The Garden

 "It is good to take care of a garden, for, besides The pleasure the flowers can bring us, we learn how watchful we must be to root out the weeds, and how much trimming and care the plants need; so we learn how to watch over our own hearts." ~Jane Andres in The Seven Sisters Who Live on the Big Rounds Ball that Floats in the Air 

I didn't realize how much I missed gardening until I was able to do it again.  We packed up our home and moved across the country on short notice.  We didn't have a place to move into and were blessed to be able to stay with family until we found a home to rent.  For the last 2 years we have lived in homes that did not allow me to put in a garden of any sort, no vegetables, no flowers, not even a small border or accent garden.  

Then God opened the door to a home with a huge yard and an owner that was more than amenable to us having a garden.  It was early summer so I had to move quick if I wanted a yield that year.  So in the midst of unpacking boxes and trying to determine how our belongings fit into this new space, I was turning soil and trying to get plants in the ground or started from seed in an area I had never grown in before.

The soil was rocky, weed covered, and dry.  I had no power tools, everything had to be done by hand.  My children and I loosened the soil, dug up as many of the weeds as we could, turned the soil into hillocks, plucked so many rocks I was beginning to think there were ONLY rocks!  It was a lot of work, and in a climate with a short growing season I wasn't sure that we would see a lot of results for our effort that year.  But we planted the tomatoes that I had started from seed in early Spring at our previous home in hopes that we would be able to put them in the ground.  We started some peppers, some basil and some sage from seed as well as lots of marigolds, zinnias and calendula.  We were full of hope.

Anyone who gardens knows that the harvest comes only after months of work.  We were surprised at how many weeds kept popping up - bindweed that would twist itself around our tender plants and slowly strangle them if not carefully removed, dandelions that would send their deep taproot down and steal the nutrients from our desired crops, prickly lettuce that required much care to remove to keep from being pricked by the spiny leaves and stem.  And every time we watered more rocks in the soil became apparent.  

So we worked diligently to provide the best environment we could for our plants to grow.  Checking daily to ensure they were watered well, staking plants so they had something to lean on when the strong winds blew as they reached for the sun, fertilizing them to ensure they had the nutrients they needed to grow strong, guarding against insects and slugs that sought to eat their tender leaves.  

But then we saw the first flowers bloom with the promise of future fruit.  We encouraged the butterflies and bees and ladybugs to visit our flowers and pollinate them.  We watched as the flowers faded and the fruit began to swell.  We tended each plant as they matured and finally began to bear fruit.  What had begun as an optimistic dream had blossomed into a full harvest of gorgeous flowers, succulent fruit, and crisp vegetables.  

Our spiritual growth requires the same diligent care.  We must work to remove the rocks and weeds that have over taken our hearts.  And it is never a "once and down" thing. Often we miss removing the root of sin completely and it grows back, stronger than ever.  Or we discover that we have allowed new sins to root in the garden of our heart and if we are not careful to remove them quickly they too grow to strangle what we are nurturing, or to steal what the good in our heart needs to grow (peace, love, self-control etc), or we find they have become prickly and painful to remove.  The rocks in our hearts, the things that prevent the Word from taking root like pride and selfishness, will keep coming to the surface if we don't keep on guard to remove them.

We must also remember to encourage others to come into our life that will help us to grow.  We weren't meant to walk this path alone, and often we need others to "pollinate" us so that we can produce fruit.  We need them to encourage us, to share ideas with us, to prop us up when we feel down and help us to keep reaching towards the Son. 

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9

Father, thank you for the care you take in tending to us.  Thank you for the love you so willingly bestow upon us.  Help us to tend to our gardens well so that we may reap a harvest that brings You glory and honor.  Amen

For further reading: Luke 8:1-15

 

Is Christmas really the holiday we should be celebrating?

