Some days an extra something special is needed to get a smile. Where contentedness is elusive and stress is the norm, a deep sigh of rest is refreshing. That’s the kind of smile I needed when I looked out my back door window.
On the porch were a bunch of chairs. Red chairs. They had been old, rusty church castaways when I rescued and painted them. Don’t they look fun and inviting?
On this Memorial Day, I’m going to go out into the Africa hot sun, grill some meat and take a deep restful sigh. Yes, sir, I’m going to smile and be thankful for blessings both grand and simple.
Consider grabbing an old rusty chair and either dream of how to recreate it or just sit in it while remembering blessings. May you get to relax and smile this Memorial Day.
I don’t know when it happened, but my arms changed. They got shorter, weaker too. It was obvious their strength would no longer allow arm-wrestling with the kids. I understood the strength loss, but shorter? I was quite bumfuzzled. Doesn’t osteoporosis diminish height instead of arms?
I hope I don’t have a weird bone disease.
First Symptom
The first short-arm symptom showed when the kids brought me their homework. With their scribbling in hand, I hyper-extended my elbows in order to make sense of it. While doing what I’ve always done, I was astounded with how tired my weak, shortened arms got.
That’s when I decided to get in shape. Surely a strenuous workout schedule focusing on arm strengthening would help. But even with six months of pumping iron at The Nautilus, my arms were still dwindling.
Their length used to be perfect for reading iPhone messages, enjoying Mary DeMuth’s Daisy Chain and studying my leather-like bound Bible. Now, I’m in a quandary. I don’t know what else to do about my incredible shrinking arms.
Some might disbelieve in the profound degeneration of my limbs. They may scoff and tease, or make wild suggestions like it isn’t my arms at all. But I know.
I know something’s wrong.
Diagnosis
Then headaches became the norm, but only when my eyes were open. I decided to see Dr. Means and discovered he is the kindest sort of mean. He laughed at me, spoke truth over my circumstance, then diagnosed me with multi-focal instead of some strange osteoporosis.
Apparently, my incredible shrinking arms were not so . . . Well, let’s just say I was wrong. I now sport new contacts and can’t believe the detail in the leaves on the trees.
Eye-opening Experience
Isn’t it eye-opening how our experience or understanding is limited. We are so sure of what we know. It’s like we’re stuck in the teen years—I know, I know—when we are clueless. God can say in truth, “I know.” He is the wisest. He knows everything and if we allow him to lead, we will not go off in obscure, weird ways of thinking and living.
“A person who has Christ as his Master is the master of every circumstance” (Streams in the Desert, p. 184).
God takes care of me. “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you [God] preserve my life” (Psalm 138:7).
It was a beautiful spring day, but I had a wazoo of weeds, a long unwanted list, and a dry, empty longing. Whether it was the paralyzing pace, or the brilliant sun’s warmth, I had to simply sit.
I didn’t want to do anything. I’d lost my excitement and anxiety reigned in its place. I wanted to shut down and turn off the to-do file.
Way too much happening. My oldest child was about to get married, the next in line graduating and headed off to school. At home, the remaining last child was uneasy, teasing about running off. Anything seemed more appealing than being left with the “crazy old parents.” Add wedding showers, graduation parties and the search for the right dress to the less-than-simple schedule and . . .
I quit.
I was done.
Done for, anyway. The clock was ticking. I’d fought Father Time like he was a bad weed. I’m ashamed to say that when my kids were in grade school, I even stopped giving them birthday parties.
I prepared the babies to be grown-ups, but when the exchange took place, I noticed I missed the class preparing me. Surely after I’d invested my life into these kids, they couldn’t leave.
But try as we may, life changes faster than clock hands during spring forward.
Kids change. They age. And our denial is forced to a halt.
So on that bright spring day, I sat on the porch.
And I discovered, again, my desperate need. The need to fertilize my faith, plant inner growth and gulp the Living Water. The life giving, thirst quenching water of trust in God, good for all seasons.
I remembered life’s summers may come and go, but Jesus remains the same.
Today. Tomorrow. Yesterday.
The same.
I trust him.
You can too. Won’t you join me for some Living Water refreshment on the porch?
