A Prayer For Orlando

It wasn’t until mid-day Sunday that my husband and I heard about the mass shooting in Florida.  We were on a plane heading back from a family funeral in Cleveland, Ohio and somehow missed checking our phones until later.  Unbelievable to hear about such a senseless atrocity. There really are no words.

How do we respond? What do we do? I know in the days ahead, we will be informed of ways we can support the victims and their families financially, giving blood and other ways.  But, as we start this day, I know we can do something very powerful. We can pray. In the face of tragedy that leaves us speechless, I ask you to join me in prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, We come to you today grieving for Orlando, Florida and for our nation. We don’t know what to do, but our eyes turn to you, God of all comfort and hope. We pray for the victims who are now fighting for their lives in the hospitals. God, we pray that no more lives would be loss from this senseless shooting. Great Physician, we ask that you give each doctor your wisdom and guidance as they care for those wounded. Give healing to all victims who were wounded, physically and emotionally. We pray for the families and friends who loss someone last night.  You know each person grieving today. Each one. We ask that each one of these family members and friends experiences a peace that passes all understanding as they walk through the days ahead.  Strengthen them to face the future with faith, hope and courage. We pray for the City of Orlando and its law enforcement officials and first responders. Lord, will you gently care for and heal those who saw face to face such horrific loss of life and horror? We pray God, that you would be strong for all those vulnerable today. Hold out your gentle hand of peace to those who witnessed and survived this tragedy. Lord, please walk with them in the days ahead as they sort out the cries of their heart. Father, we now ask that you would meet all of us today with a greater understanding of who you are and who you can be in our lives. It is so very easy for us to turn to fear and wonder, when will it happen next? Should I live in fear? Instead, Lord, we ask that we would echo the words of the Psalmist in Psalm 62:5-8 “Yes, my soul, finds rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.” Lord, we hold on to the truth that you feel this pain deeply…”The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:8) For all those brokenhearted and crushed in spirit, be near. Be so near that they can feel something unexplainable that can only be You! Give comfort! Give peace! Give hope! Give love! Give mercy! Give unity! Lastly, God of Justice, we ask that you would bring before you all who perpetrate violence. Turn the hearts of those who seek violence away from evil. Bring them to repentance. Lord, teach us all how to love one another as you love us. In Jesus name, Amen.


Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.

Summer Bucket List

Remember the 2007 comedy “The Bucket List?" The main plot follows two terminally ill men on their road trip with a wish list of things to do before they kick the bucket.  Since summer officially has begun, I thought it would be fun to come up with a summer bucket list.  Your summer bucket activity list might consist of things like: Schlitterbahn, Sea World, Colorado Mountains, road trip to family, or some other destination. 

But, I want to propose something different. What about starting a summer bucket list of actions? What would it look like if we set our aim high this summer to love people well? How could we show others we love them not only in words, but actions and truth? What ways could we model loving others well this summer to our family, friends and co-workers? 

Here is a start of a list for a Summer Bucket List…

Practice patience. Summer heat can bring out the worst in people. Whether angry drivers or people that cut you off in a line, you can model the virtue of patience by allowing others to go first. Look for ways to show grace to people who don't deserve grace. Remember, we don't deserve it either.

Practice gratitude. What would a summer of non-complaints be like in your household?  Not about weather, traffic, crowds, work issues. NO COMPLAINING! Instead, look for ways to be grateful. Practice looking for things to be thankful about. No one likes being around a grouchy complainer.

Plan forSabboth.  One way to make sure you slow down regularly is to practice taking the Sabboth. (See Exodus 20:8-10) "Sabboth is God’s way of saying, 'Stop. Notice your limits. Don’t burn out.' It is a day God gives us to remember who and what work is for as well as what matters most." (Adele Ahlberg Calhoun, Spiritual Disciplines Handbook) Rest is a good thing.

Do a service project.  Get outside yourself. Look at summer as a time to serve. Give. Visit someone in the hospital. Work in vacation bible school. Serve in a soup kitchen. Volunteer in a non-profit. Mow a neighbor’s lawn. Care for a widow. Visit a nursing home. If you’re part of a family, plan a family service project! Your kids will never forget this!

 Invite people to your home. The gift of hospitality has long gone out the door in our modern ways! Sharing your home, food, resources, car and all you call your own is a beautiful way to display God's love. Plan a party "just because." Don't worry about if your house is perfect or not. Make it about people, not stuff.

