Such Things

“Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again:  Rejoice!” Philippians 4:4

A dear friend of mine turns to a certain book whenever anxiety starts to arise in her life.  It is a book from one of my favorite authors, Max Lucado called Anxious for Nothing – Finding Calm in a Chaotic World.  I never have been a big worrier, neither as a child nor an adult, but I must admit that I ordered this book and Bible Study because of what is going on in our world.  I must finally own up to the fact that I am also heavy-heartened and I’m finding certain parts of our circumstances worrisome.  Sometimes our bodies explain to our minds what we are really feeling.  I don’t know why but now every morning when I listen to my worship music, tears just stream down my face…every morning.  It is part of my new routine I guess, so I no longer try to stifle the tears. I did this morning what I always do when I begin a new Bible study.  I opened the front cover, wrote the date and made notes as to what is occurring in my life and the life of my family and friends.  It helps me chronicle the prayer requests and timeline of how God has answered those prayers and/or brought my concerns to a resolution.  Never in a million years did I ever imagine the things I wrote in the front of this one today.  As you see the inside front page even looks chaotic with different colors, scribbles and exclamation points. 

Why did Paul feel the need to exhort us twice to rejoice?  How was he able to believe this with everything in his soul while sitting on a cold prison floor shackled to a Roman guard?  His days were limited in that prison because death was certain to find him.  He had nowhere to run… except out of options.  And yet, he rejoiced in the Lord and told us to…not just when things were good but ALWAYS.  “Paul’s prescription for anxiety is a call to ‘rejoice in the Lord.’ This is not a call to a feeling but to a decision…We can wear our fear or wear our hope.  We can cave into the pandemonium of life or lean into the perfect plan [and presence] of God.”  Anxious for Nothing, p. 17.  Rejoicing in the Lord is ‘a deeply rooted confidence that God is still in control… that God is good, and that God preserves and governs over everything He created.  When our minds race to anxiety we open us a devastating dialogue between fear and faith…who will win out?  Anxiety is normal during unstable times but left unchecked it can squeeze the life right out of us.  It can choke any joy we usually have, leaving us restless, sleepless and faithless.  Thankfully, we have 1651 pages of God’s comforts, encouragement and promises to which we can turn.  One of my favorite passages is a sure way to settle my angst and rally my joy!  So, today let us ‘think about such things’ and REJOICE!  Again, I say Rejoice!

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- think about such things.” Philippians 4:8.

Finding My Floor

"Jesus wept." John 11:35

As Jesus looked over His beloved city He cried at the state of it. He understood the pain between what the city once was and the reality of how it had changed.

Over the past week it seems that tears have escaped from where they normally hide out more times than I expected. But being brave…faithful…determined I would cut them off and exhort myself to ‘be well with my soul.’ Even yesterday I used one of the few freedoms I still have…going to our community Italian restaurant and buying dinner hoping one of our favorite restaurants don’t go on their own ventilator. I walked in and was overwhelmed with the Clorox aroma where garlic and pizza are the norm. Tables cluttered with chairs atop them reminded me of the disarray of this season. There was one gentleman pressing the dough with a worried smile, while a young lady wearing latex gloves gave me a half-heartened nod. I left there with tears in my eyes, but the day was beautiful, so I reminded myself to ‘be well with my soul.’ But this morning, as I was scrolling through Facebook, I came upon a link from one of my former favorite teachers of a group of Nashville singers alternating stanzas from ‘It is Well.’ I began listening and with the first note, tears charged as if running to war…and then I remembered…we are in a war against a killer.

