Our Spiritual Growth

  I love to walk through beautiful, lush gardens.  One of my sons always seems to have this knack of having one that thrives and produces abundantly every year.  It seems anything he plants, he can grow! In fact, even others call him the ‘garden guru’!  

I’ve attempted to mirror his results.  Carefully planting what he suggested, I had hoped to see the same outcome.  But, of course, life would get in the way and I’d not make it back out to the garden for over a week, and I’d find weeds had invaded my space.  After pulling out as many as I could, I’d walk away and plan to come back and finish.  

Then the rains came, or some other reason, to be delayed.  By the time I got back out there, the weeds I’d missed before, weren’t only taller, but all the spaces I’d pulled before had brand new ones, completely strangling the tiny plants which I’d either planted or, the seedlings that had sprouted!

My son, however, wasn’t distracted like I tend to be. He began by making sure the soil was fertilized properly, and then as important, he would ‘tend’ his garden daily.  He’d check his plants for bugs and other issues, make sure it was watered regularly, and pull weeds as he found them!  This made the process incredibly easier.  Even knowing his methods; I still struggle!

OUR SPIRITUAL LIFE IS LIKE THE GARDEN

Sadly, our spiritual life can be just like this.  First we may even compare ourselves with others, like I did with my son’s garden.  Then we have good intentions, create a plan of action and we think we’ve got 'it’ under control.  We sit down with pure determination to strengthen our walk with God, because we recognize we aren’t where we need to be.  The world has closed in on us, and we want to make things right.

It works for a few days.  We hope we’re making progress, yet we aren’t seeing/feeling any of the results. The following week, we’re running a little short on time, so we skim through the reading in God’s Word and breathe a quick prayer telling God how sorry we are and that we plan to get back to ‘Him’ real soon.

Another day passes, and we squeaked in a few more minutes than the day before, but it seems like it’s getting harder and harder to sit down and just spend time with God.  So we begin to neglect some of the basics.  We’ll read the Bible and then run out the door or busy ourselves with some other pressing project, figuring we’ll be in church on Sunday and we’ll get ‘straight’ then.  

NOT EVEN TAKING CARE OF THE BASICS

Before long, it seems we haven’t even kept up with the basics.  No time for Bible reading and even less time to have a heart to heart talk with The Lord!  We notice begrudgingly, that God might be trying to tell/show us something, but life is just to complicated to even stop for a moment and try to figure it out.  Besides, if God’s pruning something or disciplining then who want’s that anyway?  We’ll get back to walking with Him when things get straightened out!

After a time, we realize we are farther away now than when we first sat down with him several months ago. Life’s been hard, things are all mixed up, people seem disconnected, work isn’t going like it’s supposed to, the family seems all at odds, and even church has become a place where we’re not sure it’s where we want to be.

THERE'S GOT TO BE A BETTER WAY

Still, that small voice that niggles at our ears, —-and hearts— makes us realize it’s time to do something about all these things that seem so upset!  So we dig in again and this time realize it really is about 'the time we spend with The Father'.  Instant results just aren’t going to happen.  It's much like getting our new teeth following our baby ones.  There’s new growth; the old ones come out and now it’s time to ‘chew’ with our big girl-big boy teeth.

Growth isn’t instantaneous; and sometimes it’s downright painful.  But when we lean into Jesus, who saved, us, we can welcome his role in our transformation—-in our spiritual growth.  It’s a process—-a journey, of being rooted, growing and thriving, which takes time; daily effort and determination; -- and the belief that it’s not about us. It’s about Him!

Photo Credit: Vegetable Garden 

In Wonder Of God's Creation

Today was one of those rare days when the weather was picture perfect.  It wasn’t cold, nor hot; just the right temperature to sit outside and enjoy the beautiful, mountainous views. I love both the sunrises and sunsets, the hummingbirds which greet each mimosa tree with glee or the occasional deer that passes through or even the bear whose space I’m crowding.  I am blessed to live in such a place.

