A little food for weekend thought--
"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." (James 1:17)
From C.S. Lewis: "Every faculty you have, your power of thinking or of moving your limbs from moment to moment, is given you by God. If you devoted every moment of your whole life exclusively to His service you could not give Him anything that was not in a sense His own already. So that when we talk of a man doing anything for God, I will tell you what it is really like. It is like a small child going to its father and saying, 'Daddy, give me sixpence to buy you a birthday present.' Of course, the father does, and he is pleased with the child's present. It is all very nice and proper, but only an idiot would think that the father is sixpence to the good on the transaction.
What God cares about is not exactly our actions. What He cares about is that we should be creatures of a certain kind or quality--the kind of creatures related to Himself in a certain way. I do not add 'and related to one another in a certain way,' because that is included: if you are right with Him, you will inevitably be right with your fellow-creatures, just as if all the spokes of a wheel are fitted rightly into the hub and the rim they are bound to be in the right positions to one another."
I well remember when our youngest child would ask us if he could "buy" us all Christmas presents from the pro shop at the golf course where our boys play golf. "Of course," we'd exclaim. "That would be wonderful!"
He'd excitedly pick out presents for every person in the family, have them wrapped, and proudly present them to each recipient on Christmas morning. A golf hat for one brother. Golf balls for another. Tee shirts for his sisters. Mugs for his mom and dad.
All paid for by you-know-who...though that never occurred to Peter. He assumed that since he did all the work, he surely deserved all the credit. And no one was more thrilled to hand out his carefully chosen gifts Christmas morning than our youngest son. We loved him for it.
So Lewis' words resonated when I read them. What a reminder that all we have, all we do, all we think, all we are is solely and completely due to the grace and goodness of God! Yet we're so prone to think of everything as "ours" or "mine." Seriously?
For instance, we get frustrated when some interruption wastes "my" or "our" valuable time. Really? Who made time? Who controls time? And Who determines the hours and days we each will have on this earth?
It's not "my time"--it's God's...and if it's His, then He has the sovereign right to use or interrupt or end the time He's given me in any way He chooses.
Nor is it "my family." Nope--He blessed me with husband, children, siblings, parents. I certainly didn't deserve or earn any of them. All gracious gifts. All unique treasures from His sovereign hand, loaned to me for these few short years on planet earth. Oh might I love and serve them well.
Same with "my" friends...they're really "His" friends that the Lord allows me to encourage, love and enjoy by His grace, for His glory. More good and perfect gifts from my Daddy. Oh Father, give us more love, more grace so that we might more fully and freely love Your children.
And it's not "my church," "my house," "my clothes," "my car," or even "my dog."
All His. All His. All His.
All to be received with gratitude and held with open hands and contented hearts. Thankful for what He chooses to give...and what He chooses to withhold. But always with our eyes fixed on the Designer, Creator, Giver, and Sustainer.
He--only He--is the One to be worshipped. And when our relationship is right with Him--when the Lord Jesus is at the center, when He is the hub--then all the other relationships will be right as well.
Thank You, Father, for every good and perfect gift You have sovereignly chosen to give us...and for those which in Your infinite love and wisdom, You have chosen to withhold as well. Keep us focused upon You, treasuring You, so that You remain the first and greatest love in our lives. For if we love You well, You'll enable us to love others well.
Thank You, Abba, Father. It's all by You, through You, from You, and for You.
To God--our Daddy, the relentless Gift-Giver--be all the glory.
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Thursday, September 25, 2014
My Daddy's lap
Early morning at The Cove, Black Mountain, NC. Hot cup of tea, warm fire, stillness, and hot breakfast of the Word from my Abba.
"Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Heb.4:16)
Thank You, Father, that we have the unfathomable privilege of coming to Your throne--the omnipotent throne over all of heaven and earth. And we can come to such a throne just as we are--sweat shirt on, hot tea in hand, bleary eyes, and oftentimes less than worshipful attitudes and less than obedient hearts. And yet, You welcome us anyway.
"Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Heb.4:16)
Thank You, Father, that we have the unfathomable privilege of coming to Your throne--the omnipotent throne over all of heaven and earth. And we can come to such a throne just as we are--sweat shirt on, hot tea in hand, bleary eyes, and oftentimes less than worshipful attitudes and less than obedient hearts. And yet, You welcome us anyway.
Incredible. Outrageous. Scandalous. Wonderful.
And not only do we enjoy this incomprehensible privilege of approaching such a throne of power and might, as Your beloved child, You invite us to come confidently. That's just not a word I'd associate with little dust people like us approaching the throne of the Almighty, glorious, holy Lord of the universe. Surely I should come cringing with fear...covered with my inadquacy and unworthiness. But instead, we can crawl right up into the lap of our Abba, our Daddy.
And tell You all about our worries, our frustrations, our needs. Unburden our sins so that You might free us of their vise grip on our hearts. Remind You how much we love You and delight in Your presence and goodness and grace. And thank You for all Your daily gifts which You seem to never tire of showering upon us--the beauty of early fall, the joy of dear friendships, the wonder of laughter, the love of family, the sweetness of dogs, the satisfaction of food, the encouragement of fellowship, the gift of Your fresh, hot Word.
Thank You, Daddy. Thank You for this time with You...at Your throne...in Your lap...with Your nourishing, warm manna for me this day. Thank You for Your love...and for Your Son Who made the way for me to come this morning and every morning. Daddy, have I told You lately, He's the best of the best of the best? Just thought I'd say it again...and I love You.
To God be the glory.
Monday, September 22, 2014
A fall...forgiveness...and our glorious Savior
We were nearing the end of our walk on a spectacular beginning-to-feel-like-fall day.
And it'd been a good walk. We're been working hard on Mr. Bingley staying calm when other dogs approach. Let me just say, our efforts have been meeting with mixed success....okay, with very, very fair to middling success. You see, the boy just loves, loves, loves other dogs, though you'd never guess it. He tends to bark and jump around like he wants to kill the other canine--but it's just his way of enthusiastically welcoming him/her. This tends not be all that well received, however, by the other dog owners. sigh.
But like I said, we have been making moderate strides in this area, and on this day, Bingley had done particularly well. "Now this is what I'm talking about!" I was thinking. "Good boy, Bingley!"
"Pride goeth before a fall," the Bible cautions us. Let me second that.
Because no sooner had I begun relaxing and considering the many strengths possessed by our remarkable dog, another little four legged creature approached with his owner. A cute little fellow and certainly not menacing.
As I smiled and said hello, Bingley went into freak-out mode, jumping and dancing so suddenly that he swept me off my feet. Literally. I tumbled over in the dirt, hitting hard. Bingley looked stunned and stricken. Ears down, eyes looking sad, but that didn't matter to me much at the time--the damage had been done. Mortified, I jumped back up and chirped, "I'm fine. I'm fine! So sorry!" and continued on home.
But here's what I was thinking--"Oh my stars, how embarrassing. This is the pits--we'll never get him to stop doing this. I'm so tired of this--in fact, I'm never walking this dog again. Ever. He can stand at the kitchen and whine and cry all day long for all I care...." You get the drift: I was, shall we say, very irritated. Well, that, and discouraged too. (I might add, I had already been feeling tired and overwhelmed at the time anyway, so this was just the proverbial straw breaking the camel's back.)
I'm grumpily shuffled into the kitchen, feeling beat up and worn down.
Eventually, after showering, I got to work on Bible study. And here, immediately, came Bingley...sort of slowly slinking into the hall to sit and stare at me with very sad eyes as I worked--me still with my bad attitude. I glared back at him...but he remain undeterred. Just sat there and watched my every move. I finally sighed and snapped his picture--
And the frustration, disappointment and irritation dissipated. Because here's what I had just read for Bible study: "Therefore He had to be made like His brothers in every respect, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because He Himself has suffered when tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted." (Heb.2:17-18)
Translation for me right at that moment? Jesus left the infinite wonders of heaven and became a man, subject to every irritation, difficulty, and struggle all of us humans will ever face, all so that He could become our Savior who died for our sins and our High Priest who would constantly pray for us. And because He endured more suffering than we'll ever suffer and withstood more temptation that we'll ever confront, He can totally, truly, completely understand what we're going through....and He can and will help us endure it and withstand it as well.
When I thought of all that Jesus has done--and is doing--for me, I felt both deep sorrow for my stinking, selfish sinful irritation and ingratitude and profound, deep, overwhelming joy and thankfulness for such a Savior.
A Savior who fully understands...and freely forgives.
A Savior who knows our weaknesses...and gives us His strength.
