Not even the weather!

When we are thankful, we cannot help but be content. A thankful heart, is invariably a peaceful, contented heart. And the apostle Paul makes it clear that we are not born contented; we must cultivate that thankful, contented heart. And we do it one choice, one attitude at a time. I was just looking back over Philippians--honestly, I really do think it is my favorite book in the Bible--and was just struck anew by how constantly and consistently he talks about rejoicing and thankfulness and contentedness in it... while sitting in prison, mind you. We just tend to forget that so easily. "Well," we think to ourselves, "if you knew what I was having to go through, the people I have to deal with, the pain I am enduring, the struggles I am confronting..." But Paul wrote this epistle of joy while imprisoned by the Romans, unsure of his fate, unsure of the impact of his ministry, unsure of his health (remember that thorn in the flesh?), unsure of all his friends. What on earth is our excuse?

I have always loved a wonderful passage from the writings of E.B. Pusey, an English churchman and theologian from the mid 1800's. These are his "five suggestions regarding the acquisition of contentment":

1. Allow thyself to complain of nothing, not even the weather.

2. Never picture thyself under any circumstances in which thou are not.

3. Never compare thine own lot with that of another.

4. Never allow thyself to dwell on the wish that this or that had been, or were, otherwise than it was, or is. God Almighty loves thee better and more wisely than thou dost thyself.

5. Never dwell on the morrow. Remember that is is God's, not thine. The heaviest part of the sorrow often is to look forward to it. "The Lord will provide."

Wow, I just think that needs no comment! So profound, and if we would heed and follow his suggestions, what contented, thankful hearts we would possess! Not to mention, what a dramatic contrast to the world we would provide. As Paul commands us "Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation in which you shine like stars in the universe..." (Phil.2:14-15) If we refuse to complain, we will shine in this dark world, no doubt about it. And we will find ourselves a lot more joyful and more fun to be around to boot! When I reread this passage, I couldn't help but think about teenagers (and some I happen to know quite well). But the thing is, these verses apply to me and to you as well, not just to that curmudgeonly neighbor or that irritable teen or that grumpy driver who won't let you in, or that contrary person who always seems to get under your skin and drive you crazy.

So let's try to go for it--even just for a day--and see what happens. Refuse to complain about anything, even the weather (or the traffic or the political situation or the aches and pains of aging, or the laundry or the mess around your house that no one seems interesting in cleaning up but you... O dear, was that a complaint?!) Thank You Lord for this day, for this day's weather and this day's challenges and joys. You are sovereign over it all, and You "will provide" whatever we, or our loved ones, need this day. Might we live this day You have given us without complaint of any kind and with thankful, contented hearts so that You will be glorified. So to You be the glory.

Shaping worry into prayer

I love Eugene Peterson's paraphrase of Phil.4:6-7. "Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life."

So simple, yet so profound. Now if we can just do it. Today. Then tomorrow. And then the next day. When we feel our minds starting to fret, pray. Choose to shape those worries that are disturbing your peace and preoccupying your heart, into prayers and petitions. It starts right at the thought stage. When that little niggling fear or worry or anxious seed begins to form, stop right then and there and reshape it into the form of a prayer. A trusting prayer that lifts it up to the omnipotent, omniscient, merciful, just, and righteous Lord of all. Hand it to Him in thankfulness and trust that He can handle it completely and perfectly and rightly.

And when the next worry starts to form, reshape that one into a prayer as well. And just keep on doing it, over and over again. As we do this consistently, faithfully, we will find ourselves peaceful and joyful and thankful no matter our circumstances. He will settle us down, calm our anxious hearts and order our chaotic thinking.

Thank You Lord for the gift of Your Word that encourages and inspires and instructs us. And thank You for the gift of Yourself so that we know that we are never ever alone, never without hope, never without the One who enables us to transform our worries into prayers that are always heard. To You, the Savior of perfect peace, be the glory.

The Mind, the Heart, the Tongue

Nancy Leigh DeMoss writes: "Over time, choosing gratitude means choosing joy. But that choice doesn't come without effort and intentionality. It's a choice that requires constantly renewing my mind with the truth of God's Word, setting my heart to savor God and His gifts, and disciplining my tongue to speak words that reflect His goodness and grace--until a grateful spirit becomes my reflexive response to all of life."

