WHY WE DO IT...

Cast thy bread upon the waters,

Ye who have but scant supply;

Angel eyes will watch above it;

You shall find it by and by;

He who in his righteous balance

Doth each human action weigh,

Will your sacrifice remember,

Will your loving deeds repay.

Cast your bread upon the waters,

Far and wide your treasures strew;

Scatter it with willing fingers;

Shout for joy to see it go!

For if you do closely keep it,

It will only drag you down;

If you love it more than Jesus,

It will keep you from your crown.

Cast thy bread upon the waters,

Waft it on with praying breath,

In some distant, doubtful moment

It may save a soul from death;

When you sleep in solemn silence,

'Neath the morn and evening dew,

Stranger hands which you have strengthened,

May strew lilies over you.

                      R. Edgar (William J. Kirkpatrick)

I started the car, drew a deep breath, and let it out in a sigh. I did not place my hand on the gearshift to reverse out of the driveway, but simply asked Ray, "Why do we do this?" It was a thought I had grappled with most of that week. Ray was emphatic and defensive: "We do it for the Lord, and we do it because we want to do it!" OK, he was right-I backed out of the drive and we drove to Lower Brule and held church and Sunday School and returned home in the afternoon, as usual. We love working with the people of Lower Brule; we love the friendliness of them, the eager acceptance and love of the children. The beauty of the area speaks peace to us, and the moods and changes in the river blend with our moods and changes. We worship freely in the little church building there. Ray and I enjoy our quiet time that we get to spend down by the river or high on the overlook eating our sandwich lunch between morning worship and the afternoon Sunday School. Our little drive in the car over and back is a special time to relax and exchange ideas and plans-an oasis in our busy lives. There are times when we can see the small impact that we have in lives in Lower Brule, also; though Ray carries more of the ministry there with the adults. He especially enjoys a ministry with the men of Lower Brule in many different areas. We never know what influence we carry-once he listened to a man who was angry and bent on a mission of killing someone who had offended him, and he prayed with him and helped him to change his plan of action. I'm sure there are times that we are not aware of helping others in emotional times of their lives, but we have influenced them to the good.
The harder side of working at Lower Brule is the financial side, the physical wear and tear, the inability to meet deadlines of work that needs to be done, the ridicule and criticism of those who should be helping with encouragement when we do not reach their ideas of 'success' in the work, and the aloneness-especially when faced with a huge task or an emotionally demanding circumstance. One thing we have discovered in the 'harder side' of the work: God picks up in those instances. We have experienced miracles in those times when we could not do it ourselves and in financial crunches, and those have become precious memories that we will always cherish.

Thank you for your interest in and prayers for Lower Brule as we 'do it because we want to do it!' :)

Soul Storms

  ~ Be still, my soul; the Lord is on thy side.

Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;

Leave to thy God to order and provide.

In ev'ry change He faithful will remain.

Be still, my soul; thy best, thy heav'nly Friend

Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end. ~

                     Katharina von Schlegel  @1700

...Storms??...yes, and more predicted. Happily, we have not faced what many other areas in the United States have faced with highly destructive tornados and unbelievable high winds.   
      One of my many oddities is my love of storms, and I have a daughter who shares this love. I recall hearing the thunder roll and the lightning flash in my young and tender years as my family camped in a trailer on a church campground, and I would relish the wildness of it. My daughter always loved to drive out to the lake and watch the storm approach and burst onto it. She would come home in an ecstacy of joy. I well remember standing outside with her, watching tornados spawn and advance across the violent skies until they touched the earth and became a dark wall that smelled like dirt. We heard the shrieking whistle of the spinning funnel, and decided to retreat into the basement (good choice!).

      The storms of the last few weeks have produced rain that the dry ground has happily sipped up as it fell, and the small plants in the garden stand straight and tall while they turn their little faces to the sunlight after the rain and the storms.


       I, like everyone else, have had other storms to endure that sometimes rival the wildness of these storms; but these storms affect the soul. Like the tender plants, love, peace, and trust in God will grow from these storms if I allow them to thrive in my heart. I cannot be honest and say that I enjoy these storms of the soul, and I will assert that they can be driving, painful, and sometimes I feel struck and defeated. However, these storms are necessary if I would grow as God intended for me to grow. Note that the stormclouds often develop into the most showy and gorgeous skies as the storm is retreating. So it is in my life, and I'm sure you have found the same phenomenon.
      Therefore, we will have 'a joyful end' as we weather the storms and our souls will receive nourishment and strength from the drenching violence. Whenever I reflect on my life, I realize the growth of peace, love, and wisdom that grew from the most vicious soul storms. I will not ask for storms, but I will do my best to learn and grow from them.

       Thank you for your interest in the work at Lower Brule. Please continue to pray for the people who attend the morning worship service, as well as the sweet 'little people' who attend the afternoon Sunday School. God bless you!

