Keaton Update

My friend TG is very fond of saying, "God is everywhere, but Jesus lives in Guatemala."  I was suspect of this claim of hers, being the spiritually-mature, bible scholar that I am  (yeah, right) until I accompanied her on a couple of medical mission trips to Guatemala.   Then I began to believe there MIGHT just be some merit to her assertion, despite all the theological obstacles to it.

Others in my life took exception to this of course.  My best girlfriend of 22 years, for example, is convinced that Jesus lives in KENYA where she has seen evidence of His presence on NUMEROUS trips to a particular orphanage there.  (She is willing to graciously concede that Jesus may PERHAPS have a "condo" in Guatemala - but she is firmly set that His primary residence is in Kenya.)

It's a great debate.

But today I am writing to settle the matter once and for all.  I have recently discovered indisputable evidence that IN FACT, Jesus lives in Baltimore, Maryland.  Who knew?

Last week, my whole family was able to fly up to Baltimore to visit Keaton at Johns Hopkins after his latest surgery.  While I would love to take the credit for our trip - it was actually God's idea. (I think He was tired of hearing this debate about the primary address for His son and wanted to settle the matter for us.)  It's too LONG of a story to relay here, but trust me when I tell you His fingerprints were all over it.  It's too GOOD of a story, however, not to at least hit the highlights in the blog.

The story began back in February when the deadline for the next Guatemala trip arrived.  I didn't have a good reason NOT to go, and my teenage son WANTED to go.  (Who in their right mind would turn down a teenage boy anxious to GO on a mission trip?)  Can't explain it.  Just didn't feel "free" and excited about signing up as I had felt the last two years, so I didn't.  Looked at my feet alot when people asked me why I wasn't going.  Didn't have a good answer.  Felt pretty stupid.

Found out later that my husband's firm had a meeting at the end of May on the Chesapeake Bay - families were invited.  Cool.  Maybe THAT is why I wasn't supposed to go to Guatemala to visit Jesus... I needed to be able to accompany my husband on his business trip.  As much as I want to be a GREAT wife, going on a business trip didn't seem like a good enough reason TO ME to skip out on a mission trip, ESPECIALLY given the fact that I'd be visiting Jesus' condo in Guatemala.  So I pouted... a little.  My teenager pouted ALOT.

But then we found out about Keaton's surgery.

In Baltimore.

What city had we booked our flight to from Atlanta for this business trip on the Chesapeake Bay?  Baltimore.

When was Keaton's surgery?  May 30th

When was our departure date for Keith's business trip?  May 30th

Departure Date for the Guatemala trip I said "no" to?  June 1st.  Going to Guatemala would have meant missing Keith's trip AND missing Keaton's surgery.  Knew NONE of that back in February.  Whew... that gives me goosebumps.  Pretty amazing orchestration by God isn't it?  The only reason I included that part of the story in the blog is to ENCOURAGE you.  God really DOES speak to us.  If we take the time to pray about decisions, big and small, He really WILL weigh in.  Now personally, I'd prefer something more concrete in the communication department - something OTHER THAN just a weird vibe or a nagging doubt when it's time to make the decision.  But I suppose that's why it's called FAITH.  He requires us to act before we have all the information we'd like to have to make a perfectly- informed decision.  Abraham did that, and scripture tells us it was credited to him as "righteousness."  I like the sound of that.  The key, I think, is continuing to pray and seek His input.  I still don't know all the story.  It's not like my presence in Baltimore made much of a difference, but I believe with all my heart I was in the place I was meant to be on May 30th.  And with THAT, I am satisfied.

As for Keaton, to catch you up - he's doing amazingly well!  So why another surgery?  We had a setback this past winter.  A staph infection crept in to the bone of his skull where the steel plate from surgery number one was attached.  (Surgery "number one" successfully removed the biggest of two tumors last August.)  After the infection was discovered, another surgery ensued to temporarily remove the steel plate, plus remove the infected portion of the actual skull.  Emotionally this was tough as it knocked our Strong Warrior out of Spring Football.  But he persevered.  After enough antibiotics to wipe out all infection along the entire eastern seaboard, Keaton was declared Infection Free.  This last surgery at John's Hopkins was simply to re-install a new and improved steel plate.  If all heals according to plan, our favorite O-Lineman will be back in his helmet in about four weeks.  Would appreciate a prayer to that effect!

