Adonai - Lord, Master

     As I start this blog, I am bedside next to my mother-in-law, Eileen.  Doctors diagnosed her two years ago with double lung cancer and gave her a 15% chance of making it through 6 months of chemotherapy.  A little over two weeks ago, Mike and I flew back from Costa Rica because it didn't look like she would make it through the weekend.  While her condition is all over the board, and we were prepared to "let her go" without seeing her again, I am not sorry we're here.  There have been some very precious moments spent with her and she still manages to make us laugh through the tears.  She has been a formidable lady over the years and such an example to me.  I am so thankful God brought me into this family.

     I met Eileen more than 14 years ago, and what struck me most is how she welcomed me as one of her own.  And that's how she was with everybody it seems.  Eileen didn't have "casual friends".  There were people she worked with from years ago she spoke fondly of.  Family is a priority to her--parents, siblings, children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces and nephews.  You get the idea.

    Even more, the spiritual well-being of her family concerns her.  And she's not afraid to let you know about it either!  She loves Jesus with all her heart, with all her mind, and with all her soul and she did her best to lean on Him during the difficult times.  She wasn't a saint, and she'd tell you that herself if she could.  But who isn't hard to get along with at times?  It was because if this concern (and a desire not to get on my mother-in-law's bad side) we are missionaries today.  All the good things we get to do started because one day she grabbed me by my chin (squeezing my cheeks so I wouldn't miss one word of what she was about to tell me) and told me (in a nutshell) I was being selfish and not considering my family (particularly my step-son, Jon) when I said "I don't need church to have God".  The reality was, I said that as a cover--I didn't have any kind of relationship with God--other than to believe He existed.

  "Adonai" is possessive plural noun translated "Lord and Master".  The plural recognizes the trinity (Father, Spirit, Son).  The possessive displays ownership (of everything in creation).  In my opinion, it's probably the most important name of God.  God has many characteristics (or names)--provider, sanctifier, healer, etc.  Before you can know God as these characteristics, you must know Him as the Lord and Master over your life.  For example, you cannot fully trust Him to provide your every need unless you believe "heaven and the highest heavens belong to the Lord your God, also the earth and all that is in it" (Deuteronomy 11:14).

     Moving from knowing (or believing) there is a God to knowing Him as Adonai (Lord and Master) is a difficult journey.  (Matthew 7:21 reads, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord.' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.")  It requires giving up your independence to be a little god, controlling everything.  Jesus was the first man who fought for His independence from God.  On the contrary, He stayed on complete communion with God.  

                 Matthew 10:40 "He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him    

                                            who sent me."

                 John 7:16 "My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me."

                 John 7:29 "...And He who sent Me is with Me.  The Father has not left Me alone, for I always

                                    do those things that please Him."

There are other references, but I think you get the idea.

     In order to really have the kind of relationship with our Lord that He intended (constant fellowship like in the Garden of Eden), you must surrender your entire being to Him.  Every second of every minute of every hour of every day.  This is still difficult for me, but it's easier today than it was when I started the journey.  That's what I call "progress."  Keep striving.  And if you don't know God personally (have never taken that step to tell Jesus you want to live for Him) I would encourage you to take that step of faith.  God wants to share life with you.  To spend eternity with you.  But, you have to make the choice.