Charisa Stories

Tag: hope

  • I Know Who Holds Tomorrow

    I miss my Dad. It was over nineteen years ago that he passed into eternity with Jesus. I still find myself wishing I could share good news with him.

    I wish he could have seen how his grandsons in Texas have grown up to be godly and good men. I wish he could have seen how his daughter-in-law trusted God as she faced down cancer. I wish he could have seen how his son finally began to understand how to live in the amazing grace of Jesus. I wish I could have told him that his example gave me a foundation for how the grace of God is possible. If my flawed earthly father could love me that much and without condemnation, then I can begin to understand how my merciful Heavenly Father can love me despite my junk and flaws. Not every man can say that about his earthly father and I am grateful that I can.

    I often think of him when I watch or read the news. The current division in Washington and the selfish agendas of our “representatives” would have driven him nuts. I could almost hear him ranting about the politicians and how we just need someone with “some uneducated good old common sense” in our Nation’s Capital. He earned the right to rant. He was one of the incredible men and women who served our country during World War II. The flag from his military funeral is one of my proudest possessions. 

    I find myself becoming my Dad more and more each day and that is not a bad thing at all. Sometimes I dial up his music as emotional comfort food. I can’t listen to more than an hour of Willie’s Roadhouse on Sirrius/XM radio without a song generating a memory of him. But it is the Gospel songs that really make me think about my wonderful reunion someday.

    Today I listened to one of my Dad’s favorite Gospel songs and felt comfort wash over my soul. The song is called “I Know Who Holds Tomorrow” and it was written in 1950 by a traveling preacher named Ara Stanphill. This is a song of trust written during a time of agony and doubt in the songwriter’s life. Stanphill’s wife battled addiction and left him for other men. You could imagine the gossip that flew in that era when a preacher’s wife left to live a life of promiscuity. Yet Stanphill forgave her, tried to reconcile and remained true to his vows. But he was human, and he suffered depression and grief. He wondered why God would allow such a fate for a man dedicated to His service. One day he was feeling sorry for himself as he drove. In the book Turn Your Radio On author Ace Collins relates the struggle that Stanphill faced. In the depths of his sadness he began to hum a tune and the next thing he knew he was singing a song. He sang about not knowing what was in the future but knowing that God was with him every step of the way. He rushed to his piano when he arrived at his office and jotted down the words.  I remember hearing Faron Young sing these lyrics on a scratchy vinyl record growing up.

    I don’t know about tomorrow;
    I just live from day to day.
    I don’t borrow from its sunshine
    For its skies may turn to grey.

    I don’t worry o’er the future,
    For I know what Jesus said.
    And today I’ll walk beside Him,
    For He knows what is ahead.

    Many things about tomorrow
    I don’t seem to understand
    But I know who holds tomorrow
    And I know who holds my hand.

    I believe those words. I don’t know why some things happen. I get frustrated and deeply concerned about what is going on in our country and the world. But at the end of the day I put my hope not in politics or the culture but in Jesus. I know who holds tomorrow and I know who holds my hand. And then I listened to what I would guess was my Dad’s favorite song. He would sing along loudly and I remember that I also inherited my Dad’s lack of singing talent. But his heart believed the words that Red  Foley and the Sunshine Boys sang.

    Well, I’m tired and so weary
    But I must go along
    Till the lord will come and call, call me away, 
    Well the morning’s so bright
    And the Lamb is the light
    And the night, night is as black as the sea, 

    There will be peace in the valley for me, some day
    There will be peace in the valley for me, oh Lord I pray
    There’ll be no sadness, no sorrow, my Lord,
    no trouble, trouble I see
    There will be peace in the valley for me

    My Dad is experiencing that today. No more sadness, no sorrow, no troubles. In the midst of craziness and confusion I hold on to the hope that my Dad believed. I know who holds tomorrow and I know there will be peace in the valley for me some day. More and more I understand the words that C.S.Lewis wrote.

    “If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.”

    That is what Jesus was saying as He comforted His followers with these words recorded in the Gospel of John. 

    “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.”

    It is going to be okay. I know who holds tomorrow.

  • No Need to Pack Away Your Joy After Christmas

    No Need to Pack Away Your Joy After Christmas

    Dave Burchett

    This weekend we finished one of my least favorite tasks of the year. Taking down the Christmas decorations always fills me with melancholy. I love Christmas and the message of hope and joy it brings. That God entered human form and gave us hope in a Savior who understands our struggle.

    We packed up a treasured Nativity creche that has been a part of our family tradition for decades. That miracle in a Bethlehem stable is where I place my joy as I head into a very unstable New Year. I find my joy in the Messiah, the Lord – who was born in the city of David. It is so easy to remember the reason for hope during Christmas. It also easy to forget that when things turn dark.