Now to settle the matter that began this blog post.  Where does Jesus live, REALLY?  When we arrived at Johns Hopkins last week, Keaton was just getting out of surgery.  He was in recovery and doing well.  His dad, Miles, took us on a little tour of the hospital.  It's a fascinating place.  It has a very "modern" side, which is very new and stainless steel and high tech.  But BY FAR, my favorite part of the tour was through the "old" section of the hospital.



It's architecturally beautiful and stately.  I loved the contrast of the original building to the new, high tech part of the campus.  As we entered through the wrought iron gates and through the front door, there He stood, bigger than life.  It actually took my breath away.

There in the lobby, stood a solid stone carving of Jesus Christ.  He was in the middle of the "rotunda", which housed many of the original patient rooms and was the impetus of the medical phrase for doctors "making rounds."

Nothing gives a greater sense of peace than seeing Jesus in a place of desperate need.  People don't travel to Johns Hopkins for hangnails or for liposuction.  All the patients there need something supernatural - something the stainless steel and high tech side will fall short of providing.  I love that Johns Hopkins kept the sculpture despite the expansion and all the newness.  We are thankful for BOTH sides of the hospital and availed ourselves of both on this last trip.

The staff of Johns Hopkins continues to win our admiration and our affection.  We couldn't love them more.  But you see, in our human view of things, we'd rather NOT be "welcomed back" to the 10 North hallway.  But sometimes God sends ALL of us on journeys we'd rather not take.  Perhaps you are on a journey with a rebellious teen, or on a journey of unemployment, or on a journey of caring for aging parents where the needs are growing and your physical energy is waning.  I don't know your situation.  But our tour of Johns Hopkins was a visible reminder to me that He never sends us ANYWHERE without sending Jesus along with us.  And Jesus wins.  I hope that is something you can use this week, no matter your journey.

Our prayer for the summer is for complete healing for Keaton.  We are looking forward to seeing him in his #70 jersey for his senior season at Flowery Branch High School.  Thanks for continuing your membership on Team Keaton, and thanks for joining us in that prayer!

Retreat

Last weekend, I did something really cool.  I tagged along with my oldest son to our church's Middle School "Retreat."  We caravanned through a rainy Atlanta rush-hour to a county park near the Alabama state line on Friday.  We stayed in a group lodge that had seen it's better days.  No one cared.  Throughout the weekend, laughter was the most common sound.  These kids, ranging in age from 11-13, taught me how beautiful life can be when you are FULLY present in the moment.  That's the wonderful part of a "retreat" - we are removed from the ordinary distractions that compete for our attention and pull us away from the gift of the moments right in front of our faces.

I spent time with little girls who still keep diaries.

I walked around the campgrounds with camera in hand, and I saw kids genuinely seeking God during designated "quiet times."  Jeremiah 29:13 - You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

I stood on the hill and laughed as the kids threw ALL of their competitive spirit into the group games.

Wait.  That's not supposed to happen.  I'm on a RETREAT.  I'm not supposed to be focusing on anything except the moment at hand.  But you see, watching kids run and jump and play - reminds me of my nephew who is in Baltimore recovering from yet another surgery.  I feel guilty.  I don't even know from which direction the guilt comes... is it because I had the audacity to laugh and enjoy the moment at hand - meaning I must not be a very devoted aunt?  Or is it because I'm on a RETREAT and I'm not supposed to be letting my mind wander from the moment at hand - meaning I must not be a very good child of God?

These are classic signs of Satan.  Guilt.  He tries to steal our moments of joy.  I recognize it, and offer my thousandth prayer of the day for Keaton - and get back to the moment, and to the joy.  I remember that with God, it is possible to do BOTH... to be with Keaton in spirit AND be in the moment.  My best friend and I have been discussing this verse of scripture lately: "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.  Just three things.  Three.  (1) Be joyful.  (2) Pray.  (3) Give Thanks.  I pray for God to help me DO those three things - RIGHT NOW, and I swallow hard and raise the camera once more toward the kids.

How can I NOT give thanks for boys climbing trees? 

At night we huddled around the camp fire.  One of those little girls in my cabin - with the diary and the pink sleeping bag and pink pjs and pink toothbrush and pink suitcase?  She crawled into my lap and sat for a long time as we stared at the fire.

