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Mind-blowing Gratitude

 

The persistent noise from the leaf blower outside my window is enough to make one scream. On and on it drones every Tuesday morning, sweeping away the leaves, cleaning up the debris from fall's clutter. I have to remind myself that there is a person holding that blower and they work hard in the cold to make my life look better. I try to be grateful. Occasionally it pauses and I breath a sigh of welcome relief and then it starts again.  I know they will be gone shortly so I tolerate it. And when it finally subsides, the quiet is heavenly. My garden has been restored to a sanctuary of order and peace. Until next week.

I wish my mind and heart could be that easily restored - just a little "mind-blower" to sweep away all my uncertainty, busyness, and distraction, leaving only a peaceful mind, full of hope and gratitude. A recent devotional said to focus on the love poured out on the cross. I look up at a cross on the wall in my office and as the outside clatter subsides, my racing heart slows a bit as well, remembering that nothing can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:38). 

 Not Covid, not politics, not disease or death, not grief, not strained relationships, not financial stress, not leaf blowers.

 I'll leave some blanks so you can fill in your own list___________, _________, ___________.

Sometimes it just helps me to name the issues and say with assured confidence, "Covid cannot separate us from the love of God. Politics cannot separate us from the love of God." You do it. A  pastor once told me to give your problems a name and then you can do something about them. For one thing, you can give them to God. This, according to Sarah Young in her book Jesus Calling, is a spiritual act of worship.  Keeping the focus on loved poured out from the cross enables us to be grateful.

And here we are at Thanksgiving week. A very different week for most of us.  Smaller tables set with fewer plates. Smaller turkeys. Fewer gatherings with many of them outside. Hopefully all of this reduction in activity will not lessen our feelings of gratitude for one another, our families, friends, and country. Quite possibly it will help us to be very grateful for all we have, and it is plenty. No unlike the Pilgrims, who 400 years ago arrived in a new country and found after their  first year, many of their family members had died from the hard work of survival, but even in their reduced numbers, they paused and remembered their God, and gave thanks for what they did have. And here we are today.

I challenge you this week to make an ongoing gratitude list and see if it helps to clear your mind of fret and worry.  And in the space freed up, prepare to discover joy has taken up residence.

 

 

Another Birthday

 

Another birthday today.

Another milestone crossed. She would be 39. While I had years with my mom and could write down memories of her, I can only imagine what Megan’s life today would look like. We all got robbed from having years together – as a daughter, sister, and friend. But we had 27 years together and we are grateful for many, many good times. She will never be forgotten.

All of us have someone we have lost, but will never forget – a spouse, a parent, a sibling, a child, a friend, a pet. It is healthy to remember and reflect on the time we had with those people. To laugh, shed a tear or two, to wonder – those emotions are healthy and keep us “real” in this hard life. I posed a question to my husband the other day, asking him how long it takes him to choke up when he thinks of Megan now, after almost 12 years. He thought for a minute and said it varied. He said some days he could remember and sigh and move on.  But other days those thoughts could strike a painful blow, like bad news you have heard for the first time. It was good to just talk about it. 

Most of us are the same. We get blind sighted by a random thought or memory. We might be busy with a project or a deadline but we take a breath and push through, but if we find ourselves with some time on our hands we might allow a few tears. I’m no grief counselor, but I say that is perfectly normal. When we push through, we are likely pushing those feelings down inside and as we all know, sooner or later they will find their way out – in a healthy way or not so healthy. I know because I’ve done both.

What is troublesome today as we try to manage through this pandemic, so many are not able to share the pain of loss with close family and friends. We are experiencing serious illness and death and we feel all alone in our sorrow, uncertain how to maneuver through. I am not sure I could have survived the 18-month illness of a child had I not had the love and support of family and friends who were much closer than 6 feet. Of all the times when we need closeness, now we are asked to stay apart. Take that lonely sorrow and grief and multiply it by 163,000 current deaths in the US alone and we have a great sadness that is impossible to measure. How do we comfort others? How do we share in their loss?

These disruptions in our normal routines and rhythms of everyday life contribute to the lingering unease and sadness that we are all feeling. Not only are we mourning the loss of thousands but we are also mourning the loss of normalcy, from seeing our co-workers to engaging in the mundane routines that we previously took for granted. 

I said earlier we got robbed of years together. But we did not get robbed of a future together. And I say that to all who are experiencing loss and disruptions today. The many millions of us.  Sometimes I must reach for Randy Alcorn’s book 50 Days of Heaven and reread to remind myself that we are all passing through this life. It is not our final home. Take me seriously. By thinking about Heaven, we don’t eliminate our pain, but as he says, “We can alleviate it and put it in perspective. We are reminded that suffering and death are only temporary conditions.”Alcorn says grasping what the Bible teaches about Heaven will shift our center of gravity and radically alter our perspective on life. It will give us hope, a word the apostle Paul uses 6 times in Romans 8.

