My Suggestion for You

Of course, you are busy, but I wouldn’t ask you to do something unimportant. I recommend you take maybe 15 minutes to write down the story of your experience of coming to faith.

Coming to faith is a life-changing event. It happened to me, and I am forever thankful.

As little kids Mama taught us the song, “Jesus Loves Me,” and I believed it was true. In those days we said a bedtime prayer, “Now I lay me down to sleep; I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.” Then came the “God bless mamma and daddy. . . ” Next, each sibling was named, along with friends. We believed prayer was important.

Our family moved at different times, so we weren’t settled into church membership. There was a Friends church in Marshalltown, then a Baptist church, later the First Federated church in Des Moines where Aunt Marian and Uncle Bob were active. This is where I got to go to Vacation Bible school and made the shiny brown-painted plaster plaque I still have of the Last Supper. I liked to go to the “big church” instead of Sunday School.

We children listened to a weekly Back to the Bible radio program, and once got a free booklet from them. The first Bible verse I memorized was John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”

One Sunday evening the pastor in Des Moines preached a strong sermon on Hebrews 2:3, “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation.” He told about Jesus, dying on the cross, and being raised from the dead. I already knew that Jesus loved me, but I was too timid to go forward in front of all those grown ups.

Later at home by myself I told God, “In case I didn’t ask you the right way before I am asking you into my heart now.” I was 12 years old. I knew I was Born Again.

Belonging to Jesus kept me out of a lot of trouble growing up. I was the oldest of 8 children and was busy being a good student and helping mom. By that time my parents moved to Arizona. At Glendale High School the Christians met out on the grass under the old olive trees on campus at noon for singing and sharing and prayer. After graduating I met Don, and next May we were married at American Lutheran Church in Phoenix.

Prayer and reading the Bible have been priorities from the very beginning for my husband Don and me. We began our tradition of writing and printing up a Christmas letter, giving testimony about God to family and friends. Later I began writing personal blessings for birthdays and anniversaries. My inspirational writing expanded over the following years.

On my last birthday I reached that amazing year of Six Dozen. I look back and thank the Lord for sixty years of knowing I am saved and on my way to Heaven. My prayer is that each person will make it a priority to ask Jesus to come into his or her life and have the joy of being Born Again. It means having a Best Friend, forever.

Now, that I’ve shared a short version of my faith experiences hopefully you’ll take up the challenge of writing about your own faith experience. Sometime you’d want to share this with closest family and friends. Do it soon; it could be a golden moment.
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by Elaine Hardt ©2008

Nine Questions Await Your Private Conversation

Nine simple questions can be a mirror for the mind. When no one is looking over your shoulder you can own up to what’s going on; your answers can reflect honesty. A few minutes from now you might get a self-nudge to authentic action, and that may lead to a new level of peace of mind. Look at this list.

1. What’s going well in your life?
2. What are you grateful for?
3. What would help you?
4. What changes would you like?
5. What do you have questions about?
6. What’s bothering you the most this week?
7. What are you looking for, short-term?
8. What are you looking for, long-term?
9. What do you think God wants you to do about it?

Nine simple questions await your private conversation. No need to struggle with impromptu answers. Give each one a quick reply.

Now ask yourself: what question would I add as number 10 to the above list? What question do I need to ask myself, and what’s my answer?

Perhaps you’ll want to revisit the list again next week and see if there are any changes. Taking inventory periodically can be a productive way to save time and energy by giving focus on both the good and the not-so-good events happening around you.

Sometimes there’s nothing as helpful as a few questions and sincere answers. Give yourself a private conversation and see what happens. # # #

by Elaine Hardt ©2008

In Heaven's Throne Room

In Heaven there is a Throne Room where the most glorious sound surrounds you. Magnificent music soars and caresses each word: “Holy, Holy, Holy!”

Imposing ivory columns, intricately carved, reach up from the glistening marble floor into the rich turquoise of the sky. The grand center aisle is strewn with opalescent flower petals. The most indescribably exquisite aroma of incense swirls overhead like a silvery gossamer curtain on a summer’s perfect breeze.

Companies of angels, resplendent in pastel robes with golden sashes, stand row upon row, as far as the eye can see. Their voices swell in exalted harmony, then soften to a single clear note, before again resounding to a majestic refrain. Rows of harpists produce exuberant trills, while cymbal players clash their golden instruments. Thundering notes echo with excellent splendor; their resonance sends shivers up and down the listener’s spine. The total effect is overwhelming.

I looked straight ahead. In a brilliancy I had only dreamed about I could see the Great Throne of Grace and the object of such intense adoration and worship, Jesus Christ, Himself. I basked in enthrallment.

All of a sudden there was a bang, like the sound of a huge door slamming. The patter of running footsteps was heard. I spun around to see what it could be.

