Like a Child

Do you ever have that feeling that God's trying to tell you something - get your attention? Twice today (in my morning devotional and in my Bible study homework), I've encountered this verse from Psalm 139:  "Search me, O God, and know my heart!  Try me and know my thoughts!  And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!"  The first version of this verse translated thoughts as anxieties.  That's what caught my attention.  How am I doing these days with "casting my cares on the Lord"?  Not so sure I'm doing a very good job of that lately.  Why is it, when we have a loving Father who wants to BE a father to us, that we struggle along trying to work things out all by ourselves - no help needed, thank you very much!  


I had tears in my eyes during our sermon yesterday when our pastor reminded us of our dependence on God, comparing it to infants and their parents.  That complete trust that a baby has; and the baby doesn't even know what trust is - other than that continual state of being a baby whose needs are getting met.  How wonderful to think about resting in God's care so utterly and completely.  "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you." (1 Peter 5:6)  What's more humble than a baby?  No pride getting in the way - the kind of pride that says, "I can handle this better!" It occurs to me that another word that deserves a second look is that little word, care.  My heavenly Father doesn't just care about me (as in showing concern) but cares FOR me (as in tends to me - like the baby is cared for by his parents).  Is it any wonder we're to have the faith of a little child?



Matthew 11:25, 29:  At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children . . . . Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” 

By the Hand

This morning I was reading the account of the healing of the blind man in Mark's Gospel (chapter 8).  A verse caught my eye:  "he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village".  Why did he do that?  Why not just heal the man where he stood?  I couldn't get the image out of my mind:  Jesus holding the man's hand, guiding him away from the village where he lived before he healed him.  Since this verse wouldn't leave me alone, clearly God had something to say to me in this.  In my blindness - and in the place where I stand in that blindness - God is calling me away and offering to take my hand so I don't have to find my own way out. 

I'm discovering a few things about myself as I walk through a process of deeper trust and faith.  And, in a manner of speaking, they are blind spots to God's love and goodness towards me.  I can sense him standing with me, offering his hand, ready to lead me out of this blindness into a place of clearer vision and understanding - a deeper knowing and trust in his goodness and faithfulness. 

I wonder why it's so difficult to let go of those old ways.  It's no wonder this letting-go is described as dying to self.  It is a death and it's definitely not easy.  We can hang on to these old ways and thought patterns as if it were a life and death battle.  God's ways are so much easier and so much less stressful!  The desert-wandering-Israelites weren't the only stiffnecked people -- I've been feeling my own neck stiffening a little.  Lord, have mercy!! 

Jesus heals the blind man in the Mark account in two steps - his sight is gradually restored - and all the while Jesus is lovingly ministering to this man, not giving up on him.  That's so reassuring!  As my spiritual eyes are gradually opening to the reality Jesus is revealing to me these days, I can trust that the process is in His hands, in His timing, and leading me to the point of seeing more clearly.  And just like the man in Mark's gospel, I don't need to return to that former place of living in my blindness.  "Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.  And he sent him to his home, saying, 'Do not even enter the village.'" (Mark 8:25-26)

Isn't it interesting that the next passage in this text is Peter's cofession of Jesus as the Christ?  Our Lord asked his disciples - "Who do you say that I am?"  He's asking me that question these days.  Who do I really believe Jesus is - in my life, my decisions, my future - and am I ready to trust him to lead me into a new way of seeing him?  "He took the blind man by the hand and led him...."

Waiting

I read Oswald Chambers' devotional this morning and focused on this statement:  "But one of the greatest stresses in life is the stress of waiting for God."  He describes the difference between perseverance and just "hanging on".  According to Chambers, "hanging on" can expose our fear of falling.  Lately, as I've been traveling down a road of "walking by faith and not by sight", I've felt myself hanging on for dear life.  My mind has been full of what-ifs!  Of course, that means my eyes are on the circumstances and my supposed strength or ability to accomplish them, as opposed to the One in whom I put my faith. 

