I’ve had a situation in my life for quite a few years now that requires a lot of prayer and often results in tears. The LORD has given me a promise in this area of my life. As I wept one day, pointing out some things he said in Psalms and begging Him to give me assurance of those things, He spoke a promise to my heart. I knew He had heard me. I knew there was no more that needed to be said or asked. He had spoken His word to me and it was a promise.
So, I’ve held on to that promise. When things don’t look too positive, I’ve had to be reminded of His promise. “Do you trust me?” was the feeling I kept getting one day – which, I think, means we’ve got some troubled roads ahead of us before His promise is fulfilled. I guess the recent situation is one of those roads.
As I cried yesterday, I told God that He needed to keep reminding me of His promise. “Don’t let me forget,” I begged. God is good! And, He listens! And, He is sweet to me.
Jeffrey and I cleaned his room after my cry. We had several bags of trash after emptying his bookbag, so we took the bags out to the can and then rolled the can to the front – since today is trash day.
While I was positioning the can, Jeffrey said, “Look! There’s a rainbow!” Yep! There is was – a big, beautiful reminder of His promises. Now, you just tell me . . . .Who can manipulate the clouds and the sun and the rain into just the right place, at just the right time, so that I could see it perfectly in the biggest open spot around? Only my Father in Heaven!
That rainbow was just for me yesterday. I know it. It was my Father saying, “Here! Remember my promise to you. You are important to me and I hear your cries.”
I thanked God right away for putting that rainbow there and I told Jeffrey what I had prayed earlier. He said, “Well, I guess He really did hear you.” Not only that, but He responded!
My God is good! He is the Alpha and Omega. He holds all of creation in His hand. His love is everlasting. And, I am His!
But here is the thing that gets me . . . Isn’t it neat to know that God is the kind of Father that would set something sweet up just for you? Actually, I think He likes setting up little surprises for us – especially if we’re the kind of child that notices. And, He’s personal too. He does things for us individually. Yeah, everyone around saw that rainbow but I was the one who asked to be reminded of His promise and the rainbow represents His promises. That rainbow was for me! Thank you, LORD!
May I always have my eyes open to see how my LORD is working around me. I don’t want to overlook a thing.
I sing praises to you, my LORD!
Friday, August 14, 2009
Monday, August 10, 2009
Praise from the Mission Field
Our mission trip was such a blessing from God! I wish I could tell you everything that happened during the week, but, alas, I would be here a very long time doing that. So, I guess I'll just hit the hightlights.
Highlight #1: It rained almost all week. Very wet. Very muddy. We had never had to deal with rain during our camp week before and I guess God just threw that in to kick it up a notch. I think we rose to the occassion though. Nobody really complained about it. The youth did a great job being flexible with the schedule and doing extra cabin time when we were forced to go to bed early because of thunderstorms and tornado warnings. All in all the rain was a blessing because it kept it from being so hot.
Highlight #2: I didn't really get to work with the kids very much because my focus was the mom's retreat. That didn't start until Thursday, so I had two days to just help out where I could. I helped with crafts, which is always fun. I helped the children carry their food trays during meal time and I acted as waitress to get drinks and napkins and second helpings. Little Joseph was such a sweetie. He stole my heart last year when he was in my group. One night I was helping him carry his food and I spilled a little of his lemonade into his ketchup. I offered to go get him more ketchup but he wouldn't let me. "No, it won't change the way it tastes," he kept insisting. So sweet and never a complainer. Mr. Charlie, (one of the men form my church who came to help in the kitchen) noticed how Joseph was limping around one day and asked why. Joseph said his feet hurt so Mr. Charlie took off his shoes and quickly realized his shoes were way too small for his feet. So Mr. Charlie traced Joseph's feet and promptly went to town to buy him some new shoes. They were fast friends after that and Joseph could often be found by Mr. Charlie's side. Mr. Charlie cried about that little boy. How often do you see that?
Highlight #3: I did get asked to do a Bible study with the teenage group. One night after worship and the message, I stopped by the Purple Team to see how they were doing. I answered a few questions and offered a few verses and sent the youth leaders in the right direction. Later, some of the youth leaders from that group came to me and said they had noticed that many members of their group had no respect for their bodies. They wanted to do a Bible lesson that would show their group members how God viewed them and why it was important to respect God by respecting themselves. This was really a touchy subject for them and I'm guessing the leaders felt uncomfortable with the subject. So, I talked with Michael, one of the youth ministers there with us and we came up with a good road map through the Bible on the subject. He talked with the boys and I talked with the girls. What a thrill! I had the best time talking to those young girls. And, oh, I know they listened. God's word was very well received by each of them. Later that week, one of those girls made a profession of faith and was baptized in the lake. I knew she would. I could see it in her eyes and I could hear it in her questions. And as for the others, seeds were planted and I feel sure that some day they will grow. Praise the LORD!
Highlight #4: I got to work with the moms! We had a blast! The fellowship was good - 6 moms from last year's retreat came back. The food was good - chocolate fountain was a hit! The Word was just what they needed. Our theme was "Facing Our Giants" and we had made a giant Goliath out of foam board as a display. We had a great time writing our personal giants on little notecards, tacking them all over Goliath and then finding Bible verses that defeated our giants and tacking those over the the giants we had posted. Very cool and we all walked away with sharpened swords to wield in the face of our personal giants. The moms were a hoot and we are already looking forward to next year.
