Sifting around for hope

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.  And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.  And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.  Romans 5:3-5

There is a world-famous daily facial moisturizer cream called “Hope in a Jar” by Philosophy. It’s too pricey for my pocket, but I am curious about a product that claims, “Where there is hope there can be faith, where there is faith miracles can occur.” Sounds nice. Wonder what it smells like? Wonder what it would feel like on my skin? Don’t worry. I’m curious, but not that curious. Maybe it would be a total disappointment and a waste of money.

Hope cream is vastly, unspeakably different from sifting around in layers of debris; searching for signs of life, signs of hope, and at the very least coming up with a child. Your child. With no sign of life. Just that morning he gulped down his breakfast, grabbed his book bag and headed out the door as you blew him a kiss and told him to have a great day at school. He skipped down the sidewalk as his school bus braked to a stop. The day was off and running on normal cycle. Why would we expect anything different?

F5 tornado damage in Barneveld, Wisconsin (Courtesy of NWS Milwaukee) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

But today there is no street signs, no homes, no schools. The land has been both swept and convulsed by a giant, writhing monster which roared through town, trashing everything in it’s wake and leaving unimaginable pain behind. Today is a new normal. An ugly, horrific new normal. This town claims it will rebuild into a new town. Street signs will return. Homes and schools and other buildings will take shape, but mourning will not soon end.

How do these people survive? I’ve heard them talk of their personal faith and looking ahead to rebuild their lives brick by brick, mortared together with hope. Real hope can’t be purchased. It is something that sprouts in the heart; a solid like faith. It’s believing that God will supply every need. And God has been sending volunteers working around the clock to help their brothers and sisters do what they cannot do for themselves. Bless them.

Devastation is cruel. We have no doubt. We call it “mother nature”, but it is simply nature turned in on itself in a fury. It’s the elements God has created as the firmament (Genesis 1:8) which are being disgraced by the enemy bully for his own cruel, heartless purpose. But we will continue to hope through our trials growing in strength toward salvation. We will not be disappointed. Hope will hold us until we meet the God of Love one day soon.

I could think of no better way to end this piece than to share two verses from John Newton’s Amazing Grace. Hum along as you read.

T’was Grace that taught my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.

The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

Outnumbered

When desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. James 1:15

I don’t know about your yard, but everywhere I look, I see little maple seedlings. You know, those little seeds that spin and twirl through the air on their way to covering grass, flower beds, roofs in a blanket of off-white snow? The eaves are full, the porch is covered and it’s still snowing! Our cats sit in the windows, entranced by the whirligigs, as we call them. As inspirational as nature’s helicopters are, our maple trees produce thousands too many; each winged seedling hoping  to embed itself in yards, flower beds and grow up to be giant maple trees one day. And if left alone, reproduce a forest of maple trees forcing us out of house and home. Can’t let that happen so before long the back-breaking work will begin. I will be uprooting the little suckers before they set up housekeeping and push their thirsty roots deep down in the soil making it more difficult to extract them.

Maple tree seeds. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Is there a spiritual application here? You may or may not agree, but perhaps these tiny one-winged airplanes resemble sin at first blush. They are little, cute, innocent, beckoning,  and fun especially if shared with friends. But let’s not be fooled by the enemy who seeks to destroy each one of us by “simple” sins. Most sins start out as tiny, even insignificant, controversial “gray” areas of debate or little white lies. It’s still sin, but it sounds so innocent and unworthy to be called sin, especially when prefaced by two words, “little and white”. The language implies, “Don’t worry. What you are doing can’t be considered sin. Just relax.” But the devil, the prowling lion, never relaxes his grip. Once we are caught in his web of deceit it doesn’t take long before we are tangled so tightly that it requires great effort to break free ~ much worse than digging out a maple sapling that has spread its roots deep into the soil.

Often we make choices that entice us into sinful habits. We may even convince ourselves that what we are doing is not really bad and is winked at by whoever is our higher power. But we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us (1 John 1:8). The God of heaven is crystal clear about sin. He leaves no wiggle room.

The Old Testament for instance, is full of stories about those who sinned and punishment swiftly followed. These stories exist for our understanding and growth as we struggle to navigate dangerous waters in our individual lives. We can learn from them and choose to follow God’s leading instead. Our sins may be hidden from our view, but they are not hidden from God. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly perverse and corrupt and severely, mortally sick! Who can know it [perceive, understand, be acquainted with his own heart and mind]?