Why can I have such strong faith for the big questions of life - suffering, sickness, etc. - and find my faith shakier in those circumstances close to my own heart?  Do I feel myself that far removed from suffering in the world?  It's "easier" to have faith in something farther off?  I pray not!!  I have had my share of suffering and hardship and have seen God's power and sovereignty in those times.  My faith has grown tremendously as a result of knowing my Lord has never abandoned me but has held me close.  That knowledge hasn't taken away the hardship or pain in the time of trial but it has kept me from falling - from being completely overwhelmed.  It brings to mind Isaiah 43:2:  "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you."   God promises to be with us THROUGH the trials; the "fire" is still there but we're not consumed by it.

I believe that promise; I've experienced that promise!  So why is it still so difficult in the waiting?  The devotional goes on to say this: "If our hopes seem to be experiencing disappointment right now, it simply means that they are being purified."  There it is: sanctification, transformation, stripping away 'self', dying to self.  Discipleship is costly.  But it's clearly a cost worth paying.  The Spirit is growing my faith; strengthening my ability to persevere - not just hang on. I know the God I serve - his promises are true, his plans and purposes for my life are perfect.  The theme verse God gave me for my Bible study is 1 John 3:1:  "See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!"  As his child, my loving Father disciplines and corrects me.  As The Messsage puts it:  "God is educating you . . . He's treating you as dear children . . . it's training, the normal experience of children" (from Hebrews 12). 

So, I will continue to walk "by faith and not by sight" but hopefully with stronger faith and perseverance and less hanging on for dear life.  "Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!"  (Psalm 27:14)

Be At Peace

This is attributed to St. Francis de Sales and was passed on to me by a very wise friend --

"Do not look forward in fear to the changes of life; rather look to them with full hope as they arise.  God, whose very own you are, will deliver you from out of them.  He has kept you hitherto, and He will lead you safely through all things; and when you cannot stand it, God will bury you in His arms.  Do not fear what may happen tomorrow; the same everlasting Father who cares for you today will take care of you then and everyday.  He will either shield you from suffering, or will give you unfailing strength to bear it.  BE AT PEACE and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations."

If I don't remember anything else from this, being buried in the arms of God is an image that is worth holding on to!

Lions and tigers and bears! Oh my!

O LORD, how manifold are your works!
  In wisdom have you made them all;
  the earth is full of your creatures.
(Psalm 104:24 ESV)

Wonder if there's a 12-step program for people addicted to web-cams.  Not the inappropriate kind, mind you, but the ones giving peeks into nature.  The eagle-cam led me to African cameras and I'm watching (I think) a water buffalo soaking in the water along with impala, monkey families, elephant families and who knows what else!  It's all I can do to tear myself away and get anything done.  I love nature and wildlife!  God speaks to me so often through his creation.  It's such a marvel to see the variety of creatures --- without a doubt, proof-positive of God's sense of humor! 

Watching all the animals roam around this area in Africa makes me wonder what it will be like in the new heaven and new earth when creation is healed and living together as we were intended to - when the lion lays down with the lamb.  What a shame when we treat God's creation so badly and what a shame when we, at the very least, ignore the beauty he has surrounded us with. 

God give us humility and thankful hearts and opportunities to be still and marvel at the beauty of nature -- the wonders of creation!

"But the basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is! By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can't see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being."  (Romans 1:20 The Message)

Stories

Wednesday of this week was the day for my bi-weekly pet therapy visit at the nursing home with my dog, Misty.  We visited a man for the first time that day who was probably in his 90’s.  We discussed the photos on his bureau of the family – his wife, daughter, son, and even a picture of himself in his WWII uniform when he was in his 20’s.  What a handsome soldier he was.  As I left his room, I was struck by all the life-stories.  A few minutes discussing family photos don’t even scratch the surface of the wonderful things I could learn from this one man’s life. 

I wonder if we pay enough attention to the wisdom available to us from our older generations.  Many of the people I encounter on these visits are not able to carry on lengthy conversations but there have been a few occasions when I’ve been able to sit and stay a while with a particular patient – laugh with them at their experiences, be surprised by the tales they tell, and sometimes be incredibly blessed by a prayer they pray for me.  What a blessing and what a gift!  I treasure the times I am able to listen, share and be blessed and enriched by their wisdom and their life. 

Imagine what it must have been like to walk the countryside with Jesus – to hear his stories, to be part of the new family of believers that was being formed – part of a new story!   Do I read the Scriptures with that in mind?  Do I enter into the story as fully as I should?  Or do I just read the passages on a more intellectual level?  Each one of those men and women who walked with Jesus had their own experience with our Lord and their own story - that of a life lived apart from Jesus and alongside Jesus.  I have that story, too, and I much prefer the latter!  I hope that my life is inviting someone to want to know my story and to know the Author of that story.

