Lori Hatcher's Blog: Refresh Blog, page 77

What I Learned at a Japanese Shrine

Japanese who practice the Shinto religion believe one must be ceremonially clean to approach the god of the shrine.

“Walking through a torri gate is the first step,” my guide explained. The tall red archway stood at the entrance to the Tsuragaoka Hachimangu Shrine in Kamakura, Japan. Some shrines have dozens of torri gates, but this shrine had only one.


We walked under the gate to a row of metal basins filled with running water. I watched as one woman lifted a bronze ladle, dipped it into the bubbling water, and splashed it onto her hands. She rubbed them together, then shook the water droplets from her fingertips. Dipping her ladle into the water once more, she poured some into her hands, raised it to her mouth, swished it around, and spat discreetly on the ground. She had completed steps two and three of ceremonial cleansing.


As we climbed the tall steps to the shrine, the sweet smell of incense greeted us. To my left was a display that held ribbon-tied “wishes” worshipers had penned in permanent marker on chips of wood. Farther on were more wishes, scribbled on strips of paper and tied to cords that hung like harp strings from a wooden frame.

As I watched the worshipers perform their steps toward purification, I remembered Isaiah 29:13:

"These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.”

My heart was sad for the Japanese people, because I know their “wishes” go no further than the wooden frame that keeps them earthbound. The Bible makes it clear that the only way we can approach God is through his Son, Jesus Christ.

The Japanese have one thing right, however—our hands must be clean to approach God. Listen to the words of the Psalmist as he asks, “Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place?

“He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol, or swear by what is false. He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God his Savior” (Psalm 24:3-5).

But how do we become clean? Not by walking through a torri gate or washing our hands in a bubbling basin. We become clean by acknowledging that we are sinners—that within ourselves dwells no good thing. By repenting of our sins and accepting the forgiveness Christ offers as a free gift. And by surrendering our lives to the all-powerful, all wise, all-loving God of the universe.

Then and only then, God promises, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool” (Isa. 1:18).

And one day, every knee shall bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. And those beautiful red torri gates? I believe even they will acknowledge that Jesus is Lord:

“Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory?

The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle” (Psa. 24:7-8).

Sometimes I’m guilty of taking my relationship with God too casually. I forget that I am approaching not only my Abba Father, but the righteous, holy, all-powerful God of the universe. To give him the honor and respect he deserves, I must come to him with clean hands AND a clean heart.

My trip to the Japanese shrine reminded me how important it is to examine myself regularly, confess sin quickly, and treat God and his house with reverence and respect.




What about you? Do you struggle with the balance between familiarity and respect when approaching God? How do you keep the balance? Leave a comment below and join the conversation.

For the next month or so, I'll be sharing pictures from my trip and Fun Facts about Japan on my Hungry for God Facebook page. From the brilliant to the bizarre, electronic toilets to exotic foods, these peeks into Japan will educate you, surprise you, and even make you laugh. To LIKE my Facebook page, CLICK HERE so you won't miss a single fun fact.




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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

Are Your Daily Habits Killing You or Keeping You?

My boss, a dentist, often says, “What you do every day will either kill you or keep you.” 


Case in point—one day a college student who worked at a fast food restaurant several nights a week came in for his semi-annual dental checkup. We found 12 cavities. When we quizzed him about his daily habits, he admitted that he often sipped his favorite soft drink, Mountain Dew, to keep awake during his late-night shifts. He was shocked to learn he had so many cavities. 

We weren’t. 

Another patient, an older man who taught at a local private school, was also surprised when I announced he had two cavities. “You must be mistaken,” he said. “I haven’t gotten a cavity in 20 years.” 

Remembering that he’d complained about a dry mouth, I asked about his daily habits. “Do you regularly suck on candy or chew sugared gum?” 

His eyes grew wide. “Now that you mention it,” he said, “I started sucking on peppermints to keep my mouth moist while I lecture.” 

Mystery solved. 