    We also packed away a decoration that spells out JOY. Now that we are past this wonderful season it would be easy to pack away joy in the attic and concentrate on cultural concerns. The twenty-four news cycle feeds on negativity. Hearing the message of gloom and doom over and over has it’s effect on even the most steadfast believers. The news anchors peddle darkness and fear and I choose not to be paralyzed by it. The angel of the Lord told the shepherds not to be afraid. Jesus talked a lot about fear.

    “But don’t be afraid of those who threaten you. For the time is coming when everything that is covered will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all. What I tell you now in the darkness, shout abroad when daybreak comes. What I whisper in your ear, shout from the housetops for all to hear! Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. (Matthew 10 – NLT)

    And these words from Jesus could have been in response to the news reporting hysteria we hear every day.

    “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear. For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing. Look at the ravens. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds! Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?…Don’t worry about such things. These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.”  (Luke 12, NLT)

    So I have made some decisions. I don’t make vows because I know I will fall short at some point. Choosing a direction allows me to stumble off course but then get back on track.

    I have decided to direct my time a little differently this year. I want to spend less time watching and reading the news and more time reading and meditating on God’s Word. I want to Bipartisan pray for our leaders in Washington but I am going to trust God to provide my hope. I want to live joyfully in each precious moment that God gives me and not live in paralyzing fear of the future. I agree with C.S. Lewis when he wrote these words. “There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.“

    We have packed away the decorations for this year but I want to continually unpack the joy that Christ can give me every single day in 2023. You can do that too. May you have a joyful New Year in spite of your circumstances. And remember where your true hope resides.

    Happy New Year!

  • The Games People Still Play

    The Games People Still Play

    A song by Joe South reflected my teenage disdain for those in power who seemed to not care a whit about the regular folk. I check the comments of young people today and I realize that not much, if anything, has changed since this song was recorded in the turbulent late 60’s.

    “The Games People Play” was recorded by Joe South and here are the first two stanzas.

    Oh the games people play now
    Every night and every day now
    Never meaning what they say now
    Never saying what they mean

    And they wile away the hours
    In their ivory towers
    Till they’re covered up with flowers
    In the back of a black limousine

    I have to admit that a bit of the anger and power of the protest was diminished with this hard-hitting chorus.

    La-da da da da da da da
    La-da da da da da de
    Talking ’bout you and me
    And the games people play

    Hard to gin up a lot of “in your face” intensity and passion when you are singing “la-da-da-da-da-da-da”.

    My frustration with the hypocrisy I saw in my church was fueled by this lyric.

    People walking up to you
    Singing glory hallelulia
    And they’re tryin to sock it to you
    In the name of the Lord

    We thought we could change the world by promoting love, hope and peace.  I see the same anger directed at my generation (pretty much deserved) that we felt toward my parent’s. I read how this generation is going to change things by promoting love, hope and peace. Can you say full circle?

    We thought that hope would be realized with the right political party. We believed that change would come because of kindred politicians or better laws or courts that would establish justice as we saw it. We thought that the right leader would make sure that we educated every child no matter their circumstance. We hoped that this political savior would provide for the needs of every person. We were wrong by placing that hope on the government without putting responsibility on ourselves.

    So many people are placing their hope for happiness on political candidates and parties. I do believe that leaders make a difference. I care deeply about making an informed and prayerful choice. But I never place my hope or desire for change on a politician. The word hope is used about 80 times in the New Testament. The first appearance of the word in the NIV translation pretty much lays out my belief.

    “In his name (Jesus) the nations will put their hope.” (Matthew 12:21, NIV)

    Paul wrote about the hope that I have in his letter to the Romans.

    I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13, NIV)

    The second chorus of South’s tune has a real pearl of wisdom.

    God grant me the serenity
    To remember who I am

    That is what I have learned since I was the frustrated and all-knowing young man hellbent on changing the establishment. I remember who I am. I am a follower of Jesus. A child of God. A servant who is humbled by His amazing grace.

    I will be shocked if our leaders in Washington decide to work together for us and tone down the rhetoric. My peace lies in the belief that I have hope that is real. I have peace that transcends circumstance. Because of those truths I can deal with the rest of the news. I believe that no matter what happens in Washington in the coming months and years I am convinced that the following statement is true.

    God is in control. And that is where my hope rests today.

  • 2 Easy Ways You Can Be A Light In This Dark World

    2 Easy Ways You Can Be A Light In This Dark World

    A recent behavioral study reinforced something I have emphasized in my own journey. The power of simply reaching out and checking in with others is stunningly underrated as a way to love one another.

    An article in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology detailed how people react when others reach out to them. The authors seemed a bit surprised by their results.