Such strong language makes us stop in our tracks and ponder our next move. We have been given freedom to choose, but within that freedom is a built-in guideline. There is a fork in the road. Which way will we choose? The narrow way is curvy, rocky and often laced with trouble, but ultimately leads to eternity. The other road is wide,  gently sloping, and pleasant, but ultimately leads to our demise. Death. This blue marble we call Earth, has God’s eyes roaming it; always searching to draw us to Himself where He extends forgiveness and pardon for our sins and a freedom we cannot know if we choose the easy road.

Build on the Rock

My Child, You must listen to My Words in order to heed their teachings. And if you do, you will be like the wise person who built his house on a firm foundation by digging down deep into solid rock. He is prepared when the flood waters rise and break against the house. It will stand firm.  Luke 6:48

Rock outcrop on Newquay beach. The private house built on the rock is linked to the mainland by a suspension bridge. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

On the other hand, if you just read My Words and don’t work them into your daily life, you are like the foolish carpenter who builds his house on a sandy beach. When a storm rolls in and the waves come up it will collapse like a deck of cards.  Matthew 7:26-27

Consider the first house with a firm foundation. This person reads and heeds My Words, sweeping his new house clean of all evil. It is kept clean and tidy . . . but empty. The enemy keeps watch. He loves empty and he will return to that same house bringing more demons with him and the condition of this man’s heart will be worse than if he had never built it on a firm foundation in the first place.  Matthew 12:43-45

You see, My Child, I know the condition of your “house.” I know when it is swept clean but remains empty. And I long to fill it with My love and power, but you must first let Me in. “I stand at the door and knock.”  Revelation 3:20

I won’t barge in against your will, but the enemy will. He’ll peek in the windows and if he sees that your house remains empty, he’ll return and force his way in with  many cronies in tow in his attempt to completely destroy you. Please, let Me in. Let’s study and learn together. Let’s put your firm foundation to good use. Let Me save you from destruction.

Your Friend,

Jesus

All scripture paraphrased

~shared from “Shattered by Suicide” (sold on Amazon)

Eternal Will and Testament

Will And Testament                                        (Photo credit: Ken_Mayer)

We are in the process of updating a legal document for our family. We realized that we had not done so since our firstborn died; actually this will be the first update since it was first written. I don’t know if you find yourself in a similar situation, but this devotional was timely for me to read and perhaps it will be informative for you as well.

~100 Favorite Bible Promises explains the biblical legal document for our understanding ~

Because Christ offered himself to God, he is able to bring a new promise [testament, covenant] from God. Through his death he paid the price to set people free from the sins they committed under the first promise. He did this so that those who are called can be guaranteed an inheritance that will last forever.  Hebrews 9:15, GW  

Words like mediator, covenant, and inheritance in the book of Hebrews give the impression of a legal document. Actually, the entire book of Hebrews differs in writing style from the rest of the letters in the New Testament. Its unknown author presents a thesis-like case, methodically stating why faith in Jesus is a logical and God-designed spiritual progression from Judaism.

The verse at the heart of what the author wanted his readers to understand proclaims that Jesus is both a mediator, “someone who makes peace between two parties,” and a testator, “someone who determines the conditions and benefits of the inheritance he leaves behind.” The words testament and covenant are interchangeable. The Old Testament and the New Testament could just as easily be called the Old Covenant and the New Covenant, since the two parts of the Bible really focus on covenant. Under the Old Covenant, or Old Testament, God accepted the sacrifice of animals as a way to cover up the wrongs people had done. Under the New Covenant, the wrongs were permanently erased by a different kind of sacrifice ~ Jesus’ gift of his own life.

A will and testament is only valid after someone dies, and then it is irrevocable. That means Jesus’ death guaranteed your inheritance. Jesus saved your life by substituting his own in payment for every wrong you’ve ever done and ever will do. Because of this, you will receive what you never could have earned on your own ~ the ultimate freedom of living a life that never ends. Jesus’ testament to you is not only a guarantee, but it is also a true source of encouragement. When God makes a promise, it’s like a legal document. He will fulfill every word. Amen

Tribute to mothers

Many women have done noble work, but you have surpassed them all!   Proverbs 31:29

The days and months tick by and another holiday is upon us. To all you moms out there, I wish you a happy Mother’s Day with your families. Whether you have outlived all your children or still have them and their offspring gathered around you, you are always a mother and greatly to be blessed.

