Leawood, Kansas, United States - The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection Daily Guide grow. pray. study. for Thursday, 29 May 2014 "With Jesus, 'what can anyone do to me?'"

Leawood, Kansas, United States - The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection Daily Guide grow. pray. study. for Thursday, 29 May 2014 "With Jesus, 'what can anyone do to me?'"
Daily Scripture:  Psalm 118:1-8, Hebrews 13:5-8
Reflection Questions:
"God's faithful love lasts forever," repeated the psalmist's refrain. Psalm 118 became one of the hymns the Hebrew people sang every Passover. Jesus almost certainly sang it with his disciples the night before his crucifixion (cf. Mark 14:26). Hebrews quoted it, and added "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever!" Trusting in God's unfailing love, the psalmist, Jesus and the early Christians all asked, "What can anyone do to me?"
Psalm 118:6 said, "The Lord is for me [or "with me"]—I won't be afraid. What can anyone do to me?" Our first (frightening) thought may be, "People could do plenty to me." Only as we look below life's surface does the psalmist's claim begin to make sense. What bad things has God's presence helped you survive, or even turned to a good purpose? How does that affect your ability to trust God moving forward?
The letter to the Hebrews helped its readers to look beyond this life's horizon by adding, "We don't have a permanent city here, but rather we are looking for the city that is still to come" (Hebrews 13:14). What are some hurts and wrongs, in your life or in the broader history of the world, which only God can make right in eternity? Are you confident that God will in fact make those things right?
Today's Prayer:
Dear God, Madeleine L'Engle described your presence at the heart of the universe as a "vast, patiently waiting love." Increase my awareness of, and commitment to, your faithful love that lasts forever. Amen.
Insight from Shawn Simpson
Shawn Simpson serves as the Director of Technical Arts and Operations at The Church of the Resurrection’s West campus in Olathe, KS.
This weekend at Resurrection West, Pastor Tyler Jenkins delivered a heartfelt sermon where he shared the story of his daughter’s birth.  Baby Millie was actually born at 29 weeks and weighed 2 pounds and 14 ounces.  While Baby Millie was being cared for at the hospital, I’ve been counting my blessings to have three healthy boys.
My first son’s birth was a little scary.  While not as premature as Millie, Parker was born at 34 weeks, over a month before he was due.  It was a scary event for my wife and me.
My wife had been working far more hours than was advisable, especially at 7-8 months pregnant.  On May 3, 2003, we attended the most uncomfortable event that I, as a guy, could imagine…Childbirth 101.  We learned all about lady parts and baby parts and the labor process and breathing and being a guy (aka, useless observer) and all manner of other things that made me blush and cringe.  I was pretty mortified with the whole thing.
On May 17, 2003, we had our second class, where I assumed we would be hearing about stuff that would be really helpful and not make me nauseated.  On the day of the class, she was feeling sick and exhausted.  We were there for a very short time before the nurse doing the class sent us up to the L&D floor so they could check her out.
They told us that she was working too much and needed to take some time off.  She said she was saving her time off for her maternity leave.  The L&D nurse then says, “Amy, if you don’t take some time off now, you’re going to spend your whole maternity leave visiting your premature baby in the NICU.”  That hit home and we knew that we needed to lighten her work schedule. They sent us home and gave her some medicine to help her relax a little.  She spent the rest of that day and evening in bed and woke up to have dinner, feeling better than I’d seen her in some time.  We watched some TV, ate spaghetti, and she went back to bed.
At 3am, my wife woke me saying that her water had broken.  Being the ever-supportive and loving husband, I asked if she’d just accidentally peed. I wouldn’t suggest doing that if you’re ever in this situation.  After my little goof-up, a great sense of fear came over me as the nurse’s words came echoing back: ”…Your premature baby…NICU…premature…NICU…”
We rushed to the hospital and were told that we were going to have our baby.  As they started the process of prepping my wife for the labor and delivery process, they discovered that the baby was sitting in the birth canal…with his little butt facing down instead of his head.  Things got very hectic then because we weren’t going to settle in for a slow delivery process.  He was in distress and they were doing an emergency C-section.  Medical staff surrounded my wife and I was REALLY just a useless observer at that point.  They wheeled her out and took me to a tiny room with the promise that they’d come get me soon.
It felt like a long time that I was in that little room.  While I was in there, alone, I prayed that God would be there for us.  I prayed that the doctors, all of whom were awakened in the middle of the night to come take care of my wife, would be alert and at their best.  I prayed that the nurse’s words the day before were just bloviating and that my son would be healthy.  Further, I prayed because I knew that none of this was in my hands and that I had to trust God to deliver my wife and son through the process.
I was ultimately taken back to my wife and I tried my best not to look at anything but her face as she lay there draped and covered from the neck down.  She was scared.  I was scared.  I did take comfort that the other faces I could see did NOT look scared.  It wasn’t until I heard them say that they were “on hold” until the NICU staff arrived that I really felt overwhelmed.
My son was born at 6:10am on May 18, 2003.  He was a healthy 6 pounds and 2 ounces.  God had stood with us and delivered a beautiful baby to our family, perhaps a few weeks early, but still healthy and happy.  He just celebrated his 11th birthday and has welcomed 2 brothers to our family with us since.  I will always remember sitting in that little room and asking God to be with him and his mommy.  Now my daily prayer is that God will stand with ME while I try my best to keep up with 3 energetic boys and be a good Dad.  Here’s a picture of Parker with his littlest brother, JT from just a few weeks ago.

Simpson boys #1 and #3
If you’d like to hear Pastor Tyler’s sermon and story of baby Millie’s birth, you can find it at www.rezwest.org.
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