Highlight #5: Kimberley! She was a mom that came last year. She didn't want to be there - only came because she thought she had to since her daughter was at our camp. She was very bitter and she captured my heart immediately last year. She won a study Bible as a door prize last year. "Go figure," she said. "Who can I give it to?" But before she left she asked each of us - me, Wanda and Katrina - to write our favorite verses in the front. We did and the good news is she didn't give that Bible away. She read our verses and she wanted to read more and more and before long she wasn't the Kimbereley we knew anymore. She was a new creation. The old had gone and the new had come. (2 Corinthians 5:17 - which was our theme verse last year.) We prayed for her all year. When I saw her this year, I knew! She had Jesus written all over her face and her words were warm and sweet. She hugged us tight! She waited for our retreat to make a public profession of faith, but really, she already had Jesus in her heart. She was baptized in the lake on Saturday morning. Praise the LORD!
God's word is powerful! He promises us that His word will never come back to Him empty and that it will always accomplish what He desires and achieve the purpose for which He sent it. (Isaiah 55:11) That is big! All we have to do is plant the seeds and water them. God will make them grow. (1 Corinthians 3:6)
I am so blessed to be able to serve my LORD and Savior. I am so blessed to not only be a part of the planting but also that He allowed me to be a part of the harvest. What a thrill! Thank you LORD, for the opportunities you have given me to serve You. Thank you LORD, for leading me to this place where I can see Your beautiful work being accomplished. I sing praises to You, LORD! Thank you!
Highlight #1: It rained almost all week. Very wet. Very muddy. We had never had to deal with rain during our camp week before and I guess God just threw that in to kick it up a notch. I think we rose to the occassion though. Nobody really complained about it. The youth did a great job being flexible with the schedule and doing extra cabin time when we were forced to go to bed early because of thunderstorms and tornado warnings. All in all the rain was a blessing because it kept it from being so hot.
Highlight #2: I didn't really get to work with the kids very much because my focus was the mom's retreat. That didn't start until Thursday, so I had two days to just help out where I could. I helped with crafts, which is always fun. I helped the children carry their food trays during meal time and I acted as waitress to get drinks and napkins and second helpings. Little Joseph was such a sweetie. He stole my heart last year when he was in my group. One night I was helping him carry his food and I spilled a little of his lemonade into his ketchup. I offered to go get him more ketchup but he wouldn't let me. "No, it won't change the way it tastes," he kept insisting. So sweet and never a complainer. Mr. Charlie, (one of the men form my church who came to help in the kitchen) noticed how Joseph was limping around one day and asked why. Joseph said his feet hurt so Mr. Charlie took off his shoes and quickly realized his shoes were way too small for his feet. So Mr. Charlie traced Joseph's feet and promptly went to town to buy him some new shoes. They were fast friends after that and Joseph could often be found by Mr. Charlie's side. Mr. Charlie cried about that little boy. How often do you see that?
Highlight #3: I did get asked to do a Bible study with the teenage group. One night after worship and the message, I stopped by the Purple Team to see how they were doing. I answered a few questions and offered a few verses and sent the youth leaders in the right direction. Later, some of the youth leaders from that group came to me and said they had noticed that many members of their group had no respect for their bodies. They wanted to do a Bible lesson that would show their group members how God viewed them and why it was important to respect God by respecting themselves. This was really a touchy subject for them and I'm guessing the leaders felt uncomfortable with the subject. So, I talked with Michael, one of the youth ministers there with us and we came up with a good road map through the Bible on the subject. He talked with the boys and I talked with the girls. What a thrill! I had the best time talking to those young girls. And, oh, I know they listened. God's word was very well received by each of them. Later that week, one of those girls made a profession of faith and was baptized in the lake. I knew she would. I could see it in her eyes and I could hear it in her questions. And as for the others, seeds were planted and I feel sure that some day they will grow. Praise the LORD!
Highlight #4: I got to work with the moms! We had a blast! The fellowship was good - 6 moms from last year's retreat came back. The food was good - chocolate fountain was a hit! The Word was just what they needed. Our theme was "Facing Our Giants" and we had made a giant Goliath out of foam board as a display. We had a great time writing our personal giants on little notecards, tacking them all over Goliath and then finding Bible verses that defeated our giants and tacking those over the the giants we had posted. Very cool and we all walked away with sharpened swords to wield in the face of our personal giants. The moms were a hoot and we are already looking forward to next year.
Highlight #5: Kimberley! She was a mom that came last year. She didn't want to be there - only came because she thought she had to since her daughter was at our camp. She was very bitter and she captured my heart immediately last year. She won a study Bible as a door prize last year. "Go figure," she said. "Who can I give it to?" But before she left she asked each of us - me, Wanda and Katrina - to write our favorite verses in the front. We did and the good news is she didn't give that Bible away. She read our verses and she wanted to read more and more and before long she wasn't the Kimbereley we knew anymore. She was a new creation. The old had gone and the new had come. (2 Corinthians 5:17 - which was our theme verse last year.) We prayed for her all year. When I saw her this year, I knew! She had Jesus written all over her face and her words were warm and sweet. She hugged us tight! She waited for our retreat to make a public profession of faith, but really, she already had Jesus in her heart. She was baptized in the lake on Saturday morning. Praise the LORD!
God's word is powerful! He promises us that His word will never come back to Him empty and that it will always accomplish what He desires and achieve the purpose for which He sent it. (Isaiah 55:11) That is big! All we have to do is plant the seeds and water them. God will make them grow. (1 Corinthians 3:6)
I am so blessed to be able to serve my LORD and Savior. I am so blessed to not only be a part of the planting but also that He allowed me to be a part of the harvest. What a thrill! Thank you LORD, for the opportunities you have given me to serve You. Thank you LORD, for leading me to this place where I can see Your beautiful work being accomplished. I sing praises to You, LORD! Thank you!
