Emerging Life

"Go away from here and turn eastward, and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of Jordan.” 1 Kings 17:3

 A year ago today, I was so excited because I had orchestrated a surprise for Bruce that he would never forget. It was the weekend when his brother and sister-in-law were surprising him by flying into town for 4 days. For Christmas, our children had given him 2 tickets to a concert of his favorite guitar artist. All along he thought I would join him in attendance but I knew that Jay would share the joy and appreciation of this concert much more than I would have. It was a great weekend and things went perfectly from start to finish. As they flew out that following Tuesday, the virus situation ‘flew in’ just as quickly within days. I’ve said a million times over the past year that little did I know that weekend would be the last time for a long while that we would experience unadulterated fellowship and the celebration of gatherings. We were all abruptly amputated from our lives…our churches…our schools…our celebrations…our shopping…our enjoyment of restaurant dining with friends. More than one time I have expressed how we were experiencing unprecedented circumstances…isolation…quarantines…social distancing. But this morning as I read my Bible study, I realized that these words describe a season in the life of Elijah thousands of years ago.

‘Turns out though, this idea of setting oneself apart has long been part of God’s process in developing His people for usefulness and impact.’ Elijah, Priscilla Shirer, p. 48. Elijah was living in the hustle and bustle of a busy region where government had just mandated the worship of numerous gods. No doubt he enjoyed meals with friends, shared his faith with others, and was involved with many of the same activities we enjoy. But just like last year there was a day when God’s mandate drew a line in the sand between his old life and a new life…his past ministry and a future ministry. The mandate came with the same thing ours came with…isolation…social distancing…solitude…a complete sever from community. Through that season Elijah met its challenges with frustration and loneliness I am sure just like we have experienced. But Elijah allowed God to transform his heart and renew his mind into new lessons and disciplines. Did he emerge from his quarantine a greater servant than when he started? Most definitely. Did he distance himself from things that hindered him in his old life when he discovered his new life? Most assuredly.

I began wondering this morning, did we? Have we let go of the things God wanted us to relinquish during this past year? Have we ‘hidden’ ourselves in the brook of the ‘Living Waters’? Did we turn eastward towards the face of God for fellowship, community, and intimacy? I pray that I will emerge from this season with new resolve and a new focus in Christ. I pray that we will all leave a host of those ‘fallen soldiers’…bad habits, bad attitudes, and self-focus...on the battlefield instead of dragging them into our new future. Every day we inch closer and closer to emerging from our isolation, and I pray that like Elijah history will write our story of changed hearts, focused allegiance to God, and greater service in the Kingdom of God.

Heaven's Great Surprise

“My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” John 14:2-4

Today marks an exciting day in our little family as it is the half-way point of our daughter’s pregnancy. In 20 more weeks, we will get to welcome our 4th beloved grandchild into our family. Our daughter has been designing the nursery, choosing colors, and purchasing furniture for our little girl to both sleep in and be rocked in. She and her husband have so many desires tucked inside their heart for their little girl’s room to be just right…beautiful…safe…welcoming …loving. This past weekend they went on a short trip up to the mountains with their fur babies and friends. We secretly set up a nursery work weekend with Robbie our son-in-law to surprise Caroline with a completed nursery. We knew the things she wanted for the nursery and we knew what and how to accomplish it. Throughout the weekend, furniture was assembled, a nursery light was hung, walls were painted, and blush and gray baby knick-knacks were dispersed around the room. It is a beautiful room and it felt so wonderful as her parents to bring her plans to reality. When she arrived, we had already left but Robbie took a video of her emotional discovery of what was done for them over the weekend. Yesterday, she told me that she can’t imagine how it will feel to go from walking into an empty nursery for months to walking into the room that houses the life of her little daughter.

