Aug. 24, 2006 - Live in the Moment!
My dear friend, Julie, suffered the unimaginable 2 years ago this Christmas. Julie lost her only son, 4yo Jackson, in a tragic accident. Oh the grieving she has done, but oh the growth that has taken place in her life.
For a while now Julie has wanted to write her story down and she finally felt the Lord telling her the timing was right. She has begun the painful journey through the snapshots of her mind, snapshots that lead up to the final kiss while he was alive and the final kiss as she bid him good-bye!
Julie e-mailed me what she has written so far and I read it this afternoon, read it with a beating heart and choking sobs! Oh how my friend suffered! How I wish I could wipe it all away, but that would be doing her a disservice. You see, because of what she went through, she has vowed to make her life count and to live each day with passion for the Lord until He allows her to be with Jack again!
As I read, I kept hearing the words, "Live in the moment! Live in the moment!" It's so easy to take those chaotic, child-filled moments for granted. So easy to wish them away, to long for quiet enough to complete a thought. But Smith and Julie's home resonates in quiet. Gone are the wild days filled with 4yo sounds! What is left are the sounds of girls growing older and quieter ~ less running and screaming, more talking and soft laughter.
Live in the moment!! "Hold me, Mama!" Live in the moment! "Read to Me, Mama!" Live in the moment! "Lay with me and sing before I go to sleep, Mama!" Live in the moment! "Come play with us, Mama!" Live in the moment!
Lord, help me not miss those moments ~ those moments that will be forever imprinted in the lens of my heart, ready to be replayed when they are grown and the house is quiet! Don't let Julie's pain be in vain, but let me be reminded, by the groanings of her heart, what truly matters most!
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Aug. 8, 2006 - Vacation expectations!
There was a conversation recently on the Five In A Row boards about vacations. The observation was made that Mamas get very little "vacationing" done while on vacation. The reasons are many ~ children need watching, clothes still need washing, everyone winds up hungry at least 2 or 3 or more times a day...and don't even get me started on the packing and unpacking!! You get the gist!
We just returned a couple of weeks ago from a very much needed "vacation" and I had a life-changing revelation while I was gone (I actually had quite a few, but one of them fits this topic ;O) ). Just the word vacation carries with it a lot of weighty expectations that fail to take into account the above mentioned conditions that still exist. Tim has always said that "expectations are premeditated resentments" so it didn't take long for me to start resenting these very ones I chose to get away with!
While swaying in the hammock and gazing up at the sky through the leaves of the overhead tree one evening it hit me...I am having a "change of scenery"! Do you see it? A change of scenery is just that! It is not dependent on anything else expect the ability to view items normally not in your usual line of vision. Being down there in the midst of nowhere but trees and deer definitely qualified as a change of scenery.
It was amazing the change that took place in my heart! They couldn't take that away from me. They couldn't change the fact that I was experiencing a much needed change of scenery. The babies still got into stuff, I still had meals to prepare and laundry to be done, but I got to do it while I gazed out the windows at a landscape totally different than what I see every day!
Thank you, Lord, for helping turn my self-centered eyes outward so that I was able to take joy in my surroundings! Thank you for the sweet blessing of friendship that provided a place like that to stay at free of charge and thank you for the amazing family you allow me to journey with on a daily basis...wherever we may be!!!
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Jul. 31, 2006 - Agape!
I was working on a study on agape today and there were 6 points that were being emphasized. Within each point there was one word that seemed to stand out to me and so I circled each of them. I was pretty amazed when I got done to see that each circled word put together actually made a sentence (with the addition of an "and"). The sentence read...
Divine response needs surrender and sacrifice expressed.
Okay, maybe it is a stretch to call it a "real" sentence, but the implication of the combined words made a tremendous impact on me. Agape is a divine response that needs surrender and sacrifice expressed.
Unfortunately, one of the reasons these random words came together in such a powerful way for me was that I had, just an hour before, blown a wonderful opportunity to show this agape love. I chose to express my fleshly frustration rather than a divine response. It wasn't as bad as it once would have been, but it wasn't as good as I hope it one day will be.