Get to know someone in a different life stage.  It’s funny how we stick with sameness. We feel so comfortable with those like us. Same age. Same stage. Same economic level. It’s easier. We relate to our same world.  But, what about reaching out to someone different than you? Take time to get to know someone different than you. Ask questions. Get outside your world!

 Practice forgiveness. So, did you know that un-forgiveness paralyzes you, not the one you’re angry at? Many times, the other person has no clue what they’d done to deserve the cold shoulder.  But you do!  What would it look like to enjoy a summer where your relationships are in good order? What a way to live!

Did this list get your summer wheels spinning? Now it’s time to come up with your own summer bucket list! If you’re in a family, why not create one together? Make this summer a cut above the rest! 

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.

Hail Happenings

Holy Hail, Batman! When will it stop? The 'hail dimension' of each hailstorm are normal conversation topics lately in Texas. Texans are now getting creative to deal with those pesky things coming from the sky. The State of Texas should give prizes to the most creative car cover up for hail! I've seen it all... Car mats, water floats, tarps, blankets, mattresses, bubble wrap and even tires to hold all the stuff down! Redneck Hail Protection at its best.

I, on the other hand, prefer to live life dangerously. I prefer to wait until the very, very last possible moment….when the hail begins to fall. I then run outside with hoodie half draped over my head, furiously trying to get the car in the garage, before it succumbs to hail dents. I guess I like the adventure of it all. Thus far, I've been successful and beat the hail each time. This has happened 5 times, people! When will it stop?

We cover up from more than just hail. Yep, we want our cars and houses to be free from little bumps and dents caused by hail. In reality, we work hard to hide our own bumps and dents in our soul. We don't want people to see the real "us." So, what do we do? Put on a good happy face and sing the happy song all day? Not quite. It's easy, though, to play cover up. Cover up from any signs of weaknesses, problems, hurts and pains.

Why do we cover up? Fear can be a primary reason. Thom Rutledge writes "Fear is our constant companion, our day to day nemesis, and our ultimate challenge. Fear fuels our negative and judgmental thoughts and our need to control things. Fear underlies guilt and shame and anger." (Thom Rutledge, Embracing Fear and Finding the Courage to Live Your Life, 2002) the longer we're alive, the more things we can potentially hide from. Here are some typical fears that grip us.... If I really expose who I am, you could reject me. If I don't perform to your standard, you'll judge me. If you gossip about me, I will withdraw. If I have a bad flying experience, no more flying for me! If I have a failed marriage, I'm not trying again. When something bad happens, we make inner vows to prevent that from happening again.

Check out the words of the song "When I'm With You" by Citizen Way. "There are the things that I need to pray. Because I can't find peace any other way. I'm a mess underneath and I'm just too scared to show it. Everything's not fine and I'm not okay. But it's nice to know I can come this way. When I'm with You, I feel the real me finally breaking through. It's all because of You, Jesus. Anytime, anywhere, any heartache. I'm never too much for You to take. There's only love. There's only grace. When I'm with You nobody knows me like You do. No need for walls. You see right through. Every hurt, every scar, every secret....You just love me." 

As I place my confidence in God, He becomes my cover. My refuge. No need to hide behind all sorts of man-made nonsense or worry about what others think. How about you? God's got you no matter what crazy storm comes your way. Run to Him.

"Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart..." Psalm 91:1-2, 4 

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.

It's All About Perspective

This past Friday started with a phone visit with my dad. He saw on the news that the Spurs had lost. Dad told me that he rolled down the window in his car and heard me weeping and wailing all the way from Ohio. Pretty funny, Dad.

 

Spurs fans woke up Friday morning with all sorts of feelings, emotions and questions. TV, radio and tweeters were already trying to retire Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan, as if they had no part in the decision! The voices and opinions of so many people who think they know what happened and what will happen in the Spur's future left me down. I finally determined to not listen or read anything. I needed a new perspective. It's just a game, right?

 

Perspective is understanding something because you see things from a larger frame of reference. It is the capacity to view things in their true relations or relative importance. (Merriam-Webster) As I opened God's Word that Friday morning, God allowed me to see life from His point of view. I can so easily listen get distracted by listening to so many other voices. After a while, it's hard to know who or what to believe on any given topic!

