 22:17; 2 Samuel 5:2; Psalms 78:71) The imagery was strong in their minds, and we may likely imagine Jesus teaching against the backdrop of a local flock.

As I reflect on this scene in John 10, I am reminded of something the New Testament saints also experienced. Life on the ranch with the sheep is different than I first imagined. In our Christian circles, we often hear talk about the abundant life. Doesn’t your heart delight in the images of quiet waters and green pastures? Surely He will only lead us to places of rest and delight, right?

In fact, Jesus does speak of the abundant life in John 10. Yet its easy to overlook the mention of His impending slaughter (as a sheep Himself!), wolves who daily prey on the vulnerable sheep, and hirelings who bolt in fear at the first sign of threat. Jesus cautions what all lesser shepherds must learn—we live amongst the real threat of attack from an enemy who seeks and plots our demise. The enemy is pleased to isolate us from the flock of God’s people leaving us alone and defenseless. Comforted? Welcome to Shepherding 101!

Though these warnings at times send my fearful heart running for cover, Jesus offers other words of peace in the midst of this grim scene. Consider His comforts with me afresh.

Our Shepherd is genuinely committed. He is not like any parent, leader, or pastor who has failed you in the past. Though the hired hand escapes at the first sign of trouble, Jesus will not abandon His flock. He gives His word as He lays down His life.

Our Shepherd offers genuine guidance. We don’t need to know the way to go. We just need to follow the voice of the Shepherd. Though our path is marked by unexpected twists and sheer drop-off cliffs, we have a leader that walks before and beside.

Our Shepherd offers genuine security. Our final haven is confidently certain. At times, the pathway to our Refuge will include sighting of wolves and devastating loss. But He will never let us go. He will carry us safely Home.

We don’t have to live very long before we discover the dangers of life as a sheep. How much more as a shepherd, with responsibilities for those under our care! One episode of the evening news can counter the peace of His comfort in our hearts. As sheep we are notoriously forgetful and fearful. We need constant reminders from His Word and the rest of the flock of His truth and His care. Remember today afresh, little sheep. You have a great and loving shepherd who will never let you go and guarantees your final rest in His care! Rejoice!

Lord,

Thank you for being our good shepherd. We feel the threats of destruction and loss all around, yet your Promises remain sure. Help us to rest in the assurance of your loving care, even as we fight against doubt and attack. We long for the day of our final rest beside the Living waters. Bring us safely Home!
Amen.

Questions for further reflection:

1. What is your view of the abundant life? Does it include the existence of wolves and attacks? How is the life Jesus offers here full of hope in the midst of danger?

2. What are the current threats and confusions you are experiencing along your journey as a sheep? How can you rest in the assurance of His commitments to you?

3. Are you an isolated member of the flock? Do you have sources of encouragement and accountability with other sheep? Does your community continually point you back to the Shepherd? If not, what is a first step you can take towards the protection of the community of God’s sheep?

Half-Way

I think today marks our 1/2 way point through our US trip. We're headed to the coast this weekend with the whole Bradford clan. Mom B is super excited to have all her chickadees in one spot for 4 days!

Here are some highlights of our trip so far:

Simple joy of playing in the grass...
















"I am Ellie belly!"



















Da's bday party















Fun at the Athens Arboretum
















Ms Linda and Mr. Mike let us ride their horses! Kathryn loved it!

On Heaven and Buggars

Is it Buggars? Or Boogers?

Anyhow, Kathryn was digging for some today when I encouraged her to find a tissue. We've discussed this many times before. Apparently the search is much more satisfying when you can really see what you're getting out. Then I made the profound comment, "I think that when we get to heaven, our noses won't have any buggars." Kathryn didn't skip a beat.

"Oh, they'll have buggars, mom. But in heaven, they will taste like ice cream!"

Hurray for Sleep!

Day #7 in Dallas and I'm delighted to report that we all slept through the night! No wide-eyed little ones poking my arm at 2am! Yeah!

Was the Opening ceremonies amazing? OK, I only made it through the initial artistic portion before I crashed, but my sister-in-law recorded it. It did feel a bit surreal watching it from 10,000 miles away--The "bird's nest" is 20 minutes away from our home!

Below is #2 in a series of devotionals...See this post for an explanation.

#2 Jesus Help Me Obey

Sending Kathryn off to Chinese pre-school each morning seems an adventure for which I always feel unprepared. Pep talks and negotiations pepper our conversation as we make the drawn-out 5 minute journey. First we send her sister Ellie to her classroom. Then we take the long flight of stairs to Kathryn’s class—and then come the tears. I can understand why she has had such a rough adjustment—none of her teachers or classmates speak English! Yet, we trudge ahead, seeking a entrée into our host culture for the hearts of our children.