FRESH AND NEW

Holy Week is past and Easter Weekend is mostly over. I feel like this weekend has infused an aura of 'fresh and new.' The early spring inspired me to plant seeds several weeks past, and new little pea and onion plants have pushed up through the ground and are reaching for the sun. My father always encouraged us to plant potatoes on Good Friday, and I was too busy to get that done this week; so on Saturday I dug up a plot of ground and planted potatoes. Daffodils are blooming in the front yard of the house, and the grass is quickly turning spring green. In the back yard, I have harvested asparagus spears, and one of the apple trees has blossomed verdantly. Everything feels new and fresh.

When the weather is frowning, and it is not conducive to being outside; I tend to fall a bit into the doldrums and follow a pattern that becomes dreary. The coming of spring and the weather that beckons me outside has infused me with fresh vigor and new hope. It is important that I become 'fresh and new' in the facets of my life that has become clouded and cluttered with cares. I have been sorting out the pains and hurts that have lurked in the corners of my soul, and to examine them in the light of God. I am set in this world, at this place and in this time, for a purpose. If I can focus on that fact and bend my energies toward living my life to the fullest in every way, I will fulfill God's plan for me. He will use my daily actions and interactions to glorify Himself. I can live a fresh and new life each day.

This feeling has spilled over into our work at the mission. A man came into church this morning who has not been there for a few months, and he shared some of his heart with us. We found his reflections very refreshing and enlightening. We appreciate the insight that people share with us.

This afternoon, several children came in for Sunday School and were so attentive during the Resurrection story. After the story, we went downstairs and decorated cupcakes with toasted coconut and jelly beans. They enjoyed decorating them, and some of them ate them immediately; while others carefully carried theirs home with them.

Thank you for your interest in Lower Brule.

EXCHANGE

"Twas battered and scarred and the auctioneer

Thought it scarcely worth his while

to waste much time of the old violin,

But he held it up with a smile.

"What am I bidden, Good folks," he cried,

"Who'll start the bidding for me?"

"A dollar, a dollar, then two, only two?

Two dollars, who'll make it three?

Three dollars once, three dollars twice, going for three..."

But no...from the room far back a gray-haired man

Came forward and picked up the bow.

Then wiping the dust from the old violin,

And tightening up all the strings;

He played a melody pure and sweet,

As caroling angels sing.

The music ceased, and the auctioneer

In a voice that was quiet and low,

Said "What am I bid for the old violin?"

And he held it up with the bow.

"A thousand dollars! And who'll make it two?

Two thousand! who'll make it three?

Two thousand once, two thousand twice,

And going and gone!" said he.

But some of the foolish people cried,

"We do not quite understand

What changed the worth of the old violin?"

Swift came the reply,

"The touch of a Master's hand!"

And many a man with life out of tune

And battered and scarred with sin,

Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd

Much like the old violin.

A 'mess of pottage,' a glass of wine,

A game, and he travels on.

He's going once, he's going twice,

He's going, and almost gone.

But the Master comes, and the foolish crowd

Never can quite understand,

The worth of a soul,

And the change that's wrought

By the touch of the Master's Hand.

~traditional

We had several children in Sunday School today, and they were a blessing to us, as always. We told them the story about Esau and Jacob. We told them how Esau came in from hunting totally starving, and he asked Jacob for some of the stew that he was cooking. I told them that Jacob said, "OK, but I want you to promise me something first." One of the children added what she is sure he wanted, and said that Jacob told Esau that he had to say 'please' and 'thank you' first. LOL I explained that, even more importantly, Esau had to promise Jacob that he could have all of his inheritance and his birthright if he had the bowl of stew. Esau promised this to Jacob, and he gave up his birthright in exchange for a 'mess of pottage.' The childen were rightfully horrified that he would think so little of such an important thing in his life. I tried to explain that we must be careful that we do not exchange the most important things in life for something that does not matter. I hope they understood, as they appeared to comprehend the concept.

The New York Stock Exchange dims in importance when we view eternal choices that are made daily in our lives. The Bible succinctly asks: "What will a man give in exchange for his soul?" I have read about and seen losses-I experienced a coworker who faced the loss of a child this week; and I read about a town in South Dakota that is taking the loss of 1.3 million dollars on a business, and writing it off as paid. These are unspeakable losses, but I must guard against the exchange of my soul with any earthly circumstance or possession.

Below is the button flower gardens we crafted today while we ate popcorn and drank koolaid. The work is very rewarding. Thank you for praying for the work in Lower Brule.