Yet I know, there are those who would choose the ocean waters crashing onto the beach, over the grandeur of the majestic mountains and others who love the dry desert, or even the snow covered peaks of our neighbors way up north!  

Our world is filled with God’s loving hand painted environment, in which we choose to live.  Each area has beauty which rises to honor the creator of the Universe.  The sounds and scents, with the colors celebrating Fall, along with the unique wildlife, fill each space with a distinctive feeling of perfectness for where it is on the map.

While this is true, when was the last time you S T O P P E D and honestly just enjoyed God’s creation?  There is so much we can learn about God’s character when we do this.  His limitless power, orderliness yet complexity, along with his creative intelligence and provision for life can give us a compass to live by! 

That God could create such vastness of the galaxies yet microscopic ecosystems and functionings of the human body is mind boggling!  Still, his predictive laws of nature also shows God has an orderly and structured nature, as well, and can leave us in wonder!

In all of creation we can see God’s love for profound beauty and the passion to see it thrive as he provides for the sun’s warmth, rain for watering, and even autumn for coloring and winter for rest.

We often will say God is Sovereign and reflect on our lives in this way.  Yet, it’s not just for our personal lives, but also for his creation which extends well beyond we ‘mere humans’.  He tends the birds, and clothes the flowers in color and design, sets boundaries for the ocean waters and places stars in the sky.  He totally has ultimate authority over all he has created.

In awe, we realize He created us in His image.  As the creation from the heavens to all the universe reflect His glory, so do we.  Our value isn’t about our achievement and success.  It’s about how we reflect Him. He provides for our needs, often even when we fail to realize it.  Just as he waters the earth, and causes the sun to be the perfect distance away from Earth, so we are neither too hot nor too cold, he also provides natural herbs, plants, and animals to sustain our bodies.  He’s given us intelligence and reason to use what he’s given us to grow a world of greatness; perhaps on some levels, too great.

All these attributes of God are reflected in each of us as we are caretakers of this planet.  But it’s also about relationships.  Not only through nature but through each other.  It’s about fellowship; being personal with Him!

As you slow down this week and reflect on our outdoor sanctuary, remember to rest and give thanks to the God of the universe.  Wait on His presence and feel the wonder of his creation in the environment around you, right down into your soul.  

We Are Created For Hope

        It’s interesting to watch a flock of birds line up on a telephone wire.  They usually line up right next to each other until the line is full.  After witnessing this recently, a friend commented that another little bird came in late.  All the spaces were taken.  Not franticly, but with positive persistence, the little one kept flying back and forth until the birds shifted and created a space for him to rest.

I can’t help but think about the events of my last year.  It seemed there were so many things lined up for me to take care of, tackle, wade through, manage, and wrestle.  Many days I wilted, to the point of ‘melt down’ just trying to stay afloat.  I felt like that little bird who didn’t know where to rest; where to wiggle in or believe that I’d ever get through all the pages before me.

When we struggle like this, sometimes we also end up struggling with our faith; especially when we don’t feel like we’re getting anywhere.  But like the tiny bird, eventually we get to rest.  It doesn’t mean the battle is over.  It just means for the moment we can collect our thoughts, renew our spirit and start over with new hope and faith!

In a world where disappointments seem to thrive, many have lost any vision of hope.  It could be a financial crisis, relationship plight, health scare, loss of a loved one, or a hundred other things that upend us.  Our hope and faith is tested to a point we falter.

But God has other plans.  He doesn’t leave us.  He is the Anchor in the storm even when the storm doesn’t seem to shift.  And he sees the bigger picture. Our expectations can be shattered into a thousand tiny pieces, but God has the ability to put those tiny pieces back together again in a brand new way! His purposes always include hope.  

God is always with us even when we are fearful.  His hope and presence give courage when we want to crumple under the strain and stress of all the mess that seems to be around us.  As fragile as we feel, God can raise us above what we are going through, making us feel strong again and renewed as we grow and develop in the new direction he is calling us.