Unfortunately, destructive daily habits aren’t limited to the dental realm. Regular smokers die of cancer and emphysema. Regular drinkers experience liver disease, digestive problems, and heart disease. Chronic couch potatoes are often obese and diabetic. 

More serious than any health problem I’ve mentioned, though, are the destructive results of poor spiritual habits. Studies have shown that those who never miss a Facebook update are more likely to be depressed and discontent. Those who spend every Sunday on the golf course or the beach have great tans but pale spiritual lives. Those who seldom miss a workout but never exercise spiritual discipline are strong on the outside and weak on the inside. 

If you’d like to cultivate daily spiritual habits that will keep you rather than kill you, here are a few suggestions: 

1. Read good books. 

One godly woman I admire has three books going at all times—one spiritual, one practical, and one just for fun. She puts them in strategic places like in her car, on her nightstand, in her purse, and yes, in the bathroom. Even if she only reads a few pages, she’s still reading more than if she hadn’t been intentional about it. 

2. Keep a thankful journal. 

Ann Voskamp began the movement to catalog at least three gifts from God every day in her book, One Thousand Gifts. It is a habit with strong biblical roots. Physically writing down the acts of God in our daily lives helps us remember that he is always working on our behalf. Being thankful protects us against ingratitude, entitlement, and doubt. 

3. Speak blessings. 


We live in a world characterized by negativity. Every day our husbands, children, and friends are pelted with words that hurt their hearts. When we speak blessings over them, we kiss the bruises.

Imagine how your husband would face the day differently if the last words he heard from you as he walked out the door were, “I’ll be praying for you today. You’re going to do great.”? How might your child feel as he climbs onto the school bus after you reminded him of the special ways God has gifted him? How might your coworker feel if you greet her with a smile and tell her one specific thing you appreciate about her? 

 And here’s an interesting observation: In the dyslexia of the divine, God somehow often manages to multiply the blessings we give away so they come back to us. 

I hope these three spiritual habits (and my cavity-ridden patients) have caused you to think about what you do every day. Habits, good or bad, chart the course of our lives. “As I have observed, those who plow evil and those who sow trouble reap it,” Job 4:8 reminds us. 

The prophet Hosea offers a better way: “Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers righteousness on you” (10:12). 

 Are your daily habits killing you or keeping you? What habits have positively or negatively affected your life? What spiritual habit would you add to my list above? Leave a comment and share your thoughts. I’d love to hear them.





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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

"Please, don't take pictures." -- a request from the South Carolina floods

“Please, don’t take pictures.”

Of all quotes from all the television news interviews, this one sentence pierced my soul.

The news anchor was questioning a woman who had lost her home and everything she owned in the floods that swept across South Carolina last week.

“What can people send?” she asked. “What do you need?”

“We need everything,” the woman responded. “But most of all, we need hugs.”

And then she paused.

“And please, don’t take pictures.”

My house didn’t wash away when Columbia’s lakes overflowed their banks. My car didn’t float half a mile down the street and land in someone’s flower garden. Nor did my boat, trailer and all, end up behind a tall row of hedges in a neighbor’s back yard.

My underwear, baby albums, and grandma’s afghan aren’t piled on the side of the road next to my baby’s crib. Rescue workers aren’t donning masks before they enter my house because the smell from my molding walls is making them gag. And I’m not crying quietly in a corner when I think no one is looking.

But I understand how this woman feels.

I remember a time years ago. Stung by a jellyfish one hot South Carolina day, I lay writhing on the beach. Red-hot pain from where the creature’s poisonous tentacles had brushed against my leg had left angry stripes in its wake. Trying not to cry, I watched my husband trek across the sand in search of help. He spoke to the lifeguard, who hopped on his 4-wheeler and roared over. Almost immediately, a crowd began to form.

Strangers surrounded me, pointing and talking, their curious eyes assessing my injury. Like rubberneckers at a highway accident looking for the next thousand-hit YouTube video, they cared little about me. Their presence magnified my pain as they gathered to gawk, not to help. I was embarrassed, hurt, and angry. 

