I Am A Child Of God

             

            I know I am a wife, mom, grandmother, friend, student, quilter, writer and what seems like twenty other hats I wear.  I have no problem identifying my very human characteristics which define me.  Yet to say, “I am a child of God” seems surreal.  It is something so profound when I say it, it doesn’t seem possible, especially when I consider the cost Christ had to give to make this happen. 

            There are scriptures, which I’ve tried to memorize, which validates this truth because long ago I accepted Christ as my Savior.  It’s something I’ve believed for as long as I can remember, yet the idea that God calls me as one of his, and specifically his child, is amazing. 

 

            I reflect on my human parents.  My mom took care of me as an infant and my dad was wonderful in situations where my mom wasn’t strong.  My siblings and I were close while we were children, and I’m grateful.  It isn’t much different with my Heavenly Father.  God absolutely takes care of me, Jesus gave his life, that, that might become truth for me.  The Holy Spirit is always also close by for comfort and direction.  Each member of the Trinity ‘grows' me like my earthly family.  And add to this my ‘church family’ and other Believers, I have a huge family on which to rely and take counsel from, should I need it---and ask for it!

 

Once this reality totally sinks in, I can acknowledge God cares about my tears, my questions and frustrations.  He finds joy in my successes and will reprimand me when I sin, through conviction.  His gentle arms surround me when I need a hug and his heart breaks when mine does.  He knows my weaknesses and my strengths and knows how to use my flaws for his good.  He cares about the little things just as much as he cares about the big ones. 

 

He teaches me through his Word, through experiences, and other Believers.  He not only cares about my questions, but will lead me to the answer if I’m willing to look for it.   God cares about the coronavirus.  God cares about our economic status, death, disease and sin, and yes, even me.

 

Even knowing all this, as I face days that seem overwhelming in their struggles, I cower.  I want to escape and just hide.  How self-centered of me!  I should instead be standing strong and face my struggles like Paul did when he was imprisoned.  He would sing!  I often can’t sing when I’m sad!  Songs seem to accentuate the element or level of my despondency and I literally just cry. 

 

Still, when I physically pick up His Word or cry out to him, I am overcome with a calmness that is almost indescribable.  I feel washed in His Stillness.  Then I am able to rest, physically and emotionally; and more than that, accept all the spiritual rest that His comfort brings.

 

As humans, we sometimes find it difficult to rely on the comfort of a God we cannot see with our eyes.  Yet, when we look around at all his provisions every day, even moment by moment, we can accept this truth for what it is, because we can 'see' Him.  We are a family and I am a child of God, and one day I will be with him in Paradise.

God Is Faithful

             

          My husband and I just made a return trip to the East, from South Dakota.  We have an older motor home, which several years ago, on the way out West, about an hour from our destination, konked out and we had to be towed.  There it sat for the next two years, while Charles fiddled with it and got it working again!

            This past Friday morning we headed back in that same motor home, towing my little car.  It was wonderful.  It ran fine, smoothly and gave us great traveling access to our own bed for sleeping, kitchen and meals.  Life was good!  

 

            Just before we reached the other side of South Dakota, the motor home stopped running.  Literally!  After a few moments, it started up again and we went the remaining mile to the next exit and re-fueled.  Again, it had issues, but it finally started and we were off!  The goal at this point, was to get to Sioux Falls and find an auto store for what Charles now thought might be wrong with it, given the code to his ‘auto tester’ he now carries.

 

            Without any problems, we made it to Sioux Falls, and the Auto Zone and got the part, but of course by now, it’s dark.  But we take off again and drive all the way to Waterloo, Iowa.  In the morning, after re-fueling we again, leave; the motor home purring like a kitten!  Then we reach the end of Route 380 getting ready to get on 80 East.  Just before we did (literally on the exit ramp) the rig again konks out! After a few moments, we again get going, until just before we enter the highway.   This time, the RV refused to start.  

 

            I had been praying about this, from the time the rig first gave us a warning it was going to be difficult.  God provided the means for us to go a bit farther toward our destination; without leaving us completely stranded.  As we sat on the shoulder of Route 80 I’m asking the Lord for another miracle, but also praying that He would send someone to help and give Charles the ability to fix whatever the problem is.  

 

            Recognizing he had the part that was likely giving us the issue (a crank shaft sensor- I know nothing more than that!  I am not auto literate!)  his biggest concern at this time, is being out on an Interstate, under the rig, with vehicles passing by (not all can or will get over as they near us) at 70 miles an hour!  