That is some good stuff! Yes, we know it is a choice (though we often live as if we are mere pawns to our ever-vascillating emotions). But choosing gratitude is more than just an act of the will to be grateful. It is an action of choosing daily to renew our minds in the Scriptures. And that means saying no to some things so we can yes to time alone with the Lord. Maybe we need to say no to wasting a few minutes flipping through catalogues or browsing Facebook or channel surfing or window shopping. This doesn't mean we have to move to the desert and start eating locusts and wearing hair shirts. It just means asking God to show you how to carve out some time every single day to listen to what He wants to tell you that day to encourage you, guide you, convict you, strengthen you. Would we really rather gossip on the phone more than listen and learn and love the God of the Universe? Can we not give Him a few minutes of our day--a few minutes out of the 24 hours that He created and gave to each of us?

I have to admit, for me, reading God's Word has become such a joy and so necessary to keeping me at least moderately nice and unselfish, that my family probably doesn't want to be around me until I have been around the Savior! His Word changes our attitude and alters our perspective so that we cannot help but to become increasingly grateful (and wise and loving and joyful and on and on). So we need to make the commitment to read God's Word every single day, no matter what. Even if all you can do is read for just a minute or two, because, hey, we all have those kinds of days when life just simply falls apart and it's all you can do to put on your clothes! But don't leave the house without clothing your mind in His Word. He is, after all, the God of the heavens and the planets and the farthest stars--He can renew and recharge and redeem your mind even in just a moment. Rom. 12:2 "Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."

And don't forget what else Nancy Leigh DeMoss urges us to do: set our hearts to savor God and His gifts and discipline our tongues to speak words that reflect His goodness and grace. Setting our hearts to savor God is what I have been trying to do daily the past few weeks. Choosing to look--really look--at all the manifold evidences of God's overflowing greatness and goodness to us causes us to eschew grumpiness in favor of gratitude, worry in favor of worship, complaining in favor of contentment. Not to mention it makes us a lot more fun to be around (just ask my husband--he just suggested I go write in my blog when I let slip a complaint about my creaky back). The funny thing is, the more you choose to be grateful and seek to look for reasons to rejoice, the more you find them and the more joyful and content you find yourself--even when your circumstances or challenges have not changed one iota. You gotta love that!

Finally the tongue. Fortunately, we women have no problem with this one at all! We are masters at discipling our tongues and using them only to edify and encourage. Just ask our husbands. Or our children.

Well, actually, don't ask mine. And I'm guessing we shouldn't ask yours either. The way I see it, nagging or fussing or lecturing or complaining don't qualify as tongues that reflect God's abundant goodness and grace. I know, I know--if only they would listen to our brilliant instructions and well intentioned nagging, umm, I mean, advising, what a better world it would be! But since that isn't likely to happen until all the planets and stars align and a heavenly chorus sings of our superior intelligence, I assume the better option would be to choose to have mouths that encourage and edify and build up those in our homes, our work places, and our lives. Eph.4:29 "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear." Boy, I want to be a grace-giver, not a burden-multiplier. How amazing is that? We can be the conduits of God's amazing, glorious grace in the lives of those around us simply by choosing to use our tongues to build up rather than to tear down. By choosing to speak words of blessing rather than grumbling.

So, there you have it--renew your mind in God's Word, set your heart to savor God's goodness, and use your tongue to encourage and give grace. Think you can do it? Nope? Well, neither can I--but the Holy Spirit can in us and through us. Emmanuel--God with us, God in us, God for us, God through us. God empowering and enabling us--one mind, one heart, one tongue at a time, one day at a time. And to Him be the glory forever.

