A little food for weekend thought:
“The moment you have a self at all, there is a possibility of putting yourself first--wanting to be the centre--wanting to be God, in fact. That was the sin of Satan: and that was the sin he taught the human race...What Satan put into the heads of our remote ancestors was the idea that they could ‘be like gods’--could set up on their own as if they had created themselves--be their own masters--invent some sort of happiness for themselves outside God, apart from God. And out of that hopeless attempt has come nearly all that we call human history--money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery--the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.” C.S. Lewis
"Whatever controls us is the Lord of our lives." Tim Keller
That is what we so often desperately seek, isn't it--some measure of happiness outside the realm and rule of Almighty God. And that's our tendency--put ourselves first, at the center, and allow our desires to dictate our actions in pursuit of what we believe will bring us satisfaction and happiness. But then it never ultimately does. For we discover that which begins as the pursuit of our selfish desires inexorably controls and strangles our lives (and worse--the lives of those we love).
Only the pursuit of God, only the desire of His highest and greatest brings eternal, perfect, ultimate fulfillment and satisfaction. As John Piper always says, "God is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in Him"--and to pursue Him above all else is to discover such satisfaction and joy.
O Father, help us to renounce all those lesser little gods born of our selfishness and selfish desire to control and instead enable us to fix our eyes upon You--the perfect, glorious, all satisfying, all worthy One. Might we pursue You with every fiber of our being. And, remarkably, in that pursuit, find the joy our hearts were after all along.
Might we wholly belong this day--and everyday--to only One God. To God be the glory.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Friday, April 26, 2013
Don't compare-Follow!
"But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Phil.3:13-14)
"Jesus said to him, 'If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.'" (John 21:22)
These are Jesus' last recorded words in the Gospel of John. Jesus had just revealed to Peter that he will one day die a martyr's death, but in response, Peter looks at John and asks Jesus, "what about him?" Jesus' simple but profound answer: don't worry about him--"You follow Me."
What a picture of our human nature, is it not? How prone we are to compare! And nothing good ever comes out of comparisons. Either we become puffed up with pride because we figure we're doing better than so and so or we fall prey to discouragement or envy because we assume we faring a bit worse.
I've shared it innumerable times, but one of my very favorite quotes is from Mother Teresa: "All our troubles come from looking around rather than up." Jesus tells Peter--and us--stop looking around at John or anybody else. Just look up. Follow Me.
That's what it means to be a Christian--"to be a Christ follower." We don't need to compare ourselves to Sally Supersaint or Nancy Ne're-do-well. We need to stop worrying about what others are doing or not doing--we simply need to follow Jesus. He's our model. He's our guide. He's our inspiration. And He's our Savior and Enabler. It's time we heed the words of Hebrews 12: stop looking around and start looking up and "fix our eyes upon Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith."
When we follow another person or when we compare ourselves to anyone else, we're bound to grow discouraged, distracted, or discontented. But when we follow Jesus, we'll find joy for our journey, strength for our souls, and peace for our perplexities.
O brother, how prone we (or I) can be to forget this! How easily we can slide into deadly comparisons and the accompanying stupor of either pride or discouragement. But following Jesus never fails to bring encouragement, hope, purpose, peace, and joy. And He is the only One with the power that enables us to actually follow Him in obedience. All those lesser little gods of comparison we tend to run after--they never give, only take. Never empower only diminish.
So today, might we rejoice in our Savior who is leading the way and beckoning us to "Follow Me." O Lord Jesus, help us to press on toward the goal of following and loving You so that we might jettison our preoccupation with all lesser, inferior, and empty substitutes.
Keep us fixed and following Jesus. To God be the glory.
"Jesus said to him, 'If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.'" (John 21:22)
These are Jesus' last recorded words in the Gospel of John. Jesus had just revealed to Peter that he will one day die a martyr's death, but in response, Peter looks at John and asks Jesus, "what about him?" Jesus' simple but profound answer: don't worry about him--"You follow Me."
What a picture of our human nature, is it not? How prone we are to compare! And nothing good ever comes out of comparisons. Either we become puffed up with pride because we figure we're doing better than so and so or we fall prey to discouragement or envy because we assume we faring a bit worse.
