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Posts Tagged ‘Where did you find God today’

Forever Footsteps

Posted in Christian, Life Experiences, Nature, tagged , , , , , , on March 28, 2014| 1 Comment »

Perhaps you recall my blog post in February about the footprints leading up to the church doors where I work. https://wheredidyoufindgodtoday.com/2014/02/01/funny-footsteps/

IMG_20140128_090244_264They are still there. Weather has not erased them. We have had snow, ice,  a few drops of rain, and 80 degree heat pound the concrete. Yet they remain. Five footsteps with a super-human stride that lead up to the main doors. And if you look closely, it appears the man was barefoot and there is a hole in the ball of his foot.  If you are ever in Fort Worth, TX, why not come by 3900 Longvue Avenue and see for yourself?

Yesterday, it rained off and on throughout  the morning – a blessed answer to prayer for this drought-stricken part of Texas where walking on water over the area lakes is no longer a IMG_20140129_132132_544miracle because you can see the rocks as the water barely laps at your ankles.

So when I walked up to the steps today, I held my breath. Would the footsteps still be there after being soaked for hours? Would they have washed away in the drenching rain we so desperately needed and prayed earnestly to receive? I stepped a little slower, my eyes peeled to the ground, yet not wanting to see.

Behold!  There they were, just as prominent as before. A broad smile stretched across my face. The reminder that Jesus is Emanuel – God with us –  was still present. Then, the words Jesus uttered in the last verses in the Gospel of Matthew flashed into my brain. “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age.” (28:20)

I shouldn’t need a reminder that Jesus is with me. I believe that with all my heart, mind and soul.  I stand on His promise. Yet, it is comforting to see these bizarre prints each day as I climb the stairs to unlock the door, turn off the alarm, and start my day. And, when I leave to lock up, I know He walks with me back to my car and stays with me all the way home. Even as my eyelids close off the sight of my pillow at night as I drift into dreams, He is there.

I continue to see God in five footprints for as long as He deems them to last. But if and when they do fade, I know God will show me other ways to remind me He is here…always, even unto the end of the age.

Where will you see Him today?

 

 

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Caged-In

Posted in Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , on March 25, 2014| Leave a Comment »

IMG_20140324_111347_318As I pulled into the parking lot, dashing streaks of bright blue and white, half-hidden in the shadows, caught my eye. Then I heard the screeches.

A blue jay had become trapped in the cage where the air conditioning units are stored at my building. She flitted back and forth in a frantic dance. The rapid rustle of her feathers cried out for help.Her mate cawed in panicked shrieks and fluttered from the tree limb to the top of the cage and back again. My heart sank!

How did that poor bird become locked in the cage? Then I noticed the cage did not reach all the way to the ground. A three-inch gap stretched between the grass and the bottom bar. Perhaps an enticing bug had lured the jay underneath the steel webbing. However, its instinct told it to fly, not crawl. Above the jay were tree limbs and sky within reach, yet not accessible. Repeatedly, she darted back and forth banging against the top corners of the cage. I crouched down and extended my hand through the narrow opening at the bottom. I tried to chirp like a bird, and then coo in soft calming tones. The blue jay stopped, cocked her head to the side, then took off in even a more frantic flight – back and forth, back and forth. I tried to open the cage, but the lock prevented me from doing so. I needed the key.

I called the maintenance warden. He had a key, and some lubricant to un-stiffen the lock from the effects of the outside elements. It only took a few minutes of patient coaxing. Click, The lock released.

With a screech of the rusty hinges, one side of the cage opened. But the bird crouched at the other end, crunched against the upper corner. Its beak propped open, It’s feathered breast heaved. Tiny black eyes widened.

The warden backed away.The bird could see him fully now. It chirped, turned, and flapped its wings. Suddenly, she flew, out and up to the safety of the nearest tree. Her mate flew after her. Sheltered by the leaves, we heard soft tweeting. The maintenance warden and I smiled.

Aren’t we humans like that blue jay? Something has enticed us into a situation. Unaware of the danger, we venture forth. Suddenly, we feel trapped, unable to find the way out of this mess. Our human nature clouds the ability to find freedom on our own. Yet don’t we try, over and over, only to get the same results? Anxiety sets in. We become frantic, banging against the barriers that separate us from the life we want. The barriers called sin. Perhaps friends are huddled on the outside,praying. They call out to God to come rescue us. Some may try to show us the way out. But they don’t have what it takes to convince us. Our doubts, helplessness, and the attitude of “I got into this, I can get out on my own” stubbornness blocks us from seeing the way to escape.