So we have hope....because we know we have a future together.

 

 

In Need of a Dose of Wonder

We are restless and tired....

                                      weary and worried....

                                                                    conflicted and confused. 

I look at this growing list of descriptive words of the feelings friends are sharing with me and realize not one of them is a physical symptom - something easily remedied by a dose of medication.  No, these are heart and soul issues that each one of us is having to come to terms with as the days of pandemic and political unrest continue in our world. 

Is it our uncertainty? Well, that's one thing we can be certain of - there will be uncertainty.  John 16:63 reminds us that "in this world, we will have trouble." But for many of us it is hard to get our minds around the fact that there is so much trouble - people are dying, cities are burning, and evil seems to be rampant. We feel so helpless as we "stand in our watchtower of prayer and wait" trying really hard to trust that God will ultimately take charge of His world and make it right. We watch and wait.

I try to stay busy with little things I can do to make my world better - feeding the homeless, writing notes of encouragement and blog posts, loving my neighbors, checking on family, studying the Bible, praying for delivery. There are times though when I just have to stop and mentally transport myself away to another world - either through music or a book or a memory of better days.

Today I found myself rereading a section of When God Comes Near. Megan had been ill for several months and as I sat by her side, I found myself reading in her journal about her travels from Salzburg to Interlaken on a train in June of 2003. Her words were like music.

"The scenery is so beautiful. The mountains - oh, I could look at them all day. We pass through farmland - by churches with bell towers and clouds reaching high above the little towns. The streams running alongside us are vivid blue.  With my faced pressed upon the glass I am reminded of my favorite song:

This is my Father's world, and to my listening ears

all nature sings, and round me rings the music of the spheres.

This is my Father's world; I rest me in the thought

of rocks and trees, of skies and seas; his hand the wonders wrought.

This is my Father's world. O let me n'er forget

that thought the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.

This is my Father's world: why should my heart be sad?

The Lord is King; let the heavens ring! God reigns; let the earth be glad.

This is my Father's world; He shines in all that's fair; 

In the rustling grass I hear him pass; he speaks to me everywhere."

She went on to write." I am sure many people I encounter don't recognize  the world they live in - whether Prague, Munich, or the USA - is their Father's world. Some might not even recognize God as a part of their world. What an amazing privilege to have a God who speaks to me everywhere. I am so thankful for all the ways God communicates goodness, faithfulness,and love to me."  

I remember smiling as I closed her journal, grateful and a little surprised I did not feel sad, but through her words from a trip long ago, I had been given this dose of wonder.

 We are all in need of a dose of the wonder these days. 

The author, Madeleine L'Engle wrote:"When I need a dose of wonder I wait for a clear night and go look for the stars.....in the country the great river of the Milky Way streams across the sky and I know that our planet is a small part of that river of stars....Often the wonder of the stars is enough to return me to God's loving grace."

A dose of wonder, taken daily - as often as needed.

Watchtower Waiting

Someone reminded me about Habakkuk. You know, the little (only three chapters) Old Testament book hidden between Nahum and Zephaniah. Assuming I haven't already lost you, Habakkuk was a prophet who asked questions and got answers from God.

It's what we all want as we cross off these pandemic days, marching to the end of summer. Answers to our questions. How long? Why? What is the cure? Will there be a vaccine? How can I cope? Will my family make it through? It seems that none of our questions can be answered in a simple way, and the unanswered uncertainties just lead to more nagging doubt about who we can trust in our community, our country and our world.

As opposed to taking a passive approach to his situation (which I am often inclined to do), Habakkuk was full of questions for God. Troubled by the evil of his times, he was burdened with the chaos of life and had no hesitation in filing his complaints.

"How long, O Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen?" (1:2)

"Why do you make me watch this injustice?" (1:3)

"Why do you tolerate wrong?"(1:3)

And God proceeds to tell his prophet that he wants him to look beyond the present. Yes, things were miserable. And they were going to get much worse.  But God was working behind the scenes to bring about "something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told (1:5).

Habakkuk climbs up on the watchtower to wait, expecting God to answer him in the midst of all the ruins around him. And God gives Habakkuk a vision of power and destruction that truly was hard for him to believe. I suppose it took a little time to process, but Habakkuk then responds with a song. His prophesy closes with those famous lines from 3:17-18 - "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord...The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights."

And I could mirror that by saying:

 though the summer is too hot, and the garden is wilting,

    though there is no slowing down of this pandemic and no cure in sight,

      though none of know what is best for schools and churches and businesses,

       though we are a country in a mess, yet I will rejoice in the Lord who is working behind the scenes

            in our cities, in our medical world, in our political world, and over our beautiful world.

               He enables me to keep on going. It is enough.