This morning as I sit here in the dim light sipping my coffee, I am reminiscing about the last couple of months with all her planning up until Sunday night. I am thanking God that everything we had hoped to accomplish was indeed done. And then the wonder of the Lord came over me with the revelation of His great love for us…His orchestrated plans for us…His blessings upon us. Just as we are only travelers on this earth, we will return Home one day to discover the fulfillment of every desire in our heart. He is meticulously planning, creating, and fulfilling so much in the invisible as we can only dream of the final outcome. Just like the baby nursery, it will be more beautiful than we ever imagined. It will be the safest place in which we have ever lived. Our room is being beautifully prepared each day as God knows the exact time and day when we will return and experience the discovery. He will one day walk into a room filled with our presence after it has sat empty for many years. It will bring Him even more joy to give us everything than it brought me and Bruce this past weekend. Just as God has our little baby protected and growing in a place other than her physical home for now, we too are protected by Him on earth and growing in Him. One day we will walk into the surprise of Heaven and will experience the beauty of all He has prepared for us.

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you, and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” Jeremiah 29:11

Behind the Curtain

"Jesus gave them this answer: ‘Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed.” John 5:19-20

Next month, it will be thirty-seven years since I met Bruce. I had decided to transfer from Duke Power Company in Lancaster to their offices in Charlotte. I received the transfer and began working in April around the corner from his office. Within 4 weeks we began to date and I have never looked back. It didn’t take long to understand how much he loved his parents. He has the physical traits and the hilarious humor of his mother, but the work ethic of his dad. For over 3 decades I have not only heard the stories of his childhood, but witnessed the shared respect between him and his dad. Many of the stories for which he has painted precious pictures were of him as a pre-teen. He would follow his dad down the stairs into their basement and disappear behind a curtain where all the projects were born and built. I can just see that little green-eyed, wide-smiled boy intently watching each movement of his dad. I can close my eyes and hear his millions of questions trying to better understand and learn new things. Sometimes I’m sure his dad allowed him to place his little hands around a tool to welcome him into sharing in the project. No doubt his father taught him the purposes of each tool and the importance of adhering to safety and rules. What a precious relationship these two had that extended until 2011 at which time he passed on to Heaven to be reunited with Bruce’s mother.

This is what I want for you and for me when choosing our activities with the time we’ve been allotted on earth. We won’t see the movement of God unless we quiet the noise around us. We won’t understand the purpose of anything in our lives without spending time ‘behind the curtain’ where secret things are shared and created. When we allot most of our time to the things of man, we build relationships with things that won’t fulfill us, sustain us or grow us. We must be child-like in our pursuit of our Father and follow behind Him wherever He leads us. The yield is nothing short of remarkable and the love carries us beyond anything we could experience on earth. 

A Box of Crayons

“God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” Matthew 5:7

I don’t believe that I am going out on a limb to say that 2021 has already had far more troubles for those I love than 2020. Leading up to today, I have had the most difficulty is forming prayers for those in dire consequences than ever before. I have never had to shift more prayers from healing to acceptance as I have had to over the past 6 weeks. I have stood on spiritual tip-toes reaching towards the top shelf for encouragement to share with others. I’ve found myself leaning over the edge extending a hand to those to no avail. I’ve watched a large region of prayer warriors rush Heaven’s gates on behalf of a failing heart who is now walking the golden streets. I’ve pleaded with God for huge revelations to pass along and far-reaching mercies to impart to others. In all of this and through all of this Satan would have us believe that our prayers went unheard…that God was distracted saving others…that ‘in the name of Jesus’ wasn’t enough. What do we do with all of these unsettling emotions? How do we still pray in confidence when those we prayed for didn’t receive their desired outcome?

Through the night as I was praying for comfort for a certain family, I suddenly remembered that as a little girl when I saw someone whom I loved upset, angry, or sad I would color them a picture. There was great joy for me in choosing the right image…arranging the right crayons in the order I wanted to use them…intently keeping it inside the lines. I remember that I always took my time coloring my pictures because it was the one thing that I believed could make them feel better. It never failed when I reached up towards them with my colorful page and a confident smile. Their eyes would meet mine, their brow would relax a bit, and their tear-streaked face would lift just a little. Whether it was ‘refrigerator worthy’ or not, they always seemed better than before.

I believe that is the point of a Christian heart and its response to suffering. When I colored those pictures, I was resolved that there was nothing I could do to fix their troubles. Somewhere in my mind, I understood that everything would eventually be okay. In the recesses of my heart, I knew that my part was simply to offer a small mercy. No grand gesture…no eloquent words…no earthshaking revelations. Just a child with a coloring book, some crayons, and a heart to help.