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Mission Trip 09
Well, the time has come!
I leave tomorrow morning, bright and early at 5:00 AM, to go on our mission trip to Tennessee. I can't wait!
We'll be hosting a camp for children of single moms and then on Thursday the moms get to come for a mom retreat. We have exciting stuff planned like a spa day - complete with nails and facials, relaxing music and a chocolate fountain - of course. Wanda made a little card with a verse about the fountain of life (can't remember the reference right now) to post beside the fountain. She's so funny! The most important part of our day will be our Bible study. (Still working on that. Pray for me please.)
And, Amy Stephens will be coming to speak on Friday night. Can't wait! I haven't met her yet but I've been very encouraged by her enthusiasm for God from our phone conversation and emails. What a blessing that will be!
Our theme is "Facing Our Giants" this year. The kids down at Creekside will be doing all kinds of football things. I guess we'll be the homecoming queens.
Anyway, I'm so very excited and doubt I'll sleep a wink tonight.
I'll try to post some pictures during the week.
Pray that the Holy Spirit will fill Deer Run up - "a good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over" - full up! Pray that women will be saved a God's wonderful love will be revealed. I'm praying for BIG things!
I leave tomorrow morning, bright and early at 5:00 AM, to go on our mission trip to Tennessee. I can't wait!
We'll be hosting a camp for children of single moms and then on Thursday the moms get to come for a mom retreat. We have exciting stuff planned like a spa day - complete with nails and facials, relaxing music and a chocolate fountain - of course. Wanda made a little card with a verse about the fountain of life (can't remember the reference right now) to post beside the fountain. She's so funny! The most important part of our day will be our Bible study. (Still working on that. Pray for me please.)
And, Amy Stephens will be coming to speak on Friday night. Can't wait! I haven't met her yet but I've been very encouraged by her enthusiasm for God from our phone conversation and emails. What a blessing that will be!
Our theme is "Facing Our Giants" this year. The kids down at Creekside will be doing all kinds of football things. I guess we'll be the homecoming queens.
Anyway, I'm so very excited and doubt I'll sleep a wink tonight.
I'll try to post some pictures during the week.
Pray that the Holy Spirit will fill Deer Run up - "a good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over" - full up! Pray that women will be saved a God's wonderful love will be revealed. I'm praying for BIG things!
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Unexpected Messengers
Sometimes God sends the most unexpected messengers.
For over 2 years I’ve been dealing with a watery right eye. Well, its not just watery; its full of puss sometimes and hurts a good deal of the time. I’ve been to all kinds of eye doctors. Every doctor would say, “If this doesn’t work, you may have to see an eyelid specialist – one who deals with tear ducts.” It was the worst case scenario threat.
This week I went to see him. Dr. Mather – educated in all the right medical schools, highly recommended, well respected in the medical community and one of only 200 eyelid specialists in our country.
Anyway, Dr. Mather explained what he thought and what he was going to do before he began to probe my tear duct. He told me we were looking for something that was blocking it, usually that was a little stone, crystallized matter that had built up. He would clear it out and that would be it. All done; I’d be better. He said, “99% of the time this works.”
I knew right then I was the 1% and sure enough I was right. No stones. So, now what? Wait. That’s what he said. We could do surgery but that would compound some other eye issues I have and he didn’t want to do that unless he absolutely had to. So, we’re waiting.
Now, I’ve prayed for healing of my eye for these 2 years, especially since March or so, when it started to get really painful. My husband has even put his hand over my eye everyday and prayed. So, a lot of verbal prayers have been lifted up. But, some silent prayers have been lifted up too. After my visit, I sent up one of those silent prayers. “Give me something, Lord. Tell me what to do.”
The next evening I was watering my potted plants in the backyard. My driveway is really long and goes all the way to the backyard and then opens into a patio. Most people who know us will pull all the way down the drive but those who don’t will stop near the front door.
I’m watering away when I notice an old yellow Mercedes – driven by an old black man slowly pulling down the drive. I didn’t know the man so I yelled at Jeff that someone was here. Sometimes people from his work will come by and bring him something to fix. He’s very clever with small engines. I just assumed Jeff knew the man. He didn’t.
By the time the yellow Mercedes had come to a stop, Jeff and I were both standing at the back edge of the house and the man had driven all the way down our drive – all the way to the backyard. We were curious.
Then, thick with old Charleston accent, the man started talking.
“I’m just doin’ me some drive-by healin’. Yeah, our preacher said lots of folks in this world need healin’. He sent us out. So, I’m just doin’ drive-by healin’.”
Drive-by healin’? I was floored. How many years had I been praying for healin’ of my eye? Didn’t I just go to my last hope doctor? Didn’t he just say I was the 1% and we could wait and hope for the best? Didn’t I place my hope in the LORD?
I was ready to burst out, “Pray for my eye!” But Jeff said, “That’s very nice of you. Thank you sir.” And with that, the old man mumbled again, “I’m doin’ drive-by healin’,” and began to back out the drive.
I watched him creep slowly down the street. I suppose he was praying for healin’, being led by the spirit to where healin’ was needed, but he didn’t pull into anyone else’s drive. Jeff and I watched him disappear around the corner – speechless. Then, he looked at me and said, “Drive-by healin’? I never heard of such a thing.”
“He was an answer to prayer,” I shouted. “He was sent by my Lord to give me a message! Honey, I got me some drive-by healin’! Praise the LORD!” I laughed and laughed with joy at the message my Lord had sent me.
