Two Opposing Concepts OR A Tale of Two Doctors

This week, as I pondered the topic for this blog, I gravitated towards two opposing concepts: Healing Attitudes vs The Divine in Exile. At one point, as I wrestled with the philosophical fork in the road, I saw the connection ... or rather, their mutual exclusivity. That being said, here we go:

A couple of weeks ago, my dear husband had another doctor's appointment. He, until his injury last September, had not been to a doctor in the entire twenty years of our marriage. Since September, however, he has well made up for lost time. The doctor on this occasion was his primary care physician. It's one of those things that Medicare requires – that you have a primary care physician. During the visit that day, we were greeted with some interesting news, and I am quoting the doctor here: “The human body was designed to live 50 years and doctors keep you alive after that.” I was too stunned by the arrogance to launch into scriptural statements, arguments of personal belief or anything. I just sat there with my mouth open. He then ordered 5 vials of blood to be drawn and told my beloved that even though his cholesterol was fine, he (the doctor) was putting him on statins for the rest of his life. Not, “I'm giving you thirty days to make some dietary changes” but, “This is what we're going to do.” Period. That was the only time he made eye contact. The rest of the time, he read paperwork and initialed pages. We complied with the blood tests – the doctor wanted to check his vitamin D level – it's all the rage now, I imagine. We even got the prescription filled, since the doctor's office called our pharmacy and they called us to pick it up. The first pill was never taken. Nor was the chemical stress test that he ordered. My husband and I both felt that these tests, medications and chemicals were outside of our Father's will – for US.

Rather than comforting, encouraging and “educating” which is what the word 'doctor' originally meant, we were distressed, agitated and confused. All the tests ordered so far by the vascular surgeon who had done the repair on my husband's injury had unremarkable results, so, why this fishing trip from the GP? How could someone so completely disregard the Divine in the creation and maintenance of the human frame? We were baffled at the whole event. And saddened.

We put out some feelers with our friends in the medical profession as to which doctors they would recommend. We just could not see going back to this particular doctor. One friend gave us a glowing recommendation of someone that she saw professionally and for whom she has worked. We made an appointment immediately.

We walked into his office and were amazed at the difference between the two. Where doctor A had modern and streamlined décor, a blaring TV and automatic doors, doctor B's office was filled with handmade decorations and photos of them on a medical mission trip(s). One painting depicted the many names of God. WOW! What a difference! The personnel in Doctor B's office were loving and caring. We even prayed with the office manager that day. The attitude of healing – LOVE – permeated every corner. Everyone had a smile, a kind word and the doctor took his time with us, getting to know us and making sure he understood the medical history in context. My darling husband, who sometimes embarrasses me with his candor, asked the doctor point-blank why he hadn't retired yet. The doctor was surprised by the question and then laughed. “I love my work,” he said. “I am visiting with my friends.” Oh, my! If ever there was a medical version of love at first sight, this was it.

Where we had, with doctor A, encountered coldness and people just doing their job, we now had, in the case of Doctor B, been invited into a compassionate family of wellness. We had experienced the distinction between the Divine in Exile and Healing Attitudes. The term 'Divine in Exile' comes from a quote I heard from Rabbi Martin Buber, of blessed memory. He said, in essence (paraphrasing), that the Shekinah is the Divine Presence dwelling in the human frame. The Shekinah is at home only where there dwells a potent will for a covenant with the Almighty and an equally potent STRIVING for the realization of the covenant with the Almighty.

Y'shua said, “love your enemies, do good to those hating you, and pray for those insulting you and persecuting you so that you become sons of your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:44-45. So now, I have someone / something else to pray for: May the hardened, arrogant heart of doctor A be softened and turn toward his only hope for life and salvation. May it be our Father's will to break the hardened heart and caress it back to life, in Y'shua's Name. May the Divine leave its exile and dwell with him, giving him new life, new hope and revitalized insight and abilities. Also, May our beloved Father in heaven, bless Doctor B with all this and more, always and forever.