 

How do I gain God's perspective on life? Well, I think you need to want God's perspective first. Perhaps, you've listened to a lot of other voices and don't know who to trust. Get a Bible. Get an audio Bible app and listen in your car. Start reading. Start listening. Start meditating on Scripture. The better we understand the ways and nature of God through the Bible, the more God will reveal His perspective. He will give wisdom where wisdom is needed and guidance where guidance is needed.

 

Secondly, as I pray, I get God's perspective. So, often, my head can be swimming with so many thoughts and opinions of my own and others! But, when I go to God in prayer and get His perspective on a topic, things change. God gives truth. Hope. Encouragement. Answers to my prayers. Peace of mind. It's just amazing!

Finally, God gives me his perspective for how to walk through trials and difficult circumstances. We can so easily ride through life with not a care or worry, until something bad happens. Then, we're left to wonder. Why? How? What now? Those questions are hard to answer in a human sense. But when we go to God for perspective, He has much to say about how to deal with trials! In Hebrews 12:1-2, the writer of Hebrews says "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." That's perspective! Jesus looked past the pain of what he endured to the joy set before him!

 

I'm so grateful I got out of my "Spurs funk" pretty quickly. Spending time with God has a way of renewing my vision to what's most important. How about you? If trying to make sense of life and its challenges leaves you scratching your head, perhaps a new perspective is needed. 

 

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio. 

The Problem With Gnats

A few weeks ago, we had a visit from a family we didn't invite. It was a family of gnats. They seemed to enjoy our pantry, and before long, there were sons, daughters, grandsons, granddaughters and great, great, great grandsons and granddaughters. By the time it was all over, there were cousins and second cousins. It just so happened, my husband had to go out of town on a work trip last Monday morning. Just before Ben left, we took everything out of the pantry and sprayed some powerful gnat killer spray. So, the gnat families and I were left to battle who won control of the pantry. To date, we are at a stand off.

 

I've gotten a bit overwhelmed at the chaos. Pantry food stacked everywhere. Gnat killer smells that seemed to radiate throughout the house and my head. The gnats decided they wanted a week's vacation at our address, so another gnat bomb was sent their way today. I'm hoping to lay the gnat family to rest this week.

 

Just when I thought I had control of these pesky things, I'd open the pantry door. More gnats. CRAZY! The problem with gnats is that they keep bubbling up when you least suspect it. I wanted them to just go away. Forever. I got really "fumed" every time I thought they were gone, but weren't.

 

I knew there would be a gnat lesson somewhere, somehow, out of this whole ordeal. There are certain things in my own personal life that keep bubbling up when I least suspect it. Usually they are classified as behaviors, attitudes and reactions to things that have grown to become habits.  Impatience when I'm in a hurry. Inner critic talking up a storm in my mind. Ways of handling things that are negative patterns. Yet, it is easier to close the door of my heart, act like I'm OK, and just ignore these issues in my own soul. 

 

So, I'm learning to do a better job of dealing with my stuff. Yes, dealing with it. Calling it what it is. We have to deal with our problems head-on. Don't try to go around them. It's better to hit our challenges head on before they hit us. Peter Scazzero in this book "Emotionally Healthy Spirituality" writes "God made us as whole people, in his image (see Genesis 1:27). That image includes physical, social emotional, intellectual, and social dimensions. Ignoring any aspect of who we are as men and women made in God's image always results in destructive consequences- in our relationship with God, with others, and with ourselves."

 

When I failed to pay attention to God and what was going on inside me, it was like those pesky gnats in my closet.  Things kept coming back to haunt me. I have learned that some of the walls I've hit in my journey with God were probably some of His greatest gifts to me. These walls stopped me in my tracks, changed me and broadened my understanding of myself and God's desires for my life. How about you? What problem are you trying to suppress that just doesn't go away? 

 

Join me in prayer:  "Dear Lord, slow me down this day that I might pay better attention to you in my life. You are God and I am not. You know the inside workings of my soul and all the things I try to stuff away and hide. I can't hide from you. May I trust in you as my refuge knowing that you are a secure place to hide. Give me courage to face those things in my life I try to stuff away. My pride often wants to hide these things, particularly because of my position, but Lord, teach me the joys of humility. Unleash a revival in my soul that will give me the ability to admit my stuff and seek healing. In Jesus' name. Amen."

 

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.