At night when the activities of the day subside, the mental battles begin in earnest.  I think about the next MRI.  And I wrap my arms tighter around the little girl in my lap... the girl with the long straight hair who has one foot in adolescence and one foot still in the land of pink.  I stare into the fire and I pray a Warrior Prayer.  It's my memory verse for the first half of January.  I laugh out loud as I'm praying it because I suddenly realize WHY God focused my heart on this particular verse during this particular season.  See if you can figure it out...  "You keep track of all my sorrows.  You have collected all my tears in your bottle; you have recorded each one in your book.  My enemies will RETREAT when I call to you for help.  This I know, God is on my side!" - Psalm 56:8-9.

When thoughts and fears threaten to steal the joy of the moment - those fears become enemies.  Why?  Because GOD is IN THE MOMENT.  When we mentally check out and allow the fear to the check in, we miss God.  Did you notice that the pictures representing my thoughts of Keaton during the weekend are much larger than the ones from the park?  That's how it works isn't it?  The thing right in front of us pales in comparison to the size of the thing rattling around in our head.  We need help with those enemies - the fear, the temptation to fret.  They are too big for us.

One of my jobs for the weekend was to tell a few bible stories to the kids.  We spent some time talking about that passage in Psalm 56.  Being an incredibly creative group... they came up with a "signal", sort of like a secret handshake to help us remember the most important nugget of truth in that verse.  This picture captures it.  We fold our arms and rest them over to the side.  "This I KNOW, God is on my SIDE!"

The folks in this picture bowed the head and the heart on Friday night and prayed specifically for Keaton.  I've always believed it to be a very powerful thing when kids pray for other kids.  

So, we had a great weekend and we came home.  I learned that it's good to be away on a "retreat", but it's even better when God causes my enemies to retreat. 

How did Keaton fare?  At the time of this post, he's back home in Atlanta.  His surgery to address some complications with his steel plate went great.  He recovered quickly.  He and his family stole some joy right out from under the enemy as they made the best of things in Baltimore.  (Some non-institutional food was consumed, and that's all I'm going to say about it.)  So, to keep it real... here's the bad news: Keaton has some ongoing swelling in his brain.  The doctors have a new gameplan to address that.  He also has an infection that needs to go away.  We have antibiotics and plan to fight with the pill and fight on our knees.  

Are your ready for the good news?  The dreaded MRI results?  The area of Keaton's brain that hosted the very first surgery back in August - the site of the largest tumor - that area is STILL cancer-free.  AWESOME news.  The remaining tumor we've been attacking with radiation, chemo, and warrior prayers?  That tumor is DEAD.  Can you still see remnants of it on the MRI?  Yes.  But it's dead as a door nail.  We are in awe of the kindness of God!!

Are there still hurdles to jump?  Yes.  But TODAY - we celebrate and we choose to do THREE things.  You know what they are. 

We choose to focus on the size of our God and the fact that He is flexing His muscles on behalf of Keaton... rather than focus on the size of the remaining hurdles .  And in making that CHOICE, our enemies will RETREAT. 

Christmas With Cancer

It was scandalous – that thing she did on impulse.  Never had such a move been executed under our roof.  I remember feeling almost fearful in my little five year-old heart.  I didn’t quite know what to make of it.  I only knew FOR SURE that if I had done it myself, there would be a swift and severe spanking.  But when the parent commits the crime – well, that was new territory for me and I just stood there in front of the Christmas tree completely bewildered.  I didn’t understand it until she started laughing and hugging me.

The Christmas tree in my childhood living room was silver – adorned with white lights and bright blue ball ornaments.  There was a spotlight shining on the tree from about two feet away.  The spotlight had an electric rotating cover on it.  Anybody remember those?  The cover was hard plastic and had four colored sections shaped like pie wedges.  As the cover slowly rotated, the tree appeared to change colors: red, blue, green, and yellow.  To me, it was magical and wonderful and I felt rich in all the ways that mattered.

My understanding of my reality was very limited at age 5.  I didn’t know my mother was critically ill with cancer.  And I especially didn’t know that by the next Christmas, she’d be gone.  What I DID know was that when she walked up to the Christmas tree and pulled out a gift that was beautifully wrapped for my cousin Becky in Florida and began ripping the paper off - all crazy like – something must be terribly wrong.  But then she started laughing, and pulled a spiffy new outfit from the box just my size (my cousin and I were twins at heart.)  She impulsively decided in that moment that she wanted to see her own pig-tailed daughter in that outfit, and it suddenly occurred to her that she had the power to do just that.  So she did.  And I have never felt more spoiled or more loved.  I can see the whole thing in my mind like it was yesterday. 