I once quoted a writer who said to pray for God to make us who and what we should be while in the midst of these tough times. She said to pray that we can live within our many afflictions for however long they last,  knowing we are held and sheltered by the Lord who protects us. (LB Cowan)

Find a watchtower............and wait.  It's so hard.

Why Does Our Service Matter?

While writing the previous article "Reaching Out" my memory traveled back a few years when a group of women from my church visited Nicaragua. I wrote about our experience and remember the devastation of visiting one ill-equipped and understaffed hospital. Now in the news it appears many of the dedicated medical professionals are being randomly dismissed from their jobs because of requesting Covid support from the government. Pray today for the kind people of Nicaragua.

From my journal, I wrote:

     "Sleep is troubled. I leave the cabin to the sound of a faint morning rooster and blowing palm fronds. For the tropical night to be so still it is filled with voices of the patients in the Nicaraguan hospital, crying out for comfort. What could we as mission trip rookies offer these people who were in such great need?

 No linens.

No food service. 

Barely a doctor or nurse.

Family members who have arrived by bus and dirt roads provide meager supplies as they wait and wonder if healing help will ever come. We wonder too. It is hard to take in such hopeless conditions.

Those of us who can manage words offer simple words of faith and comfort. These faith-filled, gentle people hold tightly to the crosses we give them. Their smiles keep us going. And the eye contact. If we are brave and can maintain eye contact with these poor, under-cared for friends, we recognize the Divine Presence connecting us all. We see Jesus. And our hearts burst with the reminder of Matthew 25:40 telling us, "In as much as you have done to the least of these, you have done onto me."

Maybe their spirits are lifted, and we leave them with a sparkle of hope. A glimpse of a Savior.

Why does service matter? While we might think we are doing something good just to make ourselves feel better about the world, service for a Christian is an expression of our search for God and not just the desire to bring about individual or social change. It is when we serve others, this beautiful divine presence of Christ himself becomes visible and a gift is offered from God to both the server and the served."

At the beginning of our service trip to Nicaragua, we were asked to look for places where we could see God. At first, we could only cry out as the psalmist in Psalms 22 "My God, why have you forsaken these people?" While it was hard to look beyond the enormous needs of a forgotten country, we discovered it was looking into the eyes where we met with the heart of God.

Sometimes it is easier to love those forgotten and far away people than it is to love someone down the street or on the other side of town. I am going to work on making eye-contact.

"I AM AMERICA" told by Don Harp

For years Don Harp, my former pastor, wrote an article , “I AM AMERICA.” He would stand before the congregation and give his patriotic address the Sunday before the Fourth. Treat yourself this 4th of July and sit down, put on some patriotic music, laugh, remember, and celebrate. If you don't live in Georgia you won't get all his references, but you can replace them with your own. Enjoy!

I AM AMERICA

I am the voice of Patrick Henry, the pen of Francis Scott Key, the artistic needle of Betsy Ross and the midnight ride of Paul Revere.

I am the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk, the Spirit of St. Louis, Amelia Earhart giving women an early vision of what one can accomplish, The Kennedy Space Center, and Delta being ready ready when you are and now is number 1 on time airline.

I have a sense of humor in that a pizza can be delivered to your door quicker than an ambulance can reach your house, where banks leave both doors open and chain cheap pens to the counter, where hot dogs are sold in packs of ten and buns in packs of eight, and where drug stores make the sick walk to back to pick up prescriptions and cigarettes are sold up front. Go figure!

I am back country dirt roads, interstates that cross-cross my vast country , the curving streets of San Francisco , the narrow streets of Boston , the moving parking lot called Georgia 400 and the mess called Spaghetti Junction.

I am flag of red white and blue hanging from the front on many of my homes, the pageantry of my flag being presented at events from business to sporting events, reminding all of the price paid by so many who never returned home in order for my freedom to continue so when presented PLEASE STAND TO GIVE HONOR TO THOSE WHO PAID SUCH A PRICE. ANYTHING LESS IS LACK OF GRATITUDE FOR WHAT THEY GAVE.

I am America and currently in conversations of who can and cannot use what bathroom, little boys settled for themselves long time ago by finding a a tree for relief not sure that works for all, but if you end up in a ladies room remember to put the lid down.

I have always stood for freedom and the real worth of a country is the test of how many want to come and how many want to leave and the many who want to come understand that AMERICA IS THE LAND OF THE FREE AND HOME IF THE BRAVE.

I am politics and none more revealing in my capitol city of D C where the tweets of Trump, the fading memory of Biden, and the frustration of the Supreme Court’s Chief Justice trying time decide if he is conservative or liberal.

I am famous people and places, Washington’s Mount Vernon, Jefferson’s Monticello, Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, George Washington Carver’s Tuskegee Institute, San Francisco’s Chinatown, and the Little White House in Warm Springs, Ga.

