Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Prayers of a Father


Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.  The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. - James 5:16


One night when I was about seven or eight years old, I was sleeping in my bed when I was awakened by my dad, who was praying over me, weeping as he prayed with passion over his son.  I was facing the other way, so he didn't know I was awake, and I never told him that I was aware of his praying over me that night. 

But I also never forgot what happened that evening, and the assurance I felt knowing my father was probably doing this on a regular basis.  It had such a big impact on me, that when I was graduating from college many years later, I bought him a framed copy of the picture you see here, of a father praying over his son.  You can also see on the other side of the window, an angel is fighting against a dark figure trying to get into the room.

When I presented the framed picture to him, I told him about the night many years ago when I had been awakened by his praying over me.  He didn't know I was awake, and didn't remember that particular night since he did the same thing so often.  I shared with him that this picture represents perfectly my memory of that night, and that I was thankful to have a father who was faithful in praying for his children.  We both wept in front of the large group of relatives who had traveled to Atlanta, Georgia to see me graduate, and it was a wonderful bookend to that season of our lives. 

As I reflect on that event today, I wonder what my dad's prayers did for me as I grew up.  Did they prevent me from making bad choices when confronted with temptations in high school or college?  Was God honoring his faithful prayers when I changed my mind and went out with friends one Thursday night, only to meet my future wife at the place we visited?  What present and future parts of my life's journey will be impacted by the prayers of my father, mother, grandparents, and others who have prayed for me over the years, maybe even before I was born? 

And now that I have children of my own, I make it a point to regularly visit their bedside while they are asleep, asking God for favor over their lives, for the love of God to fill their hearts with passion for Him, and for them to be the "head and not the tail, above and not beneath."  Maybe they'll wake up one night and know their father is praying over them, or maybe they will never know.  But the "prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective", so I know I am making an impact on their lives and continuing the legacy of my father's faithfulness in prayer.

And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us; and if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. - 1 John 5:14-15



-Adam Gellert
adamgellert.com


Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Focus on My Voice



It seems strange to connect a message from God to a secular movie, but when I was going through a difficult season recently, that's just what I was given...

In the movie, "Man of Steel", featuring the superhero Superman, the young Clark Kent is struggling with the abilities he was given as an alien in another world.  While seeing in x-ray vision, hearing everything around you in a super sensitive environment, and having super strength seem like fun things to have, we learn that it takes time to adapt to these abilities, and Clark goes through a lot of teasing at school for not being "normal."

One day, while being bombarded with sensory overload at school, Clark bursts out of his classroom and locks himself in a closet, covering his ears and squeezing his eyes shut to the world around him.  The school calls his mother, who comes to the door of the closet to try to comfort her son.

"The world's too big, mom," cries Clark.  "Then make it small," his mother responds. 

She then says, "Focus on my voice, pretend it's an island, out in the ocean.  Do you see it?"  Clark responds yes, and is able to focus on her voice and drown out the other noise around him.  He is also able to recall this moment later in the movie when faced with adversity, and is able to overcome the challenge with this focus. (You can see the exchange here)

I was facing a similar situation recently of feeling overwhelmed by life, with challenges at work, in my personal life, and with trying to figure out God's plan for my life.  I was so overwhelmed by worries that seemed to be coming from everywhere.  While kneeling by my bedside in prayer, I heard God say, "Focus on my voice." 

Hearing the voice of the Father always brings relief into any situation, because with His voice comes peace, joy, and comfort.  His voice will always drown out the noise of everything else, if you focus on Him.  Jesus said, "and the sheep listen to his voice.  He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out." (John 10:3)

Does the world seem too big right now?  Then make it small.  Focus on God's voice, pretend it's an island, where only you and He sit, comforted by the washing of the waves, and the tranquility of God's presence.  He will lead you to "quiet waters."