 
I was having lunch with a friend today and she said something that really struck me.  We sat beside an electric fireplace with Christmas decorations all around us amidst the church crowd giddy after the first Christmas message of the year sipping our teas.  It was an innocent remark, and yet one that I have been unable to let go of all day...

Why do we celebrate the birth of Jesus?
Nowhere in our Bible are we told to remember His birth.  His death and resurrection? Yes.  (2 Timothy 2:8)  His sacrifice? Yes. (Luke 22:19)  But we aren't ever told to remember His birth.  Which seems odd to me.

Many prophecies of the Old Testament (somewhere between 200 and 400 depending upon the source) are directly connected to Jesus.  Several are pretty specific concerning His birth.  (see a few here.)  Given the uniqueness--virgin conception, a star that led others to Him, angels appearing and announcing His birth etc--of this birth, not to mention that this is the SON of GOD in human form after all, it makes sense that we would want to make a big deal of it.  What family doesn't celebrate the birth of a new child? 

But in the grand scheme of things, God knew that as miraculous as it was for Jesus to step down from heaven and allow himself to be born as a helpless human baby, that wasn't truly the miracle.  That wasn't His purpose.  And ultimately he wants us to remember the purpose, because that is everything.

I'll admit, I love the pretty lights, the Christmas songs on the radio, the way people seem to be a little more willing to help each other out at this time of year.  While I do tend to experience some increased stress and times of depression during December, ultimately it is typically an uplifting time of the year.  I think that for those of us who have surrendered our lives to Jesus, His birth is a promise of hope.

God's chosen people were under the thumb of the Romans and were desperate for release.  They were watching for the signs of the promised king that would free them from tyranny.  They were full of hope and longing that He would come soon. 

I think many of us today feel the same way.  We feel the pressure of this world, of society, of job expectations or family expectations.  It can be overwhelming and leave us longing and hoping for more.  Our souls know we were made for more....

And this is why I think we celebrate Christmas.  You see, many of God's chosen people missed the blessing of Jesus' birth because they were looking for the wrong thing.  They were seeking the warrior king who would physically fight to free them.  He is coming, but first He had to make a way for us to join Him.  I think we get wrapped up in the wrong thing too. Jesus birth was/is an amazing fulfillment of prophecy, but it just sets the stage for His real accomplishment - His death.

I like to think of that helpless infant lying in a manger surrounded by His earthly mom and dad with the cattle gently lowing in the background.  It is easier for me to celebrate this time in His life that is so easy for most of us to relate to - the joy of new life.  What I don't like to think on is the circumstances of His death; the pain He chose to endure, both physical and emotional.  I don't like to admit that His horrific death was done as a sacrifice for me, for you.  An experience that I hope I can never relate to that He didn't ask for, that He actually requested to not have to undergo if there was any other way to accomplish the end goal. (Luke 22:42)

And yet that gruesome sacrifice is where the salvation truly comes from.  Not His birth.  So why do we get so offended when someone says, "happy holidays" at this time of year and yet we are content to let a little rabbit take center stage during the time of year we set aside to remember the true gift of His life on earth - His death.  Why do we put magnets on our cars to remind people to not take the "Christ out of Christmas" in December and invite the neighborhood kids to join us after church for an Easter Egg hunt in the Spring? 

Don't get me wrong, I love celebrating Christmas.  My kids love our Jesse tree, our nativity traditions, baking cookies for others and all the joy and giving that this holiday traditionally brings.  But I want to remember this feeling of joy when we celebrate the fulfillment of that hope at Easter.....don't you too?

Perspective

I recently began hiking.  Now, I am not one of those gals that walks 10 miles a day, but I have discovered that I really enjoy spending time on a trail in the woods, all by myself, connecting with the natural world around me.  There is just something awe-inspiring when I get away from the bells and whistles of this world and take a deep breath of forest air.  Something amazing happens in my heart when I come upon one of God's creatures in their natural world. 

