I'll Never Walk Alone

 

        There’s a song that has been around for many years called, “You'll Never Walk Alone.”  My favorite version is sung by Elvis Presley because he sings with such feeling.  It makes me think about how much worrying I do.  I cringe when I say that, because worry is actually a sin, since it means I am not trusting God to handle things!  Yet, it’s something I haven’t been able to quite stop, although I’m much better than I used to be.

Anxiety and worry is a human condition.  We, as a culture, do this so much, many people are on medication for it and some become so overwhelmed, they can’t see past the worry and will commit suicide, as they feel it’s the only way past their personal circumstance.

I was reading recently about a young man who during his middle school years dealt with massive anxiety and worry since he found himself, at least three times, in a single year with a major physical injury due to playing sports, specifically basketball.  He nearly became consumed with the fear that whenever he played, he’d be again injured and not only require another hospital or doctor visit, but be sidelined and not even be able to play.

It sounds a little odd to think of a young person having such fear, but totally legitimate.  What is more common, is to look at adults (me included) who fret and worry over things over which we have no control.  Some have trouble sleeping as waves of anxiety washes over because of an illness that seems all consuming.  

One friend was so afraid of dying a death of heart issues like his father and  brother, that he took his own life.  Before his death he spoke often of how he feared this, and didn’t want his wife to have to live with this kind of condition.

Others fight fear of bankruptcy because finances are out of control and they are nearing losing their home and all material belongings.  Still, there are those who are overwhelmed with other kinds of fears and worries that are personal in nature and we can’t possibly understand.

What is remarkable, is each of these situations could be countered by a conversation with our Creator and Savior.  While we might not receive the immediate answer we are looking for, we can absolutely accept the peace and understanding from a God who cares about every one of our needs, regardless of the level of intensity.  But we have to be willing to accept the Father is listening, when we cry out for help.

As we begin another New Year, perhaps it’s time to recognize that we really don’t ever walk alone.  God is always with us, every week, every day, every moment!

Elvis Presley singing "You'll Never Walk Alone"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8H9T7427EbI    

Photo Credit: https://www.dreamstime.com/climber-giving-hand-to-another-two-climbers-

Christmas Offers Hope

 

  Christmas is almost here and the celebrations have begun!  There are activities in our communities, in our churches, within our extended family units and even within our individual homes.  It’s a time of joy!  Christmas music is playing, planning is being done in earnest, baking has begun, shopping and wrapping of the gifts and lots more.

Sometimes we get so involved in all the ‘extra’ commotions we lose sight of why we even celebrate.  Others find themselves sinking deep into a chasm of darkness.  With our current world of COVID, the loss of family members and friends is extensive.  Hardly a family throughout the nation has been spared loss, if even only from a distance.

This loss can leave people filled with a void that overshadows even the ‘joy’ that is this season.  Hope is lost.  But what is ‘hope’ and what does it have to do with Christmas?  The Pastor said recently, “Hope is the certainty about the future that impacts the present!”

We spend days, weeks, sometimes even months (depending on the amount of necessary planning) to prepare for Christmas.  We are preparing for all the upcoming events and do our best to not miss anything on the list.  In fact a list is often necessary so that nothing will be overlooked.  We get caught up in the tree trimming, shopping, gift giving, party planning, and other trivial activities that pull us away from the real Center of Christmas.

The Old Testament provides over 300 prophecies about the Messiah, including that he would be born of a virgin and he’d be born in Bethlehem.  These are not random pieces of information; they were literal fact and many people knew this.  In fact the Sadducees and the Pharisees knew the Old Testament verbatim.  They could quote by memory the entire Pentateuch; the first five books of the Old Testament!

Their expectations of what they wanted the Messiah to be and do for them, however, overshadowed the reality.  Jesus was born into the middle of much discontent within his earthly world.  He didn’t come as a great warrior or a famous political figure with great political power, or even as a King who would be able to command changes, just because he mandated it.  

Without fanfare, or any kind of great celebration, he was born in the humblest conditions; a manger.  Because Jesus didn’t fit the profile of many who were waiting, even expectantly for the Messiah, they totally missed his coming.

The celebration of Christmas seems to begin earlier and earlier every year.  I admit I LOVE this time of year; this season.  But the holiday has changed over the years.  The secular world has in some ways, twisted what Christmas is all about.  Many in our society have forgotten and no longer acknowledge that it’s about the Birth of the Christ Child, not Santa and all the toys we can provide for our children. 