A Savior who picks us up when we fall...and says, "Forgiven. Forgotten. Forever. Now go back out there covered by My grace and filled with My love and try again."
A Savior who simply never quits on us. Ever.
What can you say to such a Redeemer, but thank You, thank You, thank You, Lord Jesus. Oh Father, might all who read this today be reminded of Your infinite love, Your beautiful forgiveness, and Your amazing grace...and might it encourage us to quickly confess our sin, freely forgive others, and live this day overflowing with gratitude and love for You and those You put in our paths.
Alleluia, what a Savior.
To God be the glory.
Friday, September 19, 2014
Deer and thirst
Look who is living in our backyard--
In the heart of Raleigh, right off a busy road, we have a baby deer sheltering in our backyard. Amazing.
He (or she) is a tiny little guy--probably smaller than Bingley right now. We don't see him often--most of the time he's hiding back in the overgrown jungle that comprises the back half of our backyard. But everyday he ventures out at some point or another into the open area and grass...and we excitedly stand at the window and marvel.
What wondrous creatures God has made!
I'd like to know where his mama is, and why she isn't here looking after him. Is he lonely? We're just hoping mama deer is either hiding in our backyard jungle or jumping back and forth over the fence to care for him. Oh my goodness, though, he is soooo cute.
In addition to wondering about mama's whereabouts, we're beginning to worry about whether this little guy has enough to eat. And then Richard mentioned water. Oh my stars, what is he drinking? (the deer, that is, not Richard) No pools or streams in our yard, nor has there been much rain recently, so we figured we better do something for our young guest. Peter filled up a huge green bucket with water and hauled it out back near the trees. We figured he'd like the natural forest green color--although in the interest of full disclosure, it's lime green, plastic, and has big handles on each side so we're not so sure it will just "blend right in" with the woods. We're praying Bambi finds that water and satisfies his thirst.
Funny, but just today I was thinking about what it means to truly thirst after God--to desire to know Him, to focus upon Him, to love Him. Ps.42:1 says "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul thirsts for you, my God." So convicting, because I wonder how many other diversions, pleasures, and distractions I allow to assuage my thirst...rather than the Living Water. "But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:14)
How much we miss when we slack our thirst from any lesser, inferior source that never ultimately satisfies us but only leaves us thirsting for more...and more.
Oh Lord make us thirsty for You, and might we seek to satisfy our thirst only with Your Living Water.
Loved this prayer by A.W. Tozer: "O God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more. I am painfully conscious of my need of further grace. I am ashamed of my lack of desire. O God, the Triune God, I want to want Thee. I long to be filled with longing. I thirst to be made thirstier still. Show me Thy glory, I pray Thee, so that I may know Thee indeed. Begin in mercy a new work of love within me. Say to my soul, 'Rise up my love, my fair one, and come away.' Then give me grace to rise up and follow Thee from this misty lowland where I have wandered so long."
Yes, Lord! Might we thirst for the Living God and slack our thirst in Him so that we might behold His glory, grow in His grace, and give Him our whole-hearted devotion. He is worthy.
And Lord, thank You for the gift of Your remarkable creation...please take care of our little deer!
To God be the glory.
He (or she) is a tiny little guy--probably smaller than Bingley right now. We don't see him often--most of the time he's hiding back in the overgrown jungle that comprises the back half of our backyard. But everyday he ventures out at some point or another into the open area and grass...and we excitedly stand at the window and marvel.
What wondrous creatures God has made!
I'd like to know where his mama is, and why she isn't here looking after him. Is he lonely? We're just hoping mama deer is either hiding in our backyard jungle or jumping back and forth over the fence to care for him. Oh my goodness, though, he is soooo cute.
In addition to wondering about mama's whereabouts, we're beginning to worry about whether this little guy has enough to eat. And then Richard mentioned water. Oh my stars, what is he drinking? (the deer, that is, not Richard) No pools or streams in our yard, nor has there been much rain recently, so we figured we better do something for our young guest. Peter filled up a huge green bucket with water and hauled it out back near the trees. We figured he'd like the natural forest green color--although in the interest of full disclosure, it's lime green, plastic, and has big handles on each side so we're not so sure it will just "blend right in" with the woods. We're praying Bambi finds that water and satisfies his thirst.
Funny, but just today I was thinking about what it means to truly thirst after God--to desire to know Him, to focus upon Him, to love Him. Ps.42:1 says "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul thirsts for you, my God." So convicting, because I wonder how many other diversions, pleasures, and distractions I allow to assuage my thirst...rather than the Living Water. "But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:14)
How much we miss when we slack our thirst from any lesser, inferior source that never ultimately satisfies us but only leaves us thirsting for more...and more.
Oh Lord make us thirsty for You, and might we seek to satisfy our thirst only with Your Living Water.
Loved this prayer by A.W. Tozer: "O God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more. I am painfully conscious of my need of further grace. I am ashamed of my lack of desire. O God, the Triune God, I want to want Thee. I long to be filled with longing. I thirst to be made thirstier still. Show me Thy glory, I pray Thee, so that I may know Thee indeed. Begin in mercy a new work of love within me. Say to my soul, 'Rise up my love, my fair one, and come away.' Then give me grace to rise up and follow Thee from this misty lowland where I have wandered so long."
Yes, Lord! Might we thirst for the Living God and slack our thirst in Him so that we might behold His glory, grow in His grace, and give Him our whole-hearted devotion. He is worthy.
And Lord, thank You for the gift of Your remarkable creation...please take care of our little deer!
To God be the glory.
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Two pictures of encouragement...One God of all comfort
It's a tough world out there. We have friends dealing with cancer. Dear neighbors who just had to put down their beloved dog. Friends confronting destructive addictions. Friends who have lost loved ones. Then there's the wear and tear, the weariness of living on this broken, old planet: Disappointment. Defeat. Depression. Not to mention plain old exhaustion that can make cowards of us all.
So what do we do? Well, here's one ridiculously simple thought--give the gift of encouragement. I wish I were a better cook and could craft meals that would bring sunshine into dark corners. I wish I were a talented musician who could bless and strengthen with joyful songs. Or maybe a skilled surgeon who could somehow, someway, make that cancer...or that sorrow...or that worry disappear and never come back.
But I'm not. Here's what I can do--use what God has placed in my hands and heart--the gift of words and the gift of presence. The same gift every single one of us possesses. Words that can strengthen the burdened and encourage the fainthearted. Words that heal. Words that give hope. Words that point to the Burden-Bearer. And the gift of presence--to hug, to hold, to sit with, even in silence, to share tears and divide the pain.
Such simple things, really, but God revealed Himself to us in the Word. Jesus is the Word made flesh. God used words to reveal Himself to us...and He used His actual physical presence in a bodily form to come and save us. So words and presence are powerful, beautiful things when used to love and bless, strengthen and save.
So a simple question for today: who needs your encouragement right now? Because there's no greater gift you can give someone else than the gift of encouragement--with your words or with your presence. You know, the word "encouragement" means "to pour courage into." Isn't that what we all need...especially when we're struggling? A dose of courage, an infusion of hope.
The other night, my husband and I sat at dinner and somehow the subject came up of two indelible memories from Janie's time in the hospital. Both were brief vignettes...but both were unforgettable. Both involved encouragement, yet in both the encouragers probably had little idea of how their simple actions and presence meant so much.
The first--the simple sight of Will Page sitting in the ICU waiting room in the wee hours of the night. My husband, Richard, said he walked out of Janie's room, bleary-eyed, worn thin...and there sat Will, all by himself in the darkened, quiet waiting room. When my husband saw him, he gasped in surprise. Will merely smiled and said "I'm here."
And so he was. Day after day. As was his dear wife, Beth. Often just sitting out in the waiting room, praying, reading the Word, ministering with the beautiful gift of their presence.
Brings tears to my eyes even today to think of all the ways our friends and family ministered to and encouraged us in the midst of a dark, challenging season for our family. My dear sisters and brothers, dropping everything, so that one or two of them were always with us at the hospital. Our wonderful friends doing everything from cooking to cleaning to carpooling to praying fervently. They'll never know how their actions, their words, their prayers, and their presence quite literally poured strength and courage into our weak and weary hearts. And day by day, kept us going for another day--that's what encouragement can do for you.
Maybe encouragement is really just putting on skin and flesh and being the gift of Jesus to someone else.
Oh Lord Jesus, make us encouragers.
The second vignette was a harder, far sadder one, but poignantly powerful. When Janie was moved from the ICU to a regular room in the hospital in Chapel Hill, she was first moved to the Children's Wing of the hospital. Never have I seen such dedicated, kind, remarkable nurses. They were caring for some very sick children--many with cancer or with other illnesses and issues that far exceeded what Janie faced.