Hope gives us the ability to continue to wait with a different kind of expectation.  The world’s offerings of success, dreams coming true, instant answers, material gain, or fame and fortune, is all temporary.  God’s hope is eternal.  It never fails, because He never fails! And all those struggles we are facing God can use, as we grow to trust in him and deepen our faith —because he is a ‘God Who Can’, so unlike the world.

It’s hard to maintain when life is uncertain, we are weary and overwhelmed with whatever we are facing, but when we look to the Creator of the Universe who knows just what we need when we need it, we can find a place to rest.   We need to be still and let God be God, even when we feel we can’t go a step further.  When we are unable to walk he will carry us, allowing us to grow in our faith, even when we feel lost and forgotten, because He loves and cares for us.  He is the Perfect Hope!

 Photo Credit: Finding A Place To Rest

God Is A Good Book Keeper

  As I reflect on my last year, I am glad God is leading me through this unexpected ‘season’ of life.  I know death is part of living, but it doesn’t change the fact that ‘living’ can be hard, when navigating life alone after 51 years of togetherness!

There’s an old truth, ‘prayer changes things’, which some people question.  But I can say, with certainty, that prayer does affect how we believe, how we live and can have an impact on others!  I know over the past months people have prayed for me.  God has placed more than once, the right person at the right moment for me in some way, to keep me moving forward.  

WHEN PRAYERS AREN'T ANSWERED

But it seems there are prayers that just aren’t answered.  And while that seems unexplainable, ‘unanswered prayers’ sometimes are the answer.  God knows what is going on and the beginning from the end.  In the middle of all the uncertainty, God also keeps track of our tears and stores them in a bottle. (Psalm 56:8) He knows how many tears you or I have ever shed!

Life in general changes nearly every day, in some way.  Sometimes the change is so subtle you miss it.  But it’s comforting to know that even in these small ways, God is still in control.

Admittedly I am still searching for clarity for my next steps.  It’s important to ‘be still and know that HE is still God’ and He knows all the right strategies to get me where I need to be.  It’s hard to be patient, even while recognizing His power and eternal qualities.  

While I wait, it’s important to also to remember to be obedient, even in the small things.  Interestingly, this morning, I was asking God, “What are you preparing me for?”  I’ve been doing a good bit of research for another project which I still don’t have a clue how or where it will be used.  Yet I feel compelled to keep working on it, which prompted my question in prayer.

God has plans which I don’t know, but I do know obedience is absolutely mandatory!  While my ‘harvest’ isn’t yet seen, I must believe that God will reward my obedience, even though it seems such a small thing.  God isn’t only interested in the ‘big stuff’.  He watches and cares about the ‘little stuff’ too!  

        He even tells us that he cares about the small sparrow, (Matthew 10:29) and we are much more valuable than a little bird.  If God can know when a tiny bird falls and how many tears we've shed, then He also can know how many times we have or have not been obedient!

Every act of kindness, moment of restraint, moment of follow through, or whispered prayer, matters to Him.  He sees us!  He knows what we’re going through.  When we can be obedient, even on those days we feel hidden from sight, God knows it!

He also knows those moments when we share our faith with others.  As the ‘end draws nearer’, it’s urgent that we pray and share our faith.  If we hold back and allow those who take risks with their eternity, are we held responsible?  Again, God knows everything we do, those we interact with, and every word spoken.

It all matters to him and there is a reason for everything.  Nothing is random with God.  As we navigate our ‘unknowns’ we can know for certain God is getting us ‘ready for something’ or maybe protecting us from something we thought we wanted but wasn’t right for us.  His reasoning can be counted on as being the very best for us, even if we can’t see immediate answers or any immediate harvest.

Photo Credit: Change

When We Need Compassion And God's Grace

A mother shared a story about her daughter who had been disabled due to a car accident about 12 years earlier.  One day while driving down the road she (the daughter) noticed a man carrying a huge cross with a flowering wreath around it, on his back, walking down the road.  Feeling compelled, she stopped at a nearby convenience store to buy a bottle of water to carry back to him.  

