I was standing in line when the woman in front of me said, "Do you know what today is? It's Tuesday, September 11, the eleventh anniversary of the Tuesday America was attacked does that bother you?" I guess she thought it might bother me because we were standing in line to get on a plane. Her question caused me to remember what I was doing eleven years ago.
I was preparing to go to a church and speak when someone called and told me about the airplanes crashing into the Twin Towers. The talk I gave that morning was from 3 John 1:4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. What is the truth you walk in when your world seems so uncertain? Is it the truth that was shown repeatedly on the television that we were under attack?
The truth I choose to walk in is not found on the nightly news. The truth I choose to walk in is not based on negative test results. The truth I choose to walk in is found in God's Word. "I have loved you with an everlasting love: I have drawn you with loving kindness." (Jeremiah 31:3) If I based my life on negative things I would be shrouded by fear. When I base my life on the truth that I am loved by God I am wrapped in a deep since of peace.
When I walk in this truth of God's love I am choosing to walk by faith. "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." (Hebrews 11:6) How can I live a life that brings God joy and pleases Him? I can do that by walking in the truth that, He exists, He loves me, and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. I can walk in this truth even in a world that can sometimes be scary.
Father, thank You that in You I find peace regardless of what the news is. Help me to walk in Your truth today and share that truth with others.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Friday, September 7, 2012
The Initiation
I want to share a secret with you. There are mysteries that are learned not by studying but by applying God's word in the midst of a trail. It's as if the very thing I fear becomes an initiation to a place of peace. If God has allowed a difficulty into my life He has with that difficulty issued me an invitation to know Him better.
I find this world a beautiful place filled with many good things. I would have no problem being content with it's simple pleasures, however, I can't ignore the suffering that I have seen. This awareness of suffering has caused me to be aware of not just time but eternity.
I have noticed the effect of suffering on different people. I have watched some people who seemed to know and love God encounter a grief, a disappointment, something that didn't match their expectation of how God should operate. I have seen the light go out as they walked away. I wanted to scream, "Don't give up! Don't just look at what you physical eyes can see."
I am old enough to have known disappointments on many levels. I have known hurt and sorrow. But I have walked long enough with my Lord to know the secret. A secret that I will now share. Whenever I walk among the charred ruins of my plans and dreams I look intently for the invitation. The invitation reads, "Come and know me better, Child"
Oh Father, I thank You for the good times and I thank You for the hard times. Thank You for teaching me how to rejoice in You with tears in my eyes. Thank You for initiating me into the mystery of faith by allowing me to find joy in You regardless of the circumstances. Thank You for teaching me the secret of contentment that I can do all things through You.
I find this world a beautiful place filled with many good things. I would have no problem being content with it's simple pleasures, however, I can't ignore the suffering that I have seen. This awareness of suffering has caused me to be aware of not just time but eternity.
I have noticed the effect of suffering on different people. I have watched some people who seemed to know and love God encounter a grief, a disappointment, something that didn't match their expectation of how God should operate. I have seen the light go out as they walked away. I wanted to scream, "Don't give up! Don't just look at what you physical eyes can see."
I am old enough to have known disappointments on many levels. I have known hurt and sorrow. But I have walked long enough with my Lord to know the secret. A secret that I will now share. Whenever I walk among the charred ruins of my plans and dreams I look intently for the invitation. The invitation reads, "Come and know me better, Child"
Oh Father, I thank You for the good times and I thank You for the hard times. Thank You for teaching me how to rejoice in You with tears in my eyes. Thank You for initiating me into the mystery of faith by allowing me to find joy in You regardless of the circumstances. Thank You for teaching me the secret of contentment that I can do all things through You.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
My Journey of Faith
When I was a little girl I loved to go to church. The door to the church opened to a Spiritual world that was as real to me as the physical world. When I spent the night with my grandmother I would cuddle in bed with her as she read the Bile out loud with a voice full of wonder. It seemed like a foreign language to me but I found it to be the language of peace. When I was young I saw a picture of a little girl resting her head on Jesus' lap, when I would go to bed at night I pretended I was the little girl in the picture and my pillow was Jesus' lap.