So now it is time for some 'one on one' time with the face in the mirror. What have I done or said that would push the Divine, the Ruach haKodesh / Holy Spirit, into exile? Have I been rude, knowingly or unknowingly? Have I been unkind? Have I gossiped? Have I been self-righteous? Have I been arrogant, ungrateful or mean? Have I strived, with all my might, to be in a covenant relationship with You, my Creator, Redeemer, Bridegroom and King? Oh Abba, why is the person I want to be always wrestling with the person that I am? Psa 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O Elohim, And renew a steadfast (Strong's 3559, upright, faithful, stable) spirit within me.

Matthew 5, verse 46 continues: “For if you love those loving you, what reward have you? Are the tax collectors not doing the same too? And if you greet your brothers only, what do you do more than the others? Are the tax collectors not doing so too? Therefore, be perfect (Strong's 5046, complete in mental and moral character / fully mature) even as your Father in the heavens is perfect. Amein, and amein.

Shalom b'shem Sar Shalom --

Peace in the Name of the Prince of Peace --

With Love,

Yocheved

Modah ani l'fonecha -- I Gratefully Acknowledge You

I was not born into a Jewish home. Quite the contrary: My family is as Italian and Catholic as they come. And that was the way I was brought up. I knew rosaries, fish on Fridays, confession and novenas. I received 'First Holy Communion;' I was confirmed; I was married at 18 in a Catholic church – to a Baptist!! “Scandalosa!!” as my grandmother would say. But, somewhere in my DNA (whether my physical or spiritual DNA, I don't know) is a Jewish gene. Something in my soul responds to things that are typically Jewish. I'm not talking about blintzes and knishes, although those are little gastronomic wonderments; or even Hanukkah and hamentaschen at Purim. I'm talking about the Jewish way of thinking about things. I've got a part of that. HOW that happened exactly, I can only speculate. Yah alone knows for sure ... But, I do have a part of that.

Here's what I mean:

One thing that is typically “Jewish” is answering a question with a question.

“How are you?”

“So, with all that is going on, how should I be?”

See what I mean? I do that. I also start reading a book from the back. I knew exactly how all those Agatha Christie mystery novels that I read as a teen would end from the start, but that's what made the rest of the book make sense to me. I could more clearly see the character development and trace the story line by knowing the end in advance. Although my Agatha Christie days are well behind me, I do the same thing with magazines and newspapers now. Drives my husband nutz.

Prayer throughout the day is another “Jewish” thing. Granted, my personal goal is not to be “Jewish” so much as it is to be conformed to the Scriptures in all areas of my life. At the risk of being offensive, I did not trade in the Pope for 10,000 rabbis who don't agree with each other. The only way to have unity and peace is in conformance with the Master Document: The Scriptures. It is the 'Owner's Manual' for life. Not what we think it said; not what we were told it said; but what it actually says. I'll give you a case in point. You know the verse about, 'life is in the blood' (Lev. 17:11) the word used for life in that instance is not chai or chaim but nefesh. Nefesh means 'breathing being' or 'soul'. The soul – the life force that gives us breath. The soul being in the blood is a more complex concept. Nefesh is spelled in Hebrew: nun, pey, shin. Each letter in Hebrew, similar to hieroglyphics, has a meaning. The letters of 'nefesh' nun נ, pey פ, shin ש mean respectively, life/activity; mouth/word/speak; and eat/consume/destroy. To put those concepts together then, it becomes: Soul: life's activity that consumes the Word. THAT is what is inherent in our blood!  (As an aside, I know that the verse I mentioned is speaking of animal sacrifices as atonement for sin. I know that animals, although they follow their own Torah - that is, you won't find a dolphin in a tree or a giraffe diving for seaweed - don't consume the word.  My focus was the word nefesh, because our concept of Scripture says is incomplete, at best.)

Upon rising each morning, the observant Jew prays,

“Modeh/Modah ani l'fonecha” I gratefully acknowledge You, (which continues on ...) O living and eternal King, for you have returned my soul within me with compassion – abundant is your faithfulness!