The scene was no different this morning as we began our goodbyes. Her teacher caught me before I slipped out and informed me that all the students needed to wear a special uniform for the upcoming sports contest. She handed me Kathryn’s outfit—a red jumpsuit with 3 Teletubbies adorning the front. Kathryn was first unimpressed, then incredulous, and finally yelling “No, I won’t!” at the top of her lungs. I quickly excused us into the neighboring room to lay down the gauntlet. I had to agree that the outfit was ugly, but obedience becomes a different matter.

“Kathryn, mommy understands that you do not want to wear this outfit. And I know you feel afraid of the sports contest. But your teacher is asking you to put this on, and you need to obey your teacher. Your teacher would never ask you to do something unsafe. You need to trust her—even if you feel afraid—and obey.” We stopped and asked Jesus’ help for the seemingly impossible.

Did she emerge submissive and victorious? Well, sort of…some may deem begrudging obedience better than none at all! As I left I told her, “Kathryn, mommy is very proud of you. Jesus is proud of you too. You obeyed even though you didn’t want to. That’s what big girls do.”

As I departed, I began to wonder how often mommy acts like a big girl. The commands I would like to drill into Kathryn on the way to school—Do not fear; Be anxious for nothing; Be thankful in all things—are all areas of my struggle as well. Does Kathryn see me as one who obeys even when I am afraid? Do I choose thankfulness in the midst of uncertainty and trust over anxiety? Jesus did.

It feels belittling to Him to consider Jesus a model of obedience. Can One who commands the universe by His powerful Word stoop to submit Himself to another? Yet these stand as striking testimonies of the condescension of our Savior—our example and encourager in obedience.

Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done. (Luke 22:42-43)

Of course Jesus obeyed, you say. I mean He’s…Jesus! We know that Jesus did obey, and we may assume that there was no other option for Him. But if it was not a genuine possibility that He might disobey, then we might have a case against Him. Yet when He took on flesh, the Lord of the Universe opened Himself to the real possibility that He could, in fact, chose to sin. In order to relate to our struggle He does not need to have experienced sin. Rather, He truly knows the struggle—and He was victorious!

When I consider the commands of the Scriptures given by our Lord, He is not perched over me as an unfeeling authority removed from the struggles of life. Rather He stands next to me as a model and cheerleader reminding my heart of the joy of obedience. Whether wearing a Teletubbies outfit, running from fleshly temptations, or rejecting lies and fears that turn our hearts astray, our Lord delights in His children who trust and treasure Him enough to obey.

Our Lord,

When I consider the obstacles set before You in your earthly journey, I am humbled. You created the universe by your powerful Word, yet you submitted yourself to your Father’s will. Thank you for obeying that I might know you—and in knowing you, find strength and delight unto obedience. Strengthen my feeble heart to faithfully trust and obey you today.

Amen.

Questions for further reflection:

1. Spend some time today reflecting on the obedience of Jesus. What are the images the Scriptures portray as we consider Jesus as model for our walk of faith?

2. Which commands of Scripture do you find hardest to obey? How does your heart respond as you hear these commands spoken? Do you view God as a stern disciplinarian berating your failure, or a loving Father cheering you on to grow? How does the example of Jesus inform your thoughts?

3. Write out one specific application for the Lord’s guidance in your heart this week. In what area is He asking you to trust Him in the midst of uncertainty, show thankfulness in a troubling situation, or take a risky step of faith?

Breaking Jet Lag in Dallas

It's been 4 days since we arrived in Dallas. Jim's brother and sister-in-law have graciously offered to put us up in their beautiful home as long as we need, though it's somewhat conditional upon Jim's promise not to blare his amplifier as he's testing out his new guitar! No, he didn't bring the amplifier back with us, but a dear friend and guitar enthusiast brought his contraption over, just so that Jim didn't have to face the trauma of playing his guitar at normal human decibels.

We're not doing so great with jet lag. I know its only day 4, but this has been the roughest spell I remember with the girls. They are still waking up for big chunks (4 hours last night) in the middle of the night... and they don't seem to have sufficient reasoning skills at those hours. "You know, even though I can't sleep, I'm happy to let my mommy and daddy sleep...yes, I'll sit here alone in the dark so as not to disturb anyone else..." HA!

A few highlights thus far for the Wallace fam:
-walking barefoot in the soft grass
-yummy Mexican food...endless supply of non-stale tortilla chips and guacamole
-the girls getting lots of play and giggle time with cousins Emma and Alli!

Leaving on a Jet Plane

On Thursday I asked Ellie, "Did you know that on Saturday we're getting on a big plane and going to Texas?" "NO, momma, I didn't know that!" Ever since, she has been very on edge every time someone steps out the door of our house for fear they are not coming back.

But yes, in 45 minutes we leave for the airport. And I am SO unusually organized, I even have time to write a post about it! Now back to the mad-dash packing...