My mother knew what was important when you are celebrating Christmas with cancer.  She chose love and joy and to be fully present in the moment.  And that choice left a legacy.  I certainly don't hit the mark every single time, but thanks to her - I keep the beauty of a life lived that way in my mind and heart.  It's my goal.

Cancer came to our household for Christmas again this year.  We gathered at the farmhouse in south Georgia, as is our tradition, all eighteen of us.  Keaton was feeling good, thanks to a reprieve from so many of the harsh treatment drugs, for at least a season.  You know what we did for four solid days?  We chose love and joy and to be fully present in the moment.  We ate like pigs, we played cops and robbers on farm vehicles, we went for jogs on the dirt roads, and we visited extended family.  It was a gift of time together.

You see… when you celebrate Christmas with cancer, it’s important to focus on the WITH, not the cancer.  Christmas is God WITH us, Emmanuel. 

Jesus entered our mess of a world, not just to save us from hell – but to save us from a life of misery – no matter what we’re facing.  And I don’t say that flippantly.  There are people out there facing A LOT.  One of the most impactful things I read this Christmas season was an article on the enormity of God “WITH” us.  The writer stated simply that the best way to wrap our hearts around the “with” of the season is to spend some time reflecting on without.  Now THAT is something we all have experience with in this fallen world.  Keaton knows what it is to be without perfect health as a teenager.  I know how it feels to be without a mother at age six.  Single moms know the struggle of raising kids without a spouse.  Parents in Newtown know the pain of being without their kids this year.  If we understand the pain of without… we can begin to be grateful for the gift of God WITH us. 

How does it work?  This “with” thing?  How do you take it off the pages of scripture and bring it into your reality?  How does a sermon become something that actually soothes – actually makes a difference?  How do you celebrate Christmas with cancer and REALLY choose love and joy and be fully present in the moment, rather than fret and lose the moment to fear?  

There’s a one word answer… surrender.  It’s bending the knee and telling God you really, really need the “with” part.  It’s acknowledging a need that you can’t fix alone. 

And it’s confessing that you need other people to help light the way.  That’s one of the great privileges of being a Christian.   You weren't meant to travel the road alone.

In Keaton’s case… it’s the Gray Bracelet Brigade.  There’s work to be done gang.  Keaton’s MRI is THIS Thursday morning at 6:30am. (Dec 27^th)  Prayers are needed.  If you’ve been keeping up with the blog, you know the specific prayer request: for the brain tumor to continue shrinking and for the other “spots” to be conclusively labeled as non-cancerous.  Thank you for praying!

But what if YOUR cancer this Christmas isn’t the physical kind?  There are all kinds of “emotional cancer” – bitterness, the ache of loss, the sting of rejection, loneliness, or just plain feeling lost in a big world – to name a few.  For any of you reading this who are feeling the pain of without, my prayer for you is that the WITH of Christmas, Emmanuel, will enter your struggle and bring His comfort.  You do your part: bend the knee and open your heart to hope.  He’ll be faithful.   "O come to us.  Abide with us.  Our Lord Emmanuel."

Merry Christmas everyone, and remember to pray for Keaton!

Joy to the World

I love the early mornings, especially this time of year.  I love coming downstairs when the rest of the world is still and quiet and dark.  And I love tiptoeing around the corner at the bottom of the stairs where I am greeted by the soft light of the Christmas tree.  My heart floods with all the TRUTHS of Christmas.  He really IS the "light of the world."  And more importantly, He really IS "God WITH us."  Those truths tend to get drowned out by the noise of our modern traditions, don't they?

In the glow of the Christmas tree lights in the early morning stillness, I am able to re-calibrate my mind.  I can put the reality of last night's decorating fiasco behind me.  (Do you remember decorating your tree with LOTS of help from your kids?!)   The tangled cords of lights threaten to strangle the joy right OUT of you.  The fighting over who gets to hang what "special" ornament is louder than the Christmas music I have playing on the stereo.  And how did EVERY ornament get to be "special?"   

But in the stillness of morning, I am able to remember that God won't ask me how perfect my Christmas tree looked in 2012... but He might ask me how perfectly I enjoyed the gift of time with my children.  I can see it - the wisdom of THAT question - in the early morning light.  And I am thankful that His mercies are new every morning.  I think back to last evening and remember the fun parts... the boys re-living Christmases past and dancing around the room to their favorite Christmas songs.  And then there's my youngest - our natural comedian - climbing atop the step ladder to lip sync "Silver Bells" as though he were Bing Crosby incarnate.  It really WAS a fun night.  I can see it now.

