Burger Season

 June 5, 2024

“But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her" 
~ 1 Samuel 1:5

The summer months have arrived and we’re all about to consume more backyard burgers than we bargained for! It’s all good — burgers are a staple of American social life and summer life.

I have opinions about burgers and I’m sure you do too. On our little local vacation Paul and I finally made it to the California-turned-Idaho IN-N-OUT Burgers in Meridian. Our family tribe  grabbed our boxes of burgers and walked over to enjoy them outdoors seated near the fountain in The Village. 

Now, IN-N-OUT has its place: nostalgia for some, budget friendly for others, and still others wouldn’t dream of going solo — it’s a social experience. It might not be your fav, but I would guess that you do have a favorite hamburger place, whether it’s a chain or a little drive-in — and if you really want a burger to savor — you know where you want to go!

My favorite burger on our end of the valley is actually at our local Japanese restaurant, Ogawas. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some rice bowls too, but I think their burgers are perfection. They use relatively thin, but large patties with crispy edges that extend beyond the border of the not-too-lofty bun (which eliminates the side-of-mouth ache in trying to open up too wide). And the accompanying fries are pretty good too. It’s a strange favorite burger place, but it’s mine. 

When our kids were little, the economic choices for our family were pretty much Wendy’s and Burger King.  I mean, we weren’t wealthy, but we didn’t have to resort to McDonalds.

Years later when our kids were still home, but grown, we hosted a young adults group called 18-28 in our home on Sunday nights. Paul considered it his favorite teaching time of the week. Coincidentally, McDonalds happened to be offering $.39 Sunday Cheeseburgers during that era, so after the Bible study dozens of young adults would toss all available loose change into a pile on the floor (along with anything found in my couch cushions). One or two guys would head over to McDs to pick up as many cheeseburgers as the cash pile could procure. 

On occasion, there would be an extra and someone would extend it in front of me with an 18yo smile and say, “Here Mrs. L, we brought you a cheeseburger”. What is one to do in that situation except smile back and say ‘thank you’?

There is a woman in the Bible that had her heart set on something important and basically had a couple of cheeseburgers extended to her. Well, it wasn’t exactly that way, but the beginning of 1 Samuel introduces us to Hannah, who had one craving in life, she desired to have a child. Her husband loved her, he knew her lack, he understood that she was barren, but the best he could come up with to encourage her was to offer her more cheeseburgers than he gave to the others. 

Actually here is what the text tells us: “On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb.” (1 Samuel 1:4-5)

There was no possible way that Elkanah could have fixed Hannah’s problem — only God could meet her need. The best he could do was to offer love and support his own way, albeit in a somewhat awkward way.  

When we have an ache in our hearts because something important is lacking in our life, or we are grieving a significant loss, people’s gestures of love and affirmation can fall short, but the point is they are gestures of love and affirmation, and they do have significant meaning and even healing properties! 

We’ll take a deeper look at Hannah’s life next week, but for this short devotion, our main point is don’t expect people around you to be God — they are not — they cannot fix what is wrong! Most of them are doing the best they can by offering love and support in whatever way they are able and sometimes we just need to soak in all of those acts of love a bit more. 

Proverbs 27:9 (NLV) says “Oil and perfume make the heart glad, so are a man’s words sweet to his friend.”

Whether you need to be the giver of a double portion right now, or more graciously receive the double portion — there is probably a message for all of us in Elkanah’s actions.

How does this relate to me? Well, I have truly received a mountain of encouragement from all  who have said, and done, and sent, and offered, and prayed their support my direction. I want to thank all of you and I want you to know that every single gesture is meaningful and healing, even if it doesn’t fix my core problem.

So, if a friend shows up at your door this week with two cheeseburgers — just smile, thank them, feel the love and invite them in — but if you see yellow arches on the wrapper, you don’t have to eat them! 

My Love,

Sue

sue@ccontario.com

Under Construction

 

 “The road to success is usually under construction" 

~ Arnold Palmer

It’s graduation season. Tonight, Paul and I will be attending our grand-daughter’s ceremony after having enjoyed her party over the weekend. (Parenthetically, I LOVE being the grand parent and merely showing up and having a few small assigned tasks — this is an awesome season of life!)