God All-Sufficient

Today I shuffled into Sunday school--and I mean shuffled. My back has gone on strike, determined that I no longer take all that it does for me each day for granted. Just this morning, I tried to lean over the washing machine and move the wet clothes into the dryer. But my old aching back shouted, "Not so fast, Ms. Big Stuff! Ha! You think you can pick up those socks on the floor--think again! You figure you can walk the dog or unload the dishwasher without ME, your poor, old, pitiful, ignored back? No way! It's about time somebody around here starting appreciating me!" And it is true, how much we take for granted every single day. Boy, how nice it would be to be able to get up and down into a chair without pain. Or be able to carry the laundry upstairs or pick up shoes and clothes and clean the house (funny how things that we normally resent become so much more precious when we can no longer do them).

I must admit, a battle was being waged within me today--will I choose to indulge in a pity party over my "light and momentary affliction" or would I choose to fix my eyes on Jesus and choose gratitude? As I shuffled slowly along the greenway with Moses this morning, I would alternately wince with pain at any little misstep, pining away at all those runners zooming past us but then I would ask the Lord to help me choose thankfulness and dependence upon Him. He would remind me what a blessing it was to be able to see the brilliant yellow and orange and red leaves and breathe the chilly clean air and listen to His Word being proclaimed on my iPod.

And then He reminded me of my favorite people this time of year--the pilgrims. Wonder what a pilgrim mama would do if her back ached? Or her child developed a raging fever? No medicine. No hot baths. No soft sofas or firm mattresses or warm comforters. No warm homes with lamps by which to read and relax. No hot tea, no respite from the unrelenting toil, and no chocolate. O heaven help them, no chocolate!

And yet those pilgrim mamas and daddies persevered and managed to give thanks--because their eyes were fixed not on what was seen but on what was unseen. Not on the temporal but the on the eternal. Not on all they had lost but on all their God had provided. Not on their insufficiencies but on the Lord's all-sufficiency.

I have so loved reading the collection of Puritan prayers from The Valley of the Vision. May this prayer of theirs, in which they beseeched "God All-Sufficient" so many years ago, also be ours today:

O Lord of grace,

The world is before me this day,

And I am weak and fearful,

but I look to Thee for strength;

If I venture forth alone I stumble and fall,

but on the Beloved's arms I am firm as the eternal hills;

If left to the treachery of my heart I shall shame Thy Name,

but if enlightened, guided, upheld by Thy Spirit,

I shall bring Thee glory.

Be Thou my arm to support,

my strength to stand,

my light to see,

my feet to run,

my shield to protect,

my sword to repel,

my sun to warm.

To enrich me will not diminish Thy fullness;

All Thy lovingkindness is in Thy Son,

I bring Him to Thee in the arms of faith,

I urge His saving Name as the One who died for me.

I plead His blood to pay my debts of wrong.

Accept His worthiness for my unworthiness,

His sinlessness for my transgressions,

His purity for my uncleanness,

His sincerity for my guile,

His Truth for my deceits,

His meekness for my pride,

His constancy for my backslidings,

His love for my enmity,

His fullness for my emptiness,

His faithfulness for my treachery,

His obedience for my lawlessness,

His glory for my shame,

His devotedness for my waywardness,

His holy life for my unchaste ways,

His righteousness for my dead works,

His death for my life.

Amen and amen. That just about says it all, doesn't it? To think that He gives His abundance, His fullness, His faithfulness, His obedience, His love, His glory, His life to you, to me. He gives it freely, willingly, joyfully and gives it exchange for our filthy rags of shame and guilt and deceit and selfishness and sin. His worthiness for our unworthiness. His fullness for our emptiness. His glory for our shame. His death for our life. For life--abundant, full, eternal, joyous. And so all we can humbly and simply say is "Yes, Lord. Thank You Lord." To You be the glory.

10,000 Blessings

The other day I heard an unfamiliar, but wonderful song, entitled "10,000 Blessings (Bless the Lord)" by Matt Redman. What a reminder that we have limitless reasons to bless and praise our extravagantly good and great Lord, even in the midst of hardships or challenges. We can't wait till we feel like it or enjoy ideal health or favorable circumstances. Rather, we choose, right where we are, despite whatever we might be facing, to bless and worship a God whose grace and mercy and power and love are vaster and wider and greater and deeper than we could ever begin to imagine or hope.

