We Will Cast These Down

Rosenberg this is the caregiver. This is the show for you as a family. Are you doing going on with you for not that we spent all this time, told about her feelings, but that's a conversation starter for us to learn as caregivers to speak in her own voice and whatever comes after the words I feel there's no wrong answer, but now we have starting point. Ultimately caregivers them speak in their own voice and this show this program. This moment we learn to speak in our own voices and I speak fluent caregiver been doing it now for a long time and I'm glad to have you with us. We have some phone line problem. So as far as our calls today. We will not be able to take very sorry for that but you can always go out to Facebook. I think I've got got that going right now where I'm not being cast off of Facebook and so you can follow it.

Hopefully caregiver on Facebook. It's our page up there and we stream the show live and you can post questions whatever else you want to do but were sorry about that for the phone line so we'll see just how well I can carry show what you think. I'll do the best I can. Hopefully caregiver.com.

If you want to see more information about what about do you Gracie.

When she had her accident.

It it hurt her job really bad and she had a couple teeth. It really took the brunt of some things and dentist along the years passed some things together in a while back. She had to get some crowns and she was getting used to the crowns and out of sit in a car with her were driving down the road leaving the dentist and she was kind of running her tongue over the crown there and it was try to get you see how you go to Denison when you know you just cut if everything just feels different when you get your braces off and and she looked over at me.

She said do you have any crowns and I said, not in this life that was sure to get some of the next and she didn't think that was nearly as funny as I did so, but never get that the people to tell you it when you're caregiver this all you crowns.

You can get crowns well. That brings me to today's him and you will be able to call and tell me with him is but this is a very familiar him that most people go to know, but there's a verse in their that I particularly want to drill down on today and this is about playfully's holy, holy, holy, and early in the morning my song shall rise the well it's early where we are right now and our song shall rise to the but this is a him that everybody knows of a good caregiver keyboard here but but I want you, there's a there's one particular verse in there alive that it that were going to spend some time with Dave. We all know this him, holy, holy, holy. But there is a line in there that I was think about when people come up to you and give you the sentiment as a caregiver. All you get a lot of crowns will I appreciate the fact of the sentiment, but we as caregivers really don't need a life sentiment.

We need practical help many things that are tangible that we could hang onto and I out when people say that to me but inwardly I almost cannot cringe because of the can will first off, you're implying that I'm some kind of noble person which I'm not of seen my work and then you know what to do with the crown but would you do with the crown is that why were doing this is caregiver system and get a crown and this him says this so well holy, holy, holy, all the saints adore the casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea. The only thing I would do with the crown is casted, just because he's a one where the wearing when I gunned it with a crown and and and I think that we get these cultural sentiments. You know when people say oh you mama got her wings tonight, young people died our things such as that and I really try to watch the vernacular and that the conversation in the in the words that we use because it reflects the theology we and I have come to understand in my years of doing this that that when you have bad theology.

It it gets pushed on pretty hard when you're caregiver and you got work through these issues.

You gotta go back to know what you believe and why do you believe this and and and sentiment and bumper stickers and weak theology and things like that. They're not to carry as a caregiver there, nothing to sustain. It's not going to endue it will get pounded down so hard that you know you you're going to have to reconcile certain things is not that I try to correct people when they say it.

I just don't spend a lot of time there and and I've said this often there are a lot of gospel hymns that the people liking there there real catchy and fun. All that thing but it doesn't really mean something to me as a caregiver just to seeing I got a mansion on a hilltop, for example, y'all know that one because out the first thing I think it was. Who's going to clean it and what to clean up the kitchen on the top.

It is a caregiver. I do enough cooking and cleaning and laundry. Everything else that we that the thought of kinda keeping up a mansion on hilltop makes me tired that I just think that is us trying to cram in the eternal riches of Christ into something we understand and value for the moment and and I I would rather just accept the eternal riches of Christ is something I really can't understand and accept it that he offers at peace to us right now that strength that fortitude that endurance right now in the midst of our challenges and he'll take care of all the rewards later.