During graduation season, I would say the word most popularly used would be congratulations — and the second would be success. We say things like, ‘we wish you every success in whatever path you choose’.  That’s a very kind thing to say to graduates, however, it might be more helpful to quote the late professional golfer Arnold Palmer, ‘just know that the road to success is usually under construction!’ That sentiment would get it right out there to plan for a bumpy ride ahead! 

The mere mention of Arnold Palmer takes me back to the Sunday afternoons of my childhood. My mom and dad took a day of rest seriously, so after church and a fantastic dinner, they were off duty. They usually napped, but I seem to remember a lot of golf on TV — which I thought was the most boring activity anyone could possibly think up. 

Arnold Palmer was exactly my parents' age and, in the 60's, he was just about single-handedly responsible for elevating the appreciation of golf from an elite and entitled audience to a sport for the average American. That was my dad, an average American and somehow he could relate to Arnold because his road, like my dad’s, was usually under-construction. 

Reflecting on his career, Palmer wrote, “Perhaps the reason people enjoyed watching me play so much was that they could relate to my predicaments. I was often where they were as I came down the stretch—in the rough, in the trees, or up the creek.”

Isn’t that the truth in life? There is no straight, level, sunny path from the beginning of our journey to the end. In spiritual terms, we might want to change the wording from ‘road to success’ to ‘finishing well’. As Christians, our goal isn’t so much to be successful in life as it is to do what God has assigned us and finish well. We want to hear those words “Well, done, good and faithful servant” (Matt. 25:21). It seems to me that the road to finishing well is also usually under construction.

I love reading biographies and I have read hundreds of them. One common denominator with all the men and women whose lives I’ve admired is that they often found themselves in the rough, in the trees, or up the creek at multiple points. I cannot name one admired person, past or present, whose game of life seemed to drive happily straight down the fairway. And that doesn’t happen for us either! 

We probably all hope for the fairway of life, but that’s not our experience. Sometimes, even our most prayed-over decisions can land us in the rough; our long awaited opportunities can seem to bounce off the trees; and some unexpected life events leave us merely hearing kerplunk and seeing the ripples from the waterway.

So, what is one to do? What is the advice to the graduate? What is the advice for our own life? Here are a few morsels from the Bible that might speak to the task of persevering during construction:

1. Hitting construction in life is an experience common to all: “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."  James 1:2-4

2. Focus on the Lord’s work in your life rather than on your personal skills: “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:6

3. Regardless of what comes your way, put your head down and keep moving forward: “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:58

My road construction? Well, tomorrow I’ll make a quick stop at treatment station 3 of 16 while riding the Train*. Once again, thank you for your prayers that I would make each stop on schedule! Paul and I (Lord willing) will be back at church on June 2nd. 

Until then, if you personally happen to be in the rough, in the trees, or up the creek, can I encourage you with those Scriptures above? Maybe there is someone in your life that you need to encourage as well! One thing we have in common as Christians is that we’re all endeavoring to finish well.  I would hope that we can help each other do just that.

My love and blessings,

Sue

sue@ccontario.com

* If you are new to this blog, you can find the reference to the Train on blog post May 8, 2024. 

Secret Clubs

 “...so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we 
ourselves have received from God”  ~ 2 Corinthians 1:4 (NIV84)

Sitting on a little patch of squashed-down weeds, under an Elm grove, behind my mother’s vegetable garden, my older sister and I met weekly for our Secret Club. We called it the Good Deed Doers Club — I know, go ahead and roll your eyes. We were about six and eleven and from what I can remember our club meetings consisted of writing a list of helpful things we could do and taking a collection of the weekly ten cent dues. I have no memory of following through on our deeds, nor do I recall the funds ever being put to use, so perhaps I should yet call for an audit of that club account which was held suspiciously in the hands of the eleven-year-old.

Those are the types of Secret Clubs children create while waiting for life to usher them into other Clubs. Eventually we all enter into unique clubs of one type or another — some by choice, others by force. Some are a delight, some are formed from trials, some are public and some are more secret. 

I’ve been in the Pastor’s Wives Club for over 40 years and still belong. I was in the Homeschool Mom’s Club for 26 years — I think that earned me a life-time membership. For the last eight years I’ve been in the Motorcycle Drivers Club and have a card to prove it. But now, I’ve suddenly become acquainted with a new Secret Club that I really didn’t pay much attention to before — the Breast Cancer Club (BC Club, or just C Club). 