I've shared it innumerable times, but one of my very favorite quotes is from Mother Teresa: "All our troubles come from looking around rather than up." Jesus tells Peter--and us--stop looking around at John or anybody else. Just look up. Follow Me.
That's what it means to be a Christian--"to be a Christ follower." We don't need to compare ourselves to Sally Supersaint or Nancy Ne're-do-well. We need to stop worrying about what others are doing or not doing--we simply need to follow Jesus. He's our model. He's our guide. He's our inspiration. And He's our Savior and Enabler. It's time we heed the words of Hebrews 12: stop looking around and start looking up and "fix our eyes upon Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith."
When we follow another person or when we compare ourselves to anyone else, we're bound to grow discouraged, distracted, or discontented. But when we follow Jesus, we'll find joy for our journey, strength for our souls, and peace for our perplexities.
O brother, how prone we (or I) can be to forget this! How easily we can slide into deadly comparisons and the accompanying stupor of either pride or discouragement. But following Jesus never fails to bring encouragement, hope, purpose, peace, and joy. And He is the only One with the power that enables us to actually follow Him in obedience. All those lesser little gods of comparison we tend to run after--they never give, only take. Never empower only diminish.
So today, might we rejoice in our Savior who is leading the way and beckoning us to "Follow Me." O Lord Jesus, help us to press on toward the goal of following and loving You so that we might jettison our preoccupation with all lesser, inferior, and empty substitutes.
Keep us fixed and following Jesus. To God be the glory.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Remember
I have always loved this Psalm 42. It begins with the words, "As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God." A deer panting for water is in a desperate state; this creature has gone far beyond the need to assuage normal thirst and now is actually panting, desperate for hydration.
And then the Psalmist declares, "My tears have become my food day and night,while they say to me all the day long, 'Where is your God?' These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival. Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil against me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God." (Ps.42:1-5)
I just love that reminder--when we are struggling or feeling downhearted, we need to choose to put our hope in God.
And we need to remember gratitude--"These things I remember..." We remember God's never failing faithfulness to us in the past. Boy, remembering is so important, isn't it? We can be prone to such forgetful ingratitude.
Just this morning, I was in the middle of an exercise class. I had been thinking about all the senior girls who had spent the night at our house last night. The seniors in Young Life have a tradition every year of going very very early in the morning (as in 4:30 a.m.) to the house of junior Young Life girls and waking them up! So they spent the night at our house, so they'd be all ready to go early this morning (after a whopping one hour of sleep). And they all wear crazy costumes. The picture is from last year when the seniors did it with Janie. Hilarious!
O Lord Jesus, I prayed silently, thank You thank You thank You. Thank you for reminding of all we almost missed but didn't--because of Your grace and Your power. Thank You for the glorious beauty of messes made by teenagers! Thank You for the busyness and sometimes the overwhelming craziness of life--good, bad, and indifferent. Help me not to forget... but "these things I remember."
But then I also love that this Psalm reminds us that when those times of dryness or discouragement or even despair come--when the healing doesn't come, when the house is silent--that's when we need to preach ourselves a sermon. "Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God." We tell ourselves, "Self, my hope is not in anything in this world; my hope is in Almighty God. And with Him we always always always have an infinite source of hope. Stop focusing on all these things you might feel are not right or disappointing or frustrating, and turn your focus to Him, your hope."
For we "shall again praise Him"--don't you love that? Maybe you can't pull up one iota of gratitude or praise or joy in your heart. But you shall again one day... if you hope in Him. I'll never forget what my wonderful Daddy said when our family was going through a really tough time--we had lost my mom and my dear aunt Janie, daddy had incurable cancer, and another dear family member had cancer. "Well, we're going through a rough patch." Yep, a patch. Just a patch--not a prolonged siege, not an infinite unbroken line, but a patch... and you eventually come through patches to the other side.
So today, I don't know if anyone else needed this reminder, but just in case you do--remember gratitude for God's past faithfulness. Choose to turn away from your circumstances and remember the blessings. If you can't think of any, just open your eyes and look outside! And then, preach yourself a little sermon--I will hope in my glorious, all powerful, sovereign Lord. He is my Hope and my Shield and my Rock. And we shall again praise Him.
For He is forever worthy. To God be the glory.