I just live there. You know what I I've got friends about who really into eschatology at the big five dollar word and but it's basically studying in times and everybody right now is thinking the rapture is coming in were doing this Rogge Linda heaven here soon and did this and this and was can happen about premillennial bulimia post-millennial, you know, and I I I look at that and I think okay I'm it's important. And Scripture says, you know, look up for your redemption draws nigh I get. I get that but I got work to do here and I can't sit there in somehow check out wondering what's going to happen in the future when I've got things that demand my attention. In the present and I trust that God is good work that out but I as I told one person was don't you charge a concert about all the stuff within times it will. How does that help me take care of my disabled wife today and that's kind of where I live. I don't know if that's where you live, but that's relative. I need to keep my head in the game for today in trust that God has all the other stuff worked, which he says he does and it's not up to me to somehow figure this out in go out and try to teach people about things that I don't have any experience when I don't have any understanding I can just read what the text says here's what it says it will find out.

But in the meantime, here's what the text says about this which is to be still and know that he is stay strong in this press on and fight the good fight trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean on all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct have to meet here.

This Peter Rosenberg… Hopefully caregiver hope caregiver.com you you know that song that's what I'm talking and that's Gary Chapman, one of my all-time favorite songs you've heard me say it many times as he was in the show regularly and if you just now joining us this is a show for family caregiver. This is hopefully caregiver hope for the caregivers the conviction that we as caregivers can live a calm or, healthier, and dare I say it more joyful life. And I remember the first time I heard that song and it it just tore my heart out then and it still does. 40 years later and I asked Gary if I can put that in the rotation and he said I could and it is it it's defines everything there's a treasure at the end of this narrowed him traveled gives me that's what I'm talking about wheat we realize that we are on this very difficult road. We know there's a treasure there, and we try to put words our understanding of what treasure is, you know we we try to wrap it in ways that our minds can wrap around but that's with the treasures of mansion on hilltop word no streets of gold and and and all the things that words that we tend about wheat we get in reality the apostle Paul says no.

I have seen, no ear has heard and and and and it's impossible for us to wrap her mind right but but but for me I go back to when Jesus appeared to the disciples after after the crucifixion and after the resurrection, and he appeared in Thomas wasn't with and what did Thomas say we said well you are not a believe it to touch his moons aside, you know I'm not undoubtably this and then a week later they were all gathered together in Jesus appeared again and this time he went to Thomas and he said here touch and see and and Thomas at that point fell down and worshiped him and recognized the magnificence of what has just happened and what he just experienced. And there's no record in Scripture of Thomas say they get a ground heaven. Hey, I'm going to get a mention on hilltop hey I better get this over to get this, he just was so overpowered by the reality of the risen Christ that there was no other reality beyond Andre Kratz had a great tune that he saying if heaven and never been promised to me it's been worth just have the Lord in my life you live that if there were never any street to go the extra talks with the CD talked with this in in in in back in the 70s and that's that's not one of his more popular songs, but it's one of my favorites of his, because he touched on it an eternal truth that we spent sometimes so much time thinking about what would we do with you how many people you don't want to call me when you can't take calls electing that this you have of playing the lottery. Ed fantasize what you do if you want all that money. Sometimes I think we allow that to get into our theology and the reality is, as a believer, you want everything.

There is no other greater treasure Jesus. This is what Gary says that song Jesus is my treasure the reason for everything and it's taken me a lifetime to understand the implications of this particularly as a family caregiver, because I was so busy spinning. You have no idea wanting to to have some kind of reprieve Gracie as well just say the same thing some kind of reprieve, but when reprieve doesn't come you got to reconcile with this and for some of us it takes a little longer to reconcile than others. And that's my case because I'm a slow learner and it it it. You know I used to do. I've said this before as well used to demand to know why God was doing something I wanted that I wanted to know why and then I came to realization that I don't know why I became comfortable saying I don't know why.

And now as I'm getting into the past 35 years of this and I'm starting to be comfortable saying I can't know I don't have the capability of understanding this, I don't have the mental or spiritual ability to understand these things and it always comes back to trusting him who does. And this is where Thomas found himself that night with the disciples when Jesus appeared there was no other reality.

He didn't, he could even wrap his mind around.