I wanted to give you an update on Keaton's MRI and his time with the medical team at Emory yesterday.  Frankly, I needed a night to sleep on it before I could sort through my emotions.  It was a bit like Christmas tree decorating.  Parts of the report were tangled up like strands of lights, but in the clarity of morning light, I am able to see the GIFT of the medical report.  It's the "first gift of Christmas" for you Polar Express fans out there.

Keaton's tumor is shrinking!!!  I don't often prefer the official medical terminology in most cases, but in this situation I do.  The doctors phrase it this way: "We are pleased with the progress in the destruction of the tumor."  Destruction is a GREAT word!  There is a meeting on Tuesday to inform us of the treatment plan to finish off that tumor.  

The MRI was a bit pesky.  There are a couple of new spots on the brain, but the doctors feel quite certain that those spots are NOT new tumors - but rather just patches of "radiation residue."  Keaton will have another MRI in two weeks to bolster that theory.  So that's the prayer between now and then!

As you know, cancer "treatments" are done with very strong drugs.  Anything strong enough to kill cancer cells is bound to do some "collateral damage."  The radiation, which DID shrink the tumor, has also caused some mild brain swelling.  The doctors gave Keaton some steroids to help with THAT, and so we continue to move forward!

I've been studying the Passover from scripture lately - an odd thing for this time of year, I know.  As I was listening to a podcast on the topic from one of my favorite Bible teachers, he said, "We don't spend NEARLY enough time thanking God for all the things He causes to PASS OVER us."  I think about that this morning in the glow of the Christmas tree.  And my gratitude RISES as I think of the medical report we COULD HAVE GOTTEN yesterday.  "The tumor is growing despite our best efforts."  By God's grace, THAT report passed over us.

You know what I've found to be true - not just true at Christmas but ALL the time?  As gratitude RISES, so does JOY.

We've looked at a few characters from scripture as we've chronicled Keaton's journey though cancer.  Gideon, Nehemiah, and King Jehoshaphat.  Here's what THEY did when God caused bad outcomes to pass over THEM:

Judges 7:15 "Gideon worshiped God."

Nehemiah 12:40 - Nehemiah organized a big ole Praise and Worship service! "The two choirs gave thanks.  The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away."

2 Chronicles 20:27 - "Then, led by Jehoshaphat, all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned joyfully to Jerusalem, for the LORD had given them cause to rejoice over their enemies.  They entered Jerusalem and went to the temple of the LORD with harps and lutes and trumpets."

Want some more JOY in your world this holiday season?  Spend some time giving THANKS.   I am thankful for all the prayers offered up by those who proudly wear the colors of Team Keaton.  And I am unspeakably grateful that we have a God who delights to answer the prayers of His children.  Please don't stop.  Let's pray together that the MRI two weeks from now will confirm the theory that there are NO new tumors!

And in the stillness of this morning, Thank you Father, for the first gift under my slightly-lopsided Christmas tree:  "We are pleased with the progress in the destruction of the tumor."

Thanksgiving in the Country

 Thanksgiving in the country is good for the soul.  We spent time with family and intentionally slowed down.  We went for walks in wide open spaces and took time to actually BE thankful.  

Personally, I just looked UP alot.  We've been waiting on Keaton's MRI to let us know where things stand.  Waiting is hard.  Scripture has helped me understand that we are actually waiting on God.

Lamentations 3:25-26 "The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.  It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord."  (sometimes you just need the old King James version of a verse.)

Here's what that verse looks like in the land of dirt roads:

Keaton's MRI has been moved UP to Thursday 11/29/12 at 4:30pm.  If you see this in time, we'd love it if you would send up a prayer on his behalf.  Keaton and his parents will meet with the medical team on Friday to get the results.

"I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.  Wait for the LORD, be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD." - Psalm 27:13-14

Worship Is A Weapon

Worship is a weapon.  I learned that recently.  Never thought of it quite that way before, but now that I have – I like it. 

“Well you can keep your little church songs lady… I like my Smith & Wesson in the weapons department.”  That’d be a fair and logical response, just in case it floated through your mind.  But here’s the thing, your Smith & Wesson won’t help you fight FEAR.  You need Worship in your holster to defeat THAT enemy.