I get aggravated when things don’t go as I plan. Like preparing a meal only to find out that my husband ate the same thing for a business lunch. Or when I’m doing my normal work and difficulties keep making the easy task impossible. Even when I’m expecting and waiting for some great experience, I get irritated when it doesn’t happen on my timetable. Like when I prayed for and got pregnant. I really wanted this child, but it was Labor Day and we had planned a steak dinner. Going into labor was not on the calendar. And Christmas. The extra rush of the season—decorating, cooking, gifting, and partying, just doesn’t fit into my already busy schedule. Surely I’m not alone in my frustration when life is interrupted.
That’s when I read about three people whose lives were interrupted in a major way.
In Luke 1 Zechariah went about his duties as a priest when the angel Gabriel showed up and changed his life forever. He was struck speechless when he questioned God about the promise of a child and because of his doubt he would remain silent until the birth. If I was Zechariah desiring a son, I would be somewhat irritated at the situation surrounding this child and being struck dumb. How could I tell anybody?
Elisabeth, his wife, had her life changed as well. Imagine desiring for so long to have a child, and then in old age with a wordless husband, she finds herself pregnant. I’d go into seclusion too.
I read further where a young girl’s life took an extreme twist. She was engaged and preparing to be wed, when Gabriel shows up and tells her she would get pregnant and give birth to a special boy—God’s son. Talk about wedding changes. Life interruption!
All throughout the Bible and even today, God interrupts normal lives. I’m glad these ordinary people allowed God’s disruption. Their life intrusion gave me salvation. I will put away my irritations and embrace my life interruptions. Off to celebrate Christmas—the best interruption of all.
What interruptions and irritations can you celebrate this Christmas? Leave a thought or comment.
Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. (Habakkuk 3:17-18)
Things aren’t always rosy and cheery, BUT things can always be good in God. It’s a perspective. A matter of where you place your hope, of what to surrender and to whom. If everything fails, God will not.
Have you ever felt like you didn’t have what it takes to be successful?
I often feel that I don’t have the skill to get things done in the right way. But at other times I’ve felt, “I got this” and flubbed miserably.
Does having or lacking skill really determine success? Sure, a lot of factors must weigh in to bring about great achievement. If skill alone is what we work for to make ourselves successful, we may be working ourselves right out of our desired accomplishment.
It’s a little oxymoronish to consider that too much skill could spell failure. Yet real success doesn’t lie in our skill or our resources. Certain goals and levels of triumph can be obtained by shear force. But to accomplish that which is outlandishly impossible, to achieve a dream that hangs on a thread requires more than determination. Lasting success requires faith.
At least that’s what I read in 1 Chronicles 5:18 and following. The Jewish tribes had skill. “They were skilled in combat and armed” to the hilt, no less. These guys were seasoned, experts in warfare, and ready for battle.
If I had all that going for me, I’d be taking them on, pushing forward, and relying on my own abilities. Why, isn’t that what God gave me the skill for? Aren’t we to use these skills to make what we aim for successful? My self-reliant attitude and the subsequent actions would set me up for failure, or at best provide a very short-lived success.
The next phrase in the Chronicles passage about the Israelites isn’t, “So they kicked tail and took names.” No. They had skill and resources all right, but their greatest asset was God himself. Listen to what they did. “They cried out to God during the battle, and he answered their prayer because they trusted in him.”
They were skilled, fit, ready, and from all aspects had it all together to get the job done, but they didn’t rely on all of that. They won the victory because of their faith, because they trusted in God! Their skill was put to use but it wasn’t the determining factor.
The implication of this truth for our lives is huge. We work so hard to try to be good, better, or best so we’ll have success. But it doesn’t matter if our skill is little or a lot, or if our resources are overflowing or not. What makes the difference is our level of “trust in God.” It’s the extent of our belief in God that plays the greatest role in our success.
Whew. That takes a heavy weight off my shoulders. I stress over my lack, both in my skills and in my resources. Although I’ll never have to worry about being over skilled and need to continue honing my abilities and developing my resources, I must keep all of that effort in perspective. My skill may be used, but it’s not the major determiner of my failure or success. I need to put the largest effort in learning to trust in God.
