The mountain and the valley

Well, we have returned from the verdant, cool mountains and are back in the "valley" of heat and noise and busyness. How can I fall so precipitously from the mountaintop of peace and gratitude and quiet joy to that pressured feeling of simmering frustration with my children, my too-long to do list, my messy home (welcome to summer), my many failings as a mother, wife, and homemaker and on and on. I'm reminded of that beautiful Puritan prayer, "The Valley of Vision." The prayer begins, "Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly, Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision, where I live in the depths but see Thee in the heights; hemmed in my mountains of sin I behold Thy glory." The author asks for God to "Let me learn by paradox that the way down is the way up, that to be low is to be high, that the broken heart is the healed heart, that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit... that the valley is the place of vision."

Why is that? The view is so much lovelier from the mountaintop! The air so much clearer, the stars so much brighter, the breeze so much cooler. How I love it on the mountaintop.

But the valley is the place of vision, for the valley is where we live and learn what it is to persevere in spite of our feelings, our obstacles, our challenges. If we can learn to sing in the valley when busyness or exhaustion or discouragement or hopelessness seems to hem us in on every side, then we find that song so much sweeter, so much richer and deeper, and ultimately, so much more glorifying to our Savior.

He, too, experienced the mountaintop on the Mount of Transfiguration. And good ole' Peter wanted to build a little shelter so they could hang out there on that lovely mountain and just bask in the glorious glow. Can you blame him?! But the Lord Jesus came not for the glorious mountaintop but for the salvation of the lowly, harsh, preoccupied, busy, ungrateful, frustrated, worried, overwhelmed men and women trudging along in the valley.

Aren't you thankful that He was willing to come to the valley? Aren't you grateful that He is in the valley still, walking beside you, ready to carry and encourage and strengthen you when the road just seems too hard and too long? Aren't you overjoyed that He is using whatever you are going through for your greater good and His greater glory, for there is nothing, absolutely nothing, that is beyond His sovereign control? As the Dutch theologian, Abraham Kuyper, declared "There is not one square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry out, 'Mine!'"

So, as I look at my messy home, I cry out "His!" As I try to encourage (rather than fuss at) my children, I cry out, about each one, with his or her strengths and weaknesses, "His!" As I deal with all the challenges of life, as I pray for dear friends with hard circumstances, as I walk in this valley, I cry out "His, His, His!" And if it is all His, then somehow, someway He will redeem and renew and restore in spite of all our weaknesses and failures.

Many years ago, a few years before his death, my daddy quoted Justice Helms who declared "I find the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as it is what direction we are going. To reach the port of heaven, we must all sail sometimes with the wind, sometimes against it--but we must sail, and not drift, nor lie at anchor."

O Lord, help us to sail and not drift! Help us to keep pushing along in the valley when our feelings tell us to quit or let up or give in, for You are there with us, guiding and teaching and helping us all the way. To You be the glory!

Better than Chocolate!

Boy, the mountains have been so beautiful! There is just something about being up here that reminds me anew of the majesty and wonder of God's creation. As I sat on the porch today having a quiet time, the birds sang a chorus that you would not believe! I've never heard such a racket (a lovely one, of course), and it seemed the birds were all trying to outdo one another singing and glorifying their Creator. It has been so terrific to have absolutely no schedule, no long to-do list, no places to go or things to pick up or people to see. Just enjoy one another and the beauty of God's creation... and of course, eat some great meals. Everything seems to taste better up in the mountains!

This reminded me of something I heard the other day. A woman said that she had asked God to give her a deep desire to study His Word. She said she loved chocolate (truly a woman after my own heart) and ate some every single day (and an incredibly wise one to boot). She asked God to help her to hunger after and desire to feast on His Word more than chocolate. I love that! God gave us our desires, our passions, our hopes and dreams, and He clearly, unequivocally gave us chocolate--that supreme food, that elixir of the gods... okay, maybe I'm overdoing it a bit, but He really really did a mighty fine job when He made cocoa and chocolate!

