Quick Thoughts From Room 314

September 26, 2020 Cathleen Zahradnik

So, I am writing today from an unexpected location. Room 314 at my local hospital. Those of you who know me and love me will be telling me to rest, and I am. But I just wanted to shoot out a couple quick thoughts. This will be short. I promise!

What I thought was an intestinal bug on Sunday afternoon, became a trip to the emergency room on Monday night, an emergency procedure on Tuesday morning and surgery on Thursday morning. I am in day two of surgery recovery and feeling really good. So, don’t worry! We all have times that don’t turn out as we expected, so I thought I would share with you a few things that I am learning from this experience.

God often answers prayers in unexpected ways. I have been working with a medical professional to try to resolve an issue. Details are unimportant and unnecessary in this case, believe me! I had been referred to a specialist and had an appointment scheduled for Tuesday afternoon. I obviously didn’t see him Tuesday afternoon, but I did see him at 5:00am in the OR. My prayer in preparation for that appointment was, “God, what does my body need?” This whole episode made clear exactly what my body needed and I will not have those issues anymore. Not what I expected, but thoroughly answered.

I really never am alone.

He's In There!

September 19, 2020 Cathleen Zahradnik

In the beginning the Word already existed.The Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1

My favorite person to spend time with is my husband, Tom. I would rather be sitting with him doing nothing than doing anything else in the world. Being with Tom is my safe place. In our 33 years of marriage he has grown into someone who has helped me to be more secure and confident. He has challenged me and encouraged me to pursue God and helped me to become more like my best self in that process. He's my favorite person.

You have a favorite person, too, right? I'll be you could say some of the same things about your favorite person. Our favorite people make us feel like our best self, the person we want to be.

What if you thought of God as your favorite person? Really! I want to challenge and encourage you to spend time with God in His Word. Notice I did not say that I want to challenge and encourage you to read the Bible more. Just reading the Bible doesn't do much for building a relationship with God.

My Favorite Book

September 12, 2020 Cathleen Zahradnik

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:1-5

When I was five years old and living in Lake Ronkonkoma, Long Island, New York, there was a summer bus that brought us to the public library. I think it was then that I learned to love books. Reading became my favorite pastime. While other kids were playing tag, I was reading a book. Reading became my comfort and my escape. I would get lost in the stories. Sometimes I even stayed up all night to get to the end of a book!

When I became a follower of Jesus, it was very natural for me to love reading the Bible, but there is something that makes the Bible different from every other book: This book lives. God is present in the pages of the Bible.

What Does It Look Like To “Break Open” For Jesus?

September 5, 2020 Cathleen Zahradnik

“Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had previously had leprosy. While he was eating, a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard. She broke open the jar and poured the perfume over his head. Some of those at the table were indignant. “Why waste such expensive perfume?” they asked. “It could have been sold for a year’s wages and the money given to the poor!” So they scolded her harshly. But Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. Why criticize her for doing such a good thing to me? You will always have the poor among you, and you can help them whenever you want to. But you will not always have me. She has done what she could and has anointed my body for burial ahead of time. I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭14:3-9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Whatever you are going through right now, my friend, in the midst of a global pandemic, national anger, political unrest and economic insecurity, what would it look like for you to break open what you have for Jesus? This woman had little of value, but gave the most valuable thing she had for Jesus. She “did what she could” to honor Jesus above all else. What does she teach us of what it might look like for you and I to “break open” for Jesus?

Limitless

August 29, 2020 Cathleen Zahradnik

“For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:11-12 NIV

One of my favorite places is the beach. I love to stand on the sand with the expanse of the ocean in front of me, miles of blue over my head and a long stretch of sand as far as my eyes can see to either side of me. Can you see it? Ahhhh!

How Does Looking In Help Me Look Out?

August 22, 2020 Cathleen Zahradnik

“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” ‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5:13-14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Have you ever been to an emergency room? I have so much respect for emergency room personnel. They never know what they are going to face. From tragic accidents to homeless drug addicts, to babies with fevers and frantic first-time parents, they need to be ready to serve each patient with care and concern. But the first thing they need is wisdom. The very first task in an emergency room is to assess the patient and decide how serious their condition is and how quickly they need treatment. The emergency room personnel have to objectively determine what needs to be taken care of first. It’s called triage.

You and I need the same kind of wisdom, don’t we? We need to be able to honestly and objectively assess our own selves so that we can treat others with care and concern. It’s difficult to love and serve others if we haven’t taken care of our own issues. Our “triage” starts with looking in with honesty so that we can look out with love.

Guard Your Heart. Guard Your Influence.

August 15, 2020 Cathleen Zahradnik

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭4:23‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Why did I say that?!” The toothpaste words that had just come out of my mouth hung in the air, and I was horrified. Jesus said that what is in our hearts comes out of our mouths (Luke 6:45, Matthew 12:34). What had just come out of mine startled me into reflection and unpleasant revelation. Have you ever had those kinds of moments? Before you even realize it, you’ve said something you wish you could take back. Your words have revealed something you didn’t want to know about yourself and now reality is staring you in the face and you find yourself asking, “What do I do now?”

If what comes out of the mouth reveals what is in the heart, as you look back over the last few months, what have your words uncovered about you? There’s a good chance that your words have revealed something you need to deal with. It’s important that you do. You have more influence than you realize and your influence matters.