God loves to work on behalf of those who completely trust in him. Built within that trust is obedience. Even when the task seems irrational or unlikely to be successful, I must obey and trust. On a side note, I love the freedom to succeed or fail that I get when I trust God and do what he asks. The results are all his. Success is measured in faith not skill.
Living free, quite frankly, is no fall cakewalk. Fear binds me all up – binds me to expectations, religion, and sure-fire failure. I can never measure up to other’s expectations, religion’s rules, or perfect pastor-wife’s position. But I‘ve found a secret to living free from all that.
It’s really a one step process: Take love and be filled to overflowing. As I’ve learned through difficulties, God is all I need, all I want, and nothing else can fill that place.
It’s love, true love that’s the key to living free and casting off cords that bind. My life verse is “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”(2 Tim. 1:7) Out of love comes power and self-discipline; timidity and fear melt away. I pray this verse when fear strikes.
Perfect love comes from personal relationship with God. Freedom to live as a Christ follower doesn’t come from religion’s rules, but flows out of love for God. Ironically, this freedom requires more of a commitment. It’s about relationship with God and proper relational etiquette rather than rules of “churchianity.” A self-discipline. See previous verse. We have to mind all the checks the Holy Spirit gives. That’s way beyond a set of rules handed down from generations of church going people. The only way to receive the promptings and checks of God is to have personal dialogue with God – a personal relationship.
I offer a personal introduction to God as well as a set of communication exercises in iGETitLIFE with Purpose. The exercises are not set in stone. They are only coaching exercises to get your dialogue with God started on a personal level.
But first comes the introduction. We must realize we don’t measure up and see our need for God. That’s called sin. No matter how big or small, we all have it. But if you don’t feel the need for God, it won’t do any good to introduce you to him. If you desire an introduction, after realizing your need, you simply tell God you need him. “God, I’ve made a mess. I’ve sinned. I need you. Please come into my life, change my heart, and become my master giving me prompts and helping me follow them. God, I need you. Thank you for listening.”
If you talked with God like that and meant it with everything that’s in you, you are a Christ follower – one who is committed to following Jesus. At this point you have all the love you need to live free, but . . .
You have to live it out. It’s harder than living up to expectations and rules, but it’s freer. Fear will push you back into expectations and rules. Love will draw you deeper into the sacred relationship. Every moment is a choice, love or fear. One is freedom the other bondage.
Choose well, my friends. God’s grace will cover you in repentance.
I recently posted about expecting the unexpected The Un-Expected Expectation, but this stripe really zigs! Really!
We always drive down the same forest service road through the National Forest between our house and our church.
It is a beautiful drive. The Forest Ranger consistently pulls me over to remind me of the speed limit. He must be afraid if vehicles go over 30 mph the animals can’t get out of the way (or maybe it is the potholes). I’ve seen deer, wild hog, possum, raccoon, bobcats, coyotes, fox, and all kinds of regular wildlife in the Piney Woods of East Texas on this drive.
Last evening just after dusk, along with a dozen or so deer, we drove up on something of a wilder hoof. It was bigger, and my girls and I weren’t sure what it was. As we drove closer (at a much slower speed than my normal), we saw the unbelievable. It was a ZEBRA.
The girls and I acted out John Wayne’s movie Hatari and tried to capture it on cell phone camera. We had to have proof! Who in their right mind would believe this? The thing ran down the road. I speed up. It watched us as a predator and began zigzagging across the road. (My husband will kill me if I mess up his car!) I slowed. Zebra slowed. We commenced the capture chase for .8 of a mile, then it took a side road.
The Piney Wood safari hunt left my heart pumping. What a thrill! Seeing a zebra in its natural reaction without a fence between us is a dream I never expected to come true, and in East Texas! Move over John Wayne. I’ve got a fever for the hunt. A broad with a cell phone camera. You’ll have to see the movie to understand the girl and camera thing. The pic isn’t the greatest. But under the circumstances, give a girl a break. We were on the lookout for the lion and other crew from Disney’s Madagascar.
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It’s really a one step process: Take love and be filled to overflowing. As I’ve learned through difficulties, God is all I need, all I want, and nothing else can fill that place.
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