I decided this morning to choose this collection of sheltered-in self-made studio performances to finally find my floor. I feel like I’ve been free falling for 10 days and I’m ready to hit pavement …and I did with this song. We can’t stand back up and bravely face the days ahead without understanding the free fall is finished. It was an ugly cry…a cry that ushered in memories of wonderful 'it is well' moments. I allowed myself to 'go there.' I was once again that little daughter who finished getting ready for church and was sitting on the living room floor listening to Daddy play 'It is Well' on our piano. I was the sister laying beside the others hanging our legs out of the back window of the family's station wagon staring at the stars. I was the granddaughter painting my fingernails at my grandmother’s house when I was not allowed to at home. I was the friend in my bright pink bedroom with the canopy bed trying to squeeze in the wicker hanging chair with one of my best friends. I was the student passing a note to my best friend when I should have been listening to the teacher. I was the mommy who tucked her little children in watching them sleep with the glow of the nightlight on their cheeks. I was the wife sharing a pizza with Bruce at the restaurant laughing in the low light. I was the woman on Sunday at my church standing beside others with raised hands and worshiping hearts. I feel like revisiting these ‘it was well’ moments will give me the faith, endurance and patience to wait on my ‘it is well’ future.

We can’t get back up until something stops us from falling, and for me this morning it was a song shared by people who beautifully broke the fall. It’s okay to grieve during this time because we have lost a lot. It’s okay to cry over the blessings we use to have as long as we remember God still has a storehouse of blessings up ahead. It’s okay to be a little scared because even the disciples were frightened as their normal escaped them. When we bring all of our emotions to the feet of Jesus His hands are large enough to unloosen the knot. He alone will make it well in our soul. He alone is our Floor where comfort begins, and faith expands.

Running in Place

“Therefore...let us throw off every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with endurance the race set out for us.” Hebrews 12:1

When I was in middle school, I remember the first time our P.E. teacher instructed us to ‘run in place.’ I thought the phrase itself was contradictory and didn’t see the point. As I looked around, I saw my fellow classmates lifting their knees and swinging their arms as if they were accomplishing something. But, always wanting to please my teacher I began the exercise. It felt weird…awkward…senseless but I soon realized that we were running in place as preparation for a future run. She was getting us prepared…she was stretching our muscles so we might not cramp…she was looking out for our best interest in advance of the real run.

I don’t know about you but during this challenging time some days I feel like I’m running in place…not going anywhere…not accomplishing anything…just waiting, waiting, waiting! It occurred to me this morning my encumbrance for this race is impatience. The more impatient I am the less endurance I have. I have to make myself go walking instead of sitting on the couch wondering what is in our future. How long must I run in place? Most of my prayers are for others since the needs of so many people are paramount. But when I lift up my own name to God, I ask Him to do for me what I cannot do for myself…lay my impatience aside so I can run in place with endurance. Every one of us has our own lane that God has set before us during this time. While we are at home God is preparing us for the run up ahead. He is exercising our spiritual muscle, toning it up for the future. He is busy orchestrating every detail in our lives as it relates to what we need. Running in place is important because it is a directed focus until the future is revealed.

Running in place means prayers for the moment, maybe 100 times a day. Running in place takes captive our fearful thoughts replacing them with faithful ones. Running in place means calling someone who might need a listening ear. Whether we feel it or not, God has equipped us all for a moment such as this. When we claim faith and calm over fear and impatience, we will run our race triumphantly even if our circumstances are binding us.

The Expected One

“Are you the expected one, or shall we look for someone else?” Matthew 11:3

One of most unpredictable questions in the Bible was when John the Baptist was imprisoned. He was locked up and dependent on those who barely even knew him. They determined any freedom he might have…they determined what he would eat…they determined the timing of everything. His life was not his own as he sat on the cold floor hungry, lonely and searching. No doubt his mind was racing and although he had spent the biggest part of his life telling others about Jesus, he suddenly began questioning his own press. When John heard of all the wonderful deeds Jesus was doing, he sent his disciples to question Him. His question seems shocking to us…unexpected at best…unbelieving at worst. ‘Are you the expected one?’

But are we any different than John when we feel imprisoned by our circumstances? Isn’t it easy to say with our lips that ‘God is good’ when secretly in our hearts we wonder if He is even close by? When we begin to question the presence and power of Christ in us, we begin looking around for someone or something else to save the day. We set our eyes on individuals to save us instead of being watchmen for God’s delivery. We seek saviors in tangible items instead of seeking the One who saved us. We expect Christ to show up on our time frame and show up big!