Monday, April 22, 2013
My black eye--His beauty
Christ alone, Cornerstone
Weak made strong, in the Savior's love
Through the storm, He is Lord
Lord of all.
What a wonderful worship service we enjoyed yesterday at church! One of those WOW days! The words above are the chorus from one of the songs we sang. It's a song by Hillsong called "Cornerstone." Absolutely beautiful, with truth just pouring out of it. And the sermon by our pastor, Leon Tucker, O my stars--wow, wow, wow! Just one of those days you see God's glory splashed all over the place, and all you can do is humbly say, "Thank You, Father!"
But for me, it sure didn't start out that way. You see, I tripped over a rolled up rug on saturday afternoon (so graceful) and broke my fall... with my face. Never a great plan. When I landed, I thought I had knocked out all my teeth. Thankfully, I had not--though the jury's still out as to whether I may lose one of my big front teeth. That would be a good look.
However, it became apparent within about 5 minutes that I was going to be sporting a lovely black eye and fat lip for a while. Incidentally, I think some people pay good money for plastic surgeons to make their lips bigger. Hmm, this has pretty much convinced me this would not be money well spent, as it doesn't look all that attractive... at least on me. I've never been a big one for makeup, but now I really don't need to bother with it. Who would notice a bit of mascara and blush amidst all this purple wreckage?
The good news is that I got to attend the beautiful wedding of some of our dearest friends saturday night. Naturally I didn't feel at all self-conscious looking like a prize fighter who had just come out on the short end of the stick. One of our good friends came up to me and simply said with mock seriousness, "Do you want me to talk to Richard [my husband] for you?"
The even better news is that the black eye looked even worse for church the next morning than it did for the wedding. geez. I wish I had a better story to tell about how it happened--"I tripped over the rug" just sounds so lame. Yeah, right.
Okay, I know in the big scheme of things, this is so totally nothing. Less than nothing. But here's the thing, I was shocked to discover how self-conscious it made me. I could tell strangers would walk by and do a subtle double take, and I admit, it made me feel... well, weird. I kept wanting to explain myself--"I promise, I haven't been in a fight..." I'm ashamed to admit it, because, seriously, what does a little banged up face mean? Zip. Zero. But still, it mattered enough to me that I was embarrassed... and then mortified that I was embarrassed!
As we were singing worships songs at the beginning of church, it suddenly occurred to me that this was sin--this preoccupation with my scary appearance and what others thought of me. We were singing, "Fairest Lord Jesus," and I had to ask the Lord to forgive me. ("Fairest Lord Jesus"--proof positive, by the way, that the Lord has quite the sense of humor.) It is His beauty that I am to be focusing upon, not mine (or actually, the lack thereof!). He is the "fairest" one, and He is the One who is our satisfaction and joy and hope and peace. What does it matter what others think of us--if the Almighty loves us, what need we to worry about or fear? Whose applause, after all, are we really seeking ... man's or God's?
Back to the song I first mentioned. The words in the first verse are:
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
But wholly trust in Jesus' name.
Yep, Lord, forgive me for so often trusting and placing my hope in the completely wrong things--from appearance to achievements to man's approval. Our hope and joy is in Christ alone--our Cornerstone. He makes the weak strong. He is the Lord of all--through sun and storm and everything in between.
So a little black eye and a fat lip have now become a reminder to me of the unfading beauty, grace, and glory of my Savior. He is eternally good, and I am eternally grateful. And if you run into me anytime soon, it's okay if you laugh.... I just hope it's a reminder to you--Christ alone, our Cornerstone.
To God, our Cornerstone, our Lord and our fairest Lord Jesus, be all the glory.
Weak made strong, in the Savior's love
Through the storm, He is Lord
Lord of all.
What a wonderful worship service we enjoyed yesterday at church! One of those WOW days! The words above are the chorus from one of the songs we sang. It's a song by Hillsong called "Cornerstone." Absolutely beautiful, with truth just pouring out of it. And the sermon by our pastor, Leon Tucker, O my stars--wow, wow, wow! Just one of those days you see God's glory splashed all over the place, and all you can do is humbly say, "Thank You, Father!"