When I became a teenager I began to read the Bible for myself. I was very blessed to have exciting Bible teachers. I met Kay Author when she had only been a christian for five years. Every week I would look forward to learning more of the mysteries from Bible. Every day began with my mother, sister and I reading and sharing together the treasures we found in God's Word.
When I turned the corner from being a child to becoming an adult the tests of faith began. At eighteen I had a life altering illness. When I married my husband he had cancer and began chemo therapy the month after our wedding. There were times during our first year of marriage I wasn't sure if he would live. I have known the grief of standing at the graveside of one of my babies. I have known the wounds that cause the question, "God are You there?"
What I have found true in my life is in the dark times God's light shines the brightest. One of my favorite Scriptures is found in Lamentations "The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness(Lamentations 3:22) To lament is to express grief or sorrow and in the places of my life where I have experienced this kind of grief I have also experienced God's mercy.
Father, thank You for today. I do not know what I will encounter today but I know Your steadfastness love will be there. I thank You in advance for the new mercies I will find.
When I became a teenager I began to read the Bible for myself. I was very blessed to have exciting Bible teachers. I met Kay Author when she had only been a christian for five years. Every week I would look forward to learning more of the mysteries from Bible. Every day began with my mother, sister and I reading and sharing together the treasures we found in God's Word.
When I turned the corner from being a child to becoming an adult the tests of faith began. At eighteen I had a life altering illness. When I married my husband he had cancer and began chemo therapy the month after our wedding. There were times during our first year of marriage I wasn't sure if he would live. I have known the grief of standing at the graveside of one of my babies. I have known the wounds that cause the question, "God are You there?"
What I have found true in my life is in the dark times God's light shines the brightest. One of my favorite Scriptures is found in Lamentations "The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness(Lamentations 3:22) To lament is to express grief or sorrow and in the places of my life where I have experienced this kind of grief I have also experienced God's mercy.
Father, thank You for today. I do not know what I will encounter today but I know Your steadfastness love will be there. I thank You in advance for the new mercies I will find.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
I Can See a Rainbow!
Yesterday I went to the doctor and heard, "You have a brain tumor." I'm really glad my sister was with me because once I found out there was a tumor growing in my brain it was hard to focus on anything else. My sister has a nursing degree so she was able to ask the right questions and listen to the answers with understanding.
The doctor said it was the good kind of tumor because it grew slowly and 90% of the time this type tumor is benign. In some cases brain surgery is needed. Because the tumor is on the auditory nerve sometimes hearing can be lost when the surgery is done. So this is the physical reality in which I now live but I also live in a spiritual reality.
The day before I found out about my tumor I was visiting with a very dear friend of mine who is an atheist. Because I love her so much I wanted to share with her not only my physical life experiences but my spiritual life as well. I failed miserably and simply came across as being "preachy."
I thought about what I had wanted to communicate. This morning sitting here knowing that there is a tumor growing in my brain I know exactly what I was trying to tell her. I wanted to share with her the rainbow that I see. My daughter got married Saturday and at the reception there was a double rainbow. I wasn't satisfied to just look at it. I wanted everyone around me to see it too. "Look up! Can you see the rainbow?!"
Thank You so much Father for filling my cloudy sky the beauty of a rainbow! Your loving presence fills my physical and spiritual reality. Please help me to share what I believe without being"preachy." I want others to know the joy and hope I feel in You that cannot be disturbed by the presence of a brain tumor.
The doctor said it was the good kind of tumor because it grew slowly and 90% of the time this type tumor is benign. In some cases brain surgery is needed. Because the tumor is on the auditory nerve sometimes hearing can be lost when the surgery is done. So this is the physical reality in which I now live but I also live in a spiritual reality.
The day before I found out about my tumor I was visiting with a very dear friend of mine who is an atheist. Because I love her so much I wanted to share with her not only my physical life experiences but my spiritual life as well. I failed miserably and simply came across as being "preachy."