I am ribs in Chicago, grilled veggies in California, Turnip Greens in Ludawici , fried green tomatoes in Social Circle’s Blue Willow,

And two dogs walking with onion rings at Atlanta’s world famous Varsity.

I am a nation that loves to laugh and I have lost some of my best, George Burns, Johnny Carson, Erma Bombeck, and Lewis Grizzard just to name a few, but keep laughing it is one of my treasured resources .

I am bar b q and among some of my best include, Tops in Memphis, Franklin’s in Austin,

Big Bob Gibson in Decatur, Alabama, Dirt Road Bar b Q near Valley , Alabama and the best in Ga Fresh Air in Jackson, Ga.

I have some unusual names, Accident Maryland, Santa Claus Indiana, Ding Dong Texas, Cabin Creek W. V., and French Lick , Indiana.

I am East and West, North and South, and this writer loves South best cause fixing to, tote, y’all, and bless your pea picking heart are understood to be good grammar. In our great state of Georgia Elvis was not ours, but Ray Charles, Brenda Lee, Trisha Yearwood , and Alan Jackson are. We have had some pretty good Athletes as well, Ty Cobb, Walt Frazier,

Wilma Rudolph , Luke Appling, Johnny Mize, Davis Love, Bobby Jones, The Yates Golfing Family, Cecil Travis, and Herschel Walker just time name a few.

I am a nation built on a faith in God. That is how I got started. My first President said,

“We cannot expect national morality to prevail if we exclude religious principle”. Ben Franklin said, “He who shall introduce into public affairs the principles of the Christian faith will change the face of the world “

If we have any chance of emerging from this trilogy of our current a better nation it must be as we move the nation to a faith in God relationship. We have fallen prey to the secular progressives and look where we have ended up. “There is a Balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole.” We have been wounded and by the Grace if God we can become whole again. Let us begin the journey on this national Birthday weekend.

It was by dawn’s early light where proof was given that my flag was still there. The RED, WHITE, AND BLUE has stood for freedom for all the world to see and never, never ever forget those who have stood up for, fought for, and far too many gave their very life that this freedom shall not pass from the face of the earth. Always say thank you to a veteran and any one wearing the uniform of our USA.

GIF BLESS AMERICA ON THIS BIRTHDAY WEEKEND.

Reaching Out

It's  easy for me to become complacent, sequestered in the comfort of my home. I have everything I need and more. So far in this pandemic, our family has been protected from illness. There is food on the table and flowers in the garden. Exercise, music, books and projects, along with the occasional "porch drink" with friends fills in the weekly calendar. 

And we're doing it over...and over... and over.   

Last night, my date asked me if I was getting bored with our simple life. I quickly lied and said, "of course not!" We laughed and moved on in conversation, but the thought haunted me later. Was I bored? And why? From past experience, I seem to know when those "bored" feelings begin. It's always when I have been thinking mostly (no, entirely)  of myself in my little corner of the world. Having introvert tendencies, I can go for days with little or no contact outside my home. Then one day I start to feel it - a restless need, a little claustrophobic and maybe, yes, a little bored with self. 

Some might call this a God-nudge. I know it is time to reach out.

First, I start with phone calls to check on family and friends. I enjoy my chatty sister, a neighbor, and a friend who lives across town. I think they have enjoyed being thought of, and I certainly have had my spirits lifted. I'm energized through our conversations. 

Second, the ripe bananas on the counter remind me that it's time to make the bread. And the making of banana bread is always in preparation for the give away. Who needs the gesture of a small gift - one that just says, "I'm thinking of you"?

Finally, my spirit reminds me of those who need a touch today - from me. And off I go, sanitized and mask adorned, to reach out and love on those I care about. By the end of the day, my restless boredom has vanished and I am rich in possibilities for tomorrow.

These gestures are very small in the big picture of our world situation today. They are small, but what if we all made three phone calls today to people we know to show them we care? What if we shared something with our neighbor who has lost a loved one or who might be lonely?  What if we reached out to our local police department with a gesture of kindness? And what if, in the midst of our little efforts, we find ourselves reaching out more and more? We probably wouldn't have time for boredom.

Missing Church

I miss church.

Psalm 150
"Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary. Praise Him in his mighty heavens!"

 

I miss the spiritual connection of people gathering in a holy place, worshiping a divine Savior.

Matthew 18:20 

"Where two or more are gathered in my name, there I am among them."

I miss the former routine of Sunday worship -  the gathering of friends for Sunday School, the choral call to worship, the busy-ness of the Eucharist, the processional fanfare of candles held high, robes and voices harmonizing, organ pipes, the greetings to one another, light streaming through the stained glass, the prayers, the sermon, the benediction, the fellowship. 

Acts 2:22 And they devoted themselves to the teaching and the fellowship, the breaking of bread and prayer.