Sometimes, in the unlikeliest of places, one recognizes that you are in the presence of the holy...and you tread gently and gratefully. Such was this place of sickness, heartbreaking sorrow, and beautiful compassion, love, and encouragement.
My husband was there for this hard, but holy moment, and he described it to me later. Right on our hall, even as our child recovered, other children and their families fought on.
One afternoon, Richard saw a young mother smile brightly at her precious, but very sick, young child. This little one hobbled along on crutches, bloated, pale, and weak from his treatment. He was leaving his mom to go down the hall with a nurse. This dear, brave mama lent her child her very best, her very last ounce of energy and love and encouragement, as she smiled and waved gaily, and he gave her a little smile before slowly rounding the corner.
As soon as he disappeared from sight, this brave woman hung her head, covered her face in her hands, and wept. Even now as I write it, the tears flow. She had given her child all the encouragement left in her worn and weary heart...and now that broken heart spilled over.
And again, the ministry of presence as a nurse immediately ran and embraced her. They stood there in the hall, clinging to one another, the love and compassion of one woman flowing into the emptiness of the other. Yes, pouring courage into her simply by her presence and her love and her caring. The skin and bone of Jesus--the Word made flesh--embracing, holding, upholding, loving.
We will never forget it.
Forgive me, Lord Jesus, for how often, in my busyness and preoccupation, I miss Your God-ordained and holy moments to encourage someone else. To share Your love, Your grace, Your courage, Your strength, Your hope with someone who desperately needs it.
Oh make us encouragers, Father. Make us Your hands and feet and heart in a hurting world, so that the world may know how good and great and kind and strong and loving You are. You are the God of all comfort. Make us willing and available vessels to share that comfort with others.
To God be the glory.
So what do we do? Well, here's one ridiculously simple thought--give the gift of encouragement. I wish I were a better cook and could craft meals that would bring sunshine into dark corners. I wish I were a talented musician who could bless and strengthen with joyful songs. Or maybe a skilled surgeon who could somehow, someway, make that cancer...or that sorrow...or that worry disappear and never come back.
But I'm not. Here's what I can do--use what God has placed in my hands and heart--the gift of words and the gift of presence. The same gift every single one of us possesses. Words that can strengthen the burdened and encourage the fainthearted. Words that heal. Words that give hope. Words that point to the Burden-Bearer. And the gift of presence--to hug, to hold, to sit with, even in silence, to share tears and divide the pain.
Such simple things, really, but God revealed Himself to us in the Word. Jesus is the Word made flesh. God used words to reveal Himself to us...and He used His actual physical presence in a bodily form to come and save us. So words and presence are powerful, beautiful things when used to love and bless, strengthen and save.
So a simple question for today: who needs your encouragement right now? Because there's no greater gift you can give someone else than the gift of encouragement--with your words or with your presence. You know, the word "encouragement" means "to pour courage into." Isn't that what we all need...especially when we're struggling? A dose of courage, an infusion of hope.
The other night, my husband and I sat at dinner and somehow the subject came up of two indelible memories from Janie's time in the hospital. Both were brief vignettes...but both were unforgettable. Both involved encouragement, yet in both the encouragers probably had little idea of how their simple actions and presence meant so much.
The first--the simple sight of Will Page sitting in the ICU waiting room in the wee hours of the night. My husband, Richard, said he walked out of Janie's room, bleary-eyed, worn thin...and there sat Will, all by himself in the darkened, quiet waiting room. When my husband saw him, he gasped in surprise. Will merely smiled and said "I'm here."
And so he was. Day after day. As was his dear wife, Beth. Often just sitting out in the waiting room, praying, reading the Word, ministering with the beautiful gift of their presence.
Brings tears to my eyes even today to think of all the ways our friends and family ministered to and encouraged us in the midst of a dark, challenging season for our family. My dear sisters and brothers, dropping everything, so that one or two of them were always with us at the hospital. Our wonderful friends doing everything from cooking to cleaning to carpooling to praying fervently. They'll never know how their actions, their words, their prayers, and their presence quite literally poured strength and courage into our weak and weary hearts. And day by day, kept us going for another day--that's what encouragement can do for you.
Maybe encouragement is really just putting on skin and flesh and being the gift of Jesus to someone else.
Oh Lord Jesus, make us encouragers.
The second vignette was a harder, far sadder one, but poignantly powerful. When Janie was moved from the ICU to a regular room in the hospital in Chapel Hill, she was first moved to the Children's Wing of the hospital. Never have I seen such dedicated, kind, remarkable nurses. They were caring for some very sick children--many with cancer or with other illnesses and issues that far exceeded what Janie faced.
Sometimes, in the unlikeliest of places, one recognizes that you are in the presence of the holy...and you tread gently and gratefully. Such was this place of sickness, heartbreaking sorrow, and beautiful compassion, love, and encouragement.
My husband was there for this hard, but holy moment, and he described it to me later. Right on our hall, even as our child recovered, other children and their families fought on.
One afternoon, Richard saw a young mother smile brightly at her precious, but very sick, young child. This little one hobbled along on crutches, bloated, pale, and weak from his treatment. He was leaving his mom to go down the hall with a nurse. This dear, brave mama lent her child her very best, her very last ounce of energy and love and encouragement, as she smiled and waved gaily, and he gave her a little smile before slowly rounding the corner.
As soon as he disappeared from sight, this brave woman hung her head, covered her face in her hands, and wept. Even now as I write it, the tears flow. She had given her child all the encouragement left in her worn and weary heart...and now that broken heart spilled over.
And again, the ministry of presence as a nurse immediately ran and embraced her. They stood there in the hall, clinging to one another, the love and compassion of one woman flowing into the emptiness of the other. Yes, pouring courage into her simply by her presence and her love and her caring. The skin and bone of Jesus--the Word made flesh--embracing, holding, upholding, loving.
We will never forget it.
Forgive me, Lord Jesus, for how often, in my busyness and preoccupation, I miss Your God-ordained and holy moments to encourage someone else. To share Your love, Your grace, Your courage, Your strength, Your hope with someone who desperately needs it.
Oh make us encouragers, Father. Make us Your hands and feet and heart in a hurting world, so that the world may know how good and great and kind and strong and loving You are. You are the God of all comfort. Make us willing and available vessels to share that comfort with others.
To God be the glory.
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Prayer in heaven, praise on earth
A little food for weekend thought--
From The Valley of Vision (a set of Puritan prayers)
Thou incomprehensible, but Prayer-Hearing God,
Known, but beyond knowledge,
revealed, but unrevealed,
my wants and welfare draw me to Thee,
for Thou hast never said, 'Seek ye Me in vain.'
To Thee I come in my difficulties, necessities, distresses;
possess me with Thyself,
with a spirit of grace and supplication,
with a prayerful attitude of mind,
with access into warmth of fellowship,
so that in the ordinary concerns of life
my thoughts and habits may rise to Thee,
and in habitual devotion I may find a resource
that will soothe my sorrows,
sanctify my successes,
and qualify me in all ways for dealings with my fellow men.
I bless Thee that Thou hast made me capable
of knowing Thee, the author of all being,
of resembling Thee, the perfection of all excellency,
of enjoying Thee, the source of all happiness.
O God, attend me in every part of my arduous and trying pilgrimage;
I need the same counsel, defense, comfort
I found at my beginning.
Let my religion be more obvious to my conscience,
more perceptible to those around.
While Jesus is representing me in heaven,
may I reflect Him on earth,
While He pleads my cause, may I show forth His praise.
Continue the gentleness of Thy goodness towards me,
And whether I wake or sleep, let Thy presence go with me,
Thy blessing attend me.
Thou hast led me on and I have found Thy promises true,
I have been sorrowful, but Thou hast been my help,
fearful, but Thou hast delivered me,
despairing, but Thou hast lifted me up.
Thy vows are ever upon me,
And I praise Thee, O God.
Yes, Lord Jesus, yes. Might this be as true of us today as it was of the Puritans hundreds of years ago. How grateful we are that today--at this very moment--our Savior is interceding for us at the throne of all mercy and grace. (Rom.8:34 and Heb.4:16). While He prays for us in heaven, might we "reflect Him on earth. While He pleads my cause, may I show forth His praise."
What confidence that gives us. Even when the way ahead is dark and uncertain, even when we've failed, even when we're discouraged or frightened, even when we're worn, weary, and weak...
Jesus is praying in heaven...so we can be praising on earth.