Imagine that! Thanking our Creator for having survived the night; thanking Him for the blessing of another day with our consciousness intact. No stroke or heart attack felled us by night. No mayhem, like falling tree limbs crashing through the window or home invaders shook our shalom/peace or injured or killed us. We slept. We awoke. We can think, breathe, move. Our bodies function as they were designed. There was no fatal hiccup. Do we celebrate these things ... or do we swat at the alarm clock and mutter obscenities? (Years ago while working the night shift, I may have come in contact with these behaviors. =)   ) Connecting with the notion that we can choose our thoughts is empowering! We do not have to be locked into behaviors of the past. We can choose, this day, who we will serve: the grumbling behavior of the past or the gratitude, appreciation and love of today.

If we had energy to go through our day with a sour start, can you imagine the energy and joy we might have if we started the day with gratitude? I say, it is certainly worth a try. What we've been doing for ages has not worked so well for us, has it? For those who are parents or have had parents, how much more did we get from our folks or do we give to our children for a simple, “Thanks, Dad” or “Thanks, Mom”? Throw in an “I love you” and we parents are over the moon with delight! Can you imagine what the Creator could do for us, could do with us or could give us, if we just remembered Him as the source of all goodness and thanked Him for each gift? Bribing the Creator of the universe are we? No, there is nothing we can do to bribe Him. But when we thank Him, when we gratefully acknowledge Him, don't you think we make Him happy? The Word says that “the joy of YHVH is our strength”. May I suggest that it is not the Joy He gives us that keeps us going; rather, it is the joy we give Him. In my mind, thanking Him for what we have tears down barriers to having more. It opens the flood-gates, if you will. Quite frankly, when we have more, we can do more – for our families, for our community and for YHVH's Kingdom.  Consider this graphic:

So, let's do this. This coming week, let's start each day by thanking our Creator for our very lives before we get out of bed. I'll do it and you do it too. Let's meet here, by next week and compare notes. Comment with your experiences and I will with mine. I'm willing to guess that someone will report a miracle. How about it?

Modah ani l'fonecha -- I gratefully acknowledge You, O living and eternal King, for you are great and worthy to be praised forever!

Shalom, shalom from our house to yours --

~ yocheved

In the Beginning

As some of you may know, I moved my blog here to "Blogger" because the site crashed on which I had previously had it.  This was my initial offering from May 2012.  I'm including it here simply because in it I share the rhyme and reason for starting this blog about prayer.  May it be for a blessing. ~y

This blog has been a long time coming -- the idea for it came to me years ago.  As with any commitment, for which my husband asks, "What are you willing to give up in order to assume this new responsibility?" I took a while to ponder the consequences of starting such a venture. And so, finally, we begin ...

A few years ago, frustrated at getting catapulted into my day without having time to pray, I thought that by having a blog in which I studied prayer, verbalized prayer and invited prayer, I might actually get around to praying on a regular basis.  Just like when the Temple in Jerusalem stood: the sacrifices and prayers were brought on time, every time. Over the intervening years, I've purchased prayer books with the thought of using them to springboard into my own conversations with Yah. I've read the Psalms; I've read the Scriptures looking for examples of prayer; and I've "beat myself up" .... and, oh, yes, I've prayed.  I've prayed in the car, I've prayed with friends, I've prayed with my husband.  I've prayed for rain, for wisdom, for healing, for provision, for 'special intentions' and more.  I've wrestled, travailed, cried out and groaned.  I've spoken to the Almighty as one speaks to a Dad, a Lover, a Friend and my King ... all the while hungry for more.

I don't know where you are in your walk. Heck, I don't really know where I am in my walk. What I mean is, I know where I've come from; I know where I want to go; but the reality is since we don't know the end of the beginning as YHVH does, we don't know all the twists and turns our lives will take until we take our last breaths.  All we can do is focus on what Yah wants from us and do our very best, confident that He will supply the grace and the strength to push through the adversities that will undoubtedly assail us. With that thought, let's look at the Disciples Prayer, found in Matthew 6:9-13. 

Our Father -- What comforting words!  He wants to be Daddy to us. Not just me; not just you; but all of us who inhabit the earth.  Daddies provide for their children, keep them safe, love and encourage them.  Daddy, Our Father.

Who art in heaven -- Heaven, the abode of the Almighty; Heaven, the place that completely complies with the Creator's will and thus experiences perfect peace.