Coach Pop: A Master Teacher

If you're a Spurs fan, I hope you are savoring these days and enjoying the amazing run of our 2015-2016 Spurs' team. As usual, this Spurs team stands out in so many ways. They're an incredibly talented team, more focused being a "team" than individuals. They stay under the radar and like it that way. They're not showy or flashy. They're goal is winning the championship and everyone communicates the same. You never hear them talking negatively about another player, owner or team. Of course, Pop may sometimes raises his voice a little at the refs and sometimes he may even yell some not so nice words at them. I usually cringe at this point, praying he doesn't get ejected and that his body guard/coaches will grab him and rescue him from his ways. 

 

Let's consider Coach Pop. We all believe he's the best coach in the league, maybe in all of sports. How does he do it year after year? Pop is singularly focused and not distracted by the business of the NBA. His focus is his Spurs. He's incredibly intelligent and able to counteract any play thrown at him. We all know he loathes being interviewed. I always pity the interviewer who has to fill in for Pop's one word answers. Only Craig Sager, TNT sideline reporter, gets an affable Pop. Our Spurs team are who they are because they have been influenced by Coach Pop. They've spent time and learned from the master teacher of basketball, Coach Pop.

 

Check out this verse in the Bible that shows the power one person can have in our life. It's found in the 4th chapter of Acts, verse 13. "The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus." So, Peter and John, who never went to school, ordinary fishermen, who were radically changed by their relationship with Jesus. It caused others watching to be amazed! They could see a difference in these guys. They saw their courage, zeal and ability to communicate their message. Their master teacher had strongly influenced them!

 

I long to be like Peter and John in this verse! I want others to notice Jesus in me. So often, what bubbles up in me is my fear, pride and insecurity. But, when I take time to daily commune with God, these things seem to lose their power in my life. Problems aren't as super-sized in my mind. My fears dissipate. My worries shrink. My insecurities melt as I focus on God being my rock. Yeah, I'm a different person when I've hung with Jesus.

 

What do you think others notice about you? Your crusty exterior? Your ability to get a lot done? Your uncanny ability to succeed? It is often said that the company you keep shapes the person you will become. Who are you becoming?

 

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.

Me-First Syndrome

As a volunteer Sunday School teacher for four and five year olds, I’ve noticed a phenomenon that happens every time I serve. As we line up to go outside, I hear a cadre of little ones letting me know in no uncertain terms that they want to BE FIRST in line. It’s funny how we catch this mentality before we can utter our first words. The “Me-First Syndrome” was caught and taught to us early in life. It’s been modeled by human beings everywhere.

 

What are some examples of the “Me-First Syndrome?”

You’re on the service road heading toward a stop light. Someone speeds up, cuts you off and slows down in front of you. Of course, that person makes it through the light, while you sit and wait.

You’re in line for a concert and a group of people cut in front of you not even noticing your presence.

You want to be the first one to give your opinion in a work meeting, but someone else grabs center stage before you can utter a word.

 

You recently got paid and want to spend as much as possible on things for yourself.

 

Looking out for number one is so much a part of us that we don’t notice the ire that swells up in us when we’re not! Wayne Jackson wrote “The “me-first” syndrome is only occasionally recognized, rarely specifically identified, and general is ignored.” Inside, we are fuming when others do this to us, but outwardly, we just move on with our day. But, lately, I feel like God is making it very obvious to me when my “me-first” syndrome kicks in. He’s showing me how selfish I can be and how I get ticked when my “me-first” rights are violated. While I’m getting irritated with others, I’m missing the lessons that God wants to teach me about my perceived rights.

 

What would your day look like if you took on an “others first” mentality? It would seem to me that the “me first” mentality would be destroyed when we adopt the “others first” principle. Yet thinking of others as more important than myself is not at all easy. It conjures up in me images of becoming a second-class doormat. That feels unfair. God’s word makes it clear that God has a plan and knows the best way for people to live in society together. When we submit to one another, we are being loving. When we submit to one another, we do so out of reverence for Christ. (Ephesians 5:21) It’s realizing that when you lose your life, you find it. It’s learning gentleness, humility and a regard for others. It’s laying aside the need to be first. When does your “me first” spirit becomes front and center? How long will you continue to let it be first?

 

“Never think in lowering yourself you have less power for good.” Charles de Foucauld

 

“He must become greater; I must become less.” John 3:30

 

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.