The Upper Room Daily Devotional Nashville, Tennessee, United States “Where We Don’t Want to Go" for Tuesday, 24 February 2015 - Scripture: Matthew 26:36 Then Yeshua went with his talmidim to a place called Gat-Sh’manim and said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 He took with him Kefa and Zavdai’s two sons. Grief and anguish came over him, 38 and he said to them, “My heart is so filled with sadness that I could die! Remain here and stay awake with me.” 39 Going on a little farther, he fell on his face, praying, “My Father, if possible, let this cup pass from me! Yet — not what I want, but what you want!” 40 He returned to the talmidim and found them sleeping. He said to Kefa, “Were you so weak that you couldn’t stay awake with me for even an hour? 41 Stay awake, and pray that you will not be put to the test — the spirit indeed is eager, but human nature is weak.”
42 A second time he went off and prayed. “My Father, if this cup cannot pass away unless I drink it, let what you want be done.” 43 Again he returned and found them sleeping, their eyes were so heavy.
44 Leaving them again, he went off and prayed a third time, saying the same words. 45 Then he came to the talmidim and said, “For now, go on sleeping, take your rest. . . . Look! The time has come for the Son of Man to be betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Get up! Let’s go! Here comes my betrayer!”
When you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.[John 21:18 (NIV)]
Recently my mom endured several hospital stays and a stint in a nursing facility for rehab. Though weak, she still managed sparks of wry humor. One afternoon as I fastened her hospital gown, she pasted on a smile and said, “I sure can relate to that verse about someone else dressing you and taking you where you don’t want to go.”
Later, I pondered Jesus’ words to Peter in John 21:18. Like Mom, we all occasionally face circumstances over which we have no control. What do we do? Jesus’ next words offer the solution: “Follow me” (John 21: 19). Jesus left an example for us to follow. (See 1 Pet. 2:21.) How did he handle the prospect of unavoidable pain and suffering? What did he do when he knew what was necessary but still hoped for a way out?
To answer these questions God led me to Matthew 26:36-46. Jesus’ time in the Garden of Gethsemane reveals four steps he took that we can follow. First, we can pray, and then pray some more. Then, we can accept what cannot be changed. Next we can submit control to God. Finally, we can step out in faith, assured that God will go with us.
Read more from the author, here."My Mother the Overcomer"
Overcoming challenges isn’t new to my mom. When Mom was 12, her father died of silicosis. Her mother, who was only 28 at the time, turned to alcohol and men for comfort.
Mom’s grandparents were deceased and her aunts offered little assistance, often joining their sister at the local bars. So, my mom quit school after finishing the eighth grade in order to stay home and take care of her three younger siblings. She did the best she could, often needing to visit her mother’s favorite bar to ask for money to buy groceries.
In 1951 Mom married my dad. Two years later, I was born. Her life with Daddy brought many blessings, but alcohol again played its part. Daddy gradually moved from an occasional beer to multiple shots of whiskey daily. In the process, this fun-loving, sociable man withdrew more and more as the years went by.
My mom didn't just survive all these disadvantages life threw at her, she thrived. She studied and got her GED while in her fifties. She went from sewing in a factory to managing the branch office for an oil company. She took the Dale Carnegie courses. She led youth, chaired her church council, and taught Sunday school.
And while accomplishing whatever she set her mind to, she never missed a high school play, band or chorus concert, church service, or graduation. She sewed clothing for her four children, cooked, cleaned, washed clothes in an old wringer washer, and taxied us to events as many as four hours away. She was and is the quintessential Proverbs 31 woman.
At 82, Mom still serves on the board at the local senior citizens center, quilts for charity every Monday evening, and attends Bible study. She transports her friends who never got their drivers’ licenses and plays to win at Scrabble. Mom visits the sick and shut-in and participates in the annual Relay for Life.
Never once have I heard Mom complain about her difficult life. The things she tells me are said as though she is merely sharing challenges everyone faces. She is not embittered or defeated. Mom has never let her past steal from her future. I am so thankful God blessed me with this amazing woman. I love you, Mom![Pam Williams, http://www.2encourage.blogspot.com/]The Author: Pamela Williams (Pennsylvania, USA)
Thought for the Day: In tough times, I will remember to pray and step out in faith.
Prayer: Dear Lord, in the circumstances we are powerless to change, help us to relinquish control to you. Amen.
Prayer focus: Families caring for an older adult
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