This woman's words reminded me that I am to love absolutely nothing on this earth more than my Lord and His eternal, life-giving Word. Now in all likelihood, none of us would knowingly value food or clothes or cars or success or popularity or comfort or any other thing this world offers more than the Sovereign Lord of the universe. When given the clear choice, we would surely seek the eternal, abundant life He offers over all those substitutes that give only temporary happiness but never eternal satisfaction and joy.

But so often we rush through our days and unknowingly choose to place things and stuff and worldly priorities over Him. We jump up from bed and get going with our busy day and fail to speak to and meet Him first and seek His plans for our day and His guidance and strength He longs to give us. We spend money without asking Him first if this is how He would have us use our time and treasure. We fail to express gratitude for all the daily blessings He showers upon us--from our health to our families to our food to our minds to our homes to our friends and on and on. Have you thanked Him today that you woke up this morning? Have you thanked Him for the ability to breath and to see and to hear and to walk? We grow discontented and focus on the little that we lack rather than the abundance that we possess. We exhibit irritation with those He has given us to love and focus on their weaknesses and shortcomings rather than on loving them unconditionally with the love only He can give. We seek immediate gratification and happiness rather than eternal grace and holiness.

We love our chocolate more than His Word.

So, Lord, I'm asking that You help us to love You and Your Word more than chocolate! I know how fallible, how weak, how prone to wander and waiver, how selfish and superficial we (or at least I) can be, so we know we cannot do it. But You can. Would You give us a love for You and Your Word that trumps all else this sin-sick world can offer? Give us a desire to come to Your banquet table every single day and feast upon Your glorious, life-giving, joy-producing Word. "Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!" (Ps.34:8)

"The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul... the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes... the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb." (Ps.19:7-10)

I might add, "more to be desired than the finest of dark chocolate; sweeter than the most scrumptious of chocolate cake!" His Word, for you, might be better and finer and greater than the most beautiful of homes, the most well-behaved of children, the most fabulous of trips, the most perfect of marriages, the most lovely of faces or figures, the most productive and accomplished of days.

Nothing this world can offer can compare to our Lord and to feasting at His table with Him in His Word. For those of us who love to eat (that would be me!), nothing can compare. And no one, no place, no success, no pleasure, nothing can ever satisfy and bring eternal joy like our Creator and His Word. So, will you join me in asking that God would give you a hunger and deep desire for Him and His Word more than anything else in this world? I'll see you at the banquet table! To Him be the glory.

D-Day and V-Day

On this Memorial Day weekend, I thank God for the men and women who have given their very lives to save and preserve the freedoms that we hold so dear. How easily we take this for granted, and yet we literally owe them everything. What a reminder this was to me as I read one of my favorite books of all time, Unbroken, about the remarkable life of Louis Zamperelli (I can't remember how to spell his name--sorry!). As I read of his service in WW II and his horrific imprisonment as POW in a Japanese prisoner of war camp, I was overcome with gratitude and wonder at the incredible strength, bravery, and sacrifices of our armed forces. Might we all stop and give thanks for such men and women who gave so inestimably much for those they would never ever know. And many of them suffered and died never knowing if their ultimate sacrifice would be worth it, and if the cause they died for would ultimately be victorious.

I recently read about something written by Oscar Cullmann, one of the great theologians who was born in Germany but came out of Switzerland during WW II. In his book, Christ and Time, he wrote about the 2 most crucial days in WW II: D-Day and V-Day. He points out that in any war, there is always a battle that determines the outcome of the war. In the Napoleonic Wars, it was Waterloo. In the Civil War, it was Gettsyburg. Sure, the war and bloodshed continued after both of these watershed battles, but after each, the ultimate outcome was clear. There was no doubt as to who would win.

D-Day was such a battle for WW II. On that June day when the Allied forces landed on the beaches in Normandy, everyone on both sides knew that this was the day when it would all be decided. If the Allies could establish a beachhead, they would win the war. If the Nazis could drive the Allies back into the sea, they would win. And praise God that after the terrible loss of life that desperately long day, the Allies established the beachhead. Interestingly, after that battle, Rommel, the head of the Nazi forces, secretly joined the plot to kill Hitler. Rommel knew that Germany had now effectively lost the war, but he also realized that Hitler would never give up and would continue to destroy his nation and her young men.