Our job isn't to figure it all out...or work it all out...or find a way out...our job is simply to know and trust that our Redeemer is praying in heaven, so we, His redeemed, will be praising by faith on earth. And praise is not a choice of our feelings...it's a choice of our faith. It's choosing to praise based upon Who our God is, all He has done, and what He is doing.
Father, even when we don't feel like it, teach us, help us, to praise Your mighty and miracle-working Name. For You are infinitely, gloriously worthy. Thank You for always living, 24-7, to intercede for us (Heb.7:25). Might we live to praise Your Name. To God be the glory.
From The Valley of Vision (a set of Puritan prayers)
Thou incomprehensible, but Prayer-Hearing God,
Known, but beyond knowledge,
revealed, but unrevealed,
my wants and welfare draw me to Thee,
for Thou hast never said, 'Seek ye Me in vain.'
To Thee I come in my difficulties, necessities, distresses;
possess me with Thyself,
with a spirit of grace and supplication,
with a prayerful attitude of mind,
with access into warmth of fellowship,
so that in the ordinary concerns of life
my thoughts and habits may rise to Thee,
and in habitual devotion I may find a resource
that will soothe my sorrows,
sanctify my successes,
and qualify me in all ways for dealings with my fellow men.
I bless Thee that Thou hast made me capable
of knowing Thee, the author of all being,
of resembling Thee, the perfection of all excellency,
of enjoying Thee, the source of all happiness.
O God, attend me in every part of my arduous and trying pilgrimage;
I need the same counsel, defense, comfort
I found at my beginning.
Let my religion be more obvious to my conscience,
more perceptible to those around.
While Jesus is representing me in heaven,
may I reflect Him on earth,
While He pleads my cause, may I show forth His praise.
Continue the gentleness of Thy goodness towards me,
And whether I wake or sleep, let Thy presence go with me,
Thy blessing attend me.
Thou hast led me on and I have found Thy promises true,
I have been sorrowful, but Thou hast been my help,
fearful, but Thou hast delivered me,
despairing, but Thou hast lifted me up.
Thy vows are ever upon me,
And I praise Thee, O God.
Yes, Lord Jesus, yes. Might this be as true of us today as it was of the Puritans hundreds of years ago. How grateful we are that today--at this very moment--our Savior is interceding for us at the throne of all mercy and grace. (Rom.8:34 and Heb.4:16). While He prays for us in heaven, might we "reflect Him on earth. While He pleads my cause, may I show forth His praise."
What confidence that gives us. Even when the way ahead is dark and uncertain, even when we've failed, even when we're discouraged or frightened, even when we're worn, weary, and weak...
Jesus is praying in heaven...so we can be praising on earth.
Our job isn't to figure it all out...or work it all out...or find a way out...our job is simply to know and trust that our Redeemer is praying in heaven, so we, His redeemed, will be praising by faith on earth. And praise is not a choice of our feelings...it's a choice of our faith. It's choosing to praise based upon Who our God is, all He has done, and what He is doing.
Father, even when we don't feel like it, teach us, help us, to praise Your mighty and miracle-working Name. For You are infinitely, gloriously worthy. Thank You for always living, 24-7, to intercede for us (Heb.7:25). Might we live to praise Your Name. To God be the glory.
Thursday, September 11, 2014
The Dash
Thinking today of all those innocent lives that were taken thirteen years ago today and praying for their families and friends. We lift them all up to You, Lord, and praise You that You are sovereign even over such horrific events. We may not understand, Lord, but we trust that You are working and moving even in the midst of such tragedies. Please continue to bring healing to those shattered lives as only You can.
But one thought came to mind this morning while praying and thinking about this solemn day: What if we knew that this day was our last day on earth? What would change? Would our priorities alter? What things would we mark off our to-do list as utterly insignificant...and what items would we suddenly add or move to the top of the list?
Not long ago I heard Louie Giglio declare: "We are all on our way to our own funeral." And one day on our tombstone will be the date of our birth, the date of our death, and in between will be a "dash." That brief "-" marks the few years that God gives each of us on this planet. For some of us, it will be many years...for others of us, fewer. But in light of eternity, what difference does a few years more or less really matter?
The point is, God has given us these days and months and years on planet earth to love the Lord, to love others and to live to God's glory. And then it's eternity--forever and ever and ever. So if the dash is what we've got now, we have the choice today, this hour, how we will live it--
We can live it filled with resentment and bitterness...or we can live it forgiving others and enjoying the freedom and grace such forgiveness gives us. We can live it paralyzed with fear over the future...or we can live it by placing our faith in the Great I Am who is the God of past, present and future and has all things under His control. We can live it grieving over what we've lost...or we can live it rejoicing over all we have left. We can live it suffocated by selfishness and preoccupation with ourselves...or we can live it in the joy and expanse of serving and loving others. We can live it complaining and downhearted...or we can live it praising God and grateful for His gifts.
None of us is guaranteed tomorrow...or even the next hour. But we have this moment, this hour, to love and to live to God's glory with every fiber of our being. Martin Luther often prayed, based on Ps.90:12, "Lord, teach us to think about death so that we might learn how to live." Oh Father, teach us, empower us, strengthen us to live this day, this hour, this moment loving You, loving others, and keeping our focus ever and always upon our Savior, the Author and Perfecter of our faith.
Might we live any and all of the days we have left in our "dash" in such a way that we are joyfully and fully ready to step into eternity and see You face to face. Heaven is coming, praise God, but until that glorious day, let's live fully and faithfully by His grace, for His glory, all the way to the finish line.
To God be the glory.
But one thought came to mind this morning while praying and thinking about this solemn day: What if we knew that this day was our last day on earth? What would change? Would our priorities alter? What things would we mark off our to-do list as utterly insignificant...and what items would we suddenly add or move to the top of the list?
Not long ago I heard Louie Giglio declare: "We are all on our way to our own funeral." And one day on our tombstone will be the date of our birth, the date of our death, and in between will be a "dash." That brief "-" marks the few years that God gives each of us on this planet. For some of us, it will be many years...for others of us, fewer. But in light of eternity, what difference does a few years more or less really matter?
The point is, God has given us these days and months and years on planet earth to love the Lord, to love others and to live to God's glory. And then it's eternity--forever and ever and ever. So if the dash is what we've got now, we have the choice today, this hour, how we will live it--
We can live it filled with resentment and bitterness...or we can live it forgiving others and enjoying the freedom and grace such forgiveness gives us. We can live it paralyzed with fear over the future...or we can live it by placing our faith in the Great I Am who is the God of past, present and future and has all things under His control. We can live it grieving over what we've lost...or we can live it rejoicing over all we have left. We can live it suffocated by selfishness and preoccupation with ourselves...or we can live it in the joy and expanse of serving and loving others. We can live it complaining and downhearted...or we can live it praising God and grateful for His gifts.
None of us is guaranteed tomorrow...or even the next hour. But we have this moment, this hour, to love and to live to God's glory with every fiber of our being. Martin Luther often prayed, based on Ps.90:12, "Lord, teach us to think about death so that we might learn how to live." Oh Father, teach us, empower us, strengthen us to live this day, this hour, this moment loving You, loving others, and keeping our focus ever and always upon our Savior, the Author and Perfecter of our faith.
Might we live any and all of the days we have left in our "dash" in such a way that we are joyfully and fully ready to step into eternity and see You face to face. Heaven is coming, praise God, but until that glorious day, let's live fully and faithfully by His grace, for His glory, all the way to the finish line.
To God be the glory.
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Sea monkeys...dogs...and grace
I'm thinking today about the vast difference between pet sea monkeys...and sweet black labs. And it brings tears to my eyes...for it's really a picture of grace.
You see, waaaay back before the earth's surface had cooled, our oldest children attended Aldert Root Elementary school. Back in those days we had a couple of children at Root and one at White Memorial Preschool--those were some fine, fine days--even if I was in an exhausted haze half the time.
Before we'd learned we were having our fourth child, we had promised the children we would get one of the William's lab puppies. We'd never had a dog or pet of any kind so this was big doings...that is, until we received the happy news that God was sending us another baby.
So, we served the children their favorite dinner (to grease the skids, so to speak) and then, when everyone was in a happy mood, asked them if they'd rather have a puppy or a new baby. Thank goodness, the answer was "New baby!" Thus, no puppy...or cat...or pet, but we all sure did enjoy Preyer from the moment he came into our world.
Fast forward several years later and still no puppy or cat or even gerbil, for that matter. Life, however, seemed to be rocking along pretty nicely despite the absence of any canine or feline companions...
Until the night we went to parents' night at Aldert Root. My husband and I enjoyed going to the classrooms, meeting the teachers and other parents, and examining all the artwork. Well, that is until we read the cute essays all the children had written about their favorite pet.