"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." - Revelation 3:20


-Adam Gellert
adamgellert.com

Monday, September 26, 2016

Activated to Serve


A good friend of mine recently introduced me to an amazing woman of God, Kathy Craft, who has been called to serve the Kingdom by laying a Christian foundation for the children of the school she founded, Abundant Grace Christian Montessori Academy, the only faith-based Montessori school in Southlake, Texas.  Her story is an inspiration to anyone seeking to be "activated" into God's calling for their lives. I sat down with Kathy recently to learn more about her school and the story of how she found her calling, and I left energized and encouraged by her passion and faith, trust in God, and desire to steward children.

Kathy has a degree in Accounting and worked for the government for 16 years.  Her husband of 37 years was also successful in a corporate career.  When her children were young and Kathy was working in a corporate job, they had to let their nanny go, and Kathy prayed to God to give her a person who could take care of her kids.  God told her, "You are that person!" Kathy was obedient to God's voice, and quit her job to stay home with her two boys.  God imprinted on her that her job was not her "source", and He would never fail in being her true Source.

When her kids started going to school, she began volunteering in the children's ministry at her church, and that's when she realized she had found her calling - she absolutely loved working with children!  She learned more about the educational approach used by Maria Montessori, the Italian physician and educator who developed the Montessori philosophy of education, which focuses on educating the "whole" child - heart, mind, body, and spirit.  Kathy became certified to teach, and partnered with her husband to start up a Montessori school, while he explored starting up a church.

Kathy and her husband took the leap and started looking for space to host the school.  One night, God woke her up from her sleep to tell her that she needed to go to a certain road in town.  She assumed He meant a church she knew of on that road, but when she visited the church, she was told they didn't have enough space, and she should try another church down the road. She wasn't aware that there was another church in that location, but she drove over and sure enough, it was there.  This was a Monday, and it turns out that the pastor did not usually come in on Mondays, but had decided to come in that day for some reason.  He quickly agreed to lease the space to Kathy and her school! 

Two years later, Kathy and her husband decided to look for their own property so they could add a church, and another miracle presented itself with the property they currently own.  A realtor learned of the available space, but they didn't have the money needed to buy the property. They were connected to a bank who approved a loan on the building, which should have been difficult to obtain!

With the many miracles and open doors God has provided Kathy and her school, she knows she is living in God's purpose for her life.  She does not take a salary from the school, so she can pay the teachers who work there. Kathy and her husband rely on his retirement income, and God's provision as she builds up her student body.  As Kathy puts it, "God wants to give you the desires of your heart.  If you follow His vision, He will give you provision."

Today, Kathy says she's not anxious any more like she was when working out of her calling in the corporate world.  She "doesn't have to hold her breath any more", and can just breathe easy, trusting God in what He will do with Kathy and her ministry of serving the children of her community.  She is excited to come to work every day, knowing she is operating in God's will for her life, and enjoying every moment making an impact on a child's life.  She continues to have ups and downs and has faced obstacles as she grows her school, but Kathy isn't fearful of these obstacles, because she is focused on the vision and promises He has given her.

Are you "holding your breath" in your current situation? Do you feel like you are living in God's purpose for your life?  Ask God to speak to you clearly in this season.  My prayer is that He will open doors to allow for your true calling to be revealed to you.  This doesn't necessarily mean you have to quit what you're doing now and serve in a ministry environment like Kathy, but you will know you are where you are supposed to be when God gives you peace and a passion to get up every day, excited about the work you've been given and the opportunity He has given you to serve Him and His Kingdom.

For more information on Kathy Craft and Abundant Grace Christian Montessori Academy, visit their website at http://www.agcma.com/ or their Facebook page.

- Adam Gellert
adamgellert.com


Tuesday, September 13, 2016

The Acorn



When I was an intern in graduate school, I was fortunate to work with a department of work colleagues who were Christians, and we discussed our faith often at work. One of my co-workers gave me a birthday present in the fall of 1998 that I cherish to this day - a daily devotional with a treasure trove of quotes that I have bookmarked and revisit on a frequent basis.