D-Day decided the outcome of the WW II, but between D-day and V-Day when the war actually ended, the battles and bloodshed and suffering continued unabated. Indeed, there was more death and devastation during that interlude than at any other time. Oscar Cullman commented that "We live between God's D-Day and God's V-Day." Jesus ultimately won the war at Calvary. The decisive battle was fought on the cross over 200o years ago, and the Resurrection proved once and for all that Jesus has defeated sin and death and satan. Satan cannot win the war, for he lost the decisive battle for the salvation of our souls. And one day every single knee will bow to the Lord Jesus. The kingdoms of the this world will become the kingdoms of our God, and the Lord will reign forever and ever! Alleluia!

But until that glorious day, we still live in between God's D-Day and V-Day. We still live in a fallen world where the innocent are murdered, where loved ones struggle with sickness, where pain and disappointment and fear and frustration seem to have the upper hand. But the Resurrection assures us that Christ will win the war, and we will reign with Him forever. Tony Compolo expressed it this way as he contemplated the events of 9-11: "We live in that anticipation of victory. So when we see evil rear its ugly head, when we see the horrors of of the World Trade buildings, we recognize the setback. We recognize the evil that was at work there. But we know that those evil forces have won a battle in a cause that they will ultimately lose. And it am here to declare that it is better to lose a battle in a cause that ultimately wins than to win a battle in a cause that ultimately loses... That is the good news of the gospel."

So, on this Memorial Day weekend, might we thank the Lord for the courage and sacrifice of those countless ones who died so that there could one day be a V-Day and a joyous future of freedom for all of us. And then might their sacrifice remind us of another even greater D-Day when Christ fought and defeated the assembled forces of satan and evil. We still live in between, and the days in between can be hard and fearful and discouraging. But that glorious V-Day is coming when He shall return and all, absolutely ALL, in creation shall be made eternally right and perfect. Never forget that after Good Friday came Easter morning! So even now, we say, "Come, Lord Jesus, come!" And to Him be the glory forever.

Ants and our Thoughts

Right now I am sitting up at the lobby in the Inn near our cottage in the mountains. And I forgot my reading glasses, so if this blog is filled with typos, blame it on my eyesight! We arrived late last night, racing all our stuff inside just barely in time to beat the raging thunderstorm. As I unloaded the groceries, I noticed we had quite a few tiny squatters in the kitchen who had already staked out their claim to the kitchen. Okay, I'm trying to be positive--they were teensy ants and there were tons and tons of them! Yuck! I was squishing and spraying and smashing to beat the band, but they just kept coming. The war continued unabated today, and I can't decide if it's worse to have ants in our food or pesticide permeating everything. Life is full of dilemmas.

But I have to hand it to those ants, they are such resourceful, persevering little creatures. No matter how hard you hit 'em, they just keep coming back. Since I don't have my glasses on, I can't look up the exact verse, but I love the passage in Proverbs that urges us to "Go to the ant, O sluggard, see how she works all day..." (or something to that effect!). God can teach us through all of creation--even the lowly little ant. When I'm tempted to give in to the "slough of despond" or just go with the flow and put my feet up, I think of that industrious little creature working away, finding it's way to the smallest crumb of food, undeterred by any obstacle (or pesticide or slapping hand). Help us not to quit, Lord!

I also thought about how our thoughts can multiply like those pesky, determined ants. I have been reading a book recently about the power of our thought life, and I've been so convicted how frequently our thoughts can sabotage God's best for us. Just a few short quotes: "Our defeat or victory begins with what we think; and if we guard our thoughts, we shall not have much trouble anywhere else along that line." Vance Havner "All things be ready if our thoughts be so." Shakespeare "The mind is it's own place and in itself can make a heaven of hell; a hell of heaven." John Milton

You know, it's really true, what you think about determines what you become. Thoughts ultimately and always begat actions. And we can choose our thoughts. I tend to forget that! I tend to just let thoughts flow into my mind during the course of the day, and I can start to dwell on those thoughts which are negative and discouraging and worrisome. Isn't that a woman's prerogative?! But when we focus on the faults of our children or the shortcomings of our spouse or the unfairness of some situation or the fearful unknowns facing us, we become critical or ungrateful or bitter or anxious. But God has told us He has not given us such a spirit! He has given us "a spirit of power, of love, and of a sound mind."