Just my Lord my God, and Jesus was the only reality and for me as a caregiver. I have I have had glimmers of those kinds of moments, just glimpses of of those kinds of moments where the magnificence of Christ overpowers all of this and Gracie as well and I can tell you what happens with gracious when she sings there's something that happens when she sings, and her body is broken and she is struggling with all the implications thereof, but when she opens her mouth to say I was listening to her last night I was doing some work it in our solicitors who sing along with some worship songs and you know it just fills the house there's there's something that happens in Luther used to say this about music.

Martin Luther used to say this about music next to the word of God music elevates the human soul. That's it be that that's is the word of God and then music and in you know who. Who really took that to heart. 200 years later, Spock, and he got that and so all of his music and he is considered the father of church music all of his music reflects his theology, which was to to give glory to God.

In fact, he would assign so many of his pieces. SDG Soliday, Gloria, one of the five pillars of the Reformation to God alone gives the couple got longest the glory.

And so what I what I listen to Gracie.

Seeing these hymns of these worship songs in it and I did and then no the depths from which these things come from her eat it elevates the whole room whole house.

We get to dogs here that that are very full of themselves. Even they'll stop and listen, and it it it's extraordinary what happens.

But it takes a long time to to walk through that kind of thing where you grab a hold of where you understand it where you where it connects the dots so when I play, holy, holy, holy, for example, casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea. That's what were going to do.

That's a picture of what good do we have no idea what that looks like Reagan reality, but when I played at him. I can't and or any him for that matter, I can't just bang these things out you know and III appreciate people that can really go after having you know that just the can play in and and all this magnificent but when I play it I have to think about what I'm playing kick plate that raucously because when I play it I think about Gracie in hospitals, not hospital hospitals.

Many hospitals, many exam rooms. Many nights of pain and recognize that he sees that affliction in those moments of affliction would you cry out to God become moments of holiness because wherever he is, its holy and that's when you take your shoes off, so if you're just dancing around and cavorting around in and I get all that. That's there's a place for that.

God love us is that where I because I look at these very tender quiet moments were God reveals himself in ways that are so profound that we can't that nothing else matters and some of you know exactly what I'm talking about, and others. If you want it.

I would just tell you that it's in these moments when we are so broken.

We realize there's nothing else Corrie 10 boom said you never know how much you need Jesus to leave so he got them paraphrasing Cory, but we are so consumed with things that are not Jesus. And so it obfuscates our vision. The knobs get him an advocate obfuscates our vision.

It blinds us. And when when when that's cleared away and often times often times it is our great neediness. Often times it is our great sorrow. Often times it is our great suffering that strips away all the veneer and a dear pastor friend of mine Jim Buckman back in Tennessee Nashville is said this for years and he told me he stole the quote from someone else.

I don't know who originated it, but it's absolutely solid all you need is need.

All you need is need, but it's very difficult to Kraut to save you that you don't think you need and when we are in the throes of our heartache is his caregivers and those who are being cared for our need erupts to the surface. It's in those moments where God intersects with this waiting for us to to stop running around and and and and and try to somehow fill that need ourselves, but just cry out and then you go back and you look at the Psalms and you see how many solves involved crying out to God in distress, and he puts pressure on those places that gives us an opportunity to fall to her knees and when we fall to her knees and we realize how great his magnificent how present he is and how our efforts to somehow satisfy her own needs will always fail. But he will. It's a game changer. That is hope this pharaohs. This is the show for you as a family caregiver.com and follow along as will caregiver on face will be right and that's again forcing here. This is hope for the king of the speed rose and family caregiver that is Gracie must have an in that song the joy of the Lord is my strength, not the you know the streets of gold in the pearly gates at all that got us the it. It is the presence of God.

That is our strength in the midst of whatever and in there is way too much evidence for us to ignore of people standing firm and calm and strong in the midst of horrific circumstances, and how did they do in this well of these old hymns because they love these people that did it.

Went back and wrote it down and they wrote it in hymns that we can remember and we can we can anchor ourselves in and you've heard me say this often. We've done a disservice to so many people in this country and around the world by getting away from her hymns and delete the treasure trove that's in there, pick up a hymnal sometime and just read through the text and then and then these wonderful composers came along and a lot of it took these great text and married with a fabulous melody and harmony's that are easy to remember and help us to remember.