Only Jesus holds the key that can release me and you from the bonds of sin which have encased us. He alone can show us the way out. If you have a friend who is trapped in circumstances that seems impossible, realize that you are not capable of freeing them. You must call for Jesus to unlock the cage. Then, like that blue jay did to the warden, when they fix their eyes on Him, they can see His mercy has flung the doors wide, pointing the way to freedom. At last, to fly free.

 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:36

I found God’s message of salvation today in a trapped and frantic blue jay.

Where will you find Him today?

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It’s all in the clothes

Posted in Christian, Devotional, tagged , , , , , on March 18, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Maybe the old saying that “the clothes makes the man” is true.

In my Bible study group, a friend made an analogy. She stated that the police are just normal human beings. They have to eat, they get sleepy, they have a bad day–just like the ID-100174324rest of us. But, put a uniform on them, and they assume an authority that most people obey and respect. People may run to the uniform seeking help. Or, if they feel guilty over something they did, it may make them cower and turn away.

She went on to point out that we Christians are no different. We all have our flaws, our tendency to sin, to be self-orientated. But when we are cloaked in the cloth of the Holy Spirit, we take on the authority of Christ.  “…for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” Galatians 3:27

How people react depends on their situation. They may show respect for the wisdom our walk with God represents, and the power of His Spirit growing in us. They may run to us for help, whimpering, “Please pray for me.” Or, they may back away, afraid the Light shining from us will expose their dark secrets. How people perceive them doesn’t stop the police from doing their job, day in and day out.

The analogy goes further. Just as the police officers have to wear their uniforms to do their job, so we must dress in the love of Christ  before we head out to do our job – going into the world to spread the good news of Christ.  And, just as police officers strap on their equipment and weapons which has been assigned to them, so should we strap on the Armour of God (Ephesians 6) before we venture out.

A police officer is trained to always be prepared. Putting on their protective paraphernalia, communication equipment, their identifying uniform, and/or badge is all part of their routine before they go on duty. 

Fellow Christian, is it your routine to do the same?

 

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In the sky over Palm Beach Yesterday

Posted in Christian, tagged , , , on March 16, 2014| Leave a Comment »

taken from Facebook – photo is from

Meteorologist Jim Loznicka

Photo: You've heard about it and now you can see it. The "Angel Cloud" that appeared over Palm Beach yesterday.

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Dreading It

Posted in Devotional, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , , on March 11, 2014| Leave a Comment »

ID-100231618Today, I have to go to the dentist. Just saying the word raises my blood pressure. My chest tightens a touch…well more than that.

I have a cavern in one tooth. I can feel it with my tongue. Probably it is not more than a pin prick, it just seems that huge. Logic tells me if I don’t go through the pain of the shot, drilling and filling, it will begin to hurt more and more. At first, it maybe just a touch of discomfort. Then, Ice water will make me cringe, and next, hot soup will make me suck air. In a week or so, I will have to down aspirin, dab on anesthetic gels, and toss and turn at night. So, it has to be done.

Sin is that way isn’t it? It may seems small to the world, but to the one who is carrying it, it can be huge. But, the pain of being examined by Christ as He drills in and cleans it out of our lives is not a pleasant thing. But, like filling a cavity, it is necessary. Otherwise, after a while that sin will interfere with everything we do. Like the dentist, Our Lord has to clean out the mess before it can be properly treated. That hurts as well, but only for a while.

I know- if I had brushed my teeth more than once a day, or had not skipped those times I was too tired to floss before bedtime, or not chomped on that taffy, or downed those carbonated drinks… Little slip-ups can accumulate into something very unpleasant to have to handle–like a cavity.

Are not our lives the same way? We are accountable for our actions, and good or bad, they build up. Just as good dental habits make our teeth stronger and protect us against cavities, our good habits protect our souls and make us strong against the attacks of the devil. Whereas the bad habits can eat away at our souls bit by bit. At first we may not notice, but then, uh-oh. There it is. Just try to ignore it for very long.

