MISSION ABORTED

(Based in part on Psalm 139:13-15, Jer. 1:5)

I was formed in my mother’s womb,

Fearfully and wonderfully made.

From the moment of my conception,

My groundwork was carefully laid.

Disguised in white, Satan entered the scene.

My mom listened to his voice.

He whispered, “Kids are a burden,”

Then offered her a choice.

My mission from God went unfulfilled,

His plan for me was thwarted.

Not one of my days came to be,

For my mother had me aborted.

Mom now grieves her decision,

While Satan gloats from his lair.

Though I am in heaven, safe in God’s arms,

Mom’s arms have been left bare.

Becky Overturf Wall

DISPOSABLE MATES AND THROWAWAY CHILDREN

DISPOSABLE MATES AND THROWAWAY CHILDREN

“The thrills are gone, our marriage is work,

Why did your good looks fade?

I will just dispose of you;

For another I will trade.”

“Nag, nag, nag, that’s all she does,

What right has she to complain?

I will just divorce her;

That should end my pain.”

“What’s that you say? You are with child;

Have you lost your wit?

How could you let that happen?

Let’s just get rid of ‘it.’”

Though spouses are disposed of,

And children thrown away.

There's One who will retrieve them;

We'll see Him on Judgment Day.

Becky  Wall

Note: Wrong choices, also known as sin, should be confessed along with repentance and God promises to forgive. Repentance involves turning your life around, changing your thinking and behavior to be more in line with what God wants.

"'The man who hates and divorces his wife,' says the Lord, the God of Israel, 'does violence to the one he should protect,' says the Lord Almighty." It is not clear what the word "violence" entails in this verse. It may be what we call "passive aggression" today. No blows are thrown but deep pain is committed mentally and/or emotionally by the one who should be protecting her from such pain.

SNATCHED FROM THE FLAMES

SNATCHED FROM THE FLAMES

(Inspired by Jude 1:23)

I stood at an open door to hell;

The entrance was brightly lit.

Lured to the room filled with treasures;

Like a fish to a hook, I bit.

I went another step further.

Satan beckoned me in.

“I’ll give you whatever you want,”

He said with a charming grin.

I knew I should be wary of him,

But the treasures looked so inviting.

He promised me I could be rich;

The concept was so exciting.

He pointed to several other doors,

On the far side of his lair.

When he stood, his shadow loomed over me,

Then he hissed, “Come, I’ll escort you there.”

I wanted just a peek or two,

Behind the door labeled “Fame.”

On the way I chose some treasures;

I was hooked, I would not be the same.

I opened the door and slowly walked through;

My name up in lights I could see.

There was a stage with a microphone,

And a crowd was beckoning me.

I strutted upon the stage to sing;

I blew kisses before I began.

When thick, black smoke filled the air,

Toward the door labeled “Power” I ran.

I entered the door and slammed it shut.

Ironically I said, “Cool!”

Therein was a throne with my name engraved,

And a kingdom for me to rule.

I got drunk on all my power,

Til again the fires began.

My little kingdom went up in smoke;

Towards the entrance I quickly ran.

All I could think of was wife and home,

For behind me rained sulfur and fire.

The door was barred, so there I collapsed.

Satan is such a big liar.

I woke from my dream all drenched in sweat;

I could still feel my heart in a race.

My wife looked up from her prayers to see,

The tears on my fear-stricken face.

Now I’m content with what I have;

I praise God with daily Hosannahs.

I have more respect and love for my wife,

Who still wonders at my singed pajamas.

Becky Wall

Be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire... Jude 1:22-23 

TIME PASSED AWAY

TIME PASSED AWAY

As a child I lay on the cool, green grass;

The gentle breeze blew through my hair.

I had no worries or troubles.

I longed for Time to stop there.

But Time marched on with a steady beat,

And I grew into a young miss.

I sang and danced and hung with my friends;

I enjoyed my youthful bliss.

But when I became an adult,

Time took me to a harder life;

I learned to find joy and happiness,

Amidst the world and its strife.

I watched my children playing,

Near my husband in his chair.

He was reading the Bible to them;

I wanted Time to stop there.

But Time just kept on going,

Until I found I was old.

My children hovered ’round my bed.

Time had taken its toll.

“Just give me this day with my children, Time.
Let me stay a little bit longer."
Though Time ignored my final pleas,
I suddenly became stronger.

My pain had left; I felt such peace,
Then I heard a trumpet sound.
Christ held out His hand to me,
And the angels all gathered around.

One unfurled his wing to point,
To a mansion I knew would be mine.
I walked to my home on streets of gold,
In a robe and a crown sublime.

Time, God's servant, brought me here;
He took me to heaven's door.
Now I will live for eternity,
And Time shall be no more.

Becky Wall

JONAH: IN THE BELLY OF A REALLY BIG FISH

JONAH IN THE BELLY OF A REALLY BIG FISH

The word of the Lord came to Jonah;

I want you to go and preach.

Go to Ninevah and see,

How many of them you can reach.

So Jonah paid the travel fare,

And sailed in the other direction.

