When God Calls an Audible

“Good morning! I must have a procedure, and I need a driver. Can you take me?”

What?! The usual delivery of a hot, steaming cup of rich black coffee and a tender kiss still accompanied my husband’s wake-up routine. However, unbeknownst to me, Larry had already been on the phone with the nurse at the data center in his cardiologist’s office. Indeed, his Loop Linc readings that he was in a-fibrillation and—even more alarmingly—his heartbeat raced to dangerous levels.

All at once, the morning’s soft hue went from dreamy to alarm. Mental triage kicked in: get dressed, grab coffee, and get out the door. Forget turning out the lights and lowering the thermostat. There is no time to calculate dollars and cents.

Then, the phone rang. “Mom, I need your help in getting ready for my 50th birthday party tonight. What do you think I should do for hostess gifts?”

Oh my! How do I break the news to my precious firstborn that now her dad and I are headed to the hospital downtown and not to her 50th birthday party in her hometown three hours away? But the situation — When God Calls an Audible — left me no choice. I spoke the truth, and she quickly grasped the gravity of our situation.

Amidst the swirl of activity, realization emerged. Not only was mental triage essential, but spiritual triage was crucial as well. The two needed to work in tandem.

But how? How can one find the equilibrium when life goes upside down? Here is what I learned.

Steps in a Spiritual Triage

1. Remember that God is the blessed controller of all things. (… the blessed Controller of all things, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords.” (1 Timothy 6:15 NLT 1996)

2. Respond with a life-giving choice. “In everything give thanks,” with emphasis on in. Don’t delay. Give thanks in, not when it is all over and the event is in the rearview mirror. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

3. Refuse to be bitter as we release the grip holding our personal plans. “Disappointment is inevitable; discouragement is a choice.” (C. Stanley)

4. Recognize that you and I have the resources needed to face the situation at hand. [“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.” (2 Peter 1:3) And, “God is able to make all grace abound to you that you; that you, always having all sufficiency in all things will have an abundance for every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:8)]

5. Rest knowing that His supernatural Presence encompasses us. “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” (Isaiah 43:2)

When God Calls an Audible, God Shows Up!

Thankfully, Larry responded successfully to the electrical cardioversion, where skilled medical personnel stopped and restarted his heart. At day’s end, we found ourselves sitting on a couch at home rather than standing around a cake illuminated with candles. Yes, sadly, we missed the party to celebrate a life, but we engaged in the urgent priority to save a life. And throughout the ordeal, God’s tender provision punctuated each challenge. Indeed, “My times are in Thy Hand.” (Psalm 31:15)

Living With Eternal Intentionality®

“For me to live is Christ.” (Philippians 1:21)

Intimacy with Jesus

Authenticity with others

A passion for your calling

A purpose for your influence

Which spiritual triage step do you find helpful? Why?

Describe the last time God Called an Audible in your life.

What gave you help and hope in what you faced?

Hallmarks of Convictions Declared at 75, Part 2

With the approach of my 75th birthday, God gave me the desire to reflect and record 75 convictions from my 27,394 days. A lovely floral notebook with its blank pages invited me to embark on my journey.

Hallmarks of Convictions Declared at 75, Part 1, contains the first portion, convictions 1-38. As requested, I now open my journal and share the culmination of these personal entries. Please join me as we continue.  

39. Receive feedback from your adult children humbly and openly. They likely have much to offer you.

40. Apply consistently Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding.”

41. Realize that true freedom only comes from a life released into the Hand of God. (Romans 12:1-2)

42. Learn the distinct difference between rest and relief. “My soul finds rest in God alone.” (Psalm 62:1,5)

43. Choose life. (Deuteronomy 30:15-20)

44. Prepare thyself to be surprised by the goodness of God.

45. Spend time alone with God every day. “These holy habits we started decades ago are the anchor of our lives.” -Todd

46. Lord, cause me to want what You want me to want. God is always right. “His way is good, acceptable, perfect.” (Romans 12:2)

47. Ask God to take care of it. Whatever it may be, “Cast all your anxiety on Him for He cares for you.” (1Peter 5:7) “Hand over to Him all that breaks the stillness of thy spirit-and take from Him His own deep, sweet rest.” (The Shepherd Psalm)

48. In your oikos, make room for those outside of the faith.

49. Let this verse define your philosophy of life, “For me to live is Christ.” (Philippians 1:21)

50. Bring God into everything. In everything give thanks. Do not wait for the matter to be worked out, figured out, settled, or solved. The Bible says, “In everything give thanks.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

51. Have impeccable manners. (Life’s Little Instruction Book)

52. “Every day can be an exciting adventure for the Christian who knows the reality of being filled, controlled, and empowered by the Holy Spirit.” -Bright

53. Three words transform relationships: “I am sorry.”

54. Four additional words further transform relationships: “Will you please forgive me?”

55. Err in the right.

56. “Place faith to stand between you and problems, pain, fear, unwanted circumstances.” -Meyer

57. Keep company with godly people.

58. Use your home as a haven for hospitality.

59. Be a reader, have a voracious appetite for learning.

60. Do the work! Discipline and hard work are nonnegotiable for a life of meaning.

61. Suffering accompanies life; learn to accept its companionship. To live is to suffer.

62. Be a global citizen. Demonstrate respect for other nationalities, languages, and cultures.

63. Life is made up of choices, and choices make all the difference. You possess the power of choice. Attitudes, outlooks, perspectives, actions, conduct, and behaviors rest within your own personal will to choose.