I miss singing to one another, "May the Lord, mighty God, bless and keep you forever. Grant you peace, perfect peace - courage in every endeavor. Lift up your eyes and see His face and His grace around you. May the Lord Mighty God, bless and keep you forever."

Psalm 95:5 O Come let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.

The Best Father's Day Gift - Presence

I just wrapped a gift for my son for Father's Day. Just a small gift, but wrapped with a heart bursting with love and gratitude for the way he demonstrates love for his two children and strives to be a dad in real time. He's "hands on" sharing the responsibilities of all that parenthood entails - day-care pick-up and drop-off, mealtime, bath time, bedtime, doctor appointments, and a million other responsibilities. All the time, probably wondering if he is doing it well.

If he were to ask, I would tell him he was doing it well because he is doing it. He is actively present in the lives of his children. I pray as they grow up, that presence will be a constant in their lives.

 I was curious about the statistics and while I know there is an absence of fathers in the home today, I did not realize it was so prevalent. According to an article from this source  "More than 20 million children live in a home without the physical presence of a father.  Millions more have dads who are physically present, but emotionally absent.  If it were classified as a disease, fatherlessness would be an epidemic worthy of attention as a national emergency. "

I experienced a father's love. In the 50s that love might not have been so hands on. I don't ever remember my  military career dad reading me a book, tucking me in at night,  or making me pancakes. But I knew the steady, strong presence of a father who worked hard every day, came home every night, respected and loved my mother and daily supported our household. It probably wasn't until I was an adult that my dad (who was orphaned at 14) was comfortable with simply enjoying my company. And as the years went by, we became great friends. I knew that my father loved me, valued my husband, and adored my children. 

It is when I think about these statistics - more than 20 million children living without even the physical presence of a father, not to mention the emotionally absent ones - my heart breaks. What have we allowed to happen? How have we turned our heads to the greater societal problems and supported programs that while intended for good, created this devastation of the family unit?

 It's not that we haven't tried. A recent editorial in the WSJ said that since 1980 our country has spent over $22 trillion dollars trying to fix many of the problems in our society. You can be the judge as to whether we have succeeded. 

This Father's Day, spend some time thinking about the millions of children who have no presence of a father in their daily life. Look around to find a way to help a single mom. And if you are one of the fortunate ones who has a father in your home, thank him. Thank him and encourage him to stay the course.

Train up a child as to how he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.

The Long View

Recently I wrote about living in the present moment. I talked about my state of weariness and fatigue. I lamented over past regrets and worried over an uncertain future. I got nothing accomplished as a result and the day was lost. It resonated with many of you. 

Today I read about "taking the long view" - to think about the effect that something will have in the future. Is that my choices? We set aside resources for the future. I vividly remember my mother working all summer to preserve food for the winter. As a farmer, my father worked daily with a long view - hoping for a successful crop in the future. But today, with the speed of our lives, we want it all today. Just this morning I was disappointed when I learned my anticipated package will take two days, instead of one. And why plant tiny little zinnia seeds when I can buy them already blooming in pots?I don't want to wait for anything. Except maybe Heaven. As the country song says, everyone wants to go, but not today.  We love living in the present, when now more than ever, we should be longing for a better future. It's what the apostle Paul talks about in 2 Corinthians 5 - taking the long view.  In his poem, Disturb Us, Sir Francis Drake wrote, :Having fallen in love with life, we have ceased to dream of Heaven."Can we do both? Can we live our earthly life with Heaven in our mind and hearts?Is that what Heaven on earth would look like? If so, what a change in our current world.Ed Stetzer wrote these words in Christianity Today about the long view:

"The Christian life is not about our best life now. To follow Jesus faithfully is an acknowledgment that our best life comes later and our lives right now should reflect this reality. To do that requires four shifts in the way we view life.

1. We need an eternal perspective.

The biblical emphasis on keeping eternity in our view reminds us of the brevity of our existence. The Bible compares life to a vapor that is here today and gone tomorrow. Having this fixed in our mind points us to a reality that goes far beyond the years we may have on this earth. 

2. We need to live in this contrast between now and not yet. 

Paul says we “groan while we are in this tent, burdened as we are” (2 Cor. 5:4). We groan because we are in this imperfect, broken reality, but we look forward to the time when that reality is replaced with something greater. We know this to be true because of our own experiences and those around us. We groan when we hear of the hurt of our friends and family. We groan in our own bodies because of  physical challenges. We all groan, but this groan is for heaven, for an eternal and better place. These groans are temporary. Our best life is yet to come. (Thank God.)

3.  We need a confident hope that should permeate our lives. 

In 2 Corinthians 5:7, Paul says, “We walk by faith, not by sight.” Paul’s point is  currently we live our lives based on faith; we’re holding fast to things we cannot see. Then we’ll walk by sight because we can actually see the fulfillment of God’s promises to us. But for today, in a life characterized by our stumbling attempts at walking without sight, we rest our hope in our currently unseen Savior. One day that hope will be realized into full sight, but for today a confident hope should shape us.

