How Nabeel Qureshi's Death Spoke to Me

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

Hebrews 12:1-2 NKJV

Lately, the Christian world was saddened to hear of the passing of Nabeel Qureshi, a Muslim-turned Christian apologist for RZIM (Ravi Zacharias International Ministries). He died of stomach cancer, leaving behind his wife and two-year-old daughter. He was only 34 years old--

34 years old--my age. 

The news of his death jolted me. In all honesty, I hadn't been following his story closely. But my sister kept bringing up his name for prayer in church and so I gradually became more aware of what was transpiring at the end of his battle with cancer. 

Recently I flew with my husband and our small daughter to California and sat on a crowded plane for 5 hours with people from all different walks of life and backgrounds. I was struck strongly on this trip of how very dark the world is without Christ--for one thing, I was not aware of how powerful the hold of all forms of media have become, strangling out human interaction and flesh and blood "realness." I watched men and women sitting on a plane for nearly five hours, completely immersed in their own worlds and completely distracted by various forms of electronic devices. And I realized how very lost humanity is without Christ, how very lost I would be without Christ. 

And we are a light to this dark world. Because we hold the light of truth.

Nabeel held that light; he was not ashamed of the Gospel.  

And his light burned brightly, only for a brief hour--but it burned. And many were changed through his powerful, bold, unceasing witness. 

He was only 34 years old. 

And we, and I am compelled to ask ourselves--am I holding His light? Is it burning brightly? Or am I so consumed and concerned and immersed in the comforts of my world, of my cozy Christian world, that I am failing to see and connect with the dying world around me on a deeper level than wearing a cheesy Christian t-shirt and eating at Chik-fil-A? 

It is so easy to become comfortable. 

Nabeel wasn't. 

And other dear, faithful saints come to my mind--men whose entire life was Christ and who died very young by this world's standards--David Brainerd (29), Oswald Chambers (43), Jim Elliot (28), and the list continues. 

They counted all things loss--to gain Christ. And their lives, although so very short have had an amazing impact upon the church and the world--and even being dead, their testimonies still speak. 

Do our lives speak Christ? Are they the aroma of life to some and of death to others? 

Are we burning brightly or just flickering in the shadows? 

For me to live is Christ . . . and to die is gain. 

Gain. 

Because there is a way of living that we gain the world and lose our eternal soul . . . 

Are we burning brightly? 

And so I thank the Lord Jesus for Nabeel's life, and with sadness, for his death--because his death has caused me to ponder my own life and it's devotion to the One who gave all for me. 

One is never too young--or to old--to give all for Christ. 

This world is passing away--

We hold the light--may it burn within our hearts and pierce the darkness of whatever sphere the Lord has placed us in. 

And may our lights shine. 

You might find me on these link-ups:

Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth, Inspire Me Monday, Literacy Musing Mondays, The Modest Mom, What Joy is Mine, Rich Faith Rising, Mom's Morning Coffee, Raising Homemakers, Classical Homemaking, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Woman to Woman Ministries,  Testimony Tuesday, Tell His Story, Women With Intention Wednesdays, Messy Marriage,  Graced Simplicity, Imparting Grace, Thought Provoking Thursday, Soul Survival, Good Morning Mondays, The Weekend Brew, Counting My Blessings, The HomeAcre Hop, Mommy Moments Link Up, Grace and Truth Linkup, Faith Filled Friday, Tell It To Me Tuesdays, SHINE Blog Hop, TGI Saturdays Blog Hop, RaRaLinkup, Word of God Speak, Booknificent Thursday, Living Proverbs 31, Coffee For Your Heart Weekly LinkUp, You're the Star Blog Hop, Homesteader Hop, Fresh Market Friday, Heart Encouragement Thursday , Sitting Among Friends Blog Party, Fabulous Warm Heart Party, Oh My Heartsie Girls Wonderful Wednesday Linkup, Writer Wednesday

Feed the Birds . . . and the Creatures, Too!

Thy bountiful care, what tongue can recite?
It breathes in the air, it shines in the light;
It streams from the hills, it descends to the plain,
And sweetly distills in the dew and the rain.

