Come to Me

Jesus' invitation to come to him is a standing invitation. He wants us to come to him, and he will give us rest. Here are his words: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matt 11:28-30). He knows that we are weary and burdened and he can give us the rest that we long for. There is no need to wonder if he will receive us. He will! There is no need to ponder if we have pure motives. He doesn’t care! He just wants us to come. Here are two stories about two of my granddaughters to illustrate my point.

When our granddaughter, Adela, was little, she would not have anything to do with me. On one occasion, we went to help take care of her one day while her mom and dad were busy. However, Adela only wanted my wife, Marilyn. When Marilyn decided to wash her hair, Adela stayed outside the bathroom door crying for her. Even though Marilyn couldn’t hear her because of the blow-dryer, Adela stayed right there. Finally, when she got tired, she came to me, put her arms up as if to say, “Okay, I guess you are the only one available.” I didn’t respond, “Hey, kid, I’m not taking you because I know I’m your second choice.” No! I was glad she came, and I picked her up and held her until she went to sleep. Jesus doesn’t judge us as to our worthiness when we come to him. He just picks us up and takes away our burden and gives rest.

Once I was playing a game with another granddaughter, Eliana, when she was just two-years-old, I asked, “Are you Grandpa’s girl?” She usually answered, “No, I’m grandma’s girl or mommy’s girl.” I responded by saying, “What!” and she giggled. However, this particular night she asked me to pick her up. She came up to me, said, “Grandpa, can I hold you?” I, of course, picked her up and sat her on my lap. What she really wanted were the Cheese Puffs I was eating. I asked her, “Whose girl are you?” She responded, “Grandpa’s girl.” I knew it was a lie because she wanted the Cheese Puffs, but I didn’t care. I took advantage of a moment to love my little granddaughter when she asked to be held. Likewise, when we come to Jesus regardless of the reason, he never questions the motive but extends his loving arms to us.

In a day when there is so much pain and so much heartache, which produces so much loneliness and sadness, what people need more than anything else is the rest that Jesus gives. “Come to me,” he says, and “I will give you rest.” I don’t care what you are going through or where you are right now I implore you to come to Jesus and allow him to take the heavy burden you are carrying away and let him give you rest.

Why I am Pro-life

Life is sacred because we are created in the image of God (Gen 1:26-27). God means for life to be a gift in whatever form it comes, whether that is an unborn baby, a special needs child, or an aged man or woman at the end of their life. No person has the authority to decree that any person is of less value than another. Thankfully, we are seeing laws enacted in this country and abroad that protect special needs persons. However, the most vulnerable group that is still unprotected is the unborn. How ironic that this group, while still in the mother’s womb, is considered by many to be worthless.

David wrote: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be” Psalm 139:13-16).

The very language that David uses “knit me together” fits the description of unique DNA. The more we learn about DNA and how it unpacks to build every aspect of each person is amazing. When a baby in the womb is created, it is the work of the creator as the personality, temperament and gifts are all blended to make a unique person. The conclusion from David’s words is that life begins at conception.

Abortion is racism at its worst. It says these unborn babies don’t matter, and they are of less value than other people. It is racism because it continues to ignore the science that proves that life begins at conception. It ignores the fact that babies twenty weeks old feel pain when aborted.

Abortions are decreasing in the United States, but the abortion movement continues to fight for its existence. The number of people worldwide who call themselves pro-life and stand against abortion is growing. The newest goal of the abortion industry is to promote “Do-It-Yourself Abortions” through the use of RU-486, mifepristone-misoprostol chemical abortion. The effects of this chemical abortion are harmful to women but are not being made known.

Several things are helping to give dignity to the unborn such as the fetal dignity laws that states are beginning to pass. These laws require abortion suppliers to bury or cremate unborn children after an abortion. They require informed consent for the mother to choose between burial or cremation for the baby. They prohibit the transfer and research of fetal remains. They also prohibit the sale of baby body parts.

Laws requiring doctors performing abortions to obtain hospital privileges to hospitals within a described distance of the clinic where the abortion is performed also helped to close abortion clinics in the last few years. Many doctors have not been granted the privileges at hospitals nearby, thereby forcing clinics to close.

In the last several years, videos from the Center for Medical Progress (CMP) uncovered an industry of trafficking aborted baby body parts to sell and use for research. Harvesting the body parts of aborted children for research is disturbing and sickening to all pro-life advocates. Even more horrifying was that many of these tiny baby parts were sold to universities and government agencies for research at astronomical prices.

Moving Toward Resolution

Conflict in this life is inevitable, and it brings anxiety, depression, frustration, and isolation. Specifically, it is an unresolved conflict that is the problem. We will all experience conflict in life, but so much hinges on our ability to resolve conflict. If we do, we will turn our emotions around and begin to feel much better. Our connection with persons involved in the conflict will immediately improve. If, however, we do not resolve the conflict or at least some of it, we will continue to deal with those agonizing emotions.

Solomon wrote these wise words a very long time ago, but they are just as relevant today as the day they were written; “The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.

Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools” (Ecclesiastes 7:8-9). If we apply this to marital conflict, it looks like this. An argument can escalate quickly, separating the couple. A mature couple will look for a solution and move toward resolution. The immature couple will not, and the matter will only grow more severe. Their anger, like sharp knives, will cut each other, leaving them wounded and apart. What Solomon hopes we grasp here is that it is always better to be humble and look for a solution early in a conflict. If not, the conflict will become more complicated and inflict such pain and hurt that it will be very difficult to resolve later.

I like to call this learning to move toward resolution. When a couple fights, they will both be angry with defensive behavior and not know how to move forward. Escalation or resolution is possible, depending on how they move forward. They can continue escalating the conflict, or they can move toward resolution. The problem is that It is not easy to know where the point of resolution is located. However, they have to be patient with each other and slowly explore how they can move away from conflict and toward resolution.

It is as if they have to wait for the conflict to dissipate like fog. The conflict has left the couple with no resolution and has dulled their senses. When each person seeks personal vindication by attempting to persuade the other of the correctness of their position and the wrongness of the other’s position, they are stuck. They need to find and seek a resolution that will move them together. The point of resolution will not be visible in conflict, but they have to do the things that move them in that direction anyway. Later, they will be able to see the improvement much better. Mutual resolution is the distance between two defined points, point A conflict, and point B resolution. You act in a way that moves you in that direction regardless of how you feel, and your feelings catch up later. You don’t count whose turn it is to apologize; you do whatever it takes to remove the impasse. Later, you hope and pray for insight into your behavior and thoughts and share them with your spouse which generates greater resolution and more clarity and connection.