64. Allow worship to capture your heart when God assigns you to the classroom of waiting.

65. Grow your marriage, relationally and romantically.

66. Be enriched by others from various stations in life — those older, younger, richer, poorer.

67. Jesus is so sweet, and pain is an incredible teacher.

68. Do the right thing, even when the right thing is the hard thing.

69. Love your grandchildren; let your children raise them.

70. “Inspire me with the knowledge that the issues of life are nor from without but from within.” -Matheson

71. So often, God does not want us to do more; He wants us to release more.

72. Don’t expect others to make life work for you. It is up to you, by the grace of God and in the power of the Holy Spirit, to live the quality of life you yearn to have.

73. 90% of life is attitude, the other 10% is perspective. -Thompson

74. Listen to James. “Be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to [become angry] react.”

75. Brokenness can be beautiful, sorrow can sanctify, and suffering can be sweet.

76. Always ask, “What does the Bible have to say about this?”

77. Treat peasant, pauper, politician, and prince with equal dignity.

78. Upgrade your quality of life and refuse to complain. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” (Proverbs 18:21)

79. Supernatural resources exist for those who love God and long for His will to be lived out in our lives. “God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, have an abundance for every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:8) And, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.” (2 Peter 1:3) WOW!

80. Determine to celebrate birthdays, remembering that life is a gift and a birthday is a privilege.

“But Father, our whole life until now has been one great proof of Thy care.” -Anonymous

Living With Eternal Intentionality®

“For me to live is Christ.” (Philippians 1:21)

As you noticed, my list includes more than 75 Hallmarks of Convictions. Somehow, the additional five convictions offer a pathway for me as I move toward 80.

Please take a moment and participate in your own amazing celebration. Consider the life God has given you and let the Words of Psalm 36 reverberate in your soul. “How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.”

What further Hallmarks of Declaration do you want to record?

Hallmarks of Convictions Declared at 75

A lovely floral journal rests open before me. Blank pages stand ready to receive the recollections of my heart. What better way to celebrate my upcoming 75th birthday than by capturing the hallmarks of convictions formed over seven and a half decades? After all, God has given me the gift of 27,375 days of life! What a privilege to pause, to remember, to record.

Family and friends, events, and opportunities emerge in my thoughts. Words like relationships, focus, and purpose call out for recognition. And Jesus’ Words whisper, “I have come that you might have life and that you might have it more abundantly,” as He undergirds my entire endeavor.

As my mind ponders the topic, I start to capture my ideas as they come without the need to prioritize.

Hallmarks of Convictions

1. Jesus just keeps getting sweeter.

2. God is overwhelmingly a God of love.

3. Read the Bible, believe the Bible, love the Bible, study the Bible, discuss the Bible, memorize the Bible, think about the Bible, and obey the Bible. Indeed, the Bible is real!

4. The Holy Spirit is our Game-Changer in living the Christian life.

5. Prepare thyself to be surprised by the goodness and generosity of God.

6. Hard places are holy places.

7. Nothing is worth anything unless everything is given to God.

8. Gratitude is one of life’s revolutionary choices.

9. Forgiveness carries a disproportionate weight of impact. Refuse to be bitter.

10. The prayer that always gets answered is, “Thy will be done.”

11. When facing what if - even if, determine to walk with God.

12. One’s grasp of identity in Christ transforms security and significance for the child of God.

13. Spend time alone with God every day.

14. For me to live is Christ.

15. Savor family.

16. Say yes whenever you can.

17. Tell people about Jesus!

18. God's math defies human understanding, but it is supernaturally true that obedience in tithing, in generosity, and in stewardship comes back to bless beyond belief.

19. Devote your whole being to Living With Eternal Intentionality®

20. God is always right.

21. “Every day can be an exciting adventure for the Christian who knows the reality of being controlled and empowered by the Holy Spirit.” (-Bill Bright)

22. Invest in that which will last forever - God, God’s Word, and people.

23. True freedom only comes when every aspect of life is fully surrendered to my Savior.

24. His mercies really are new every morning.

25. Prioritize friendships.

26. An expiration date is already stamped on my soul; therefore, I do not need to resist aging.

27. Bible verses committed to memory continue to add life-giving dividends.

28. The safest place to be is the center of God’s will.

29. You can’t outgive God.

30. The Shepherd Psalm by F. B. Meyer deserves to be read every year.

31. Treat yourself to flowers in your home.

32. Make books a part of your circle of friends.

33. The concept of everyday carries immeasurable ramifications.

34. Make exercise a priority.

35. Be quick to pray, “Lord, cause me to want what You want me to want.”

36. Remember, “You have not fulfilled every duty unless you have fulfilled that of being pleasant.” (C. Burton)

37. Learn to play a sport.

38. Be humbly guided by the Puritan prayer, “And may every place and company we are in be benefited by us.”

Now I pause. Between today and the dawning of Day 75, I intend to continue writing to capture seventy-five declarations. How could I not? For, “When I think upon and converse with thee, ten thousand delightful thoughts spring up, then thousand sources of pleasure are unsealed, then thousand refreshing joys spread over my heart, crowding into every moment of happiness. . . . I love thee above the powers of language to express…” - Valley of Vision

Living With Eternal Intentionality®

“For me to live is Christ.” (Philippians 1:21)

For a moment, participate in your own celebration. Consider the life God has given you and let the Words of Psalm 36 reverberate in your soul. “How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.”

What Hallmarks of Declaration do you want to record?