It’s not about the festive parties, or even the beautiful lights (and I totally enjoy the lights!) or about the Christmas tree or even the gifts, although all of this is very exciting—and especially appealing to those who ‘need’ something to focus on if they don’t want to focus on Jesus.

But it is about Jesus.  It’s about a profound hope that can only be satisfied through a relationship with Jesus who came to be the Sacrificial Lamb that provides the means for us to spend eternity with Him.  This begs the question: In what or where do you find hope?  

Photo Credit: https://www.acresofhopeonline.org/event/chaya/  

It Doesn't Have To Be Big

 

  A friend of mine commented that as a young adult she dreamed of retirement as a time where she would be able to work as a missionary, doing great things for God.  As she neared retirement, she discovered she had cancer which negated the ability for far away travels.  Instead, she found herself volunteering in the church’s food panty, helping out in her local elementary school and even on occasion, giving aid in the local nursing home.  

While all her efforts were commendable, she was discontent.  This was not her dream.  This did not meet her expectations.  So she kept looking and doing as much as she physically could.  Still she felt disappointment.  

Finally someone commented that as long as she’s being a servant unto God where she is, with the right motives, God can use her all the more!  Our lives are often different than what we’d planned, but God has a greater plan! Love comes in all ‘sizes’ according to the needs of those we meet.

Imagine Jesus when He came to Earth as a tiny infant.  Mary and Joseph understood he was God’s Son given through the Holy Spirit.  Their love for him was profound.  As he grew, others also loved him, but others could not understand how profoundly he would come to love us.

Many of the society, even then, missed his birth and even as he grew into adulthood, missed that he was the Messiah, even though he fit every single criteria of the prophecies in the Old Testament.  But he didn’t fit their expectations!  They wanted a warrior king who would save them from the Romans.  They wanted a political figure who would rule with a harsh hand to their oppressors, not a humble man who wouldn’t fight with fist raised against their enemy.

As Christmas nears, we might be reminded of Jesus’ servant heart.  My friend wanted to do something ‘big’ for the Lord, but what she did seemed small and irrelevant in her eyes.  Jesus’ efforts in the eyes ‘of the powers who ruled’ at the time thought his work very ‘un-kingly'— !  Certainly there had to be more.  They were discontent, yet at the same time, felt threatened by those who chose to follow him.

What an example Jesus set.  He had a servant heart—-all the way to the cross.  Do we get so lost in all the holiday trappings that manipulate our thought process we forget to have a servant heart, even at Christmas? 

What we do, does not have to be ‘big’ and ‘earth shattering.’  What we need to focus on is sharing what Jesus came to do when he came as the Sacrificial Lamb, in that humble manger so long ago.  His love was profound, way beyond what our minds and hearts can fathom.  

Jesus may have looked like an un-likely king, and without any possible means to have an impact on the situation those around him were enduring.  Yet, He was mightier than any other king they could have imagined.  He loved with a servant’s heart. He loved us all the way to the cross.  And that’s the greatest gift of all.

Giving Freely

 

  Years ago I was part of a group of Believers who provided Christmas dinner to shut-ins and elderly who were living alone at the time.  Some of the women of the church cooked the turkey’s, some donated funds, and others brought in canned goods until finally the team assembled all the elements so they could be delivered.  The looks on their faces when the gifts were delivered made my day!

A friend shared the story of how she worked with an organization who provided meals for those in need.  During one of her deliveries, she noticed a repairman next door.  Their hot water heater was not working and the gentleman she was delivering food to, had secretly arranged for the repair.  His neighbor was going through a tough time and he wanted to help him.  

When asked why he hadn’t told the neighbor about his gift, he said simply, “Because I want the credit to go to the Lord, not me.”  I, like she, was amazed by his response yet, isn’t that the Biblical way?  Aren’t we supposed to give freely without an expectation of return; knowing fully, our reward will come in Heaven?

Giving can be providing funds for a neighbor, like the man who had no wealth of his own,  or taking Christmas dinner as we did many years ago, or it can be baking cookies and sharing with neighbors, or sitting with a Senior in a nursing home reading a book or the local newspaper.  It might be helping someone promote a worth cause, giving a fast food chain gift card to the homeless or someone else in need, leaving a water bottle in the mail box for a mail carrier during the heat of summer (as long as you do it right before you expect them!),  do yard work (or shovel snow!) for the elderly, or many other ideas. 