In a small way, I feel my neighbor’s pain. I hear the cry of her heart.

Thankfully, for every gawker there have been a dozen helpers. For every looter there have been a hundred givers. For every sensationalistic newsman there has been a compassionate soul holding the camera.

They’ve captured stories like the one about a football team full of boys tackling the gridiron task of demolishing their rival team’s coach’s first floor to prepare it for cleanup.

Or the one about the rescuers who discovered a woman sleeping through the storm as floodwaters lifted the mattress from her bed.

Or one of my favorites, the one about how Earl and Cynthia Pierce returned to their flooded home to see if they could salvage any of their possessions. They feared all was lost until they spotted a miracle. Although five to six feet of water had filled their one-story home, two things had stayed high and dry—Earl’s Bible and the check Cynthia had written to her church the night before the flood. 

Apparently the chair that held Earl’s Bible and the table on which Cynthia had laid the check had floated up with the floodwaters and settled gently back down again without disturbing their cradled treasures. The Pierces accept these tokens as gifts from the Lord and a reassurance that El Roi, the God who sees, sees them.

If you’d like to help those who have lost their homes in the South Carolina floods, Samaritan’s Purse has set up a command center in Columbia. Working with Shandon Baptist Church, they are coordinating ongoing relief and restoration work. Click here to learn how you can help.

Thank you for being a giver, not a gawker. And thank you for praying.


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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

Stuck

Tears spilled from the corners of my eyes and rolled past my temples and into my ears. I was lying across three airplane seats trying to be brave and failing miserably. 

For 11 days I’d visited with my daughter in Japan. Every day held new adventures, and it was a joy to spend time with her after six months of separation. Every few days I’d check in with my family back home, but it was a Facebook post that first alerted me to the danger that was brewing in South Carolina. 


A strong low-pressure front, colliding with warm, moist air from an offshore hurricane was combining to form the perfect storm—headed toward my home state. As the storm worsened, I began to see pictures and videos of the devastation caused by over 20 inches of rain—more than had ever fallen in our city in a two-day period. 

My heart sank as I recognized a washed out bridge on a road I travel every day. I saw homes in nearby neighborhoods surrounded by acres of water as high as their rooftops. Images of people trapped in rapidly rising floodwaters just around the corner from my home made my stomach clench. 

Tapping out Facebook messages, I checked in with my daughter, pregnant with our second granddaughter and only two weeks away from her due date. A second message to my husband reassured me that our home was withstanding the flood. A final check confirmed that my mom and dad, who lived high on a hill outside the city, had hunkered down to wait out the storm. 

Grateful, I hugged my daughter goodbye at the airport and set my face toward home. Will I be able to fly into Columbia? I wondered. Will I have to spend the night in Chicago, where my connecting flight originates? If I make it to Columbia, will someone be able to pick me up at the airport? 

I anticipated trouble on the backside, but I never dreamed I’d get stuck in Tokyo. Yet here I sat, eyes trained on the ceiling and ears filling up with silent, not-so-brave tears, while maintenance men dismantled the control panel on the airplane. 

You may not be trapped in an airport in Tokyo or watching your hometown drown, but I bet you’ve been stuck before. You may be stuck right now—hedged in by circumstances beyond your control and unable to move forward. As believers, how do we handle it when we’re stuck? 

1. We cry. 

It’s OK. We’re human, and we’re frail. To pretend to be otherwise is useless and counterproductive. Disappointment and frustration need an outlet, and crying helps, even if we do it silently, staring at an airplane ceiling. Tears are OK as long as we don’t wallow in them. 

2. We count our blessings. 

Releasing frustration and disappointment makes room for gratitude. In every situation, we can always see evidence of God’s care for us if we look. Blotting the tears from my ears, my thoughts turned to what I had to be thankful for. Thank you, God, the plane didn’t malfunction in the air. Thank you that I have three seats to myself to stretch out on. Thank you that I have a home to come home to, and loved ones awaiting my arrival. 