Often times we can remember hymns long after we forgot a lot a lot of the things of thing that happened it. So if you live you have it because of a virgin calls about it that that hymns would hang on to your love what I want this with Mona, my mother's brother who recently passed away at all times didn't didn't even really know my mother at times, and yet something pulled out a guitar and was playing amazing Grace that he was sitting right along with that's the the power of music and in art, not only in our minds within our souls.

And so if we start to fill ourselves with these things that anchor us in deep solid truth could it can even push back against Alzheimer's have seen it happen.

This extraordinary is and that's on the Gracie and undressing you can get off of her CD belly. That's a great Christmas. Get a moment a plug for the if you want that or my CD or Gracie's book. My book, you can get them wherever books and CDs are sold or you can go to out to Facebook page and find out how to get it from there and hopefully caregiver.com and write this number down because I love this couple.

They have a amazing Christian bookstore in Nashville.

Ken and Cindy Lazar and in its logos bookstore 615-297-5388 615-297-5388. He has all the stuff the Gratian have done and glad to ship it to you anywhere really really rapid for so you give them a call 615-297-5388 I think it's time that we start supporting local shops. Okay, I'm not here to disparage big shops or whatever and you can go out and get it from there and download stuff and streaming all the stuff but I do like supporting local businesses and they will take care of that for you if you want to get that 615-297-5388 given the color problem not open yet.

Right now if you're listening.

Love but give him a call and they'll get you hooked up with whatever you need and let's let's try to support our local communities and community bookstores in Christian bookstores and so forth as best as we can about casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea there be times when people come up to you as a caregiver because they don't know what to say they will say things that are based in sediment and tradition and become shallow okay it's it's going to happen you going to get a lot of crowns in heaven.

That's with the today you do this well enough to say it, you can appreciate the sediment you don't push back on real hard, but you can also redirect them to say you know what crown that I have now is the presence of God through Christ Jesus. Okay because that's where we are right now. He is ever present in time of sorrow. Scripture says he is ever present and and and so when we focus on that will be able to help redirect others so that it were not just letting them swim in the kiddie pool but they that they can have a a sense of a bigger picture. They walk away that they're going to brush up against your challenges and your suffering and your journey as a caregiver and with your level of people that are experiencing that sort of the brush up against it and then the go about their lives, but in that encounter, and that brush up use that as an opportunity to redirect even just a little bit there thinking as well as affirming yours that that we take this soberly. We take this seriously and were not cut a living way out in the in the future somewhere. Can't wait to get to the pearly gates kind of thing even when I play songs like that.

I have to stop and reflect where I am right now, but like like when we all get to heaven you know that would when we all get to heaven, you know, and when people play the that's how people but when I play it when I get to this part. I have to slow down when we see Jesus call see Jesus when we see Jesus will sing and shout the victory and how can I play that rambunctious life like that were good but that use that word to describe me a lot. How can I play it that way and in do all these musical gymnastics to say hey look like an electrically like this. How can I do that when I am reflecting on this in an amazing truth that reflects a journey of struggling and then when we all see Jesus go back to look at Thomas. When Thomas revealed hymns be when Jesus revealed himself to Thomas. Thomas just collapsed when we all see Jesus will sing and shout the victory and and so that's what angers me as a caregiver to know that that's coming in the meantime I can trust it and then his presence give strength in the moment as the old hymn says strength for today right hope for tomorrow but I don't live in tomorrow. I trust him with the more I deal with today it if were so busy with our heads up in the sky were going to miss the opportunities here, which is what he did. He condescended to this earth took on human form and when among the people and touch them weird were to do the same. We we we are to Tomball said that he was very clear about sick naked hungry prison Thursday remodeling that and touching them doing that is sent to him if were not doing that one. I go back to wind would Gracie had a car wreck and the paramedics showed up there when I hope to write a book. Did a lot of research and compile the stuff and all these trucker stopped first and and then they help put out the fire and then the paramedics showed up and they took a while to get her out of the car.