I have to go to the dentist today. It is only one hour out of my life, and in reality, about 30 seconds of pain. Yet, I dread it. But, deep down I know God will be there to hold my hand and see me through it. Ditto for the sin I need to come to Him about.

I never thought I’d find God in a dentist appointment, but there you go. Where will you find Him today?

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All Night

Posted in Biblical, Devotional, tagged , , , , , , on March 7, 2014| 2 Comments »

I have read the story of the Exodus dozens of times. I have seen the movie with Charlton Hesston. It influenced my mind’s eye of how the parting of the Red Sea happened . . .until I noticed two small words in this passage from Exodus—”all night”.

Exodus 14:21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. (emphasis mine.)

In the movie, Moses raises his hand and, swoosh, the sea parts just like that. In the Bible, it says it took all night long.

All night the crowd ofID-10015712 refugees stood trapped between a sea they could not cross and the Egyptian army drawing closer to enslave them again.

All night long Moses kept the faith and waited for the wind to do God’s bidding.

I thought, how often do I see the end results of good things and “miracles” in other’s lives and never see the “all night longs” which proceeded them, such as dark times of patiently waiting for God to act while danger drew nearer, the paths seemed blocked or the situation appeared hopeless?

How often is God preparing miracles in the background of my life which have not yet come to fruition because the timing is not right? How many “all night longs” are taking place in my life right now? How many prayers prayed are in the process of being answered, which I cannot yet see?

Oh  me of little faith. Those two little words tucked into a Bible story I have heard all my life convicted me and brought me humbly to my knees.

Where will you find God’s message today?

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I Give Up?

Posted in Devotional, tagged , , , , , , on March 3, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Lent begins on this Wednesday, March 5th. I grew up giving up things for Lent– like sweets, soft drinks, or chewing gum. So I can relate to this story I found online when constructing the bulletins for the Lenten services at the church where I work:

“Some years ago a friend of mine told me that he had urged his children to move beyond giving up candy to giving up some habit of sin that marked their lives. About halfway through Lent he asked the children how they were doing with their Lenten promise. One of his young sons had promised to give up fighting with his bothers and sisters during Lent. When his father asked him how it was going, the boy replied, “I’m doing pretty good, Dad–but  boy, I can’t wait until Easter.”  *
 

Now, as an adult, I realize the purpose of Lent is a whole lot more than just giving up something for 40 plus days. I don’t think it is a coincidence that Christians are called to abstain from some sin in their lives during this time. Experts say it takes 30-50 days to reverse a bad habit. Lent is not the time to just temporarily stop sinning, thinking that after Good Friday we can pick it up again because it is now Easter. No, we are to use this time to discipline ourselves so we can better eradicate it from our lives.True, we should always try to abstain from sinning. But, like dust on furniture, it is funny how sin starts to accumulate if we do not take the time to clean our souls. That requires some contrite, on-our-knees confession prayers to God now and then. That’s the purpose of Lent.

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I am a pretty much a fanatical clean and neat freak, (I know. Right now my close friends and family are rolling their eyes and saying, “You think?”) But, I confess, when I get busy with life I often put off the dusting and vacuuming. After a while, it shows. Dust mites float in the sunlight and land on my TV, computer monitor, the bookshelves, and the table tops. After a while, you can scrawl your name in them. But, if you leave the curtains and blinds drawn, then my house looks fairly picked-up and presentable. I think our lives can be the same way.

So,maybe we can see Lent as a spiritual spring cleaning. When you draw back the curtains and let in the Light of the World, Christ shines on those dust bunnies that have accumulated in our lives and, let’s be honest, the bit of dirt we have tried to shove under the carpets until we can deal with it later. You know, those nagging little whispers of our conscience that tell us we need to make a change in our attitudes and habits.

Jesus, by His death, became our duster. He helps us wipe away our sins, so our souls, which are the dwelling place for His Holy Spirit, can become sparking clean again.

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? I Corinthians 6:19

How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!  Hebrews 9:41

This Lent, instead of giving up something, take on this: Let Jesus’ white glove scrape across your life, and where there is some dust of sin settling, let Him help you wipe it clean. Then, confess to Him often, so you can stay clean. Don’t let sin accumulate in your temple! Tell the devil that is one thing you plan to give up.