Sometimes we feel we don’t have enough to give any away.  In reality that may be exactly as things are, but like the man who funded his neighbor’s repairs, God has a way of providing for those who see to the needs of others.  We are to serve.  God honors our service in whatever ways He believes we need.  

When we give with a thankful and cheerful heart, especially from ‘our poverty’ God will bless us in ways we couldn’t imagine.  He may send an anonymous check in the mail to cover our most recent need or to pay a bill.  He may send a repairman to do work we couldn’t possibly pay for; or provide for us in ways we are amazed to witness.  It’s just what God does!

We as Believers claim the title of Christians—-  Believer in the Messiah.  As a claimant to be subject to God’s Kingdom we need to consider how Jesus tends his ‘lambs.’  By following his example, we are feeding his ‘sheep’ with whom we live and need to encourage.

Christmas is about giving.  Christ gave his life for us.  God saw our need and provided the perfect sacrifice for our sins past, present and future when we become followers, and His children, through acceptance in faith, of this truth.  What greater gift is this?  

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Following The Warm Light

 

        I enjoy the clouds and dreariness of a rainy day.  There is something calming about it, as well as the need (or desire) to slow down a bit.  While I can’t explain it, it somehow has the ability to subdue the need for clamoring to get everything done. The light from the sun is hidden in these moments, yet not completely, allowing for us to experience ‘day time’ even when the sun isn’t visible.                                                 That said, I don’t like days like this to be more than a day or so.  After this limited time period, I’m rested and ready to take on the challenges  of all the busy-ness of the list staring at me from the table!

Glowing candle light is another facet of light I completely enjoy.  There is something warm and welcoming about a candle.  There was a Christmas some years ago where candle light could be seen radiating out of the windows of a small church I attended for Christmas Eve Service.  I can still recall the scene; inviting and embracing.  Once inside the flickering light could be seen in the smiling eyes of those attending.

Still, the bright sunshiny day is the place where exuberance and lightness of mood can really be witnessed.  It seems on these days, not only I feel this way, but the general population, as people are out and about shopping, or taking walks, running, playing with children or heading to the beach or other special place to soak in the sun!

When I think of light, however, my favorite thoughts wander to Christ.  He tells us He is the Light.  It is his light that fills our souls to overflowing so that others can see Him through us, as we live out our lives in obedience to him.  Isn’t this why we were created?

As I reflect on the variations and levels of light, there is yet another Light that is even greater than we can witness between Believers here on this Earth.  Imagine, if you can, the Light that will be available when we reach heaven.  This will be a place of no darkness.  After all, darkness can’t reside when Christ is present.  

I admit I have a difficult time picturing what it will be like when I live in a world of no darkness; always light!  I don’t sleep well in the the day time and rise nearly when the sun comes in my windows.  I suspect I won’t be sleeping much in heaven either!  What a joyous thought!

While I wait to reach a place of eternal Light, I will attempt to project the light of God in my life so that others may see a glimpse of a God, who loves all his creation.  That requires searching His Word for instruction and being obedient to the lessons found there.  It means that even on my ‘rainy days’ — those days when I don’t feel particularly ‘sunshiny’ I need to reach out to the God of Light and ask for an extra dose of His!

He’ll give it, just because I asked.  He wants His Light to shine in and through us.  What a great testimony to his goodness, grace and mercy. 

Family Bibles

        

        I am fascinated with people who come to church with an electronic Bible.  Even Pastor’s will, sometimes, use an iPad or other device when delivering a sermon.  Using the electronic devices can be very handy when looking up references or if there is a question which requires an immediate answer.  

Still, there is something uniquely comforting when reading a Bible which can be held in your hands, with paper pages requiring turning.  It’s true paper Bibles can be tattered and deteriorate after drying up, allowing the binding to fall apart as it ages, and as the leather cover peels away.  The physical pages can be so worn, it becomes impossible to read the words.

There are those who would tell you not only is holding a physical Bible important to them, but holding a family Bible is invaluable.  This book can have notes written from messages heard years before, or underlined scriptures that had particular significance to someone who read the Word at a previous time.  Or there may be colors used which denotes something special or a date signifying something remarkable about a given day.

