Stand Up!

Leviticus 19:32
Stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God.  I am the Lord.

I am not able to get out to church now.  I miss the fellowship but don't understand why no one calls or comes by to see me after I taught 55 years, and worked with the youth, and ministered in different ways 50 years.  I don't understand.  I still consider myself a child of God and can minister from home as an encouragement by writing.  ~Winston Staples

When I read this post from Winston in a Christian writers' forum on Facebook, my heart breaks and my soul spirit plummets.  How can this possibly be?  What kind of church is this that turns its back on the aged, the infirm?  Where is the indignation in such abandonment of a brother who still has so much to give to his church community?

A child of God who simply wants to be included, but is resigned to the fact that his only venue now to reach out to others is through writing, hoping to save souls for the kingdom.

Yes, his efforts are noble.  His attitude?  Forgiving and full of grace.  I am humbled by Winston's acceptance of the way things are.

But what has happened to Winston reveals the cumbersome elephant in the room for too many churches.  The world is infiltrating, and we are succumbing to its influence. Falling for the fallacy that youth and wrinkle-free existences are all that matter.  Those persons who appear to be past their usefulness are left by the wayside, breathing the dust that younger, more vigorous church members throw as they stampede by them.  Quickly.  Blindly.  Too eager to pass them and pass up their seasoned experience.

Leaving them in the lurch.

Wisdom, and all . . .

Forsaken.

Forgotten.

In our haste for self-gratification in the here and now, we can too easily miss the hidden treasure the elder generation has to offer.  And we open the Pandora's box of misery instead.

Because history, not learned, is doomed to repeat itself.

And we have much to learn from Christian men like Winston and others of his generation.

The questions burn:  Will we welcome and embrace their presence in the fold?  Or will we continue to kick up the dust of ignorance?

~

How does your church minister to the elderly and shut-ins no longer able to attend services?

Prayer:  Father, let us always stand up for the aged and show respect to the elderly as You have commanded.  Let not one soul in Your kingdom be forgotten nor forsaken because of our agendas set in our own interests.  Revive us, dear Lord, that we might see the wealth of knowledge our elders can share with us.  In Jesus' name, we pray.  Amen.

Everlasting Covenant

Genesis 9:15-17
I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind.  Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.  Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.

My husband, Danny, and I can't get enough of our most recent cabin in the breathtaking Nantahala Mountains of North Carolina overlooking the majestic vistas of the Great Smokys.  The interior of the cabin offers all the comforts, and then some, of home.

The views from our windows are incomparable, ever changing, ever inspiring.

If you've followed Meditations of My Heart for any length of time, you already know that we are bi-annual visitors to these gracious, inviting mountains, which by their very presence, remind us of the God who created them and dwells among us.  We have witnessed, over the years, every imaginable cloud formation, stunning sunrises, and night skies that defy description.

But on this visit, we are graced with the one phenomenon we'd barely glimpsed before and never witnessed in full.  A rainbow!!!  And not just any rainbow; this one begins in the valley and arches onto the mountainside high above in a single, unbroken curve.

MAGNIFICENT!

We stand speechless, in awe yet again of the wonders in God's handiwork.  And we are gloriously reminded by this rainbow of His everlasting covenant.

~

Do you have a special memory of a rainbow?  Please share!

Prayer:  Father, we thank You for Your signs and wonders all around us that remind us of Your constant presence in our lives.  Help us to live humbly, giving You all the honor and the glory, each and every day.  In Jesus' name, we pray.  Amen.

Be Strong! Take Heart! And Wait . . .

Psalm 27:13-14
I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.

My resolve before my husband, Danny, and I go on vacation to the mountains is to go as "dark" as I possibly can on all things social media.  While at the cabin, I de-clutter my email and pay only fleeting visits to Facebook.  But I find it difficult to ignore the blogs of those whom I delight in following on a daily basis.  I know my friends will understand.

But still . . .

As I gaze upon the vista spread before me, a sumptuous feast for the eyes and the soul, a lone and distant cell tower pulses its piercing white light with regularity.

It reminds me unrelentingly that the possibility, the temptation of instant communication with the outside world is at my fingertips.  I only have to connect with it to have assured contact with family and friends.

I admonish myself:  This is supposed to be the time intentionally set aside to reconnect with Danny.  With God.

Communication with my husband comes easy, a natural give-and-take, a loving, spontaneous flow.  Conversations and interactions take place in the here and now.  As instantaneous and accessible as the internet, but thankfully, face-to-face.

With God?  Now that's another story.  I spend lots of time in His Word and in prayer while we are at the cabin, but there are no immediate messages coming over the heavenly wires.  Peace?  Yes!  Answers?  Hmm . . .

