Frantic!

John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Through all the worry and fear, though, God has been there, whispering peace to my frantic heart.  Over and over, He's reminded me that He's walking this road with me.  He whispers His promises - "I have a plan.  You're going to be fine. ~Amanda at Grace in Our Moments 

Though it's been years now since I've been compelled to rise and shine early on a daily basis to wake my children, and later, my step-sons, through elementary, middle and high school, and prepare myself for another day of teaching, I still have difficulty controlling and redirecting my frantic heart in morning's early hours.  Even though I've left the ogre of a 5:00 a.m. kick-me-out-of-bed in the distant past, I can't seem to the escape the sense of urgency I feel the minute I wake up.  It's akin to that panic I used to feel when I feared being late for work or realized I'd forgotten to bring something with me which was all-important to a successful lesson.

Frantic.  Rush to brew the coffee.  Race to turn on the computer.  Quickly, quickly peruse the e-mails, then off to Facebook, responding to blog comments, reading others' blogs, sharing, commenting, tweeting . . .

Frantic!

Stop!!!

What on earth, or in heaven, am I thinking?  Can't the demands of the world wait when the most important conversation I'll have all day is with God?

As Amanda writes:  He whispers His promises - "I have a plan.  You're going to be fine."  

God doesn't want me to rush; He wants me to slow down.  To catch my breath.  To not gulp down my coffee when I should savor each sip.

The Lord, in love with us, His fragile creatures, desires us to treasure and revel in every precious moment He gives.  God wants us to know it will be fine because it's not about racing around heedlessly.  It's not about immediately meeting the expectations of others, real or imagined.

It's about resting in Him.  Trusting in His presence and His timing.  If we consciously turn over the day to God the moment our feet hit the floor, He will be faithful to steer us true and calm our hearts even when the storms rage.

So now, the second I feel that old, all-too-familiar frantic sensation creeping into my heart, I pray for God's peace.

And it always comes . . .

~

Are you starting off your day with the Lord?

Prayer:  Father, when our lives seem to be whirling out of control and our hearts grow frantic, fill us with Your peace that we might know living in Your presence is all that matters.  In Jesus' name, amen.

Did I Forget to Thank You?

Acts 14:17
Yet he has not left himself without testimony:  He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their season; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.

For years now, my husband, Danny, and I have fed both birds and squirrels in our back yard.  Though the squirrels cannot raid the actual bird feeders, we spread sunflower seeds on the ground for them and entice them, too, with corn-cob looking treats especially for our furry mischief makers.  We never tire of watching the squirrels' playful and often comical antics as they forage for food and chase one another up and down trees or across the yard.

And one would think that after the countless times I've reloaded the feeders and leave a generous offering of seeds for the squirrels, they would know I'm not a human to be feared.  Oh, mind you, I've crept up pretty close to them, especially if they are absorbed in gorging themselves and seemingly oblivious to what's happening in their environs.

Yet the moment they catch a glimpse of me, it's as if they've seen the Boogieman.  Off they scamper in a mad frenzy to escape my imagined clutches.

I know the squirrels are keeping their eyes on me from a safe distance, though, because in the short time it takes me to enter the garage, go upstairs and into the kitchen, I can see from my windows that they have already returned to the feasting site.  Eating contentedly, they act as if I have never been there.  And most certainly, in their little minds, I have little or nothing to do with the reappearance of plenteous offering on their dirt floor of a table.

As I observe their back-to-normal activities from the height and distance or our deck, I can't help but feel a bit wistful.  Maybe I've spent too many hours in The Glade, but there's something in me which yearns for a thank you.  Not in the spoken word, mind you, for only Grey aka Racer can do that :), but in the hanging-around-at-a-not-so-safe distance, making eye contact, knowing without a doubt from whom the seeds have come.  I long for the squirrels to acknowledge me, their benefactor, in some small, yet meaningful, way.