 

            Within moments an Iowa DOT truck pulled up behind us.  After having conversation with the driver, it was determined he would put out cones (forcing traffic over) so Charles could replace the part.  He commented on the fact that if this had to happen, this was the best place for it to occur, given the shoulder of Route 80 for many miles ahead!  So, true to Charles’ nature, under the rig he went and replaced the sensor, in less than fifteen minutes!  The Iowa DOT stayed with us until he finished, with lights flashing warning, to other drivers.

 

            When Charles came back into the cab of the RV, he turned the key and it started perfectly, and really was ‘purring like a contented kitten’ – much better than before!  Thanking the DOT for his help, we drove away and continued all the way back to Maryland!

 

            I share this story, because God is truly faithful.  As silly as it may sound, I became hugely emotional after all this happened.  God literally answered my prayers each time I asked.  Do my prayers always get answered in this fashion?  No, probably not, but God knows what I need and when I need it!  This was a clear demonstration of God’s provision for our lives and I am beyond grateful!  

 

            I serve a living God, and during this time of political tension, I know that God will be with me, regardless of what goes on around me.  And that gives me a peace which passes all understanding, and for that, I will praise Him!

Finding Solitude

 

          

          My husband and I travel a lot, and most often our destination, when away from the east coast, places us in the mountains. I am overjoyed when I can bask in the beauty of the Ponderosa Pines in South Dakota, or among all the deciduous trees in the Great Smoky Mountains.  There is something powerful in watching the sunrise over the peak of a mountain in the distance, and I stand in awe. 

 

            A discussion between friends recently went to early morning alone time, with God.  Jesus found it necessary to leave the busy-ness of the city, go to a lonely, quiet place to pray.  His prayer was all about communing with the Father. They must have had amazing conversations and helped keep them connected in thought and deed.  

 

            Jesus was a man but he was also God.  He had a unique bond with the Father.  Yet as humans, we are given the opportunity to have a relationship with God, much like Jesus and God must have had when Jesus was on the Earth. 

 

            Doesn’t that very thought make your heart race?  To have a conversation with the Creator of the Universe is an amazing blessing.  We have the opportunity to pour out our hearts, question where we are going and what we should do, offer thanks for aid received or answered prayers, and ask for help in upcoming events!  

 

            If Jesus, who was/is uniquely connected to the Father felt the need to get away from the hustle and bustle of life, doesn’t it just make good sense that we as humans, would also need to find a quiet place and take the time to commune with the Father?

 

            During our conversation, some said they met with the Lord first thing in the morning, either on their bed or even at their table.  The table idea makes me think of a Southern Gospel song that has a line, “there was church in the kitchen!”  Other people found their renewal would take them to the desert, during a morning run, their backyard listening to the birds serenading them, or resting on a rock during a climb up a mountain.

 

            Regardless of where we choose to meet with God, the point is, that we do indeed meet!  It is the place to become recharged, restored and renewed in the our spirit, body and our mind.  But that said, the COVID pandemic has thrown a new perspective in meeting with The Father.  We have been forced to ‘stay in place’ for many weeks.  Even as the opening of the country continues, there are still restrictions.  Due to the inability to ‘go to our favorite places’ in the busy-ness of life, we are afforded a unique opportunity to meet with God.

 

            What will happen when life does go back to ‘normal’?  Will those who began a daily time with God, because they were unable to ‘go out,’ but can now, remain dedicated to spending time with God every day?  Life has a way of turning our good intentions into something else, or stealing our intentions completely.

 

            As our lives become increasingly busy again, I suggest it’s vital to our Christian growth, to spend time with the Lord every day.  It’s in this place we will receive blessings that will enable us to follow the call and directives of God day by day.

Hard Decisions

         

        It is hard with young children to explain why Mom and Dad fight all the time and end in separation or divorce.  My own daughter had an experience with a friend of hers while in elementary school.  

          After returning to school following the holidays my daughter asked her friend, “Did you have a nice Christmas?”  Her friend replied, “No.”  “Why?” My daughter responded.  “Cause of Mom,” her friend answered.  Bewildered, my daughter asked, “What did your Mom do?”  Her friend’s response, “She didn’t spend Christmas with Daddy.”   My daughter was horrified and had no clue how to respond!

As adults, we accept this kind pain, despite how difficult, try to deal with it and move on.  It’s different with children.  It is beyond their understanding.  All they understand is their love for both their parents, and their fear of losing one or both.  They often feel responsible, filling them with guilt that isn’t theirs.  

 

It's always interesting, especially over the holidays, watching the Hallmark Christmas movies, which are set to begin again soon.  Several of the movies will deal with the loss of a spouse, but others deal with separation and divorce and the problems it creates for the children.  Obviously, on TV, eventually everything turns out all right, especially with the backdrop of 'Christmas'.  Life isn’t necessarily quite as kind, and it takes some hard decisions to get everything in order.