My favorite quote from this 365 day devotional is The Acorn, written by Lyman Abbott, a pastor, magazine editor, and author who died in 1922:

I pluck an acorn and hold it to my ear, and this is what it says to me:  "By and by the birds will come and nest in me.  By and by I will furnish shade for the cattle.  By and by I shall provide warmth for the home.  By and by I shall be shelter to the storm to those who have gone under the roof.  By and by I will be the strong ribs of a great vessel, and the tempest will beat against me in vain, while I carry men across the Atlantic."

"O foolish little acorn, wilt thou be all this?" I ask.  And the acorn answers, "Yes, God and I."

This quote still sends shivers down my spine every time I read it. It demonstrates two key lessons for all of us in our walk with Him; first, the more obvious reminder that we need God's power and strength to accomplish our God-given dreams.  The acorn had the faith to see all that was possible in its life, but only by relying on God to accomplish what others see as impossible.

Next, the acorn was wise enough to realize that many of its dreams will come to pass "by and by."  The phrase "by and by" means "eventually," "ultimately," or "finally."  It takes time for an acorn to mature into a tree that can make the kind of impact this acorn dreamt about, and the acorn had the faith to be patient and wait for God's timing and its own spiritual maturity for his future promises to come to pass. 

What dreams do you have for your life?  Are there some dreams that seemed to have passed you by as life changed coursed and caused you to drift away from what was laid on your heart? Are you choosing to be like the acorn, who realizes that it can only accomplish the impossible through a partnership with God and his son Jesus Christ?  And are you willing to wait for God's "by and by", His perfect timing in seeing your dreams to completion?

Have the faith of this acorn, and you will be amazed at what God has in store for your unique life!

"With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale any wall." - Psalm 18:29

"Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches.” - Luke 13:18-19

-Adam Gellert


Monday, August 29, 2016

The Blessing of Alzheimer's Disease


Back in June, I featured my grandmother, Byrdeen, in another blog post titled "My Elijah".  She was an anchor of faith in my life, and was my "go-to" spiritual counselor throughout my childhood and early adulthood.  Byrdeen had such a close relationship with the Lord, that I can't recall too many conversations when He didn't come up.  She was "activated" in her faith, and was really on fire for God. 

Grandma also loved her children and grandchildren very much, and I can recall her always asking us, "You know how much we love you, right?"  Unfortunately, I also remember rolling my eyes at how often she would ask us this question, and in my immaturity as a teenager I would grudgingly respond, "Yes, Grandma, I know..."

But in her last several years, Byrdeen was overtaken with Alzheimer's disease, a terrible disease that gradually degrades a person's memory and identity, and is a trying experience for the person, his or her spouse, and family members.  For me, it started with noticing that Grandma was forgetting things frequently, and I found myself repeating things I had told her.  We took her in for testing, and the doctors confirmed she had Alzheimer's.  My grandfather suffered terribly from watching her slowly fade from an amazing spouse and life partner for many decades, to someone that needed constant care and attention.  Over the years, she went from forgetting things to not even knowing who you were when you walked in the door.  It's such a sad and shocking thing to have someone that close to you not know who you are, and you know that any interaction you have with her that day will be forgotten the minute you walk out the door.

My grandfather died unexpectedly in 2000, so the burden was then put on my parents to take care of Grandma.  The money my grandparents had saved eventually ran out, so the financial burden was placed on my parents to help pay for her care, which only added more insult to the emotional injury of watching your mother slowly slip away. 

In her final few years, we were fortunate to discover that the Department of Veteran's Affairs had a benefit that helped pay for her care since my grandfather was a military veteran (she was featured on NBC News here).  This allowed us to move Grandma into a senior care facility.  She had been cared for previously by a family friend, and hadn't gotten much exposure to other people and a more active life. 

Grandma immediately took to the new facility, and she was able to enjoy a constant flurry of activity with church services, games, and frequent interaction with others.  Even though she still suffered from Alzheimer's, she was able to make friends and interacted well with the staff.