And I find myself wondering, is this the way God feels when we fail to acknowledge Him as the One who "provides [us] with plenty of food and fills [our] hearts with joy?"  Like the squirrels, do we scurry away from the Source of Every Blessing mistakenly thinking we can provide for ourselves without God's help?  Are we avoiding eye contact with our Lord in order to follow our own wills and pursue our own wants?

I pray, for the sake of us all, that this is not the case.  

For the Lord, our God, has given us His true and faithful testimony.  He alone provides.  He alone forgives.

He alone saves us from our sins.

And He loves us.

Even when we forget to say, "Thank you."

~

Have you thanked the Lord today?

Prayer:  Father, every good gift comes, most generously, from You.  May we always acknowledge that and give You the honor, the glory and the thanks You so richly deserve.  In Jesus' name, amen.

Go Near and Listen

Deuteronomy 5:27
Go near and listen to all the Lord our God says.  Then tell us whatever the Lord our God tells you.  We will listen and obey.

My husband, Danny, and I love having our granddaughter, Virginia Rose, over to our house and try to do this at least once a week.  We don't have to have anything special planned in order for her to enjoy her time with us, but for two weeks straight in January, we do have specific activities for her to engage in.

Virginia is given a game for Christmas which stays at our house due to the small pieces that could all too easily find their way into baby sister, Savannah Jane's, mouth.  This particular Thursday, Danny is working at home and has to take an important phone call from two until three that afternoon.  I decide that's the perfect time to take Virginia back to our room and teach her how to play The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game.  

I carefully explain the rules of the game to Virginia who listens attentively to my instructions.  Within a few moments, we are ready to play!  And wouldn't you know it?  My granddaughter wins the first two games!

The following Thursday when Virginia is slated for another visit, I decide she's old enough to help me make cookies from scratch.  When her mother, Sarah, tells her what she'll be doing that day, Virginia makes sure I know she wants M&Ms in her cookies instead of chocolate chips.  This Gammie is happy to oblige.  I purchase the ingredients the day before, and set the butter out to soften in a mixing bowl before leaving to go pick Virginia up.  She isn't in our house two seconds before she asks when we will make the cookies.

"The butter isn't soft enough yet, Virginia," I tell her.  "Let's have some lunch first, then you can play with your Crazy Sand until the butter is ready."

"Okay, Gammie," she says, and stays perfectly content and entertained until I deem the butter is malleable enough to cream readily with the sugar and eggs.

Because this is Virginia's first foray into baking, I decide to pre-measure the ingredients and allow her to pour them into their respective bowls.  We start by placing the flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl and set it aside.  Of course, Virginia wants to play with the flour like she did when she "helped" Danny aka Papa make pizza a few weeks ago.  But I manage to hold her off for a few moments with the promise of how much she'll enjoy seeing the electric mixer at work

All during the process, I explain to Virginia what ingredients we are using and why.  She listens carefully and follows my instructions to the letter.  She is especially elated when the mixing is done and it's time to fold the M&Ms into the dough.

And she can't resist sampling a few of the candies!

When it's time to place dobs of dough on the cookie sheets and pop them in the oven, the flour is a God-send as it keeps Virginia thoroughly occupied at a safe distance from the stove.

What I take away fro both of these delightful experiences with Virginia is how well she listens and how well she obeys.  It makes me reflect upon my own listening skills, or lack thereof, when it comes to hearing God's Word and obeying His commands.  Am I listening half-heartedly, or am I deliberately engaged?  Am I following His lead, or wandering too often down the path of my own choosing?

And I hear Him speak to my heart:

"Go near and listen . . ."

Like a trusting child.

Eager to learn.

Eager to obey.

~

Are you listening to the Lord?  Are you obeying His precepts?

Prayer:  Father, help us to rekindle our childlike faith.  Let us approach You with open hearts and minds, that we might truly hear Your Word and obey You in all things.  All this we pray in the name of Jesus.  Amen.

