Forced Sunrise *

"His splendor was like the sunrise;

rays flashed from His hand

where His power was hidden"

Habakkuk 3:4

I was forced to see the sunrise this morning.  I rarely see a sunrise unless I am forced.  Not so much a morning person.  Maybe I should become a coffee drinker...

I am a big fan of sunsets, though.  No two are quite the same, and you never know what the dominant color will be.  And the view is sometimes entirely different from my front yard to my backyard.  I take a lot of pictures of a beautiful sunset, because I have the urge to capture it.  We only get one per day!

At any rate, I was up while it was still dark, to take the Apple of my Eye to the airport, and the drive home allowed me to appreciate the beauty of the sun coming up.  There were some clouds, too, which I love.  The sunlight plays games with them, and they add color and dimension to the painting.  So much more interesting than a cloudless sky, if you ask me!

And yet, if I had my way, I would have missed this sunrise.  I would have still been blissfully warm and cozy under the covers.  I choose to miss most sunrises, for that reason.  And it made me think about other aspects of my life that have been forced.  Things I would not have chosen, that God chose for me.  For instance, only having two children was not my choice.  My sweetie and I wanted four, but it was not to be.  And now, I wouldn't have it any other way.

There are struggles in my life that were not my choice, either.  Paths I was forced to walk, that God had chosen for me.  And I must admit, I saw beauty on those paths.  Trials have strengthened me, strengthened my marriage, and strengthened my children.  Those are things I could appreciate in the midst of the trial.  Then, when the trial is past, I can look back and have an even better perspective on what God was accomplishing.

I may be a little sleepy today, but I'll be able to think about that sunrise.  And I'm grateful for the reminder, once again, that while I may have plans in my heart, it is His purpose that prevails.  I pray I'll always remember to find the beauty in plans that weren't my idea.  And maybe, just maybe, tomorrow I'll choose the sunrise!

~ "Many are the plans in a man's heart,

        but the Lord's purpose will prevail." ~

Proverbs 19:21

~

* a LightExpectations classic post *

Things I Wish I Had Said*

*{but I'm glad someone did!}

"I can't hate a human being because my God never made anything ugly.  Now, you can be ugly if you wanna, boy, but God didn't make you that way.  Uh uh."

John Jordan "Buck" O'Neil (1911-2006)

First baseman and manager in the Negro American League

Scout and first black coach in Major League Baseball

Every good and perfect gift comes from God.  

And anything good in us is God in us.  

And anything not good in us is not God in us.  

~

"My Lord and my God!"

Thomas, the Disciple, 

upon putting his fingers on the holes in Jesus' hands and side

(John 20:28)

To forget that He is always with me

 is to be like Thomas, 

and not recognize my Lord and my God.

~

"To keep your marriage brimming

With love in the loving cup

Whenever you're wrong, admit it

Whenever you're right, shut up."

Ogden Nash (1902 - 1971)

American poet, author, lyricist

That's good advice, not just for marriage, 

but pretty much any relationship...

~

"And autumn has now turned to winter...

and after the winter, what then?

... Do I dare trust in God to send springtime?"

Robert H. Brague (born about 1941)

American poet, writer, blogger, musician

God always sends springtime again.

But sometimes our faithless hearts wonder.  

And I'm grateful to know I'm not the only one...

"And now, Lord, what do I wait for?  My hope is in You."

Psalm 39:7

~ 

"Victory without God is mockery and delusion,

but defeat with God is not defeat at all."

William Faulkner (1897 - 1962)

American writer and Nobel Prize laureate

"Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors 

through Him who loved us."

Romans 8:37

~

"It is a beautiful evening... 71 degrees,

a canopy of blue overhead,

barely a zephyr stirring the flags in center field..."

Vin Scully (born 1927)

American sportscaster and play-by-play announcer

for the Los Angeles Dodgers (1950 - present)

Isn't he wonderful?

~

"He is the Master of us all."

Franz Joseph Haydn (1732 - 1809)

Austrian composer

upon hearing Handel's Hallelujah Chorus

performed at Westminster Abbey

It was many voices, singing in one accord that evoked this response from Haydn.  There is just nothing like when we praise Him as one voice. 

~

~ "But as for you, speak the things 

    which are proper for sound doctrine." ~

Titus 2:1

~

Dirty, but Clean

"first, cleanse the inside"

Matthew 23:26

I got my car back from the mechanic today.  It's been gone for a week.  Blown head gasket, which I do not recommend... Last Friday evening I left the house to run an errand, and before I got a quarter-mile from home, there was smoke billowing from my exhaust pipe.  That's a little disconcerting, let me tell you...

So a week, and several hundred dollars later, my car is back home where it belongs.  When we picked it up, I was impressed with the mechanic.  He explained things fairly well (which can be difficult, as I insist on asking questions to learn more in situations like this) and told us to come back in a couple hundred miles for a free check-up.  Plus, I was impressed that he called my husband a couple of times over the course of the week to let him know how things were progressing, and to assure him that they'd be able to be done when they said they would.  That's so much better service than if we'd had to call him, don't you think?

But with all that said, I was slightly off-put when I got in my car.  Though the mechanics had put down those paper floor mats, there were grimy fingerprints on the door handle, and I could tell the radio had been touched.  {I knew that because I'm not in the habit of listening to "Hot 92," or whatever that station was...}

So when I got home, I had a very strong urge to clean my car.  My daughter came to help me, and we cleaned all the handles and surfaces, and then used Armor-All on them.  We cleaned the windows and wiped down the dash and the knobs and etc.  I had vacuumed it not too many days ago, so it now felt fresh and clean inside. 

But here's the thing:  the outside is a mess.  We cleaned both the inside and outside of all the windows, but the car itself is filthy.  Because we are putting down new flooring in my son's bedroom, much of his furniture is in the garage, and my car has been in the driveway since Memorial Day.  This, combined with the several days it spent at the mechanic, has resulted in a very dirt-covered car.