 
 
 
 
 
*(www.catholic.org/clife/lent/faq.php)

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Clouded View

Posted in Books, Devotional, tagged , , , , , on February 25, 2014| 1 Comment »

Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the
mountain. The glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud
covered it six days; and on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the
midst of the cloud.  Exodus 24:14

dreamstime_m_18038487.jpgGod told Moses to wait… and he did. For six days he was encased in a deep fog – he probably couldn’t see his hand in front of his face. Zero visibility. Six days…waiting.

I can relate to Moses’s experience in Exodus 24. There have been times when I have been in a spiritual fog for a while. I’d lost my sense of direction. I couldn’t see where to go. I couldn’t determine if I took a few steps to the left or the right would that plummet me off a cliff? So I didn’t move at all. And it seemed like the fog lasted for an eternity.

It is an eerie feeling when you are waiting on the Lord.  I admit I had waves of anxiousness and doubts. “Why am I here? Why can’t I vision You in my life right now, Lord?” Then, as frustartion mounts, “Why can’t I see a way out of this? What lessons are You trying to teach me?”  And with a trembling lip, “You aren’t mad at me are you?”, as if God was an angry parent who’d put me in time-out.

But, somehow I knew God’s glory was in that cloudiness with me, just as His glory was with Moses.  Which is why I kept praying to Him even though I could not sense His presence.. And eventually, God’s voice led me out of the midst of the clouds. Just as He did with Moses.

We cannot always see God’s working in our lives. But in the meantime. like Moses, we need to wait, watch and worship. God has not abandoned us. He has us where we are for a reason. Trust in that. You can find Him today, even if you can’t find anything else.

 

for more on the In-between times and why God puts us there, consider the Bible Study Between the Window and the Door. Thanks.

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Good Intentions

Posted in Christian, tagged , , , , , on February 21, 2014| 2 Comments »

“I know he meant to help.” Jane shook the packet of sweetener like a red flag in front of a bull. “But he folded all the towels wrong. I had to redo them all so they’d hang right on the racks in the bathroom before our guests arrived. I barely had time to get my shoes on before the doorbell rang.” She clinked her spoon in her coffee cup a bit a faster. “If he’d only just do it my way. There’s a reason I do things the way I do,  you know?”

Her friend patted Jane’s hand. “I know what you mean. Bob tries, but I have to constantly go behind him. He just doesn’t clean the way I like. You’d think after umpteen years of marriage he’d have learned. But, noooo…” She nudged the salt and pepper shakers on their table to line up with the flip folder of desert and drink offerings. “Yesterday, I caught him rinsing the dishes with the sponge I use to scrub the bathrooms. Ugh!”

Good intentions.  Sometimes they don’t amount for much. Ah, but I hear you say, “They tried. Doesn’t that count for something? Do their wives have to be so picky? Isn’t it the thought that counts?”ID-100156152

And the poor husbands who tried to help. Bet their heads hung a bit lower. Maybe they sighed and thought, Why bother? I can never please her. Perhaps.  Or maybe they just chuckled inside because, after all, they know their wives.  Human relations are a sticky thing. We each have agendas, and none of us are perfect.

But, what about when we try to do something for God? Do we really know how He wants it done?  We pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “thy will be done.”  Do we mean it,  or do we think more often than not, “Please bless my efforts as I do this my way. After all, it’s the thought that counts.  I am trying to do this for You the best I can.” And when our efforts turn out less than perfect, we sigh and think, Why bother. I am not the right person for this ministry. God, why did you choose me?

The problem is, like the good-intention husbands, we are doing it the best we can, not not the best way He wants. Our Lord is perfect in all things. He knows the most excellent way things should be accomplished. There is a reason for each thing He allows to happen, each turn He wants us to take on the road, each lesson we are to learn along the way. Yet how often do we try to “do it for Him” and help out without asking Him how He wants it done?  If we can learn that His ways are not our ways, and take the time to discover how He wants things done, then the outcome just might be better, don’t you think?

I struggle with perfection, which is silly because, as a human being, that is not a possible goal.  But, I am learning if I do my perfect God’s will, and go in prayer to Him often to discover His instructions for the task He has given me, then its outcome is one more worry I can dismiss from my brain. Good intentions are great, but following directions is better.