Our son, Richard, who was in about second grade at the time, had written a sweet little story about his...wait for it...his beloved pet sea monkeys.
Surely you know what I'm talking about. Remember those sea monkey kits you could buy at Stuckey's along the highway? You'd add the tiny packet of dried sea monkeys to the water and the special sea monkey food...wait a few days...and viola, pet sea monkeys. Yes, they are supposedly microscopic shrimp or something like that. And yes, you really can't see them. You simply "see" some sort of dust-like substance that seems to cloud the water and that occasionally seems to possibly, maybe, perhaps, move a little bit. Yeah right.
The children would shout excitedly, "I think I saw them! Was that them, Mama? I really think I saw one!"
And you respond enthusiastically, "Absolutely! There they are! How about that?!" (All the while thinking guiltily about your own childhood when you grew up with dogs, cats, canaries and a couple of gerbils. And our children are growing up with imaginary rehydrated miniature shrimp. Parenthood can be one guilt trip after another.)
So back to parents' night. There were lots of precious stories about loyal old dogs. playful cats, and cute bunnies and guinea pigs. But trust me, there was one--and only one--story about "My Pet Sea Monkeys." Talk about humiliation. My poor, dear son wrote about how sweet his sea monkeys were and how much fun they were. Oh my stars--this was beyond pathetic. I figured we might as well go ahead and book the intensive therapy-due-to-pet-deprivation that each of our children would need.
And then, praise God, many, many years down the road, we finally got a real pet--our sweet old black lab, Moses. He was a special delivery by the Bunns on Christmas morning. We adopted him from another family that could no longer keep him when he was five years old. I don't care how many Christmases I'm alive, there will never, ever be a sweeter, more joyful Christmas morning than that rainy, but oh so happy, one.
Richard and I were so excited about the surprise, we didn't sleep a wink that Christmas Eve. When Moses arrived that Christmas morning, the children were beside themselves. They nearly walked Moses' legs off that day. In fact, his tail wagged so much his first day in our home that he hurt it and couldn't wag it for a day or two!
What a gift--
We loved--and I mean loved--Moses for the rest of his life. Oh my, he brought us so much joy. And we kept asking ourselves, why on earth did we wait so long to get a real pet?
When Moses died (which nearly killed us), we grieved for months and months...but oh my we were so thankful God had given him to us. Then this past November, our second pet--sweet, energetic Mr. Bingley. A wee bit different when you get an eight week old puppy as opposed to a five year old...but so much fun! Another incredible gift that keeps on giving and giving--
Let me tell it to you straight--sea monkeys are a mighty poor substitute for a dog. I don't care how nice the container the sea monkeys come in...they can't wag their tails or lick your hand or run to the door to greet you enthusiastically when you've only been gone thirty minutes. Sea monkeys can't sense when your child has had a rough day and come sit in their lap and offer their unconditional loyalty and love. They can't gather sticks or run after balls or bark at strangers or crawl in your lap or gobble up scraps of food that fall on the floor.
Nope, sea monkeys pretty much do nothing but swirl around in some cloudy water.
And here's what I'm thinking--how often do we settle for something that is the pale, poor, imitation of the real joy, the real peace, the real love that God offers us in Jesus Christ? We run after the world's pitiful substitutes and miss out on the real deal--God's best...His presence, His power, His forgiveness, His grace, His fullness...Himself.
Here's how C.S. Lewis put it: "It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased."
Yes, how often have we settled for mud pies and sea monkeys...when God has so infinitely much more for us if we will but come to Him. As the song says "This world is empty, pale and poor, compared to knowing You, my Lord. Lead me on, and I will run after you."
Thank You, Lord Jesus. You are abundantly more than all we could ask or imagine, and nothing, nothing, nothing compares to the wonder and joy of knowing, loving, and following You. We join with Paul in saying, "I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." (Phil.3:8)
You are the best of the best...keep reminding us, Lord, when we forget and start running after sea monkeys and mud pies. We love you, Lord.
To God be the glory.
You see, waaaay back before the earth's surface had cooled, our oldest children attended Aldert Root Elementary school. Back in those days we had a couple of children at Root and one at White Memorial Preschool--those were some fine, fine days--even if I was in an exhausted haze half the time.
Before we'd learned we were having our fourth child, we had promised the children we would get one of the William's lab puppies. We'd never had a dog or pet of any kind so this was big doings...that is, until we received the happy news that God was sending us another baby.
So, we served the children their favorite dinner (to grease the skids, so to speak) and then, when everyone was in a happy mood, asked them if they'd rather have a puppy or a new baby. Thank goodness, the answer was "New baby!" Thus, no puppy...or cat...or pet, but we all sure did enjoy Preyer from the moment he came into our world.
Fast forward several years later and still no puppy or cat or even gerbil, for that matter. Life, however, seemed to be rocking along pretty nicely despite the absence of any canine or feline companions...
Until the night we went to parents' night at Aldert Root. My husband and I enjoyed going to the classrooms, meeting the teachers and other parents, and examining all the artwork. Well, that is until we read the cute essays all the children had written about their favorite pet.
Our son, Richard, who was in about second grade at the time, had written a sweet little story about his...wait for it...his beloved pet sea monkeys.
Surely you know what I'm talking about. Remember those sea monkey kits you could buy at Stuckey's along the highway? You'd add the tiny packet of dried sea monkeys to the water and the special sea monkey food...wait a few days...and viola, pet sea monkeys. Yes, they are supposedly microscopic shrimp or something like that. And yes, you really can't see them. You simply "see" some sort of dust-like substance that seems to cloud the water and that occasionally seems to possibly, maybe, perhaps, move a little bit. Yeah right.
The children would shout excitedly, "I think I saw them! Was that them, Mama? I really think I saw one!"
And you respond enthusiastically, "Absolutely! There they are! How about that?!" (All the while thinking guiltily about your own childhood when you grew up with dogs, cats, canaries and a couple of gerbils. And our children are growing up with imaginary rehydrated miniature shrimp. Parenthood can be one guilt trip after another.)
So back to parents' night. There were lots of precious stories about loyal old dogs. playful cats, and cute bunnies and guinea pigs. But trust me, there was one--and only one--story about "My Pet Sea Monkeys." Talk about humiliation. My poor, dear son wrote about how sweet his sea monkeys were and how much fun they were. Oh my stars--this was beyond pathetic. I figured we might as well go ahead and book the intensive therapy-due-to-pet-deprivation that each of our children would need.
And then, praise God, many, many years down the road, we finally got a real pet--our sweet old black lab, Moses. He was a special delivery by the Bunns on Christmas morning. We adopted him from another family that could no longer keep him when he was five years old. I don't care how many Christmases I'm alive, there will never, ever be a sweeter, more joyful Christmas morning than that rainy, but oh so happy, one.
Richard and I were so excited about the surprise, we didn't sleep a wink that Christmas Eve. When Moses arrived that Christmas morning, the children were beside themselves. They nearly walked Moses' legs off that day. In fact, his tail wagged so much his first day in our home that he hurt it and couldn't wag it for a day or two!
What a gift--
When Moses died (which nearly killed us), we grieved for months and months...but oh my we were so thankful God had given him to us. Then this past November, our second pet--sweet, energetic Mr. Bingley. A wee bit different when you get an eight week old puppy as opposed to a five year old...but so much fun! Another incredible gift that keeps on giving and giving--
Nope, sea monkeys pretty much do nothing but swirl around in some cloudy water.
And here's what I'm thinking--how often do we settle for something that is the pale, poor, imitation of the real joy, the real peace, the real love that God offers us in Jesus Christ? We run after the world's pitiful substitutes and miss out on the real deal--God's best...His presence, His power, His forgiveness, His grace, His fullness...Himself.
Here's how C.S. Lewis put it: "It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased."
Yes, how often have we settled for mud pies and sea monkeys...when God has so infinitely much more for us if we will but come to Him. As the song says "This world is empty, pale and poor, compared to knowing You, my Lord. Lead me on, and I will run after you."
Thank You, Lord Jesus. You are abundantly more than all we could ask or imagine, and nothing, nothing, nothing compares to the wonder and joy of knowing, loving, and following You. We join with Paul in saying, "I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." (Phil.3:8)
You are the best of the best...keep reminding us, Lord, when we forget and start running after sea monkeys and mud pies. We love you, Lord.
To God be the glory.
Saturday, September 6, 2014
Wonders at dawn
Early in the predawn darkness, Bingley and I walked out to the street in front of our house for his morning you-know-what. I was a bit sleepy and preoccupied--thinking of all the evil that seems to be overrunning our world at the moment. Despite the grogginess and heaviness, I began to pray.
