Under Pressure

 

Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! ~Psalm 46:10

I am a homebody.  There is nothing I like better than to have an entire day stretching before me without one appointment or obligation that involves leaving the house.  I prefer, above all, being able to stick to a daily routine of meaningful activities balanced with quiet times of prayer and reflection.  While others might perceive this as boring, I find it completely satisfying.

Last week, however, is anything but routine.  Between Danny and me, there are three medical appointments.  That's three too many, if you ask me, but they aren't the kinds you should or could postpone.  On Monday, I meet with my cardiologist to review some recent tests I have done.  The next day brings my annual physical with blood work to boot.  Thursday, we are at the dermatologist so Danny can have her check for any possible signs of potential skin cancer.  No worries!  Everything is super-duper for two folks in their seventies.

But there is one concerning issue that only applies to me.  When the medical assistant takes my blood pressure at the two appointments previously mentioned, it's WAY higher than it has ever been.  Am I alarmed?  You bet!  I'm already on a regimen for controlling blood pressure, so this isn't the news I want or expect to hear.

The remedy?  I'm taking my blood pressure at home for several weeks to see if it returns to what I consider the normal range for me.  Danny, with his love of spread sheets, faithfully tracks the daily tally.  After a while, we'll send the results to both doctors to see what their verdict is.

Surprisingly, neither my cardiologist nor my primary care doctor show undue concern at the numbers recorded in their respective offices.  Perhaps, both suggest, it's a bad case of the dreaded White Coat Syndrome.  Only time, and a quieter, less stressful schedule, will tell.

We don't begin recording the at-home blood pressure until last Friday.  Yes, we are out and about for some errands that day, but basically, the blood pressure is better.  I'm feeling hopeful, and the fact that Danny is leaving the blood pressure cuff in plain view helps me feel less anxiety and trepidation.  That's because it's now a part of the daily routine.  By Saturday (the day I'm drafting this post), I can joyfully state that all has returned to normal!

Yes, we will continue to record the readings, twice a day, if need be, and at approximately the same time each day.  I'm feeling optimistic as the week ahead holds nothing pressing in the way of out-of-the-ordinary activities.  There will be plenty of opportunities to simply be still, immerse myself in God's Word, and know that He, and only He, is in full control of whatever may happen down the road.

Whether you're a stay-at-home type like me, or a person who can't wait to tackle the next adventure out in the world, know that God cares for you, infinitely and intimately.  When the pressure's on, depend upon Him to relieve you, taking your every burden on Himself.

Amen!

Hand in Hand

 Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. ~Isaiah 41:10

If you are age 50 or above, your eyes, more than likely, require help in order to comfortably read a book or focus on the details of a photo.  I can't function if I don't have my readers with me everywhere I go.  They are indispensable to me.

So, why do I wait so long to put them on a lanyard?  Honestly, it is a preconceived notion of mine that only "old ladies" wear their readers around their necks.  I don't want glasses dangling from an outdated-looking chain, advertising my age faster than my face can.  How vain is that?  I know I need to get over myself because I tire of leaving my glasses in another room or having them flip out of my shirt collar and crash onto the floor every time I bend over to empty the dishwasher or make the bed.

Resigning myself to the prospect of attaching a chain to my readers, I'm pleasantly surprised to see a friend at church wearing a much subtler lanyard to hold hers.  So unobtrusive, in fact, that I have never even noticed it before.  And there is NOTHING old lady about her!  When I ask where I can find a lanyard like hers, W. actually sends an Amazon link to my phone right then and there.  I place my order that very afternoon, and I'm so pleased with the purchase!

Yes, wearing the lanyard does take some getting used to after all these years of going without, but the relief of securing my readers so that I know where they are at all times makes any adjustment required of me seem trivial.  The glasses are upheld by the firm grip of the lanyard and the fear of being dropped is dispelled.

When we trust in God completely, we are held securely by His righteous right hand.  We know beyond the shadow of a doubt that He is who He says Hi is.  We can lean into His strength when we are weak, and rest assured that He will help us through every earthly struggle.  Just as the lanyard's hold on the readers is sure and certain, God's hold is infinitely firm, tenacious and forever.

Jesus is always there to offer His righteous right hand.  Will you accept it?  Are you already walking hand in hand with the Lord?  Please share in the comments.

Amen!

Extra! Extra! Read All About It!

 

Sing to the Lord, bless His name; proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. ~Psalm 96:2

Do you watch the news on cable television?  I certainly do, but I'm a one-trick pony when it comes to my choice.  It's Fox News, hands down for me.  Why?  Because I know I will see and hear different views and impressions about the news of the day, and even see clips from other major news outlets.  Fox truly lives up to its slogan - Fair and Balanced.