Later, I went inside and knelt in thanksgiving before my Lord. I began to realize what an unexpected messenger He had sent. He knew I needed more than a word of encouragement from family or friend. I needed something other than a Bible verse. He knew I needed words of hope from an unexpected messenger. Its amazing how fast an unexpected messenger will get our attention, isn’t it.
I marveled at how my Lord weaves our lives into something beautiful. I marveled at His messenger – an old black man, sent out from church, choosing a very white neighborhood, driving down my drive to tell us he was doing drive-by healin’. I marveled at how God uses His people. The man never asked if I needed healing. He never asked to pray for me. That wasn’t what he was there for. He was a messenger –sent to give hope. And, this side of heaven, he’ll never know what he did for me that night because I never told him.
“but those who hop in the LORD will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)
I don’t know what awaits me and my eye in the future. Maybe like Elijah my messenger was sent to give me bread and nourishment because the journey ahead of me is long and difficult. Or, maybe he was a messenger of good news like the 3 visitors sent to tell Abram and Sarah they would have a son. (If so, I’m glad I didn’t laugh in doubt like she did.)
Time will tell. But for now, I’m pleased to feel encouraged by my Lord. It’s just another way He shows me I am chosen and loved and strengthened by Him. Thank you, LORD!
For over 2 years I’ve been dealing with a watery right eye. Well, its not just watery; its full of puss sometimes and hurts a good deal of the time. I’ve been to all kinds of eye doctors. Every doctor would say, “If this doesn’t work, you may have to see an eyelid specialist – one who deals with tear ducts.” It was the worst case scenario threat.
This week I went to see him. Dr. Mather – educated in all the right medical schools, highly recommended, well respected in the medical community and one of only 200 eyelid specialists in our country.
Anyway, Dr. Mather explained what he thought and what he was going to do before he began to probe my tear duct. He told me we were looking for something that was blocking it, usually that was a little stone, crystallized matter that had built up. He would clear it out and that would be it. All done; I’d be better. He said, “99% of the time this works.”
I knew right then I was the 1% and sure enough I was right. No stones. So, now what? Wait. That’s what he said. We could do surgery but that would compound some other eye issues I have and he didn’t want to do that unless he absolutely had to. So, we’re waiting.
Now, I’ve prayed for healing of my eye for these 2 years, especially since March or so, when it started to get really painful. My husband has even put his hand over my eye everyday and prayed. So, a lot of verbal prayers have been lifted up. But, some silent prayers have been lifted up too. After my visit, I sent up one of those silent prayers. “Give me something, Lord. Tell me what to do.”
The next evening I was watering my potted plants in the backyard. My driveway is really long and goes all the way to the backyard and then opens into a patio. Most people who know us will pull all the way down the drive but those who don’t will stop near the front door.
I’m watering away when I notice an old yellow Mercedes – driven by an old black man slowly pulling down the drive. I didn’t know the man so I yelled at Jeff that someone was here. Sometimes people from his work will come by and bring him something to fix. He’s very clever with small engines. I just assumed Jeff knew the man. He didn’t.
By the time the yellow Mercedes had come to a stop, Jeff and I were both standing at the back edge of the house and the man had driven all the way down our drive – all the way to the backyard. We were curious.
Then, thick with old Charleston accent, the man started talking.
“I’m just doin’ me some drive-by healin’. Yeah, our preacher said lots of folks in this world need healin’. He sent us out. So, I’m just doin’ drive-by healin’.”
Drive-by healin’? I was floored. How many years had I been praying for healin’ of my eye? Didn’t I just go to my last hope doctor? Didn’t he just say I was the 1% and we could wait and hope for the best? Didn’t I place my hope in the LORD?
I was ready to burst out, “Pray for my eye!” But Jeff said, “That’s very nice of you. Thank you sir.” And with that, the old man mumbled again, “I’m doin’ drive-by healin’,” and began to back out the drive.
I watched him creep slowly down the street. I suppose he was praying for healin’, being led by the spirit to where healin’ was needed, but he didn’t pull into anyone else’s drive. Jeff and I watched him disappear around the corner – speechless. Then, he looked at me and said, “Drive-by healin’? I never heard of such a thing.”
“He was an answer to prayer,” I shouted. “He was sent by my Lord to give me a message! Honey, I got me some drive-by healin’! Praise the LORD!” I laughed and laughed with joy at the message my Lord had sent me.
Later, I went inside and knelt in thanksgiving before my Lord. I began to realize what an unexpected messenger He had sent. He knew I needed more than a word of encouragement from family or friend. I needed something other than a Bible verse. He knew I needed words of hope from an unexpected messenger. Its amazing how fast an unexpected messenger will get our attention, isn’t it.
I marveled at how my Lord weaves our lives into something beautiful. I marveled at His messenger – an old black man, sent out from church, choosing a very white neighborhood, driving down my drive to tell us he was doing drive-by healin’. I marveled at how God uses His people. The man never asked if I needed healing. He never asked to pray for me. That wasn’t what he was there for. He was a messenger –sent to give hope. And, this side of heaven, he’ll never know what he did for me that night because I never told him.
“but those who hop in the LORD will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)
I don’t know what awaits me and my eye in the future. Maybe like Elijah my messenger was sent to give me bread and nourishment because the journey ahead of me is long and difficult. Or, maybe he was a messenger of good news like the 3 visitors sent to tell Abram and Sarah they would have a son. (If so, I’m glad I didn’t laugh in doubt like she did.)