There was no pause in the celestial symphony, however. One angel leaned down to whisper to me, “It’s just some kids.”

Sure enough, two youngsters ran down the grand center aisle towards the Great Throne. Reaching the front, a lad reached out to clasp the hand of his friend, a little girl, who lagged slightly behind.

“Come on!” his youthful voice urged, then, “Jesus! Jesus! I brought my friend.”

For the slightest moment I almost expected a personage of some authority to step in front to block their access. But then from the throne came a mighty voice, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them.”

The braver one had obviously been there before and knew what to do. The other glanced around shyly before letting the lad draw her closer.

Up the red velvet carpeted steps, right towards the beautiful throne they now walked confidently together. Jesus extended both arms to beckon them even closer. Then, in one swoop of His right hand he lifted the lad up on His lap, while reaching to bring the girl up to sit on His other leg.

Readily they both were seated. I could not tell who was happier, Jesus or the children. Their smiles were like rainbows’ reflection for their brightness.

Then a most unexpected thing happened. The Throne began to rock! Gently back and forth, like a mother’s rocking chair in the nursery. Like a grandparent’s rocker in the parlor. The children snuggled up to Him.

“I love you,” Jesus was singing. “I love You, too,” was the youthful refrain. Then after another warm embrace the lad began, “I brought my friend to You.”

“Oh, yes. I am pleased.” And Jesus bent to whisper to the little girl.

“Oh, Jesus. You know my name!” was her delighted response.

My curiosity got the best of me; I had to avert my eyes from them and look around. The angelic choir sang on, giving honor and glory and praise. The intrusion had not interrupted their music. Perhaps this is a frequent happening in Heaven, I thought in amazement.

At that moment such love and tenderness swept all adult reason from my mind. Fearlessly I stepped forward. I could never have predicted such a thing, but at once I found myself standing before Him. Before Jesus Christ, awesome Son of God and Son of Man.

With broad grins the youngsters slipped down from Jesus’ lap; the lad called back over his shoulder as they descended the velvet carpeted stairs, “See you later.”

Strong arms reached out and placed me on that wonderful lap. I gladly yielded to His warm embrace. And that wonderful Throne began to gently rock. “So this is prayer?” I asked in wonder.
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by Elaine Hardt ©1996

Still Friends

A high school pen-pal assignment brought together two girls from very different parts of the world. Both were excited to find long distance friendship, and when the semester was over they decided to keep on writing. At least once a month their notes and cards crossed the Atlantic.

Fifty years later the English lass flew to California, and they met. The local newspaper chronicled their longtime friendship in a feature column. It sounded so nice, all except that one paragraph towards the end. “The unspoken rule had been ‘no politics and no religion’ and so the sharing back and forth had been about daily household life.”

Stunned, I reread the article. What a waste of life, I decided. Imagine what important views of local and world history could have been written down. Think how the two could have deepened their friendship. Struggles could have been honestly discussed and now treasured. Perhaps ideals could have been examined, and perspective deepened.

I thought of how it could have been. Surely they could have been still friends.

“Elizabeth, my heart breaks to think of the terrible circumstances you face with the bombing so near. How are you making it through?”

“Dee, I was shocked to hear about the devastating forest fire so close to your home. How is it affecting you personally?”

Why was such a barrier erected and maintained all those years?

“Well, I would insist on those same restrictions,” you may interject. “My deeply held beliefs are my own business.”

And I would question if you are still friends. Possibilities of misunderstandings are always present, speaking in person or in writing. Why settle for shallow trivia for conversation? Can we not venture forth with our latest comments about politics? Can we not openly ask each other about matters of faith?

Must there be suspicions and conflict? Is either person so uncertain that he or she cannot put into words a political or religious opinion?

Could an exchange of ideas bring one or the other person additional information? Is there nothing new to learn, nothing in the past to be recalled? Could both profit from the mental skills in examining alternative possibilities?

If someone kindly and correctly points out some flaw in my reasoning or some missing ingredients in my argument am I to pretend that I am perfect, and need no help at all?

Mama’s “because I said so” was adequate with the three year-olds, and my own “because that’s the school’s rule” gave me some dictatorial clout when I taught third grade, but now we can consider freedom in the pursuit of important ideas.

Please tell me your point of view and your source of facts in the political arena. This is a very important election year. And please tell me what your beliefs about God and Jesus are. It’s life and death, and such a fine topic for friends to smile and share.

Can we still be friends?

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Jesus told two stories about friends in Luke 15: 3-9. His points included these: friends care, listen, and celebrate when the problem is solved.

Jesus calls us His friends when we obey Him. “You are my friends if you do what I command . . . Now you are my friends since I have told you everything the Father told me. You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. This is my command: Love each other.” John 15:14-17, NLT

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