Life with Jesus is an adventure.  It can often feel like setting out on a road trip with only part of the map but knowing that your Guide will see you safely to the destination if you let him.  As I think about the elderly and infirmed men and women I meet and wonder what stories are left untold, what mark their lives are leaving as they approach their “destination”, I can’t help but reflect on my own.  I pray that the people I encounter - those divine appointments – are somehow, on some level, making a difference; not on a grand and glorious scale but something that matters and in some way points to Jesus. 

LET IT BE SAID OF US

by Steve Fry

Let it be said of us that the Lord was our passion,
That with gladness we bore every cross we were given;
That we fought the good fight, and we finished the course;
Knowing within us the power of the risen Lord.

CHORUS:
Let the cross be our glory and the Lord be our song!
By mercy made holy, by the Spirit made strong.
Let the cross be our glory and the Lord be our song!
Till the likeness of Jesus be through us made known.
Let the cross be our glory and the Lord be our song.

Let it be said of us, we were marked by forgiveness;
We were known by our love and delighted in mercy;
We were ruled by His peace, heeding unity’s call,
Joined as one body that Christ would be seen by all

Eagles' Wings

Lately, I have been fascinated with watching two eagle-cams on the Internet.  Having watched these magnificent birds "in person" soaring through the air as they search for their food and now getting a rare glimpse into their nest, makes me understand why some of the most powerful texts in the Bible use eagles as descriptions for God's protection, strength and deliverance:

• "I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself."  Exodus 19:4
• "but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles"  Isaiah 40:31

One eagle-cam is following a nest with two eggs yet to hatch.  The mother eagle sitting on her eggs, ever alert, is doing just what she knows to do:  periodically nudging or rolling her eggs, resettling herself, just so, while her warmth incubates the eggs.  The nest is 110' feet up a tree and there is sound so you can hear the wind and see it whipping the tree.  There's been snow in the nest, but the eggs are warm and safe under the feathers of that eagle.  I keep thinking of verses such as this one: Psalm 91:4 "He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart."

Watching the activities and duties of the parents in both of these nests has been very interesting.  The other camera is watching two eaglets about a month old.  I've seen these parents take turns cleaning and rearranging the nest, bringing fish to the babies, feeding them and now beginning to leave them for longer periods of time, preparing them for their eventual flight from the nest.

Sometimes I need very simple lessons and illustrations to remind me of the deep truths of God.  My faith wavers or weakens when the cold winds blow and I need to be reminded of where I am and how protected I am.  I don't need to go on with the metaphor - it's not so difficult to make the comparison - but what a treat it's been to watch creation mimic our Creator. 

One of my favorite verses to pray almost as a breath-prayer, is from Psalm 90:4 "Lord you have been our (MY) dwelling place."  Looking again at Psalm 91, thinking of the eagles, thinking of our loving God and father - our dwelling place:

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress,

my God, in whom I trust."

For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler

and from the deadly pestilence.

He will cover you with his pinions,

and under his wings you will find refuge;

his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

You will not fear the terror of the night,

nor the arrow that flies by day,

nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,

nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

A thousand may fall at your side,

ten thousand at your right hand,

but it will not come near you.

You will only look with your eyes

and see the recompense of the wicked.

Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place -

the Most High, who is my refuge -

no evil shall be allowed to befall you,

no plague come near your tent.

For he will command his angels concerning you

to guard you in all your ways.

On their hands they will bear you up,

lest you strike your foot against a stone.

You will tread on the lion and the adder;

the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.

"Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;

I will protect him, because he knows my name.

When he calls to me, I will answer him;

I will be with him in trouble;

I will rescue him and honor him.

With long life I will satisfy him

and show him my salvation."

Brave new world??

So, here's a first...instead of keeping my musings stuck in the pages of my journal - which is not a bad thing - I'm venturing into new territory.  Blogging feels new and strange - not sure how this "fits", but I'm ready to try.  I have no idea how often I'll update, or if I'll even keep this up as a permanant thing.  Who knows - have to wait and see.  But, there's a first time for everything and this is it.  So here goes!