But he was soon to discover,

He no longer had God’s protection.

The Lord was upset with Jonah,

So He sent a great wind on the sea.

Jonah had run away from God,

But God he could not flee.

While the sailors cried to their gods in fear,

Jonah was fast asleep,

Unaware of the trouble he’d caused,

For he was sleeping so deep.

“Get up,” cried the sailors, “and call on your god;

We’re sinking faster and faster.”

They then drew lots to determine,

Who caused this near disaster.

The lot fell upon Jonah,

So they questioned, “Who are you?

Who and where are your people?"

He answered, “I am Hebrew.”

I worship the Lord God of heaven,

Who made the land and the sea.

“What have you done” they asked him then,

“That your God caused this storm to be?”

The sea got rougher and rougher;

They wondered what they should do.

“Throw me into the sea,” Jonah said.

"It’s my fault this storm came on you."

The seamen tried to row to land,

But the waves grew wilder and wilder.

So they quickly hurled Jonah overboard.

At once, the winds became milder.

Jonah was instantly caught,

‘tween the devil and the deep blue sea.

Tangled in seaweed, he cried,

“There’s a whale of a fish after me!”

Down its slippery tongue Jonah went;

He began to toss and careen.

Though it was dark, he saw the light,

In the belly of the live submarine.

There was Jonah in the fish’s tummy,

(It was usually the other way ‘round.)

He had plenty of time to think,

And wonder to where he was bound.

Three days and nights in his think tank,

On a waterbed he rested.

The folly of ignoring his calling,

Was the only thing digested.

Jonah remembered the Lord, then prayed,

It was then God’s plan unfurled.

For the second time in three long days,

From his resting place Jonah was hurled.

With a splat he landed on dry land,

And proceeded to obey the Lord.

In Ninevah he had success,

Except with a stubborn gourd.

Becky L. Wall

PSALM 139: ALL OF MY BORN DAYS

(PSALM 139)

O LORD, you have searched me and know me,

You know every move I make.

You perceive my thoughts from afar,

You’re concerned for my soul’s sake.

You’re familiar with all my ways.

‘Fore I speak, you know what I’ll say.

You are there -- behind and before;

Your hand is on me each day.

 Such knowledge is just too wonderful,

Too lofty for me to attain.

Who am I that you think of me,

Even while the earth you sustain.

Where can I go from your Spirit?

If I go to the heavens, you are there.

Where can I flee from your presence?

If I sleep in the depths, you are there.

 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,

If on the far side of the sea,

Your right hand will hold me fast;

Everywhere your hand will guide me.

If I say, "Darkness will hide me,”

No matter what I do,

The night will shine like the day,

For darkness is as light to you.

You created my inmost being;

You knit me in my mother's womb.

I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

In your heart I have my own room.

When I was made in the secret place,

It was you who formed my frame.

I was woven in the depths of the earth;

For that, I praise your name.

Your eyes saw my unformed body,

Before one of my days came to be.

My days were written in your book;

You’ve always known about me.

Your thoughts are precious to me, O God!

Like the grains of sand by each sea.

How vast is the sum of them!

And yet you think of me.

Test me and know my own thoughts;

Search me and know my heart.

See if I am offending you,

And may we never part.

Becky Wall 

ALL IN A WORD

        

The meaning of “love” grows broader by the day. From what I have seen, it is the most used and abused word in the English language, aside from God’s name. What a paradox when you consider God is love! But the meanings of the three forms of love mentioned in the Bible — agape (as God loves), phileo (brotherly) and eros (fleshly) — do not include some of the meanings we attach to love. We love our new outfit, we love ice cream, we love to go shopping. Perfect examples of how the word is used and abused are in the songs and sayings we hear:

Love makes the world go ‘round

Love is a two-way street

Love the one you’re with

Love child

So how do we determine the real meaning of love? Even the dictionary fails to accurately define it. Webster describes it as strong affection or passion for someone or something. In my opinion, when the word “something” is included in the definition with “someone,” it cheapens the meaning. “Love” in a tennis game is defined as a score of zero. That’s what many of us feel we have scored when it comes to love — zero — but that’s another issue. The best definition I have found for love lies in I Corinthians 13. Romans 12 runs a close second. Colossians 3:12-14 is a good condensed description of love.

Love is not a passive word; it is an active word. Words alone, or feelings alone, or even words and feelings together do not portray love. Love is shown by actions. Words and affection are a bonus. Which husband portrays the most love: the one who says “I love you” 12 times a day and smothers his wife with affection but ignores her when she is sick, depressed, or has just washed off her makeup, or is it the one who stumbles at the words “I love you,”  shows little affection, but is there for his wife through thick and thin — supporting, encouraging, faithful, self-controlled and caring? I John 3:18 says, “Let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”

I John 3:13 warns us that our love may be returned with hate when we are dealing with the world. Even during these times we must remember the challenge God has set before us to “Love one another” (vs. 11). Before this can be attained, we must love the Lord with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind (Lk. 10:27). Only then can we love our neighbors — including our enemies — as ourselves.