~Robert Grant

Lately, I've been marveling at our Lord's provision for His creation. For those of you who follow this blog, you know that our family re-located from New England to the Midwest. Fairly recently, our family purchased a home in the country for the purpose of ministering to the Lord's people. The Lord has opened my eyes to so many wonders of His beautiful creation here. There is something about being out in the country that focuses one's eyes upon the Lord's handiwork in all that He has made. Truly, we serve a marvelous God and a Father who is abundant in His provision for all that He has made--as James Herriot would say, for "every living thing." 

My Mom instilled in me a love for birds and for living creatures when I was a little girl--she taught me and my sisters that it was good for the soul to preserve and to take care of our Father's creation in the best way that we could. She taught me about "birding" and gardening and gave me a taste for joy in what the Lord has made. 

One thing that my Mom always reminds me of is --leave that plant up! Don't cut it down yet--wait until the spring--the birds will eat the seeds in the cold winter months when they are struggling to survive. 

I've seen juncos (snowbirds) eating the seeds of perennials in my Mom's garden when we lived in RI. The flower heads were sticking up out of the snow on their stalks and they were aiding in the junco's survival. 

This has taught me to be a "messy" :-) gardener. I am trying to leave flowers up for as long as possible so the birds and animals can get the most out of them that they can. 

I believe that part of our purpose here is to take care of the Lord's creation, and this is just one small way that I am able to. It brings me joy--and I love to see the little animals given a touch of God's mercy and provision in the coldest months. 

The following are pictures and some descriptions of some of the Lord's bounty where we live--

The goldfinches love these seeds . . . they fall in our driveway and these little birds in particular enjoy them so much!

An apple from one of our trees . . . helpful for deer and chipmunks . . . 

 Hollyhock seeds . . . the ground squirrel loves them!

 

Hollyhock seeds--the flower heads become very dry around this time of year and the seeds are easy to access . . . 

Some various seeds in the field . . .

Dandelion seeds are a favorite of the little chipping sparrows and finches . . . 

An abundance of acorns for the squirrels, deer, and chipmunks . . . 

More seeds . . . 

Berries growing near the fence . . . 

The hummingbirds love the nectar from these flowers that grow on a vine against our house . . . 

 The squirrels eat this huge nut--it is funny to watch them greedily trying to hold it . . . 

I love pinecones . . . so many birds and animals benefit from their seeds--bluejays, squirrels, woodpeckers, nuthatches, chickadees . . . 

More berries--it always fascinates me how different berries ripen at different times for the birds and animals and the Lord provides for them throughout the seasons . . . 

A huge flock of Cedar Waxwings has been visiting us to enjoy these berries . . . 

 Animal/bird habitats in one of the pine trees . . . 

Finches love the seeds from Echinacea (Coneflowers) once they dry . . . 

More berries . . . it is true that some berries are poisonous, but most will feed some kind of animal or bird . . . 

Hostas attract hummingbirds--I never realized this, but their fluted flowers draw the sweet little birds . . . 

The butterflies and hummingbirds love the nectar from these blooms . . . 

This picture is a little blurry, but I wanted to include a picture of our neighbor's sunflowers--because the birds love the seeds from these! 

Milkweed pods-- monarch caterpillars and butterflies are drawn to these--

Something that I've also learned is that birds and animals love to live near a water source, so if you are trying to attract various kinds of songbirds into your yard, a birdbath (or two) is a very good idea. Just be sure to continually break the ice off the top in the winter or purchase a heater for your birdbath. And try to keep it full! :-)

And there you have it; I hope that you've enjoyed these pictures. Now, go and feed the creatures and take joy! 