Then an amazing thing happened.  My grandmother died one day of heart failure.  When we attended her funeral, many of the facility's staff were on hand for the service.  After some members of the family spoke, several of the staff members got up to speak, one by one, sobbing as they talked about what a big impact Byrdeen had made on the people and staff at the senior living facility.  Even though she had lost many of her mental faculties, Grandma had never lost her faith in God, and was able to sing along to all the church hymns being sung at the services they held.  She would compliment everyone she saw on how beautiful they looked, and how happy she was to see them. 

One lady in particular, who would not have been seen as attractive by worldly standards, told us that Grandma would always tell her how beautiful she was when she saw her, and it was the first time in her entire life that someone had said she was beautiful.  It brightened not only her day, but also changed her life. 

I sat in the service, amazed that people who see death every day in that facility, and probably become somewhat numb to the many people who come and go from that place, were so grieved by the loss of my grandmother. It was obvious that she had made an important impact on the lives of the people there.  And lives were changed because of her being placed in that facility. 

So what's the take away from this story? God has promised us that He will turn ashes into beauty (Isaiah 61:3).  It doesn't mean that He allows or makes bad things happen to manipulate events into His desires - that lie makes many people skeptical of God and His goodness.  What it means is that God takes the bad things that happen in this fallen world and turns them into good, according to His will and perfect timing. 

My family had a hard time understanding why someone who was so faithful to God for her entire life had to suffer through her final years with Alzheimer's, and cause the suffering of my grandfather and other family members. But I'm convinced that, knowing my grandmother, she would choose to have the same experience again knowing the impact she was able to make at that senior care facility in her final years.  And someday, when we are able to see the tapestry of our lives in heaven, we will all say "Amen" when we see how all of life's events, good and bad, were able to be turned into beauty by the amazing Creator of the universe. 

I hope this word encourages you today, and if you or someone you know has Alzheimer's, my prayers are with you that God will turn your ashes of this experience into beauty.

"To all who mourn in Israel, He will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair.  In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory." - Isaiah 61:3

-Adam Gellert
adamgellert.com

Monday, August 15, 2016

The Wrong Foul Ball - Focusing on the Next Opportunity


Catching a foul or home run ball in a professional baseball game is one of those rare gifts that is truly a special occasion for baseball fans.  I had personally never done it until just this summer, and the circumstances surrounding it allowed me to reflect on an important lesson God showed me that day. 

My kids, as usual, had packed their gloves for the game, ever optimistic that they would get to catch a ball at the game.  I reluctantly took my glove as well at their request, knowing the odds were slim but wanting to humor the kids.  (That's another lesson God teaches us with kids' attitudes - we seem to lose our hope and optimism with age and experience!)

Halfway through the game, I was standing at the top of my section taking a break from our seats down below.  Wanting to catch a foul ball for my kids, I silently prayed to God for a chance at a foul ball.  It seemed silly to ask God for something like that, but literally on the next pitch, the batter sliced a fly ball high into the air right towards me!  Since it's rare that one even comes close, I was stunned and unprepared as I had left my glove in my seat.  I hesitated to go after the ball as it drifted about ten feet past me into the hands of another fan in his seat.

I was disappointed as I wondered if that was the best chance I would ever get at catching a foul ball.  Should I have been more aggressive? Should I have had my glove with me? Did I miss the chance God had given me through my prayer? 

I returned to my seat and grabbed my glove, knowing there was no way another foul ball would come close but not wanting to be unprepared again.  Amazingly, during the next inning a batter hit a hard ground ball right toward us.  It bounced up from the wall and flew right toward me. I instinctively reached up with my glove, and in the sea of hands reaching for the ball, I felt the ball snap into my glove. As we all looked around for the ball, I was shocked to look inside my glove and find the foul ball!  My kids were so excited, and I'll admit I was too.  It made our night, and the kids couldn't stop taking turns holding the ball, even when we returned home.