If I may, I choose to devote this piece to moms who live with daily heartache after the loss of one or more of their children. Every holiday brings a stab of pain. We can’t help it. We love all our children; they are most precious, but we will never forget the one (s) we no longer can love and touch and enjoy. Their chair is empty and will always be. We are reminded of them every time we look at their father or other siblings; noting the same characteristics they share. I love the resemblance. But at the same time it stings and I wince just a little. Do you? Has the pain ever lessened?

No matter how many years it’s been and perhaps this is your first, we get through them and even have some moments of mirth surrounded by those we love. They yearn for this day to be special. They will for us to go on; to find them to be enough. We love their intent and we try our best to be the special mom for this special day so that they are comfortable. But where is the deep comfort we long for? Not the superficial stuff just under the mask, but the deep heart stuff. You know what I mean. You know where it is. Most often it’s just to painful to poke around in there too much. We imagine it to be ten times worse than a root canal without Novocaine, and I’m sure it is.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When I ponder this question spiritually speaking, I wonder about God. Does the pain ever lessen for Him? Is He on a grief journey too? My, my. His would be unfathomable to me. If He has been present at every birth and every death since the beginning of time, that is too much grief for my mind to process. But it beckons consideration, doesn’t it? Our Heavenly Father poured Himself into His Son, Jesus Christ who poured Himself out for us, for our benefit. If He had not died on the cross, we’d be without hope and most miserable in our sins. But there was no heavenly system failure. Jesus followed through on what He came to do. He showed us what His Dad is like and He did not turn back from death. I get a lump in my throat when I think about my Friend dying for my sins and dying as a common criminal, a dirt bag, scum of the earth if you will. His own people relished the kill, wanting it so badly they were willing to own it and even shouted, “His blood is on us and on our children!” (Matthew 27:25) Haunting words that have ricocheted down the halls of time. They got their wish.

So God did a wondrous thing when He made mothers, creating within them the ability to make new life. We are the product of a loving Master Designer and He does not make disposable. Ever. He loves us more than we can understand His pure love, but He has designed mothers to love deeply their unborn child as it begins to grow and kick. And then to hold their baby for the first time, and look into that sweet, puckered little face with eyes trying to focus while squinting against the bright delivery room lights. Almost immediately we begin the juggle of meeting their most basic needs with loving care which soon turn into car pools and packing lunches. We lie quietly in bed, listening for gentle breathing before we nod off, dreaming of all the special things we want to teach them before they fly from the nest in preparation for an exciting future bursting with promise.

That’s the ideal. That was God’s plan. As we look at this sweet babe who could imagine God killing the baby He just gave life too? God makes babies. He does not kill our children. This has always been the work of a murdering thief (John 10:10). It is a complex study of God’s Word; comparing scripture with scripture and asking God to reveal His purpose in  bite-sized portions so the “light will come on” in our minds and we can begin to comprehend it, for His thoughts are so much higher than ours (Isaiah 55:9). But He has not neglected us and He never will. He loves us and desires that we love Him back and as we do a tiny seed of faith begins to sprout and the heart is stirred into hope does not disappoint (Romans 5:5).

This mother’s day will be different for me. I have hinted [strongly] that I want to spend time with my family of avid golfers on the course, watching them chase a little white ball which never became my passion, but it is theirs and I want to watch their joy in the sport. Perhaps your family will carve out something different from the usual if the usual is too hard to bear. But no matter what, we are mothers. We have spent our lives investing in our children. We are entitled to have this day. We’ve “paid our dues” with bitter-sweet tears. But through it all, isn’t it better to risk the pain that is love?

The arms that held and rocked our sweet babies now ache from loss. I look forward to the day when I get to squeeze the stuffin’s out of this boy who will be made brand new.  And no more death. . . . ever again. It will be a reunion of families like no other!

 

On aging gracefully

Cover of Calendar Girls

“The flowers of Yorkshire are like the women of Yorkshire. In each phase of their lives they become more radiant, but the last phase is their most glorious . . . [and then they go to seed].”  ~John Baker (quote from the movie, Calendar Girls.)