But for me, it sure didn't start out that way. You see, I tripped over a rolled up rug on saturday afternoon (so graceful) and broke my fall... with my face. Never a great plan. When I landed, I thought I had knocked out all my teeth. Thankfully, I had not--though the jury's still out as to whether I may lose one of my big front teeth. That would be a good look.
However, it became apparent within about 5 minutes that I was going to be sporting a lovely black eye and fat lip for a while. Incidentally, I think some people pay good money for plastic surgeons to make their lips bigger. Hmm, this has pretty much convinced me this would not be money well spent, as it doesn't look all that attractive... at least on me. I've never been a big one for makeup, but now I really don't need to bother with it. Who would notice a bit of mascara and blush amidst all this purple wreckage?
The good news is that I got to attend the beautiful wedding of some of our dearest friends saturday night. Naturally I didn't feel at all self-conscious looking like a prize fighter who had just come out on the short end of the stick. One of our good friends came up to me and simply said with mock seriousness, "Do you want me to talk to Richard [my husband] for you?"
The even better news is that the black eye looked even worse for church the next morning than it did for the wedding. geez. I wish I had a better story to tell about how it happened--"I tripped over the rug" just sounds so lame. Yeah, right.
Okay, I know in the big scheme of things, this is so totally nothing. Less than nothing. But here's the thing, I was shocked to discover how self-conscious it made me. I could tell strangers would walk by and do a subtle double take, and I admit, it made me feel... well, weird. I kept wanting to explain myself--"I promise, I haven't been in a fight..." I'm ashamed to admit it, because, seriously, what does a little banged up face mean? Zip. Zero. But still, it mattered enough to me that I was embarrassed... and then mortified that I was embarrassed!
As we were singing worships songs at the beginning of church, it suddenly occurred to me that this was sin--this preoccupation with my scary appearance and what others thought of me. We were singing, "Fairest Lord Jesus," and I had to ask the Lord to forgive me. ("Fairest Lord Jesus"--proof positive, by the way, that the Lord has quite the sense of humor.) It is His beauty that I am to be focusing upon, not mine (or actually, the lack thereof!). He is the "fairest" one, and He is the One who is our satisfaction and joy and hope and peace. What does it matter what others think of us--if the Almighty loves us, what need we to worry about or fear? Whose applause, after all, are we really seeking ... man's or God's?
Back to the song I first mentioned. The words in the first verse are:
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
But wholly trust in Jesus' name.
Yep, Lord, forgive me for so often trusting and placing my hope in the completely wrong things--from appearance to achievements to man's approval. Our hope and joy is in Christ alone--our Cornerstone. He makes the weak strong. He is the Lord of all--through sun and storm and everything in between.
So a little black eye and a fat lip have now become a reminder to me of the unfading beauty, grace, and glory of my Savior. He is eternally good, and I am eternally grateful. And if you run into me anytime soon, it's okay if you laugh.... I just hope it's a reminder to you--Christ alone, our Cornerstone.
To God, our Cornerstone, our Lord and our fairest Lord Jesus, be all the glory.
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Thank You for today
A little food for weekend thought:
"Worry is an old man with bended head, carrying a load of feathers that he thinks is lead."
Corrie ten Boom
From The Screwtape Letters, by C.S. Lewis: Screwtape, the senior devil explains to his junior protege, Wormwood, why it is so important to tempt humans to worry and not trust God: "There is nothing like suspense and anxiety for barricading a human's mind against the Enemy. He [God--for Screwtape, of course, God is the "Enemy"] wants men to be concerned with what they do; our business is to keep them thinking about what will happen to them."
"There are two days on my calendar: This day and that Day." Martin Luther
"This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." (Ps.118:24)
Thank You, Lord, for this day, this moment. Forgive us for faithlessly looking ahead with worry and sometimes even dread. Keep us grounded in the gift of this beautiful morning--with the song of the birds, the pink of the dogwoods, the sound of our child's laughter, the warmth of hot tea, the thump of our dog's happy tail, the sweet hug of our dear friend, the budding green that canopies the yard, and Your fresh, hot manna for us this day--Your never failing Word that revives and sustains us.
Help us to rejoice in the gift of this day--our dearest friends' daughter's wedding--thank You Father for new love and new beginnings! And dear Matt's birthday--a reminder of Your priceless gift of life.