    We kept finding that people underestimated how much their reach-outs were appreciated. We also found that one reason this underestimation of appreciation occurs is that people do not think enough about how positively surprised others feel upon being reached out to. The role of surprise is important. We found that the one situation in which people do not underestimate how much others appreciate being reached out is when the reach-out occurs in an unsurprising context. For example, if someone is expecting you to reach-out to them, then you are pretty well calibrated to how much they will actually appreciate you reaching out to them. Thus, it’s really these unexpected reach-outs that people appreciate much more than we expect.

    Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, July 2022, American Psychological Association (APA)

    The pandemic made this simple gesture even more critical for our emotional and spiritual health. Relationships suffered as isolation became the sad new normal. Friends parted over disagreements about proper Covid protocol and politics. I have seen long time relationships shattered over these issues.

    When I realize how frustrated I get over selfish and immature behavior by believers it magnifies the incomprehensible amount of grace and patience that God grants us every single day. He never gives up on His Children.

    I saw people who had been loved and nurtured in a church community for years leave over mask disputes. Are you kidding me? Maybe reading, rereading, and then rereading one more time these words from Paul would be a starting point before leaving a community of believers over politics.

    Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all! (Romans 12:9-16, NLT)

    So how can we be a light in this increasingly damaged and dark culture? I rarely use Diana Ross lyrics as a spiritual behavior launching point but these words are powerful and needed.

    Reach out and touch
    Somebody’s hand
    Make this world a better place
    If you can
    (Just try)
    Take a little time out of your busy day
    To give encouragement

    I have made it a priority when someone comes to mind to let them know I am thinking about them. I reach out to them by texting or calling to let them know they are on my heart and I am praying for them. I have realized as a Christian that people coming to mind is usually not random. They are planted in my heart by the Spirit. It is remarkable how many times that person will respond with a comment like this.

    “Wow. I can’t believe you reached out at this moment. I really needed that encouragement right now.”

    I makes me wonder how many of those moments I have missed when I was all wrapped up in me. When someone comes to mind consider it a potentially sacred moment to encourage that person.

    When someone comes to mind let them know. Encourage them. Reach out with a word of affirmation and a promise of prayer. The other thing I am realizing more and more is that followers of Jesus have something that is in desperately short supply in this culture. I have a lot of friends who don’t share my faith who are kind. Many are loving (at least to those they agree with).

    But there is one word that seems to be missing for most of my friends who don’t have faith in God.

    Hope.

    Why is that word so important? Just a few reasons why.

    Washington D.C. is a train wreck? I will do my part to be a concerned citizen but my hope is in God for my future.

    Our country is increasingly more dangerous? I will be smart but my hope is in God for my protection.

    The economy is volatile? My hope is in my God who always provides.

    Concerned about the cultural influences on family and friends? My hope is in God to help me create an environment of grace, truth, and love that will encourage honest conversations about the things that truly matter.

    I have great hope as I write this and I want to share that hope with others.

    Let’s review the 2 easy ways to be a light.

    1. Reach out and let others know you care.
    2. Share the hope that you have in Christ.

    You don’t have to be a theologian or a brilliant apologist to do those two simple things. You just have to care about and love others.

  • I’m Gonna Miss You My Friend

    I’m Gonna Miss You My Friend

    The title is from the chorus of a song by Toby Keith written after his friend Wayman Tisdale passed away. The lyrics hit my heart when I left the hospital after visiting my dear friend Chris Taylor. His time is near and it hurt so much to see his decline.

    But it was still a sweet time to tell my friend I love him. Over the years he has made me laugh so many times. We have shared heartaches. Wonderful memories that made me smile. Chris and I were dangerous together. You could count on the sarcasm train coming down the tracks full speed anytime we convened.

    But Chris is also an incredibly kind man who served others for many years as a Wylie, Texas Police officer and dedicated follower of Jesus. One of his sayings will stick with me until my time comes. Chris always said this about serving others.

    “If I can help someone I don’t need to think or pray about it. I just do it.”

    We can use love one another as a slogan too often without feet and hands. But Chris lived that philosophy of being there to help others without fanfare.

    One of the lyrics from Toby Keith’s song fits beautifully here.

    You showed me how I am supposed to live
    Now you showed me how to die

    That is one of the most powerful things I have seen over and over in the lives of dedicated followers of Jesus. They pass with confidence and peace in their next destination. Even through the pain and tears those flashes of his wonderful humor were present. The very real hope in that room was this promise from Jesus.

    “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?
    (John 14, NLT)

    Soon my friend Chris will experience that glorious promise. Toby Keith says it perfectly in the chorus of his song “Crying For Me”.

    I’m going to miss that smile
    I’m going to miss you my friend
    Even though it hurts the way it ended up
    I’d do it all again

    My friend looked weak as I leaned over to give him a hug. I did not expect what I received. I got a bear hug that I would not have believed he was capable of giving. I will never forget that moment. When I left I said a very intentional thing that I believe with all of my heart.

    “See you later.”

    I completely trust that promise of eternity given to us by the finished work of Jesus.