What God gave me was wonder.
The black sky was overflowing with sparkling stars. Where did they all come from? Even the city lights couldn't hide their dancing presence. There's nothing like gazing at the heavens to remind you how awesome, vast, and glorious is their Maker. "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world." (Ps.19:1-4) Wonder in the skies above us.
Thank You Lord for that reminder--You are the Maker, Sustainer, and Redeemer of this magnificent planet. And no matter how things may appear, You are in absolute control and working all things out according to Your mighty and perfect plans.
Then, as Bingley and I sauntered out to the street, there in the neighbor's yard stood three magnificent deer. Still, alert, staring at us---or, more specifically at Bingley. Clueless, he lumbered along doing his thing completely unaware while I stood transfixed, watching them. Such beautiful, magnificent creatures. And here they were in the big city--right there in front of us. What a Creator to make such a dizzying array of animals. Wonder all around us.
Finally, Bingley noticed them...and took off. More wonder--watching the joy of a dog running at top speed and the grace of a deer, leaping off into the darkness. "He makes my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights." (Ps.18:33) I couldn't help but laugh as Bingley came jogging back within less than a minute. He knew he couldn't catch them, but he seemed to have a smile on his face with the thrill of the race. And I had to laugh too at the simple joy of it all.
You know, God's wonders are all around us. The shrill cry of the hawk, the glint of the sun, the laughter of a loved one, the smell of food cooking, the coolness of a fall morning, the carpet of leaves on the greenway, the warmth of a hot mug of tea, the sound of your child's voice, the joy of holding the words of God Almighty in your lap.
From dogs to deer, from stars to sizzling steaks, from family to friends...wonder all around us. All gracious gifts from our Heavenly Father.
Sometimes we simply forget to open our eyes and behold them with fresh vision and full and thankful hearts.
Just read this morning an old Puritan prayer from The Valley of Vision: "Thou art my good in times of peace, my only support in times of trouble, my one sufficiency when life shall end. Help me to see how good Thy will is in all, and even when it crosses mine, teach me to be pleased with it. Grant me to feel Thee in fire, and food and every providence, and to see that Thy many gifts and creatures are but Thy hands and fingers taking hold of me. Thou bottomless fountain of all good, I give myself to Thee out of love, for all I have or own is Thine, my goods, family, church, self, to do with as Thou wilt, to honor Thyself by me, and by all mine."
Yes, Lord, You are our "bottomless fountain of all good," and we praise You for Your every gracious gift in our lives. As Jon Bloom has written, "all around us reality is dense with wonders, layer upon layer." Father, would You help us this day to turn our gaze away from all that worries and weakens us and instead focus squarely upon You and Your wonders that surround us at every turn. From the irreplaceable people You have so generously placed in our lives to the glories, big and small, of Your creation...give us seeing eyes, thankful hearts, trusting minds, and obedient hands and feet.
To God--our bottomless Fountain of all good, our only Support in times of trouble, our one Sufficiency when life shall end, and our glorious Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer--be all the glory.
What God gave me was wonder.
The black sky was overflowing with sparkling stars. Where did they all come from? Even the city lights couldn't hide their dancing presence. There's nothing like gazing at the heavens to remind you how awesome, vast, and glorious is their Maker. "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world." (Ps.19:1-4) Wonder in the skies above us.
Thank You Lord for that reminder--You are the Maker, Sustainer, and Redeemer of this magnificent planet. And no matter how things may appear, You are in absolute control and working all things out according to Your mighty and perfect plans.
Then, as Bingley and I sauntered out to the street, there in the neighbor's yard stood three magnificent deer. Still, alert, staring at us---or, more specifically at Bingley. Clueless, he lumbered along doing his thing completely unaware while I stood transfixed, watching them. Such beautiful, magnificent creatures. And here they were in the big city--right there in front of us. What a Creator to make such a dizzying array of animals. Wonder all around us.
Finally, Bingley noticed them...and took off. More wonder--watching the joy of a dog running at top speed and the grace of a deer, leaping off into the darkness. "He makes my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights." (Ps.18:33) I couldn't help but laugh as Bingley came jogging back within less than a minute. He knew he couldn't catch them, but he seemed to have a smile on his face with the thrill of the race. And I had to laugh too at the simple joy of it all.
You know, God's wonders are all around us. The shrill cry of the hawk, the glint of the sun, the laughter of a loved one, the smell of food cooking, the coolness of a fall morning, the carpet of leaves on the greenway, the warmth of a hot mug of tea, the sound of your child's voice, the joy of holding the words of God Almighty in your lap.
From dogs to deer, from stars to sizzling steaks, from family to friends...wonder all around us. All gracious gifts from our Heavenly Father.
Sometimes we simply forget to open our eyes and behold them with fresh vision and full and thankful hearts.
Just read this morning an old Puritan prayer from The Valley of Vision: "Thou art my good in times of peace, my only support in times of trouble, my one sufficiency when life shall end. Help me to see how good Thy will is in all, and even when it crosses mine, teach me to be pleased with it. Grant me to feel Thee in fire, and food and every providence, and to see that Thy many gifts and creatures are but Thy hands and fingers taking hold of me. Thou bottomless fountain of all good, I give myself to Thee out of love, for all I have or own is Thine, my goods, family, church, self, to do with as Thou wilt, to honor Thyself by me, and by all mine."
Yes, Lord, You are our "bottomless fountain of all good," and we praise You for Your every gracious gift in our lives. As Jon Bloom has written, "all around us reality is dense with wonders, layer upon layer." Father, would You help us this day to turn our gaze away from all that worries and weakens us and instead focus squarely upon You and Your wonders that surround us at every turn. From the irreplaceable people You have so generously placed in our lives to the glories, big and small, of Your creation...give us seeing eyes, thankful hearts, trusting minds, and obedient hands and feet.
To God--our bottomless Fountain of all good, our only Support in times of trouble, our one Sufficiency when life shall end, and our glorious Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer--be all the glory.
Thursday, September 4, 2014
Weddings and crosses
This past weekend, we had the privilege of attending the wedding of the daughter of some very dear friends. The backdrop: God's astounding creation in the North Carolina mountains. The wedding was outside on a perfect evening--slight breeze, deep blue sky dotted with a cloud or two. As we sat watching the joyful joining of a young couple who so clearly love not just one another but also passionately love their Savior, we were surrounded on every turn by green mountains and hills. Enjoying the gift of being with family and friends. Celebrating love. Eating and dancing with gusto. Savoring the wonder of God's glorious world. Remembering the happy blessings of recent (and not so recent) weddings. Ah, what a night!
But here's what I'll never forget. The backdrop of the ceremony and the silent, but beautiful sentinel over the whole evening--
Oh Lord Jesus, I wanted to weep. Thank You for making all of this possible. For giving us the gifts of family, friends, love, creation, food, and music. But most of all--for the unfathomable treasure of the cross by which You bore our sin and shame and gave us instead forgiveness, grace, acceptance, eternal life, and Your righteousness.
"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." (Gal.2:20)
What a terrible...beautiful exchange. Because You bore our filthy rags of selfishness, shame, pride, envy, gossip, hatred, ingratitude, greed and in exchange gave us Your brilliant robes of righteousness. Good in exchange for bad. Joy in exchange for despair. Life in exchange for death.
Might we never, ever tire of gazing at Your cross and praising You for the greatest, costliest, most precious of all our blessings--salvation. A thousand lifetimes of the best this world could ever offer could not begin to compare to the glorious wonder of knowing Christ...and Him crucified. Yes, as the words to a song put it, "This world is empty, pale and poor, compared to knowing you, my Lord."
Thank You, thank You, thank You, Lord Jesus. To God be the glory.
But here's what I'll never forget. The backdrop of the ceremony and the silent, but beautiful sentinel over the whole evening--
"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." (Gal.2:20)
What a terrible...beautiful exchange. Because You bore our filthy rags of selfishness, shame, pride, envy, gossip, hatred, ingratitude, greed and in exchange gave us Your brilliant robes of righteousness. Good in exchange for bad. Joy in exchange for despair. Life in exchange for death.
Might we never, ever tire of gazing at Your cross and praising You for the greatest, costliest, most precious of all our blessings--salvation. A thousand lifetimes of the best this world could ever offer could not begin to compare to the glorious wonder of knowing Christ...and Him crucified. Yes, as the words to a song put it, "This world is empty, pale and poor, compared to knowing you, my Lord."
Thank You, thank You, thank You, Lord Jesus. To God be the glory.