His Holy Spirit is within us as believers, and do we not believe that He is capable of handling any crises or challenge facing us or those that we love? Perhaps we need to tell ourselves a hundred times a day "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Phil. 4:13 We all know that verse, but yet we choose to dwell not upon our all-sufficient Lord but upon our insufficient selves. It is true--I can do nothing. But He can do ALL. I cannot handle the pressures and pains of this life. But He can triumph over any and every enemy so that no matter how hapless or hopeless the situation, He brings ultimate good and glory out of it.

But it starts with our thinking. Will we choose to focus, to dwell upon Him and His Word or will we continue to contemplate our grievances and worries and inabilities? Will we ask Him to direct and inform our thoughts or will we just allow our thoughts to meander along with our fallible feelings and emotions? Like those tiny ants, our thoughts will multiply. The question is, what thoughts are multiplying? We have the choice--the mind of Christ or the mind of fallen man. Help us to choose to Christ, to choose life, to choose the fruits of the Spirit that accompany a mind preoccupied with Christ--joy, peace, patience, gentleness... The choice is ours--each day, each hour. About what are you thinking? Choose Christ and to Him be the glory.

Facing the Lion

“In the United States, mountain lions are the animal regarded as the number one human

predator.

“Author and naturalist Craig Childs was on foot doing research on the lions in Arizona’s

Blue Range Wilderness. As he approached a water hole from downwind, he spotted a

mountain lion drinking water. When it finished drinking, it walked slowly away into a

cluster of junipers.

“After a few minutes, Childs walked to the water hole to identify tracks in the mud and

record notes. Just before he bent down to look closer, he scanned the perimeter, and there

among the shadows of the junipers, 30 feet away, he saw a pair of eyes. The lion walked

into the sunlight toward him. Childs pulled his knife and stared into the eyes of the lion.

He knew what he must do. He also knew what he must not do. He wrote:

“Mountain lions are known to take down animals six, seven, and eight times their size.

Their method: attack from behind, clamp onto the spine at the base of the prey’s skull,

snap the spine. The top few vertebrae are the target, housing respiratory and motor skills

that cease instantly when the cord is cut ... Mountain lions have stalked people for miles

... killing them from behind ...

“I hold firm to my ground and do not even hint that I will back off ... The mountain lion

begins to move to my left, and I turn, keeping my face on it, my knife at my right side. It

paces to my right, trying to get around on my other side, to get behind me. I turn right,

staring at it ... My stare is about the only defense I have.

“Childs maintained that defense as the mountain lion continued to try to provoke him to

run, turning left, then right, back and forth again and again, getting as close as ten feet

from him. Finally, the standoff ends. The lion turns and walks away — defeated by a man

who knew what to do in its presence.”

I heard Dr. David Jeremiah quote this well known naturalist the other day in connection with the spiritual armor God has given us, as described in Eph. 6. What a vivid reminder of the position we are to take with the armor God has given us as we go to war against satan. In Eph. 6 Paul repeatedly urges us to "stand." "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil." (Eph.6:11) "Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm." (6:13) "Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth..." (6:14) God calls us to stand and face our enemy. He does not command to rush out blindly against our adversary. He does not tell us to march resolutely forward and onward. And He does not tell us to turn around and run away as fast as we can or to slink away in fear and trembling. No, He commands us here "to stand" and "to stand firm."

As with the mountain lion, we are called to be watchful and be ready and to stand firm, facing forward. Our shield does us no good if we are fleeing away from the enemy. Our sword is useless in a pell mell retreat. Our breastplate cannot protect us from behind. But if, in the day of struggle and strain and stress, we refuse the temptation to give in and give out and instead stand firm in Him and in His power, God's weaponry will strengthen and protect us.

