Dolphin Watching

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” Ephesians 3:20.

This is most likely a picture of something to you, but to me this is a picture of nothing.  The reason why is because minutes earlier there were 3 dolphins frolicking in the water together.  I was walking across a bridge as part of my morning exercise and glanced down to discover this early morning play.  I watched for a minute or so and decided to take a picture.  Once I had my camera pulled up on my phone this is all I saw.   Nothing…I stood there for what seemed like an eternity only to see nothing.  I watched the water like waiting for a pot to boil, and still the surface was not broken again.  There I stood watching and waiting in vain…no dolphins…no sighting…no image. 

Like you, I have had times in my life when I was watching my circumstances waiting for resolution to break through the surface of my life.  A time where it seemed forever ago when life was smooth and days were not laced with sadness and worry.  Like me, centuries ago there were 3 soldiers who stood outside the grave also waiting and watching.  Three men given the responsibility to ensure Jesus was still entombed, and His body not stolen.  No doubt, they never took their eyes off the rock…the horizon…the circumstances.  And yet, ‘dolphins broke through the surface’ at God’s command and Christ was raised from the dead.  They had watched the stone in vain…the resurrection came from within the darkness.  The image was forever captured in Holy Writ and in the hearts of men.  When God robbed the grave, the men realized that their watch was futile.  Keeping their eyes on the circumstances was worthless and nothing was gained from their focus. 

I still have some dolphins that I am waiting to see, and an image in my mind that my camera will someday capture.  It will be a beautiful picture of an answered prayer for which I have been waiting…watching…longing for.  I’m sure that you have dreams to come true, and prayers to be answered.  Dreams for a spouse, dreams for a child, dreams for a job.  Prayers for healing, prayers for relationships, prayers for relief, prayers for comfort.  The list goes on and on, and our Father knows what we need and desire even before we know.  God is going about His business for us, so we should go about our business for Him.  We can neither watch for things that are out of our control, nor demand our will over them.  We must just keep walking, and keep our eyes on Him.  

One day I am confident that I will glance into the water and not see 3 dolphins but 300 dolphins!  I will look in hindsight and see the thousands of prayers answered from a Father who has planned everything for our lives before we lived out one day.  Keep on believing…keep on walking…keep on living!

Seasonal Fruit

“…If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5.

Last week I went to the farmers market to get some fresh produce to take on our family vacation. There is one stand that has the most amazing tomatoes. They are the best in the market because they have the same sweetness and juiciness that my parents’ garden had when I was very young. I also picked up a few avocados to use as a topper in tortilla soup. As I prepared that meal, the moment the blade slid through the tomato, its juices flowed on the cutting board. As I turned my attention to the avocado I could barely get the same knife through the inside. The skin was like that of an alligator and the inside was hard as a rock. To say it wasn’t quite ripe is certainly an understatement. I was so disappointed in my plans for that soup. I tried to rush a fruit that wasn’t yet ready to experience.

In life, there are different seasons. Seasons where we are free to pick the fruit because the ripeness is perfect. There are seasons where the fruit still hangs on the tree tempting us to pluck it, wash it, and prepare it. When our flesh is weak we grab that fruit prematurely taking matters into our own hands. We massage that situation, and gnaw on it until we cannot any longer. The fruit did not satisfy…it did not nourish…it was hard and tasteless. When God has orchestrated the details of our lives and they align with His timing the fruit will be ripe. He will show us when it time to pick the fruit and enjoy its benefits. We cannot rush our circumstances any more than we can rush the ripening process of fruit. ‘In all of this, remember, bearing fruit takes time. Fruit doesn’t just pop up overnight. Fruit comes in seasons. Just because we don’t see tangible fruit in an area of our lives right now doesn’t mean that God isn’t working. Our job is to abide. Remain. Let’s keep doing that and watch to see how God might work in our lives.” Finding I Am, Lysa TerKeurst, p. 146.

“This is to my Father’s glory that you bear much fruit, showing yourself to be my disciples.” John 15:8.

Final Words

“My command is this: ‘Love…as I have loved you.” John 15:12.

L O V E – It is one of the most overused but underapplied word in the world in my opinion. The love of which Jesus speaks in this command is not a love of pizza, or a love of sports, or a love of anything we can attain on our own. It is a call to love in spite of ourselves, in spite of our circumstances, and in spite of our heartbreaks. It is a directive to pattern our hearts after Jesus. These passages were a few of the last words of Jesus. He knew His time was near and His death was imminent. He knew that time was shortening and the words were few so they had to be powerful.

I remember this same scene playing out in my own life as I was the one to hear last words. As Daddy laid there at Hospice with his earthly life ebbing away I knew any moment could be his last. I remember we had all been there that day surrounding him. To be a part of 3 generations circling him in love and support was quite a surreal experience. As the world hustled and bustled outside of these walls, our world was focused on last moments…last words…last touches...last times. As I was leaving, I heard the whisper of true L O V E. I saw his beautiful eyes of brown gaze into mine as He pushed out the words ‘Brenda, I love you.’ Those were his parting words to me…That was his desire for me…he loved me so I was to love others with the same love I had been shown.

