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Posts Tagged ‘Where did you find God today’

It’s the Waiting…

Posted in Biblical, Devotional, tagged , , , , , on February 12, 2014| Leave a Comment »

My friend wrung the Kleenex between her fingers. “I know God is going bestow His blessings on this situation.” She heaved her shoulders and dabbed her eyes. “But it’s the waiting that’s so hard.”

courtesy duanealley.com Royalty- Free Image by Corbis

courtesy duanealley.com
Royalty- Free Image by Corbis

Oh, how true. Studies show people get antsy after 30 seconds of waiting for the light to change to green, for the microwave to ding, for someone’s voice mail to kick in after four rings. We tap our fingers and roll our eyes if the Search Engine doesn’t pop up the  info in a finger snap. And if there is a line at the check-out, the bank, or anywhere else, we clench our teeth, tap our shoes, or glance at the second hand on our watch every few seconds and sigh, right?

Kids right out of college want the CEO office with the view and the pay check. People want their first home to be their dream home, instead of slowly making it into one filled with memories. We are a drive-thru, get-it-in-an-instant-and-just-add-water society. Chaucer in the 1300’s  said patience was a virtue  and grandmothers have been quoting it ever since. But, he could never understand the fast pace of our world today.

Guess where else we can find great messages about patience?  Yep, the Bible.

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Colossians 3:12

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge ;and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, patience and to patience, godliness;  2 Peter 1:5

Obtaining a lifestyle of patience surely has its health benefits: lower blood pressure, less depression and anxiety, fewer tension headaches and stomach pains, etc.  But it has spiritual benefits as well, doesn’t it?  It does for me. When I am in the “waiting on the Lord” mode, I am calmer, more attentive to hearing His footsteps  stroll through my day, and more tuned into His whispers into my soul. The silence  when I don’t hear Him doesn’t make me antsy when my faith volume is on high. A peace envelops me. I can also think clearer and react more slowly, which trust me, is a good thing. When I acknowledge the Perfect One, who knows all and is all, is behind the wheel instead of me with my limited vision and easily distracted mind, the stress  level plummets.

There is a reason He often has us in a holding pattern. In time, that reason will be revealed in the way we can best absorb it- by hindsight. Until then,  we need to wrap ourselves in the patience robe, pull the sash tight around us and snuggle in.

Patience is a virtue, yes. It is also a holy directive. One I need to practice daily. How about you?

for more about God’s reason why you may be in the waiting room, otherwise known as the in-between times, consider Between the Window and the Door – a Bible & Life Experience  study

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Abide

Posted in Devotional, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , , , , on February 8, 2014| Leave a Comment »

As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you, Abide in my love. John 15:9-11

????????????????????????????????????????February is the “love” month. The stores are filled with read and pink hearts, candies and flowers. I love going to the grocery on February 14th and  watching the last-minute-planning men standing in line, laden with flowers, cards, teddy bears and chocolates for their wives or girlfriends. They casually glance at each other to see if they have gotten enough, or maybe too much, as if there is some hidden rule of how much you should spend depending on the depth or longevity of your feelings.

How different is God’s unending love for us. It is not based on feelings or longevity. God doesn’t have a check list or ponders –  Hmmm. Let’s see…. I will love her more often because she has been a believer since she was six, or love him more deeply because he reads my Word twice a day, prays often, and volunteers at the homeless shelter.

All of us have the opportunity to abide in God’s infinite, abundant, and generous love. It is freely given, equally and fully, in spite of our emotions or actions.

But, what does it mean to abide? It is more than just accepting it. It is letting it absorb into the very fiber of us like permanent ink. It is a snuggle down, feel secure, dwell in total trust sort of attitude. Here are five steps to truly abiding:

A – Acknowledge He loves us more than we can imagine or love Him back.

B – Be thankful that He loved us enough to take on our sins and die, so we could once again be in relationship with Him.