Yes, Lord, You know we have much to do--but You are already there and You have it all in Your nail-scarred, perfect and powerful hands. We fully entrust ourselves, our tasks, our concerns, and our tomorrows to You. Today, give us Your strength. Give us Your love. Give us Your peace. Give us Your grace. Center our trust and hope in You. And give us a glimpse of Your glory today.
Keep us looking to You today--but ever mindful of our hope in "that Day" when You will return and make all things new and right and glorious. To You, our hope and our song, be all the glory.
"Worry is an old man with bended head, carrying a load of feathers that he thinks is lead."
Corrie ten Boom
From The Screwtape Letters, by C.S. Lewis: Screwtape, the senior devil explains to his junior protege, Wormwood, why it is so important to tempt humans to worry and not trust God: "There is nothing like suspense and anxiety for barricading a human's mind against the Enemy. He [God--for Screwtape, of course, God is the "Enemy"] wants men to be concerned with what they do; our business is to keep them thinking about what will happen to them."
"There are two days on my calendar: This day and that Day." Martin Luther
"This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." (Ps.118:24)
Thank You, Lord, for this day, this moment. Forgive us for faithlessly looking ahead with worry and sometimes even dread. Keep us grounded in the gift of this beautiful morning--with the song of the birds, the pink of the dogwoods, the sound of our child's laughter, the warmth of hot tea, the thump of our dog's happy tail, the sweet hug of our dear friend, the budding green that canopies the yard, and Your fresh, hot manna for us this day--Your never failing Word that revives and sustains us.
Help us to rejoice in the gift of this day--our dearest friends' daughter's wedding--thank You Father for new love and new beginnings! And dear Matt's birthday--a reminder of Your priceless gift of life.
Yes, Lord, You know we have much to do--but You are already there and You have it all in Your nail-scarred, perfect and powerful hands. We fully entrust ourselves, our tasks, our concerns, and our tomorrows to You. Today, give us Your strength. Give us Your love. Give us Your peace. Give us Your grace. Center our trust and hope in You. And give us a glimpse of Your glory today.
Keep us looking to You today--but ever mindful of our hope in "that Day" when You will return and make all things new and right and glorious. To You, our hope and our song, be all the glory.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Brick by brick...Today
Hit a little wall late the other day. Not a giant one--just a mini wall of dispiritedness: too much to do, too little energy, too much detritus littering not just the house but my heart. Sometimes all we have to do can overwhelm us--especially when we refuse to hand it to the Father and instead try to shoulder all the load ourselves. It can be a lot of little nit picky things along with a few major projects thrown in... and the next thing you know, we experience a vague sense of dread and exhaustion and discouragement.
I woke up yesterday with the lingering and disheartening feeling that I was still way behind on all these projects (well, maybe generally behind in life) and just couldn't seem to make a dent. Couldn't seem to even get started to try to make a dent!
And then I opened a little devotional book to read something to Peter before he left for school--the words may not have been for him, but they sure were for me. O my, thank You, our ever faithful Father.
David Jeremiah writes:
"Thomas Carlyle labored with intensity on the first volume of a three-part study of the French Revolution. He felt it could be his greatest work. He loaned the manuscript to his friend John Stuart Mill to read, and Mill read it by the fire. One morning the maid, cleaning the room and seeing the scattered pages on the floor, threw them into the fire. [My note to self--sounds like the kind of friend to whom you shouldn't loan your manuscript... scattered pages on the floor? Geez!] When Carlyle learned his manuscript was burned to ash, he sank into an abysmal depression. Some time later, still desolate, he saw a brick mason through the window. The man was standing on a scaffold, singing and whistling to himself as he built the wall of a house one brick at a time. Watching him, Carlyle decided he would write his book again, one page at a time. His history of the revolution became famous and he is remembered as one of Scotland's literary giants."
Maybe nobody else needs to hear that today, but I certainly do. We know all the old cliches about a journey of a thousand miles beginning with the first step, but sometimes we just need to reminded--it's brick by brick, stone by stone, step by step... starting now... with that first brick. Stop looking ahead and fearing how the finished product may look. Stop looking back and regretting that you didn't start yesterday. Stop looking at those past failures and despairing that you'll never get it right.