3. We pray. 

Being stuck helps us recognize we don’t control everything. It reminds us we need God’s help, guidance, and provision. It humbles us and teaches us to trust. 

4. We watch for God’s deliverance. 

Never accept the “facts.” When a situation seems hopeless, the time is ripe for God to miraculously intervene. Nothing is too hard for God. Nothing. Remember what happened when Moses and the children of Israel were trapped between the floodwaters of the Nile and the imposing Egyptian army?  

“Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today,” (Ex. 14:13). 

Don’t think because you cannot see the way of escape that God isn’t able to provide it. 

5. We trust when our rescue is long in coming. 

Jeremiah is a stalwart example of hope and trust. Listen to his words: 

“Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: 
Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. 
They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 
I say to myself, ‘The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.’ 
The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; 
it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD,” 
(Lam. 3:21-26). 

As my travel adventure unfolded, I saw God at work everywhere I landed. 

My planes arrived safely in San Francisco, Chicago, Washington, DC, and then home. As I waited for my flight to D.C., I stood close to a television broadcasting the morning news. Images from Columbia splashed themselves across the screen like a Titanic rerun. 

“That’s my hometown,” I sighed, to no one in particular. 

The woman standing next to me, her eyes also transfixed by the images, responded, “I’m headed there.” 

Turns out she works for FEMA and is part of the emergency response team. She was on her way home from working the wildfires in California, got the alert for South Carolina, and changed her destination to Columbia. As we waited, she plied me with questions about the layout of the city, what I knew about the damage, and how best to reach the command center. 

“I’ll be glad to take you there,” I said. 

When we arrived in D.C., an airport employee, hearing that I was trying to get home to Columbia, offered to switch my flight to an earlier one that had been delayed and was just preparing to board.

“Do you have two seats?” I asked, explaining my new found friend’s mission. With a few clicks of the mouse, she had both of us on the flight. 


“Don’t worry,” my FEMA friend said as we hugged goodbye. “We’re going to take care of y’all.” 

“I’ll be praying for you,” I replied. “Thank you for coming.” 

If you’re feeling stuck today, I’d like to remind you that even when you can’t see God’s hand and nothing seems to be happening, God is at work. Pray, trust, wait, and you will see the deliverance of the Lord. 

And when you do, be sure to thank him. And tell others, so they can learn to trust him, too.


I'm so excited to be the keynote speaker tomorrow night at Lawtonville Baptist Church's fundraiser for NAMiss South Carolina, Maryanna Hatcher (no relation). She'll be representing our state in the national competition in Anaheim, California next month. 

If you're in the area, why not join us for a great meal, wonderful fellowship, and a message about how to conquer the chaos that threatens to overwhelm us? Contact Niki at 706-951-2426 for more information.





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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

What's It Like In Columbia? South Carolina's 1,000-Year Flood

I live in Forest Acres, the epicenter of what newsmen are now calling “The Thousand Year Flood.” Over a two-day period, more than 15 inches of rain, 6 trillion gallons of water, poured into our city, causing rivers, creeks, lakes, and ponds to overflow, dams to break, and roads and bridges to collapse. Rushing water swept away cars, boats, businesses, houses, and, most tragically, people. 

South Carolina has suffered losses totaling in the billions, and parts of our infrastructure are crippled. Some residents are completely without water, and the rest of us are under a Boil Water Advisory for the forseable future. 

But before I continue painting the picture of Forest Acres, let me gratefully acknowledge that my family and my home were spared. 

Now look at Forest Acres through my windshield:

As I drive to work, every major route out of my neighborhood save one is closed. Bridges have collapsed. Roads have washed away. Dangerous water still covers some roadways, and rushing streams and rivers make passage hazardous. Barricades block almost every major intersection. Five railroad employees crossed one of the barricades two nights ago and plunged into raging water when the road disappeared. Three men swam to safety. Two men drowned. 