I – In His likeness, try to love others as He loves us.

D – Dedicate ourselves to His ways being the best, not ours.

E – Establish a relationship with Him through prayer and reading the Scriptures.

Chocolates disappear within days, flowers wilt, cards get stuffed in drawers. Human love ebbs and fades. But there is one gift of love that abides – constant, pure, eternal and faithful – the of love the Father, given through His Son and expressed by His Holy Spirit who dwells in us. All we have to do is accept that gift at any time. No certain day on the calendar, red hearts  or check-out lines needed. So, if you don’t get roses or candy this year, know you have a gift that is worth so much more from the One who loves you so much more. It is available to you every single day.

Abide in the love of your Savior this day, this  month, and for the rest of your life. gods-love-2[1]

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Five Minutes to Spare

Posted in Christian, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , on February 4, 2014| Leave a Comment »

After a two-hour drive, minus one pit-stop, my friend and I pulled up to the church in a strange town where in another month’s time we would be conducting a workshop for the women of my denomination. It had not been a good morning so far. The gas pump ran out of gas. so I grumbled as I had to pay $2.24 and then get in the car, back around, go to another gas station and fill the car the rest of the way. Then, It seemed that every slow driver in a 100 mile radius had descended on the highway in front of me. Grrr. And of course, every traffic light turned red just as I pulled up. And, when my bladder told me I probably should stop at a convenience store before arriving at the church, I grumbled again. “Sorry, I told my friend. I hate to be late, but…”

I decided to get a cup of coffee, because it seemed rude to use the facilities and not buy something. Besides, there was no one else at the counter, so what was another thirty seconds, right? But, of course, I had to wait for the cashier to get more change, As he tapped the bankers roll of quarters, my lips curled into a smile. But my mind screamed, Hurry, hurry.

But, at last we arrived at the church grounds. I looked at my dashboard clock. Five minutes to spare. I asked my friend who rode shotgun, “How could that be when I’ve been running late all morning?”

As we got out of the car, I noticed a woman sitting on a bench under a tree.  At first I thought she might be one of the ladies we were supposed to meet to go over the logistics of the workshop. Maybe she was early, too and didn’t have a key. I said, “Hi”.

The woman’s shoulders almost folded into her torso. She gave me a quick glance, then her eyes darted back to her hands.  “It’s so peaceful here. Is it okay if I just sit?”

It was then I noticed her red nose and eyes. She was crying. I looked at my friend. I think we both sensed that if the two of us approached this distraught person, it might overwhelm her. My friend discovered the door was unlocked, nodded, and slipped inside.

I walked over to the crying young woman and asked if I could pray with her. She shrugged. “I guess.”

She appeared uncomfortable. So, I told her I was visiting from out-of-town and gave her my first name. Her face relaxed a bit, as if she was relieved I might not know someone who knew her, the way small towns often work. She gave me her first name. I sat beside her, put my arm around her and held her. SIlently, I asked the Holy Spirit to give me the words to say out loud that would comfort her. I heard the message, “Tell her I love her.I always have and I always will.”  

As I prayed that, I felt her body ease. After I said, “Amen.”,  she whispered, “Thanks. How did you know what to pray for?”

I blinked back my own tears.  “God did that. He told me what to pray. Trust me, He loves you more than you can ever imagine. He will never, ever stop, no matter what. So, hang in there, okay?”

As I walked into the church meeting hall,  a sudden surge of humility flooded me. I was on God’s schedule, not my own.  By His grace, I arrived just in time to meet this young woman, and pray with her. I thanked God for orchestrating my journey just right so as to put me there when He did– especially after the frustrations of the morning. 

I will continue to pray for that young woman until God tells me I no longer need to do so.  I don’t know why she was crying. I didn’t think it was up to me to ask. But God knew, and He used me to reach into her heart and offer her a ray of hope by giving me the words she needed to hear.