4.  We need a proper understanding of the realities that are before us.

In 2 Corinthians 5:9, Paul writes, “Whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to be pleasing to Him.” Herein is the truth we cannot miss. Paul says we make it our aim to please God both now when we are in our physical bodies and later when we see rightly and live for eternity. For Paul, the promise of the resurrection leads to a current life shaped around resurrection values. We want to please Jesus in our brief time here so that we might worship Jesus for an eternal time there. The hope of personal presence later leads to the desire of personal actions now.

This is not our best life today. There are good moments for which we should praise God, but we know there are challenges, difficulties, struggles, physical ailments, hurt, and pain. The world is indeed broken.(Just review the words of Condolezza Rice from a recent interview on Face The Nation.)  But the good news is Jesus will make all things right, including you and me. For those who follow Christ, we will be in right, perfect-sighted relationship with Him for eternity, and that should cause us to live differently now."

 It should encourage us to take the long view.

We Have Today

Now more than ever we need to understand how to live in the present moment.

You might say, "Which one? The present moment of protecting myself against the threat of Covid-19? The present moment of waiting and wondering if today will bring a stop to the racial and civil unrest in our cities? The present moment of watching a total disregard for life? 

Yesterday I let the news continue to roll and I became more and more morose. 

Agitated and fearful. 

Worried and distracted. 

Conflicted and unproductive, caught up in the past and the future.... and then the day was lost.

Today is not much better.  Even my garden, my favorite scriptures and books don't seem to brighten my spirit. I find I must simply obey the instruction of Philippians 4:6 which says to not be anxious about anything ( viruses, civil unrest, racial tensions, disregard for lives), but to present these concerns of the day to God in prayer, with a grateful heart to the One who knows all things, and then the peace that we will never fully understand will come to us. I know that passage to be true for I claimed it during the darkest days of my life.  I will never understand it (like the scripture says) but it is true.

It's the waiting that is so hard.  I can say the verse over and over, list my prayer requests before God, but then I must trust, watch, and wait. But this is when we need to be on guard, for this is where we lose it and become fearful of all the unknowns. Betty Skinner, in her book The Hidden Life, says this about waiting:

"Waiting is one of the most difficult pieces of a deep, inner spiritual journey. We want to outrun God, but our growth depends on consciously letting go of our fear and allowing our circumstances the space to teach us what God intends....As long as we wait in fear and anxiety, we will not experience growth. "

She goes on to say, "This way of waiting requires we understand that the spiritual life can only be lived in the present moment. Living in the future produces anxiety, worry, and fear. Living in the past produces guilt, bitterness and regret. Many of us never get out of the past or the future and miss the gift that is the present moment." 

So today, what will it be?

No Picnic

The phrase "every night is date night" caught on - just a random comment, sort of tongue in cheek about every night at home - together -  being one of bliss.  Well, not bliss, but you know, agreeable to say the least.  Jokingly, Mike added to the phrase,"every night is date night....but it's not always a picnic."

I get it! 

After 49 years of marriage, some evening meals are more memorable than others.  Some we cherish. Some we want to forget, even as recent as a few nights ago. A later golf round for him. Distraction and poor communication on my part made for a  "no picnic" night. My fault and I apologize. 

 

Picnics are supposed to be light-hearted, casual, mostly outside, often celebratory with alfresco food and crisp white wine.....a spirit-lifting kind of meal and often spur of the moment.  It's not so much about the food, but the experience of  changing it up a bit - especially during this time of sheltering.  So, why not find the picnic basket, fill it with some simple, favorite foods, and carry it to the back yard?

One of my favorite stories in the Bible is when the resurrected Jesus is grilling fish on the beach and the disciples, dejected, have returned to their jobs of fishing. They're not far from shore, when their master calls out  from the shore and asks them if they are catching anything. Disillusioned and exhausted they hold up their empty nets.  He tells them to throw them to the other side and they can barely draw in the full nets.  Peter looks up and  recognizes the person as Jesus and heads to shore, followed by the rest of the disciples.

A meal together of grilled fish and bread after thinking Christ was dead must have been some happy picnic. The surprise element for one thing. Disillusioned about loss and exhausted from trying to keep their jobs filled their hearts and minds and there was little time to think about a meal, much less the picnic Jesus had prepared. And then, just to simply be together again with Jesus had to be the true fellowship for which they longed.

Don't you see the similarities for us today? We were created for fellowship - to not be alone. We were made to break bread together. But we're disillusioned about our losses and exhausted trying to keep life as we know it. It's no picnic on many days. Jesus told his disciples -  and he tells us - this life will be difficult. There will be tough times, but keep on loving each other.