I drive over a bridge that has miraculously withstood the storm. The water rushes beneath me carrying a lampshade, a cooler, and someone’s kitchen chair. Every year South Carolina has a 43-mile yard sale where sellers from all over the state set their wares along the sides of the road. As I drive down Kilbourne Road, it looks like the yard sale has come to Columbia. The entire contents of people’s homes are piled in the street. There are no smiling sellers offering bargains, however. Instead there are friends and neighbors with masks on their faces depositing armloads of possessions in soggy, molding heaps. Their masks protect their lungs but cannot hide their tears. 


A friend’s home three neighborhoods over was spared—an island in an underwater cul de sac. He and others manned powerboats to rescue their neighbors—the special needs women whose group home had always been a haven, an elderly woman clasping photos of her grandchildren, and the young lawyer and his 14-year-old son. But not their dog-the floodwaters rose too quickly. 

Five thousand national guardsmen are flooding the state. A Samaritan’s Purse rescue trailer sits in the parking lot of a church. Community training for flood remediation begins tomorrow as the churchs' gyms fill with donated water, diapers, and other necessities. 

Military police in their olive drab sit at strategic intersections, and Red Cross Disaster Team trucks rumble past giant dump trucks scooping piles of waterlogged debris from the sidewalks. Helicopters circle overhead, dropping one-ton sandbags in strategic spots near fragile dams still threatening to burst. Friends who shared meals around the table hug in yards where their homes once stood. 

There are stories of profound loss—an elderly friend whose wife suffers from Alzheimer’s surveys the basement pond where high school memorabilia, baby albums, and love letters float like lily pads. “We’re blessed,” he says. “She doesn’t even know they’re gone.” 

There are also stories of profound rescues—an 87-year-old man and his dog pulled from a car by a family who refused to let them drown. A grandmother, on her way to church, whose car is swept from the road and into another church’s parking lot. Nine-eleven didn’t answer so she called her grandson. Wrenching the door open, he freed her from the car and watched in horror as the swiftly moving water carried it away. They waited for rescuers, holding on to a bright red cross on the church property. 

"Where my car stopped was right behind a huge red cross,” Clara Gantt told WISTV. “I was literally, after I got out of the car, holding on the cross. I was clinging to the cross.” 

And there are stories of profound hope. A community rallying around its own. Strangers showing up on damp doorsteps to lend a hand. Collection points overflowing with donations. Prayers and financial contributions from around the world. 

Nineteen souls have lost their lives in the floods, and we mourn their passing. Hundreds of thousands of souls have been spared, and we are grateful. 

“But now, this is what the LORD says--: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you’” (Isaiah 43:1). 

And yes, this week the sun came out again. 

As Tuesday dawned bright and clear, meteorologist Tim Miller expressed what was on everybody’s heart: “Wow,” he said, in a voice thick with emotion, “well how about that--sunshine. That's amazing.” 

Washington Irving captured what the citizens of South Carolina know: 

"There is a sacredness in tears. They are not a mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and of unspeakable love."

If you’d like to help with South Carolina’s relief efforts in the wake of the Thousand Year floods, please consider donating to the following agencies who are providing help and resources:

Samaritan’s Purse

Red Cross Disaster Relief






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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

What Disc Golf and Life Have in Common

I did something recently I’ve never done before—I played disc golf.

Disc golf is my husband’s new favorite sport. It gets him off the couch into the sunshine and air and provides a fun way to exercise. It also helps him build relationships with other men through friendly competition.

The game of disc golf is similar to traditional golf, only instead of using a ball and clubs, you play with a disc that looks like a sophisticated Frisbee. Instead of hitting a ball into a hole in the ground, you fling a disc into a basket made of chains. The trick is that these baskets are 300-400 feet apart, scattered throughout the woods, with lots of obstacles to throw around.

My husband and I were on a weekend getaway in the mountains (far from his regular disc golf course AND his regular golfing buddies) when he discovered a nearby disc golf course. Not surprisingly, he wanted to check it out.

“Would you like to play with me?” he asked, turning hopeful, beseeching eyes upon me.