I read many years ago that love is for the benefit of the other person. That is what Jesus did. He gave up His life so that we could live and love forever. He shared His most vulnerable moments of despair in the Garden. He showed us forgiveness from the cross. If we are to love as He loved us what does that look like? It is the love that chooses to forgive when others do us wrong. It is the love that requires us to sometimes deny our own desires. It is the love to stand up for Jesus in a world that sits down for everything. ‘If my only view of love is what it will give me, love from others will fail me every time. It’s not that love fails. It’s that other people were never meant to be god […not my spouse…not my children…not my grandchildren…not my parents…not my siblings…not my friends]. God’s love never fails. Love isn’t what I have the opportunity to get from this world. Love is what I have the opportunity to give. Loving others is one of the keys to feeling love.’ Finding I Am, Lysa TerKeurst, p. 149.

God’s love is the kind of love my dad gave me – a love that benefited me. They were words God formed from Daddy's mouth to give to me at the end. Through the LOVE of what Jesus did for all of us, we will be able to hear our loved ones say again, 'I love you!' Doesn't get any sweeter than that. That is certainly love that delivers!

Always About Jesus

"The Lord says, ‘These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.’” Isaiah 29:13

When my grandson Carson was 5 years old, he was attending our Sunday School and church. I went to pick him up from his class so we can return home. I got him seat belted in the car and away we went. On the way home, I asked him if he enjoyed his class and he said that it was good. I asked him what it was about, and I’ll never forget his words. He said, ‘Emmy, it was about Jesus! It’s always going to be about Jesus!’

Oh, to have a heart that exclaims ‘It’s always about Jesus!’ But some days it is honestly more about my kingdom come. Some days it is about judging someone near and dear to me. Some days it is about resurrecting the hurt someone inflicted upon me. And some days it’s about wallowing in my lazy flesh instead of maturing my spirit. Lysa TerKeurst stated a beautiful sentiment in her video from Finding I Am. She states that, ‘Jesus doesn’t want to be explained away. He wants to be invited in.’ I started thinking about that statement. Explaining about Jesus is head knowledge, but experiencing Jesus is heart knowledge. I don’t remember a time without the head knowledge of Jesus, but I do remember many times where I lacked heart knowledge. I had given my life to Jesus but not my heart. Giving my heart to Him was denying what I wanted and following Him through obedience. Giving my heart to Him was setting aside the first part of my day to study His word and fellowship through prayer. Giving my heart to Him was not holding on to things others had done to me. Giving my heart to Him was bringing His kingdom down, not continuing to walk in mine. I feel like I have been stripped of so many old sorry attitudes. He is rebuilding old identities in which I had allowed to define me. I’m learning that my spiritual maturity develops through my faults and failures just as much as my small spiritual victories.

So, I will not despair over my past failures and present flaws for they are His classroom where I will delve more deeply into knowing Him. I will try my best to avoid the distractions that crowd in on my time with Him. I pray my heart displays the same thing on my lips and my life shows the desire for Jesus. Like Carson, when someone asks me about my day I want my life to show that ‘it will always be about Jesus!’ I pose the question this morning to you like I did to myself. ‘Have I given my heart to Jesus? Have I gotten to the place where it always needs to be about Jesus?’

Martha approached Jesus in great frustration. Her sister, Mary had chosen to spend time with Him instead of helping her in the kitchen. Jesus understood that Mary had chosen the better way. She had a heart that showed ‘It would always be about Jesus.’

“…but few things are needed-or indeed only one. Mary had chosen what is better, and it will not be taken from her.” Luke 10:42.

Finishing Grace

“When he had received the drink, Jesus said, ‘It is finished.”  With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”  John 19:30.

I can’t help but to see this scene from the standpoint of a mother.  The greatest finish ever in history was the very thing that was the most devastating for Mary.  We know that Mary was visited by an angel who prophesied that she would carry the son of God.  She knew she was conceived by the Holy Spirit.  She knew that His name was to be Jesus.  But, I hope she didn’t know as she laid Him in the manger, she would eventually watch Him be laid in the grave.   I hope she didn’t know that as He was surrounded by loved ones as a teen that He would be completely abandoned by almost everyone.  I hope she didn’t know that her son would one day die a brutal death for the sins of the world.  I hope she didn’t know as she watched Him play among the trees as a boy that He would one-day hang on a tree as a man.  I hope she didn’t know…

As parents, we have such great dreams for our children, our lives, and our families.  We walk out each day with assumptions and expectations.  We assume that life will go as we planned and dreamed of as young adults. We expect the good and usually don’t see the bad coming, and for that we thank God.  It is the gracious and compassionate providence of God that we don’t see before we must, and we don’t know before it’s necessary.