‘Shall we look for someone else?’ The Bible promises that our search for the Savior will lead to one Man…one God…one Messiah. Anything other than Jesus along the road will disappoint… anything other than Jesus along the path will wither away…everything except for Jesus that we turn to will end up costing us. When our hearts begin to ponder whether Christ is really the one who can save us from our circumstances, we must replace our thoughts with truth. We must take captive our doubts before our doubts take captive of us. We must use God’s own words to encourage our hearts and remind us that the One who we are expecting is indeed the One who will triumph over these challenging times.

Into the Ark

“‘Go into the ark, you and your whole family’…And Noah and his sons and his wife…entered the ark to escape…The waters flooded the earth…But God remembered Noah…and the waters receded.” Ge 7:1-8:1

As I continue to search for our present predicament in the pages of the Bible, I remember Noah. His family was also called to stay in place…shelter-in…hunker down. Instead of a virus that marched across the world, the heaven’s opened up and flooded the world. They couldn’t even open the door and get a little exercise and fresh air. They were isolated in the wooden walls of an ark that would preserve their lives. It didn’t mean that they weren’t frustrated, fearful and impatient with life within their shelter. They also knew like we know, that to remain huddled together was to escape the threat. They also knew that their dilemma was temporary but within the walls it must have felt permanent. I wonder if they could even sleep as their containment vessel tossed and violently rocked as the entire world was drowning. I wonder if they were fearful that their food supply would run out. Would life as they knew it ever return to normal? How long would it be before stability returned? Did they place blame on God like many of us place on government? Did they continuously look at the waves like we obsessively look at the news?

I love that the Bible comforts us through this story as it reminds us that God remembered Noah as if we thought He had forgotten this family. But then I consider that maybe there are people within their own ‘shelter’ who may be feeling as if God has forgotten them during this storm. It is human nature to default to fear instead of clinging to faith. It is human nature to focus on the torrential downpours of life instead of the future rainbow. It is human nature to turn on the television instead of opening the Bible. But we don’t have to accept human nature because as believers, we are called to live above the fray. We are called to experience our highs and our lows by abiding in the spiritual realm of God. We were never meant to figure out our perils but rather to focus on God’s power. He is bigger than any storm and greater than any fear. He loves us with relentless passion and protects with a Mother’s fierceness.

Whatever your ark contains, understand and believe that God is with you and prepared everything for you during this experience. Consider that where we are is not the fault of any person, but the permissive will of God's great plan for the world. His thoughts and ways are higher than anything we can understand at present. But one day not too far in the future we will glance upward to witness a rainbow that bridges the chaos to the calm and the storm to the settled.

“And God said, ‘I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant…’” Ge 9:12-13

Suddenly, Jesus!

“That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid…Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them!  ‘Peace be with you,’ he said…Again he said, ‘Peace be with you.  As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.’” John 20:19

For me it seems like a month ago instead of a week ago when the bottom dropped out of our world.  This time last week seemed concerning, but life appeared to be an extension of itself until a National State of Emergency was enacted.  We were all strongly instructed to huddle in our homes, and distance ourselves from the crowds outside of our walls.  In considering the disciples this morning, they must have had some of the same feelings but much more intense.  Their teacher, friend and leader had suffered one of the most brutal killings ever to have been enacted against man…a sinless man.  Just two days after knowing that Jesus took His final breath they were frightened and huddled together.  What had happened that their lives had been totally disrupted?  When would it be safe to go outside again?  Would they be attacked? When would things return to even a new normal?  With Jesus gone, they were suddenly out of work. Then the story turns beautiful…the story turns hopeful…the story was for them and is also for us.

Suddenly, Jesus!  There is no door…no virus…no circumstance that will restrict Jesus from standing right here with us.  Jesus told them the very same thing His spirit tells us…have peace in this…be brave…believe that there is purpose up ahead.  Like the disciples, we need Jesus to tell us that several times a day.  Like the disciples, we need to hear that just as Jesus was sent to die for all of us, we are being sent to encourage each other in this challenging time.  Like the disciples we need to be reminded that no grave, no illness, no government can keep us from experiencing the love and peace of Jesus. 