John Baker was a real person with a real life in Yorkshire, England. Then cancer came and a real battle ensued until it took his life, but before he died, he shared these beautiful words with his lovely wife, who after his death wanted to raise money for something to provide for additional seating for friends and families who spend so much time with their loved one in  the Leukemia wing of the hospital where she had spent so much time with John. It’s a good movie ~ if you can handle a wee bit of skin.

Speaking of skin, mine has stretched to cover my growing muffin top ~ which truthfully I fear has gone to seed. It’s difficult for me to see how this stage of life is most glorious. I know what I need ~ I need to trade my sweet tooth in for a savory pallet. Perhaps God has this in mind for me in His long range goal for my life. Every low in my experience as driven me (yep, I’m back behind the wheel) to seek something sweet to quench the painful reminders when my heart shattered like splintering glass several years ago when tragedy struck me down. I fell of the shelf and crashed into a million pieces. No repair possible. God would have to recreate me and thankfully He has begun a good work in me.

A blueberry muffin. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

But back to the muffin top which seems to have taken on a life of it’s own. I know I choose what goes in. and when I give in the pallet yells, “more, more!” My spirit is weak, but He is strong. He won’t take it out of my hand, but first I have to unclench my fist to get my hand out of the cookie jar! Enough said? If you can relate out there in cyber world, here’s where we can mentor each other ~ when I am weak, you are strong and the one to give advice. Victory will be sweet enough.

He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.  Philippians 1:6

The Cry of Our Hearts

Claude Monet, Weeping Willow (2) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

God grieves over his children:

“My people are hell-bent on leaving Me. They pray to god Baal for help. He doesn’t life a finger to help them. But how can I give up on you, Ephraim? How can I turn you loose, Israel? I can’t bear to even think such thoughts. My insides churn in protest. And so I’m not going to act on My anger. I’m not going to destroy Ephraim. And why [not]? Because I am God and not a human. I’m the Holy One and I’m here ~ in your very midst.”  Hosea 11:7-9

King David grieves over the loss of his son:

“The king was stunned. Heartbroken, he went up to the room over the gate and wept. As he wept he cried out, ‘O my son Absalom, my dear, dear son Absalom! Why not me rather than you, my death and not yours? O Absalom, my dear, dear son!’”  2 Samuel 18:33

Jesus grieves over Jerusalem:

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let Me.”  Matthew 23:37

Jesus cries to His Father:

“And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?’ ~ which means, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”  Mark 15:34

The cry of our hearts:

“My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?”  Psalm 22:1

Dear Heavenly Father,

I get it now. Loss didn’t begin with me on earth. It began with You in heaven. Losing Lucifer and so many of Your angels must have caused You horrible anguish. I picked out just a few scriptures in Your precious word that speak of Your grief and ours, but there are many more. These especially touched a resounding chord in my heart as they have echoed and reechoed down through the ages, cried out by so many of Your children.

I can relate so profoundly to the pain of King David. I wept when I read his words, the ones he cried when he heard of his son’s death. They were the exact words I have said over and over since our son died. It is devastatingly painful to reveal that I also said them to my son before he took his life. So he knew that I would gladly give my life to save his . . . only I could not do it then and I cannot do it now.

Only Jesus can save a life. According to his words above, he agonized over his decision to save us before his crucifixion.They read with such profound pain as if they were literally ripped from his throat. What a struggle! What a gift he gives to us! And because he died ~ and lives, we can live; though we first must die.

I couldn’t save my son, but Your Son Jesus can . . . and did. What a totally selfless act! What an awesome sacrifice for love. Thank You, Father and Son for Your gift of eternal life.

~shared from “Shattered by Suicide”