Just start building today. I couldn't help but think of a couple of verses from Hebrews 3: "Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion" (v.7) And "But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called 'today,' that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin." (v.13)
It's been said that satan's favorite word is "Tomorrow," while Jesus' favorite word is "Today."
"Today is the day of salvation." (2 Cor.6:2)
Start breaking that bad habit--today. Start mending that difficult relationship--today. Start that habit of reading God's Word--today. Start facing that impossible problem one brick at a time--today. Start obeying what you know God is telling you--whether it's to love that sometimes unlovely person in your life or cleaning out the clutter in your home and your heart or just simply starting that project you can't seem to face... today... with that first brick.
We can do it--one brick at a time. We have the Master Bricklayer with us and beside us and before us and behind us and within us... and for us. Always for us. And always reminding us--look to Me, lay the burden upon Me, trust Me, see Me in this. And start. Today.
To God--our eternally present and infinitely powerful I AM--be all the glory.
I woke up yesterday with the lingering and disheartening feeling that I was still way behind on all these projects (well, maybe generally behind in life) and just couldn't seem to make a dent. Couldn't seem to even get started to try to make a dent!
And then I opened a little devotional book to read something to Peter before he left for school--the words may not have been for him, but they sure were for me. O my, thank You, our ever faithful Father.
David Jeremiah writes:
"Thomas Carlyle labored with intensity on the first volume of a three-part study of the French Revolution. He felt it could be his greatest work. He loaned the manuscript to his friend John Stuart Mill to read, and Mill read it by the fire. One morning the maid, cleaning the room and seeing the scattered pages on the floor, threw them into the fire. [My note to self--sounds like the kind of friend to whom you shouldn't loan your manuscript... scattered pages on the floor? Geez!] When Carlyle learned his manuscript was burned to ash, he sank into an abysmal depression. Some time later, still desolate, he saw a brick mason through the window. The man was standing on a scaffold, singing and whistling to himself as he built the wall of a house one brick at a time. Watching him, Carlyle decided he would write his book again, one page at a time. His history of the revolution became famous and he is remembered as one of Scotland's literary giants."
Maybe nobody else needs to hear that today, but I certainly do. We know all the old cliches about a journey of a thousand miles beginning with the first step, but sometimes we just need to reminded--it's brick by brick, stone by stone, step by step... starting now... with that first brick. Stop looking ahead and fearing how the finished product may look. Stop looking back and regretting that you didn't start yesterday. Stop looking at those past failures and despairing that you'll never get it right.
Just start building today. I couldn't help but think of a couple of verses from Hebrews 3: "Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion" (v.7) And "But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called 'today,' that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin." (v.13)
It's been said that satan's favorite word is "Tomorrow," while Jesus' favorite word is "Today."
"Today is the day of salvation." (2 Cor.6:2)
Start breaking that bad habit--today. Start mending that difficult relationship--today. Start that habit of reading God's Word--today. Start facing that impossible problem one brick at a time--today. Start obeying what you know God is telling you--whether it's to love that sometimes unlovely person in your life or cleaning out the clutter in your home and your heart or just simply starting that project you can't seem to face... today... with that first brick.
We can do it--one brick at a time. We have the Master Bricklayer with us and beside us and before us and behind us and within us... and for us. Always for us. And always reminding us--look to Me, lay the burden upon Me, trust Me, see Me in this. And start. Today.
To God--our eternally present and infinitely powerful I AM--be all the glory.
Monday, April 15, 2013
Will's inchworms
"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. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world." (Ps.19:1-4)
Yesterday I enjoyed the privilege of watching our precious neighbor's 4 year old son, Will, go into paroxysms of excitement over inchworms. Yes, over the tiny, lowly, insignificant inch worm. These little worms are suddenly out in full force. First the pollen, then the inchworm, I suppose. Whenever we come inside from walking Moses, we're covered in them. Tiny little green fellows inexorably inching their way to... well, who knows where they think they are headed. But boy, whenever they're going, these worms are moving with a vengeance. They never quit and keep on squishing up into perfect little "n's" and then stretch back out again to the full length of their minuscule 1/8 bodies!