And all because of plates...plates that the girls in my Bible study surprised me with at Christmas...plates that were each a creamy white and edged with their own scripture...plates that ended up shattered on the counter and floor because of a careless child who has a history of breaking dishes and had been warned countless times to slow down and be careful when emptying the dishwasher...plates that now lay at the bottom of the big garbage in the garage...plates with no eternal significance yet plenty of sentimental value! *Big sigh*
Surrender and sacrifice...frustration and a loud voice.
Lord, You do know I want to respond in agape, don't you?
Why, though, do I still struggle so much with my flesh? Why is it still such a natural response to yell instead of stepping back and waiting for the surge of adrenaline to abate? Why do I continue to tell them to exercise self-control when they are upset when I continue to fail to model it myself?
Will I ever get it, Lord? Will it ever cease to be such a struggle? Here I am, Lord! Flat on my face before You, confessing that I blew it again. Asking You to strip me, no matter how hard it is, so that I will look more like You...so that my responses will be more divine and less fleshly!
She...sat before the Master, hanging on every word he said.
Luke 10:39 (MsgB)
I'm hanging, Lord ~ by a thread ~ but I am hanging! Please speak to me!!!
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Jul. 14, 2006 - Rest
Mark 6:31 (NASB-U)
And He said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while."
See, you said it, Jesus! You do see our need to get away and rest and give our brains and bodies time to unwind and be renewed! You have provided a very secluded place for us to go as a family and just have fun, sleep late (okay so we are taking the little ones, too), swim and see your beautiful handiwork up close! Thanks, Daddy! My heart is full of gratitude for the many ways you are ministering to us!
So, although I have been quite negligent in posting on this blog lately, I finally have a legitimate excuse. We are "blowing this joint" and heading south about 2 1/2 hours for a week to 10 days of pure rest!
I know the Lord will bring many of you to mind while I am gone and I will be praying that He ministers to you as only He can! I pray you will sense how special you are to Him and how much He desires to talk to you!
And if you think of me, please pray that I will listen to His voice in the solitude of His vast creation! "Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary", and I want to exhibit evidence of having been there lately!
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Jun. 29, 2006 - "Hold Me, Mama!"
"Hold me, Mama!"
That's what Hannah said to me as we were sitting outside. Nothing wrong. No boo-boos that needed comforting. No hurt feelings that needed soothing. Just ~ "Hold me, Mama"!
As I sat holding my precious child, snuggling her close and whispering in her ear, I heard the whisper in mine..."Let me hold you close. Let me whisper in your ear...Not for any reason. Nothing wrong. No boo-boos that need comforting. No hurt feelings that need soothing. Just because...
Be still and know that I am God..."
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Jun. 9, 2006 - Interruptions!
"The great thing, if one can, is to stop regarding all the unpleasant things as interruptions of one's "own" or "real" life. The truth is, of course, that what one calls the interruptions are precisely one's real life ~ the life God is sending one day by day; what one calls one's "real" life is a phantom of one's own imagination. This is at least what I see at moments of insight, but it's hard to remember it all the time." (The letters of C.S. Lewis to Arthur Greeves ~ 20th December 1943)
Wow! I have been chewing on this quote for quite a few days now. What a powerful and true statement.
I find myself so often getting frustrated because things keep happening and my best laid plans fall by the wayside. "My best laid plans..." Who do I think I am?
Proverbs 16:9 (NASB-U)
The mind of man plans his way,
But the Lord directs his steps.
Forgive me, Lord, for telling YOU how I think my day should go! Forgive me for assuming that the steps you direct should be according to my plans! Lord, I desire to walk according to your direction. I desire to follow you, not try and lead the way!
With one husband, 5 children, a home to run and a ministry life to maintain, interruptions are the norm rather than the exception. This IS my "real" life, though! This is the life I prayed for, hoped for and rejoiced over when the Lord allowed it to come to pass!
Help me embrace each day, each moment ~ each interruption ~ as part of your divinely wonderful plan for me, Lord!
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May. 22, 2006 - I Did It Again, Lord!
I did it again, Lord! I found myself whining in my head over all I have to do and how life would be easier if_______! You know I don't have to fill in _______, Lord, because numerous things could actually fit there.