Despite everything else that went wrong that day, He turned it to good by giving  me five minutes to spare.

What will He give you today to let you know He is there, and He cares?

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Funny Footsteps

Posted in Christian, Devotional, tagged , , , , on February 1, 2014| 5 Comments »

IMG_20140128_090244_264They have been there for several weeks, even after a few misty, rainy days and even more sunny ones. Five footprints – left, right, left, right, left – follow from the portico to the double red doors that lead into the church grounds where I work. When the doors are opened, the concrete pathway continues through an enclosed meditation garden, known as the Garth, and then up a few steps into the church building. Except the footprints do not continue along that path. They stop at the threshold of the front double doors.

Now, logic tells me they were made on a very rainy day in early January when there was heavy traffic coming in for a funeral. But here is the weird part. There were many rainy, muddy footprints made that day, and all except these have washed or worn away. Another funny thing? These impressions on the concrete look as if someone was not wearing shoesIMG_20140129_132132_544. I promise you, no one came to that funeral in January barefoot. Or did He?

In the Book of Revelation 3:20, Jesus claims that He stands at the door and knocks. He is a gentleman. We have to let Him in…even into our places of worship.  Was Jesus allowed in that day? I am sure He was. So why have the footprints remained? And why do they stop at the door? You tell me.

The message I received is this: Each day as I walk to those red, double doors, the footsteps remind me that I have a choice. Do I let my Lord come in through those doors and into my office with me? Or do I leave Him at the threshold and try to get through the day alone? Despite the fact that I work in a place of worship,. I still must allow Jesus into my everyday life…every day.  I can choose to have a bad day, or a God-filled, blessed one. It all depends on my perspective.

 The same is true for anyone who enters, be it for work or worship.

I found God in five footprints that will not wash away. Where have you found Him today?

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Is Your Thorn a Pain or an Aid?

Posted in Biblical, Christian, Devotional, tagged , , , , , on January 23, 2014| Leave a Comment »

I read this in a blog I follow by Lori Benka –

2 Corinthians 12:8-9 says:

“Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.  And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”  Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

ID-100169178Let me give you a little background about Paul leading up to this verse. Scripture tells us that Paul was a great man of God. His ministry was growing and he performed many miracles through the power of Christ. But we see that Paul had something that was bothering him.  It bothered Paul so much that he prayed three times for it to be removed. We are told about this “thorn in the flesh” that was very grievous to Paul.  It is uncertain what the “thorn in the flesh” was, but many scholars believe it could have been acute bodily pain or sickness.  Some even believe it could have been spiritual in nature – such as a temptation or persecution from an individual that constantly harassed Paul.  In any case, He was growing very distressed.

After Paul prayed three times for this thorn to be removed, we see that God didn’t remove it.  It is at this point that I ask myself why didn’t God answer Paul’s prayer? He was a faithful servant full of faith and yet, God didn’t remove the very thing that was distressing him the most.  God’s answer to Paul is that His grace and strength would be sufficient for him to bear through the pain. Paul was drawing closer to God with his “thorn in the flesh.” Could it be that sometimes our prayers are not answered quickly because God is wanting to use our circumstance to draw us closer to Himself?  

I think about a medical diagnosis that I have been praying about for thirteen years to be taken away. I don’t like the pain and uncertainty that comes along with the disease. But as I look back, I realized that every time I would have a flare up, I would begin to press into God more by praying and reading the Bible. The “thorn” was actually bringing me closer to God.  I realized when I was weak and feeling like I couldn’t go on anymore, was when God would demonstrate His power to me the most. God’s grace flooded over me to allow me to push through my circumstances.  Although unpleasant, I begin to see that my “thorns” act as an aid rather than a handicap….

What amazing insight! Please read the rest of her blog at http://lorilbenka.wordpress.com/2014/01/23/why-wont-you-remove-this-thorn-lord/#like-320. It will bless you! And if you know someone in pain right now, share this with them. It just may be the comforting thing they need to hear.