One of the paramedics and and I think at least one of the truckers came back to the hospital later on to check in and eat with her family and so forth thing and help give the recount of what happened, but none of them were saved. Think they were first off they were castigating her for having a Rick they were in any way you putting her down or anything like that and none of them were saying oh you one day you can have this this this this, they were all every one of them saying hang on were here to get you to safety. Hang hold to get you to safety. With the help hang over and over and over again. Our language reflects our theology language reflects what we believe and if were so busy living way out in the future.

What does that say about us right here right now this is where we live and we live with harsh circumstances in a very broken world. I get I lived there but is it requires to be miserable or somehow live in some kind of fantasy the future. The walk the streets of gold, and going to the pearly gates and get wings and all that kind of stuff or so say Brown from get wind that it makes sense with what I see in Scripture.

I look at limitations, ever, ever, spending time in the book of limitations to read Lamentations 3 Jeremiah saying my soul was cast down within me.

I remember the bitterness in the wormwood and the gall of these are these are words we don't use a lot of our language one would call when very visceral for they sit with this. I recall mind and therefore I have hope. Great is thy faithfulness that mercies are new every morning right now, today, here is this where you live.

If anybody else is saying this to be could probably look at it with a race that I watch a woman suffering every single that I have for more than 35 things I'm learning Rosenberg will be right you ever struggled to trust God when lousy things happen to you. I'm Gracie Rosenberger in 1983 I experienced a horrific car accident leading 80 surgeries in both legs and became I question why God allowed something so brutal to happen to me. But over time the questions changed and I discovered courage to trust God that understanding along with an appreciation for quality prosthetic limbs led me to establish standing with help more than a dozen years we been working with the government of Ghana and West Africa, equipping and training local workers to build and maintain quality prosthetic limbs for their own people on a regular basis. We purchased ship equipment and supplies and with the help and inmates in Tennessee prison. We also recycle parts from donated lambs all — is to point others to Christ.

The source of my help and strength these visit standing with help.com to learn more and participate in lifting others that standing without.com. I'm Gracie. I am staining with help you as a family caregiver were so glad that you with this and that is again Gracie being a powerful hope for tomorrow George for a love that song in a loveless nursing I told you when she sings something just something happens. Photos are down today so you had to listen to me carry the whole program by myself. I hope I didn't send you screaming into the night, but I I love being able just to kick around some of these ideas, but I wanted to end on something else today and you'll have to pardon me because it's it's real up close and personal. There's a scripture in the Gospel of John and is in John five, and in I think most of us know. And Jesus goes to that pool were all these different people with infirmities of their Willoughby rate now man was there who had been ill for 38 years. Jesus, upon seeing this man lying there and knowing that he'd already been in that condition for a long time is. With that now man was there who had been ill for 38 years Jesus upon seeing this man lying there and knowing that he'd already been in that condition for a long time.

We all are familiar with this lot of us are this month. Next week this particular verse has a great significance to me integrates Scripture records that this man's plight lasted 38 years in the following sentence you see that it validates that 30 years is a long time. November 18, 1983 Gracie had this horrific act that happened on on the highway when she Rick 38 years ago, and it continues to reach through the decades to cause a great deal of heartache for she's not know the day without pain real serious pain in 38 years is a long time Scripture says it sold just in September. She had a significant fall broke her femur spout breaking. It was an ugly break and she's starting to put weight down. Be able to walk on her prosthetic limb with that broken leg. It's it's all skeletal hardware like she causes a great deal of stress for the TSA would you go to the airport and she's reminded daily, moment to moment the 38 years is indeed a long why is this important why my doing this why my struggling to even say things that are numerous passages in Scripture that remind us that God sees us in our afflictions, but when I see the gospel of John Sayed, 38 years and then turn right around and say it's a long time 38 years is a long time. He doubles down on 38 years, he knew had been there long time and you cannot help but see the juxtaposition of an eternal God.

An infinite God, recognizing that a finite period of affliction was a long time. Think about that was a long time to an infinite God and yet he sees 38 years is a long time Scripture did around the number this a almost 40 or you'll allow couple decades. Whatever was very specific.

38 years.