So whatever situation in which you find yourself this morning, remind your heart that ‘suddenly there is Jesus!’ He is in you, ahead of you and beside you as you walk out this experience.  He will neither leave you nor abandon you.  His face will shine upon you and keep you close.  And when you look for Him, you will find Him…when you call to Him, you will hear His reply.  So as we huddle up and do our part, we don’t huddle alone…we are huddling with Jesus who is in total control.

Daylight is Coming

“For I will pass through the land…the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you…and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you…” Exodus 12:12-13

If you ever have felt like the Bible was some ancient book that is difficult to relate, welcome to the year 2020 version of Passover. God had already sent 9 other plagues to Pharaoh as punishment that he was not releasing the Israelite’s. The tenth was the one that broke Pharaoh’s denial of freedom for the slaves. It was the slaying of the first born from every family ‘from the first-born of King Pharaoh to the first-born of the captive in the dungeon.’ God told His people to stay in their homes and not come out until He had passed over. He commanded them to sacrifice a lamb and cover their door-frame with the blood of the Lamb. When God was on the move, He would spare [pass over] the homes whose door-frames displayed the blood. I wonder if they knew exactly when God would pass over them? Did they begin wondering if they had done enough for the door-frame to display the blood? Had the Passover occurred? What about the other tribes…their friends…their families…were they spared?

Throughout the days, I have also wondered if my friends and family will be spared from the virus that is passing through our communities, cities and states. I wonder if people including myself are doing enough…washing our hands…not touching our faces…staying optimistic…‘sheltering-in.’ During the original Passover, they didn’t have social media, phones or 24-hour newscasts. They were bound to their home with nothing more than their faith…their commitment to do what was being required…their courage. Their stakes were high and so are ours!

Just like the Israelite’s, God is in our midst and is our Protector. Just like the Israelite’s, we are called to courage and hope for better days when the death of the virus occurs. Just like the Israelite’s, life will return to normalcy with a greater appreciation of freedom, community fellowship and corporate worship. We must do what is required while this temporary and deadly virus passes us by. We must check on each other and provide the encouragement and hope to frightened people. God promises to never leave us or abandon us, and we will take Him at His word. He gave us a Book to comfort us…a Book to guide us…a Book to show that the people of God have been turning to Him for delivery since the Garden of Eden. We must open our hearts and our Bibles during this time when the world has slowed down to a snail’s pace. We have everything we need in Christ for this moment in time. Daylight is coming!

Reaping our Fields

“When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge… You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the LORD your God.” Leviticus 23:22

These are certainly crazy times! These are the times when light casts it’s revealing brightness on the disadvantaged that separates the have’s and the have not's. It is the segment of society whom God commanded us to help during all times. Since the time of Leviticus God displayed His heart regarding this group of people. I know that it must break God’s heart to see the empty grocery shelves…the disappointed faces of those disadvantaged who made the trip for one item of necessity. But people are ravaging the shelves, hoarding in plenty what others lack. Last night I saw an Instagram post from my bighearted niece in Texas. Her post was a generational reminder in 2020 of what the Lord commanded a few thousand years ago. When you reap… gather…collect…do not reap until it is gone…leave some of whatever you are gathering for the sake of the disadvantaged. Hoarding is another word for unbelief that God is who He says He is, and He will do what He has promised…to provide.

We each have had times in our lives when we were hungry living on the edge of comfort. Hungry for acceptance…hungry for love…hungry for food…hungry for a listening ear…hungry for friendship…hungry for a job. I’m sure that we can each remember a caring soul who reached out to us making time on their calendar for us… ‘not reaping their fields right up it its edge.’ Yesterday for the fourth day I found myself staring at massive empty shelves. I never noticed how tall the shelves were, but their barrenness exaggerated their stature.

Leaving harvest around the edge of our fields means making time for someone who needs a listening soul. Leaving harvest around the edge means sharing the basic needs that we have in excess sitting on a shelf in a closet. Leaving harvest around the edge means leaving time in your day to lift prayers for the poor…the frightened…the exhausted. God has given us a beautiful test when dealing with those living on the edge of society.

“‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers you did it to me.’” Matthew 25:37-40

As we gather groceries into our baskets, may our eyes be opened to the 'least of these.' Thank you sweet Morgan for echoing God's commands from yesteryear!

Longing for Popcorn

“So, [Elisha] answered, ‘Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’” 2 Kings 6:15

I love this story found in 2 Kings, chapter 6. The servant of Elisha who walked outside early in the morning saw a great army that was going to attack them. His heart sunk with fear and despair and he reported this to his master, Elisha. Elisha then prayed for God to open the eyes of his servant so he could see the army of God and all the horses and chariots surrounding them and their attackers. The servant who was previously struck with debilitating fear was shown that God was providing things he couldn’t see.

I have felt very peaceful over the past couple weeks regarding our invading enemy, the virus. There is comfort in knowing that it is a temporary condition, although a condition dangerous for a certain group at risk. I hadn’t considered what this experience might be doing to the human psyche until yesterday when the strangest thing happened to me while watching the news. I had gotten plenty of rest and my morning had been very peaceful. I glanced up at the television and they were reporting on Disney who temporarily closed their doors the evening before last. It showed all the characters congregating on a large balcony waving goodbye as the doors closed for an unknown time period. I discovered tears that had escaped and were streaming down my cheeks. Even as I recall that scene, the words I type are blurred at best.

What is it about that scene that tugs so hard at my heart? Could it be that underneath it all, I long for a day when Mother brought me and my sisters a hot bowl of popcorn as we laid in front on the television? Could it be that I am reminded that our little family of yesteryear has empty seats around our table? Does it remind me that there will be a day when we must wave goodbye to those we love? How can the residents of the ‘happiest place on earth’ abandon us at a time like this? Who is next? Who will shut their doors on us? What else will be denied from us? I realize that no matter how much faith we have, we can all be like the servant of Elisha. We all need reassuring this morning, mid-day and tonight that we don’t need to fear because anything out there is not as great and powerful as the God who goes with us. It is very easy when facing our fears to forget that we are in God's protective custody.

We need to replace our emotional psyche with our spiritual affirmations. God is in complete control and absolutely nothing passes through His hands without His permission. There was a beginning to our situation and there will be an end. God will never forsake or abandon us in our time of need. God will never close the door on any promise He has given us in times of trouble. He is our refuge and our hope, and our gaze must be on Him alone. We only need to consider God's deliveries from our yesterdays to remind us of all of tomorrow’s certainties in Him. And our journey will be peppered with the beautiful affirmations that will lead us to the day when the park is once again open, and our bowls are full of warm popcorn.

Accepting the Dance

“There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while… Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious inexpressible joy.” 1 Peter 6-9 (NLT)

When I was a little girl, I was always trying to make people laugh, especially my mother. I’ve always thought my mother was beautiful and I still do. She has always enjoyed laughter, love and family gatherings. I can remember a few times when she was going through something difficult. I was used to seeing a smile on her face but during these times I could tell things were a little off. I recall purposely being silly in front of her and using my best efforts to make her laugh. When that beautiful smile flashed across her face, my world had straightened up again. The audience had been captured and all was right again for that moment.

That is what joy in God does…it invades the dark space where sorrow has hunkered down. It doesn’t knock on the door but flings it wide open and walks right in as a trespasser. Joy recalls past smiles as it begs sorrow to remember the great times. Joy dances around trying to make sorrow laugh in spite of its present circumstances. Sorrow can sometimes be afraid to laugh and turns it’s back on joy, fearing a smile would be disrespectful to the growing challenges.

But contrary to sorrow's belief, God gave us joy…inexpressible joy in Him…for challenging times such as this.  The more we trust God in our sorrows, the more we see the visible manifestation of an invisible loving Father.  In our sorrows we must open our hearts and search our landscape for joy’s footprints.  Sometimes we must look backwards to find our joy identifying God’s faithfulness in other difficult times.  But most times, we must look forward because that is where joy dances it’s best and holds out it’s hand to us to join the party of hope.  We will never be let down or led astray when we waltz with the fruit of the Spirit called joy.