I Will Trust You

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

It is 4:30 in the morning.  I wake with the immediate realization I must get up and get moving.  Today is the day when my husband, Danny, is scheduled to have his defibrillator replaced as the batteries in his old one are in serious decline.  Although we don't need to be at the hospital until 7:30, Atlanta interstate traffic demands an early departure in case we run into accidents or other unforeseen tie-ups along the way.

The drive down I-75 is crowded, but moving.  It is dark and misting, causing brake lights and headlights to blur and dance erratically before my eyes.  This, along with the worry I feel regarding Danny's impending surgery, makes me queasy.  I find myself wishing we were not in this place and time, wishing we didn't have to face these moments of uncertainty.

Then, I hear it.  A snippet from one of the praise songs we have recently learned for contemporary service.  I will trust you . . .

A whisper, a heartbeat.  I will trust you . . .

A promise, a prayer.  I will trust you . . .

And for the life of me, I cannot recall from which song these lyrics come, these words which now resound in my soul.  Yet resound, they do.  And every time they swirl up into my conscious thought, I feel God's peace surrounding me.  Surrounding us.

I am calmed.

Danny seems to be, too.  Handling traffic like a pro.  Not a drop of water or coffee in his system, yet sailing smoothly into the unknown.

I will trust you . . .

Pastor Wallace arrives to pray with us before Danny's surgery, and then stays with me for the duration.  We never run out of topics to discuss, and I a blessed by his dedicated presence which calms me even further and assures me:  I will trust.  I can trust!

Not an hour has passed before the surgeon, Dr. S., enters the waiting area, a broad smile on his face, and motions us to accompany him to the recovery room.  "Everything went great," Dr. S. assures us.  "Danny is still a bit groggy, but you can talk to him.  It will help him come around quicker."

There are no words for the relief that washes over me the moment I see Danny!  Pastor Wallace and I tell him, honestly, how great he looks (even though we can tell it's a struggle for him to stay awake), and Wallace teases him, "Doc says he has two remote controls, one for me and one for Martha.  You'll be behaving yourself from now on!"

Danny manages a smile and a chuckle at this quip.  Before he departs, Pastor Wallace prays with us once again, thanking God for His mercies today and for Danny's continued healing.  Three hours later, Danny and I are home, so thankful to have this ordeal behind us.

Through the day, however, as much as I will trust you runs in a comforting loop in my thoughts, the song from whence it came has yet to surface.  In my heart, I know it doesn't matter as these were the only words I needed to hear today, yet my mind isn't willing to let it rest.  I sit on our deck, breathing the chilly air gratefully,  and I close my eyes.  I listen . . .

Lord, whatever comes my way, I will trust you . . .  More of the song!  Which song?

From beginning to the end, I will trust you . . .

I jump up and dash indoors.  "Danny!  I remembered some more!"  I share the lyrics I recall, and grab for my hefty church music book.  Frantically, I begin flipping through the alphabetically arranged pages.  Scanning them hastily.  I haven't gotten past the "D" section when Danny, after a successful Google search, announces, "Sovereign!  It's Sovereign."

Thrilled at his answer, I shove my hand into the place in the giant tome where I think the "S" songs should be.

And. I. Turn. Right. To. It.

Tears of joy spill over.  God met me today in my time of uncertainty.  And although I'm ecstatically grateful to finally read all the words in the song, I know in my heart God gave me the only ones that mattered in the moment.  That matter always.

I will trust you . . .

~

Are you trusting in the Lord, and leaning not upon your own understanding?

Prayer:  Father, may we learn to always lean on You and submit to Your will, knowing You will make straight our paths and provide us with Your comfort and grace.  Let us always give thanks and praise to You, no matter what circumstances we may be in, and listen for Your still, small voice which ever whispers the words we need to hear.  In Jesus' name, we pray.  Amen.

You can listen to the song, Sovereign, here.

Extra! Extra! Read All About It!

Psalm 145:6 (MSG)
Your marvelous doings are headline news; I could write a book full of the details of your greatness.

I follow with regularity a vast amount of blogs.  Some are secular in nature, but most fall into the category of Christian reflections.  As a Christian writer myself, I find the latter to be a welcome source of inspiration and encouragement for my own faith walk.

Who are these bloggers, you ask?  How I would love to list each and every one of the, but cringe at the thought I could have a senior moment and leave some dear soul out of the lineup.  So, let me simply share with you my general impressions for now; in future blogs, I will feature quotes from these awesome individuals when said quotes fit with the theme of my post.

These Christian writers are a diverse group to say the least.  Men and women of all ages and stages of spiritual growth.  Some are published authors; some are aspiring to reach that goal.  Some are pastors, others laity, like myself.  Married, single; parents, grandparents; retired/working - their life experiences run the gamut.

Each blogger has a unique style and voice in his or her writing.  In my year of "wonder," I sit back and reflect upon how God has made us each in His own image, you so different in how we express ourselves and relay the Christian message to others.  Each writer is refreshingly original, and I appreciate every one of them for their distinctive, one-of-a-kind panache.

But as different as all these bloggers are in style, they all share the same headline news:  Extra!  Extra!  Read all about it!  God is great!  All the time!

And there is no end to the way in which they can express the greatness, goodness, mercy, love, and forgiveness of the Lord.  Even if they were to write 1,000 posts a piece, no amount of words could ever manage to detail and contain all of God's greatness.

Yet write on, they must.  For there is another thread which binds them together:  Their love for God and their passion to share that love with a hurting world which need Jesus more than ever.

I am so grateful to know these devoted Christians who are using their gifts of writing to evangelize and inspire others.  It is a blessing and an honor to be a part of their personal faith journey.  I find comfort in their words, knowing I'm not alone in my daily walk with the Lord.

So, blogging brothers and sisters (you know who you are), hat's off to you!

Keep on keeping on!

Run the good race!

Share the Good News of God's Kingdom.

It's headline news!

~

Are you a blog follower?  If so, what type of blogs do you tend to favor?

Prayer:  Father, we thank You for all those who use the gifts You have given them to spread the Good News of Christ Jesus to the world.  Whether they are writers, artists, songwriters, singers, teachers, or preachers, bless and inspire them, Lord, that they may bless and inspire others.  In Jesus' name, we pray.  Amen.

In Sweet Fellowship

Psalm 55:12-14
If an enemy were insulting me,
I could endure it;
if a foe were rising against me,
I could hide.
But it is you, a man like myself,
my companion, my close friend,
with who I once enjoyed sweet fellowship
at the house of God,
as we walked about
among the worshipers.

It is not something we, as Christians, wish to discuss and are loathe to reveal lest we discourage others from attending church, but it is a reality.  A reality which recently descends upon my husband, Danny, and me in a most unexpected, unprecedented and hurtful way; one that completely blindsides us and leaves us reeling.  When those we held closest as we walked with them among the worshipers turn against us with fangs bared, we wonder, what has happened to sweet fellowship?

In the years I've been a member of Facebook, I've witnessed too many friends who have been discouraged and disheartened by the way they have been treated in their churches.  At the least, some have left their house of worship in search of a more embracing congregation.  At the worst, some have thrown Christianity aside altogether, seeking blindly now for a faith outside of The Way.  Lost and broken, they struggle and strive to find in the unfamiliar a hint of the love they once hoped to know through Christ.

When he asks people he meets why they don't attend church, this is what Pastor Wallace hears most often:  "They're all hypocrites!  Who, in their right mind, would want to be part of that?"

Wallace's answer?  "Yes, we are all hypocrites.  We are all sinners.  That's why they and you and I need to be there."

That's why they and you and I need to be there . . .

We are fragile.  We are fallen.  We are prone to forget the saving grace of Christ Jesus when we have been hurt or wronged.

We see through our eyes, not God's.  We long for our kingdom, not His.

We are all hypocrites, in desperate need of Christ's healing.  Christ's salvation.

It's all too easy to draw up "enemy lines" and endure the slings and arrows coming from our foes, but when those same slings and arrows are hurled at us by those we count as friends?  Trusted friends?  Those with the kiss of Judas on their lips?

What do we do?

Jesus has the answer.

Forgive.

Seventy times seventy times seven and more.

Forgive.

Then?  Forget!

And welcome everyone into His Kingdom by inviting them to join you in sweet fellowship at your house of worship.  Show the love of Christ to them.  When you do that, those who feel forsaken or hurt or lost will know they have found a safe haven in your church and in your heart.

~

Have you been hurt by a church experience?  How did you react?  How did you deal with your disappointment?

Prayer:  Father, we, as Your children, are supposed to be loving and forgiving, even when it hurts and our hearts are breaking.  Help us to remember that Your precious Son, Jesus, gave the ultimate sacrifice that we might learn to forgive and forget in Christian love, sweet fellowship, no matter what the circumstances.  May our churches be places of warmth, welcome and acceptance for the lost and the seeking.  In Jesus' name, we pray.  Amen.

Angels Are Not Just Heard on High

Proverbs 4:18
The path of the just is as the shining light, that shines more and more unto a perfect day.

It is the day after Christmas.  My husband, Danny, and I are scheduled to drive the long stretch to my mother's house to spend the day with her.  Danny has had problems with an implant which, after a remarkably healthy run of five years, becomes infected.  Dr. T., his oral surgeon, gives it everything he has to save it previously in the month, but this ornery tooth decides to come loose at the most inconvenient of times.

"Martha, call your mom," Danny calls to me from the hallway as I'm sipping coffee and checking my e-mail.  "We can't make it today."

"What's wrong, honey?"  I ask in alarm.

"It's the tooth.  I can feel it wobbling.  It hurts to swallow.  I've got to see about this today."

"But, Danny, it's the day after Christmas!  Won't the office be closed?"

"They should have an emergency answering service.  I'm calling as soon as I'm out of the shower."

Danny places the call and waits.  After two hours, there's still no response.  What was supposed to be a shining and perfect day is fast deteriorating into one of doom and gloom.  In desperation, Danny scrolls through his most recent calls on his I-phone, praying that he hasn't deleted his surgeon's cell phone number from the list.

Miracles of miracles!  Danny finds it!  Promptly he calls and leaves a message explaining the situation.  Within ten minutes, Dr. T. returns the call and sets Danny up with an appointment at 2:30 that afternoon even though his office is officially closed for the holidays.  He has no dental technicians available, but his wife, who is a pediatric dentist, agrees to assist in the procedure.

We arrive at the office early; Dr. T. and his wife arrive on the dot.  We have no idea what holiday plans they have scrapped to be the angels we need in this moment, but they greet us with sincere smiles and Merry Christmas wishes.  The procedure takes less than thirty minutes.  Danny is relieved from his nagging discomfort, and we are free, all of us, to enjoy the remainder of this blessed holiday in uneventful bliss.

And we realize:  Angels are not just heard on high.  They live and dwell right here among us.  We know Dr. T. and his wife are devout Christians, but on this day, we also know that they walk the walk, not just talk the talk.

Danny sends them a heartfelt thank you note the next day.  We are both so grateful for their sacrifice of time, for showing extraordinary love and care for a patient, for going above and beyond the call of duty.

They are the just, shining their light full force.

They turned our not-so-good-horrible-miserable day into one of perfection.

Isn't that what God promises He will do for us when we ask?

~

Have you experienced a time when someone's sacrifice in love and caring for you made all the difference?

Prayer:  Father, we thank You for those angels in our lives; those who rise above the moment to tend to the needs of others without any expectation of reward in return.  They show, by being just and merciful, the light You wish us to shine unto a perfect day, the day in which Your light is perfected in each and every one of us.  In Jesus' name, we pray.  Amen.