Time will tell. But for now, I’m pleased to feel encouraged by my Lord. It’s just another way He shows me I am chosen and loved and strengthened by Him. Thank you, LORD!
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Are You Thirsty?
Yesterday I wrote a long list of things to do in my journal. I was complaining about never having enough time to get everything done. After I wrote out my frustrations, I went to check my e-mail. I get these devotionals via e-mail everyday. I never read them. I probably have 77 unread, just sitting there. Anyway, I clicked on one to read, just by chance, and there it was – a devotional on taking time with your kids and not worrying about the “To-do” list. Funny how God works. Guess he was letting me know that life isn’t about a to-do list.
The problem is, my focus seems to always be on those kinds of things. What has to be done today? Where will I get the money for that? How will this or that ever happen? My life is full of details to manage and I’m constantly focused on them.
I pray about them a lot too. “LORD, help me get this done today.” I’ve prayed this way for years. Maybe you have too.
It started occurring to me a while back and honestly, I haven’t really let it come to the front of my mind where I might mull it over but I started thinking that this is not what Jesus would want me to ponder. It would not be on his list of things to think about. His thoughts are higher than my thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8)
Think about The Woman at the Well in John chapter 4. The woman is thirsty or needs water for chores, so she goes to the well for water. She goes about her daily chores. Jesus is there at the well and he asks her for a drink but, she questions him, since Jews don’t normally associate with Samaritans. Jesus didn’t worry about cultural divisions and he wasn’t really concerned about getting water from this lady either; he was digging much deeper than that. He was concerned about her soul for he answers he, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water . . . Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (v. 10, 13-14)
Did you notice that? Let’s not skim over that too quickly. Jesus did not get up from his seat, pull the water from the well and take it back to her house for her. He didn’t offer to help her with her “to-do” list. He looked straight through her list of chores, right into her heart and that’s where he saw something that needed to be done. She had a need in her heart to know Jesus Christ, savior, redeemer, giver of living water.
Our “to-do” lists are superficial. The heart is what matters to Jesus.
You know, I’ve often thought as I was praying away my things to do, that if Jesus suddenly appeared in front of me so that I could touch him and have a conversation with him, he wouldn’t say a thing about my chores or my money or whatever aches and pains I might be suffering that day. He would look right through those superficial things and into the deepest part of my heart. He would pull some unnoticed thing up out of there and say, “Here, let me fix this for you. This is what I see needs to be done.”
Maybe it would be some bitterness I hold deep inside. Or a greedy root I didn’t know was there. Perhaps it would be some insecurity I hadn’t noticed that was bearing some bad fruit in my life. Whatever he might pull out and bring to my attention, I can promise it wouldn’t be dishes or laundry or errands to run. If Jesus showed up in my prayer time, those superficial things would melt away and all that would matter would be the state of my heart.
Think about that for a while . . . It’s true.
So, I must ask myself, “Do I never ask for help with my to-do list?” I believe the answer to that is no – go ahead and ask. Jesus cares about our daily lives. He wants us to come to him in the big things and the small things. But, we should also take time and ask him to reveal things that need to be fixed. We should ask Jesus to give us a pure heart, one more like his.
Will this be difficult? Probably. Will he identify some touchy subjects you don’t want to talk about? Most definitely. But, his aim is to free us, redeem us, purify us. Won’t you let him do that for you? It is a Godly To-Do list with an invitation to let Him get it done. For the LORD says,
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters.
And, you who have no money, come, buy and eat.
Come buy wine and milk without money and without cost.
Why spend money on what is not bread
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me and eat what is good
and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.
Give ear and come to me.
Hear me that your soul may live.
And I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
my faithful love promised to David.” (Isaiah 55:1-3)
Jesus stands in front of you, arm extended, beckoning. Come. You are thirsty for living water. Come. He offers what no man possesses. It costs nothing but is rich and will delight you. Come. Enjoy the covenant of faithful love promised to you. Won’t you come?
Oh, dear LORD, I thank you for this invitation. I thank You for Your deep love. I thank You for your desire to set me free from the things of this world that want to entangle me. I thank You for your Godly to-do list and I thank You that in the end, mine doesn’t matter. LORD, let me remember this. When the world is closing in on me and I’m being strangled by my chores, let me remember Your open invitation to come to You so that I might eat Your satisfying bread – the Bread of Your Presence. Remind me, O LORD, to come to you. I ask this in the name of my redeeming Lord, Jesus Christ . . .
The problem is, my focus seems to always be on those kinds of things. What has to be done today? Where will I get the money for that? How will this or that ever happen? My life is full of details to manage and I’m constantly focused on them.
I pray about them a lot too. “LORD, help me get this done today.” I’ve prayed this way for years. Maybe you have too.
It started occurring to me a while back and honestly, I haven’t really let it come to the front of my mind where I might mull it over but I started thinking that this is not what Jesus would want me to ponder. It would not be on his list of things to think about. His thoughts are higher than my thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8)
Think about The Woman at the Well in John chapter 4. The woman is thirsty or needs water for chores, so she goes to the well for water. She goes about her daily chores. Jesus is there at the well and he asks her for a drink but, she questions him, since Jews don’t normally associate with Samaritans. Jesus didn’t worry about cultural divisions and he wasn’t really concerned about getting water from this lady either; he was digging much deeper than that. He was concerned about her soul for he answers he, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water . . . Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (v. 10, 13-14)
Did you notice that? Let’s not skim over that too quickly. Jesus did not get up from his seat, pull the water from the well and take it back to her house for her. He didn’t offer to help her with her “to-do” list. He looked straight through her list of chores, right into her heart and that’s where he saw something that needed to be done. She had a need in her heart to know Jesus Christ, savior, redeemer, giver of living water.
