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Learn - Help Me Understand
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Help Me Understand
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2 Tim 2:7
Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything. NASU
When I read something in the Bible that I don’t understand, I know two things. First, I should not write or teach about it until I think I understand it. Second, if I ask, God will eventually teach me what it means. When I’m ready to learn, a teacher will appear.
On August 15, 2007, I wrote a story called Peace on Earth. It was a story about the Angels singing the words, Peace on earth, good will to men. It was a feel good story about Christ coming to give us true peace. While researching the scripture, I came across a more disturbing scripture.
Luke 12:51-53
Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division; for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law. NASU
Wow, I thought. I don’t understand this and I’m not sure I like it. God, please help me here,” I pleaded. “I need understanding.
I went on and wrote my story, ignoring the troubling scripture that I didn’t understand.
On Thursday, I got two pieces of good news. I was in Estes Park, Colorado when Bob called to let me know that he was going to be in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Monday. My birthday was 5 days away and I was thrilled at the prospect of spending my birthday with my husband. I had to go in that direction anyway because I had to be in Philadelphia the following week. Since I had already been through Nebraska, I decided to drive north through Wyoming to Rapid City, South Dakota, and to take Highway 90 into Minnesota. Then I got the second part of the good news.
My husband’s best friend, Harry Julian, e-mailed that he’d noticed I was in Colorado. If you check the map on the homepage of this website, you will always know what state I’m in. Harry’s son, Robert, had just moved his young family to Rapid City, South Dakota and Harry said Robert would love a visit if I were to be in the area. Since I was heading straight for Rapid City, I was thrilled a second time.
You have to understand that I’ve always considered Robert my first child. Yes, I knew he really belonged to Harry and Arlene but we were young and in college at the University of Florida and they had a three year old son they allowed me to borrow and bestow all my budding motherly affection on.
When Harry and Bob took jobs together in Pittsburg and we all moved to Pennsylvania, the friendship grew. Tiny Robert and I bonded in 1972 and have remained friends. We went to parks together, raced through malls, and played in my apartment swimming pool. I tried to make a musician out of him but he preferred soccer balls.
I arrived at Robert’s house on Saturday afternoon to be greeted by Robert, his wife Michelle, their two children, Luke and Abby, and a giant dog, Chance. I leaned over to pet Chance. Belle didn’t like it that she wasn’t the center of attention and immediately sent poor Chance a message that she was the boss. As her lip curled upward in a snarl, Chance backed off, clearly hurt.
“Belle”I scolded. “Behave. We are guests here.” Belle didn’t even have the grace to look guilty.
I looked at Chance. “You are twice her size. You could totally take her.” Chance just smiled and nuzzled my hand.
We went inside, where Belle found the cat. There is justice in the world. Belle ran up to the cat, who treated her exactly the way Belle had treated Chance. A hiss and yelp let me know that the cat got through to Belle in a way I never could. Belle’s former kitty, Smudge, didn’t have claws so Belle didn’t even know they existed. When she ran back to me looking for sympathy, I said. “Don’t come to me. You got what you deserved.” After that, dominance was established. The cat was in charge.
What a day we had. Abby and I went to the grocery store and frolicked through the aisles. She stood on the end of the cart as I pushed and twirled. We played with every toy in the store and selected one for her and one for Luke. We warmed up by the rotisserie chicken and searched for peanut butter. We sang together throughout the store.
Later, Luke, Abby, and I watched re-runs of I Love Lucy and agreed that it was the best show on television. Luke looked so much like little Robert that as I sat beside him on the beige couch, I indulged in a joyous walk down memory lane. When Luke turned upside down on his head, I tickled him.
Michelle cooked dinner and the 5 of us sat down to eat. I particularly enjoyed 9-year-old Luke’s prayer for me. “Thank you God for bringing us guests.” As we talked, Belle and Chance sat under the table hoping for scrapes. Robert did the dishes and after the kids went to bed, we three adults (I try to be an adult) played cards.
The next morning, we woke up early to go to 9:00 Mass at Blessed Sacrament, in Rapid City, South Dakota. Since Robert and Michelle were new to the area, they were visiting various churches. I was overwhelmed with emotion as I sat next to Robert and listened to him say his prayers. I remembered my long ago prayers for him and knew God had answered them. Robert had grown into a fine Godly man.
As we went through the readings, my attention was suddenly diverted from the Julian family to the scripture. The reading was the very verse that I had asked God about earlier that week.
Luke 12:51-53
Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division; for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law. NASU
I sat up, learned forward, and listened expectantly as Father Dan Juelfs walked to the podium. He said, “You sat there and blessed the words but I know what you were thinking. You were thinking that you didn’t understand the words and didn’t much like them.” He was certainly right about that.
“I’m going to explain them to you. You still might not like them but at least you will know what to expect. Following the call of God is difficult. It often will divide you from your family.” I thought about my life on the road and how homesick I’d been.
Then priest continued. “When you live a Godly life, it will separate you from other people who are living another way.” I remembered an incident in my mid 20’s. A group of girlfriends thought I was too “uptight” and invited me somewhere I didn’t feel comfortable going. After much urging, I finally agreed to accompany them. They celebrated my “newfound freedom” and affirmed my “courage.” I spent the entire evening uncomfortable, knowing I was somewhere I didn’t belong. When the evening was over, they tried to make plans for “next time” and I quietly told them I wouldn’t be joining them again. That ended the friendship.
“People may think what you are doing is strange,” this humble man of God said. I thought about how many people told me that what I was doing was strange.
“You won’t always get to do what you want to,” he said. I thought about an upcoming wedding I was going to have to miss. I’d whined about it to anyone who would listen but knew God was calling me to be somewhere else.
Suddenly, I understood. God was kind enough to warn me that following Him was going to be hard so why was I so surprised when it got so hard. I thought about Jesus dying on the cross and how it separated Him from his mother. Following Jesus separated the disciples from their families and eventually got almost all of them killed. I thought about our soldiers fighting overseas and missionaries across the world. There is no question that doing the right thing is often and perhaps usually the hardest way. It is no wonder that so many people choose not to follow the call of God.
I sat stunned and in awe by such a direct answer to a prayer. I whispered,Thank you God for giving me understanding and for the warning. I thought about the rewards of following God and for the peace that brought. Two seemingly opposite scriptures about peace came together for me.
At lunch, we talked about church. “Luke,” I asked. “Do you like church?”
“I do,” he said. “I really like the stories.” The Old Testament reading had been about Jeremiah getting thrown into the mud pit for doing what God told him to do.
“Did you hear the story this morning,” I asked.
“The one about Jeremiah?” he questioned.
“Wow,” I said. “You were really listening. It was a pretty exciting story. Jeremiah got thrown into a mud pit for following God and left to die.”
Luke’s eyes lit up with the adventure of it all. I continued. “The Bible is the most exciting book I know,”
“Did he die?” Luke asked.
“No,” I said, “But he did sink into the mud. At the last minute, the king rescued him.”
I told the Julian’s about the answer to my prayer. I looked at 7-year-old Abby. “God always answers my prayer and tells me what to do. If you listen to God every day, you’ll get better and better at hearing His voice. I didn’t understand the Bible when I read it the other day so I asked God what it meant. Today, He answered my question.”
“Good,” Michelle said. “I wondered what you were thinking about the sermon. It was simple and I knew that your writings can be deep.”
“It was the answer to my prayer,” I said. “I needed it to be simple.”
When we want to learn something, all we have to do is ask God. He will be our teacher. Yes, following God often divides us from people but it is worth the sacrifice. I left Rapid City that day with Peace on Earth Good Will Toward Men.
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