I don't know about you, but, sadly, my tendency is to run away when the fires of difficulty and disappointment start to burn in my life. Don't we all want to run away to something? Run to food; run to shopping; run to a pity party; run to alcohol; run to busyness and accomplishment. But God does not call us to run away but to stand firm. To face the enemy in the power of God's might and fully rely upon Him to strengthen and deliver us. To stand firm and not to wallow in discouragement and negative thoughts of defeat and despair.

Dr. Jeremiah writes that "If we don't stand our ground, we are giving that ground to the enemy. Every time we compromise our spiritual standards or fail to walk in righteousness, we are giving ground to the enemy. We are allowing him to have a bit more influence in our life than before. Our task is not to defeat him--Christ already defeated him at the empty tomb. Our task is to stand firm against his attempts to destroy our credibility or God's credibility in our sight. Anything he can do to weaken or destroy our influence for Christ, he will do. But our perseverance--if we are standing firm in the armor of God--is guaranteed."

Satan is a roaring lion--he is that stalking, vicious mountain lion--who seeks to destroy and devour believers and their faith and their testimony. (I Peter 5:8) But when we refuse to give in to fear and discouragement and fleeting emotions and instead stand firm in God's Word, satan will flee-- "Resist him, firm in your faith..." (I Pet. 5:9)

Lord, help us to stand firm in You and in Your powerful Word! Help us to stop giving in and running away to all those sorry substitutes that might bring us momentary relief but that always always always disappoint and ultimately destroy. Thank You that You are the Lion of Judah and that You will always always always conquer in the end! In Your victorious Name, we stand! And to You be the glory!

Getting Lost!

We were going to the zoo for a third grade field trip. Two other moms and me headed down Route 1 for the straight shot all the way to Asheboro to the NC Zoo. The only real turn was the Zoo Highway that took you into the zoo from Asheboro. All we had to do was make sure that we veered the correct way when Highway 64 split from 1. How hard could that be? Even I, with my truly pathetic record of getting lost any and everywhere, could figure that one out. Besides, I've been to the zoo lots of times, and the directions are so clear I didn't even need to print off goggle directions! (though I did, just in case).

Yet somehow, someway, we managed to get lost. We were driving along, talking and chatting about everything under the sun, and suddenly I looked around and thought, "Hmm, I don't recall going through downtown Southern Pines to get to the zoo." When I pointed out that I don't think I had ever gone this way before, we pulled over and discovered, to our horror, that we were way way way off the right track! No, we were definitely not supposed to go to Southern Pines. We had gone almost directly south and we were supposed to go almost directly west!

And it all started when we missed one tiny little fork in the road. We somehow missed the signs pointing to Route 64 going west and instead we stayed on Route 1 going south. When we left Raleigh, the roads were one and the same, and even when they split, they were so close together, but with each mile we traveled, we went further and further away from where we needed to be. Such a small, seemingly insignificant difference at the time. We could have walked the space between the two roads... at the beginning. But within a mile or two, each road headed in entirely different directions, and their destination was in radically different parts of the state.

And all because we missed one little tiny fork in the road as a result of inattentiveness and preoccupation.

Now, in our case, it all worked out fine. The children had gone on the bus, and while we were about an hour late (a trip that should have taken an hour and a half took us well over 2 and a half hours), they had plenty of chaperones so everyone was taken having fun in the zoo while we traversed the state. And we laughed an awful lot about it and had a good old time. But I couldn't help but be reminded how quickly as believers we can go off course. We think we are headed in the right direction, so we just go on autopilot. Life can be incredibly busy, so we start missing quiet times and forget to pray. A day here or there where we fail to read God's Word and, hey, the world doesn't come to an end, does it? The next thing you know, we haven't sought out the Lord's guidance, haven't gone to Him in His Word to be encouraged and comforted and convicted, and we suddenly look up and we are miles and miles away from where we know we ought to be and want to be. Preoccupation, busyness, exhaustion, discouragement, pride--all kinds of things silently, stealthily, cause us to miss God's still, small voice urging us to follow Him and remain in His love. And then we wonder how on earth we got to this place that seems so devoid of peace and joy and contentment.