“OK,” I said hesitantly, remembering a lesson in our latest marriage Bible study that said couples with healthy marriages try new things together.

So off we went.

A well-designed disc golf course has tees that are clearly marked with signs that tell you where the basket is, how far away, and what par it is. This course, a simple one at an elementary school, had “natural” tees. They must have been VERY natural, because they blended in so well with all the nature around us that we never saw most of them.

Instead of having a clear starting point, we had to guess. Instead of knowing how long the drive was, we had to guess at that too. Sometimes, we weren’t even sure where the basket was. We had to scour the property until we stumbled upon a basket with the correct number on it. Scoring was impossible, because without knowing what par was, we didn’t know if we’d hit the basket in fewer strokes than most, more than others, or if we were average.

Thankfully, since I was a rookie and not very good at throwing the discs or hitting the baskets, I wasn’t troubled that there was no measurable standard against which I could log my performance. My husband, however, is a serious player who wanted to know for sure how he measured up. He found the course very frustrating.

The next day we tried another course. This one was well marked with bright blue tees. At every hole there was a sign that told us how long the shot was, what was the par, and where the basket was. To make things even simpler, the rec center provided a detailed map showing where all 18 holes and their tees were.



It was a delightful experience. My husband and I knew what was expected of us, what the course rules were, and how to successfully play the game.

It occurred to me that many people play with their eternal destiny much like my husband and I played that first disc golf course.

They wander through life with no clear direction. They measure their performance by their own standards, or perhaps compare themselves with someone who’s worse than they. They guess at what might please God and occasionally stumble on something that seems right. If they’re honest with themselves, they admit that they are frustrated and uncertain.

And when we’re talking about where we’ll spend eternity, no one should be frustrated and uncertain. 

I'm glad God tells us in his Word, “These things have I written . . . that you may know that you have eternal life . . .” (1 John 5:13). We don’t have to guess. Like the second course on which we played,

God provides a map to help us navigate life. It’s called the Bible.

He’s provided a way for us to spend eternity in heaven. It’s called salvation.

And he’s provided the power to live the best life possible here on earth. It’s called the Holy Spirit.


If you feel like you’re wandering through life unsuccessfully chasing a standard you can never attain, I can relate. And if you’re wondering where you’ll spend eternity after you die, I’d love to share what someone shared with me many years ago. It changed my life, and it can change your life, too. Please CLICK HERE to go to the page, How to Know God.

Or CLICK HERE to listen to my story on YouTube.

If you already have a relationship with God, why not share this post with someone you love who is struggling?







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Occasionally a disc gets stuck in a tree. Guess who has to get it out?
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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

When You Wonder if Christianity Is Real

Perhaps I’m the only one who has struggled this way, but I suspect not.

Have you ever wondered if Christianity is real? If the events on which we’re staking our eternal destiny are true? In the dark night of the soul, have you ever wondered if Christians down through the ages have all been deceived, and you’re one of the gullible? Or maybe you suspect Christianity might be a fairy tale, like the educated people who are too enlightened to believe in God often tell us. Have you ever questioned whether Christianity is any different than any other religion, and who’s to say our way is any better?

Maybe that little worm of doubt has never wiggled deep inside of you. Perhaps your faith has always marched in a straight line ever upward since the moment of your conversion. Maybe your trust has never wavered, and your commitment has always been strong. God bless you.

But if you’re honest, I suspect you have to admit that every now and then you wonder. 

I do, too. 

There are many excellent books on the inerrancy of Scripture, proof of the resurrection, archaeological discoveries that support the Bible, and defenses of the faith. I’ve read many, and they’ve reinforced the reasons I believe in Christ. I’m not going to share them today, although if you’re interested, start with Josh McDowell’s bazillion books on apologetics.

What I want to invite you to think about today is this:

What do you think it will be like when we stand before God and know—not hope, not think—but KNOW, deep down in the depths of our souls, that everything we’ve believed is TRUE? When we see Jesus face to face, look deep into his eyes, feel his mighty arms wrap around our shaking bodies, and KNOW he is real? When we look around and see every believing loved one we’ve buried in the ground smiling and laughing and more alive than they’ve ever been?