The frustrating thing about FEAR is that it keeps coming back from the dead.  I’ve had seasons in my life when I’ve memorized enough scripture to SPEAK to the fear when it would rise up in me – and I’d slay it that way.  But a few weeks later, the enemy would find new life and threaten to overtake my joy… again.  We have different words for it, because afterall… who likes to admit FEAR?  We call it “worry” or “anxiousness”, but at the root of those things is plain ole FEAR.  We fear things we believe we cannot control.   

That happened to me this week.  A couple of events intertwined and caused FEAR to rise up.  I could feel it in my throat.  It has a wrench-like effect.

The first event was a very joyful one!  Keaton finished his last radiation treatment on Tuesday!!  I am absolutely astounded by God’s faithful care of Keaton during those treatments.  If you’ve been following this blog, you know that Keaton not only “endured” the treatments… he dominated them!  He kept up his schoolwork, and kept pile-driving defensive linemen into the turf as Flowery Branch kept on winning football games.  Keaton did not just “dress out” with the team, he played and contributed key blocks that resulted in touchdowns.  Only God could make that happen after 30 radiation treatments, along with chemo!!  When those “OBVIOUS” God-moments happen in my life, the old hymns I learned as a child in the little country church on the county-maintained road, come flooding back to my mind.  (But only the 1^st, 2^nd, and 4^th stanzas – we never sang the 3^rd.)  “To God Be The Glory” is the tune I keep singing when I think of Keaton’s progress thus far though treatment for Brain Cancer.

So what’s next for Keaton?  We wait.  For medical reasons that are too lofty for my simple mind, it takes about 5 weeks AFTER the last radiation treatment to get an accurate MRI of the brain.  So sometime in early December, we’ll find out what’s going on with the remaining brain tumor.  Obviously, the prayer is that the tumor will have suffered the same fate as opposing defensive linemen!  Please join me in that prayer.  Never doubt that your prayers make a difference!

The second significant event of my week happened today.  I attended the funeral of one of my two “old lady mentors”, (as I have always affectionately called them.)  These women stepped in to love me and disciple me during a time in my life when my religion didn’t seem to match my reality.  They met me for coffee every Wednesday for almost a year, and poured their wisdom into my life.  I love them both so much.  But today, “Miss Wanda” and I said goodbye to “Miss Sandra.” 

Sandra died of cancer.

Cancer took my mom when I was just six years-old, and now cancer has taken one of my “spiritual moms.” 

The throat constricts from the grip of FEAR.  Cancer is powerful and hateful.  The five weeks that we now have to wait for news of Keaton’s progress in actually DEFEATING cancer, threatens to be a very long wait.  

Five weeks is a long time for the throat to feel constricted.   EXCEPT. THERE.  IS.  A.  WEAPON.

Those of you who know me well, know that my favorite character in scripture (other than Jesus) is a rather obscure king from the line of Judah, King Jehoshaphat.  He’s listed in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1.  I don’t have room in this post to list all the reasons WHY he’s my favorite, you’ll just have to take my word for it.  King Jehoshaphat understood FEAR, but more importantly, he understood how to use his WEAPON.

You should know up front that he was a good king.  He had a servant’s heart and he did his best to take care of his people.  He even put an educational system in place to make sure EVERYONE had access to learn about God – not just the elite priests and Levites.  And right in the middle of being a good king, a nice guy, and a good father to seven children,  – disaster struck.  It didn’t happen because God was displeased with him.  It happened right smack in the middle of a very obedient time in Jehoshaphat’s life.  Three enemy armies banded together in an attempt to conquer the nation of Judah and specifically the capital city of Jerusalem. 

King Jehoshaphat’s first reaction to this bad news was to bow his head and pray privately to the one true God.  He did not order the trumpet blast which would have signaled the troops to assemble and he did not head to the “Situation Room”.  He prayed.  THEN he sent word to all the people in the surrounding areas to fast and pray.  He wanted to inform his people not only of the crisis, but also solicit their prayers.

Turns out King Jehoshaphat had a support system similar to Team Keaton.  When the people heard the news, they not only complied with the request from the king to fast and pray… they CAME to Jerusalem to be physically near their beloved king.  Words cannot express our gratitude as a family to all of you who wear the gray bracelets.  You are treasured.

King Jehoshaphat faced the crowd of loyal subjects who had gathered – men, women, and children – and he led them in a time of corporate prayer.  Did he feel FEAR?  I imagine he did.  His prayer is written in scripture in 2 Chronicles 20:5-12… you should read it!  But the last line of his prayer sums it all up beautifully, and it’s one I have texted repeatedly to my sister-in-law through this family health crisis.  “For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us.  We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you.”