Notwithstanding, we did not wash the car.  First of all, it was nearly dinnertime.  Secondly, I knew it was still going to be sitting in the driveway, so I had a bit of why bother?

Now, it seemed a little absurd to me to have a car that's only clean on the inside, but that's how it had to be, at least for the time being.  And if you saw me driving down the street, you might say, if you are that type of person, "Wow... that's a dirty car."  But you would have no idea that under all that dirt was a spotless interior. 

This, my friends, is the portrait that God sees.  When we look at one another, we see dirt ~ impatience, selfishness, maybe gossip or forgetfulness.  But when God looks at us ~ though He knows full well how dirty we are on the outside ~ He also knows how clean we are on the inside.  He knows because He does the cleaning Himself.  So though the world sees sin, He sees righteousness.

Sin, confession, repentance, forgiveness.  Repeat as needed.  But know that your faith has already accomplished your righteousness. 

~ "with the heart one believes unto righteousness" ~

Romans 10:10

~

An Appreciation for Psalm 34

"the faithful God"

Deuteronomy 7:9

Years ago, in Bible study, I remember a morning when we sang two particular worship songs before we began our study.  The first one was "You Are My King," which includes the following lines in the chorus:

"Amazing love, how can it be?

that You, my King, would die for me.

Amazing love, I know it's true

and it's my joy to honor You...

In all I do,

I honor You." 

And I gotta be honest, I had trouble singing that.  "In all I do, I honor You."  That is completely not true.  How could I pretend like everything I do is honoring to Him?

I know; I was being a little literal.  I'm like that. 

Fortunately, the next song we sang was exactly what I needed.  It's called "Hungry," and it contains the following words:

"Hungry, I come to You...

Broken, I run to You...

I'm falling on my knees

Offering all of me..."

Now these were lyrics I could get behind.   Hungry?  Yes.  Broken?  Totally.  But the kicker was "offering all of me."  I'm a sinner, with flaws galore.  I'm unreliable, and forgetful and repeatedly self-involved.  But I can honestly say that I offer my life to Him.  I want His will to be my will.

I'm reminded of the dichotomy of those two concepts every time I hear either one of those songs.  But I also thought about it Sunday morning, as we read Psalm 34 in church.  It was those first two lines that gave me pause:

"I will bless the Lord at all times;

His praise shall continually be in my mouth."

Nope.  Not true.  I should be like that, I know.  But it's very far from being true in my life. 

But then the psalm continued:

"I sought the Lord, and He answered me

and delivered me from all my fears."

and:

"Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!"

and:

"those who seek the Lord lack no good thing."

and of course:

"The Lord is near to the brokenhearted

and saves the crushed in spirit."

And all of those statements, I know to be true. 

You see the important point there?  Though I fail, repeatedly, He does not.  Though I do not praise Him as I should, He will not abandon me.  Though I am faithless, He is faithful.  He cannot deny Himself.

2 Timothy 2:13

~

Living and Dying in Faith

"be faithful unto death"

Revelation 2:10

So here's the thing:  I've been thinking a lot about death lately.

It's been a combination of a few things.  First of all, as I've mentioned, our family cat died the first week of March, and our dog died a little more than two weeks later.  Both of them died at home, so I was very aware, very present, right up until the end of their sweet, loyal lives.  My husband and I also took care of their bodies ~ creating a coffin for the cat, out of a box in the garage, and then burying her under the apple tree.  The dog, being a bigger animal, we took to the vet, and they took care of it for us.

But all of it was up close and very, very personal.  And surprisingly to me, none of it was distasteful or unpleasant at all.  I mean, it was very painful, and very sad, but to be honest, taking care of them ~ all the way to the end ~ seemed like a natural part of owning them, you know?  I felt glad ~ honored, even ~ that I was able to care for them.  And I know, they were only animals, but my mind went to the women who cared for Jesus' body after His death.  What a bittersweet joy it must have been for them.

Then, a few days ago, I was chatting with my cousin.  Her dog died recently, too, so we somehow ended up comparing our experiences a little bit.  From that, our conversation turned to the death of her mother-in-law, several months ago.  She died in her living room, in a bed that had been moved in for her so that she could die in her own home.  Her family was around her, and she just slowly drifted away.  And my cousin and I talked about how beautiful death can be, when it's under the best possible circumstances.

One of the thoughts that has kept coming to me over these past several weeks, is that though you are in same room, though you hold the hand, or pet the head of your loved one, death is something they do alone.  Death is something that each one of us must do alone.  The heart stops beating, the lungs cease to inflate, the brain stops communicating with the body. 

Then, this morning, I read these words by Charles Spurgeon, based on Hebrews 11:13, "These all died in faith."

"Behold the epitaph of all those blessed saints who fell asleep before the coming of our Lord!  It matters nothing how else they died, whether of old age, or by violent means... they all died in faith. 

In faith they lived ~ it was their comfort, their guide, their motive and their support; and in the same spiritual grace they died..."

I found this thought wonderfully encouraging, because it very eloquently states the beautiful truth that though no soul on earth can experience death with another, we are not forsaken.  And I would have explained that by saying that God's Spirit is with us in death as in life ~ that He promised that He is with us always.

But I like the way Spurgeon said it.  Because it highlights that while it's important that He is with us, it's also important that we know that He is with us.  And that's faith.  Spurgeon says that faith is about the past ~ the knowledge that who we were is gone, and we are each a new creation in Him.  But faith is also about the future... about eternal life with Him. 

Faith is the assurance of things we hope for; the evidence of things we can not see.  It is real; it is solid; it is forever.

~ "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again,

even so God will bring with Him

those who sleep in Jesus" ~

1 Thessalonians 4:14

~

You are more powerful than you know

"So the king gave the command,

and they brought Daniel

and cast him into the den of lions...

Then the king arose very early

in the morning, and

went in haste to the den of lions...