Some have said holding a family Bible is like holding the family’s past. With what can be gleaned from the notes, colors, and underlinings, is to peek into someone’s thought process, or spiritual journey that may hold a significance to our own, which is yet to be determined.  Sometimes a person will even include a prayer list between the covers, from people prayed over from fifty years prior!  Can you imagine the answers God must have granted?

There is yet another perspective shared by a friend who said, her personal Bible had become so worn and tattered, she finally broke down and bought a new one.  Once she did, however, she realized she missed the notes she made over the forty years she’d used it.  So she decided to do something about it!  She painstakingly laid the Bibles side by side and recorded exactly the same markings in the new Bible.  She said it was beyond gratifying as she recalled the reasons why she’d made all those markings over the years.

The concept of family Bibles is so important to another friend, she shared that sometimes these treasures make their way into her re-sale shop.  With all the information noted between the pages, and particularly on the front pages, the family can eventually be located and these gems returned to family members who otherwise would not have the opportunity to hold them in their hands.  

Regardless of mode, paperback versions or electronic devices, it’s reassuring to know God’s Living Word never becomes tattered, worn, have peeling covers or in any way becomes deteriorated.  His Word is eternal, and has the ability to engrave our souls with His very own DNA.  It’s powerful and trustworthy.  It’s alive and food for the soul.  It never changes.  God’s promises are forever because God keeps every promise he’s ever made.  

I encourage you to reach out to God through His Word and see not only the words on the pages, but the impact those Words can and will have on your life when you accept them as truth.

Photo Credit: https://unsplash.com/s/photos/family-bible 

Finding The Truth

 

         I remember taking the Praxis exams when I was ready to graduate from College.  As I was waiting in the lobby before the time to enter the exam room, the students there were discussing the likelihood of passing it the first time.  One student said, “I’ve already taken it twice, I’m hoping three is the charm.”  Another agreed and acknowledged it was her second try, while still another commented she knew one student who took it many more times (than three) to finally be able to pass it successfully.

For just a moment, I panicked.  This was my first effort and I had no desire to take it again.  Since writing is my ‘thing’ I wasn’t horribly concerned about the Language side of it, but Math was another beast altogether! 

One of the elements of the test includes reading short stories (or paragraphs) and then being able to answer questions which determines your understanding level of what is written.  I was amazed with how many students were terrified of this component of the test.  My perspective held with it being no different than having a conversation with someone, and seemed perfectly logical.  

That said, when reading the Bible as a Believer, it’s completely different!  While the words can make perfect sense, with a perfectly clear secular understanding, what God wants us to ‘hear’ or ‘understand’ can be completely different!  The Holy Spirit can step in and give us insight on a scripture we’ve read a hundred times, and either missed a very relevant point, or see the point from a completely different perspective!  

It's the growing process, I believe; kind of like when a little person is learning to talk.  They say part of a word as they understand it, and then it changes later, and then finally to where understanding the word is possible from those hearing it.  Even then, the child still may not have a clear understanding of what he is saying!  (Our young grandson learned to sing a song, but when asked if he understood the words, he didn’t have a clue!)

A friend tells the story of not knowing much about God as a child.  It wasn’t until she was an adult and turning the pages of her father’s Bible which was discovered some years after his death, when she happened on scripture he’d underlined.  Even with the reading of the words, she couldn’t understand.  Her heart wasn’t ready; but the words stayed with her.

Eventually she re-read those underlined words and realization became clear.  She allowed the Holy Spirit to open her mind and her heart; accepting the words as Truth.  Over time she gained wisdom and understanding; now recognizing the words of guidance, found between the covers of the Book, for her life.

God’s Word is still as relevant today as it was centuries ago when it was written.  Understanding can only come when we are open, like my friend, making those Words relevant to every facet of our lives.  It doesn’t have be something to be feared like the Praxis test I took years ago.  The Holy Spirit wants willing hearts and minds to stir and mold, as we are shaped into the person and workers He wants us to be, to further His Kingdom.  Allow the Holy Spirit to move you and give you insight into the words you are reading.