Piles of Manure

“‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down.’ ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure.’” Luke 13:6-9

I read this story for the first time a year ago and for some reason it amused me. I’m not sure why but I thought about it for the following month. Time went on, Bible Studies were completed, and I forgot about this story until this morning. With Jesus, the ultimate storyteller, no story gets told without being steeped in wisdom and hope. In this story, we find ourselves eavesdropping on the landowner and the gardener. The owner is tired of searching for fruit on a stubborn and sterile fig tree. He wants it removed because he sees no value in it taking up space on his property. With great patience and compassion, the vine dresser sees beautiful possibilities and probabilities if the landowner will only give him access to the tree. He explains that if the landowner will allow him to dig around the base and mix in manure, fruit just may appear at the harvest. I LOVE this story and it’s been the story of many times in my life.

There have been seasons where my circumstances stunk to high heavens! I felt like a dump truck backed up with its loud beeping, and tilting the bucket vertically covered me up. However, the fruit that was harvested from these difficult seasons have produced the most remarkable fruit shared with the Father. I’ll bet some of you are feeling exhausted, dumped on and fruitless this morning. If so, our story can give us hope and clarity for what is up ahead when we allow God to dig around in our heart. Just like the vine dresser, God sees the potential of what we can produce when abiding in Him. He knows the amount of time required to promote spiritual fruit, and He doesn’t mind tearing up our landscaping to make it happen. But he doesn’t leave it in disarray but does use the stench of our challenges to create a future harvest.

Even when others seem to dump on us and wound us, we can thank them for fertilizing our tree! We can trust God will use every bit of hurt to develop each of us into the remarkable people He created us to be. We certainly don’t have to like the manure, but believe that God can use it for profit. ‘Nobody told me a productive life would involve so much manure...The gardener can take what is nothing more than a pile of putrid manure, apply it to the base of our tree, and do us an enormous favor.’ Chasing Vines, Beth Moore, p 224. All He asks is that we give Him both access and time and allow Him to tend to the land.

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9

No Match for Jesus

“The disciples went and woke Him saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing!" Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters, and they subsided, and all was calm.” Luke 8:24

Well I guess it is time to address the ‘elephant in the room’ which continues to move through the nations.  This elephant doesn’t discriminate and isn’t afraid to march into any country, state, city or home.  This elephant is creating havoc across every landscape of our lives…emotional… financial…political…medical…spiritual.  Yesterday, I sat in amazement as closures across our nation multiplied and announced cancellations for events never canceled.  I know that fear has no place in this approaching march, but we can’t help our minds from ‘going there.’ Although 2 Timothy 1:7 reminds we that ‘God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind’ we feel powerless and anxious.  We are just as human as the disciples in our morning verse.  Their little boat was being tossed around like a rag doll and they were terrified of the raging waters and the powerful wind.  But I’m relieved that we have the same help and anchor in our boat that they had all those years ago…we have Jesus.  Thankfully, our Jesus never sleeps…our Jesus still rebukes the wind… our Jesus still nods to the raging waters directing them to subside.

While many of us are looking to government, doctors, and 24/7 newscasts, we must remind our heart and mind that God still remains in control. He controls the bloom of each flower…He controls the breath of each lung…He controls the movement of every cloud…He controls the timing of every outcome. I’ve decided now is not the time to question why God is allowing this, rather determine what God wants to do in me during this experience. How can I respond to the care and concern of others? The disciples had it right when they turned to Jesus to calm their fears, but Scripture doesn’t tell the story of how long before the storm calmed. We want to believe that Jesus immediately got up and brought everything to a standstill. But Scripture does not say that, so we must assume that timing is not the point. Turning to and focusing on Jesus is the point in any storm we face while on earth. He was the anchor in their storm, and He will be the anchor in our storm. The disciples had each other to cling to and be encouraged by and so do we. So, as we are tossed by the waves of uncertainty with this virus may we hold tightly to each other, and approach Jesus with complete certainty that He still calms storms.