Then Daniel said to the king,

'My God sent His angel

and shut the lions' mouths,

so that they have not hurt me.' "

Daniel 6:16, 19, 22

"the prophet...

who through faith...

stopped the mouths of lions"

Hebrews 11:33

Interesting dichotomy there, isn't it?  Daniel says that God shut the lions' mouths, but Hebrews says Daniel was responsible.  Who gets the credit?  Who do we believe?

Simple.  The power lies in the faith.  It's like: our faith is the hose, and God is the water.  Except we wouldn't even have the hose if God hadn't provided it... 

Did you ever hear that old line from a teammate of Michael Jordan?  The internet tells me it was Stacey King (and I have no choice but to believe the internet, because I know next-to-nothing about basketball).  Anyhow, King scored one free throw in a game in which Jordan scored 69 points.  Sixty-nine points!  And King said afterward that he would always remember that as the night that he and Michael Jordan combined for 70 points.  

This is each of us, working with God.  Your faith puts God's power into action in your life.  He doesn't need your help, but He desires it.  And it is such a blessing to be even a small part of what He does!

~

The real "Ultimate Fight"

"you fight"

Joshua 10:25

Okay, I'm gonna break away from Olympic sports for a day to talk about a sport that I can't believe is a sport.

UFC.

Ultimate Fighting Championship.  Are you familiar with this?  I've heard the term "UFC" but I never really knew much about it until recently.  "Mixed martial arts"... I no idea what that meant...

But recently I had a chance to find out.  We were over at a friend's house, and they had it on their TV.  I sat for a few minutes and watched it, and came away a little dumbfounded.  It was astounding.  There seemed to be no strategy, no game plan other than, well, fighting.  Punching, ducking, tripping, kicking, general flailing.  They both looked exhausted, and neither one looked like they were winning.  How does one win?  How is one "good" at it?  Is it just about endurance?  Are there rules?

Not to judge ~ just my opinion ~ but not only can I not understand why anyone would participate in this, I can't understand why anyone would watch it.  To each his own, I guess.

The funny thing is, that like other things in my life at this point, it made me think of Job.  That's what happens when you're deeply entrenched in Bible study!

But UFC seemed to have a sort of "anything goes" mentality.  It seemed that you had to be ready for anything, and respond to what came, the best you could.  And I thought, "This must be what Job felt like."  After all, he was being hit from all sides ~ his home, his family, his property, his health.  There seemed to be no rules.  That's when we get that feeling, "It's not fair."  We feel that life ought to play by certain rules.

Job clearly felt this way.  He acknowledged that God is wise, strong and holy, but he also accused God of not being fair.  That seems like the worst thing he could have thought.  It questions God's integrity.  The word "fair" means "in accordance with accepted or agreed upon rules or standards."  But whose standards?  Whose idea of reasonable?  There's the rub.

But that's the beauty of what was truly happening in Job's life.  There were rules.  There was a standard.  God had told satan what was allowed as satan tempted Job to abandon his faith and curse God. 

God is the standard of "fairness" and justice.  And He is a part of everything we go through in life.  Every trial; every struggle comes to us through His hands.  And He strengthens us and equips us for what's head.  It might not all be easy, but I'd certainly rather battle what He sends than any "fighting championship" the world could send my way.

~ "Do not be afraid,

   nor be dismayed;

   be strong and of good courage,

   for thus the Lord will do to all your enemies

against whom you fight" ~

Joshua 10:25

~

The world's standard

"it is a testing"

Ezekiel 21:13

My daughter is taking a practice SAT test on Saturday.  And not surprisingly, she's not all that thrilled by the prospect.  I mean, four hours of test-taking, even with breaks, is hard.  And tiring.  And boring.

Even though we homeschool, she has taken standardized tests before.  And she's always done very well.  She's smart, and she works hard, and that is a pretty good combination.

But even so, I hate that she has to take it.  Usually when I "force" my kids to do something they don't want to do, like a particular class or subject, or an unpleasant task, I explain why.  I tell them what this experience is going to do for them; about how this or that muscle (or their brain!) is going to benefit - "you're going to learn/ be better/ be stronger for having done this thing."

And I know the same thing is true of the SAT.  Everything God brings to our lives makes us stronger.  But I also know that my child is going to be judged on the basis of this test.  That's what I dislike about it.  I don't believe in One Size Fits All.  Or even, as some clothing tags now say, "One Size Fits Most".

I mean, it's an okay guideline for clothes, but not for basing conclusions about a person or their abilities, ya know?

I know colleges need some way to compare apples to apples.  And I know they look at more than SAT scores.  And I'm not worried at all about her performance on tests, practice or otherwise.  But I'm reminded once again of how thankful I am for how well God knows me.  That He knows my heart, my good intentions and my ulterior motives.  And He comes to no conclusions that are not 100% accurate.  Because He's God.  And all He ever wants is for me to walk in obedience to Him, and be the best me I can be.

And yes, sometimes we have to toe the line in this world ~ march to the beat of the same drummer that everyone else is, simply to get along.  But He will never judge us by any other standard than His.  And His is the only test that matters.

~ "without faith it is impossible to please Him,

for he who comes to God must believe that He is,

and that He rewards

 those who diligently seek Him." ~

Hebrews 11:6

~

Quiet Sins

"Job did not sin"

Job 1:22

So here's some fun synchronicity in my life... New year, new Bible study. 

Well, not really a new study, just that we're starting a new book when we return next week.  We just finished Song of Solomon before Christmas, and now we begin a study of the Book of Job. 

There's something fun about diving into a new book.  Even though I've read it, and even gone through it chapter by chapter a few years ago at church, I'm excited to do an in-depth study of it.  We have homework that forces us to do more than just read, but focus in on key verses, and draw some understanding and application from them. 

What I always hope to do, though I don't always have time, is do some study on my own, too.  Words or verses I read cause me to wonder something, or questions in my study prompt other questions in my mind.  Hopefully I have the time and discipline to dig deeper.