Lately, I have begun walking a particular trail at least once a week; it is conveniently located near a recurring appointment I have.  Over the last several months I have seen mushrooms come and go, my first fox in the wild, several deer, chipmunks, squirrels, and even learned to identify a few new trees.  Over time, though, it has all become comfortable and familiar.  I enjoy the hike, but that sense of excitement, that thrill of discovery, has waned.

As I pulled into the parking lot, I felt God speak to my heart that today was going to be different.  My heart began to speed up in anticipation of seeing a new animal, or discovering some hidden gem.  I took off down the path and when I came to my usual turnoff point, He nudged me to keep going.  

This trail is a loop, and I had always approached it by taking the early turn off into the woods and returning along the lakeside. But today I stayed the course and walked along the lake first....and it was all brand new!  There hadn't been any changes to the environment.  It was still the same trail, the same trees, the same animals, but MY perspective was different.

You see, I had fallen into a rut of expectation.  I knew where each step was leading, I had seen it all before.  As a result, some of the beauty had faded for me.  But this day, the day that I approached things in a new way, was different.  I felt that old sense of excitement about what might come next, I found myself discovering things that had always been there, but I hadn't noticed before.

Isn't our walk with Jesus like that sometimes?  We get into a pattern - get up, drink your coffee, read your devo, say a quick prayer, maybe read a few passages in the Bible, or listen to a sermon as you go about your day - and it just becomes ho-hum.  That excitement we felt at first when we realized that He loves us has faded.  The anticipation of the way He will speak to us through His word or the Spirit throughout the day gradually disappears as the things of this world take over our thoughts. 

I want to encourage you to change your perspective.  Shake things up a bit.  Approach things out of order.  Maybe pray before your coffee, read a book of the Bible you haven't read before or haven't read in a while.  Ask a friend to do a Bible study with you, or join a study at your church.  Start a prayer journal.  There are tons of ways to change your perspective.  And when you do, prepare for God to reveal some amazing and new  things that you hadn't noticed before.

Just Keep Swimming

It was one of those days where nothing seemed to go right.  I didn't sleep well (new baby in the house).  I had to get up entirely too early (did I mention a new baby in the house?).  I forgot to set up my coffee pot so when I got up and hit the "go" button, nothing happened.  Three of the four kids in the house wanted to do anything but what needed to be done and I was beginning to question whether I could handle taking in the two extra children God has placed in our home and still keep my cool, much less my sanity.  I felt so far from what I had pictured for my life at this point, and like many parents, I felt so alone.

Fortunately, God never leaves us (Deut. 31:8), and He always knows just what we need (Matthew 6:8).  I sat down the next morning and opened my Bible to Luke chapter 17 and began reading.  In verses 11-19 Luke tells us the story of 10 lepers that were healed by Jesus.  Leprosy was a disease that sentenced a person to a life of solitude and separation.  Those afflicted were forced to leave their home, their family and move outside of the city.  They couldn't walk the streets without announcing their disease so the "healthy" people could retreat from them.  Talk about being alone!

10 of them were gathered together and saw Jesus approaching.  They knew He was capable of healing them, yet rather than approach Him they yelled out to Him, begging for help.  I don't know why Jesus chose to yell back, rather than physically touch them.  He had done it before (Mark 1:40-45), so we know He wasn't afraid of the disease.  Whatever His reason, His response struck me as strange.  He didn't tell them He would heal them.  He didn't give them directions for healing.  He simply sent them to the priests.  According to custom, a priest had to examine a person that had recovered from leprosy and declare them "clean" before they could resume their life.  I wonder what they were thinking. 

"Are you sure He saw us?  Did He realize we have leprosy?  Maybe He doesn't think we are worthy of healing....  maybe He just doesn't want to be bothered with us right now....  why is He sending us away from Him?"  I admit that questions like this run through my head more often than I would like to admit.   I doubt that He is really interested in my problems.  I question if He really wants me or if I am just part of the package deal....