The prophet Isaiah foretold the Messiah in Isaiah 53 is a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And then you go back and you look there was a time when Jesus I think is Matthew nine and he saw the crowds, and they were they were so helpless and he felt compassion for them sit in Scripture because they were distressed and downcast like sheep without a shepherd. All of this points to a Savior, who is acquainted with grief but also acquainted with our grief with Gracie's grief with your grief spending a lot of time thinking about one of the Beatitudes, which is blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted that Scripture implies that the morning must occur before the comfort can come has to be morning you get comfort before you get before you mourn.

You go to mourn, then you'll be comforted.

What is this list of those who mourn for they shall be comforted. You can't mourn. If you too busy raging and despairing over afflictions, but you mourn when you accept the brokenness for what it is, as Jesus did when he saw the crowds, he solved the brokenness and he mourned over use it Lazarus to any mourned over whipped a member when he would look at it, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Jerusalem love to be on just crabby like he had grabbed her chicks anymore over the seas. He saw it for what it is looking at our own brokenness. We also mourned, but sometimes we have to go through these periods of flailing around before we look at it and accept it for what it is and here's what I the last minute or two that I have with you here today is what I like to leave with. When our hearts falter. While waiting on the comfort and healing. Sometimes we have to wait most times we have to wait what our hearts falter when they do when we would will be doing our resolve to strengthen when we remember that God sees the days the weeks the months the years and even decades of our affliction 38 years.

He sees all of this is very specific about he counts all of it even counts the tears some 56 eight says you have taken account of my wanderings put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book. I don't know how long you've been a caregiver. I don't know how long you've had to watch brokenness. I don't have to.

He knows it's not important that I noticed that important about anything else other than the fact that your God knows this, he sees this and he is ever present in your sorrow and sometimes are flailing around and sometimes are our anger and our despair to reach heights that from us, but there is a place of quiet rest near to the heart of God. A place where sin cannot molest dear to the heart of God as the old hymn writer says it in those moments when we mourn and we see the brokenness for what it is we step into a different walk with God than we had before we play hymns a little slower. We stand however feebly a little more attention to recognize that there something else going on. You know the old song holy ground where the Lord is present where years is holy when we start to understand is present in our suffering holy moment and you will never be the same again ceasing use their 38 years is a long time. He recognized the caregivers that conviction. We are not alone strength each and every hope for the caregiver.com will see next week.

Some of you know the remarkable story of Peter's wife Gracie and recently Peter talk to Gracie about all the wonderful things that emerge from her difficult journey. Take a listen Gracie.

When you envision doing a prosthetic limb outreach.

Did you ever think the inmates would help you do that, not in a million years. When you go to the facility run by core civic and you see the faces of these inmates that are working on prosthetic limbs that you helped collect from all of the country that you put out the plea for and their disassembly sell these legs like what you have your own prosody and arms and orange everything when you see all this makes me cry because I see the smiles on their faces and I know I know what it is like someplace where you can't get out without somebody else allowing you to get out me in the hospital. These men are so glad that they get to be doing is one thing said something good with my did you know before you became an amputated parts of prosthetic limbs could be recycled and I had no idea I thought Peg leg. I thought a wooden legs. I never thought of titanium and carbon legs and flexibly the legs and all that.

I never thought about.

As you watch these inmates participate in something like this, knowing that there there helping other people all providing the means for the supplies to get over there.

What does it do to you. Just on the heart level. I wish I could explain to the world. What I see in here and I wish that I can able to come and say the this guy right here in East Africa with that. I never not feel that way out every time you know you always make me have to lead I don't want to leave. I feel like I'm at home with them and I feel like that we have a common bond that would never expect that only God could put together. Now that you could experience with it what you think of the faith based programs. The core civic offers. I think there is absolutely awesome and I think every prisoner out there that have faith based programs because he return rate of the men that are involved in this particular faith-based program and other ones like it, but I know that this one car is amazingly low rate compared to those who think that that is me just has something to do with God. Somebody broken people want to donate use prosthetic limb, whether from a loved one who passed away or you know somebody well groomed. You donated some of your own for the habit out of the please go to staining with.com/recycle gain. We