 

God wants order.  He doesn’t want our lives all mixed up and sad.  The holidays seem to accentuate whatever it is we are going through --- especially when it’s sadness.  God promised to give us guidance, if we ask him.  As adults, when things get tough, we need to seek God’s will in our lives and remember that our decisions not only affect our lives but those around us, including our children, and extended family.  

 

This doesn’t mean that hard decisions won’t still come.  Whether it’s divorce, moving, changing jobs, financial problems, health issues or any number of situations, we need to seek God’s face so that we can handle unpleasant situations not only from an adult perspective, but enable us to guide our children through it, as well.

 

It’s encouraging to know God is “in the house!”  He is our source of strength, every single day, with just a whispered breath crying out to Him.  He is our support who holds us in the palm of His hand.  Life is a continuing cycle and every person is affected in some way by circumstances they hadn’t planned for.  But Christ knows our needs even better than we do.  He knows the beginning from the end and just how things will work out.

 

So, if you are experiencing any kind of change or hardship--regardless of the time of year, give the problem to God.  Begin now; this year, month, week, day and even moment to moment.  Listen for His will and allow him to work out the details.  Do your best in all things, and let Him do the rest!

 

Replacing My Fear For Faith

            

        As I sit here, penning my thoughts, what is left of Hurricane Sally, is dumping rain on our area.  It’s not a big deal for us, just lots of steady rain.  While we don’t need it, (we are otherwise already saturated) we will likely experience some minor flooding; hardly worth getting upset over.

            There are those in the South who are reeling from all the devastation; and not only from Hurricane Sally but from Hurricane Laura, and Marco and others, starting even before hurricane season began.  When you add the hurricanes to all the horrific fires ravaging the West, it seems a little eerie!  Then, when you add the hate, and violence, protestors have inflicted on our cities, it’s a little like a mirror image of the weather!

            Who would have thought even ten years ago that our nation would be in such turmoil?  Or sure, there was dissension and even conflict, but the viciousness of people now multiplied by their hate, is downright scary!   

            I was reading about how Africa went through a military overthrow of the government four decades ago. The writer of this article and her family were terrified for their lives.  She remembered forty years earlier when she was a child how she and her family were spared death because of their faith in God and the prayers they raised up to Him.

            Yet, there are those Believers who minister in other countries and face death from a non-welcoming government daily.  Even citizens who live there are under this kind of threat, should they believe in Jesus Christ.

            I am convinced the turmoil we are facing today is directly related to the second coming of Christ.  As a human, it’s natural to have fear.  Just this morning there was a headline on the news which said, “War is coming!”  I can’t even imagine what format that would take, or even how you would know who your enemy is since it would be based (I believe) on your political views!

            During the Civil War, it was North against South and there were those who left their homes from one side or the other, given their conviction, and physically went to that geographic location!  How on earth would we find a dividing line now?  Again, I have no answers, but it’s certain fodder for fear and lots more questions!

            Despite what we are facing, there is another certainty.  Jesus will return and we, even as Believers will not be spared suffering.  It is the End Times.  We must face that, but I suggest not with fear, which is what the enemy would prefer, but with a level of joy they could not begin to understand.  It is here my faith must be greater than my fear!

            As Believers, we know when our time on this Earth –our temporary home—is done, we will come face to face with the Father.  I can’t wait to see Jesus!  Oh, my goodness, can you even imagine the joy?  Now that said, don’t think that I want war, violence or any other kind of ugliness to precipitate my going!  But knowing this absolutely can, if not totally take away the fear, it can lessen the fear.  One day I’m gonna see Jesus face to face, and that my friend, is reason for joy!

It's In A Safe Place

            

           I am notorious for putting something away in a safe place so I know just where to look for it when I need it!  At the time, it makes perfect sense, but when I’m searching for it, I’m totally at wits end trying to think of what I was ‘thinking’ when I put it away.  

            When I was a child, my parents would laugh when they lost something and then found it, saying, “There it is!  I always find it in the last place I look!”  I suspect my folks weren’t the only ones who made this observation.  But for a child, it seems a bit confusing.  After asking why they’d say that, with a slight giggle, answer, “Well, because once I find it, I don’t have to keep looking!”

            That made sense, and as an adult, those words enter my thought process as I’m searching for my lost item!  Yet all the while, I’m also thinking, “Where’s the last place I’d look?” Hoping that it would indeed be my last place---at the very beginning.  It’s a great approach for items like sunglasses, keys (always the keys!), an important piece of paper, a book, or anything that is a ‘concrete’ item. 