I thought about what I had wanted to communicate. This morning sitting here knowing that there is a tumor growing in my brain I know exactly what I was trying to tell her. I wanted to share with her the rainbow that I see. My daughter got married Saturday and at the reception there was a double rainbow. I wasn't satisfied to just look at it. I wanted everyone around me to see it too. "Look up! Can you see the rainbow?!"
Thank You so much Father for filling my cloudy sky the beauty of a rainbow! Your loving presence fills my physical and spiritual reality. Please help me to share what I believe without being"preachy." I want others to know the joy and hope I feel in You that cannot be disturbed by the presence of a brain tumor.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
When I Am Afraid
Sometimes I feel afraid. I feel overwhelmed by the things I have no control over. I see the effects of a broken world on the lives of the people I love. I know the Bible says not to be anxious but to pray,so, I choose to pray. If I pray with my mind wrapped around the thing I fear it anchors me to that fear, I choose instead to fill my mind with the pictures I find painted by the prophets as my starting point.
I think one of my favorite ways to picture the God is in Daniel. "As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire."(Daniel 6:9) I live my life confined by time but the one to whom I pray is not confined to time instead He is the Ancient of days. He knows the end from the beginning.
When I pray I like to think about what Ezekiel saw when he saw the Lord. "Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD."(Ezekiel 1:28) On rainy days the beauty of a rainbow gives me hope.
If this was the only way I pictured God I would never have the courage to pray. But I also read, "And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts,crying, "Abba! Father!"(Galatians 4:6) Sometimes my prayer is very short and its goes something like this, "Help!"Whether my prayer is long or short I direct it to my father who is in Heaven.
Father, I don't really understand prayer but I see again and again this invitation in Your word to come before You and to bring with me the things that cause me anxiety. So I come. When I am afraid I will come and I will lift my eyes, I will lift my voice, I will lift my heart to the Ancient of days whose radiance is like a rainbow on a rainy day and who has invited me to call Him Abba.
I think one of my favorite ways to picture the God is in Daniel. "As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire."(Daniel 6:9) I live my life confined by time but the one to whom I pray is not confined to time instead He is the Ancient of days. He knows the end from the beginning.
When I pray I like to think about what Ezekiel saw when he saw the Lord. "Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD."(Ezekiel 1:28) On rainy days the beauty of a rainbow gives me hope.
If this was the only way I pictured God I would never have the courage to pray. But I also read, "And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts,crying, "Abba! Father!"(Galatians 4:6) Sometimes my prayer is very short and its goes something like this, "Help!"Whether my prayer is long or short I direct it to my father who is in Heaven.
Father, I don't really understand prayer but I see again and again this invitation in Your word to come before You and to bring with me the things that cause me anxiety. So I come. When I am afraid I will come and I will lift my eyes, I will lift my voice, I will lift my heart to the Ancient of days whose radiance is like a rainbow on a rainy day and who has invited me to call Him Abba.
Monday, September 3, 2012
Wrapped Up in Perfect Peace
The day has been long and I am so very tired. Finally, I get to go to bed. Then it happens, just as my head is sinking into the pillow and my mind is blanketed with unconsciousness the "guilts" come. With a harsh voice they begin to whisper in my mind. "Why did you...? How could you have forgotten to...? You are so selfish and self centered!"
No matter how weary I may be the "guilts" have the ability to chase away sleep and replace it with shame. I would be an insomniac if it were not for my secret weapon. Long ago I hung a calligraphic Bible verse above my bed it reads, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee." (Isaiah 26:3)
So how guilty am I? The thing that wakes me is the fact that there is truth in all the accusations that the "guilts" hurl at me. However, there is a deeper truth that I see when my mind is steadfast and I choose to trust God. Every scene of guilt and shame becomes a backdrop for me to see more clearly the love of God. I make a choice to fix my thoughts on my Savior, my Redeemer and the lover of my soul.