What comes out of you matters because it affects those around you. You impact so much more than you think. There are people in your world you touch that I don’t touch, that the most intelligent teacher, the most famous preacher, the most powerful politician in the world do not touch. Your influence matters.

So, as you consider what is coming out of you during this time of pandemic, also consider how what is coming out of you is influencing the people in your world. Are you afraid? How is that influencing your family, your friends, your neighbors, the gas station attendant (yes, your reactions really do affect those small, seemingly random, encounters as well).

How are your reactions affecting your physical health? Are you angry? How is that affecting your blood pressure, your food choices, your exercise habits?

What comes out of you affects what you choose and how you interact with every aspect of your world. How are you spending your money? Are you hoarding? Spending as “retail therapy”? Sharing? Giving to church and charitable organizations?

Above all else. Jesus hit the nail on the head, didn’t he? What comes out of the mouth reveals what is in the heart.

Does A Crisis Bring Out Your Best Or Worst?

August 8, 2020 Cathleen Zahradnik

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What is it about a crisis that brings out the best and the worst in people? When news of the pandemic began to affect our area the first visible result was a run on toilet paper and cleaning supplies and empty grocery store shelves. People bought in bulk without thinking about how their choices might affect someone else. Toilet paper is returning to the shelves, but it is still difficult to find certain cleaning and disinfecting supplies as a result of the crisis.

But as time moved on something else has happened. The local grocery story collects donations of food from people in the community to be distributed locally and our church’s food pantry is one recipient of those donations. Their bins have been regularly overflowing. We have been called to pick up our share of the contributions more frequently than we usually are and our food pantry is well stocked as a result of the crisis.

What is it about a crisis that brings out the best and worst in people?

What Does Faith Look Like In A Pandemic?

August 1, 2020 Cathleen Zahradnik

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“For we don’t live for ourselves or die for ourselves. 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. Christ died and rose again for this very purpose—to be Lord both of the living and of the dead.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭14:7-9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Every decision looks a little different right now, doesn’t it? Even the decision to go to the grocery store carries different risks and restrictions than it did a few months ago. With so much uncertainty in the world right now, how do we evaluate our decisions? What should guide us? What does the word of God say about living in a pandemic? Well, it may not give us specifics, but there are principles to guide us. Here are some principles to get you started:

You don’t live for yourself. If you have confessed that Jesus is your Lord then that means that you belong to Him. Simple and clear. You are not your own, you were bought with a price, the blood of the Lord Jesus on the cross. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) He paid for your sins and purchased you for His purposes. If you and I believe that, then we must remember that whatever choices we make must reflect that belief. I don’t live for myself, I live for God. And If I live for God, then honoring Him is the purpose of my life. Every decision I make is a reflection of what I say I believe. As you face the choice ahead of you, how does honoring God come into play?

Your Predicament and Mine: What is the Faith-Filled Choice?

July 25, 2020 Cathleen Zahradnik

Reopening. There's a word we never expected to be using to describe our towns, our nation, our churches. Reopening is the current word, and with it there are so many questions. Too fast? Too slow? Should we hold this event? Should we go to this place? Should we wait to do this? Go ahead with that plan? Is this the right time? Yeah, a lot of questions. And they affect each one of us differently.

How are you facing the reopening questions in your life? Are you one to forge ahead or do you prefer to hunker down for a bit longer? What about the people in your life? What kind of reopening decisions are they making and how do you feel about them?

This reopening process puts each one of us in the same predicament with different details. How do we handle this? Let me propose a guiding Scripture. If something is repeated in the Bible it is worth paying attention to and this verse is quoted verbatim twice in Proverbs:

“A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭22:3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭27:12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Prudent. Now, there's a word we don't use that often. To be prudent is to be "careful in the way that you make decisions or spend money so that you avoid unnecessary risks" (dictionary.cambridge.org) Prudent people avoid unnecessary risks. Notice the word unnecessary. There are real dangers. There are risks that must be taken in order to live in the world, in order to live for God, in order to fulfill His purposes. There are times when God asks us to face the dangers head on. But then, there are the times when we are hard-headed, selfish and stubborn. Those are the times when we ask ourselves to face things head on.

There are people who may declare that they are bold and faith-filled, but are actually foolish and taking unnecessary risks. They aren't being prudent, they are putting God to the test. When we take unnecessary risks, we put ourselves out in places that God has NOT asked us to be and call it faith. Boldness takes the risks that are necessary to accomplish God’s purpose, not our own.

True faith looks to God for guidance and wisdom. WISDOM. Wise people know what is appropriate for the situation. What is wisdom? The way I like to define wisdom is "to see things from God’s perspective". When I ask Him to help me pull back and see things from His vantage point, that is when I begin I to understand what I need to do.

I am foolish, a "simpleton" as the Proverbs say, when I "go blindly on", when I rush ahead without asking for help. Then I presume to know what God, or someone else, wants and take unnecessary risks. I have been there and you have too so we might as well admit it.

So, what do we do now? Do we stop all activity until things are absolutely safe? It doesn't seem like that will be happening anytime soon. And what do we do when others make reopening choices that they are comfortable with and we are not? How do we navigate this unusual and frightening reality?