One of those wonderings came to me in the very first lesson in our book, with a question that asked us about Job's response to satan's assaults.  My answer was from 1:22 ~ "Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong." 

That got me thinking about what it meant to say that Job did not sin.  Sinning encompasses a lot of different actions, words and thoughts.  So what does it mean to say that Job did not do any of these in response to all that had happened to him?  Well, here's the result of several days' worth of pondering that question...

I think, on the simplest level, it means that Job did not abandon his faith and commence doing things that would have previously been abhorrent to him in their sinfulness.  He did not run out and have an affair to forget his pain, or kill someone so that another father would suffer as he was. 

And he didn't, as it says, curse God, or accuse Him of being mean, or wrong, or uncaring.  If he were to abandon his faith in God, he would no longer care about the consequences of sin.  But that didn't happen, in word or deed. 

But since sinning also includes thought, it's significant to note that he did not sin even in his thoughts.  Not only did he not say anything unfaithful or untrusting of God, he didn't even think it. 

Man, that's impressive, isn't it?  Can you say that?  Can you look back at the most difficult time in your life and say that you were as strong in your faith as you are in the good times? 

Maybe you can.  I hope so.  And if so, can you also be confident that your faith would not waver if you ever find yourself in the extremely tragic circumstances that Job experienced?  I hope so.

It's definitely not something that's too hard for us to do, otherwise He wouldn't expect it of us.  But it is hard.  Actions.... words.... and oh, those thoughts.  Questions can start off innocently enough, but then easily turn to doubts and hesitations, which are only a hop, skip and jump from losing faith in Him.

Makes me want to strengthen myself in the good times, so my faith will be ready for the hard times. 

~ " 'Shall we indeed accept good from God,

and shall we not accept adversity?'

    In all this Job did not sin with his lips." ~

Job 2:10

~

Things are looking up!

"Abraham lifted his eyes and looked"

Genesis 22:13

We've been studying Genesis in church, and last Sunday we arrived at chapter 22, in which Abraham's faith is severely tested by God.  It's a favorite passage of mine, not only for the substance of it, but because I taught it several years ago, which means I read and re-read and studied and researched and prayed over it.  And there's simply no better way to experience the Bible. 

One of the things that was new to me, when I studied it, was my focus on Isaac.  I'd always seen this passage from the viewpoint of Abraham, but I think that was also because I grew up believing that Isaac was a small child when this even took place, and that he didn't really know what was going on.  My research into language, and the opinions of scholars, took me to a new understanding.

We see Abraham and Isaac arrive at the place to which God directed them.  They’d been traveling for three days, talking about what, the weather?  How the crops were doing?  They’d presumably been stopping for meals, and to bed down for the night.  Had they been praying together?  Laughing together?  Enjoying some guy time away from Mom?  Yet all the while, Abraham knew what was ahead.   

Then they stopped, and Abraham instructed the two young men to wait for them.  “The lad and I will go and worship, and we will come back to you.”  I love Abraham’s choice of words.  First of all, the faith inherent in the words “WE will come back to you.”  Hebrews tells us that Abraham believed, up until he took the knife in his hand, that God would resurrect Isaac, even though it had never happened before.  But Abraham had already seen a miracle: from a man and woman as good as dead, God had brought life.

It is also significant that Abraham said “We are going yonder to worship.”  I do not believe this was just what he told them to keep them from stopping him.  His obedience to God’s command was worship.  “Worship” means "to perform an act of reverent love and devotion" and it is not confined to bowing down before a statue, or to the first 20 minutes of Sunday morning church service.  Performing the act that Abraham was preparing to could only be done out of reverent love and devotion, and I believe that is what was in Isaac’s heart too. 

In verse 7 we hear from Isaac for the first time, as he asked his father the question that affects all of us.  “Where is the lamb?”  And verse 8 is one of the verses that remind me why I love to study this book so much.  Abraham’s answer was that God would supply the sacrifice.  But in the King James version it says, “God will provide Himself, the Lamb…” Abraham is answering Isaac’s question, but he is also prophesying the gospel, though he does not know it.

When they arrive, Abraham built an altar, and arranged the wood on it.  How many times had Isaac seen his father build an altar, or offer a sacrifice on one?  But this time is different.  Never before has his father gone to make a sacrifice, without an animal to offer.  And here is where I believe we see Isaac perform his act of reverent love and devotion.  Verse 9: “Abraham bound Isaac, his son…”  

Now, theologians do disagree on exactly how old they believe Isaac was at this time, but I didn't read anyone of the opinion that he was a young child.  Some say late teens, some say in his twenties.  One commentator said 33.  In verse 5, Abraham referred to him as a “lad”, which only tells us he was unmarried.  At any rate, we are talking a young man, probably at his peak of strength, and his 120-ish year old father.  I’m not sure Abraham could beat Isaac at arm-wrestling, much less a struggle to bind him. 

I have no choice but to understand that Isaac acquiesced to what he must have now realized was happening.  Abraham heard God’s voice.  Isaac had only a sinful, flawed, earthly father as his guide.  I’m reminded of the effect Lot’s words had on his daughters and his sons-in-law as he urged them to flee Sodom.  Lot had no authority in their eyes because of how and where he chose to live his life.  But Isaac saw in his father a man faithful... and righteous… 

There’s a poem that says:

I would rather see a sermon than hear one any day.

I would rather have you walk with me

       than simply point the way.

The eye is a more ready pupil than ever was the ear.

Advice may be confusing, but example is crystal clear.

Abraham’s example to Isaac was not perfect, but Isaac saw submission modeled, and his response was to submit.  In many ways, Isaac is a picture of Jesus not only carrying the wood for the sacrifice, as Jesus carried His cross; but also submitting to the will of his father, as Jesus Himself was obedient to His Father, even unto death.

As the Angel of the Lord called out to Abraham not to harm Isaac, Abraham looked up and saw something unexpected – a ram caught in a thicket by its horns.  This was not the solution he anticipated.  He had been thinking that God would raise Isaac up.  To Isaac, he spoke of the lamb that God would provide.  But what he saw was a ram. 

The fact that Abraham saw a ram instead of a lamb tells me that this is not the fulfillment of Abraham’s prophecy in verse 8.  The question that Isaac asked, “Where is the Lamb?” would not be answered until John the Baptist answered it, saying of Jesus, “Behold!  The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” 

Now, Abraham was not instructed to offer this ram instead of Isaac, but I imagine that God knew Abraham wasn’t leaving that place without sacrificing something, so He provided an alternative, and Abraham knew God’s solution when he saw it.  

This is one of the advantages to being, as Abraham was, a friend of God.  Being with God, in His Word, and in prayer, enables us to think as He does.  The Israelites, trapped between Pharaoh and the Red Sea, could not possibly have foreseen the solution God provided, but Moses knew to lead them.  The Hebrew soldiers, taunted daily by the Philistine giant Goliath did not recognize God’s solution when they saw it, but David was a man after God’s own heart, and he knew what to do.   

What about us?  Abraham saw the ram because he lifted his eyes and looked.  How often do we wonder “why?” or “how” without ever sitting down with Him to hear the answer “I’ll tell you why….” Or “Here’s how…” ? 

To see the solution, we need to lift up our eyes to Him.  We need to trust His promises, and then walk out that trust in our actions.  Remember what God has done, and believe in what He is going to do.  Be ready.  Be excited.  

And don't take your eyes off of Him.  You don't want to miss what's coming!

~ "And Abraham called the name of the place,

The-Lord-Will-Provide" ~

Genesis 22:14

~

We're safe, but we can hear the howling

"as lambs among wolves"

Luke 10:3

The other day, while studying the Proverbs, I had reason to head to Matthew 10, that wonderful passage where Jesus tells the disciples to go out in the world as "wise as serpents and harmless as doves."  Which is a very good way to go through life. 

So I decided reread that whole passage, and that led me to the similar account in Luke. In both passages, Jesus says, "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves."  And that's the imagery that got caught in my mind.

When Scripture talks about wolves, there are a couple of different things it's referring to.  In Matthew 7, the ravenous wolves are false prophets, who come in sheep's clothing.   We see that again in Acts 20, when Paul says "savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.  Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves."

In the Matthew 10 passage, Jesus' warning is those who would persecute the believers; "men (who) will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues." He added, "You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles."

Although all of these are alive and well in our world today ~ plenty of false prophets, and plenty of Christian persecution in the world ~ I think they are not the only wolves we need to be on the watch for. 

Wolves are anything that leads us away from our faith.  Temptations of money or power, or the belief that we can find peace anywhere else. 

Wolves are anything that attacks our faith ~ mocking "friends," the things of the world that belittle our beliefs and those things we hold dear.

But wolves are also anything that causes us to doubt our faith ~ loneliness, fear, confusion, disappointment, pain... The same things that can make us feel like victims ~ the things that steal our peace can steal our trust in Him. 

And that, I think, is the surprising part.  That when we feel justified in our emotions, we are taking our eyes off of Him.  When we say, "Woe is me" ~ just as when we say, "Yay for me!" ~ we are still saying "Me".

Be on guard.  For yourself, and for anyone in your flock.  Stay in the hand of the Shepherd, where the wolves cannot harm you.

~ "the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne 

will shepherd them and lead them 

   to living fountains of waters.  

And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." ~

Revelation 7:17

~

Sure Footing

"my foot stands in an even place"

Psalm 26:12

I went on retreat recently, with a women's group, and we were blessed to go not to a hotel or an impersonal retreat center, but to a lovely large home in the mountains.  I mentioned it last year around this time.  It's a vacation home, essentially, owned by some friends of mine, but they actually bought it and renovated it for the purposes of renting it out ~ at rock bottom prices ~ to Christian groups, as a retreat center.

The architecture of the house is very interesting.  When you pull into the driveway, you immediately have to make a decision.  You can stay at the level of the street, and park in the little offshoot to the driveway, or you can continue down the hill to where the driveway ends.

Because the house is built on a hill, both of these options will lead you to a "front" door of the home.  I guess you'd call it a split-level, but I've never seen one like this.  The bottom floor is the main floor, having the kitchen, family room and dining room, but both floors are on ground level, in their own way.  It's really a beautiful job of working with the topography of the mountainous area. 

It's a rather steep hill, outside.  There's an apple tree on the property, but you better have good shoes on, because it's a bit of a slip-slidey affair to pick apples.  But inside, of course, are perfectly level floors.  Well-designed, well-built.   And as I looked out the window and appreciated the view for a few minutes, and then looked back down at my Bible, the verse my eyes rested on was today's highlight verse, Psalm 26:12 ~ "my foot stands in an even place". 

How miserable it would be to live in a house where one constantly had to watch one's footing!  To never be able to let down your guard against slipping and tripping.  And how joyful to know we can have the peace of sure footing.  This is the promise.  Knowing His will on earth, and in our hearts, keeps us from wondering, and wandering.  It's not just knowing where we stand, but how. 

~ "God is my strength and power,

      And He makes my way perfect" ~

2 Samuel 22:33

~

Yes

"will you?"

Genesis 24:58

A young couple at church got engaged today.  After the service, as word started to spread about what was going to happen, a crowd gathered under a tree outside the front door.  And when the couple came out, the young man started talking.  He talked for just a minute about his love for her, and some of the qualities he has come to admire.

And then he turned to her, and got down on one knee, and asked her to marry him. 

It was very sweet, as proposals always are.  Blushing smiles, trembling hands... the anticipation of their whole lives ahead of them, and they get to spend it together. 

After he turned to her and asked the question, they were facing each other, and she had her back to many of us.  They kissed, making it fairly obvious what her response had been, but still he turned to all of us and called out, "She said 'yes'!"  It was a fun moment for all of us to share. 

This is not them.  I didn't have my camera today, and this clearly isn't the front door of our church.  But this is another couple from our church, earlier this summer.  Aren't they adorable?

So I've been thinking today about the enormity of the word "yes".  

I've been married 23 years.  (I know some of you reading this are thinking, "pff... that's nothing!"  And kudos to those of you who can say that!)  So I have a better understanding than those two kids (well, okay, not exactly kids) of what she was saying "yes" to.  Though it will be reiterated when they say their I do's, they were both saying "yes" to struggles and trials of varying kinds, from watching someone else repeatedly screw up the checkbook, to cleaning up vomit, to snoring.  And those are the day-to-day challenges.  Not to mention the possibility of unemployment, infertility, or frightening health scares. 

I'll bet if I asked both of them if they are aware of those possibilities, they would assure me that they are.  But they would also, if they were being honest, have to confess that there's a lot they don't know, about what to expect.  And yet, they both are willing.

Scripture is full of accounts of people who said "yes," in situations where they had no idea what to expect. 

* Abraham, when he answered God's call to move to a new land (Genesis 12)
* Joshua, when he led the Israelites in nonsensical marching around Jericho (Joshua 6)
* Gideon, going into battle with pitchers and torches (Judges 7)
* David and his army advancing against the enemy, when they heard the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees (2 Samuel 5)
* Elisha retrieving a sunken ax head with a stick (2 Kings 6)
* The disciples when Jesus instructed them to bring him a donkey and a colt (Matthew 21)
* Paul, blinded, and being told to go into the city of Damascus and await further instructions (Acts 9)

By agreeing to the proposition laid before them, each of these men were saying "yes".  They were trusting Him who had said, "Will you?" 

It's both exciting and frightening, to look into the future.  We simply cannot see.  Or worse, we are mistaken about what we think we see. 

But just as with that young couple today, the reason we say "yes" ~ is love.

~ "I heard the voice of the Lord, saying:

'Whom shall I send,

And who will go for Us?'

Then I said, 'Here am I!  Send me!'"

Isaiah 6:8

~

The more I know the more I know how little I know

"prayers night and day"

1 Timothy 5:5

I had trouble sleeping last night.  That ever happen to you? 

I mean, I fall asleep just fine, but if something happens to wake me ~ like the cat, or the heat ~ I have trouble falling back asleep. 

You too?

Is your problem the cat or the heat?  Cuz either way, I understand.

At any rate, the more I move, the less likely I am to fall back asleep, so I just turn on the fan, or put in my earplugs (depending on the sleep obstacle) without opening my eyes, and then lie very still and hope for the best. 

You too? 

And of course, I try to fill the time by praying.  If I don't, there is no telling where my mind will go ~ worries and anxieties are always waiting in the wings, you know?

So last night I was praying the Lord's Prayer, aka The Our Father.  They are some beautiful verses of Scripture, aren't they?  I once heard someone say that the Dictionary is the best book, because it's got all the other books in it.  Well, I think that Jesus' model prayer in Matthew 6 might be the best prayer, because it's got all the other prayers in it. 

It's got praise:  "Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name."

It has a prayer for His will:  "Your kingdom come.  Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

It has a prayer for our basic needs:  "Give us this day our daily bread."

... and for forgiveness: "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."

... and for protection: "And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."

And it ends with praise: "For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.  Amen."

Yup.  That's a good prayer.  Maybe the perfect prayer.

But as I lay there thinking about prayer, and thinking about that prayer, I remembered another prayer, which I believe, despite all it lacks, is my favorite prayer.

So what is it missing, this other prayer?   Well, nearly everything.  It has no praise, and really no outward request for bread or forgiveness or His kingdom come. 

What it does have, is absolute humility. 

You can find it in Mark 9, in the words of a father begging Jesus to heal his son.   Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."  And immediately the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"

Humility.  And acknowledgement that He is God, and we are not. 

The word "believe" is the word "pisteuo", and it means to be persuaded; to think to be true; to have conviction and trust.   The word "unbelief" is the word "apistia" and it means lack of faith, or weak faith.   The meanings matter, and they help us understand what could be misunderstood with the English words, as it sounds a little like he was saying, "I believe, but I don't believe." 

The meanings of the words make it clearer.  "I trust You," he was saying, "but my faith that this miracle will actually happen, is low."  It's understandable after a lifetime of discouragement ~ like a child with who has needed help since childhood; and after a failed attempt to help ~ like the disciples' inability to cast out the demon.

So I'm glad to know the deeper meanings of the words, but I still prefer the prayer in the language I know.  English, with all its faults, is poetic here.  I believe; help my unbelief. 

I have faith, but not enough.  I trust Him, but not enough.  He is mighty, but I fear not mighty enough.  He does miracles, yet I have no hope. 

Faith I have.  Enough to know, that it is faith I need.

~ "If we are faithless,

    He remains faithful;

       He cannot deny Himself" ~

2 Timothy 2:13

~

Running Low

"love, joy, peace..."

Galatians 5:22

Here's the thing:  I'm running low on maple syrup. 

I love maple syrup.  And I'll only use the real thing.  My dad grew up in Vermont, so I guess it's in the genes.  None of that artificial stuff for me. 

The last time we were grocery shopping, my Amazing Boy happened to say, "Do you need syrup, Mom?"  And I said, "Well, soon, but not yet."  After all, real maple syrup is not cheap, so I want to buy it at the lowest possible price.

Turns out his instinct was right; I was lower than I thought.  Then we had breakfast for dinner last night, so now I'm even lower. 

A couple of weeks ago, we were out of chocolate chips.  My son had a hankerin' for chocolate chip cookies, and I told him he could make some, and it used the last of our chips. 

This was a tiny bit of a problem, though, being out of them, because I really, really like Cream of Wheat for breakfast. 

Hold on, I'll get ya there...

I have Cream of Wheat almost every morning, but you gotta put something on it, right?  It needs a little hit of flavor.  So most mornings I use a few chocolate chips, toss them in there, let them melt, swirl it around, and my breakfast has that little twist that my sweet tooth loves. 

And when I was out of chocolate chips, I used maple syrup.  Put a pat of butter in my breakfast, drizzle in some syrup, and there it was!  Yum! 

Maple syrup was what I had plenty of (relatively speaking) when I was out of chocolate chips.  Now I'm low on syrup, but in the meantime we've replenished our our chocolate chip supply.   And it occurs to me to be grateful that I may not have everything I need, all the time, but I always have something of all that I need.

My aunt died this afternoon.  Unexpectedly.  She went in for surgery yesterday, and of course surgery always comes with risks, and this time they were very real.

And remember that joy that I had on Sunday, as I celebrated the life of my friend Terry?  Well, I really don't have joy today.  As my friend Bob reminded me, there is a time for mourning, and a time for weeping.  And that time is now.  

I'm temporarily out of joy.  But I do have peace.  I think about my father and my other aunt, having lost their sister.  I think about my cousins, who have lost their mother.  She had grandkids, and nieces and nephews and friends galore.  And though I know they are hurting, I also know that God is with them.  That He comforts those who hurt, and that He is never far from us. 

I have thankfulness for memories and long life and the fact that she was surrounded by family when she died. 

And I have faith ~ faith in His love for His children ~ faith in the strength that comes from family ~ and faith in His promises.

And faith that my joy will soon return.

~ "A time to weep,

And a time to laugh;

A time to mourn,

    And a time to dance" ~

Ecclesiastes 3:4

~

Life is a Fraction

"solve and explain it to me"

Judges 14:12

I did some school with my Amazing Boy this morning.  We slow down and get a little lazy during the summer, but we try to keep learning.  Couple of days a week, and plenty of reading.

So I gave him some math review to start with.  He finished everything in this year's textbook, but I had some worksheets left over from earlier in the year.  Great way to make sure he still remembers what he knew several months ago. 

But these particular worksheets don't have an answer key.  So I have to do the work myself in order to grade them.  I was thrilled that he breezed through it, but I still had to check, ya know?  And I'm pleased to say he got them all right.

But as I pondered 7/8 minus 2/3, it occurred to me that it's positively ridiculous that the answer to that problem is 5/24.  I mean, 7 minus 2 equals 5, but you look at those denominators, and one's an 8 and one's a 3 and where the heck does that 24 come from?? 

You have to understand the steps to understand the answer.  The 8 and the 3 need to change, but that's not readily obvious.  And if you don't know the procedure, you'd just look at all those numbers and not have any idea how to make something logical out of it. 

Life, my friends, is a fraction.  You are 7/8.  That thing that's going on in your life is 2/3.  God's gonna make it equal 5/24, and you have no idea how.  It's just not gonna make sense on the surface, and it can be hard to see how this is going to work out for good.  If you analyze it and pray over it and research the Scriptures, you might be able to see what He's doing ~ but maybe you won't. 

Be happy either way.  Be excited for those times you see what He's doing in your life, and why.  And when you don't, revel in the gift of faith. 

~ "The Lord is my light and my salvation;

Whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the strength of my life;

Of whom shall I be afraid?" ~

Psalm 27:1

~

A Lesson from Eddie Rickenbacker

"strong at sea"

Ezekiel 26:17

So I'm going to share one of my latest reads with you.  I picked it up for free at the library.  Yeah, I know, all books are free at the library.... But this one's a keeper.  The library has a small bookstore out front, and they always have a couple of shelves with free books on there.  There's rarely anything I want, but once in awhile I find something.

photo credit: af.mil

The United States Air Force Memorial

This "something" is called Seven Came Through and it was written by Eddie Rickenbacker.  He was an American fighter pilot in World War I ~ America's most successful ace in the war.  So I'm sure he was the subject of plenty of books and movies.  But this one was by him, and it was the account of the 24 days he and seven other men spent in lifeboats, after a military plane on which they were traveling, was forced to ditch in the Pacific.  (One of those men, Alexander Kaczmarczyk, died of wounds sustained in the crash.  Hence the title.)

It was an astounding read. Their food supply ran out after only a few days, and they survived on a seagull (the hapless bird landed on Rickenbacker's head, and he managed to catch it before it flew away) and fish they caught using the bird's innards as bait.  They were without water for several days, but when it rained, they managed to save enough to keep them alive until they were rescued.

But what I want to share with you is what Rickenbacker said towards the end of the book, about being rescued:  "Planting my feet upon an American deck was the next best thing to being home.  The crew gave us a cheer.  It bucked us up no end, but we hardly deserved it.  There's no great honor attached to saving your own skin."

Now, I've shared before my thoughts on how heroes rarely think they are deserving of the title, but what struck me in particular about Rickenbacker's words was that last line:  "There's no great honor attached to saving your own skin." 

I just gotta say, I just don't think that's true.  First of all, Rickenbacker "saving his own skin" also included encouraging, leading and saving the skin of the men with him.

But more than that, Rickenbacker living through the experience required a little luck (like a seagull landing on his head) and some wisdom (like not drinking seawater, no matter how thirsty they got) but also a great deal of courage.

It's an important lesson:  just hang on.  Deal with every moment the best you can, and wait for God to do what He will do.  Persevere in what you are doing, and endure when there's nothing you can do.  You never know who you'll be encouraging along the way.  

~ "You have need of endurance, 

so that after you have done the will of God, 

you may receive the promise" ~

Hebrews 10:36

~

Election Day

"you who call yourselves citizens"

Isaiah 48:2

As I think I mentioned some time back, my family went on vacation a few years ago, and included Thomas Jefferson's home, Monticello, on our itinerary.  Because of that, I get emails from Monticello a few times a week, telling me about different events going on.  I miss living on the East Coast, so it's fun for me to get a glimpse.

Well today when I opened that email, I saw pictures of the naturalization ceremony that took place at Monticello yesterday.  Seventy-nine brand-new American citizens.   And that was just the ceremony that took place at Monticello.  I watched one on C-Span yesterday, too; that one took place in Washington, DC.  And I'm sure there were dozens of other ceremonies taking place across the country. 

photo credit: baltimoresun.com

photo credit: ocregister.com

photo credit: poughkeepsiejournal.com

It brings a tear to one's eye to watch someone, even a stranger, go through that.  Maybe it's because, essentially, we are a nation of immigrants.   I don't know everyone's story, but I know they all succeeded in something they decided to do.  And that's got me thinking.  You see, I'm an American ~ born here, ya know ~ but the Bible says I'm a citizen of heaven.  Philippians 3:20 ~ "Our citizenship is in heaven.  And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ".  There's an important realization there for me to have.  I live in America, and I'm glad of that, but it shouldn't be my most valuable identification. 

Musician Dave Matthew performed at the Monticello ceremony and said in a speech, "You are the newest citizens.  Our history belongs to you as much as to anyone.  You chose this country, you left your home, your people, maybe happily, but maybe with a broken heart, maybe both... And today this country acknowledges that you are American now, as much as anyone."

I love that truth.  I remember reading, years ago, "You can move to Greece, but you will never be Greek.  But you can become an American."  This is the same truth we know as children of God.  When we make the decision to worship Him as Lord, we are "no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's people, and also members of His household."  (Ephesians 2:19)

And just like those brand-new American citizens, those of us who choose God have done so for different reasons.  Some, because we wanted something better.  Others would have stayed forever in their old life, but conditions forced them to seek something better.  CS Lewis said, "I find in myself a desire which no experience in the world can satisfy, the most profitable explanation is that I was made for another world."

And so are we all.

If you are still only a citizen of the world, then it's Election Day for you.  A choice must be made.  It's not about where you live; sometimes we can't help that.  It's about where your allegiance lies.  It's about priorities.

And your decision will not change anything.  Your life, your circumstances, your troubles will all be the same.  

But you should also know, your decision will change everything. 

~ "Get out of your country,

From your family...

to a land that I will show you...

I will bless you" ~

Genesis 12:1,2

~

On Helen Keller's Birthday

"water in the wilderness"

Genesis 36:24

My son and I just finished reading The Miracle Worker a few weeks ago.  It's a play written by William Gibson and first performed in 1959, detailing the beginning of the relationship between Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan.

Helen Keller's is a wonderful story; one that has inspired me for many years.  We own two copies of the movie (the 1979 version with Patty Duke and Melissa Gilbert and the 2000 version with Alison Elliott and Hallie Kate Eisenberg).   I'm not terribly fond of the 2000 version; it's not one of the "classic" versions (the other classic version being the 1962 Anne Bancroft/Patty Duke version).  But I taped it off TV when my kids were little, and it's a version they enjoyed watching when they were younger.   

I even had the chance to meet Patty Duke a couple of years ago.  We had seen the musical Wicked at the Orpheum in San Francisco, and when it was over, the kids wanted to wait at the Stage Door, hoping to meet the stars {which they did.  Very exciting!}  but one of the first people out the door was Patty Duke, who had also been in the production.  It was a thrill for me to meet her, not so much because she is Patty Duke, but because of my admiration for Helen Keller.  Let's face it, Patty Duke is as close as I'm ever going to get!

My high esteem for Helen Keller is two part ~ first, the obstacles she had to overcome.  As if being deafblind was not enough, it was in a time when society did not know ~ so her parents did not know ~ how to help her.  As a result, when Annie Sullivan came into her life, she had the task of dealing not just with Helen's disabilities, but also her lack of discipline.

Despite her considerable handicap, Helen achieved much in this world, even graduating college, with Annie at her side.

But the other reason I admire her is her attitude.  Much of her writing gives us a glimpse of the optimism and peace this woman carried in her heart.  Many who have easier lives than Helen are not so wise and contented.

So in celebration of her birthday, I'd like to share a few quotes from this remarkable woman...

On Understanding:

 "As the cool stream gushed over one hand, she spelled into the other the word "water", first slowly, then rapidly.  I stood still, my whole attention fixed upon the motion of her fingers.  Suddenly I felt a misty consciousness as of something forgotten ~ a thrill of returning thought, and somehow the mystery of language was revealed to me.  I knew then that "w-a-t-e-r" meant the wonderful cool something that was flowing over my hand."

On Humility:

"There is no king who has not had a slave among his ancestors, and no slave who has not had a king among his."

On Obedience:

"I love to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish humble tasks as though they were great and noble."

On Discouragement:

"Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn, whatever state I may be in, therein to be content... My heart is still undisciplined and passionate, but my tongue will not utter the bitter, futile words that rise to my lips, and they fall back into my heart like unshed tears."

On Suffering:

"Instead of comparing our lot with that of those who are more fortunate than we are, we should compare it with the lot of the great majority of our fellow men.  It then appears that we are among the privileged."

On Reading:

"Literature is my Utopia.  Here I am not disfranchised.  No barrier of the senses shuts me out of the sweet, gracious discourse of my book-friends.  They talk to me without embarrassment or awkwardness."

On Self-pity:

"Self-pity is our worst enemy and if we yield to it, we can never do anything wise in this world."

On Optimism:

"Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it."

On Potential:

"If we have once seen, the day is ours, and what the day has shown."

On Gratitude:

"I thank God for my handicaps for, through them, I have found myself, my work and my God."

Photo Credit: helenkellerbirthplace.org

Be blessed today.

~ "Blessed are your eyes, for they see,

and your ears, for they hear;

for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets

and righteous men desired to see what you see,

and did not see it,

and to hear what you hear,

and did not hear it" ~

Matthew 13:16-17

~