Our “to-do” lists are superficial. The heart is what matters to Jesus.
You know, I’ve often thought as I was praying away my things to do, that if Jesus suddenly appeared in front of me so that I could touch him and have a conversation with him, he wouldn’t say a thing about my chores or my money or whatever aches and pains I might be suffering that day. He would look right through those superficial things and into the deepest part of my heart. He would pull some unnoticed thing up out of there and say, “Here, let me fix this for you. This is what I see needs to be done.”
Maybe it would be some bitterness I hold deep inside. Or a greedy root I didn’t know was there. Perhaps it would be some insecurity I hadn’t noticed that was bearing some bad fruit in my life. Whatever he might pull out and bring to my attention, I can promise it wouldn’t be dishes or laundry or errands to run. If Jesus showed up in my prayer time, those superficial things would melt away and all that would matter would be the state of my heart.
Think about that for a while . . . It’s true.
So, I must ask myself, “Do I never ask for help with my to-do list?” I believe the answer to that is no – go ahead and ask. Jesus cares about our daily lives. He wants us to come to him in the big things and the small things. But, we should also take time and ask him to reveal things that need to be fixed. We should ask Jesus to give us a pure heart, one more like his.
Will this be difficult? Probably. Will he identify some touchy subjects you don’t want to talk about? Most definitely. But, his aim is to free us, redeem us, purify us. Won’t you let him do that for you? It is a Godly To-Do list with an invitation to let Him get it done. For the LORD says,
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters.
And, you who have no money, come, buy and eat.
Come buy wine and milk without money and without cost.
Why spend money on what is not bread
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me and eat what is good
and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.
Give ear and come to me.
Hear me that your soul may live.
And I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
my faithful love promised to David.” (Isaiah 55:1-3)
Jesus stands in front of you, arm extended, beckoning. Come. You are thirsty for living water. Come. He offers what no man possesses. It costs nothing but is rich and will delight you. Come. Enjoy the covenant of faithful love promised to you. Won’t you come?
Oh, dear LORD, I thank you for this invitation. I thank You for Your deep love. I thank You for your desire to set me free from the things of this world that want to entangle me. I thank You for your Godly to-do list and I thank You that in the end, mine doesn’t matter. LORD, let me remember this. When the world is closing in on me and I’m being strangled by my chores, let me remember Your open invitation to come to You so that I might eat Your satisfying bread – the Bread of Your Presence. Remind me, O LORD, to come to you. I ask this in the name of my redeeming Lord, Jesus Christ . . .
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Tornado!
A tornado twisted through my neighborhood last Saturday between 6:30 and 7:00 in the evening. We had been out in our boat at the lake all day and were contemplating going surf fishing at Isle of Palms with our neighbors, Anna and Will.
Will had walked over and said there was a little blip of thunderstorms on the radar, headed our way but they didn’t look bad. So, we decided to head out after supper. I was loading dishes in the dishwasher when Will called and said, “Hey, I looked at the weather radar again and that little blip just turned into a whole string of mess. Why don’t we wait?” “Okay,” I said, “we’ll do it some other time. I’m tired after all day at the lake anyway.”
When I yelled out the back door at Jeff and Jeffrey to tell them the news, they were loading up the little Waterbug boat to go fishing the next day. Jeff hooked it to the Jeep and pulled it up in the drive. They were all ready to pull out first thing the next morning.
I went back in the house to take a shower. While I was in the shower, I started to hear lots of thunder. I hurried to get out the shower because all those stories of people getting electrocuted by lightening while they were touching water played through my head. I dried off, threw on my pajamas and walked to the dining room to look out the big window.
Man! I hadn’t seen wind like that since Hurricane Hugo! There was nothing but a white wall of water and wind out there. We couldn’t see 2 feet beyond the window; it was that thick with blowing rain.
Jeff started yelling, “Get to the hall!” Jeffrey and I ran; he slammed all the doors closed as we went by them. When we got to my bedroom, we realized something was down in the front year. Our neighbor's tree had topped out and landed across my lily bed. Back to the hall! Really, we were worried about the two very large pine trees in our backyard, especially the one that was struck by lightening years ago and now has a rotten streak from top to bottom. That one always scares me and the wind was blowing the right direction for them to land on our house.
But no! About that time . . . boom! . . . something big hit the house. We ran back to the dining room but all we could see now were tree limbs smashed against the window. The tree at the edge of our property had fallen . . .squarely on Jeff’s boat, bending the back roll bar on the Jeep , smashing the corning of our eaves and poking holes in the roof. As I stood there surveying the damage, my ears started to pop. I felt like my head was going to explode. Sudden low pressure . . . “Tornado!” I yelled. “My ears are popping. It’s a tornado! Open some windows!”
We ran around slinging open windows and doors and that’s when I heard it, “Woo woo woo wooo,” – a low hum. It was a tornado! What do you do? You know it’s out there. You know it’s dangerous. You know it could rip through your house destroying everything. Worst of all – you know it can kill.
All I could say was, “LORD, be with us! LORD, be with us!” Over and over, that was the only prayer that would come to me.
I know He was with us. It is so very scary when you’re in the middle of it but, surveying the damage when it was over proved that it could have been a lot worse – a lot! While there was very serious damage throughout our neighborhood, no one was hurt. Not even Janice, who had 2 trees land on her truck right after she got out and before she could get to the front door. Cars – and boats- can be replaced. Roofs can be fixed. New trees can be planted. Those things can be fixed. The LORD was with us!