But the lepers, no matter what thoughts ran through their heads, obeyed.  Luke doesn't record them questioning Jesus, only that they went.  That's hard, isn't it?  Obeying Jesus when it just doesn't make sense to us?  We have to completely trust that He knows what He is doing, that His plans truly are what is best for us, that He is in control.  It truly takes faith to follow directions when you can't see where you are going. 

And it wasn't until AFTER they started on the path to the priests that they were healed. Sometimes, we have to just take that step in the dark, not knowing all the details or how it will turn out, and trust that it will work out.  And when it does, when you see God's perfect plan work out for your good (Romans 8:28), make sure you are like the leper that turned back to thank Jesus.  Remember who it is that blesses you with everything and respond with a thankful heart.  After all, doesn't He deserve it?

So I may not know how things are going to turn out for my family., whether the momma of these two children will recover from her addiction and be able to reunite her family, or whether they will remain with us until their adulthood.  What I do know is that God has a plan in this and I chose to trust that He knows better than I do what is best.  So if He never chooses to reveal His plan to me, I am OK with that.  He set me on a path and I am going to walk it, and not lose sight of the One that is truly in control.  Or, in the memorable words of a little blue tang fish, I am going to "just keep swimming". 

What are you hanging on to?

I walked in to my 8 year old's room and I could swear I had missed an emergency alert.  I must have since only a hurricane or a tornado could possibly explain the state of her room!  She had been in it most of the day playing with a neighborhood friend.  The friend had recently gone home dinner and I had gone back to announce that our own food was finished.

If you have ever seen the movie Labyrinth then I am sure you recollect the scene in which the garbage lady attempts to entice Sarah to stop her quest and stay in her room with all of her most "loved" possessions.  Got it?  Now picture the room when her friends break down the wall to save her and all the junk came tumbling in.....yep.  That is what I walked into.

She can't throw anything away.  And I mean anything.  For her it all holds some value and/or reminds her of something of value.  The idea of parting with it literally brings her to tears.  And yes, I DO know how unhealthy that is and we are working on it.  Stick with me though, I have a point and it is...

We all have things we need to let go of

Hear me out here.  You may not be hanging on to literal, physical things. (Although I bet a few of you are.)  You may be hanging on to a painful experience that has skewed your view of those around you.  You may be hanging on to childishness because it is easier to allow others to do the hard things, physically and spiritually.  You could be hanging on to your idea of how this life was supposed to be, or what being a Christain was supposed to be.  Or you could be hangng on to something else.

My point is, our enemy is much like that junk lady in Labyrinth.  If he can get us to focus on the things rather than on God, we don't realize that we have missed our calling and are instead wallowing in a dump.  

God never intended for us to live in a dump.  He has a plan for each of us.  Some, like Sarah, are on a mission to rescue others.  Some are like Ludo, who's purpose is to stand with and love those around us.  Perhaps you are more like Sir Didymus and his trusty steed/dog Ambrosia and you are the defender of those around you.  Or maybe you are Hoggle, and your purpose is to see yourself differently and to step out of your comfort zone.  Or maybe your purpose in life is to be the mission of someone else so that they may grow.  I don't know what your mission is, but I do know that it isn't to stay locked in a room only concerned with YOUR THINGS.

Remember the rich young ruler?  I wonder if he had worked hard for all that he had or if it had all come easy?  Either way, Jesus told him that despite all the things he did, his heart was still focused on his things rather than the will of God.  

So I leave you with a question as I leave the keyboard to assist my 8 year old with reevaluating what is most important.  What things are holding you back from what God has for you?  Take some time to pray about it and really let Him show you.  
Once He has, start purging.  I promise you will feel better once you lighten your load and continue your journey towards God.

Not Alone

There is no cute picture to grab your attention today.  No funny or pithy story to pique your interest.  I just don't have it in me.  All I can give you is a truth: life is hard.  Some weeks are harder than others and some live lives that are perpetually more difficult than others.