What will be like when we realize that every gut-wrenching trial, every heartbreaking loss, and every cruel hurt we experienced as Christians had an eternal purpose and nothing was wasted? When we gaze with wide eyes at the splendor of heaven—the golden gates, the River of Life, and God Almighty’s throne—and know it is just as real as the wood, hay, and stubble we’ve left behind? And what will it be like when we realize the struggle is over—forever? No more sickness. No more pain. No more dying.

In Isaiah 25 I caught a glimpse of what that great and glorious day will look like. Listen to the prophet’s words:

“On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine—the best of meats and the finest of wines.

“On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. 

“The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth.”

Can you picture it?

As we gaze at the Lord Almighty against the stunning backdrop of heaven, surrounded by the apostles, the patriarchs, the heroes of the faith, and everyone who has ever placed his trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, we will realize, THIS IS REAL. It’s not a dream. It’s not a hope. It’s not a fairy tale. It’s REAL. 

A cry will well up from the depths of our grateful hearts as we point to our Savior and utter Isaiah’s prophetical words—“THIS IS OUR GOD! WE TRUSTED IN HIM, AND HE SAVED US!”

Yes!

YES!

YESSSSSSS!

This is my favorite part of all—the part where faith becomes sight and believers receive the object of their faith, fist pumping up and down heaven’s streets. I can only imagine. . .

I believe God gives us glimpses of Heaven, like Isaiah shared with us in chapter 25, so we will not grow weary or lose heart.

God is real. Jesus did die and rose again. And one day we will spend eternity with him in heaven.

When the doubts loom large, comfort one another with these words.





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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

A Perspective from 34,000 Feet

Did you know the outside air temperature is -78° at 34,000 feet? Or that it’s possible to convince a planeload of people that it’s nighttime in the middle of the day simply by turning out the lights and closing the blinds? 

Did you know that thrifty, normally rational people will pay $2.64 for a 2-ounce bag of M&Ms in an airport when they’d scoff at the idea anywhere else? And that people only feel the urge to go to the bathroom when the Fasten Seatbelts sign is on?

I’m not a world traveler. I’m like the lady behind me in line who, when asked if she was a Preferred Access customer, replied, “No, I’m just an ordinary person.” I’ve spent most of my life within a 25-mile radius of my house, but occasionally, when life calls me to an adventure far from my home sweet home, I go. 

Such was the case recently. 


I was seated on a plane that holds four times more people than our church sanctuary, roughly 350 people. I’d flown almost 2,800 miles and had 4,285 more to go. I’d eaten dinner out of a cardboard box, gone to the bathroom in a room the size of a broom closet, and taken a nap in the middle of the afternoon for the first time since I had the flu. 

There were three of us strapped into an area the size of the backseat of my Toyota Corolla, and nobody was fighting. Alaska was on the horizon, and the East Coast was just a memory. 

The sky was the color of dust bunnies when I boarded the plane. Heavy clouds hung low, spritzing me with moisture. As the plane approached the runway, raindrops made tiny vertical streams on the window. Just before takeoff, the streams leveled out, slinging the silver trails sideways until the wind whisked them away. The misty cloud bank surrounded our plane like a thick sheet of lint pulled from the dryer compartment. 



We began to climb, and brilliant sunshine pierced the shroud and streamed through the windows. Squinting, I groped for the sunglasses I hadn’t worn in days.

The dust bunny clouds changed from sooty grey to bright white and billowed up in massive heaps. Through the cumulus fluff, I could spot tiny houses and miniature office buildings. 

I’ve lived long enough to know that life has its share of grey days. Sometimes they come and go. Other times they come and stay. Sometimes we think the sun will never shine again, and life will be colorless forever. 

My recent altitude adjustment reminded me that my perspective from the ground is very limited. All I see is what’s around me. It’s real, but it’s not all there is. 