For me, I’m glad I didn’t know I was going to turn my back on a marriage that I had vowed to God to uphold.  I’m glad I didn’t know that I was going to live under the fear of death for a child who left home at 15.  I’m glad I didn’t know that I would break my husband’s heart and trust by secretly mounting debt against our family.  I’m glad I didn’t know that I would have to make a choice that could have alienated me against someone I adore.  I’m glad I didn’t know that I would watch my dad take hold of Christ’s arm as I was holding onto his.  I’m glad I didn’t know that I would help my brother-in-law walk my sister home to heaven when she was 43.    

These are the things that prove God’s love for me.  He has brought finishing grace to all of these situations just as He did with Christ.  God never begins anything in our lives without a finishing plan.  Our pain will always be comforted by His peace, our mourning will eventually be replaced with His joy, and what seems finished on earth will begin again in Heaven.  For this Lord, I say thank you for finishing grace.

“There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears.” Phil 1:6 (MSG)

A Caring Savior

“…Jesus was troubled in spirit… ‘Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me…Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me…I am going there to prepare a place for you…” John 13:21, 38 and John 14:1-3.

I am so thankful for all of the many research hours that authors of Bible studies put in for our benefit. I can’t tell you how many times I have read this particular passage and failed to mine the gem. In this passage Jesus had just washed their feet. He was serving them in His final hours leading up to the most horrific day of His life. He modeled selfless servanthood and humility as they had just been quarrelling over who was the greatest. I can see this scene in my mind playing out.

The disciples must have been getting louder and louder pointing out the things they had done…taking credit for the Spirit’s work. Then quietly and subtly Jesus slipped away and filled a bowl with water. He tucked in His tunic and rested the palms of His soon to be nail scarred hands on His most devoted friends who would soon abandon Him. Realizing this Jesus became ‘grieved’ in His spirit that one will betray Him while another would not stand up for His name. He had lived out His ministry being rejected and ridiculed, but this pain was worse than any other. This pain came at the hands of those who claimed to love Him most. But just as quickly as we give Jesus permission to be angry…hurt…bitter, He gives them something instead. He gives them compassion and encouragement. He shows them truth that might hurt…their failure…but He follows up with love and remedy. When Jesus tells them to not have a troubled heart, the translation means to be unwavering in their determination. ‘Jesus had every right to focus on Himself for what was ahead, yet He chose to continue to provide teaching and comfort to those closest to Him. What a caring Savior.’ Finding I Am, Lysa TerKeurst, p. 122.

We live in a world where people abandon people…family betrays family…friends disappoint friends…people jockey for greatness. I believe that Jesus gave us this story to show a stark comparison of the flesh verses the Spirit. The flesh takes while the Spirit gives. The flesh demands while the Spirit complies. Jesus who was the greatest laid down His life for mankind who is the weakest. He modeled that when we are walking out our most difficult journeys, we are still to serve. When we are grieved in our Spirit we are to still show our compassion for others. When we are crumbling in our circumstances we are to remain unwavering in our determination to trust in God. We are to model humility and forgiveness even when our hurts are justified. I cannot imagine how the disciples felt seeing those hands stretched out on the cross when the day before they were wrapped around their feet in love.

Jesus goes up ahead to prepare a place where we might learn and love…a place where He has already orchestrated things we need to experience to grow…a place where He will be at the end of our difficult seasons…a place where He still washes feet, encourages hearts and reveals Himself to us.

Harvest of Hope

“Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe…” John 12:37.

It amazes me that a group of people who dedicated their lives to studying…breathing in and out… ingesting and digesting the prophesies of the Old Testament still didn’t recognize Jesus as the awaited Messiah and Savior. They witnessed miracle upon miracle performed by this man. Jesus fulfilled every prophesy right before the Pharisees’ eyes and still they kept their eyes beyond the Lamb instead of on the Lamb.

It is so tempting for me to judge…to want to shake them by the shoulders…highlight each fulfillment in the Bible until my arm is tired. But then I realize that sometimes I can be just as blind. I saw God deliver my daughter from the clutches of drugs, and I still struggle to believe that He can and will perform a miracle in an unanswered prayer. I saw God restore work for me and Bruce beyond imagination a few years ago, yet my heart grows faint wondering if work will ever come again.

We all become like the Pharisees on any given day, but let us put our gaze back on the Lamb. He is still the One who walks with us. He is still the One who will never leave us. He is still the One who walks on water and raises the dead. He will be the One to fulfill His promises to us, and He will be the One to walk with us through the tough valleys. The one thing that always re-settles my heart when I doubt is to look up in my rear-view mirror and see what is behind me. Through remembering the times when He showed up big, I refocus on how big He is. Through gratitude of past blessings, I can believe that there will be future ones.

When you are feeling discouraged and weary from ‘believing…yet not seeing,’ fix your eyes on past mercies and grace which God has given you. ‘You may be living under a promise of God but not yet see the fruit of that promise. You may be praying for something that has not happened yet and maybe even see no hope of it ever coming to pass. Though we may not understand, we must trust God’s timing is perfect.’ Finding I Am, Lysa Terkeurst, p. 116. In remembering His past workings hope and peace will be our harvest.

“Let us not become weary…for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Gal 6:9