Photo Credit: https://depositphotos.com/1523697/stock-photo-old-book-with-ray-of.html

The Red Bricks

 

          A friend tells the story of how English Ivy climbed the outer walls around his house and spilled over into his garden.  While the Ivy added beautiful character to his home, it had become time to take back the control of ‘it’s travels!’  As he began working with his gardening tools, he removed weeds, which added another element of the needed purging.  As he scraped and dug to get to the roots, he hit something hard.  Digging, he discovered a red brick, then another and another, until he unearthed an old brick pathway that had long been neglected and forgotten.  

The Ivy made him wonder what stories that red brick pathway could tell, if it could talk!  Imagine the people who walked its path; perhaps a child who rode his bicycle on it, or the comfort it might have given an older person who ‘planted’ his cane beside him on the hard surface for steadying as he walked; or the woman who lived in the house who might have used it on her way back and forth to the garden she once tended.  

Thinking of these possibilities of a simple red brick path that’s been ‘unearthed’ makes my mind meander over to the tedious work of an archeologist.  It’s amazing and exciting and gives me great joy, when I read that archeologists have uncovered another artifact that that proves once again, the Bible is completely accurate.  One of the most recent discoveries was another Dead Sea Scroll.

We are a modern people with an ‘it’s about me’ mentality.  We are focused on moving forward and upward on the corporate ladder, working long days to be able to provide for our families in the best way possible; while materialist advertising attempts to usurp our thoughts to look only at our own wants and desires rather than our suffering neighbor, or perhaps the homeless and sometimes even our own families when it comes to spending ‘time’ with them.  

We’ve been given God’s Word which outlines the ‘ancient paths’ which God laid plain for us to follow.  Because of our lifestyles, we’ve become much like the English Ivy that climbed those walls.  We’re going in all directions at breakneck speed, and neglect the paths designed for our greater good.  Weeds and roots begin covering and burying what we know to be true and right until the path isn’t even visible.

When we finally realize our paths designed by God have been hidden from our sight and ultimately our lives, we need to get out the ‘gardening tools’ and get to work cleaning!  It’s time to pull out the Bible and dig into the nuggets, including those within the Old Testament, to find those timeless paths written down for our benefit.

Perhaps your life is filled to overflowing with the schedule you keep.  Perhaps ‘Ivy’ has covered your personal red brick pathway.  Changes in our world sometimes come at such a rapid pace, it’s hard to keep up, as we attempt to adapt.  We are told the changes are for our good; but are they, as the world would like us to believe?  Is this the time to ‘unearth’ the ancient pathways and see what God wants from our lives instead?

Photo Credit: https://pixabay.com/photos/nature-wall-plant-brambles-flowers-2212972/ 

What Can I Do For Jesus?

 

       I read a post recently about responding to the question, “What do you want me to do for you?” that Jesus asked the blind man as he passed him by.  His response was that he could see. I suspect he was asking for his physical eyes to no longer have visual impairment, but could it have also been a spiritual request?

A friend of mine has been having a hard time with marital circumstances and even housing for herself and her children.  She has been asking God for help she says her eyes have been opened to what people can do, which isn’t always kind.  

As God’s children, we often place our requests before the Lord.  We ask for all kinds of things, like health, financial assistance, guidance and wisdom, to name just a few.  We are instructed to pray about everything, and because we are human, we often ask selfishly.  (Yes, I’m as guilty as anyone else!)

But someone else posed a different kind of answer, which set me back on my heels just a bit since it was quite profound, really.  What about responding with, ‘What can I do for YOU, JESUS?’  It’s so easy to get caught up in our own lives, we forget there are others who likely have needs greater than ours.

Yet, aren’t we, as Believers, supposed to take care of each other?  Certainly, the first church in the book of Acts did this.  They even brought goods (probably food- but maybe other items) daily to share with others in the community to make sure everyone had enough!  We have organizations set up, even within our own churches that are meant to help the ‘needy.’  This is a wonderful thing and I laud each community who does this.

But what would happen if we individually looked out for our neighbor, (even if we don’t know them well, or worse, didn’t get along with them!), our church family, along with our personal families who don’t live with us any longer?  Sometimes, even our immediate families are left to their own means, because we ‘expect’ them, since they’ve left home, to make it on their own.  

I’m not suggesting necessarily paying bills when people are deliberately setting out to be wasteful and expect someone else to pay it.  But stuff happens—even the COVID issues, which has been quite the hit in many family’s pocket!