So the place where I have been attached for my failures becomes a place of worship. The contrast of who I am and who God is causes me to bow before Him and worship Him in the beauty of His holiness. My mind is blanketed with perfect peace my heart finds it's resting place in the unfailing love of God.
Lord Jesus, when the darkness of my sin matches the darkness of the night help me to chose seek Your comfort. Thank You for inviting me to worship You in the beauty of Your holiness. Thank You for wrapping me in Your perfect peace.
No matter how weary I may be the "guilts" have the ability to chase away sleep and replace it with shame. I would be an insomniac if it were not for my secret weapon. Long ago I hung a calligraphic Bible verse above my bed it reads, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee." (Isaiah 26:3)
So how guilty am I? The thing that wakes me is the fact that there is truth in all the accusations that the "guilts" hurl at me. However, there is a deeper truth that I see when my mind is steadfast and I choose to trust God. Every scene of guilt and shame becomes a backdrop for me to see more clearly the love of God. I make a choice to fix my thoughts on my Savior, my Redeemer and the lover of my soul.
So the place where I have been attached for my failures becomes a place of worship. The contrast of who I am and who God is causes me to bow before Him and worship Him in the beauty of His holiness. My mind is blanketed with perfect peace my heart finds it's resting place in the unfailing love of God.
Lord Jesus, when the darkness of my sin matches the darkness of the night help me to chose seek Your comfort. Thank You for inviting me to worship You in the beauty of Your holiness. Thank You for wrapping me in Your perfect peace.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
I Saw Jesus At the Wedding
My little girl got married yesterday. All throughout the preparations I had a prayer that was a constant as the beating of my heart. "Lord Jesus, come to the wedding feast. Make your presents known." This morning I can't stop crying not because He didn't come but because He did. My tears are tears of joy not sorrow.
I saw Jesus at the wedding. His reflection was on all the faces of our friends and family who surrounded us as we prepared to celebrate. Again and again I felt my inadequacy. "Oh Jesus, I have no more strength." In the midst of my weakness I felt His loving presence by those who came to my aid. Every crisis became an opportunity for Him to turn the water into wine and bring joy.
I saw Jesus at the wedding. Today my mind is filled with the memory of the smiling faces of the Bride and Groom. I watched as my little girl walked down the aisle, her face glowed with the love that filled her heart. Her groom was waiting. The Bride had made herself ready for this moment. The preacher spoke of Jesus waiting to receive His bride. I saw His love reflected in their faces.
I saw Jesus at the wedding. We had prayed it wouldn't rain but it did. With the rain came the humidity. I always want life to be perfect. My plan was there would NOT be rain! Jesus' plan was to penetrate the raindrops with the light of His presents. He sent not one but two rainbows. The rain lasted but a moments the rainbows lingered.
Lord Jesus, thank You for coming to the wedding! Just as You did at Canon of Galilee You took the ordinary and made it extraordinary.
I saw Jesus at the wedding. His reflection was on all the faces of our friends and family who surrounded us as we prepared to celebrate. Again and again I felt my inadequacy. "Oh Jesus, I have no more strength." In the midst of my weakness I felt His loving presence by those who came to my aid. Every crisis became an opportunity for Him to turn the water into wine and bring joy.
I saw Jesus at the wedding. Today my mind is filled with the memory of the smiling faces of the Bride and Groom. I watched as my little girl walked down the aisle, her face glowed with the love that filled her heart. Her groom was waiting. The Bride had made herself ready for this moment. The preacher spoke of Jesus waiting to receive His bride. I saw His love reflected in their faces.
I saw Jesus at the wedding. We had prayed it wouldn't rain but it did. With the rain came the humidity. I always want life to be perfect. My plan was there would NOT be rain! Jesus' plan was to penetrate the raindrops with the light of His presents. He sent not one but two rainbows. The rain lasted but a moments the rainbows lingered.
Lord Jesus, thank You for coming to the wedding! Just as You did at Canon of Galilee You took the ordinary and made it extraordinary.
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