“You stilled the roaring of the seas, the pounding of their waves, and the tumult of the nations.” Psalm 65:7

Waiting on Hummingbirds

“Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid;” Luke 12:6

When I was pregnant with each of my children, I loved the time leading up to their births. I would make my plans for their nurseries including the colors in the room to which they would one day awake. I would search the stores for the perfect items to place intentionally around the room. For the last child I even attempted to sew to save money. I chose pink and mint fabric and made her valances, covered her bumper pads and pillows to place in her crib. Nothing in the nurseries were placed randomly or by accident. They were all details I chose before they were even born for their future needs and joy. At least once a day I would walk into the nurseries while waiting on my children to be born. I would scan the room to ensure every detail had been seen to for their comfort. Fast forward 30 years and I found myself the other day happy to unwrap my hummingbird feeders although their arrival is not yet due. Just like rocking in the nursery rocking chair before my babies were born, I love seeing the bright and colorful feeders beckoning the sweet birds to come and dine.

Can you even fathom that our Father knew the exact second our children and grandchildren gasped for their first breath of life? Isn’t it remarkable that the Lord knows the exact instant when our little hummingbirds will land on the perch? Not one detail isn’t directed by the master Conductor in the symphony of each sunrise and each sunset. The trees are given their sap by God, and the waves take their direction at His voice. The moon sees God’s nod signaling its entrance as the sun is commanded to sink into the horizon. So why do we worry? Why are we afraid of our circumstances when every detail is covered by God’s wisdom and great sovereignty? Just as His timing is perfect for the sun…the waves…every birth…the hummingbirds…His timing is perfect for each detail of our lives. Waiting on God may seem empty and futile, but to Him it is the time of nesting when He is preparing and arranging the beautiful details for our lives up ahead.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?" Matthew 6:25-27

The Knot in our Rope

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” Colossians 3:1-2.

One of my prayers for my husband Bruce is that the Lord would feed the ‘insatiable brain’ that He gave Bruce. His brain never rests…the pad with scribbles on the nightstand proves it. Over the years I can’t tell you how many nights I have awakened to the faint glow of a flashlight as he added to a list, began a list or was trying to work out a problem. He has retired from being a former nuclear industry consultant but has taught and deemed himself to be a lumberjack on our property. He has watched many videos on YouTube on how to safely and successfully drop 50-foot trees. He has ordered the items needed to stay safe and those needed to have control on where the trees fall. He purchased a book on the numerous knots that gave the greatest strength. But one knot seemed to frustrate and challenge him relentlessly …the button knot which apparently has an unbelievable ability to lessen the weight of trees. It allows him to carry and move the excessive burden of what he normally would be unable to accomplish. In order to tie this knot, he finally thought of a way to successfully weave the two strands of rope forming the knot. He took a gold sharpie and drew a stripe on one of the strands to better show which strand was the one to weave into the knot. It was the ‘identifier’ that would show the way to form the tightest and most secure knot. He finally had success!

This morning in my devotion time I read a simple question a woman had once asked Beth Moore, author of Chasing Vines. The woman asked her, ‘What is the knot in your rope?’ I immediately thought of Bruce and the button knot. We live in a world where we must navigate through the challenges of right and wrong, obedience and compromise, spiritual focus or earthly focus. It is easy for the focus on the world to get entwined with our spiritual life which forms a knot of weakened faith. All the strands begin looking the same and there is no real identifier for our faith. If we don’t weave Christ into our lives, we lose all spiritual focus. We as believers have been raised with Christ so our lives should be marked with the stripes that He bore for us. When He is clearly the knot in our rope, we can bear the burdens because of His strength, not our own strength. When we seek the things that are above, we don’t feel the full weight of this world because we were never meant to. The more our knot is marked with Christ the greater joy we can discover while here. In God’s economy the more focus on the next life brings abundance in this life.