But You, in your ever gentle way, reminded me how good I really have it! You inclined my ear to the sound of my breadmaker kneading away. You let me register the swish of the dishwasher washing away the remnants of the lunch I cooked in my electric oven. And I heard you, Lord! I heard you say, "My child, look at all the things I have given you to make your job easier."
I am sorry, Daddy! I confess to You my ingratitude and bow before You with a truly grateful heart for all the ways you have blessed me and all the things You have provided to make my job much easier than it would be without them.
May my eyes remain ever open to all that flows from You!
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May. 21, 2006 - Hope!
I love lilacs! They are one of the main things I miss from my growing up years in Canada! There is nothing that smells as good as a bunch of lilacs in a vase on a table!
In an attempt to recapture my childhood and introduce southerners to the joy of lilacs, I searched high and low for a variety that could withstand the Georgia heat. I seemd to be successful when my Wayside Gardens catalog sang the praises of a hardy variety that thrived on hot and humid conditions. I was so excited!
I quickly sent away for 2 and waited expectantly for the UPS man to deliver! The day they arrived I eagerly planted them, watered them, tended to them and, in due time, managed to kill one of them. The other has survived, growing ever-so-slowly in our side yard.
There has been a problem, though...The growth in this one is miniscule at best and it seemed to have not been told that beautiful, fragrant blooms are part of the package. Year after year after year (this is the fourth year it has lived with us) it never produced one single bloom...UNTIL THIS YEAR!!
Imagine my surprise as I was watering one day and caught a glimpse of purple underneath those deep green leaves! I tenderly lifted that tiny (and I mean tiny!) bloom and inhaled the unmistakable sweet fragrance of my first lilac blossom! Oh, the joy!
Well, you may think I have lost my marbles and am wasting your time describing my out-of-body lilac experience, but the Lord hit me today with the spiritual application to accompany my new-found "lilac hope"!
Raising kids is tough! We love them, we pray for them, we feed them (the human version of watering) and yet there are seasons when any discernable spiritual growth or maturity in their lives is miniscule at best. It can be so disheartening to continually pour yourself out, only to be met with no discernable growth.
It's usually when we are spent and feeling like our efforts are in vain that we suddenly catch a glimpse...a tiny evidence of blooming! And oh the joy that overwhelms us when we do!!! They really are getting it! All our efforts are not in vain!
Proverbs 13:12 (NASB-U)
Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
But desire fulfilled is a tree of life.
Don't give up on your little human seedlings! Keep tending them; keep changing them; keep telling them how special they are; keep reminding them how they were created with a purpose and how the Lord has great plans for them; keep praying for them! One day, when you least expect it, I guarantee you will see evidence of blooming in their lives and all the heartache will have been worth it!
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May. 15, 2006 - What a Difference a Day Makes!
Okay, all the Mother's Day hoopla is over and I must admit I am viewing life with a clearer head and with the bar set not quite so high! In all fairness, after my ranting yesterday, I feel I must now paint my family in the light they really do deserve to be seen in!
Tim is, without a doubt, the best husband and Daddy I could have ever hoped for! He has exceeded my expectations and the Godly way he leads our family is such a huge blessing! After 16+ years of marriage, I could not be more thankful for this wonderful man I get to share life with!
13 years ago and some change the Lord fulfilled my lifelong dream of being a wife and a Mama! Rachel entered my life and I have never been the same since! Since then the Lord has blessed our family with Benji, Jesse, Hannah and Caleb! Not only did the Lord fulfill my dreams, but He blessed me in ways I never could have imagined!
The joy I feel as I look at the life the Lord has laid out before me blows my mind. It was not without some tough decisions many years ago to put the Lord first above all others, but the rewards have so been worth it!
So, all expectations aside ~ I am the most blessed of all women and, whether my children arise and call be blessed or arise and ask me what's for breakfast, I wouldn't trade these 6 people I get to share life with for anything!!
Thank you, Lord, for loving me enough to bless in such astounding and wonderful ways!
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May. 14, 2006 - Expectations!
Expectations are premeditated resentments of the heart!
I admit it, Lord, I planned to resent my family today! I had expectations of what a Mother's Day could look like. I read and listened to stories of days full of surprises and families serving and I yearned in my heart for the same.
I read, "Her children arise and call her blessed", but my children arose and asked me what's for breakfast! To Tim's credit he did have to work today so I should have known not to expect much!