And there are so many I need.  So many I want right now.

Being accustomed to the instant gratification of the internet, I'm in danger of morphing into a petulant, pouting child, stomping her foot indignantly.  Where are Your answers, Lord?  I know You are there.  I know You are listening.  Why won't You answer me?

Silence.

I step back.  I breathe.  Relax.

And I hear . . . Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

Not the answer for which I seek.

But it's the only one that matters.

~

How do you react when you feel God is not answering your prayers?

Prayer:  Father, so often we grow impatient when our prayers are not answered in the time and place we feel they should.  Grant us the strength to wait upon Your timing, knowing it is always perfect.  Let us see Your goodness in the land of the living.  In Jesus' name, we pray.  Amen.

When It's Safe to Bloom Again

1 Peter 1:13-16
Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.  As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.  But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written:  "Be holy, because I am holy."

Early spring weather in the Nantahala Mountains of North Carolina is unpredictable at best.  It is a warm, balmy day when my husband, Danny, and I arrive at the cabin in which we will spend the week.  The daffodils planted nearby are past their peak, but a lone tulip bravely blossoms, spreading its velvety petals wide to embrace the sunshine.

The next morning, the temperatures plunge, and stay cold to chilly for the remainder of our vacation.  Howling gusts of wind and the occasional rain shower encourage us to hunker down in the comfort of our cabin and admire our view behind the protection of plate glass windows.

I notice that the tulip responds in kind.  It retracts its showy petals, closes itself into a tight, insular bud as if it had never bloomed at all.  Instinctively, the tulip knows how to protect itself from inclement weather so that it will be able to blossom again once conditions improve.

~

In his sermon this past Sunday, Pastor Wallace illustrates what Peter is warning against in the scripture cited above.  He describes arriving years ago at a small church he is to serve and asking the lay leader how he perceives the spiritual temperature of the congregation.

"I'll show you," he tells Wallace, and leads him to the doors of the narthex.  Opening one, he plants a foot outside the church and the other inside it.

Wallace is confused.  "I don't get it," he admits.  "What are you telling me?"

The lay leader answers, "They have one foot in the church in case it's the truth, and the other foot in the world just in case it's not."

Luke-warm.  Not on fire for the Lord.  Hanging onto the evil desires they had when living in ignorance.  Wallace is crestfallen.  This is a tiny, but mature congregation; few are below the age of sixty.  Wallace wonders how, after all those years as Christians, they cannot bring themselves to fully trust in God, cannot will themselves to be holy for Him because He is holy for them.

Wallace reminds us that the things of this world tug mightily at us, seeking to distract us from our focus on Jesus.  We must, as Peter admonishes, keep our minds alert and sober, setting our hope fully on God's grace.  When we are "all in" for Him, the storms and tempests with which the world threatens us cannot shake us loose from His firm foundation.

We can, like the tulip, hide our vulnerabilities in the safety and comfort of our Father's arms, believing with all our hearts that He will shield and protect us.

Secure in the knowledge that He will let us know when it's safe to bloom again.

~

Is your hope set on the grace of God?

Prayer:  Father, help us to be Your obedient children, setting our hope on the grace You give us through Christ Jesus, and being holy in all we do.  Defend us from the perils of this world, and let us grow and blossom in our faith and trust in You.  In Jesus' name, we pray.  Amen.

Holy Ground

Psalm 24:3
Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?  Who may stand in his holy place?

Such a long time in coming!  My husband, Danny, and I have been literally counting down the days until we can once again return to the mountains we love and reconnect with God and one another.

We try to stay in different cabins each time we visit the Nantahala Mountains of North Carolina, and we are fortunate to book a new one dubbed Eagle's Nest Hideaway.  Judging by the photos accompanying the cabin's advertisement, our accommodations should prove nothing less than luxurious and our views, incomparable.  Here are some photos of past vistas we have been graciously invited to view.

For both of us, there is something indescribably holy about these ancient, towering mounds of rock that lift us closer to the heavens.  I've read where geologists believe these now tree-covered domes once rose higher than today's Himalayan peaks.  It is an idea hard to fathom in the short-sight of human vision, but a most welcomed reminder that with God, nothing is impossible.

God's majestic mountains help me remember that it is a gift to ascend, to stand beside Him.  They inspire me to sing and praise Him for His glory and His gifts that wrap us in His loving arms.  He assures me that my mountaintop experiences will make the valleys of my life both endurable and doable.

So may this time of ascending the mountain, both for Danny an me, be blessed.  May we realize with every breath that we stand in a sacred place.

