Real Life by Peggi Tustan

Welcome to Real Life. On Good Friday, we reflect on Christ’s sacrifice. We do so knowing what's coming on Easter morning. But, the apostles didn't. Here’s how the events of that weekend might have looked through John’s eyes. “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.” [1] I've never seen Jesus so visibly shaken. It scares me. So, I stay and try to pray. But, the hour is late. I fall asleep along with the other disciples. I’m just beginning to dream when I’m awakened by angry voices and the light of torches. A mob is approaching. Can it be? Is that Judas leading them? What’s he doing? He greets Jesus as he normally does, with a kiss. Yet, something’s horribly wrong. “Am I leading a rebellion,” my Lord asks, “that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.” [2] The gu...

Welcome to Real Life. I saw the movie Noah . I heard the hype. Still, I wanted to see and judge it for myself. Since the recent success of The Bible miniseries, Hollywood has rushed to capitalize on biblically-inspired movies. However, not every movie with a biblical reference is inspired by the Word of God. Such is the case with Noah . The director, Darren Aronofsky, considers the flood a myth. His film is inspired by his own childhood imaginings of the flood, [1] as well as the teachings of a mystical sect of Judaism known as Kabbalah . [2] Aronofsky calls Noah the least biblical biblical film ever made. [3] In the biblical account: The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have c...

Brother and sister reunion! Welcome to Real Life . How well do I know God? If I knocked on his door, would he open it? Ten years ago, I accompanied my parents on a trip to their homeland, Slovakia. My father fled his country at the close of WWII to escape the incoming communist takeover by Russia. Some sixty years later, on the day we arrived in Slovakia, Dad was overcome with fear that somehow his past might catch up with him. That is, until we arrived at the home of his sister, Františka. The moment she opened the door and he saw her face, he lit up like a sunrise. He said, “I’m in heaven!” _____ Do many doors lead to God? Will all who die enter heaven? “Will only a few be saved?” someone asked Jesus while he was teaching. He answered, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.” Though they knock, no one will open the door. For, the Owner of the house won’t know them. Does God know me?...

Welcome to Real Life . “Worrying does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength.” –Corrie Ten Boom Will I have enough? Can I make the mortgage payment, cover medical expenses, save for retirement, pay down the loan, gas and repair the car, and still buy groceries? It’s a constant concern. Daily, the cost of living increases. Since the economic meltdown, few feel financially secure. What if I don’t have enough? Someone close to me lost her home through the economic crisis. Recently, she told me, “It felt like the end of the world. I couldn't imagine how we’d survive. I resented the small, cramped home we found to rent. Yet, here I am (a couple of years later). I survived. We (the family) are okay. I've adjusted. I don’t even mind living in our new place. I’m comfortable there. It’s home.” Now, she’s able to encourage others who are in danger of losing their homes. She’s my hero! Jesus told his disciples, “Don’t worry about your life,  what y...

Welcome to Real Life .  How do you respond when God calls you to do something far beyond your natural ability? A friend of mine texted me this morning asking for prayer. As she should. She’s about to embark on something that’s way out of her league. She does this for Jesus and for His people, especially those who feel most forsaken, who the world deems most filthy and most foul, but who are loved by God. They that are whole have no need of a physician; but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners. –Jesus I text my friend: Just show up. God will do the rest . I tell her that because that’s what I've been told by other, wiser walkers before me; it’s what I tell myself when I’m about to step out onto the tightrope of faith and have no long stick, no net, just my empty palms held out and turned up. In some ways that’s freeing, that just showing up . But in other ways it’s the hardest part because working up the gumption to push against static frictio...

Welcome to Real Life. What is prayer? According to Webster, to pray is to implore, beseech, or ask earnestly. It’s a bitterly cold winter night. After a long work day, my husband is relaxing on the couch watching the news. The phone rings. It's our son, Calvin. He rents half a duplex and came home to a cold dwelling. The pilot light on the furnace went out. Cal can’t get it re-lit. Though my husband is tired, he pulls on his coat and drives off to assist his son. Just as a phone call moves an earthly father, prayer moves our heavenly Father. Four out of five adults in the U.S. pray. [1]  Why? It’s powerful. I've seen cancer cured, marriages restored, addicts freed, and lives transformed as the direct result of prayer. The power lies not in the words, but in the One we implore. In America, 83% of us believe God answers prayer. [2] “Lord, teach us to pray,” a disciple asked Jesus. Prayer had a radical impact on Jesus' life and ministry. His disciple noticed...

Welcome to Real Life . There's so much to do. Who has time to sit and visit? A Culinary Masterpiece: "Squid Sashimi In Black Plate On Wood Table"   Opening our homes to one another is almost a lost art. Everyone is busy. Time is precious. And, in this era of Food Network, there’s added pressure to place before guests a culinary masterpiece. On his way to Jerusalem, Jesus stops in Bethany. He’s friends with three siblings who live there: Lazarus (whom he raised from the dead), Martha, and Mary. Martha invites Jesus to stay in their home. Since Jesus traveled with his disciples, Martha likely hosted a group. I've worn Martha's apron. I've hosted out-of-town guests. It's a joy and a privilege. Yet, it also involves plain hard work. Beds need to be made, the house cleaned, groceries bought, and meals prepared. While Jesus speaks to the group gathered in their home, Martha’s busy. I see her slicing vegetables, seasoning meat, stoking the kitchen fir...