As we age, being able to help someone becomes even more difficult because we don’t have the monetary means, or perhaps even the physical means of getting around as well as we used to.  In fact, we may be the one in ‘need.’  Does this mean, then, we are no longer responsible for ‘helping our neighbor?’  I think not.  There are still ways to help others.

Jesus wanted to know what the blind man wanted.  If Jesus asked you that same question, how would you answer?  Once you’ve figured that out, ask yourself the next question.  “What does Jesus want me to do for him?”

When we answer these questions honestly, it should tell us where our hearts are. 

God Helps Those Who Help Themselves

      My memories of fourth grade in elementary school, brings about mixed emotions.  Our family was very poor, but we were a family of faith.  My sister and I were taught to share our belief with everyone, and this included with friends at school.  There was a day, in gym class, I will never forget.  

I don’t remember what precipitated the conversation.  It could have been how I was dressed, the shoes I wore, or any number of things.  But my response to the unkind remarks about whatever it was, included, “God will take care of me.”  The comment following has remained with me, even as a visual of the event in my mind.  One of the five or six girls, who were surrounding me said, “God helps those who help themselves!”

There is no memory of what happened next.  It stops there.  I suppose it made me wonder if our family wasn’t doing enough to bring us into economic materialist wealth. It as easily, could have been something else.  Regardless, material wealth never happened.  But recently, there was a conversation about the use of this particular expression.

A teacher was explaining that she had worked in a Second Language environment to college-age students.  They were working with pronouns (myself, yourself, etc.) and students had to fill in the blanks with the correct word in their workbook.  One student, after class, came up to her, questioning one of the sentences.  “God helps those who help______.”   The teacher explained to the student before her, that this is a very common expression used by, or at least heard by, people in the United States.  Confidently she said, “The answer is “themselves.”   

The student’s response rocked the instructor, as it did me! He said: “Oh, I thought God helps those who helps others.”  Apparently, there is some credence to the expression, according to some ministers, who cite, 2 Thessalonians 3:10 or James 4:8, for validation.  But consider the idea that “God helps those who cannot help themselves,’ as suggested by the student.  This is where God’s Grace comes in.  The expression might be more of a proverb, than an actual Biblical truth.

We are told to love our neighbor as ourselves.  When we love someone, we care for them-- and care can be manifested in a variety of forms.  It may be a physical need we are caring for, if a loved one is ill.  For a neighbor in close proximity, it may be taking meals, or offering transportation somewhere.  For a stranger, it may be impractical for a ‘physical’ helping, although offering a gift card for food would be a wonderful way to help—and there are many other ways of ‘serving’ that help others.  

But love can also be demonstrated through small kindnesses to a stranger by offering a seat on a bus or train, a smile or kind word, carrying groceries for the elderly, letting someone go before you in line, paying for a coffee, or groceries, and list can go on and on.  These acts of kindness are acts of love like God instructed us to do—in an effort, to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, body and strength, while we love our neighbors as we love ourselves.

Fulfilling My Destiny

   

      God has a way of getting our attention.  When we recognize Him as Lord and Savior, our plans change as our lives take on new meaning and direction.  I remember in ninth grade thinking I’d like to become a teacher.  But then I realized that would require college, and since we had no money, college would likely not be an option.  It never occurred to me that I might have been able to attend on a scholarship!  I’m not certain I even knew what a scholarship was.  As it was, I was the first in my family to even graduate from high school!

          As my high school years continued, I altered from teaching to a business track.  That could be accomplished by doing well in classes, and while a business degree would have raised my starting pay, I figured high school with good grades would be enough.

Those plans changed again when I met my ‘now’ husband.  Instead of going to work, I got married, and had children.  Even so, I had always been a ‘writer of something!’  I was a journal keeper and kept diaries even for my little ones (Only the first three. After that, time was such a precious commodity, the next two didn’t fare so well!) so they could see a glimpse of what their childhood was like. 

Imagine my surprise when my last child was born, that I decided to begin writing ‘for real!’  I’ve tried to decide what my starting point was; and there are moments in the files of my memory, that give me a clue it wasn’t as sudden an idea, as it seems.