Suddenly women from the BC Club approach me out of the blue and we form an immediate connection. They have something to say, a special way of encouraging me. Just this week a woman whom I had never met (but we have a recent acquaintance) drove from Boise to chat with me for an hour during my infusion and bring me a bag of extremely thoughtful and useful products. Why? She’s in The Club. The Club creates a natural sense of belonging. But there is one more aspect beyond just belonging — God put an inner drive in us to comfort others with the comfort we ourselves have received.

Here’s how the Apostle Paul put it in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV84):

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.”

I think it’s baked into our soul to be useful to others. When we have received comfort from God in a particular area of life we are compelled to turn around and invest in others.

You’ve probably passed through many Clubs in your lifetime — some secret, some not-so-secret. You may have been in the Singles Club for a season, the Unemployed Club, the Newlywed Club, the Launching a Business Club. Some of those clubs last only for a season. 

But there are other clubs that last a lifetime, or affect us for a lifetime — having a Special Needs Child, Losing a Child, Widowhood (even if you remarry).  There is a secret club for parents of prodigals and an even more special club for parents of substance-abuse prodigals. There is a tender club for those who have been abused/abandoned by the ones who promised to love them. If you have found yourself in one of these secret clubs, your first instinct was probably to look for the door and get out of the club. That’s not always possible. But what is possible is to find the comfort of the Father of compassion, who comforts us in all our troubles. Once we tap into God’s comfort in our Secret Club we are not only comforted ourselves, but we are able to partner with the Lord in bringing comfort to other members of The Club. And they need our comfort — especially when they first walk through the door of the club!

My encouragement to you is; don’t waste your pain — make the best use of whatever Club you’re a member of by comforting others in that Club.

As for me, I’m still ‘riding The Train’ on schedule. There is a sleeper car on this train and it’s quite effective. If there is such a thing as beauty sleep, well, I’m likely to come out of this ten years younger! Paul and I are taking a short local vacation with our trailer for the rest of the month of May since we have some family graduation festivities that we’re looking forward to. So if you don’t see us again until June 2nd…no worries…we’re just doing normal things.

Blessings to you all,

Sue

The Unexpected Paths of the Lord

“The Israelites were dressed for fighting when they left the land of Egypt.”

— Exodus 13:18 (EXB)

I’m amazed that I’ve gotten this far in life with only one significant memory of being completely under-dressed! Paul and I lived in the Seattle area in the mid-eighties and somehow we missed the memo that a particular church function was a dress-up event (who plans those anyway)?  We arrived in our normal casual clothes with our normal casual toddlers on our normal hips and immediately felt our deficiency keenly. 

We all know there are some clothes for gardening and other clothes for weddings. We dress differently to eat popcorn and watch a movie than to go to the ballet. In general, people dress according to their expectations — considering the next event on their schedule. The nation of Israel was no different. In the post-Passover morning light, God’s people began a miraculous exodus out of Egypt toward the land God promised them and they were dressed according to their expectations of what that path would be like. 

Look how Exodus 13:17-18 describes that journey:

When Pharaoh sent the people out of Egypt, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was the shortest way. God said, “If they have to fight, they might change their minds and go back to Egypt.” So God led them through the desert toward the Red Sea. The Israelites were dressed for fighting when they left the land of Egypt. (EXB)

Hm, they were dressed for fighting, equipped for battle (ESV) even though that clearly wasn’t the way God was leading them. They thought the next event on their schedule was to leave Egypt via the Way of the Philistines, which would have required battle and battle attire — but they were mistaken. 

I’m sure you’ve had expectations in life and just like me, you emotionally dressed for them. You may have thought the next event on your schedule was marriage, or children, a particular job, retirement, or a certain type of ministry. But then you realized God did not lead you on that road. In Israel’s case, God had a far better path in mind for His kids. Granted, it looked scarier in the moment, but it got them to their destination with no casualties and God’s power fully on display.

The same is often true in our lives. God has a good path in mind for us and occasionally it may look scarier than our expected path. 

Look how Psalm 25:9-10 describes God’s paths: 

“He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way. All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.” 