Sometimes in life, it feels like an army is coming against you.  Cancer feels like an army.  A failing economy feels like an army.  Divorce feels like an army.  The pressure of college life feels like an army.  A five week waiting period for test results feels like an army.

And sometimes in the face of those “armies” we just flat out don’t know what to do.   King Jehoshaphat understood that.  I love how the bible is timeless. Something that happened to a real person THOUSANDS of years ago is still speaking into my circumstances today.

After King Jehoshaphat finished his prayer with that famous line, he simply stopped talking.  He did nothing but continue to stand in front of the assembled masses.  Scripture doesn’t tell us how LONG he stood there in silence, but I’m thinking it was long enough for some people to get squirmy.  I’m thinking it may have SEEMED like five weeks.  But the king did not feel the need to fill the silence with platitudes.  I think that was a gift to the people.  (The best thing Job’s friends did for him was to sit with him in silence for a week.)

“THEN” – that’s the word scripture uses to break the waiting period.  Then a prophet spoke up with a word from God.  God actually answered the simple, honest prayer of the king.  I love that.  Here’s a summary of what God said, “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army.  For the battle is not yours, but God’s.  Tomorrow march down against them.  Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you.”

What happens next in the story BLOWS MY STINKIN’ MIND.  You know how God said “tomorrow march out against them?”  Apparently, the people just bedded down for the night and went to sleep since it wasn’t “tomorrow” yet.  Can you IMAGINE that?  Three armies are on the move in your direction, and by morning they will be camped outside your city wall.  THAT is a throat constricting moment, yet the people rested… AFTER A TIME OF WORSHIP.  Before hitting the hay, Jehoshaphat held a big ole worship service right there on the lawn of the temple.  Did it mean the people were in “Pollyanna mode” – completely in denial of the approaching armies?  Nope.  They knew all about the armies.  They just had faith in God’s promised deliverance.  Worship is a weapon.  FAITH and FEAR can’t occupy the same space.  When the focus shifted away from the “vast army” and onto the powerful God – rest replaced anxiety.

The next morning, King Jehoshaphat bet the farm on God.  There’s a time to have a Worship SERVICE, and then there’s a time to assemble the troops.  In the morning, Jehoshaphat obeyed God’s order to “march down against them.”  As he was explaining the battle plan to the troops, he executed a VERY unconventional strategy.  Rather than putting the shield bearers up front, like all other Commanders would have done, Jehoshaphat decided to put the  choir  up front.  That’s right – the guys in the long robes - armed only with a song.  You see, Jehoshaphat understood that WORSHIP is a way of life… not just a service you attend.  As the good guys marched forward into battle, they were SINGING “Give thanks to the Lord, his love endures forever.”

Did they feel any FEAR?  Probably, afterall it  was  three against one. But they CHOSE faith.  FAITH and FEAR can’t occupy the same space.  They marched forward into circumstances they could not control, singing praises to God.

Did God respond to that?  A little bit. Scripture says “AS they began to sing and praise” God showed up BIG TIME.  He basically threw the three opposing armies into confusion and they turned on each other and destroyed themselves.  “When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped.”

So am I REALLY saying that I HONESTLY believe that all I have to do is sing a little song every time I get scared of something, and my circumstances will change?  No.  I’m not saying that at all.  If that was the case, Sandra would still be here.  But I AM saying that singing praises to God helps renew my belief in God’s power to sustain me through WHATEVER may come.  And THAT pushes my FEAR right out the door.  It isn’t a trick… it’s a weapon against fear.  Fear keeps you from really living.

So, how we spend the next five weeks is a choice.  I think King Jehoshaphat makes a pretty compelling case to choose FAITH.  That song he directed the choir to sing?  Chris Tomlin is still singing it.  It’s called FOREVER.  Put it on your playlist, and when you feel the grip of fear on your throat… use your throat to belt out the same song that the choir sang as they led Jehoshaphat’s troops into battle.  Let’s pray that God will do to the cancer cells in Keaton’s body exactly what He did to the three opposing armies… “no one had escaped.”  Worship is a weapon.

And Sandra… Wanda and I are really going to miss having coffee with you.  But we’re going to choose worship as a response to the fear of loneliness.  Why?  Worship is a weapon.