When she arrived, another man had also stopped; a minister.  The man carrying the cross, she learned, was deaf.  He was carrying the cross in memory of his son who was born on a specific date, and then some years later died on his birthday.  This was the father’s pilgrimage in honor of his son.  He’d planned to arrive to the grave on his son’s birthday.

The daughter was deeply moved by the man’s story for several reasons.  One of those reasons is 12 years earlier, on that exact date of the son's birthday and eventual death, she’d been in a car accident which left her crippled.  She’d never gotten past the pain and anguish of the accident.  On many levels it left her bitter and angry, even though she’d grown up in church.  She could not understand how God could have left her in this place.

While none of us ever wishes to suffer, we live in a fallen world and we are human.  Sin is part of our nature; which is why Jesus had to come and provide the sacrificial death for us.  We’re never going to get it just right, but we must keep trying.

What we can often learn in the midst of our trials and suffering is, to trust God for the right answers. This is the place where we learn.  Sometimes, if we honestly look for it, in retrospect we can look back on it and see where we’ve grown.  

But trials terrify us, leaving us often feeling like we are traveling alone.  God's Word assures us, we don’t.  Even in the twisting and turning of life, God is with us every step of the way.  When we are ready to throw up our hands in despair, fully believing we can’t walk another step, He is there.  He will provide just what we need to get through another day, another hour, even another moment.

He is filled with compassion and grace for us.  He responds to our needs in a variety of ways, which often surprises us.  He doesn’t necessarily take away our pain, but he helps us understand it, and sends other people to go through it with us.  I am witness to this!  God has sent the ideal people in my path over the last nine months as I've traveled the journey of grief.  There have been times I've been astounded by how this has happened.

Without any doubt, I can look back on my life and sees ‘God’s thumbprint’ throughout-- even from my years as a teenager!  He was always with me in the valleys, when things seemed to be going only badly!  But he's also been with me in the good times!  This thought makes me think of the song lyrics of a Gospel song: "God On The Mountain".  (YouTube:   Lynda Randle - God On The Mountain )   He truly is the same God in the Valley as He is on the mountain!  He never fails us, and speaks to us through his Word, prayer and even through other people.  

Grace doesn’t mean we will have smooth paths, immediate healed hearts, or even open doors.  But he does promise His presence, which means Grace will meet us right where we are….in the middle of our struggle and pain.

Photo Credit: Commpassion and Grace

Let God Lead Your Next Step

          

      Struggles; we all have them!  The road in front of me seems foggy and filled with uncertainty.  Time passes, and still the questions keep twisting in my heart.  Am I headed in the right direction?  Is this where God wants me to be?  Who can I rely on to keep me grounded?  What happens if or when I fall apart again?  When does this end?

Even though I've made progress, these and what seems like a thousand other questions keep battering my sense of confidence, as each day continues to remind me of what (who) I’ve lost and a sense of aloneness, I never thought possible.  I try to rest but often my mind refuses to settle in and I wake as tired as I went to bed, and yet I know I’ve slept.                                   

  I KNOW I'M NOT ALONE

   As a Believer, I know I am not alone, but I am human.  I know that I am deeply loved by God and he has eyes on everything that has happened, and knows what I don’t: the future!  He’s not surprised with all my questions, confusion or even my doubts, and I’m certainly not the first who's had them.

Biblically, Esther faced decisions which terrified her!  She had to face the king and perhaps death.  Abraham was told to leave a place he’d always lived and journey to places unknown, and even the disciples had questions as they followed Jesus.  This is not new to God!  In these unknowns, God was still working; still in control!             

JUST OUT OF REACH   

       I am reminded in His Word that I’m not supposed to carry this weariness, my burdens, doubts, or even my fears alone.  His Word tells me not to fear.  My head hears that, and my mind believes it, just because God said it; yet my heart yearns for answers, and a calm and peace which often seems to be just out of my reach.