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Even so it is well with my soul
Here's what I should be working on right now--a Bible study lecture. Oh well.
I'm blaming this detour on the Lord--He keeps gently, but insistently, tapping me on the shoulder, reminding me of this special day...and of all He teaches us through suffering...and of His faithfulness...and of His grace to bring us through whatever He allows in our lives.
You see, on the day after Labor Day two years ago, Janie first began to awaken from her coma. She had just been moved from Greenville to Chapel Hill by what was essentially a traveling ICU. Amazing.
The doctors warned us that the trip would be hard on her. And they were right. When Janie arrived in Chapel Hill her temperature shot up to 110 degrees. I didn't even realize you could survive a temperature that high. We were back close to home--praise God--near our immediate family, my brothers and sisters, and our friends. But Janie was still unconscious, struggling to breathe, and with an infection, a badly shattered ankle, no movement on her right side, and an extraordinarily high fever. It was a tough time. By all accounts, nothing signaled any hope of change or improvement, but still...home.
And then in that dark moment, when it had appeared she'd taken a big step back, in the very early hours of the day after Labor Day, it happened. Isn't that how God often works? It truly is darkest just before the dawn. Around 2:00 a.m. my husband glanced at Janie's face as the nurses were tending to her...and seemed to see her eyelids suddenly flutter and then crack open just the tiniest bit.
I cannot write about it even now--too many tears of wonder and gratitude. But Richard said the nurses rushed up to her face and began shouting to her, "Janie, Janie, can you hear me? Janie, if you can hear me, wiggle your toes." And there it was--faint, weak, but nonetheless clearly a little movement of her toes.
It was the beginning of the most extraordinary few days of our lives--where we stood amazed as we witnessed God slowly awaken and raise our blond-haired Lazarus seemingly from the dead and bring her back to her family and friends. I'll never forget the first time I saw her awaken for a minute or two. The nurse yelled her name and told her if she could understand, to give us a thumbs up. And there it was--my forever favorite sign--a small, weak, but beautiful, thumbs up with her left hand. (She still couldn't use her right side at that point.) I wanted to dance down the halls with the joy of it--thumbs up to the One who had sustained us by His grace through every up and down of the whole ordeal and thumbs up to the One who, in His sovereignty, had allowed Janie to awaken.
I share this once again, because we have several dear friends who are going through a very difficult season right now. Richard and I have talked a lot recently about all that God taught us and all the ways He powerfully used this time of suffering in our lives. Stripping away the extraneous and the sinful. Teaching us dependence, contentment, trust. Giving us depths of compassion, empathy and love for others we'd never had before. Scouring away those chokeholds of pride, preoccupation, and selfishness.
We will never be the same for the things He taught us, the ways He carried us, and the grace and mercy He extended to us in those dark times. We wouldn't trade any of the suffering, because of all the gifts, all the good that God brought out of it.
But oh my, I so want others who are struggling to know that your suffering is not wasted--that God works best in the darkness and He will teach, refine, and draw you closer to Himself as never before in those moments of hardship...if you'll let Him.
David Jeremiah calls these unexpected times of suffering or difficulty "disruptive moments"--when life takes an unexpected, unwanted turn...due to disappointment or disease or accident or betrayal or suffering of any kind. Jeremiah has quoted a poem by Helen Steiner Rice about these disruptive moments, or what she refers to as "a bend in the road." Here are her words--
Sometimes we come to life's crossroads
And we view what we think is the end.
But God has a much wider vision
And He knows that it's only a bend--
The road will go on and get smoother
And after we've stopped for a rest,
The path that lies hidden beyond us
Is often the path that is best.
So rest and relax and grow stronger,
Let go and let God share your load
And have faith in a brighter tomorrow--
You've just come to a bend in the road.
Please forgive me for talking about the accident again, but we've prayed all along that God would use this to encourage others who are struggling and that His mighty name would be lifted high and glorified.
God is more than enough to guide you through whatever storm you're enduring. Look to Him, depend upon Him, seek Him, trust Him. Don't waste your suffering. God will use it in ways far beyond anything you can imagine--in your life and in the lives of other people whose names you may never know until you reach heaven. Oh my, how that redeems our suffering.
God's Word, of course, says it best--
"Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart." (Ps.27:14)
"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will uphold you, yes, I will help you. I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." (Isa.41:10)
"Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore strengthen the feeble hands which hang down and the feeble knees" (Heb.12:11-12).
In our disruptive moments, in those bends in the road, might we all turn our eyes upon Jesus, in dependence and trust, knowing that He is ever moving and working out all things for our ultimate good and His greater glory. We may, or may not, see it this side of heaven...but we will see it...and He will make all things beautiful in His time.
"When peace, like a river, attendeth my way; When sorrows like sea billows roll; Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul."
Yes, Lord, even so it is well with my soul. To God be the glory.
I'm blaming this detour on the Lord--He keeps gently, but insistently, tapping me on the shoulder, reminding me of this special day...and of all He teaches us through suffering...and of His faithfulness...and of His grace to bring us through whatever He allows in our lives.
You see, on the day after Labor Day two years ago, Janie first began to awaken from her coma. She had just been moved from Greenville to Chapel Hill by what was essentially a traveling ICU. Amazing.
The doctors warned us that the trip would be hard on her. And they were right. When Janie arrived in Chapel Hill her temperature shot up to 110 degrees. I didn't even realize you could survive a temperature that high. We were back close to home--praise God--near our immediate family, my brothers and sisters, and our friends. But Janie was still unconscious, struggling to breathe, and with an infection, a badly shattered ankle, no movement on her right side, and an extraordinarily high fever. It was a tough time. By all accounts, nothing signaled any hope of change or improvement, but still...home.
And then in that dark moment, when it had appeared she'd taken a big step back, in the very early hours of the day after Labor Day, it happened. Isn't that how God often works? It truly is darkest just before the dawn. Around 2:00 a.m. my husband glanced at Janie's face as the nurses were tending to her...and seemed to see her eyelids suddenly flutter and then crack open just the tiniest bit.
I cannot write about it even now--too many tears of wonder and gratitude. But Richard said the nurses rushed up to her face and began shouting to her, "Janie, Janie, can you hear me? Janie, if you can hear me, wiggle your toes." And there it was--faint, weak, but nonetheless clearly a little movement of her toes.
It was the beginning of the most extraordinary few days of our lives--where we stood amazed as we witnessed God slowly awaken and raise our blond-haired Lazarus seemingly from the dead and bring her back to her family and friends. I'll never forget the first time I saw her awaken for a minute or two. The nurse yelled her name and told her if she could understand, to give us a thumbs up. And there it was--my forever favorite sign--a small, weak, but beautiful, thumbs up with her left hand. (She still couldn't use her right side at that point.) I wanted to dance down the halls with the joy of it--thumbs up to the One who had sustained us by His grace through every up and down of the whole ordeal and thumbs up to the One who, in His sovereignty, had allowed Janie to awaken.
I share this once again, because we have several dear friends who are going through a very difficult season right now. Richard and I have talked a lot recently about all that God taught us and all the ways He powerfully used this time of suffering in our lives. Stripping away the extraneous and the sinful. Teaching us dependence, contentment, trust. Giving us depths of compassion, empathy and love for others we'd never had before. Scouring away those chokeholds of pride, preoccupation, and selfishness.
We will never be the same for the things He taught us, the ways He carried us, and the grace and mercy He extended to us in those dark times. We wouldn't trade any of the suffering, because of all the gifts, all the good that God brought out of it.
But oh my, I so want others who are struggling to know that your suffering is not wasted--that God works best in the darkness and He will teach, refine, and draw you closer to Himself as never before in those moments of hardship...if you'll let Him.
David Jeremiah calls these unexpected times of suffering or difficulty "disruptive moments"--when life takes an unexpected, unwanted turn...due to disappointment or disease or accident or betrayal or suffering of any kind. Jeremiah has quoted a poem by Helen Steiner Rice about these disruptive moments, or what she refers to as "a bend in the road." Here are her words--
Sometimes we come to life's crossroads
And we view what we think is the end.
But God has a much wider vision
And He knows that it's only a bend--
The road will go on and get smoother
And after we've stopped for a rest,
The path that lies hidden beyond us
Is often the path that is best.
So rest and relax and grow stronger,
Let go and let God share your load
And have faith in a brighter tomorrow--
You've just come to a bend in the road.
Please forgive me for talking about the accident again, but we've prayed all along that God would use this to encourage others who are struggling and that His mighty name would be lifted high and glorified.