You might find me on these link-ups:

Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth, Inspire Me Monday, Literacy Musing Mondays, The Modest Mom, What Joy is Mine, Rich Faith Rising, Mom's Morning Coffee, Raising Homemakers, Classical Homemaking, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Woman to Woman Ministries,  Testimony Tuesday, Tell His Story, Women With Intention Wednesdays, Messy Marriage,  Graced Simplicity, Imparting Grace, Thought Provoking Thursday, Soul Survival, Good Morning Mondays, The Weekend Brew, Counting My Blessings, The HomeAcre Hop, Mommy Moments Link Up, Grace and Truth Linkup, Faith Filled Friday, Tell It To Me Tuesdays, SHINE Blog Hop, TGI Saturdays Blog Hop, RaRaLinkup, Word of God Speak, Booknificent Thursday, Living Proverbs 31, Coffee For Your Heart Weekly LinkUp, You're the Star Blog Hop, Homesteader Hop, Fresh Market Friday, Heart Encouragement Thursday , Sitting Among Friends Blog Party, Fabulous Warm Heart Party, Oh My Heartsie Girls Wonderful Wednesday Linkup, Writer Wednesday

Live for Him As Only You Can

"Empty your life into the hands of the Lord Jesus--empty yourself out and you will be full."

~Ravi Zacharias 

When I was a teenager, super straight hair came into fashion. You know, that pin-straight hair that may only be achieved by using a straightening iron. And for me, the queen of curly-frizz, "the ideal" could never be achieved. I inherited thick curly hair from my Mediterranean Dad, hair that will not be tamed. :-) My Mom would say, exasperated, "Why do you want to straighten your hair? You have such pretty curly hair!" But straight hair was "in-style," and something within the human heart longs after something that it can't have. And so I tried to straighten my hair. And it didn't really work--it just rebelliously began frizzing at the edges and then the old curls tried to creep back in, and the rest is history. At any rate, I am back to "embracing" curly hair. It is how the Lord made me, what He gave to me. Something unique to my person, created in the image of Him. So I am content. 

Lately, the Lord spoke to me in a powerful way through a Ravi Zacharias message. I listened to the message over and over; he was addressing something that the Lord was pressing upon my heart. His peace came afterwards. 

Ravi was speaking about how the Lord created us as individuals. And I shared a trivial story about straightened hair at the beginning of this post, but sometimes, deep inside of our hearts, a battle is raging, more significant than curly or straight hair. An inward battle that can eat us up and consume us. 

The battle of who it is that God created us to be. 

Because there are times in our lives when we become frustrated with ourselves, with the distinctive personality that the Lord gave to us to be used for Him. We admire those around us who seem to exhibit the qualities we find lacking in ourselves.  Perhaps it is leadership abilities, maybe speaking abilities, perhaps those who seem to be "in control" of their circumstances and surroundings. Perhaps it is something else. It is natural to admire the perceived "strengths" of others. 

And maybe we struggle with speaking in public. Maybe we struggle with taking the lead or doing something independently. Maybe we struggle with understanding how to handle different situations that arise in our lives. Maybe we feel anxious easily. Maybe we are overwhelmed in social situations. These and other areas of weakness can cripple our souls. 

Each person has their own personal struggle unique to themselves. 

So it is tempting to see our own perceived "weaknesses" as a hindrance to spiritual growth in our lives. We think that if only our personality was different, things would be better, things would run more smoothly. 

But I have come to believe that the secret is not in trying to be what we are not, but in embracing who it is that the Lord created us to be--

We don't need to be like any other person, as admirable as they may be--we just need to be ourselves, embracing the unique personality that God has given us--surrendered each day to Him, filled with His Spirit, full of joy in Him, an obedient vessel of grace. The secret is not in a different personality but in an attitude of humility and surrender. 

And I think that many of us would begin to find great peace in the Lord when we embrace who it is that God made us to be --that "self" filled with the Spirit of Christ to be emptied out for others around us--our children, our husbands, our church families, our friends. 

Ravi Zacharias said in the message that I was speaking about earlier, "You are an individual, your face, your emotions, your way of speaking . . . He has made you that way. Accept who you are--and know that God has made you distinctive and unique . . . He made you that way; don't try to be anybody else."