God laid the groundwork for my life before I was even born.  I had choices, however, and possibly (maybe even probably) took the ‘scenic route’ to get to where God wanted me.  As I cast glances back over my life, especially when I was younger, I wonder if I could have begun writing sooner, rather than later—in my mid thirties.  Yet, it’s because of my life’s experiences I am able to write with heart.  That’s not to suggest writers shouldn’t begin early.  But sometimes there are those of us who don’t recognize God’s tugging toward his ‘blueprints’ right away.  

I read an article recently about reaching for the destiny God has designed for us.  God absolutely has a plan.  Not only must we recognize it and then choose it, we also must understand that his plan is not for us alone.  While writing seems like a very solitary and sometimes private journey, the words put on paper aren’t just for me.  They are for everyone who reads them and then listens to what God wants them to know.  Even though the words are the same for every reader, the meaning can be quite different.

This isn’t just true of writing.  It’s true for every destiny of ministry God gives us.  We are placed here for a purpose; a purpose only we can fulfill.  God gives us the wisdom to touch people’s lives, even if only for a moment—and sometimes even when we aren’t aware.

I encourage you, to recognize the road God is calling you toward –and follow.  It may well be out of your comfort zone, and the last thing you expected.  Trust him to use that calling to be the witness he wants you to be.  You will be blessing others, just as he will bless you.

It Is Well With My Soul

  Music, especially Gospel music, feeds the soul like nothing else.  It can make a person cry, dance, laugh, recall a special memory, and help us worship in ways beyond imagination!

        I have many favorites; songs that I love and touch my heart, in ways indescribable.  I’m not sure which affects me more, the lyrics or the music.  Sometimes it can be one or the other or both.  It can depend on the weather, my mood, my location or even the circumstances I am facing.

There are scores of songs by the Kingdom Heirs (my absolutely favorite Southern Gospel group) that I love, but one remains my absolute favorite: “The Empty Grave Says It All.”   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIkrj23jbpk   The visuals and emotions this song draws out of me, are intense.  I become overwhelmed with tremendous joy and inexpressible reverence and adoration for a God who gave us Jesus to become my Lord and Savior.  I can picture the empty tomb and my heart is filled to overflowing!

Other songs that touch me include, “Jerusalem,” “Crown Him With Many Crowns,” “The Old Rugged Cross,” “Amazing Grace, (My Chains Are Gone),” “Lord Reign In Me,” and on and on!  I LOVE Gospel music; the old Hymns and the newer contemporary songs!  

The song however, that probably has had the biggest impact on me, however, is, “It Is Well With My Soul,” written by Horatio Spafford.  I’d always loved the song, but one Sunday, the person singing the song shared the history behind the lyrics.  I was moved to tears;  tears that wouldn’t stop.  For weeks afterward, when the song came to mind, I’d tear up.  When the music began in church several times during the months that followed, I was totally unable to sing.  All I could do was cry!  The words would not come.  

Perhaps you’ve never heard the story behind why these words were penned.  Horatio Spafford was a successful business man in Chicago.  He lost his fortune in the great fire of Chicago in 1871; and lost his young four-year old son to scarlet fever.  In an effort to escape the agonies they were facing, the family chose to take a trip to England.  His work would delay him and it was decided he’d join his wife and four daughters when he finished.  During the crossing of the Atlantic Ocean a horrific ship collision cost 200 people their lives; four of which included his daughters.  His wife survived and sent a telegram to her husband as soon as she landed.  He, of course, boarded ship and started the trip over, and as they passed over the spot where the collision happened, he penned the words to the now infamous song, “It Is Well With My Soul.”

  For more about this event visit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Is_Well_with_My_Soul 

The words he wrote gave him comfort as he trusted a Sovereign God.  We can learn much about courage and trust from this man of faith.  I can’t imagine enduring such loss and still able to see a glimmer of sunshine, through the darkness. God is Sovereign, no matter what! 

 Photo Credit:  https://pixabay.com/images/search/musical%20notes/

The Ant And The Contact Lens

     There’s a great story about a group of hikers who were climbing the side of a mountain I want to share!  Roped in for security, the climbers were making their way to the top.  One of the ladies somehow managed to hit the rope just right and one of her contact lens popped out.  She was already frightened by the height and then add to this, the blurring of sight, she about had a melt down!