It wasn’t until the streets were dark and everyone had gone in to settle down and I was walking through my candle-lit house that God’s words came to me . . .
“The LORD your God is with you.
He is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you.
He will quiet you with His love.
He will rejoice over you with singing.”
Zephaniah 3:17 – my memory verse. He did all of those things for me and I am very thankful. How comforting to know my God is with me and He will delightedly take care of me. That right there is enough love to quiet me. I wonder though . . . what song did He sing over me Saturday? I’m sure it was beautiful and I’m sure one day I will hear Him sing it to me.
Thank you LORD for your mighty, outstretched arm and your beautiful love!
Life is still good!
My husband's poor little boat.
Will had walked over and said there was a little blip of thunderstorms on the radar, headed our way but they didn’t look bad. So, we decided to head out after supper. I was loading dishes in the dishwasher when Will called and said, “Hey, I looked at the weather radar again and that little blip just turned into a whole string of mess. Why don’t we wait?” “Okay,” I said, “we’ll do it some other time. I’m tired after all day at the lake anyway.”
When I yelled out the back door at Jeff and Jeffrey to tell them the news, they were loading up the little Waterbug boat to go fishing the next day. Jeff hooked it to the Jeep and pulled it up in the drive. They were all ready to pull out first thing the next morning.
I went back in the house to take a shower. While I was in the shower, I started to hear lots of thunder. I hurried to get out the shower because all those stories of people getting electrocuted by lightening while they were touching water played through my head. I dried off, threw on my pajamas and walked to the dining room to look out the big window.
Man! I hadn’t seen wind like that since Hurricane Hugo! There was nothing but a white wall of water and wind out there. We couldn’t see 2 feet beyond the window; it was that thick with blowing rain.
Jeff started yelling, “Get to the hall!” Jeffrey and I ran; he slammed all the doors closed as we went by them. When we got to my bedroom, we realized something was down in the front year. Our neighbor's tree had topped out and landed across my lily bed. Back to the hall! Really, we were worried about the two very large pine trees in our backyard, especially the one that was struck by lightening years ago and now has a rotten streak from top to bottom. That one always scares me and the wind was blowing the right direction for them to land on our house.
But no! About that time . . . boom! . . . something big hit the house. We ran back to the dining room but all we could see now were tree limbs smashed against the window. The tree at the edge of our property had fallen . . .squarely on Jeff’s boat, bending the back roll bar on the Jeep , smashing the corning of our eaves and poking holes in the roof. As I stood there surveying the damage, my ears started to pop. I felt like my head was going to explode. Sudden low pressure . . . “Tornado!” I yelled. “My ears are popping. It’s a tornado! Open some windows!”
We ran around slinging open windows and doors and that’s when I heard it, “Woo woo woo wooo,” – a low hum. It was a tornado! What do you do? You know it’s out there. You know it’s dangerous. You know it could rip through your house destroying everything. Worst of all – you know it can kill.
All I could say was, “LORD, be with us! LORD, be with us!” Over and over, that was the only prayer that would come to me.
I know He was with us. It is so very scary when you’re in the middle of it but, surveying the damage when it was over proved that it could have been a lot worse – a lot! While there was very serious damage throughout our neighborhood, no one was hurt. Not even Janice, who had 2 trees land on her truck right after she got out and before she could get to the front door. Cars – and boats- can be replaced. Roofs can be fixed. New trees can be planted. Those things can be fixed. The LORD was with us!
It wasn’t until the streets were dark and everyone had gone in to settle down and I was walking through my candle-lit house that God’s words came to me . . .
“The LORD your God is with you.
He is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you.
He will quiet you with His love.
He will rejoice over you with singing.”
Zephaniah 3:17 – my memory verse. He did all of those things for me and I am very thankful. How comforting to know my God is with me and He will delightedly take care of me. That right there is enough love to quiet me. I wonder though . . . what song did He sing over me Saturday? I’m sure it was beautiful and I’m sure one day I will hear Him sing it to me.
Thank you LORD for your mighty, outstretched arm and your beautiful love!
Life is still good!
My husband's poor little boat.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Jesus First
I was thinking about choices again. We are faced with a lot of choices every day – some big, some little, some simple and some that we just struggle over.
As a teacher I get asked thousands of questions a day that I must make choices over. Can I go to the bathroom? Can I go get water? Can I borrow a pencil? Can I have some paper? Can I go to the bathroom now? Choices!
I can think of some choices I’ve agonized over – ones I’ve cried over, lost sleep over, discussed with others and prayed with my face to the ground over. I think God puts some choices in front of us to build our Christian character – and maybe those choices are more for us because He knows the choice we will make from the beginning. He knows our heart.
Just like the other night with Jeffrey and his baseball choice. I told him he could skip camp and VBS but even when I told him that, I knew he wouldn’t. I knew what he would o, but he had to go through the struggle in order to come out stronger in his Christian stand on the other side. And, I believe he did because he feels good about his decision and knows it was the right thing. Next time he has to make a decision like that, it will be easier. He knows where he stands now. I knew all along but now he knows. That is important. I believe God gives us those kinds of choices all the time so that we will know where we stand.
I thought about Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22. When God told Abraham to take Isaac and sacrifice him, Abraham had a choice. He didn’t have to do that. He could have stayed right there and said, “Surely, I can’t do that LORD.” But, verse 3 says, “Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddles his donkey.” He got up early because he didn’t sleep all night for thinking about his choice. The Bible doesn’t show us his struggle, but don’t you know he must have worried all night – cried, prayed, pleaded perhaps.