And plan the picnic.

"They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts..." Acts 2:46

Weed Control

We continue to marvel about the beautiful spring here in the South. Days are pleasant and nights are cool.  But the forecast is for a heatwave this weekend and with it will come the weeds.  Funny how weeds take off when the temperature rises.

A recent date night at home “reran” the weed conversation we have every year.  As little green shoots start to emerge along a stone wall, he says to me “we have got to get these weeds out of here.” I make a mental note to hide the weed spray, and say,” Just give it a few more weeks and you will see they are not all weeds, but my perennials.” 

 For a while you hardly notice the weeds. They appear overnight, it seems, and grow right there along with the grass and the perennials. Then there they are - shooting up with an attitude and spreading like wildfire, creeping around and between the blades of grass, and in the blink of an eye, they have choked out all the good.

A gardener must take swift action to save the good. The directions on the container of weed control say to treat weeds during the growing season. Spray the weeds while they are growing to stop them. I do that. I spray with a vengeance— nutgrass, crabgrass, and a multitude of "other" grasses that do not belong in my lawn and each day I celebrate a little more of the death of the “bad guys”.

By contrast, there is a parable in the Bible where Jesus talks to the disciples about weeds and wheat. The farmer sows the wheat and while he is sleeping, a villain comes in and sows weeds along with the wheat. The workers ask the farmer if they should pull up the weeds, but the farmer says to let the weeds grow with the wheat, that he will separate the two when it is time for the harvest, keeping the wheat and burning the weeds forever. (Matthew 13)

Reading through the Parables might be helpful these days.  You can find 50-60 in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. What are they? Parables are stories about everyday people and situations that are designed to teach a lesson about God and His will for life today.  And there is timelessness to the parables as well as a haunting beauty and mystery. But as humans, we want the explanation. Just what does the story mean?

This comparative gardening lesson from the parable teaches me that for this moment in time, I am the wheat – the believer in Christ. I am not a weed – the non-believer. And gratefully, I am not to judge, but I am to be discerning. I should be able to distinguish between weeds and wheat—the good and the bad, the godly and the ungodly for we are all in this life together. I am to control the “invasive and harmful weeds” that want to choke out the good in me. Destroy me. I have to be on the lookout for them. And I am to cultivate the good with nourishment and attention. Remaining faithful when we don’t understand  life is one of our daily challenges as believers. Especially now. We live in a world where right and wrong, wheat and weeds have gotten diluted – there is a lot of gray.

Can we tell the difference? 

Oh, it's hard work. We get weary and just want to ignore those things in our lives that seek to invade and destroy. We cave and allow darkness to overwhelm our souls. Until that final harvest comes that is spoken of in Matthew, we must work the fields—whatever crops up -  and wait—and trust. We must educate ourselves and know the difference between good and bad -weeds and wheat, truth and lies. We must know what to stand for, and where to draw the line.

 As gardeners, we must know our plants. As Christians, we must know our beliefs – what is right and wrong.

In the reading the sower said to let the wheat and the weeds grow together. And we are called to Love one another; bear one another’s burdens; speak the truth in love. Matthew 5:44-45 says "For he causes the sun to rise on the bad as well as the good, and sends down rain to fall on the upright and the wicked alike."

 So if we are called to live with the weeds, how do we do it?  Henri Nouwen says the wisdom of the cross is the descending pathway that is concealed in each person’s heart.  But because it (the descending pathway) is so seldom walked on it is often overgrown with weeds – our very own.  He says the way we live with weeds is to identify our very own. 

Ouch.

Hard to admit, isn’t it?

  

Soul-Planting

Many of my friends have expressed their desire to maintain a slower pace of life. In the midst of this frightening, world-wide crisis, we are already worrying about our future -  how things will be in two weeks, two months, two years.

In many ways, we have better learned how to care for each other. My husband jokingly (or maybe not) says every night now is date night. A walk around the garden. A candle lit for supper on the porch. We are softer around our prickly edges. The margins some of us work to protect have been enlarged for us and have shown us how to slow down. We are liking it, but will we hold onto the good we are discovering?

Little by little, as the pandemic numbers recede and things begin to open up, I, too, wonder if I can maintain this sense of calm. Admittedly, I can't help but feel a little cringe when I'm notified my Pilates classes are resuming, or I'm invited to play golf or lead a Zoom meeting, knowing those are hours and minutes that have been savored in my little margin of calm.

How do I keep the good.....and resume the good?

Well, Jesus tells us not to be anxious about tomorrow but to concentrate on what we must do today. The God who clothes the lilies and cares for my precious birds will  care for me. Jesus said, "Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today."