I'm betting you just walked right by these relentless little guys. Maybe you were like I was--brushing them away with irritation when you found them crawling up your pants and shirt and shoes.
Well, no more! Thanks to adorable Will, I now see them with newfound wonder. Seriously, consider how remarkable these little fellows are--teensy, persevering, energetic, delicate, graceful. What an example of never giving up! And their bright green color really is quite pretty--great for hiding in the grass and shrubs but bright enough to locate on your clothing. (And I hear green is actually the "it" color this season. The fashion industry is waaaaay behind the Creator of the universe.)
What a Lord we have! Gigantic beyond our wildest imaginations as He created the far-flung galaxies. Such distances we cannot even begin to fathom. Yet intricate, detail-orientated, small enough to fashion the microscopic cells that form our bodies and all of matter. And creatively artistic enough to design colorful fish swimming in the depths of the sea... and tiny, flexible, lime green, inchworms gracing our paths. He didn't need to make inchworms--but He did... out of joy and out of a love to awe His children.
He's always open for business, isn't He? Ready to woo us, amaze us, love us, forgive us, and fill us with wonder. Have you thanked Him today for your eyes that are reading these words? Or your lungs that He fashioned that gave you that breath you just took... and that one... and that one? Or the that nose that can smell the freshness and cleanness of spring? Or the delicate dogwoods that grace your path on the way to work or school or chores?
Or that inchworm? Or that joyous perspective of a child that reminds us of the astounding wonder of this planet?
Or your Savior who never gives up on you and will never fail you... even when you fail Him? Kind of like the inchworm--He will never ever quit on us!
Thank You, Father, for blessing upon blessing... even those that we miss. Give us eyes to see and savor the wonder and hearts that breath deep into the joy of being alive with You always at the helm.
To God, the Creator and Sustainer and Redeemer and Wonder-Maker, be all the glory.
Yesterday I enjoyed the privilege of watching our precious neighbor's 4 year old son, Will, go into paroxysms of excitement over inchworms. Yes, over the tiny, lowly, insignificant inch worm. These little worms are suddenly out in full force. First the pollen, then the inchworm, I suppose. Whenever we come inside from walking Moses, we're covered in them. Tiny little green fellows inexorably inching their way to... well, who knows where they think they are headed. But boy, whenever they're going, these worms are moving with a vengeance. They never quit and keep on squishing up into perfect little "n's" and then stretch back out again to the full length of their minuscule 1/8 bodies!
I'm betting you just walked right by these relentless little guys. Maybe you were like I was--brushing them away with irritation when you found them crawling up your pants and shirt and shoes.
Well, no more! Thanks to adorable Will, I now see them with newfound wonder. Seriously, consider how remarkable these little fellows are--teensy, persevering, energetic, delicate, graceful. What an example of never giving up! And their bright green color really is quite pretty--great for hiding in the grass and shrubs but bright enough to locate on your clothing. (And I hear green is actually the "it" color this season. The fashion industry is waaaaay behind the Creator of the universe.)
What a Lord we have! Gigantic beyond our wildest imaginations as He created the far-flung galaxies. Such distances we cannot even begin to fathom. Yet intricate, detail-orientated, small enough to fashion the microscopic cells that form our bodies and all of matter. And creatively artistic enough to design colorful fish swimming in the depths of the sea... and tiny, flexible, lime green, inchworms gracing our paths. He didn't need to make inchworms--but He did... out of joy and out of a love to awe His children.
He's always open for business, isn't He? Ready to woo us, amaze us, love us, forgive us, and fill us with wonder. Have you thanked Him today for your eyes that are reading these words? Or your lungs that He fashioned that gave you that breath you just took... and that one... and that one? Or the that nose that can smell the freshness and cleanness of spring? Or the delicate dogwoods that grace your path on the way to work or school or chores?
Or that inchworm? Or that joyous perspective of a child that reminds us of the astounding wonder of this planet?
Or your Savior who never gives up on you and will never fail you... even when you fail Him? Kind of like the inchworm--He will never ever quit on us!
Thank You, Father, for blessing upon blessing... even those that we miss. Give us eyes to see and savor the wonder and hearts that breath deep into the joy of being alive with You always at the helm.
To God, the Creator and Sustainer and Redeemer and Wonder-Maker, be all the glory.
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