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). 

Here I am...

Have you ever played Marco Polo?  My children love to play it while we are at the pool every year (even the teenagers!).  It is a simple game in which one person closes their eyes -the seeker- while everyone else scatters.  After the seeker waits a set period of time he/she begins looking for everyone else while keeping his/her eyes closed.  Every so often the seeker can call out, "Marco."  At that time everyone else must respond, "Polo."  There are no rules as to how loud you have to respond, only that you DO respond.  The game continues until the seeker locates someone, and that person becomes the new seeker.  Admittedly this has lead to some funny family stories when the seeker, in their self-induced blindness, mistakenly grabs other people at the pool that aren't playing.

Sometimes I wonder if God ever feels like He is playing a game of Marco Polo.  Now, I know He isn't blindfolded, that He sees all of us, (after all El Roi, the name that Hagar gave God, means "the God who sees me") and we can't exactly hide from Him.  (Genesis 16:13, Jeremiah 23:24)  I wonder though, how many of us whisper, "Here I am" as quietly as possible when we hear Him call us for fear that He will require more of us than we are willing to give.

The Bible has several stories of individuals that stepped up and responded, "Here I am," when they heard His voice.  Abraham in Genesis 22 when God called upon him to sacrifice his only son, the son God had promised to give him for years; the son that God had declared would carry His blessing to the world.  Abraham didn't questions, didn't whisper his response.  He didn't hide.  Instead he listened to God's voice, did as he was directed, and as a result we have all been blessed as a result.

Jacob was a man who stole his brother's birthright and blessing.  He was forced to leave his home for fear of his brother's retaliation.  And yet, God still saw him.  God watched as he served another for many years after being tricked into marrying a woman he didn't love.  He served faithfully and honestly and as a result, God called to him....and Jacob answered, "Here I am." (Genesis 31:11)  God used Jacob to father a nation that would be set apart for Him. 

Raised as an Egyptian prince, Moses had been sheltered from the horrible life that most Jews had been forced to lead.  When he discovered his heritage, he jumped to defend one of his own and ended up murdering an Egyptian soldier.  His people turned their back on him and Moses fled in fear.  Years later, God called this speech impaired outsider to return to Egypt, confront the pharaoh, and demand the release of His people.  Moses response?  "Here I am."  Not only were the Israelites freed, but they were led to the promised land.

A young boy who had been greatly desired by his mother was raised to serve in the temple, his name was Samuel.  During his training he heard a strange voice call his name in the night.  After he repeatedly went to his master, Eli, upon being summoned only to be told he had not been summoned it dawned upon Eli what was happening:  God was calling to Samuel.  Once the call was recognized, Samuel replied, "Here I am," and went on to turn the nation back to the one, true God.  (Samuel 4)

I could go on and on with examples from the Bible, but I want to assure you that God's call didn't stop at Revelation 22:21.  He still calls out to us today - each of us.  Your task may not have a world wide effect, but remember that none of those I have shared with you knew the result of their acceptance when they accepted His call.  Neither will we.  What we do know is that God's plan is best.  (Psalm 147:5, Proverbs 19:24, and of course Jeremiah 29:11)  And if we believe that, then we shouldn't be the ones hiding and whispering, "Polo," when He calls.  Instead we should be standing up and loudly proclaiming, "Here I am!" 

What are the things that are keeping you from answering, "here I am," when you hear God calling you?  Share them in the comments and Stacie and I will pray for God's strength for each and every one of you.

Sing a New Song...

Sing a new song to the Lord, for He has performed wonders...

Psalm 98:1

I grew up in the 80's listening to power ballads as I skated around the local roller rink pining over "that" boy.  One of my favorites was Broken Wings by Mr. Mister.  I belted the lyrics at the top of my voice while the disco lights illuminated all of the couple skaters.  

Fast forward 20+ years to my house and a vaguely familiar tune coming from my teen son's room.  I couldn't quite place it because, although the lyrics sounded familiar, the music was all wrong.  Imagine my surprise when my son informed me that the song was Broken Wings!  It seems that another band had remade the song and rather than  a power ballad, it now had a rock/metal feel to it.  I found it funny that while my son would never listen to my "oldies", he was rocking out to this song.

The words hadn't changed, the meaning hadn't changed, but the tune had; it was now a new song.  Honestly, that was the last I thought about it for some time.  It wasn't the last time that I found my children listening to a familiar song with a new twist.  It wasn't until I sat down one day, in the middle of a rut, that God brought it back to me.

You see, God doesn't change. (Malachi 3:6)  His word doesn't change. (Revelation 22:18-19, Isaiah 40:8) His character doesn't change (James 1:17).  But sometimes, just sometimes, our tune needs to change, we need to sing a new song to the Lord.

Sometimes we need a change of tune to shake things up, to open our eyes and help us to refocus on the beauty of our Father.  I had gotten so used to doing the same thing every day: wake up, drink coffee, open my Bible and read, school the kids, take care of the baby, fix lunch, do the household chores, fix dinner, clean up, tuck the little kids in bed, spend time with the hubby, go to bed and start again the next day.  It was the same old song over and over and over again and I lost the beauty, the truth, the excitement of the lyrics.  I had allowed myself to let my song, my unique calling from God, my joy in serving, to fade into the background.  

Psalm 91:1 reminds us that He has performed wonders in our world.  Many of them in our lives and just for us.  And yet they slip into obscurity as we go about our daily living.  I found that I had stopped looking for them, recognizing them.  THIS is why we are told to sing a new song.  The words don't have to change, our calling may stay the same and we may spend the rest of our lives doing exactly what we are doing now.   But change the tune, just a little bit, open ourselves up to really SEE what is going on around us, and what had been ho-hum becomes new and invigorating again!

How do we change the tune?  Find our new song?  First, ask God to renew you.  Get in His word and pray for Him to speak to your heart, to encourage you.  Second, open your eyes and really look for the wonders He is doing around you.  It can be as simple as recognizing the gift of a parking space close to the door in a downpour, or the beautiful sunset outside your window.  When you see one, stop and thank Him.  And third, look for opportunities to give back.  He has placed you where you are for a purpose.  In your church, in your neighborhood, in your job, you have been placed there to glorify God.  Are you looking for ways to do that?  

Do these things and your song will change.  Your life will change, even if nothing you do in your life changes. Are you ready to find your new song?