I suspect that if I could mount up to the heavens like I did recently, it would be easier to remember that the sun never ceases, and it will shine again in my life. 


“As the heavens are higher than the earth,” God reminds us through the prophet Isaiah, “so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (55:9). 

If the skies are grey outside your window today, take comfort. The sun has not gone out. It will shine again.
















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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

I'm not Brave

I’m not brave.

You won’t catch me parasailing off the back of a cruise ship, rappelling down a mountain, or jumping out of an airplane. When my girls were little, I wouldn’t even ride the kiddie roller coaster with them at the fair. “If you want to ride THAT ride,” I told them, “you’re on your own.”

This is why I had to chuckle when a patient of mine, hearing I was planning a trip to Japan, remarked, “Wow, you’re BRAVE.” I’ve gotten similar responses about my two mission trips to Mexico. People also call me courageous when they hear I’m a women’s ministry speaker.

“I could NEVER stand up in front of people and speak,” they say. “You’re very brave.”

And when they hear that I asked a stranger if I could pray for her? Over-the-top brave according to most people’s estimation.

I smile when I think about these comments, because I know that a timid, cowardly heart beats inside my chest. Within my own strength, I am decidedly NOT brave.

So why do I do brave things? The simple answer is because the Lord tells me to. When we know the Lord is calling us to do something, it’s no longer a matter of preference. It becomes a matter of obedience. And with the desire to obey God and do what he is calling us to do comes a bold confidence that he will also enable us to accomplish it.

Remember when God called Moses to tell Pharaoh to free the Israelites? Moses almost stammered and stuttered his way toward disobedience. “I I I cccccan’t, Lord,” he said, “I st-st-sttttutter.”

“I’ll put the words in your mouth,” God said. “Now go!” And Moses went. We all know what came of that act of obedience.

Remember what God said to Joshua when he called him to lead the Israelites in battle to conquer the land of Canaan? "Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them” (Jos 1:1-2).

God called Joshua, and then he promised to go with him: “I will give you every place where you set your foot . . . . No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you” (v. 3-5).


The same is true for us, because God does not change. Just as with Moses and Joshua, when he calls us, he will also equip, provide for, and enable us to do what he calls us to do.

This is why we can boldly go on mission trips to foreign countries. This is why we can share our faith without fear. This is why we can give and work and speak and minister in Jesus’ name with confidence—because “the everlasting God is our refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms” (Deut. 33:27).

Is God is calling you to a task that seems too big and scary for you to accomplish by yourself? Guess what? You’re right where he wants you to be. And he has something to say to you:

“Be strong and courageous, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Jos. 1:8).

I’m spending 10 days in Yokusuka, Japan, to visit my daughter and encourage a group of Navy wives. Will you pray for me?

What have you done that others have considered brave? I’d love for you to leave a comment and tell us about it. And if the Lord is leading you to do something brave, please leave a comment below so we can pray for you.






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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

Hungry for God is FREE TODAY

Have you ever heard of Innergize Day?

Innergize Day is observed annually on the day after the Autumnal Equinox. The National Day Calendar website describes it this way:

"This is a day for you! Take this day to relax and rejuvenate yourself. Focus on your personal well-being.

"Do things you enjoy that make you feel good about yourself. Let stress and worry fade away for the day. OBSERVE Take a long bath. Read a good book."

SO, because I love fall (especially after a long hot summer like we've had here in SC), and because I love good books, I've worked with my publisher to offer all my Hungry for God subscribers AND THEIR FRIENDS a FREE Kindle COPY of my 5-minute devotional book.

To download a copy of Hungry for God ... Starving for Time, 5-Minute Devotions for Busy Women, simply click this link. THIS OFFER EXPIRES AT MIDNIGHT. Download your free copy, then please share the link with the busy ladies in your life. You can't get any better than free. Unless it's a free book in the fall :)

My passion is to help busy women connect with God in the craziness of everyday life. You can help m accomplish this by downloading, sharing on Facebook, Tweeting, or sharing this email. Thanks!


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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher