The Good with the Bad
They say the only things certain in life are death and taxes. We lump those two together because neither is pleasant. Although sometimes taxes happen to align with a good event. When my Mom was expecting with my twin brothers, they knew the delivery date was mid-April, also near my Dad’s birthday. The story goes that my Mom’s water broke on April 15th, tax day. As Dad was scurrying to pack Mom in the car to take her to the hospital, his Mother (who was staying home with me) said to him, “John, wait! Before you go, did you file your taxes?” Fortunately Dad had, but if he hadn’t, it wouldn’t have mattered. When a baby (or two babies) is ready to come, they aren’t going to wait for you to file paperwork!
So although tax day is a downer for many, in our family it’s also a day of celebrating birthdays. We can see the same day from two opposite perspectives. I tend to think of the Psalms that way. I’ve been praying through the Psalms this month. Starting April 1st, I prayed through 5 Psalms a day (started with Psalm 1 and added 30 five times, so Psalm 1, 31, 61, 91, and 121 the first day and followed that pattern thereafter). Some mornings I’ve prayed through them all, but mostly I split them up to pray through some in the morning and then some in the afternoon, maybe leave one for the evening. The thing I love about the Psalms is the huge range of emotion. It covers everything one can think and feel. You see the depths of despair as in Psalm 74:1 “O God, why do you cast us off forever?” and yet there is also pure joy and delight as in Psalm 43:5 “Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.”
I’ve noticed that many of the Psalms have an emphasis on the steadfast love of God, and placing one’s confidence and hope in His unshakeable commitment to His people, but there is often mention of the fear and judgment of God as well.
There’s a wide range of emotion and feelings and praises and requests, which make them ideal for guiding one in prayer, because every time I open the Psalter, I find a Psalm that resonates with what I’m feeling. And I know this will be true every time because of how much is there. Something will always meet me where I am or where I need to be. Even when I read the “downcast soul” verses, if I’m not downcast at the moment, that leads to thanksgiving and praise. But if I am feeling sullen, the fact that these verses are in Scripture gives me encouragement that I’m not alone, that I’m not the first person to ever feel this way, and that God knows and still loves me. I can rest in His steadfast love.
Our theme this year is “Walk by Faith.” The thing that will fuel this pursuit is a growing commitment to prayer. The more committed we are to prayer as a church, the more we will see God move in our church. Bob Russell challenged us to take the step of faith to invite more people to sit next to us. I’d encourage you to begin praying specifically for people you can invite, that God would open the door for you to invite them. As I pray through the Psalms, I often walk around the church or around the neighborhood. I pray for neighbors, I pray for church members, I pray for family members, and I pray for God to continue to bless our church.
Bob called me Monday and said he was really encouraged by how things are going at Valley View. He sensed a positive spirit with every conversation he had. He felt there was energy and excitement in the room and at the picnic. He also said we know how to listen well, and he said that shows the people in our church are hungry to learn and grow (and he also said that isn’t the case in every church he preaches in). He noticed there are many young families at Valley View, which was a big encouragement to him. He said we need to keep praying, to stay faithful to His word, and trust that God will continue to move! That was a huge encouragement coming from a guy who has seen so much and has already invested so much in our church. Who knew that when he was playing softball on our field 40 years ago that one day he’d come and preach for us after his retirement. And maybe enjoy some pie as well.
Speaking of pie, we had a good turnout for our contest, though not as many as last year, so start planning and testing now (I don’t think anyone went away hungry). Here are the winners from Sunday:
- Fruit Pie – Betty Brown, Cherry Pie
- Fruit Pie honorable mention – Kazlie Ralls with the VV Blueberry Pie
- Fruit Pie honorable mention – Kazlie Ralls with the VV Blueberry Pie
- Cream Pie – Becky Cotton, Peanut Butter Cream Pie
- Chocolate/Candy-Inspired Pie – Sarah Davis, Hershey Cookie Pie
- Specialty Pie – Beverly Hayse, Twisted Derby Pie
- Grand Champion – Pam Majors, Banoffee Pie
Now some might say that this was rigged since my Mom won the pie contest, and, if you remember back to the fall, my Dad won best chili! You can check with Betty Brown (Chili contest judge) and Maggie Flowers (Pie contest judge) and they can confirm that I had no say in either contest. The main point is that we all had a great time visiting and enjoying more time together after church. All of this helps strengthen our community and love for one another and makes Valley View a place where people feel welcome and loved. Thanks for all you do for our church!