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Your Nose Knows

Posted in Biblical, Devotional, tagged , , , , , , on January 21, 2014| Leave a Comment »

“This reminds me of something I like. I’m not sure what it is.” He crinkled his nose and took another whiff. With a shrug he handed me the jar. “Do you know?”

ID-10039150A friend of mine sells scented waxes, soaps and sprays. Last night, she, my son and I gathered around the dining room table and sniffed sample jar after sample jar. Some we loved, some made us shake our heads and hold our breath. “Not for me, thank you.”

Some smelled so good I’d be ravenous all day if I had a constant whiff of them – pralines, cinnamon buns, sugar cookies, apple pie.

Some smelled like different things to us. “Oh, this reminds me of…” The others would sniff, scrunch their eyebrows and give their head a quick shake. “Really? I don’t smell that. To me, it smells more like…”

A few sparked a vivid memory.A whiff of one reminded me of my mother’s perfume. Though her temporal life ceased on earth over a decade ago, tears sprang into my eyes. I hadn’t expected that sharp of an emotion. 

I have read that our sense of smell is one of the most powerful triggers to our memories. A sudden scent can bring back stabs of pain, tears of joy, or a heart-clenched fear. It may jolt an emotion filed so far back in our little grey cells that it catches us by surprise.

My son and I have shared memories, as do my friend and I. Some of the fragrances related to all of us. We could smile and click into the memory together. “Yeah, that’s it.” But, for some of the others our noses detected, our reactions to them differed. Only we knew what our noses sensed.

To me, Scripture is like that. There are some which make us all smile and nod. But, a few, when read, may fall flat on our ears. We can’t relate. Even so, every now and then, a verse triggers an emotion. Joy, conviction, humility, reaffirmation. It is as God tapped on our soul and said, “This one’s for you today.”  Amongst the black printed letters on a white page, or blinking cursor on the computer screen, lies a special message just for us. It triggers something in us–just us.

Have you found God’s whisper through a verse in the Bible? Did it touch your heart? Please share it. It may be the catalyst that triggers the scent of His love– the exact thing another person needs to experience today.

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Who Controls Whom?

Posted in Life Experiences, Nature, tagged , , , , , , , , on January 15, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Today, I read a daily devotional from Power to Change. It is written by Shelaine Strom. She talks about how quickly, often without warning, the weather can change on the lake shore where her cabin rests. Even though she knows that place so well, she is still in awe of that phenomenon:

“And so it is in my relationship with the Lord. He is the mighty rushing wind that takes my breath away with His strength and power to heal and change lives. He is the gentle breeze that nudges me to speak or act, giving counsel and direction. He is the quiet voice whispering love and forever-presence in the still moments of an unhurried life. And He is more.”

see the whole devotional at http://powertochange.com/blogposts/2014/01/15/more-than-i-know/ 
 (I get one in my email box each morning for free- you can as well.) 
 

Our riverTucked in the Texas Hill Country my family has a summer cabin on a bluff overlooking the Guadalupe River. The river can be still and as smooth as glass, or it can dance with glistening ripples like a million microscopic Tinker Bells. Serene, peaceful, refreshing, heavenly… until a sudden roar can bring a wall of water, from a deluge upstream, crashing down on left-behind inner-tubes, kayaks, and lawn chairs.

Destructive? Yes. I have seen it bend mighty cypresses like sipping straws. But the land recovers, and often, the silt left behind replenishes the eroded soil and actually helps the grass to flourish and grow. Underbrush is pruned with one swish of the swirling undercurrent so saplings can stretch their limbs and roots.

In a few days, the flood is over. The milk-chocolate turmoil returns to its peaceful aqua-green, ripply state. The banks again contain the river’s flow. The quickly moving current slows once more to a lazy pace, waiting to be tickled by the breeze.