To their credit, Lord, the kids did send me e-cards and the older 2 picked out their own and wrote their own personal sentiments! They really did mean a lot and I plan to save them and look at them later ~ on a day when I am not feeling so sorry for myself and can fully appreciate the depth of their heartfelt meaning!
You know, though Lord, in a weird sort of way I am thankful for this pity party I am throwing for myself. It reminds me of the deceitfulness that still resides within me and rears its ugly head at times. It reminds me of my desperate need for you because, even on my best days, I am jacked up in the self-centeredness of my thinking!
Most of all, it reminds me of the fact that these precious ones who call on me to serve them are really the fulfillment of my lifelong dream to be a wife and a Mama! Thank you for granting the desire of my heart ~ even if my ability to appreciate them wanes thin at times!
I wouldn't trade being Tim's wife and my kid's Mama for anything in the world, Lord (you know that)! Help me show them today, though, Lord! Help me lay aside the selfishness of my heart and reach out to them in love! Help me show them that, to me, Mother's Day does not have to be about them serving me, but that it can be about me serving them from a heart overflowing with thankfulness for their lives! I do love them so much, Lord (you know that, right?)!
A note to any readers here ~ Please do not comment on this rambling of my heart! My purpose in writing was truly not to garner sympathy, but was rather my confession to the Lord, written as an offering to Him, as a reminder (to me and Him) of the desperateness of my soul without my eyes focused on Him!
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May. 11, 2006 - My Little Man!
Aaaccckkkk! How can it be true? My baby turned 2 yesterday amidst lots of balloons, birthday cake and all things "truck"! Bittersweet? You bet ~ and I mean the thought, not the chocolate on the cake!
Seems like no time at all ago that I was miserably pregnant, feeling like there had been a cruel joke played and I really was going to stay like this forever. But, after quite a few hours of intense contractions, my sweet little man-child entered the world ~ at 11 1/2lbs. To say that I felt like a new woman when he was finally out is an understatement! To say that he has totally rocked my world is equally insufficient!
Caleb Mac Cash has brought such joy, laughter, music (he sings as much as the one he was named after) and...sleepless nights...that my heart cannot contain it all. Each and every one of my children causes my heart to swell with overwhelming love, but knowing Caleb is the caboose makes these moments with him a little more poignant!
Happy Birthday, little man! May your year be filled with peaceful nights and days full of carefree fun; may your life be filled with thoughts of the Father's love towards you and a desire to love Him and follow Him no matter the cost!! I love you with all of my Mama's heart!
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Apr. 27, 2006 - Perspective!
Many of you know our friends Smith and Julie lost their 4yo son, Jackson, in an accident 1 1/2 years ago. He was accidentally run over by his grandmother and it has, obviously, changed their lives forever!
I have had the unbelievable privilege of meeting with Julie almost weekly in Bible study since the accident happened. The changes in her have been profound and she is constantly challenging me to grow in maturity in Christ. I tell her often she is my hero because, while her heart has been ravaged by the torture of losing her son, she has opened herself up to the only One Who understands and can heal her pain! Seeing this happen before my very eyes has been amazing.
Yesterday she e-mailed me and here is an excerpt from that e-mail! I must admit it brought me to tears and I really found myself bawling as I responded to her, trying as best as I could to articulate all that was in my heart as a result of reading her incredible testimony! Grab a Kleenex and get ready to be blessed...
Sunday I was thinking about how one of the great sorrows of Jackson was when He had passed and life still went on, I went back to my old life ... and all the things that used to satisfy me did not... T.V. , Movies , ect.. I had realized that everything that used to make me happy died along with Jack... The world's pretty store front had fallen and I could see behind everything now.. kind of like going to Disney world as an adult.. or finding out Santa Claus is not real (at age 7)... So strange... and why don't others see through this.. it is all just blinking lights and deception... it is all a lie... so now I grieve Jackson and the death of the world that used to comfort me... nothing comforts me....So now what?
The wise woman builds her house,
But the foolish tears it down with her own hands.
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Apr. 16, 2006 - He's Alive!
One of our favourite resurrection songs is by Phil Driscoll and it says ~
He's alive again, the stone's been rolled away;
He's alive again, He's no longer where He lay;
He's alive again, I can hear the angel say,
"Let all the world rejoice ~ He's alive!!!