We will never know how largely received our small mercies are when we reach out to the brokenhearted. We will never know how God will use us to minister to His hurting children. There is great freedom in the acceptance of God’s will, the reality of eternity, the promised reunions, and the privilege of extending His love and comfort to another.

Pledging Allegiance

“As the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand…” 1 Kings 17:1b

I have been waiting for 3 months for my new Bible Study to be released…IT’S FINALLY HERE!... Elijah -Faith and Fire authored by Priscilla Shirer. Before we even turn from Page 1 our devoted hero Elijah stood before the highest government leader in the land and proclaimed there was but one God, despite what had just been legislated. The government had proclaimed that all were to worship the god of Baal. It took boldness and courage for this man to go against the culture…the trend…the government…the law. But unapologetically he claimed that his God was the only God, and his God was alive. Then he said four powerful words … ‘before whom I stand.’ Priscilla describes this beautiful state of the mind and heart of Elijah. She explains that those four words spoke volumes of this one man’s faith. By claiming that he stood before God meant that while he was physically standing before the king, he was devotedly standing before His God. He was acting as an ambassador for God, His Kingdom, and His truths, all the while standing on foreign land. Elijah made it clear that his allegiance, commitment, and devotion was to God alone.

If we are walking around on earth, we must live our lives with the understanding that we are living on foreign ground. While mankind and our culture will try to govern over us, mold us, and bend us into what they determine is true, we must claim our allegiance to God’s statutes. Within the walls of our heart, we are God’s temple and an embassy in a foreign land. As an embassy amidst the mindset of the flesh, we are to set our foundation on the mindset of the Spirit. Like embassies, we are to be a safe haven for those seeking refuge in a troubling world. We are to operate within those walls implementing the laws of the spiritual Kingdom.

So, as we consider those four simple words, ‘before whom I stand’ what is its echo? Do we stand before our own desires instead of God’s? Do we stand before mankind desperately seeking its approval? Do we stand up for what the Bible says on certain topics instead of what our culture says? We live in times when our boldness and courage is critical to advance God’s principles. When we stand for everything, we actually stand for nothing.

The only allegiance to which we should pledge is before God. Our nation was built on God and His principles have stood true and unchanging since the beginning of time. May our lives stand true to the One who has been faithful in standing true for us.

By and By

 There have been few times in my life when circumstances left me shocked and heartbreakingly aware of the fragility of life. This week has been one of those where as hard as I try, my prayers were more robotic than melodic. My focus during the time with God has been fragmented at best. My worship has been rather warm than passionate. The fruit of my lips have tasted more sour this week. So what do we do with those ‘thunders of the flesh’ when what we really need is the gentle rains of the Spirit?

We remind ourselves that every step taken from birth has been on the stones of God’s blessings. We search for new found gratitude of all things good in our past to assure our hearts of all things good up ahead due to God’s faithfulness. We clothe ourselves in the garment of praise transforming our despair into hope. We embrace that while we are on this earth we will never understand the full sovereign will of God.

As we stand in the valley screaming up to our formidable mountain, we speak words of life over it. And through these offerings of hope, life and the certainty of Heaven, our focus turns back to God, our broken hearts give way to hope, and our spirit is relieved that ‘He Maketh No Mistake.’

“My Father’s way may twist and turn,

My heart may throb and ache.

But in my soul I’m glad I know,

He maketh no mistake.

My cherished plans may go astray,

My hopes may fade away,

But still I’ll trust my Lord to lead

For He doth know the way.

Tho’ night be dark and it may seem

That day will never break;

I’ll pin my faith, my all in Him.

He maketh no mistake.

There’s so much now I cannot see,

My eyesight’s far too dim;

But come what may, I’ll simply trust

And leave it all to Him.

For by and by the mist will lift

And plain it all He’ll make,

Through all the way, tho’ dark to me,

He made not one mistake.”