Sharing Holley Gerth

Living in Love I stand at the kitchen counter with a spoon in my hand. All around me are messes. Surfaces covered with flour. Bowls in various levels of empty and full. Smudges across the counter. But I don’t see them. Instead I envision the fruit tart that’s to come. And before I know it I’m praying, “Lord, when they eat this let them feel loved.” I pause. I’ve never prayed that about a dessert before. Huh. Usually I’m worried about what people will think about what I’ve made. Will they like it? Is it good enough? I compare the work of my hands to other bakers I know and insecurity slips into my saucepan. But not now. In this moment I’m not thinking about me anymore. I’m thinking about bringing delight to those I love. And it changes everything. This is about more than a fruit tart. Instead it’s a divine invitation that has showed up on the doorstep of my ordinary day. God is asking me, so gently, if I would like to change the way I live. You see I can tend to live a lot like I cook. I do something and I ask, “Will they like it? Is it good enough?” I let insecurity slip into my heart and steal my joy. And God is telling me now there’s a better way…what the Apostle called the most excellent way. Love. Because this life isn’t about impressing each other. It’s not about measuring up. It’s not about dishing out what we have to offer simply so we can hear the compliments. Oh, we all do that sometimes. But we don’t have to let it stay that way. And when we embrace a different way of living, a different way of serving, we not only bring joy to those around us but also to God’s heart and our own heart as well. I finish the fruit tarts and set them on a tray. They smile in the color of strawberries back at me. I don’t know what people will say when they eat them. But at least now I know what I want to say with this gift. What I want to say with my life. I love you. Three simple words that take a lifetime to learn. Three simple words that can be said in a million different ways. Three simple words that change everything. Especially us.

A bridge to somewhere

God continually surprises me. Why I should be surprised I don’t know. After all, He knows everything and I know so little. Sometimes He builds a bridge when I least expect it. I have been known to make blanket statements like, “he’ll never do that again” . . . and he does, or “that friendship is over” . . . and it isn’t.

Two friends (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Perhaps my absolutes are God’s challenges. I viewed a movie that I really liked. It was the kind of movie I wanted to share with friends, girl friends. So I bought the movie so I could enjoy watching again and again. When it came in the mail, I made contact with a friend that I rarely see anymore. Would she be interested in a girl’s night? We’d sip and snack and watch this movie favorite. Had she seen it? No, she hadn’t so we made plans to get together a couple of weeks later.

As the evening approached, another person’s name kept popping into my head. She too, had not been on my radar screen for a while. The three of us had often enjoyed each other’s company, but over time and with life’s changes, we had not kept up our friendship. I ignored the prompting thinking that one on one would be better and I would invite the other friend for a future date. But the prompting continued.  I ignored it. My reasoning was better. More prompting. My invited friend would be here in an hour. Got prompted again. Finally assuming this was God’s doing and He was not going to take “no” for an answer, I made a last minute call to the second friend. She picked up the phone. She sounded tired, but said after taking a pain pill she probably could manage.

Pain pill? What was that all about? Come to find out, she had surgery a few days before. I had failed to notice the information shared on Facebook, so I was caught by surprise. Two of us settled her in a comfy chair with drinks and food and pillows. We chatted like old times and watched the movie which all three of us enjoyed and laughed together in all the same places. It was like there were no gaps of time lost in our friendship.

Since I had already watched the movie, God took the opportunity to help me see what he had just done. He had insisted on me inviting the second friend because he knew that she could use some comic relief at a time when her body was in pain. He had built a bridge to connect old friends. Perhaps it will continue. Perhaps there are people in your life that you may be impressed to reach out to. Listen and respond. Perhaps God wants to build a bridge to somewhere in your life too.

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.  John 15:15

Gift of Life

By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

(Photo credit: asenat29)

Grace sets Christianity apart from every other religion in the world. Charis, the Greek word for grace, literally means “free gift.” That’s what God promises, a gift of eternal life with no strings attached, one that you can’t receive any other way than through the unmerited generosity of the Giver. You can’t gain eternal life through good works or lose it through bad. Faith in Jesus is the only channel through which you can receive this priceless gift.

Yet God was extending grace long before Jesus came to earth. It began in the Garden of Eden. When Adam and Eve chose to turn away from God, he allowed them to suffer the consequences of their actions, but the depth of his love for those he had created would not let that be the final word. He extended the free gift of grace by promising to send someone who could redeem, or pay for, what had been done. He fulfilled that promise through Jesus.

Good works are evidence of a growing faith in God, and demonstrate the power of God’s grace to transform a life. Good works bring honor to God, blessings to others, and joy to the one who performs them. But they have no power to open the doors of heaven. Remembering this truth will turn any urge to brag into an occasion for praise.

When comparing Christianity with other religions, focus on God’s grace. Explaining God’s free gift to you will help others understand you don’t put yourself “above” them. Everyone is imperfect and therefore in need of God’s grace.

~100 Favorite Bible Verses