We don't need to be like anyone else--except the individual the Lord created us to be-and then allow the Holy Spirit to fill us as only He can, with power and strength and love in and through our individuality. There is peace in that. There is quiet strength and joy in that. And there is hope. As we grow in our relationship with Him, He will show us areas that we need to change in terms of obedience and surrender. But in terms of our individual personality, He is working in and through it to accomplish His purposes. We may commit our self to Him. 

And again, we think that if only some aspect of our personality could be changed, we would "have it all together." Our homes would be clean and airy, our complexions would glow, our husbands would adore us, our children would be well-behaved. 

But friend, I have discovered that it is only in Christ that we have it "all-together," and even when the outside things seem to be "in order," (and they very well may be)  only He brings order and beauty to the inmost heart. He is the One who holds together, through trust, through obedience, through quiet determined dependence upon Him, day in and day out. 

Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord tests the heart . . . 

Sometimes things need to fall apart before He pieces them back together in His beauty and order and peace. Sometimes we need to acknowledge that we desperately need His help, that we can't do it in our own strength, that we are limited simply by our human-ness. 

And sometimes what seems to be weakness and the stumbling block in your or my life may be the very thing that Christ uses to draw us nearer to Himself. When we surrender. When we admit our weakness before Him. When we stop trying to be strong in our own strength. When we admit our sins and shortcomings. When we allow Him to work through our weakness. 

And we embrace Him. Not our sin, but our makeup as a person created in His image with all of the unique personality traits He has given us--surrendered to His love. 

Lilias Trotter said, and I've shared this quote before, but it is so powerful, "Take the very hardest thing in your life, the place of difficulty inward or outward and expect God to triumph gloriously in that very spot. Just there, He can bring your soul into blossom."

Take the hardest thing, the very hardest thing, even the inward struggle of the way that you have been made and offer it to Him. He will use you when you surrender to Him and make you into a blessing for those around you. The Lord is using your weakness to make you realize how much you need Him--this is a gift, not a curse. As Ravi Zacharias suggested, we should pray to the Lord, "Help me to live for You as only I can . . ." Use your individual personality to bring glory to the Father and to show forth His grace and sufficiency. 

Ravi went on to challenge in his message, and this strongly challenged and encouraged me, "Do whatever you do for the glory of God. Do the best you can for the glory of God. Empty your life into the hands of the Lord Jesus and you will be full." 

Whatever your calling is--do it for the Lord. Whether you are a mother with very little children, struggling to overcome tiredness and drudgery, or a missionary laboring to bring the Gospel, or a Pastor, or a truck driver, or a waitress, or a single woman or man finding rest in the Savior, do it for the Lord. Empty yourself out. Give everything that you can, through His strength alone. Obey with all your heart; go from strength to strength and trust Him--not yourself,  for the results. 

He honors those who honor Him. And they and all around them, are blessed. 

Your personality is a gift; use it for the Lord. Empty yourself out. Embrace whoever it is that the Lord has made you to be--and be used for Him. 





You might find me on these link-ups:


Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth, Inspire Me Monday, Literacy Musing Mondays, The Modest Mom, What Joy is Mine, Rich Faith Rising, Mom's Morning Coffee, Raising Homemakers, Classical Homemaking, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Woman to Woman Ministries,  Testimony Tuesday, Tell His Story, Women With Intention Wednesdays, Messy Marriage,  Graced Simplicity, Imparting Grace, Thought Provoking Thursday, Soul Survival, Good Morning Mondays, The Weekend Brew, Counting My Blessings, The HomeAcre Hop, Mommy Moments Link Up, Grace and Truth Linkup, Faith Filled Friday, Tell It To Me Tuesdays, SHINE Blog Hop, TGI Saturdays Blog Hop, RaRaLinkup, Word of God Speak, Booknificent Thursday, Living Proverbs 31, Coffee For Your Heart Weekly LinkUp, You're the Star Blog Hop, Homesteader Hop, Fresh Market Friday, Heart Encouragement Thursday , Sitting Among Friends Blog Party, Fabulous Warm Heart Party, Oh My Heartsie Girls Wonderful Wednesday Linkup, Writer Wednesday