Now, am I so much of a news nerd that I watch it from dawn to dusk?  No way!  But there are a few go-to favorites that reliably grab my time and attention.  As I tend to rise early in the mornings, I like to wake up with Fox & Friends as I sip my coffee and get my bearings for the day ahead.

The hosts are always entertaining and informative, down-to-earth, and just plain likeable.  Their camaraderie and candor with one another are so refreshing to see.  And the special human interest features are always a plus that can add a lighthearted feel to any news of the day.

My other choices are The Five and Jesse Watters Prime Time for many of the same reasons.

I mean, honestly, how many news shows can you name that are able to interject good-natured humor and some laugh-aloud moments along with the actual news?  I know I can't think of any that beats out these two in my book.

And why, might you ask, do I even like watching the news at all?  Is it an obsession with FOMO, the Fear of Missing Out?  No, for me it's FOBU - the Fear of Being Uninformed.  I like to know what's going on in the world so I can look it straight in the eyes and deal with it accordingly.  Even when the news is bad, it isn't an options for me to run away and bury my head in the sand.

Today's news cycle changes constantly.  What grabs headlines on Monday may very well be tossed out of the media window by Tuesday.  And if we perceive it as bad news, we gladly bid it farewell.  But the good news?  We wish that it could linger just a bit longer.

Still, as believers, we know the good news of God's salvation day after day.  It never fails or fades away, but is new every morning.  And best of all, this good news is eternal.  It is our go-to headline when the world seems to have lost its collective mind.

When it comes to the Lord's good news, we can joyfully proclaim:  "Extra!  Extra!  Read all about it!"

Amen!

Rain or Shine

 Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven.  He answered and said to them, "When it is evening you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red'; and in the morning, 'It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.'  Hypocrites!  You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. ~Matthew 16:1-3

Unusual weather we're havin', ain't it? ~The Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz

The month of May here in Georgia is usually one replete with warm temperatures to herald the hot, humid, sticky, wall-of-heat summer in the offing.  But if you look at the header photo, you can see for yourself that this May is off to an anomalous start.  Yes, here it is, 4 o'clock in the afternoon, and our high is 64 very cool degrees.  Since neither Danny nor I are partial to Georgia summers, this is a welcome, if temporary, respite from stifling temperatures and high air conditioning bills.

According to our local weather prognosticators, this entire week should feature highs only in the low 70s.  Talk about a breath of fresh air!  Now, to be fair, there will be rain for most of that time, but in my book, that's not a downside.  I love the rain, and with it, our moss transforms into a thick carpet of emerald green - a joy to behold!

Weather is the one topic that everyone talks about, but there isn't anything we can do to change it.  Yet, it can change much about us.  For example, we can grumble and complain about that washed-out picnic or rain delay in a baseball game.  Or, we can accept the inclement day with gratefulness for an opportunity to put our feet up and read that novel or watch that movie we've been putting off for far too long.  It's all about attitude and outlook.

In today's fast-paced world, we have all kinds of computer models and sophisticated technology that allow meteorologists to predict the weather for the weeks ahead with astonishing accuracy.  The people living in Jesus' day depended on the signs given in the natural world to know when to prepare for sun or rain.  Even in the 21st Century, the saying in the scripture above is paraphrased this way:  Red sky at morning, sailors take warning; red sky at night, sailors' delight.

But Jesus isn't idly chatting about the weather with the Pharisees and Sadducees.  He's chastising them for their inability to see, right before their eyes, the very manifestation of all the scriptures they claim to understand and interpret better than anyone else.  Despite their immersion in the law and the prophets, they miss the Sign to which all are pointing.  They, like the elite in our time, are so consumed by their prestige and power, they cannot accept that this no-name, itinerant preacher from Galilee, with His rag-tag followers, is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God, the One for whom they have been waiting.

Jesus IS the sign from heaven.

Like the blind Pharisees and Sadducees, do we fail to see Him?

Do we fail to see Him for who He truly is?

Do we fail to follow Him in obedient joy for the grace He has so lavishly poured out upon us?

Since of of us sin and fall short of God's glory, the answer to the questions posed above is a resounding YES.  But when we confess our sins and run to Jesus, He will wrap us up in His arms of love and compassion, and forgive us those sins.  He isn't a fair-weather friend, but a forever one.  Rain or shine, we can rejoice because the Lord Jesus is with us.

Amen!