The path that God leads us on is His responsibility, but how we respond to that path is our responsibility. Paul and I had no ability to turn that 80’s dress-up event into a casual affair just to suit our expectations and our dress. In our lives we’ll only make ourselves miserable if we insist that our path matches our expectations, rather than humbly changing our expectations to match God’s path. We would be happier and healthier if we would learn the art of quickly noting how God is leading, embracing the path He has chosen, and changing up our emotional and spiritual attire to match His path. 

Well, you’ve probably guessed how this topic relates to me. I’ve had to quickly change my emotional attire this summer since I entered this season dressed for ministry with an expectation of traveling and several retreats. But God has chosen quite a different path. It’s all good — all the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness. But, how does this topic relate to you? Has God allowed you to travel on a different path than you expected? Are you making swift adjustments to the reality of how God is leading you, or holding on to your previous expectations? 

As I said last week, I’m riding the Chemo Train (hereafter referred to merely as The Train) and tomorrow should be stop #2 of 16. My prayer and my goal is to keep to the Train Schedule.  With God’s help and because of your prayers — so far, so good. Thank you to each of you who are praying for me! 

Until next Wednesday…I’m just over here dressed for ridin’ The Train!

Sue

(sue@ccontario.com)

Saturated in the Word

 "The most valuable thing the Psalms do for me is to express the same

delight in God which made David dance." ~ C. S. Lewis

Since my early twenties I’ve been an avid Bible reader. In fact, my hospital reading after giving birth to my firstborn was the book of Acts…probably not typical postpartum fare. Yet up until the age of 45 I had still never read through the entire Bible in one year’s time.

But that year I purchased a vintage hard-cover biography of Harry Ironside as a Christmas gift for one of my sons who was returning from Bible college. Ironside was a Bible expositor/pastor who served at Moody Bible Church in Chicago from 1930-1948. I’m never one to gift a book without reading it, so that December, it came to be that Ironside’s  biography made a big impression on me. I was inspired to read through the Bible that year and every year for the second half of my lifetime. Ironside had begun his annual read at age 13 and also made up for the first 13 years in arrears before he turned twenty.

In my retreats, I often encourage women that “a woman of faith must saturate herself in the Word of God”. That carries a whole different meaning than ‘you should read your Bible’. In fact, I’ve often quoted something that Elisabeth Elliott’s father (Phillip Howard) wrote in one of the Christian periodicals he published: 

"A Christian who is saturated with the Word is likely to have a calm, wholesome outlook on life; to be kept steady in the path of God's will in either joy or sorrow, wealth or poverty; he is likely to be a pleasant companion, not voluble in aimless talk; and he will not be overly disturbed by world conditions."

That sentence sums up the benefits of Bible consumption fairly well. I still have a few books of the Bible to finish for this year’s pass to be complete, but currently the Lord has sent me back to the Psalms for a do-over, as if I had missed something important. 

I’ve appreciated the Psalms as much as the next person, but having a real enemy to fight has given the poetry of David (and others) some added texture! I mean, I’ve personalized a Psalm here and there in my life. The Lord has lifted a handful of verses off the page to bring insight into life’s situations. But, suddenly every single Psalm is highly personalized and carries great meaning, comfort and encouragement.

For example, this from Psalm 31:14-16 “But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors! Make your face shine on your servant; save me in your steadfast Love! 

Maybe I’ve never had a real enemy before…an enemy that was bent on destroying me, but suddenly I completely understand David’s real enemies in the Psalms and I don’t have one bit of a problem asking God to be victorious over my enemy…to in fact, destroy my enemy.

How about this from Psalm 40:10 “I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart; I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation.”

That resonates with me because I believe in the power of God and I also believe in the efficacy of treatments. But at the end of the day, God is always the one who delivers…and that reality I do not want to conceal. I want to make his love and faithfulness known in the great congregation.

So this brings us to an update on my treatments. In the words of my surgeon, I have jumped on the chemo train and will be riding it until mid-September. That is the point of chemo…get started and keep going. There won’t be a lot of other news to report, and I’m not going to drag you through ongoing side-effects! (GAH!) 

But, if you are praying for me I have two requests for this summer, no three: 

1) that my health would stay strong so as to avoid any breaks in treatment that would prolong this phase; 

2) that the Lord would enable these chemicals to attack my enemy; 

3) that I would embrace a season of rest. 

Even though there won’t be much in the way of treatment updates, I’ll probably not be able to resist writing up some thoughts from time to time…so stay tuned.

My Love,

Sue

(sue@ccontario.com)