And we choose to thank Him for that which He has bestowed--innumerable blessings upon blessings--and that which He has withheld--destruction, despair, deserved eternal isolation and death. If the sun has come up and finds you again breathing and thinking, thank Him. If your eyes can read these words and your tongue can still taste the pumpkins and apples of autumn abundance, thank Him. If your ears can hear the sound of your loved one's voice or the strains of a symphony, O will you thank Him. If you can laugh with a friend or hug a child or walk over a path of yellowed fall leaves that decorate the landscape with sublime beauty, thank Him. If you can swallow, or cry, or touch, or chew, or sing, or pat your dog, or call your sister, or remember with joy your parents, or raise your hands in praise, O will you thank Him who is the Giver of all good and simple and everyday and, yet so great and profound, things.

The words to 10,000 Reasons:

The sun comes up. It's a new day dawning

It's time to sing your song again

Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me

Let me be singing when the evening comes

Bless the Lord, O my soul

O my soul

Worship His holy name

O my soul

I'll worship Your holy name

You're rich in love, and You're slow to anger

Your name is great, and Your heart is kind

For all Your goodness I will keep on singing

10,000 reasons for my heart to find

Bless the Lord, O my soul

O my soul

Worship His holy name

Sing like never before

O my soul

I'll worship Your holy name

And on that day when my strength is falling

The end draws near and my time has come

Still my soul will sing Your praise unending

10,000 years and then forevermore

Bless the Lord, O my soul

O my soul

Worship His holy name

Sing like never before

O my soul

I'll worship Your holy name

Jesus, I'll worship Your holy name

Lord, I'll worship Your holy name

Right now, Lord, I worship Your holy, glorious, omnipotent Name that is above all names. My back might be aching and my steps might be slowing, but my soul is rejoicing and thanking You for who You are and all You have done! You are the Creator and the Sustainer of 10,000 upon 10,000 upon 10,000 of the blessings in each of our lives. How many do we miss everyday in our busyness and preoccupation? Yet, despite our ingratitude, You faithfully continue to shower those gifts upon us, upon our world, every single day. So thank You, thank You, thank You Lord! As the sun rises, might we trust You and say "yes" to whatever You choose to bring into our lives this new day. And with the setting of the sun, might we thank You and bless You for the strength to endure and the heart to rejoice. To You, the One who is worthy of all our praise and adoration, be the glory forever and ever and ever.

What does your face say?

Thank You Lord for a wonderful Young Life banquet last night and for the privilege of having a small part in this incredible ministry! We got home fairly late last night, and I was so pumped up from the evening, I couldn't go to sleep. Consequently, I did a little channel surfing and happened to hear just a few minutes on some Oprah Winfrey program talking about "Ah Ha" moments in her life that featured the great writer, Maya Angelo. I've never been an Oprah watcher (though I have nothing against her whatsoever), but Maya's few words riveted my attention. She said something to the effect that her Ah Ha moment came one day when she realized that when her children came into the room, she wanted her to face to light up with joy rather than reflect her disapproval with what they were wearing or how they were acting, etc. She commented that what is in her heart is complete and unconditional love for her children but yet what is in her heart was not being reflected upon her face.

This so convicted me. How often do I do exactly the same thing: when one of my children walks into the room or comes home from school or some activity, my first instinct is to focus upon what they need to get done or what they've left undone or with some shortcoming or some urgent need. That is what is reflected on my face. But what is within my heart is my overwhelming love and joy and wonder that God has blessed me with that child! What is within my heart is overwhelming gratitude for who they are, irrespective of what or how they are doing. These children are ours and will always be our greatest treasures apart from the Lord. Nothing they ever say or do or fail to say or do or be will ever diminish one iota our unyielding, unbreakable, undying, unconditional love for each of them.

O Lord Jesus, forgive me for how frequently I fail to demonstrate with my words and my actions and my facial expressions what is deep embedded in my heart! Forgive me for being so preoccupied with temporal or worldly concerns that I miss expressing what is eternal and important to my children.

And the same goes for my husband, of course! Might he know how much he is loved and respected--beyond all measure and limitation. And might my sisters and brothers know what treasures they are to me as well. And my friends too!