All of this is contained in a word best defined in The Word. God is the author of love; Jesus, His Son, is the perfect example of that love. “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13. 

—Becky Wall

LOVE WITHOUT MEASURE

WITHOUT MEASURE

God loved us so much that He sent His only Son to begin life in the womb of a virgin, to live a life of hardship and rejection, then to die as a result of being beaten and nailed to a cross, having no guilt. No one has ever shown greater love than this.

Just how big is God's love? According to Scripture, it fills the earth and is as high as the heavens are above the earth. (Ps. 103:11). No telescope is powerful enough to see that far. Every time a new, more powerful telescope is invented, it reveals more "heavens" past the ones already known. Space rockets traveling at super seeds over great distances are as if they had never left the ground when compared to the vastness of the heavens. God's love is infinite.

God's love is as far as the east is from the west. We can get in our cars and travel west for the rest of our lives and we will still be going west. We can travel east for the rest of our lives and still be going east. The two never really meet; they just go on forever, as does God's love.

His love not only goes back to the time before we were formed in our mothers' wombs, but before He formed the earth. His love is from everlasting to everlasting. It is without beginning or end.

It is as strong as death. Death is powerful because once it occurs, life is no longer possible. But God's love is actually stronger than death in that it overcame death through His Son, Jesus, so that we, too, can overcome the power of death.

Water cannot quench the fire of God's love; it is undying. Money cannot buy it; it is priceless. Works cannot earn it; it is a free gift. We have only to receive it. In fact, it is there whether or not we receive it.

It is up to us to show God's love through our attitude and actions, not as a duty, but because we love God Who first loved us.

—Becky Wall

 

INSEPARABLE

INSEPARABLE

(Based on Romans 8:35-38)

What in this world will keep me from God?

Shall peril, sword, tribulation?

Distress, angels, or nakedness,

Famine or persecution?

None of these things will separate us—

Things present, nor things to come.

Not powers nor principalities,
Heighth or depth or creatures who roam.

God and I are inseparable;

One could say we are joined at the heart.

And even when mine stops beating,

Death will not do us part.

Becky Wall

A MOTHER GIVES LIFE A CHANCE

The following article appeared in the May 8, 1994, issue of the Christian Standard:

MOTHER’S DAY is a day our nation has set aside to focus attention on motherhood—one of the least appreciated of all professions, yet one of the most instrumental in shaping the world. This occasion provides a special opportunity for children to honor their mother for sacrifices made on their behalf, and for fathers to turn their attention to the one who bore and nurtured their children.

Unfortunately, abortion has cast a dark shadow on this most honorable profession. Those of us who were born prior to the legalization of abortion may wonder if we would even be alive had abortion been legal when we were conceived. With this thought in mind, I’d like to recount one mother’s story. Her name is Eve.

Eve had just been married a short time when she discovered she was pregnant. They were poor, and so was the timing, but the couple accepted their fate and even looked forward to their firstborn. Although complications occurred with the delivery of their baby girl and Eve nearly died, they were as thrilled with their new creation as if she were God’s first.

Eve’s child was only three months old when she became pregnant again. So, one year and ten days from the birth of their first daughter, they welcomed another.

When her first two girls were only two and three years of age, Eve discovered she was pregnant again, this time with twins. But with help, they built another room and welcomed the twins--more girls--a month earlier than their due date. When she brought them home from the hospital, they were frail, blue, and wrinkly. No one, not even the doctor, gave them much hope. But Eve nurtured and loved them to good health. She now had four girls, ages four and under.

When the twins were two years old, the father’s sister (a single parent) died and left two homeless children, ages five and six. These children were welcomed into the family and the three-room home, and Eve proceeded to raise them as her own. Obviously a move became necessary, so they moved--several times.

Two years later, Eve conceived again. The couple joked that Eve always seemed to get pregnant in between his jobs. But, alas, this was no joke, so they were quite distressed at first. Nevertheless, they accepted the situation and had another girl.

Fifteen months later, with seven little ones already underfoot, Eve once more became pregnant. She was at the end of  her rope. They already had so many for which to care. Even though her husband had a steady job, they still couldn’t afford another child. The doctor had warned Eve not to have any more children because of her age and health. Nevertheless, she endured the pregnancy, and this time was blessed with a son and a namesake.

This mother is mine. She had every right by today’s standards to abort any one of her pregnancies, but she rose to each occasion clothed in the virtues of patience, self-sacrifice, and unconditional love. She was blessed with a sense of humor and was armed with a strong faith in God instilled in her by her own mother.

Perhaps by Providence she was given the name Eve, which means the mother of many, the giver of life. For this life I adore her, as do her other children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, not to mention our proud father. Her example is motherhood at its best, worthy of honor.

To all the mothers who have endured similar circumstances, I extend my respect and appreciation. One-third of my friends and peers would be missing without them, as is the case with each age group since Roe vs. Wade, which was made into law 25 years after my birth. Mother’s Day might be a good time to ask your mother to recount her own history of pregnancy and childbirth. Then ask her if she is sorry that she was not allowed a “choice.”

--Becky L. Wall

"Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:  Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all."  Proverbs 31:28-29