I cannot control that river. No one except God can, though some foolish folks who build along the banks think they are able to with makeshift dams and terracing. They try, in vain of course, to manipulate it’s path. But, the river has a power all its own. All you can do is respect it and let it do its thing.

I cannot control God. But one thing I have learned, I can cope with life better if I let Him control me instead of trying to manipulate Him to do things my way. Whatever happens in my life–in the quiet times and in the roaring, take-cover tempests–He is at work, eventually bringing it all into good purpose. Even when it seems my life is uncontrollably spilling over the banks, I know His mighty hands are cupping it and directing it’s flow.

May he rule from sea to sea
    and from the River to the ends of the earth.   Psalm 72:8

And my place? Sheltered where He wants me to be, on my knees, in patient awe. I am learning to be more of the spectator of His mighty power in my life, just I have learned to respect the river. Yes, our Lord wants us involved in the directions our lives are to go- we are not puppets on a string.  But to go against the flow of His holy current or the power of His mighty wind is futile, frustrating and foolhardy. Yet, how often do we try, just like the riverbank dwellers? We block His flow in our souls. We build walls to keep Him out. We terrace our payers with conditions and plea bargaining.

Each time I gaze out over that river, or soak my toes in its cool, spring-fed current, its majestic power and grand beauty reminds my soul of the One who created it.  

He asked me, “Son of man, do you see this?” Then he led me back to the bank of the river.   Ezekiel 47:6

 
Shelaine sees Him on the lake where she lives. 
Where do you find God today?  I’d love for you to comment and let me, and other readers, know. 

 

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Seek or Squint?

Posted in Biblical, Christian, Devotional, tagged , , , , , on January 7, 2014| Leave a Comment »

 

ID-10036313

Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.    Isaiah 60:1-3

How do you react when a bright light hits your eyes?  If it hits you too soon all at once, you  see nothing but the aura of the light. You may feel blinded and disorientated. Do you cover your eyes to block it out? Or, do you blink and squint as you wait for your pupils to adjust before you can take it all in?  I guess it depends on if you want to(pardon the 1970’s era pun, man) see the light or not.

For  many out there, Christ, the way some reveal Him, can just too bright for them. They are used to the darkness. So they won’t look. They turn their heads away. To try to gaze on Him can ache. His brightness makes them adjust how they see things. Why bother? 

But, two millennia ago, three kings, a.k.a. wise men, did look – and follow.  But you see, they had been searching a while. They had heard of the prophecies. They wanted to see the King of kings. They had trained their eyes to scan the heavens. Then they found a star which was brighter than the others, enough to be noticeable,  to lead them down that path. It took a while. Even then, when they found Jesus, he was not what they expected. 

I think too often we Christians blast our non-believing acquaintances with too much light too soon. They feel as if they are in a police interrogation room. They become defensive, nervous. Afraid their wrongdoings will be exposed, they squirm, look away, or refuse to react at all. True, it worked for Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus, but that is not the norm. He was a radical man embarked on a radical ministry. He needed a radical experience to jolt him into changing directions. Most people are not that way.

God didn’t blind the earth with light to announce His coming. He spoke through prophets and told the people to watch for the signs. In His perfect timing, He sent a light in the sky pointing to Himself in the form of a human. Gradually over time, that Light shone in Him brighter and brighter as He grew into manhood, walked, talked, ate, healed, forgave and died.

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16 

That should be our example. Speak it, yes, but most of all  live it out.  Show what you know– walk like you talk– live what you believe. Give the non-believers’ eyes time to adjust. Those who have seen the signs and are searching will follow. The others may turn away for now, but most likely they will be drawn to look again at another time. 

Epiphany means to reveal. I think evangelism should be an everyday event–the natural outgrowth of our life in Christ. If we are living out the Gospel, then people adjust to that and it won’t seem so harsh and glaring. They will see Him softly shining through our attitudes towards our everyday ups and downs. They will see His love glisten through our actions as we put them, and others, before our own needs. They will see that we are different somehow. We have an unwavering strength and unconditional peace. Slowly, they will begin to watch, and then be drawn to Christ living in us, and finally follow.