I will be the first to say that I am blessed.  I have a house to live in, I am able to stay at home and care for my husband and children, we have more than we need and God had provided for us over and over again.  I KNOW this, but today I am just not feeling it.  Ever have day(s) like that?

My AC on our family van went out.  No biggie as we have been without it before and will probably be without it again.  Then a bearing on the AC unit froze up rendering our primary transportation down for the count....at least until parts come in and the weather cooperates so that my mechanic (aka my husband) can fix it.  Still, not a huge problem, as it means I can focus on lesson plans for the upcoming year and relaxing with the kids.

Then, my computer up and died in the middle of working on a project.  Out of nowhere the motherboard fried and a few of the things I was working on had not yet been backed up.  One of those files was a necessity for a training I was to lead this week.  So, I had to postpone it, order a hard drive case and hope that I could pull my files from it.  Again, not the end of the world, but my stress level increased.

Next, a family member that I dearly love who is battling addiction relapsed.  She was in a treatment program and while out on a day pass made the wrong choice.  I spoke to her the night that it happened (I had suspicions but she denied them) and was heartbroken at the pain I heard in her voice, the desperation and the loneliness.  I was helpless to do more than pray and offer encouragement to her.  The next day she admitted what she had done and confessed to staff in the program.  Her consequences are a major setback and while justified, I am concerned for her, both mentally and spiritually.  (Please pray for her!)

And finally I received some unsettling news about a spiritual battle that another family member is facing.  And when this person needed me(for an unrelated matter), I was unable to assist due to our lack of transportation.   I was helpless to help and now, I have reached the end of me.  All of these are beyond my control.  I can not change the situations.  I can not make things better. And that is difficult for me.

And yet, perhaps this is exactly where God wants me.  At the end of my rope unable to see where the bottom is.

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness...
~2 Corinthians 12:9

 This verse was written by Paul, the man who wrote 13 of the 27 books in the New Testament.  He is a man that understands trials.  He was beaten, imprisoned, stoned, shipwrecked, and persecuted after he gave up his life as a respected pharisee.  (2 Corinthians 11:23-28)  Paul speaks of his own difficulties in life, and in the verse preceding this he admits that he requested three times that God remove "a thorn" from him. We are never told what this thorn is, but it is obviously something that Paul found very difficult.  And yet God tells him no. 

God's grace is sufficient for us; His power made perfect in our weakness.  One of the commentaries I read states that, "troubles are sent to us to teach us to pray."  They are used to draw us closer to Him.  I have no control over what is going on right now, but He does.  That doesn't mean that He will swoop down and instantly affect the changes I would love to see.  Sometimes, out of His love for us, His answer must be, "no." 

No, He will not force my loved ones to turn to Him for help, for strength.  He may not relieve the stress I am currently feeling in my life right now.  But that is okay.  You see, I can pour out my heart to Him, tell Him that I am struggling, that I am worried, that I am concerned, that I am uncomfortable.  I can talk with Him....and He can comfort me.  He can remind me that I am not the one in control.  He can remind me that I must rely on Him for everything from the breath in my lungs to the care of my loved ones.  And while I may never understand why these things are happening, I can trust that He has a plan; I can trust Him.  And that is what I choose to do. 

It isn't an easy choice, and some days it can be the hardest thing in the world to do.  But I KNOW that it is the right choice.  I know that His heart breaks with mine to see my loved ones struggle and hurt.  I know that while He desires a happy ending as much as I do, He loves us to much to force us into submission.  I trust that He continues to organize situations to help us find the good path, His path and that like a GPS, He can recalibrate when we go off course.  So I choose to trust in the One who CAN do something.

So maybe there is a picture in this for us, for me.  A reminder that we (I) do not walk this path alone and that it is absolutely okay to be weak, because He truly is strong enough for us to lean on!

In THIS is love...