‘But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33

Substance From Nothing

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep…Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light, and it is was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.” Ge 1:1-4

This beautiful passage came to mind this morning when I was doing my Bible Study, Chasing Vines by Beth Moore.  I was reading the chapter regarding experiencing traumas and difficult circumstances in life.  Most times our painful situations can be described as darkness. Those seasons of life when light has left our hearts and nothing bright and joyful can be seen on the horizon.  Those seasons when every good thing behind us seems dead and every darkness before us seems permanent.  But as I sit here with complete confidence that God never changes, this passage comes to mind.  Since the beginning of creation, God has been making substance out of nothing every day.  He is still calling light’s name when darkness has the megaphone.  He created my children out of the ‘nothingness’ of a desire.  He took my child’s drug addiction, one of the darkest 8-year periods of my life and gave her substance like nothing I’ve ever seen.  Substance of testimony, intimacy with Christ and sponsorship to other struggling women.  He has taken my sinful times and brought substance out of its darkness.  He has taken times of deep grief and brought substance of compassion and love out of that darkness.

I know that many of you are experiencing the dark cold winters of life.  You might be wondering if God will ever divide the light from the darkness again.  God’s word is just as relevant today as it was the moment He called the world into existence and He is wielding light even if you can’t see its glimmer.  His love for us motivated His creation of us and He will continue to work everything for us through this great love.  He is always with us guiding us towards our divine destiny.  We are all destined to one day leave this earth and take our place in eternity.  Our dark seasons create a deeper dependency on God.  Many of my trials have been the keys that have unlocked self-made prisons.  Trials transform us from flesh to spirit, idleness to purpose, ego to humility and self-love to giving-love…all beautiful substance driven from darkness.  I’m thankful that darkness will perish but the Lord remains forever.  Let the beautiful words of Psalm 102:25-27 call light out of darkness. 

‘They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment.  You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, but you are the same, and your years have no end.’

Our Yesterdays

“This shall be the sign for you…Judah shall again take root downward and bear fruit upward…The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.” Isaiah 37:30-32

Judah had been attacked viciously and their lives were completely devastated. I’ll bet they felt as if things would never be the same. Time marched on and nothing ever got better. Just like us when trauma occurs, they had no idea when or if normalcy would ever return. The Lord was gracious to Isaiah by giving him a sign of future delivery, promising a return to previous blessings they had lost. God still encourages us with His comfort and promises of a good life up ahead. This is the time of year when our family’s sensitivity is on high alert. I don’t plan for it…I don’t dwell on it…I don’t go searching for it...but it always finds me. It is likened to the time I severely rolled my ankle creating such an injury it would be over a year before I could walk without discomfort. Many months into the injury I would forget the compromised foot, until I would make a certain move and it would send great pain through my body. It was a reminder that I had an injury and things were not as they had been.

March is that injured foot for our family for it is the month that holds the days when my dad and sister shed their compromised bodies for their spiritual ones. For me, the first few weeks of the month seem like strolling through a cemetery, visiting grave-site after grave-site. ‘This day marked the day that as my sister laid in her bed unreachable, she was already reaching for Heaven.’ ‘That day marked the day Daddy went into the Hospice House and slipped quietly out of this life and stepping into the next.’ The stroll goes on and on until March 19 at which point all activities on earth for them were finished.

God’s assurance for Judah is the same assurance for us when dealing with heartbreaking circumstances that flow into our lives. His message promises that He will bring life on the other side of devastation. ‘The hard truth is there’s no real going back. But once we get up again, there can be a going forward…Just finding normalcy again can be fingerprints of the supernatural. Unwanted changes occur. Crises happens. Catastrophes invade…the pleasant field that once surrounded us has been scorched…You don’t want to grow something new. You want to return to your old life. You want those exact clusters of grapes, not new ones. But in time, God can make all things new and finding fruitfulness again will make more difference than you can imagine. If we can’t have our treasured yesterdays back, at least tomorrow can matter.’ Chasing Vines, Beth Moore, p.196-197. I’ve said so many times that if I cannot have my dad back, I am honored to have Ben, my mother’s husband. God indeed has given us a new normal and it is very good. When we drop to our knees in prayer, we are taking the root downward, and God will be faithful to bear fruit upward.

Whatever you are facing this morning, take the time to grieve, take the prayers to God and allow Him to transform the old into the new…the past into the present…the promise into the healing. God uses everything from our yesterdays to create beauty in our tomorrows.