But what a simple, yet profound, way to demonstrate our love for our children and spouses and family--let our faces demonstrate the love that is within our hearts. Put aside the things you want them to do (or not do), the areas you hope they improve, the changes you want them to make and instead ask God to enable you to have a face that lights up when they come home or when they come into the room. A face that says without words, "O, how could I be so blessed! It is you! You are home! I am so glad!" If you need to think what that looks like, think for a moment about your dog's excitement when you come home after being gone for a few days. Or, if your dog is like our old lab, Moses, consider his excitement when you return after being gone for a few hours or even minutes! His jumping and twisting and wiggling says: "It's you! It's you! It's you! You've been gone so long [though it's been 18 minutes] and I never thought you'd come home! How can I help you? How can I help you?"

Might what we value in our hearts be reflected in our faces with our loved ones. And might they know by the momentary undivided attention we give them, just how precious and loved they are. I can't help but think about Jesus as He went around teaching and healing and loving. I've often wondered why He wouldn't just heal everyone in the crowds all at once. He could've, you know. It would have been so much faster and more efficient. With a word or a wave of the arm, He could have healed every single person in the crowd or the village or the country.

But He didn't. He chose, instead, to heal one person at a time. He chose to look them in the eye and give them His full attention. He chose to touch, to lift, to embrace. When a woman who had suffered from unrelenting bleeding for over 12 years, simply touched the hem of His garment and was healed, He gave her that individual treatment. He could have just let her be healed and go on her way anonymously, but He didn't. I've often wondered about that. But now I think it was because He wanted her to know that He knew, that He saw her and valued her and wanted to heal and restore her out of His great love for her. Think what His piercing but completely loving and accepting gaze must have meant to a woman long accustomed to isolation and perhaps even rejection? What a look that must have been!

So today, Lord, I thank You for the immeasurable gift of my husband and children and family. Might they each know how treasured and unconditionally loved they are by me. And might my face light up with joy and wonder when they walk into the room so that what is on my face reflects what is in my heart. Help us to reflect You, Lord Jesus, as we pause to see, truly see, the people You have placed in our lives and to reveal to them, not just with our words but with our faces, our love--which is really just Your love. And to God be the glory.

The Great Blue Heron

Today I am thankful for the Great Blue Heron. It had been a morning of rushing around and feeling frazzled with all I had to get done. But when Peter and I finally managed to stagger out the door with our dog Moses in tow, the morning air was clear and chilly, but incredibly refreshing. We glanced up at the sky and beheld such a beautiful crystal blue that it almost took your breath away. Perspective began to clear and attitudes began to improve with each step we took.

And then we saw him. I hadn't seen the Great Blue Heron in at least a month. I always look for him in the creek running beside the greenway, but he had made no appearances recently (which always worries me). But as we crossed the bridge on the way to school. we looked over into the creek, and there he was, smack in the middle of the creek, looking right at us. I don't think I have ever been that close to him. And he is just simply beautiful--one of God's masterpieces--tall, dignified, graceful, alert, impossibly long skinny legs, and truly a lovely blue color. Just amazing. And standing serenely in the midst of that flowing, cold water, unbothered by the temperature or the passing traffic or the watching eyes.

So thank You Lord for such beauty and uniqueness that surrounds us at every turn. How many cars zipped over that bridge this morning, unaware that such a remarkable creature stood just feet away from them. As I felt the rising stress of bustling about and busily multi-tasking my way through the day, I kept going back to him in my mind's eye, calm and peaceful and observant right in the midst of noise and confusion. If God can give such an unthinking creature peace, then surely He can and will give it to His own beloved children.

Right now it is getting late, and I am tired... but I am thankful for the Great Blue Heron and the God of the earth and the sky and the seas. The God of the galaxies and the the microscopic cells. The God of the tiny, frenetic hummingbird and the giant serene heron. The God who never slumbers or sleeps and the God who gives His own restorative rest. The God who never gives up, never gives in, never fails, never forgets, never misses, never mistakes. And the God who will sacrifice His all that His children might enjoy eternity with Him. The God who dies that we might live. To God, the Maker of heaven and earth, be all the glory.