Yet, again, I know if I will totally trust my Creator, he will guide me through.  God’s Word is described as a lamp for my path (Ps. 119:105).  It doesn’t say it’s a grand spotlight which will lighten the entire area or even the road, but specifically, my path, and that’s enough for just today.  When I receive it, it can give me what I need to carry on for exactly where I am in this moment, in this hour, even in this day, and use it to move forward.           

LET GOD LEAD YOUR NEXT STEP

       One single step forward.  When I move just one step in the right direction, whether it be related to family, finances, health, work, death of a loved one and now facing a ‘foggy future’, God will hold, not only me but anyone who believes, as we move in faith and obedience to His Word.  

Answers and clarity do come, and often through community. Sometimes we can find them through other Believers, friends, mentors, pastors, or just sitting with His Word and seeking His face.  

God’s not finished with those of us who struggle to get through another day.  Our story is still being written. We just need to be still and listen to His still, small voice and cling to an all Powerful, Loving God.

Photo Credit 1-3 I Am Not Alone 

Photo Credit : Not Alone - Foggy 

Called To Encourage

  Along with myself, there are two other ladies in the current congregation who lost their husbands within the last year! Both of these ladies are struggling with the same kinds of things I am.  I’ve, almost inadvertently, become good friends with one since I see her more often than the second.  

Last evening after church, we were chatting; just about shared experiences, feelings, fears, all the kinds of things we are both are going through and she looked at me and said, “I don’t like that I have to go through this.  But since I am, I’m glad it’s you who’s going through it with me!”  That totally resonated with me and in the conversation, just about five minutes later, I said the same thing back to her!  

Sometimes we ask ourselves ‘Where is the good in whatever it is we are going through?’  Many times we are left wondering and don’t see it.  But when we witness it as it’s happening, it has a powerful effect!  

Most everyone we know has experienced loss.  Most can empathize with the feeling of loneliness and grief.  My friend and I both know God is the source of our joy, but to have someone who can moment by moment understand the pain of losing a spouse, it’s profound.  

I understand that this must be a recurring incidence where there has been horrible loss from fires, flooding or other natural disasters wiping out an entire community.  There is much grief had by so many! But in many ways my friend and I were strangers since I've just recently come into this congregation.  Now we share a bond we’ll likely have for the rest of our lives.

God tells us to encourage one another. A sincere comment of, ‘I hear you.’ or ‘You’re not alone.’ to someone who is struggling, is huge!  If a person can share something they’ve been through, that of course, doesn’t replace their grieving or problem; but lends God’s light to it, it’s powerful.

Even sharing a prayer right on the spot or remembering them later, is another form of encouragement.  I remember shortly after Charles passed away, I had to get fuel in my car.  This is an easy task, as long as you know what you’re doing.  Charles always took care of fueling my car!  So out of need, I was off!  Of course when normally you could use your card and fill up at the pump without going in, on this day, I had to go into the station and ‘prepay.’  

I had NO idea how much it would take—I wanted to fill it up.  The person waiting on me didn’t speak good English, and hard as I tried I couldn’t make him understand.  I was beyond frustrated.  

I was so grateful, when another lady—a total stranger—walked up to the counter beside me.  First she put her arms around my shoulders and on the spot, in front of everyone there, prayed-aloud!  And then she took charge; asked me the right questions, and set it up the way it needed to be, so I could re-fuel.  I was beyond thankful God sent her!  Even as I write this, it still makes me cry! I was overwhelmed, as I have been on many occasions during the last 8 1/2 months since Charles’ death.  

The point is, we all need each other!  Sometimes encouragement comes from our family or church family, a phone call, text or a note in the mail.  But it can come from perfect strangers who want nothing more than serve Jesus, in what normally is no big deal, but to a person falling apart, is everything!

We all have struggles, but even then, God will put people in our path who need a smile, a hug, an on the spot prayer or just a small word of encouragement.  We need to be ready (and willing) to give-- a little of ourselves…and ultimately of God, to encourage someone, in their time of need. 

Photo Credit: See the good when things are not