Feet firmly planted on Holy Ground.

~

Where do you find your feet planted on God's Holy Ground?

~

Prayer:   Father, we are not worthy to climb the mountains nor stand in Your holy presence.  Yet You have paved the way through Your Son, Christ Jesus, to make a path for us, that we might ascend into the holiest of places and know we are welcome.  To know we are loved infinitely by You.  May we honor Your love for us each day by showing love to others.  In Jesus' name, we pray.  Amen.

Meditations of My Heart will be on hiatus next week.  The mountains beckon, and I'm longing for that special time to reconnect with Danny and with the God we love.  I will be keeping all social media to a minimum from Monday, April 4th, until Saturday, April 9th.  If I miss a birthday, a blog, or a blessing in the interim, don't take it personally.  Know my prayers and heart are with you!

Easter Egg-stravaganza!

Matthew 7:7
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

Ever since our oldest granddaughter, Virginia Rose, could walk, we've hosted an Easter egg hunt at our home.  It's become a family tradition.

Last year, second granddaughter, Savannah Jane, does the indoor seeking and finding, while big sister has the yard all to herself.

This year, both Virginia and Savannah hunt for eggs in the backyard.  I divide their territories in two lest Virginia grab all the treasures before little sister even gets started.  Virginia is off and running as soon as she's given the signal.

Savannah, coaxed by her dad, moves much more slowly and hesitantly, unsure if those brightly-colored plastic eggs are what she is supposed to be gathering.  She often has to be reminded to put them in her basket, not simply Easter parade around with them in her hands.

Each girl is supposed to collect ten eggs a piece.  But poor Virginia!  One of her eggs has been pried apart, and the candy is gone!  Another egg has vanished into thin air!  I know immediately who the culprits are.  I think, okay, Racer, did you egg them on?  But I say to Virginia, "Squirrels took them, honey.  I put the eggs out too early, and the squirrels found them.  Those rascals!"

"It's okay, Gammie," she assures me.  "Maybe Savannah will let me help her find some of her eggs."

"That's a great ides," I say.  "I think she could use it."

Once we are all back inside, Virginia takes it upon herself to open her eggs on the table to reveal the sweet surprises inside.  Savannah does the same.

But before we can catch her, she manages to open the candy wrapper and stuff the entire confection into her mouth.  And I thought the squirrels were rascals!

Throughout the excitement of the day, youngest grand-girl, Alexandra Nancy, looks on in wonder at it all.

Don't worry, little one.  Next year, you'll have an Easter egg hunt indoors, and will be just for you!

~

Do you have a favorite Easter tradition?

Prayer:  Father, thank You for the glorious resurrection of Your Son, Christ Jesus, that we might all share in eternal life with You.  Until that time, let us ask, knowing You will give; seek, knowing we will find You, and knock, knowing You will open the door to welcome us.  It is in Jesus' name, we pray.  Amen.

What's So Good About Good Friday?

Mark 15:33-39
At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.  And at three in the afternoon, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" (which means "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
When some of those standing near heard this, they said, "Listen, he's calling Elijah."
Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink.  "Now leave him alone.  Let's see if Elijah comes to take him down," he said.
With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.
The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.  And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, "Surely this man was the Son of God!"

What's so good about Good Friday?  This is a question I have pondered in my heart over the years.  After all, this is the day Jesus, our Lord and Savior, suffered an excruciatingly painful and ignominious death on a cross.  Shouldn't we be calling Good Friday the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Friday?

Fr. Justin Holcomb offers some insight as to why this holy day is called "good:"

Still, why call the day of Jesus' death "Good Friday" instead of "Bad Friday" or something similar?  Some Christian traditions do take this approach:  in German, for example, the day is called Karfreitag, or "Sorrowful Friday."  In English, in fact, the origin of the term "Good" is debated; some believe it developed from an older name, "God's Friday."  Regardless of the origin, the name Good Friday is entirely appropriate because the suffering and death of Jesus, as terrible as it was, marked the dramatic culmination of God's plan to save his people from their sins.

Good for us.  No, wait!  Grand and glorious for us!

Because of Jesus' willingness to follow His Father's plan, we are forgiven our sins, once and for all.  And we can look forward to the impending Easter celebration with hope and joy, and the promise of a renewed relationship with our Father in heaven.

But for today, let us all sit at the foot of the cross.  Let us become Mary and the disciple whom Jesus loved, who witnessed His immeasurable suffering.

Let us be present for our Lord as He gives His all for us.

Let us weep and mourn and pray.

And let us give thanks.

Amen.