This song has been resonating in my heart with great joy this morning, knowing I serve a resurrected Saviour! Praise Him for His indescribable gift ~ His precious Son!
Happy Easter seems rather inadequate to convey what this day is all about so...Happy "Jesus-Is-Alive" Day to all of you!
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Apr. 13, 2006 - Spinning Plates
Have you ever watched a juggler or a plate-spinner and thought, "How in the world do they do that?" Well, I have never been a juggler, but I do feel a little like the proverbial "plate-spinner" these days! The only problem is that I hear, a tad more frequently than I would like, the unmistakable sound of glass crashing around me!
I love what the Message has to say...Matthew 11:28 "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest.
Wow! The Lord (through the person of Eugene Peterson) sure did hit the nail on the head! Tired? Worn out? With a 3yo and almost 2yo? Nahh!! Exhausted, frazzled and ready to rip my hair out? Yes!! How thankful I am to know that if I am simply willing to take the time to come to Him and get away with Him that He will provide me with much needed rest!
Part of the problem these days is that we (but more specifically here ~ me) are so often tempted to bite off more than we can chew! 2 Cor. 11:3 (NASB) But I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. It's not about doing...It's all about being! Eve was lured by what sounded good! She traded the promises of God for the promises of a liar!
Lord, I don't want to miss out on the wonderfully simplistic things you desire to show me because I am so busy running to and fro trying in vain attempt to serve you and others! Help me realize that the greatest ministry I have is to Tim, Rachel, Benji, Jesse, Hannah and Caleb! There are others who can often times fill those minstry roles for a season, but no one else can be Tim's wife and my kid's Mama! That role is mine and mine alone and how carefully I need to guard that with your help, Lord!
Tim and I have always said we never want our children to grow up and feel that ministry was more important than they were. Yes, we want them to understand laying our lives down and the whole concept of servanthood, but not at their expense! Help us find that balance, Lord!
Let's be careful to encourage one another to keep the "main thing" the main thing! The Lord never desired for intimacy with Him to be complicated any more than intimacy with our spouse should be complicated!
2 Cor. 12:9 (MsgB) and then he told me, My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness.
How glad I truly am to let it happen! I am weak, Lord! I, in and of myself, have nothing to offer and I need your strength in a desperate way. I confess, with eager anticipation, my weakness and look forward to how You will fulfill this wonderful promise to me!
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Mar. 23, 2006 - We Survived!
After 5+ long weeks of being separated for days on end, spring training is coming to a close and Tim is driving home from the airport as I type
We have all had a good time during these weeks and nothing too catastrophic has happened here at home, but I can tell I am wearied from the stress of being a single parent much of the time! My heart goes out to women that must live this life on a daily basis! What a heavy load they must bear.
The old saying, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder", really does have some truth to it. I deeply appreciate Tim as a husband and a Daddy, but time apart always serves to remind me how blessed I am!
"I am my Beloved's and my Beloved is mine." Aaahhhhh! There are no truer words today!
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Mar. 21, 2006 - Murphy's Forgotten Law
You know Murphy...if anything can go wrong it will...!
Well, I am here to tell you, although he came up with quite a few good ones, he missed the most common one of all! What might that be, you ask? I'm sure you're well acquainted with it. It's the law...
When Daddy leaves town, they WILL get sick!
See, I told you you were familiar with it. It is a given that as soon as that car backs out of the driveway whisking him away to some faraway destination you'll hear those oh so familiar words...
"I don't feel well!"
Ah well, Murphy was a pretty perceptive guy, but he really need to check with his mom before he published his Top 10!
Author's Note ~ I'm sure you have figured out my reason for writing this piece! ;O) Tim is, in deed, out of town and I was up off and on all night with the baby because he has a fever! In and of itself that's not too bad, but of course, chicken pox is going around the church so now the wait begins to see if he will break out in those dreaded spots! Poor baby! Poor me, too! ;O)
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Mar. 19, 2006 - What Am I Growing?
"Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary." (Psalm 96:6)
Aahhh! Can you smell it...the aroma of new growth just beneath the surface of the protective dirt, waiting to make a grand entrance? This time of year I start to feel so invigorated as I watch my yellow magnolia burst forth with its amazingly fragrant blossoms and my tulip tree laden with perfect pink cups! Can it get any better than this?
Tim starts to cringe this time of year, though, as the car pulls up and I start unloading the plants like clowns in a circus. Just how much digging will I actually require of him? Oh, I try and plant most of it myself, but he is most gracious to help me out with some of my larger projects!
Unfortunately along with the fun of planting and enjoying the beginnings of new life comes the unwelcome task of weeding! Not one of my favourite gardening tasks, but necessary none-the-less. Today as I finished up planting my most recent purchases, I started digging up the weeds that littered my soon-to-be-beautiful perennial rock garden. Didn't I do this last year, yet here they are again? Too bad God didn't create "weed-em-one-time" gardens! What a welcome change that would be.
Since weeding is a somewhat mindless endeavour, I found my mind wandering as I dug. How often do the "weeds" of my life get pulled up only to have them pop back up when I least expect them? What would happen if I left my weeds and just tried to avoid looking at them? Isn't there enough pretty stuff coming out to divert the eye ~ at least for a while?
Hebrews
What's crazy about weeds is that some of them are actually almost look pretty to look at! Have you seen a thistle that's been left on its own, allowed to grow unhindered? It has a striking purple flower to show for all its work. Just like the weeds of my heart, masquerading as something pretty while slowing eroding the beauty the Lord desires to bring into season. And just like my outside weeds, my internal weeds can have roots that are wrapped down deep, requiring more than a little blood, sweat and tears to rip them from the soil.
"But the one who plants in response to God, letting God's Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life." (Gal 6:8, The Message) The Holy Spirit, the Master Gardener, the One Who created the garden of my heart and knows it best...what a job He can do if I will just allow Him to identify the weeds in my life and slowly but surely work them from the soil of my heart!
What a sight I will be to behold!
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Mar. 19, 2006 - A portion of our 2005 Christmas letter...
The last 2 years I have not been able to make our annual family trip to Hilton Head. Two babies at the beach just did not sound like a lot of fun to me! Year before last, Tim took the three big kids with him and they had a blast! Jesse went with Tim to the baseball clinic one day. At the end of the day the kids were given a t-shirt and a Bible. The guys that were there, all former professional baseball players, spread out and the kids in attendance were able to get them to sign their Bibles. Tim told Jesse he could pick a line and get some signatures so off Jesse went, excited to be able to participate.
Jesse picked a line and waited patiently till he got to the front ~ quite a feat for Jesse! When he finally reached the end of the line, he smiled, held up his Bible and said
Daddy, will you sign mine too?! You see, of all the players there that day, the only one he wanted to sign his Bible was his very own Daddy. This touched my heart in such a powerful way and provoked me to thought. In fact, its causing me to pause right now and ask you this question, Who are you allowing to signature your life?
You see, whether we like to admit it or not, every person we spend meaningful time with leaves their mark on our life. Sometimes the results are painful and we are never the same because of the encounter. On the other hand, many of these moments are profound, loving and effect the course of our life in ways too numerous to count. Jesse knew his Daddys character! Jesse knew his Daddy loved him! Jesse knew whose signature he wanted to carry with him wherever he went!
The fact that you are receiving this letter means you have left a mark on our lives and we are so thankful for your love and friendship! May you carry with you, in the coming months, the signatures of men and women committed to leaving a legacy of honor and love to you and to the Lord Jesus Christ. I can assure you that you will never be the same!
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Mar. 19, 2006 - Don't Make Me Read Your Mail!
Our friend Crawford Loritts did a radio broadcast on the Moody network and I was privileged to hear it. As I listened to a tape of that broadcast, the Lord began to prick my heart with the truth of his message. How many times have I tried to convince others to adopt my convictions? How often have I made others reside in an issue until they agree with my point of view?
God sees us all as individuals each with our own address, a spiritual post office box if you will, and while He does often send out bulk mailings, "Go ye, therefore, into all the world and make disciples", for instance, He also sends out notes meant only for me, written to challenge, encourage and correct.
After reading the following poem, I pray you would ask the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart and show you to whom you need to go to retrieve some misdirected messages.