I=IDENTITY

Sometimes my philosophical side runs rampant and it happened to me today after Sunday School while I was waiting for Ray to return after taking the children back home. I started out by remembering the fact that often the children in Sunday School will call me 'teacher' or 'grandma' or just simply 'Charlotte.' I suppose that thought caused me to think about how each child views who I am, and that morphed into the thought of my own feelings of identity. I remembered the nice man who came to the coffee shop and began sharing with me his feelings of a lost identity since he is no longer in the service of our country. Even though he served many years, he shared that he felt lost and worthless since he does not wear a uniform. I also thought of a friend who had worked for many years in a position of responsibility, and who shared her sudden feeling of a loss of identity when she retired from that position. I thought about several years ago when I carried the identity of a 'missionary,' and the changes that have taken place since those days. I, along with you, have carried many identities throughout the years that have changed with time. The interesting phenomenon about these identity changes is that the true "I" has been unchanging throughout these 50+ years, though the identity changes have brought huge changes in my life. Sometimes it seems like we who are human and share this earth place our value on our identity of the moment (I am an important person...I am not important-I am a nothing). I would love to become a person who realizes that my true value as a person is only in my identity as a Creation and Child of God; and this knowledge would be ultimate in my feelings of my identity and value in any circumstance of my life.

I am a daughter

I am a mother

I am a wife

I am a grandmother

I am a sister

I am an aunt

I am a cousin

I am a friend

I am a coworker

I am a teacher

I am the wife of the caretaker of the mission

I am responsible to make decisions that affect the lives of one dozen ladies

My true value is in my identity as a Creation and a Child of God.

"Then said I, Here am I; send me." ~Isaiah 6:8

The true value of each of these adults and children who come to the mission and who live around it is their value as a Creation and a Child of God. Thank you for your interest in them.

Have a wonderful week, and remember that you are a Creation and a Child of God!

THE CIRCLE OF LIFE

The Wind
"The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell from whence it cometh, or whither it goeth; so is everyone that is born of the Spirit." ~ John 3:8

This portion of scripture has taken on a new meaning today, as the winds are whipping by with outstanding velocities. This made the trip back home a little harrowing at times when some of the larger vehicles with which we shared the road were battling the wind.

Just as Jesus referenced in the scripture verse quoted above, we experience the winds of life; coming from some unknown region and circling into some mysterious 'other world,' and we are left wondering 'whither it goeth.' The orbits of the sun, moons, stars, and the earth reflect the orbits in our lives- births and deaths; the metamorphis of relationships: old relationships, new relationships, and lost relationships; beginnings of organizations, plans, churches, and changes in the same that begin a new circle; cycles of the seasons: fall, winter, spring, and summer; and countless other cycles that begin and circle around and begin again. Sometimes, it happens so quickly, we are left breathless and speechless. Other times, it gradually develops and we suddenly stop and realize that we have completed a circle of some part of life; and we stand in wonder and awe as we gaze in retrospect, following with our minds the path that has brought us to this moment.

It appears that winter is beginning to give way to spring, the attendance at Lower Brule is beginning another cycle, the majority of our attendees at Sunday School is cycling to another part of the town, our personal lives are touched with a new life, Ray and I are recognizing that we are 'past the top of the hill,' and life is just simply 'cycling on.' Ray spoke about the life of Joseph in church this morning, and I told the children a little about Abraham in Sunday School-God was faithful to these men, and He will be faithful to us. The faithfulness of God is a circle that never ends. What a thought to hold as we face changing times in the world and in our personal lives!

May God bless you as you "Hold to God's Unchanging Hand" this week and in the cycle of the weeks and months to come!

SMALL TREASURES

Small things--what a difference they make!

A small word

A note of music

A small person

A shade of color

A raindrop or ice crystal

A piece of candy

An encouraging word is lifegiving to one who is struggling to survive in a harsh world. I have received one of those at just the right time, and I want to remember to offer a word to someone else who is struggling (maybe I should just hand one out when I can, as I don't know who is struggling). Sometimes more than one word can become a lifeboat when those words are pieced together and presented in a quilt of comfort and love. Give one or more.

A note of music can stir a hidden chord in the soul, and it can lighten the load a fellow-traveler is carrying. The right combination of notes can make the spirit soar above the drudgery and pain of life. Sing one note, or sing a stanza!

Small people are a balm to life-bruised trust. Children are so honest, open, trusting, and responsive to love. Small babies change the world (ask me-I'm a new grandma this week!)

Watch a child play, interact, hug a child who is close to you.

A shade of color can change a pallette. Sunday was a grayer shade of blue-it was somber and quiet. That shade has its own beauty, too. It has a place in life. It sometimes gives rise to the simplicity of a raindrop or the intricate snowflake or the glittery ice crystal. Accept-yes, welcome the gray days, as they will give rise to beauty that you did not dream would grace your life.

Ah, a piece of candy--one nice peppermint, chocolate, butterscotch, the list goes on. The circumstances under which it is obtained is often the healing touch of another human to you. A child offered me these suckers out of her amazing store this Sunday. Offer a tangible piece of love to someone.

Thank you for your interest in the small work that God has entrusted to us. Please pray for us and the people of Lower Brule.