So what's the lesson God was teaching me in that experience? Sometimes we focus too much on the missed opportunities or bad choices we may have made, and we miss the real "foul ball" God had intended for us to catch.  If I hadn't optimistically gone back down to my seat and put on my glove, ready and prepared for another chance, I would have missed yet another foul ball, the ball God had originally intended for me to catch.  Rather than focusing on the past and the decisions you have made, remember that God already knows the choices you intend to make, and will give you all the chances you need to make the right decisions according to His purpose.  And those missed opportunities will allow you to learn and grow, so you won't miss the right decisions down the road.

Trust God for the adventure ahead, and know that God will always position you for the right "foul balls" in your life! 

"Who, then, are those who fear the Lord? He will instruct them in the ways they should choose."
- Psalm 25:12

-Adam Gellert
adamgellert.com

Friday, August 5, 2016

Is "I'll Be Praying For You" the Christian Version of "Let's Do Lunch"?




"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." - James 5:16


We've all been there - you run into that old friend or acquaintance you haven't seen in years.  After catching up with the normal small talk of asking about each other's job, children, spouses, or other updates, you don't want to end the conversation with an awkward, but likely accurate "well, see you when we run into each other in five years".  So we leave the conversation with the hope that we will connect again soon, letting each other down easy by saying, "We should do lunch sometime."  You don't exchange phone numbers or email addresses, and walk away to the next stop on the day's agenda.  Who knows if you'll ever see or talk to that person again.  And do you really care?

Now, think about a similar conversation with someone you know is a fellow Christian - a church friend, co-worker, or other connection.  They tell you about the job they just lost, the illness of their child or spouse, the struggles they are having in their marriage.  And we leave the conversation with a sincere and heartfelt, "I'll be praying for you".  But what do you do with that promise to keep that person in your prayers? Do you move on with your own agenda, or do you sincerely make it a point to put that person on your prayer list and commit time in prayer?

I'll be the first to raise my hand and admit that this has been a fault of mine for much of my life.  I can think of so many times I've left a conversation with statements like, "I'll be praying for you" or "I'll be praying for your ministry." But in reality, I didn't make time for any prayer time with God, much less using that time to pray for others, so it was an empty promise; it was a "let's do lunch" moment. 

Even now that I've carved out quiet time daily to talk to God, I have to make it a point to spend time praying for others; I have to confess that many times that quiet time can turn into a selfish pursuit of one on one time with God, to hear what I want to hear, to get what I think I should get from that time with Him.

This is going to sound strange, but in my opinion, praying for others regularly isn't easy.  As I mentioned before, many of us get busy with our schedules and don't take the time to pray at all.  And many of us focus what little time we take to pray to focus on our own problems and situations. But think about it - prayer is one of the most powerful weapons we have in our arsenal.  The devil knows this, and is doing his best to keep us distracted with anything that will keep us from praying for others.  Because as James says in James 5:16, "The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective"!

For those of you who do truly commit to praying for others regularly, I applaud you and so admire your commitment to take on this essential role in God's army.  Intercessory prayer is such an amazing and powerful weapon.  But oftentimes, I would submit that many of use abuse the word "prayer" in our daily walk, as we tell others we will pray for them, pray for a certain decision or outcome, etc., when that's the easy way out, the "let's do lunch" commitment that makes us feel good as we walk away with no intention of following through.

I would challenge each of you, the next time you make that statement to someone, to take the next step and truly, earnestly, put that commitment to prayer.  As we know from James 5:16 and many other Bible verses regarding prayer (such as Mark 11:24, Acts 10:4, Ephesians 6:18), you are making a difference in that situation.  And you are honoring that person, your word, and God by following through. 

I'm going to do my best to make this commitment in prayer for others.  If you decide to join me, please share your stories of how this made a difference in your life and the lives of others. I am confident you have many exciting adventures to share!

- Adam Gellert
adamgellert.com