            But what about those intangible items?  Why is it so difficult to find love, faith, happiness, courage, hope, guidance, or even the path we should take?  These ‘abstract items’ can be lost when life throws us ‘under the bus.’  Circumstances such as divorce, the loss of a child, debilitating diseases like cancer, financial difficulties, natural disasters that takes everything they own, those struggling with depression and more can wrack a person’s self-confidence and self-worth to the point of wanting to give up!

Life seems to be spiraling out of control.  We feel totally lost and unable to find our way back to what is right and good.  Where do we look for these non-tangibles?  How can they be found, especially when we can’t even ‘see’ them with our eyes!?

            Often, we search, but just like looking ‘in all the wrong places’ for the tangible, concrete items, we do the same for the intangible ones.  People, frequently become so depressed and filled with despair, they just want to run away and forget.  That can lead to substance abuse, alcohol, or other behaviors that are at first glance the ‘perfect escape,’ but end up in only destruction and disillusionment.  

            God promised he would not give us more than we can bear.  Some would say, given the circumstance, it is more than they can bear and while dealing with other ‘escapes’ believe the best way out is suicide.

            We all have struggles, but we each must choose how we will handle them. Satan and his minions use our choices of free-will to pave the way for some of our difficulties.  Someone else added “the Laws of Physics” are also players in this journey.  Falls that break bones, or accidents that cripple our bodies also create circumstances which cause distress and despair! 

            God promised to be with us through whatever we face.  His grace is what gets us through.  We must claim that promise however, for it to be effective.  When we live in a way that demonstrates anger and hostility at God, forward progression can be difficult.  Negativity has a way of pulling us further under and Satan will jump on the opportunity to hold us down when we give in!

            When we look into God’s Word, we can find the perfect solution for all that is going on in our lives, (even in the current state of affairs of hate, and division).  God can make any bleak situation turn bright and good, when we allow His Spirit to change ours!

(The significance of the photo is, if you look closely, near the first sentence of the second paragraph, to the right of the picture, you'll see an apple a squirrel 'hid' for a later time!)

God-Winks

           

           I watched a movie last year and a second one this year that used the expression “God-winks.”  I had never heard such a phrase, but I have the concept!  A ‘God-Wink,’ in a nutshell means that God works out things, that couldn’t have otherwise happened.  I’ve always called them ‘God-Incidents” rather than a 'coincident'!

            There have been all kinds of horrific natural disasters.  One friend posted a picture of three crosses, where both of the ‘outside’ crosses were down, but not the center one.  Another picture shows a Bible that was untouched despite all the other devastation around it; sometimes it’s an entire church that is spared when the rest of the community is completely obliterated.

 

            In our lives, God can use uncommon occurrences or meetings with people that can only be a ‘God-wink.’  It might be taking a wrong turn and causing us to miss a horrific traffic accident, had we been able to take our regular route.  Occasionally it’s a card or letter in the mail that comes at a most crucial time.  Some people will even share money has arrived in their mail box from an anonymous person just on the day when everything would be lost if they didn’t have the exact amount of funds they found.  How does this happen?

 

            We serve a God who knows our every need--- in fact he knows everything there is to know about us.  The Bible even says he knows the number of hairs on our heads.  (This one makes me giggle since when I brush my hair in the morning, I lose so many, it must require a recount!---sorry, bunny trail!)  The point is, God isn’t a bystander in our lives. He is active in the lives of those who believe in him (and even those who do not.  Remember Pharoah?  God used him and he wasn’t a believer!)

 

            Our world is in a state of confusion and in some cases, even panic and fear over the pandemic, financial woes, rioting, political dissension—(even among friends), and the natural disasters that seem to be filling our days, and more.  It makes you ask yourself, ‘When does it stop?’

 

            I don’t believe it’s going to stop.  God told us in His Word that these things would happen as a prelude to his return.  There’s a song that has a line in it, that says something like, “It’s 11:59.”  The implication here is, God’s return is imminent.  I tend to agree.  God’s time is not our time and I won’t even consider projecting a literal time frame, but I do think the signs tell us that we are indeed reaching the last moments before his return.

 

            In the meantime, when we look, we can see God working all around us, even as it disgruntles Satan.  It makes him work harder to create more havoc in our world.  Satan knows how the story ends too, and knows his time is limited!

 

            How do you feel about that?  Can you see the signs?  Do you even believe there will be a rapture of God’s children?  Do you believe in Jesus’ return?  While to Believers that may seem an unusual question, I know a Pastor who did not believe this.  That too, is a sign of the end times.  It’s worth thinking about!