 

It was an errand day for us.  That means several stops and more time in the car than we usually spend on any given day.  So my grand-daughter and my 7 year old were buckled in the back seat and my teen was in the navigator position for the trip.  Every time we came to a stoplight the 20 month old grand-daughter yelled out, "GO!  GO! GO NOW!" and the 7 year old began to giggle.  What in the world?

As we exited the interstate and came to the light I watched it turn yellow with one car ahead of me.  The baby was grouchy and hungry by this time and the 7 year old needed a bathroom break and we were SOOO close to our destination.... until the car in front hit their breaks and chose to stop for the yellow light rather than proceed through.  "Seriously?!  Go!" I called out.  And a light bulb went off!

Oh my gosh!  It was me, my grand-daughter was imitating me, and my daughter not only recognized it but thought it was funny.  What kind of example was I setting?  This certainly wasn't behavior I wanted them displaying, nor was it behavior I wanted to be displaying.  It wasn't love.

1 John 4 tells us that we ought to love one another.  Sounds like a wonderful suggestion doesn't it?  One we should all strive to follow.  But when you read this in context, it becomes so much more than a suggestion....

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. ~1 John 4:7

First John makes a point of reminding us where love comes from-God.  It is impossible to truly love without first knowing and surrendering to Him.  The love that is talked about in this verse is the same love that God feels for Jesus and that Jesus feels for us.  It is the love that caused Jesus to sacrifice Himself to pay for all of our wrongs.  It is a full, all-consuming complete love.  

Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. ~1 John 4:8

Love is a symptom of knowing God.  If someone doesn't love, John says he doesn't know God.  Cut and dry, can't put it any plainer than that.  Now before you start questioning your relationship with God, remember that we all fall short.  It doesn't say, "anyone who does not love EVERYONE doesn't know God," or "anyone who does not love ALL THE TIME does not know God."  We are still being perfected.  But if you find that you are less loving and more grumpy, hateful, and unloving then maybe you should take a few minutes and re-evaluate your relationship with Him.  

In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. ~1 John 4:9

 God sets the example for us in what love really is - a willingness to sacrifice self for someone else.   He doesn't ask us to do more than He has done already.  And for most of us, He won't even ask for that much.  Few are ever called to sacrifice their own life for another.  We are more likely to be asked to sacrifice some personal time (like waiting at a yellow light rather than pushing on through!), perhaps some money (and what would it hurt to make a cup of coffee at home rather than stop at Starbucks this week so that we can give a little more), or maybe to open our eyes a little wider so that we recognize the opportunities to love those around us.

In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. ~1 John 4:10

See what I mean about God setting the example for us?

Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ~1 John 4:11

This is a statement of both trust and truth.  If God loves us enough to send Jesus to die as propitiation for all we have done wrong (and He did - Jesus' life and His death are historical facts) then we ought to love one another.  Do you trust that Jesus' purpose in His life and death was an atoning sacrifice (that is what propitiation means)?  If you do, then the truth of the matter is that you ought to love one another.  Kind of changes they way you view that word, ought, doesn't it?

No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. ~1 John 4:12

 Here is where it gets real.  We can't see God, no one ever has, but we can show Him to others through our actions.  We can love one another for Him.  And over time we display more and more godly, true love and less of the shadow of love that the world is accustomed to.  Not only will this help us personally to see Him in our own lives, but it helps others to see Him as well.  And isn't that what we want, to see and feel Him in our own lives and to share Him with others?

All I can say is that I have a way to go in having God's love perfected in me, but fortunately I have a patient Father who is carefully shaping and molding me.  He isn't done with me yet, and He isn't done with you either.  So keep pressing forward to the goal (Philippians 3:14) and start loving one another in both word and deed.  You never know who is watching, but I know the message I want them to see:  Jesus loves you!  How about you?

An interesting side note - the word love appears in 1 John twenty-three (23) times.  Only two other books of the Bible talk about love this much and they are Psalms (which was written to focus our thoughts on praise and adoration towards God) and Song of Solomon (which is about love-Solomon for his wife and God's love for us).