Let’s not be a spotlight on their sins, but a warm-glowing  beacon that peaks their curiosity, and then, like the Epiphany star 2,000 years ago,  leads them to Him who can wash them white as snow. 

Shine, Jesus shine.???????????????????????????????????????

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Wonderfully Restored

Posted in Biblical, Devotional, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , , on January 6, 2014| 3 Comments »

IMG_20131230_081647_711My mother had a mahogany tier table in her living room. It had three lion-paw legs. Three round shelves, connected by spindles, were stacked in descending sized circles, like a wedding cake design. On it was all of her most precious figurines. Many, like the table, were from her mother and grandmother. I grew up knowing about the invisible barrier around that table. Look but don’t touch.

I tired to teach my rambunctious son that, but when he was playing pee-pie with his grandfather, the chasing and giggles led way to disaster. He tripped and grabbed for the first thing – yep, the tier table. Down it went on top of him.The figurines catapulted into the air and, in what seemed like slo-mo, crashed to the ground, rolling, breaking, shattering. My mother and I stopped breathing.

My son, being two, was in shock and then, as we lifted the table off of him, the trickled tears turned to wails.  I carried him off to examine the bumps and bruises, my mother in tow.  After all was well and boo-boos kissed, we returned to the living room to survey the damage. My mother kept whispering. “They’ re just baubles. Nothing compared to my grandson.”

There, at the dining room table sat my husband and my dad–newspapers spread between them, with tweezers, toothpicks, a magnifying glass and Elmer’s glue. They had separated the pieces into piles and were painstakingly gluing back on fingers, noses and other porcelain body parts. It took them hours that weekend, but all but one figurine was restored.

Mom began to cry as they placed them back on the up-righted tier table. I told her. “I am so sorry. I know they have all lost their value.”

Through watery eyes she whispered, “Oh, no. Now they are more precious than ever.”

O God, who wonderfully created, and yet more wonderfully restored,
the dignity of human nature: Grant that we may share the divine life of
him who humbled himself to share our humanity, your Son Jesus
Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.   (Collect for the 2nd Sunday in Christmas)

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Where I found Christmas

Posted in Christian, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , on December 27, 2013| Leave a Comment »

This year, my body didn’t want Christmas. In fact, it rejected everything, either up or down for three days except IVs and ice chips. No eggnog. No Tamales (a true Texas tradition.) No candy or plum ID-10087293pudding.No warm smiles during the children’s pageant as kids tugged on over-sized bathrobes and stumbled over their lines. No Christ’s Mass by candlelight singing Silent Night.  Family and friends avoided me – as well they should have. 

I faded in and out of restless sleep. The carpet between my bed and the bathroom is now well matted with footprints.

But, God still reigns. Strip away the glistening ornament-laden tree, the candy canes, the traditions and even the church services, and somehow Christmas was still there. I saw Christmas in the gentle hands of the nurse in the ER clinic as she patiently needled my arm to receive fluids, even though my veins had collapsed from dehydration. I saw Christmas in the smile of a kind doctor who treated me as his only patient when he had a packed waiting room, many with the same stomach flu as I.  I saw Christmas in my son who was at my beck and call while juggling work, and in his boss who told him to be with me on Christmas Eve in the ER instead of waiting on customers during the busiest time of the year in their store. I saw Christmas in the love oozing from the concerned  texts and emails, and the understanding that I was not up to even talking on the phone, thank you.

No, this is not how I planned to spend Christmas. But, in a way it was a very meaningful one for me. Despite the ravaging virus inside my body, Christ was there as well. Emmanuel. God with us.

I hope this Christmas you found God in your day, too…no matter how it turned out. May each day be an Emmanuel day.

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