    So I will miss my friend but once again I defer to Toby Keith.

    I’m not crying’ cause I feel so sorry for you
    I am crying’ for me

    I am crying for Chris’s beautiful family. For his dear friends and colleagues. For me. But I know on the scale of eternity my time is also very near. I cling to the promise of eternity today and I look forward to that reunion in heaven.

  • The Hope of Spring

    The Hope of Spring

    Yesterday was the first day of spring and the weather in North Texas was beautiful. We did not have a brutal winter but we did have a deep freeze and ice storm that took it’s toll on our plants.

    As I walked Miss Maggie in the late afternoon I stopped to look at one of our trees. There were tiny buds beginning to appear on the branches. These green buds sprouted in defiance of winters brutal assault. I stopped and meditated on the miracle of life emerging out of barrenness. I thought of the words of philosopher Bernard Williams. “The day the Lord created hope was probably the same day he created Spring.”

    I love that.

    Is there anything more hopeful than watching the beauty of budding leaves and blooming flowers turning the melancholy of a bleak winter into a wondrous palette of invigorating colors? Every spring is a reminder that God will bring beauty from darkness and life from death. 

    The world can seem to be in a state of perpetual winter. But for followers of Jesus we can see signs of life even in the darkness. Like that bit of green emerging from a lifeless branch we have a hope this spring. 

    Jesus has conquered death. 

    Martin Luther poetically wrote this. “Our Lord has written the promise of resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in springtime.”

    Followers of Jesus have a hope that our lives are eternal and valuable in Him. We have a hope that death is not final.

    Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled:

    “Death is swallowed up in victory.
    55 O death, where is your victory?
        O death, where is your sting?    ”

    56 For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. 57 But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. (1 Corinthians 15:54-58, NLT)

    Nothing we do for the Lord is ever useless. Nothing! And even as we face the reality of a dangerous world we know we have the twin promise of victory over sin and death through Jesus. So as spring begins I choose to marvel at the renewing of life and the hope that holds for all of us. Paul wrote about this miracle.

    “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 
    (2 Corinthians 5:17, ESV)

    We have become new creations now and forever in Jesus. Doesn’t that hope feel especially good this spring?

  • See You Later!

    See You Later!

    Just to clarify I am not planning on stopping my Monday Musings. I don’t want my tens of followers to be concerned. I wanted to explain in this week’s musing why I have adopted “see you later” whenever I leave the presence of a loved one. I might add “love you, see you later” to my departure. That phrase “see you later” became very intentional after a dear friend passed away suddenly and unexpectedly. When my friend died the loved ones in his life had no idea they would not have a chance to see him again in this life. Because of his deep and abundant faith his family and friends cherished the hope of seeing him again in Heaven.

    When I go to the memorial service for a follower of Jesus there is, of course, sadness. But every time I leave these services I am full of hope and peace that I will see them again. Paul wrote about this in his letter to the Thessalonians.

    And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14, NLT

    What a difference it makes to have that hope of victory over death. Paul rejoiced in that hope with the Church at Corinth.

    But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:57)

    Without a doubt the death of a friend or family member leaves a deep sadness and earthly emptiness. It takes time for that to heal and the truth is it never heals one hundred percent. The hope of reuniting with them in eternity is one of the greatest comforts I have found.

    In the early 1970’s my three year old nephew Dean developed childhood leukemia. Our house was a halfway point between his home and Children’s Hospital so we spent a lot of days and nights together. I was incredibly close to Deanie.

    I remember visiting him at Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. He was not doing well but I still held out hope for healing. As I left Deanie looked at me from from his hospital bed and said, “See you later, Uncle Dave”. I got the news the within a couple of days that Deanie had gone to be with Jesus. I was devastated. Sad. Angry. Depressed. But over time those words begin to resonate.

    “See you later, Uncle Dave”.

    I began to find comfort and peace in those words and in that hope. I heard a wonderful testimony from a Christian woman here in Dallas. Alvanetta was the wife of a local high-school football coach named James Jones who died in 2001. Sympathizers told Alvanetta that they were sorry she had lost James. She smiled, looked at them, and said, “I didn’t lose him. I know exactly where he is.”

    I cannot imagine living without that hope. That hope should affect the way I live in a profound way. We live in world consumed by fear and especially the fear of death. That is not how Jesus wants us to live. Paul summarized it beautifully while addressing the Roman Church.

    If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. (Romans 14:8, NLT)

    God is in control. He loves me. My eternal hope in Him is secure. So I can say “see you later with great confidence” to my fellow followers of Jesus. To those who don’t share my hope in Christ I pray you will honestly examine the life and claims of Jesus. In Jesus I have found forgiveness, love, comfort, identity, and joy even in difficult circumstances. I hope you find that in your journey. I cannot describe the peace it gives me to believe it when I say “see you later”.