But here's the good news: God is just one decision away from returning to Him and getting back on track and back on the right path that leads to the abundant life. We can choose to keep going the same way... and get further and further away. Or we can choose to stop, seek His forgiveness and turn around. It's never too late. It's never too hopeless. It's never too far. For He is there, wherever we go--whether Asheboro or Southern Pines! He stands ready and waiting for each of us to come to our senses, take stock of where we are and turn around and seek Him in His Word and in friendship with Him.

Don't go any further down the wrong road--it will never get you where you want to go, no matter how alluring it seems, no matter how close it seems to the right road, no matter how tempting it is to just keep going and hope for the best. Trust me, Route 1 will NOT get you to the zoo. But Route 64 will, and so, by the grace of God, we will choose to stop wringing our hands over the mistakes that led us the wrong way and we will simply turn around. Seek Him. He is seeking you. If you don't believe me, look to the cross and see how infinitely far He came and infinitely far He went to find you and save you. The journey with Him will be so worth it, go get back on the right road with the Saviour. To Him be the glory.

For Gladys

I've just returned from the funeral of a dear lady named Gladys Dimmick. She was the longtime secretary/assistant for Judge Dickson Phillips whom I clerked for right after law school when he was the on the 4th Circuit Ct. of Appeals. I always knew Gladys, as well, just sweet ole' Gladys. Always kind, thoughtful, helpful, good natured. But how little I really knew of her remarkable life! She was one of 10 children, and her parents were apparently wonderful, hard working folks who struggled and worked hard manuel labor jobs to provide for their 10 beloved children. The Judge spoke at the funeral and said all her long life, Gladys referred to her parents with incredible love and respect, and she honored them and their memory all her life. It made me think of my own dear parents and their great legacy of love and wisdom and honor. O how I pray that my children would so speak of my husband and me when we are gone, but, frankly, I so often can see only my myriad flaws and weaknesses as a parent, wife and woman of God. Help me, Lord Jesus!

But I was also struck and convicted by how little I knew of Gladys' remarkable life--she was one of the first women to serve as an air traffic controller during World War II. She was stationed in Norfolk, I believe, and served as part of the Navy. She loved the Navy and was so proud of her service that she wanted that great naval hymn to be sung at her funeral. She worked all her life and loved what she did and invariably maintained her good humor and gentle ways and yet was able to always be on top of things. She was sharp and bright and yet so humble and gentle. You'll never read about her in People magazine or the New York Times, and yet what a quietly ordinary, yet extraordinary life.

I guess I write all this, because I'm sad that I didn't make more of an effort to keep up with her or learn of her life. How easy it is to get so busy and preoccupied in our own lives that we miss the joy of really knowing and focusing on others. Every life is remarkable in it's own way, and our Saviour died for each of those precious, unique lives. How, then, can we not seek to know and care for and invest, even in some small way, in those lives? Even if it simply means that we genuinely look into the face of those bagging our groceries and give them a smile and moment's full attention. Or that we take a minute to pray for that harried clerk or exhausted mom. Or that we jot that quick note or make that phone call to encourage that lonely older person or that one bowed down with life's cares. Christ died for that homeless man on the street and that rude driver who cut you off and that forgotten woman at the nursing home just as surely as He died for the likes of you and me. Forgive me Lord for how often I fail to act on the Spirit's promptings when it comes to showing love or care for Your dearly loved children.

So right now, I thank You Lord for dear Gladys and the difference she made in so many lives. I thank You that she is now reunited with her beloved husband and with so many others enjoying the glories of heaven. And Lord, give me a glimpse of Your heart and enable me to love as You love, care as You care and forgive as You forgive. As John Wooden once said, help me to "Forget favors given; remember those received." Only a heart preoccupied with Christ and not self can do that. Lord, I know I cannot do it... but You can, and You live within me. So Lord, empty me of me, myself and I and fill me with glorious You! And to You, and You alone, be all the glory. Amen.