What if that husband had asked beforehand, “Now tell me how you like the towels folded?”  I hope that wife would not have rolled her eyes and huffed, “Never mind. I’ll do it.” I hope she’d have the grace to patiently show him. Their relationship would be a great deal more loving if she did. But then, well, we are all human.

However, we can always go to God and not worry about receiving a heavy sigh or an eye-roll. Even if we have to go to Him more than once and ask for instructions again and again. In fact, I think at least in my case, He wants me to do that. He wants to give me the directions step by step so I don’t try to veer off onto my own tangent and think my way is okay. That just leads to the road for disappointment.

Our patient Lord sees our good intentions, but wishes to perfect them in His grace. So He is always there to correct us, guide us and teach us, no matter how many tries it takes to line up our deeds with His will. So, if the things you are doing for God are not turning out the way you planned, go back to Him and reconnect with His plan. Then your good intentions will be God’s intentions.

That’s the message I found today from God. It is in this prayer –

“Give us the help of your grace, that in keeping your commandments we may please you both in will and deed..”  from the Collect for the Sixth Sunday in Epiphany

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From Carried to Walking

Posted in Biblical, Devotional, tagged , , , , , , on February 15, 2014| Leave a Comment »

http://www.freebibleimages.org/i“Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralytic man was lying on.” Mark 2:3-4

Has anything ever spiritually paralyzed you? An unexpected death, a job loss, an unfaithful spouse, your own inner insecurities? Maybe it is anger– at God, at someone else, at the world. Is it a guilty conscience that pushes you to try to hide, the way Adam and Eve did in the Garden? Or, perhaps it is just too many “life happens” happening all at once. I have been there. Yet during that time when all was fogged and my mind would not connect to my heart,  when it took all my effort to drag through the day, I felt carried by others’ prayers and concerns.

Jesus is always willing to meet us where we are. But there are times when too many things in our lives have built up like bricks. They form walls that block us from Him. We encase Him in a room deep inside of us, lock the door and then put a “Do Not Enter” sign on it. We hammer in the nails to secure it even more. I don’t want to deal with it now. Wham. I don’t want you to know what I did. Wham.  I don’t want to change. Wham.  I am too ashamed. Wham. I am not sure I believe anymore. Wham, wham. And the biggest nail  – If you really loved me, you wouldn’t have let this happen.

These nails hurt Him more than the ones they drove through his hands and feet on the cross. Yet, He stays cloistered in this room, stands at the door and knocks…Open up. Let me back into your life, my child.

Not yet, Jesus. I just can’t.I don’t have it in me. It hurts too much to try.

We see evidence of Him healing and blessing others – and that paralyzes us even more. Why do I have to suffer? Why can’t I skip and run in a field of faith with the sun beaming down and the widlflowers waving in the breeze?  Why do I have to be burdened with this?

The negative feelings crowd in and keep us from reaching our Lord’s side. Their clamor and clatter can drown out His whisper to draw near and give Him our burdens. That seems beyond our capabilities at the moment. We need other people to carry us through the barriers, even dig through the mess if necessary. Their spiritual strength can make a hole in whatever it is that blocks us from being laid at His feet for healing.

How can people lift us up, dig though our circumstances, and lower us down into the deep place inside us where Jesus lives? Through prayer, through kindness, through tough love. And the cool thing is this: inside the walls we have built, Jesus is not being inactive. His love for us is so strong, His desire for us to be with Him so great, that He empowers our friends with strength and direction. “That’s right. This is the way in. Here is how you can get him or her to me.”

There will come a time in your life when something will block you from Jesus. When life cuts the legs out from under you and you can’t move, call out to Him. He will send armies of angels, true and trusted friends, and prayer warriors to your aide. Through His Holy Spirit, Jesus will give them the tools they need to help you. Let them carry you to Him. 

Once there at His feet, He will shower you with forgiveness and mercy. Then obey His words as He touches to heal you – pick up your pallet, and once again walk. First you may have to hobble by the assistance of others, but eventually you will be strong enough to carry someone else when they have lost the use of their faith-legs. After all, you’ve been there. You know the way into that room, and how to walk out.

Will you find God today in the prayers of others, or in the call to pray for others?

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