Hallowed by Thy Name -- His Name is 'kadosh', a Hebrew word that means 'set-apart', not common.  We would say 'holy'.  He is so holy that even His Name is holy. We cannot fathom the intense purity and holiness that is YHVH / Yahweh.

Thy Kingdom come -- We say these words, but do we understand what we're asking? We're asking for YHVH's kingdom, in all its fullness, purity, holiness and majesty to manifest ... now, in our lifetime!

Thy Will Be Done -- Are we willing to completely release our own will and submit ourselves to Him to let His will be done?  This is such a personal emotional wrestling match! We are so used to having our own way!  We decide virtually everything about our lives: what to eat; what to wear; where we live; who our friends are and so forth.  What if every decision were submitted to YHVH?  What if we asked 'permission' to eat that cream puff or drink that coffee? Would we hear, "Yes, my child, go ahead" or is it more likely that we would be guided to fruit and pure water? What if we submitted ALL areas of our life to Him? What if that submission unleashed victories in our lives that we never knew were possible? Would we then let His will be done?

On earth as it is in Heaven -- YHVH's will is fully manifested in the heavenly realm.  In Heaven, all is perfect order and peace. It boggles my imagination to consider the soaring, infinite possibilities of what this earth would be like if this earth were completely submitted to YHVH's will.

Give us this day our daily bread -- Notice that we are not asking for a massive 401K, a mansion in the midst of 1000 acres, or a fleet of servants, houses and cars at our disposal.  We're asking for this day's bread. Provision, not riches. On another level, it is the "Bread of Life" Y'shua we are seeking. He is the physical embodiment of the entire Scriptures. Every prophecy is about Him. Every expectation is of Him.  Every daily rendezvous with our Father in prayer takes place because of Him. He is the Bridge back to the good graces of our Heavenly Father.  HalleluYah!

Forgive us our trespasses -- We all fall short of the mark.  In fact, that is what 'chet' the Hebrew word for sin means: missing the mark. We don't have to be raging rebellious renegades to be in trespasses -- having done wrong -- we just miss the mark.  May our Father in His mercy overlook our fragile will to do right and and "lead us into paths of righteousness for His Name's sake", as Psalm 23 says.

As we forgive those who have trespassed against us -- Oh! the innumerable times someone has taken a pin to our balloon!! It could be as simple as a look or an unanswered email or a forgotten anniversary. If we harbor all those resentments, not only do we do ourselves harm, physically and mentally, but we block the forgiveness that YHVH holds ready for us! Y'shua's last few words on the execution stake included a plea that His Father forgive us because we had no clue as to the scope of our transgression, sin and savagery to Him. By our sin, we all had a hand on the hammer that drove the nails.

Lead us not into temptation -- One version of this prayer says, 'Lead us not into hard testing'.  Every day we face tests as did our father Abraham.  Without knowing where he was going, Abraham left the only home he had ever known to follow the "Voice" of Yah. Without taking time to wallow in the grief of the impending loss of his son Yitzchak / Isaac, he saddled his donkey himself to take the son of the promise to Mt. Moriah to be a sacrifice to the "Voice" of the One who brought him to the Promised Land. May we never face such excruciatingly painful choices.  May we never be tested or tempted beyond our capacity to choose the right thing -- the will of the Most High Elohim.

But deliver us from evil -- This is the ultimate blessing, to be beyond the reach of our adversary, satan.  May he who roves about as a hungry lion seeking to destroy the flock of the Shepherd, be left hungry ... toothless and clawless.

For Thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory, forever -- There is no other Elohim. YHVH is the Most High El, the Kingdom, power and glory belong to none else. At some future point, Messiah will be given the full measure of His authority as Ruler of this world during the 1000 year Messianic Age, at the end of which time He will hand this then perfected world over to our Father.

Amein -- This word means "I agree" or "So be it". And by uttering this word we give our full concurrence and compliance with the words Y'shua spoke as He taught His disciples. We have no rebuttal to His teaching us how to pray.

So, this concludes my initial offering.  May it be for a blessing to you and yours. I look forward to your comments and to praying with and for you. May YHVH bless and keep you!

Shalom, shalom --

Yocheved