God didn’t announce – do this Abraham because I’m testing you. That would have been too easy. “A test? Oh! I can do this!” Abraham would have said. Nope! God didn’t tell Abraham that and he doesn’t tell us either. He just gives it to us. There it is. You choose.
Oh, the agony of it. I think, however, we make it harder on ourselves than it has to be. Psalms 37:5-6 says, “Commit your way to the LORD, trust in Him and He will do this – He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.” Commit your way to the LORD! It’s really that simple. That’s what God wants us to do. He wants us to know where we stand, what we’ll choose and that our choice is HIM. Our choices for Him build us as Christians.
David, our Youth Minister, has a simple saying that keeps us focused on mission trips: “Jesus first!” That’s his motto we stick to while we’re out on the mission field. Our decisions and our choices are made simpler with “Jesus first!” in mind. Our daily schedule is based on this. The order of activities is based on this. We live around “Jesus first!” every day.
If we would look at every choice with the “Jesus first!” motto in mind, how much easier would things be? Consider some every day choices we have:
Sunday school or sleep in?
Jesus first!
Lottie Moon offering or buy that extra Christmas gift?
Jesus first!
Going fishing today or help with the mission project?
Jesus first!
See how easy that could be? The problem is . . . it isn’t easy. We lose our focus, get caught up in other stuff and then our choices seem difficult. The more we choose Jesus, the firmer our stance becomes, the stronger we grow. I’m not suggesting here that you can’t sleep in some days or buy an extra gift or go fishing but, those things shouldn’t interfere with what we do for Jesus. Jesus first!
We definitely have choices to make in life. Let’s be strong in the LORD and always choose Jesus first!
Dear LORD, I know that sometimes I look on a choice that should be simple and just agonize over it. Would you please strengthen me? Give me eyes to see my choices clearly, without the rose-colored glasses of the world. Make my decisions always be for You. Let it be simple for me so that I may, with ever increasing strength, always choose Jesus first, without even having to ponder. Let Jesus be my default. I truly want to live this way. Help me LORD! I ask this in the might name of my Jesus . . . .
As a teacher I get asked thousands of questions a day that I must make choices over. Can I go to the bathroom? Can I go get water? Can I borrow a pencil? Can I have some paper? Can I go to the bathroom now? Choices!
I can think of some choices I’ve agonized over – ones I’ve cried over, lost sleep over, discussed with others and prayed with my face to the ground over. I think God puts some choices in front of us to build our Christian character – and maybe those choices are more for us because He knows the choice we will make from the beginning. He knows our heart.
Just like the other night with Jeffrey and his baseball choice. I told him he could skip camp and VBS but even when I told him that, I knew he wouldn’t. I knew what he would o, but he had to go through the struggle in order to come out stronger in his Christian stand on the other side. And, I believe he did because he feels good about his decision and knows it was the right thing. Next time he has to make a decision like that, it will be easier. He knows where he stands now. I knew all along but now he knows. That is important. I believe God gives us those kinds of choices all the time so that we will know where we stand.
I thought about Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22. When God told Abraham to take Isaac and sacrifice him, Abraham had a choice. He didn’t have to do that. He could have stayed right there and said, “Surely, I can’t do that LORD.” But, verse 3 says, “Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddles his donkey.” He got up early because he didn’t sleep all night for thinking about his choice. The Bible doesn’t show us his struggle, but don’t you know he must have worried all night – cried, prayed, pleaded perhaps.
God didn’t announce – do this Abraham because I’m testing you. That would have been too easy. “A test? Oh! I can do this!” Abraham would have said. Nope! God didn’t tell Abraham that and he doesn’t tell us either. He just gives it to us. There it is. You choose.
Oh, the agony of it. I think, however, we make it harder on ourselves than it has to be. Psalms 37:5-6 says, “Commit your way to the LORD, trust in Him and He will do this – He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.” Commit your way to the LORD! It’s really that simple. That’s what God wants us to do. He wants us to know where we stand, what we’ll choose and that our choice is HIM. Our choices for Him build us as Christians.
David, our Youth Minister, has a simple saying that keeps us focused on mission trips: “Jesus first!” That’s his motto we stick to while we’re out on the mission field. Our decisions and our choices are made simpler with “Jesus first!” in mind. Our daily schedule is based on this. The order of activities is based on this. We live around “Jesus first!” every day.
If we would look at every choice with the “Jesus first!” motto in mind, how much easier would things be? Consider some every day choices we have:
Sunday school or sleep in?
Jesus first!
Lottie Moon offering or buy that extra Christmas gift?
Jesus first!
Going fishing today or help with the mission project?
Jesus first!
See how easy that could be? The problem is . . . it isn’t easy. We lose our focus, get caught up in other stuff and then our choices seem difficult. The more we choose Jesus, the firmer our stance becomes, the stronger we grow. I’m not suggesting here that you can’t sleep in some days or buy an extra gift or go fishing but, those things shouldn’t interfere with what we do for Jesus. Jesus first!
We definitely have choices to make in life. Let’s be strong in the LORD and always choose Jesus first!
Dear LORD, I know that sometimes I look on a choice that should be simple and just agonize over it. Would you please strengthen me? Give me eyes to see my choices clearly, without the rose-colored glasses of the world. Make my decisions always be for You. Let it be simple for me so that I may, with ever increasing strength, always choose Jesus first, without even having to ponder. Let Jesus be my default. I truly want to live this way. Help me LORD! I ask this in the might name of my Jesus . . . .
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