A. M. Overton

The Season of Singing

“My beloved spoke and said to me, Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, come with me. See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come; the cooing of doves is heard in our land. Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with me.” Song of Songs 2:10-13

Last week there was a small package delivered to my home. When I opened it, I was reminded that one of my dearest and most precious friends had told me she ordered a book for me. I’m in love with this small book because this book whispers a love story right back to me…God’s furious longing for me {and for you!}. Brennan Manning is the author of The Furious Longing of God and I am quite sure he included Scripture which I have never read. As much time as I have spent walking the spiritual pages of God’s Kingdom in print, I have never stopped to visit the Book of Song of Songs. This passage is love’s battle cry for the tired…the heartbroken…the hopeless…the sick. Little did I know that the book she bought me would provide the beautiful image needed to help soothe my heart this morning.

Saturday, I received a text from this same friend that simply said ‘Mama has taken her first breath in heaven.’ This morning as I was reading Manning’s book the passage again was printed in the chapter I was reading. But this time, it seemed like it became alive for me and tears streamed down my face. It was as if I had stumbled upon a private moment between God and her mother … intruding…eavesdropping…trespassing. But wide-eyed and cupping my ear to the wall, I allowed myself to be a part of the snapshot of her last moments. I’m confident these are the words that floated into her mind and heart from a God who had a furious longing for her. She couldn’t rise fast enough because her winter WAS over! No more rain…no more frigid circumstances…no more sickness. This week flowers will appear on her earth, as her service will be shared with her family and friends. Her season of singing HAS come and she is hearing the songs of the Lord like never heard before. She is hearing the cooing of doves in Heaven instead of the beeping of equipment. She has arisen and has held out her hand to the One who has been holding her.

This beautiful beloved soul has indeed arisen and followed the One who called her home.

Presenting Our Shoulders

“I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, My soul will exult in my God; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness…” Isaiah 61:10

I must admit that I have been completely immersed in the reality of Heaven over the past month or two. I unapologetically write that sentence because to be heaven-minded is to distance ourselves from earthly pain. Being heaven-minded allows me to see my dad again in the eyes of my heart. Gosh, I loved my dad and I couldn’t have asked for a better one! He has been gone for almost 11 years now but in my mind, I can still see memories of my parents together. One of the most precious memories I have of them is how Daddy would pick up Mother’s coat, she would turn her shoulders to him and he would slip her coat onto her small frame wrapping it around her. There was something both intimate and magical about watching that small gesture with large significance. That gesture was full of love…respect protection

…intimacy...gratitude.

I remember reading in my grandmother’s journal once during the time she was grieving over the death of my granddaddy, that despite the pain she ‘presents her shoulders to her Father to receive His garment of praise.’ She understood that whatever pain was being experienced in her life could be lightened by allowing God to cover her. She understood that the greatest way to endure was to engage in praise with His equipping. A few decades later as she laid in the nursing home at 101 in a broken garment, I can only imagine the scene as she opened her eyes fully healed, skin fully smooth, body fully whole. ‘She arises and walks toward the Throne as God stands up, smiles with tears of joy in His eyes, and moves towards her. She turns her back on Him to present her shoulders for her Father to slip her robe of righteousness around her new spiritual body.' I just wonder if the Lord gave Grandmother the honor of placing Daddy’s robe of fine linen onto his shoulders as he arrived? I truly can get lost in my imagination but anything grand that I conjure up in mind about our loved ones in Heaven will fall woefully short than what the reality of Heaven is really like for them.

To receive the garment of praise and the robe of righteousness we must always approach our Father with the willingness to ‘present our shoulders,’ to allow Him to cover us…to carry us… to wrap His love around us. One fine day we will follow in our loved ones footsteps which will lead us to a destination like none other.

Beautifully Wrapped

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” Isaiah 43:19

As I have previously written, our little ‘sisterhood of traveling pants’ has been hit hard over the last month or two with medical challenges, family illnesses and passings of loved ones. We have a group text going most of the time, sometimes with funny gifs, other times with good news, but also with updates on the lives of our families. One of our precious friends is in the trenches with both elderly parents recovering from Covid along with her dad’s pre-existing medical challenge. She and her siblings risked getting the virus to be caregivers for them and it’s been a dicey couple of weeks. With each update she always ends the text with five simple words…One day at a time. She doesn’t throw this out like some shallow platitude but lives faithfully within its mantra.