God is more than enough to guide you through whatever storm you're enduring. Look to Him, depend upon Him, seek Him, trust Him. Don't waste your suffering. God will use it in ways far beyond anything you can imagine--in your life and in the lives of other people whose names you may never know until you reach heaven. Oh my, how that redeems our suffering.
God's Word, of course, says it best--
"Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart." (Ps.27:14)
"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will uphold you, yes, I will help you. I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." (Isa.41:10)
"Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore strengthen the feeble hands which hang down and the feeble knees" (Heb.12:11-12).
In our disruptive moments, in those bends in the road, might we all turn our eyes upon Jesus, in dependence and trust, knowing that He is ever moving and working out all things for our ultimate good and His greater glory. We may, or may not, see it this side of heaven...but we will see it...and He will make all things beautiful in His time.
"When peace, like a river, attendeth my way; When sorrows like sea billows roll; Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul."
Monday, September 1, 2014
God's gift of labor
On this Labor Day, I'm thinking about work. Duh.
We don't always love the thought of work, but it's one of the reasons God placed us here--to "Do business till I come." (Lk 19:13) And God's work comes in all shapes and sizes. Yep, there's work in an office or hospital or classroom or courtroom or restaurant. But there's also work in a home, yard, laundry room, or church. And surely our most important work can be with a sick friend, a teething baby, a grumpy preschooler, a confused teenager, or a lonely college student.
God gives each of us work to do, in every season of our lives. Just as summer's heat transforms into fall's foliage, our work constantly changes in different seasons of our lives, but thankfully our God does not. Whatever work He's given us to do in each stage of our lives, we're to do it to the best of our ability, offered as unto the Lord and always to His glory...but then trust the results to our eternally faithful and changeless Father.
"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for me, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ." (Col.3:23-24)
I cannot tell you how this radically changed my attitude towards work years ago. I've been a stay-at-home mama for many years now. And for a number of those years, I somehow missed the point. I failed to truly grasp that, yes, my work at home was indeed work, and every single bit of it was to be done with thanksgiving and to the glory of God. Oh my, when you have that as your goal each day and in every job you need to perform, it radically and completely transforms even the most menial of tasks.
Back in the day, I had a number of friends who were doing big, splashy, important things while living in the hot shot metropolis of New York. They were traveling the globe in exciting careers--all of which was grand. Except here I was "wasting" my education while changing diapers, cleaning up cheerios goo, and trying to figure out how to cook a decent meal (still working on that one). And sadly, I was not alway doing it with a joyful attitude. Well, actually, let me rephrase that--I was rarely doing it with a joyful attitude. My attitude might've often been described as slightly resentful. "I went to college and law school for this?" Sigh.
But one day, God in His great mercy and grace revealed the truth to me--this was God-given, God-ordained, and God-enabled holy and beautiful labor! Every bit of it. And that which God had given should always be received with thanksgiving and, yes, even excitement. "For everything created by God is good, and nothing is be rejected if it is received with gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer." (I Tim.4:5)
God has given me the privilege, the honor of mothering and caring for five eternal souls (well, actually six--don't want to forget about my husband!) The Lord has bestowed upon me the gift of work to serve and help them and to do it all, all, all to His glory. Folding clothes in order to love and bless those in our home...and doing it to the glory of God. Cleaning up a messy kitchen...or reading bedtime stories...or helping with homework...or running to pick up last minute supplies for a project...all to be done as an offering of love for these wondrous souls God has placed in my life, as well as an offering of love and thanksgiving to my Savior.
Yeah, some days that work is laborious beyond belief. Some days you feel like shouting, "How about somebody serving me?" (Hello selfish, prideful sin nature.) Some days "your get up and go, just got up and went" and you cannot imagine how you're gonna dredge up an ounce of strength to do what needs to be done. Shoot, some mornings you wake up and wonder, "I've got to this all over again? I've got to face the insane, blast-from-a-canon morning routine again? How on earth will I get everyone up, dressed, fed, devotions...oh mercy."
But those are the days, we have to cling harder to the cross. Oh how we need Him--every day, every hour, every chore, every unseen,ungrateful, and unkind motive. When that selfishness and pride start to rear their ugly heads (which for me is daily), we go to Jesus in our utterly bankrupt estate and ask for His love, His energy, His compassion, His forgiveness, His kindness, His strength.
And you know what? That desperately needy, totally inadequate position is the very best place to be--completely dependent upon Him for our next breathe, our next word, our next bit of work, and our next transformation of attitude.
There's lots more to say about work, in fact, there may well be more on this subject, but for now, let's just God to give us grateful hearts that readily and happily receive whatever work He has for us to do. Let's offer it all to Him--whether it's working in an office, a school, a hospital, or a home--asking Him to enable us to do it heartily, completely, prayerfully, and thankfully.
And whatever our work, might we remember that we are to do it all by God's grace and all to His glory.
To God be the glory.
We don't always love the thought of work, but it's one of the reasons God placed us here--to "Do business till I come." (Lk 19:13) And God's work comes in all shapes and sizes. Yep, there's work in an office or hospital or classroom or courtroom or restaurant. But there's also work in a home, yard, laundry room, or church. And surely our most important work can be with a sick friend, a teething baby, a grumpy preschooler, a confused teenager, or a lonely college student.
God gives each of us work to do, in every season of our lives. Just as summer's heat transforms into fall's foliage, our work constantly changes in different seasons of our lives, but thankfully our God does not. Whatever work He's given us to do in each stage of our lives, we're to do it to the best of our ability, offered as unto the Lord and always to His glory...but then trust the results to our eternally faithful and changeless Father.
"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for me, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ." (Col.3:23-24)
I cannot tell you how this radically changed my attitude towards work years ago. I've been a stay-at-home mama for many years now. And for a number of those years, I somehow missed the point. I failed to truly grasp that, yes, my work at home was indeed work, and every single bit of it was to be done with thanksgiving and to the glory of God. Oh my, when you have that as your goal each day and in every job you need to perform, it radically and completely transforms even the most menial of tasks.
Back in the day, I had a number of friends who were doing big, splashy, important things while living in the hot shot metropolis of New York. They were traveling the globe in exciting careers--all of which was grand. Except here I was "wasting" my education while changing diapers, cleaning up cheerios goo, and trying to figure out how to cook a decent meal (still working on that one). And sadly, I was not alway doing it with a joyful attitude. Well, actually, let me rephrase that--I was rarely doing it with a joyful attitude. My attitude might've often been described as slightly resentful. "I went to college and law school for this?" Sigh.
But one day, God in His great mercy and grace revealed the truth to me--this was God-given, God-ordained, and God-enabled holy and beautiful labor! Every bit of it. And that which God had given should always be received with thanksgiving and, yes, even excitement. "For everything created by God is good, and nothing is be rejected if it is received with gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer." (I Tim.4:5)
God has given me the privilege, the honor of mothering and caring for five eternal souls (well, actually six--don't want to forget about my husband!) The Lord has bestowed upon me the gift of work to serve and help them and to do it all, all, all to His glory. Folding clothes in order to love and bless those in our home...and doing it to the glory of God. Cleaning up a messy kitchen...or reading bedtime stories...or helping with homework...or running to pick up last minute supplies for a project...all to be done as an offering of love for these wondrous souls God has placed in my life, as well as an offering of love and thanksgiving to my Savior.
Yeah, some days that work is laborious beyond belief. Some days you feel like shouting, "How about somebody serving me?" (Hello selfish, prideful sin nature.) Some days "your get up and go, just got up and went" and you cannot imagine how you're gonna dredge up an ounce of strength to do what needs to be done. Shoot, some mornings you wake up and wonder, "I've got to this all over again? I've got to face the insane, blast-from-a-canon morning routine again? How on earth will I get everyone up, dressed, fed, devotions...oh mercy."
But those are the days, we have to cling harder to the cross. Oh how we need Him--every day, every hour, every chore, every unseen,ungrateful, and unkind motive. When that selfishness and pride start to rear their ugly heads (which for me is daily), we go to Jesus in our utterly bankrupt estate and ask for His love, His energy, His compassion, His forgiveness, His kindness, His strength.
And you know what? That desperately needy, totally inadequate position is the very best place to be--completely dependent upon Him for our next breathe, our next word, our next bit of work, and our next transformation of attitude.
There's lots more to say about work, in fact, there may well be more on this subject, but for now, let's just God to give us grateful hearts that readily and happily receive whatever work He has for us to do. Let's offer it all to Him--whether it's working in an office, a school, a hospital, or a home--asking Him to enable us to do it heartily, completely, prayerfully, and thankfully.
And whatever our work, might we remember that we are to do it all by God's grace and all to His glory.
To God be the glory.
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