She, along with those around her, frantically looked for the mis-lodged contacts.  It was useless, so they all continued climbing.  The lady with a sense of altered sight now had to rely totally on the rope for the remaining of the journey.  Once on top, she sat down and just cried, asking the Lord how she was supposed to climb down without being able to properly see.

As she continued to pray and ask for calm, another group of climbers were ascending.  There was the shout from someone below who said, “Hey, anyone up there lose a contact lens?”  It turns out one of the new climbers happened to see the lens, because the sunshine hit the moving contact; revealing an ant that was carrying it. 

Isn’t that just like God?  He has a way of making a way when there doesn’t seem to be any possible solution.  As we face our day to day dilemma of the corona virus situation, politics seem to be overwhelmingly altering the decisions of our leaders.  There are those who fear that our world will never be ‘as it was’ before all this started.  I tend to agree.   

But God can see the whole picture.  We view it only through our human eyes and like the climber who couldn’t see without her contact lens, we can’t see without looking through the lens of God.  This is not to suggest we will get the answers for which we are looking, but it can change our perspective just the same.

Regardless of what we endure here on Earth, God is still in control.  He has the capability of changing the hearts and minds of those in leadership decisions.  Perhaps he is choosing to let our world be operated in a less than Biblical manner, to see just where we, Christian Believers, stand.   

I don’t have the first clue to what an alternative plan would be. I think regardless of the strategy implemented, there are those who are going to disagree!  But we can still look at the world and reach out to those who are in despair and hurting, whether it be physical, emotional or spiritual.  We can still make a difference if we choose to!

Is it easy?  Not necessarily.  It may put us out of our comfort zone.  It may take us places we’d rather not go and perhaps even need to take a chance or two against the dreaded germ.  If nothing else, we can cry out to the Lord, to open our eyes so that we may see what HE wants us to do.  There are options, and I hope you are listening to hear what God wants you to do during this time of change.  

Photo Credit:  https://depositphotos.com/stock-photos/contact-lens.html 

Staying In The Faith

 

        As children, we interpret events based on our level of understanding, the environment we live in, and often our emotions. The same events that sent us in a ‘tizzy’ as a young person, would be viewed completely different if it happened as a teenager, or an adult.  

If a child was to freeze on stage in front of their third grade class during a program and his mom scolded him on the way home for ‘humiliating’ her (it was her child after all and what the child does is a reflection of mom), the reaction of the child may be “I’m a bad, stupid kid.”

As a teenager, the same incident would be likely be, “I tried. I messed up and I’ll never do that again.  I embarrassed, myself and Mom!”

An adult view of the same incident, (the adult child on stage, freezing in a local play).  “Mom has perfection and shame issues.  I did the best I could, and mom couldn’t see it.  I wish things had been better, but I guess she did the best she could at the time.”

It’s what you bring to the situation that develops your reaction.  In every case, it was a reflection of not one, but both participants.  When we develop habits of downgrading ourselves because of a believed failure, we tend to nurture those feeling into adulthood.  It has a negative impact on relationships.

Being unable to accept our faults or shortcomings is even relevant when we talk about our relationship with The Father.  We don’t believe we are good enough to be accepted into the Faith.   It’s hard to believe that anyone, even God can love us when we view ourselves as ‘unlovable.’  Because of this, there are those who harden their hearts toward God.  Their minds, souls and hearts are clouded with gray images of being unworthy of any kind of acceptance.

Even for those who have accepted Christ as Savior, sometimes have a hard time holding on to the assurance and belief that when we mess up, God can forgive us.  It hinders our ability to be faithful, putting our thought process in a type of fog.  Some even become so confused, they turn their backs on a loving Savior.  

We are admonished in scripture not to do this.  We are told to remain faithful, even when things get hard.  God was angry with the Israelites during their years in the Wilderness because they lost their faith, and ended losing the right to enter into the Promised Land.  But when the time was right, the ‘door was opened.’

We have the Holy Spirit now and He helps us hold on, on those days when we feel like we’ve messed up.  And we also have our church family and other Believers with whom we can spend time, discuss our failure and encourage us to repent, rather than giving up.  

There are days most of us, when things get too much, have a melt down and cry, scream, sulk, get angry, or have another mode of working through it.  The best option, though not usually the one we think of first, is just cry out to the Father.  He hears us, love, us, and wants us to trust him with childlike faith.  It isn’t always easy, but it’s the best path to follow!