This morning I began thinking about that phrase and I was drawn to creation. God had a perfect order when He began conducting the symphony of placing the universe on its foundation. The first thing He created was light which was in Him. Now light could have been attained without the sun because Genesis clearly states there was light first, followed by His creation of the sun. But I believe that God knew we would need something more than the constant light. God is all-knowing so I’m confident He knew the fall of mankind would follow creation…and yet He still created. He knew that through the fall sin and sickness would be a part of your life and my life…and yet He still created. In His great love, instead of just creating light that was a blessing in itself, He created its source, the sun. He assigned the sun to disappear at the end of each day. He replaced it with a lesser light to lull us into sleep, into rest, and into peace. The sovereign Creator loves us so much He wanted to comfort our hearts with a beautiful sunrise each morning...something new. He layered the beauty with the warmth and gave it a timeframe to hang in the sky which brings me to our phrase…one day at a time.

One day at a time means when we close our eyes on yesterday, we tuck in its circumstances never to be exactly lived again. One day at a time means the only thing that we will allow into the next day is hope, faith, and gratitude. One day at a time means that we open our eyes to the array of possibilities that just might be better than the day before. One day at a time means we awake in the early hours of the dark, anticipating and hopeful of the beautiful sunrise of both the sun and our situation. One day at a time means every 24 hours God is visibly doing a new thing!

As the sun springs up, will we perceive it? Will we feel the warmth of hope beaming down on our hearts? Will we take the time to count the colors before we count our concerns? Will we give God our thankfulness that each day radiates down with new blessings and our confidence that God is in complete control? Every sunrise is a gift from God packaged in beautiful wrap and ribbons. May we all open the newness of each day and keep our hearts anchored on tomorrow’s sunrise.

As Evening Approaches

“That day when the evening came, he [Jesus] said…‘Let us go over to the other side.’ Leaving the crowd behind…they took him along, just as he was, in the boat…A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. He [Jesus]…got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Quiet! Be still!’ Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.” Mark 4:35-29

This past week has been a tumultuous week for the family of one of my best friends. Their mother is like my second mom and I have spent a great amount of time this week recalling the many memories of going to their house. I believe I spent as much time at their home as I did at my own home. If I close my eyes, I can see a teenager bolting up the basement steps to go inside. If I attune my ears, I can hear their mom welcoming me into the house, ‘Hey, darlin.’ I am sure that she called everybody darlin’ but it always seemed reserved for me as a young teen. I can hear her bold laughter which was contagious… even now, I find a smile on my face thinking about her laughter. Her precious husband passed away unexpectantly seven years ago, and the sisters have been caring for her ever since due to dementia. A week ago, she fell and was rushed to the hospital where she has been cared for as the medical professionals try to discover her latest medical challenges. It has been a week of mystery, guesswork and tough decisions for this precious family. Their faith is great but the decisions are rough as they maneuver through the storm. Yesterday, their precious mom was placed in a Hospice House.

The thing about our imagination is that it is a license to write a story that can soothe our hearts. This morning, when I read that Jesus called the disciples to get into the boat to journey to the other side of the water, I couldn’t help but see my friend’s mom climbing over the side of the boat to join Jesus. The seas became rough for her this week, but Jesus has been with her every second of every day. Where we see one person sleeping, Jesus sees her wide awake. Where we see the furious squall of impending passing, Jesus sees the beautiful shore of where they are going. Where we see the chaos of the moment she has been calmed by Jesus with His presence and peace. I’m quite sure that it won’t be long until Jesus stands up in that beautiful moment, and rebukes the physical weaknesses and stills the storm. I’m sure that God is meeting her in her dreams and is quietening the noise around her as they sail into the sunset of her life filled with love, beauty, and fellowship with her family. As we see the small silhouette of her sail crossing the vast chasm between earth and heaven, those on the other side see the same silhouette approaching their shores…and they blow the trumpets and shout for joy! ‘Here she comes, she is on her way home! We must throw a celebration in Heaven that will far exceed the beauty of her life on earth.’

And that is how I choose to picture the next couple weeks as her evening approaches. She is getting ready to arrive on the shores of Heaven with Jesus steering the way. The Lord has assigned the number of her days before this precious soul even took her first breath.

“Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Psalm 139:16