You handed me a letter
Just the other day
And eagerly I opened it
To see what it would say.
I started with the intro,
"My dear child" it said
And it seemed to be appropriate
So on and on I read.
The more I read the stranger
It did appear to be
For all the names and places
Were unfamiliar to me.
Then I got down to the bottom
And read it with a nod,
Yes, there it was signed in His blood-
"Forever yours, love God."
Well, then I really was confused
Or maybe just quite dense,
Why would my "Daddy" write to me
Of things that made no sense?
Then while I sat there thinking
The envelope fell down
And as I stooped to pick it up
I read it with a frown.
For suddenly the problem
Was very clear to see-
The letter had been sent to you
And wasn't meant for me.
Because, although we're all adopted
As His children, nonetheless,
We're all at different places
Each with our own address.
And just because He sends you mail
That really speaks to you,
Unless He puts it in my box
Don't make it my mail, too.
Barb Cash
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Mar. 19, 2006 - Can You See Me now?
Can you see me now? If you have children, this is a phrase you have probably heard many times in your home. What child doesnt love to cover their eyes with their hands or an object and ask most sincerely, Can you see me now? Our 2 little ones still love to do this and they are convinced that just because they cant see you, you must also be unable to see them!
How many times do we ask God from a most sincere heart, Can You see me now?
Maybe we are going through a storm and are calling out to Him rather frantically, wondering if He has closed His eyes to us and our difficulty. Surely if He could see us, He would have intervened by now and saved us from additional turmoil and heartache. Has your heart ever resonated with the question David asked of the Lord, Why do You hide Your face and forget our affliction and our oppression? (Psalm 44:24)
Maybe we are experiencing a season of rebellion before the Lord. We all, left to our own devices, tend to think we know better than God at times and we willfully choose to disobey what He lays out so clearly for us in His Word. During these seasons, our Can you see me now? question becomes one of hopeful anticipation that maybe we really have been able to move beneath His radar and elude a painful encounter with a loving, yet just God. Can you see me now?
The Lord shared with Jeremiah an observation that many of us would be wise to embrace. "Can a man hide himself in hiding places so I do not see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?" declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 23:24) Do we really think we will ever be successful at hiding the things we do or the thoughts we think from the Lord? Isaiah 29:15 says, Woe to those who deeply hide their plans from the Lord, and whose deeds are done in a dark place, and they say, "Who sees us?" or "Who knows us?" Attempting to hide from the Lord is a scary place to be!
God, though, is not the only One we strive to hide from. We hide from each other all the time, unwilling to let anyone see who we really are or get close enough to glimpse our pain, our dreams and the unfulfilled longings of our heart! We create, brick-by-painful-brick, a wall behind which we seek refuge, while all the while really longing for another to take the time to know us!
We put on whatever face is expected from us at any given moment. Its Tuesday night so it must be time to pull out the Bible study face. Sunday morning calls for the happy little family face. Unfortunately our families often get the do what I say or else face, while we reserve the pretty faces for those that would be turned off by the real us! Such pretending! Such deceit!
The Lord admonishes us to encourage one another day after day, so that none of (us) will become hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. (Hebrews 3:13) What a miserable, isolated existence we live when we try and avoid having others know where our heart truly is. Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices. (
We all have struggles! We all have times when doing what is right before the Lord seems like an insurmountable feat that we feel very insufficient to attempt. None of us is exempt. None of us is without fault at all times! That is why the Lord tells us in James to confess (our) sins to one another, and pray for one another so that (we) may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. (James 5:16)
It has been said that eyes that look are common, but eyes that see are rare! Oh, how I yearn to quit hiding from the Lord and desire to have the eyes of my heart open to what He longs to show me. Search me, O God, and know my heart, try me and know my anxious thoughts! (Psalm 139:23) Oh, how I desire to open myself up to really be seen and known by those around me.
Let us cease playing childish games! Brethren, do not be children in your thinking, but in your thinking be mature. (1 Cor. 14:20) No matter how many ways we try, no matter how we hold our hands, contort our body or pull the covers over our heads we cannot hide from the One Who knows the number of hairs on our head. No matter which mask we pull out of the closet on any given day, we cant keep others from eventually knowing what our true colors are!
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints. (Eph. 1:18)
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