Jerry Sittser, in his book Discovering God's Will, says, " Jesus wants us to devote our time and energy to all the little tasks we must do every day, not just to the big decisions we occasionally have to make. The little responsibilities we do prepare us for big responsibilities later on, little actions set the stage for big ones, and faithfulness in thing that appear to have only modest importance enables us to respond wisely to duties that seem -and perhaps are - very important.

"Whoever is faithful in very little is faithful also in much." Luke 16:10

Thomas Merton, a Trappist monk and author of many books on spirituality, believed that the present moment is pregnant with incredible possibilities. "Every moment and every event of every man's life on earth plants something in his soul. For just as the wind carried thousands of winged seeds, so each  moment brings with it germs of spiritual vitality that come to rest imperceptible in the minds and wills of men. We must be sensitive and mindful to God as he works in our lives. Most of these unnumbered seeds perish and are lost, because men are not prepared to receive them: for such seeds as these cannot spring up anywhere except in the good soil of freedom, spontaneity and love. And how do we become good soil? By seeking God in the present moment - the only moment we have."

Freedom, spontaneity, and love - the ingredients for good soil.

We have this moment.....

Friday's Prayer

My friend, Darren Hensley, is a man of prayerful words and offers this prayer today from my church:

Steadfast and Merciful God, 

Spring is a time when storms gather and blow quickly into our lives, followed by sunshine that reappears as the clouds dissipate. Signs of new life break forth everywhere. It is a time when we feel the primal energy of creation. 

O God, the seasons come and go and the winds of change come upon us.  They remind us to notice the fleeting quality and uniqueness of every passing moment. We acknowledge life’s unending rhythms. We learn to adapt and to move forward. Yet, this time, things feel different. 

Contending with the insistence of our need for protection by sheltering and isolating ourselves, we are also struggling with economic need as persons who have lost their incomes wrestle with the realities of feeding their families. We have more questions than answers as we face the tension of emerging from our homes and reopening our society while the grip of this pandemic endures. 

We long for predictability and assurance, but it is so hard to give up what we cannot control. There is sadness and anger and even despondency or denial for what has been taken—for those who have succumbed to this disease, for those whose livelihood has vanished, and for those who despair that the events of these past months will alter their lives forever.  

O God, our deepest longing is not for perfect autonomy, but for You—the true source of eternal life. We pray for patience and forgiveness for others and for ourselves. Help us to be aware of the many blessings that surround us, while acknowledging the cares we carry close to our hearts. For the good we receive from others comes as a conduit of Your gift to us for well‐being and wholeness. 

By the power of the Holy Spirit, let us summon the courage during these days to be honest and authentic. Let us know a willingness to be vulnerable and to embrace a living faith of depth and engagement. Let us be seen in our woundedness, just as Your Risen Son showed the disciples the wounds in His hands, side, and feet. 

All light leads to and is gathered in Your Son—and shared in grace and abundance and generosity to a world in need, a world so loved. 

For it is in Jesus’ holy and precious name we pray, Amen. 

Hearts On Fire

Emmaus was our final stop before returning home from the Holy Land. No one is absolutely sure of its location, but archaeologists have it narrowed down to a small area 6-7 miles west of Jerusalem. We had traveled over a week. Inspired and exhausted we found ourselves listening to a story in the book of Luke about the two who were walking along the road to Emmaus from Jerusalem, discussing all that had taken place  - Passover, Crucifixion, and now the talk of Jesus' body missing. Broken-hearted, they wondered what it all meant as they traveled home.

Jesus (unrecognized by the two) comes along and begins a conversation that really sends them over the edge.  He acts like he knows nothing of what they have been discussing and they are amazed when he asks them to explain. They proceed to tell him about how they had hoped he was the Messiah. Jesus then begins to teach them. As they get closer to home, the travelers beg Jesus to come home with them. As they sit to dine, Jesus blesses the food and "their eyes are opened". They recognize it is the risen Jesus and at that moment, he disappears.

What!

Just when they realize it's Jesus, he vanishes. It must have broken their hearts, discovering they did not recognize him.. looking back at their time, scripture says their hearts "burned" as they were talking to him.

Think about it. Caught up in their sadness, thinking about the events of their day, meeting this person who stays with them and teaches them, comes home with them, breaks bread with them, and then poof - he's gone. Oh, if only they had known.....

Looking back to that day in Emmaus, I think I know why many of us had tears in our eyes as we finished that story.There we stood, 2000+ years later and our hearts were "burning" as well. Maybe we thought about the times we too had experienced the Holy One but only to realize it later. We missed our time with Jesus because we were focused on the news of the day.

In her beautiful book The Hidden Life Awakened, Betty Skinner explains why the teaching of Jesus might make our hearts burn. She says, "Jesus is not primarily a teacher of information or morals. His teachings go much deeper than that. He is a teacher of a way or a path that leads to change and transformation and a new heart brought about by a surrendered life deeply centered in God. Jesus challenges us to abandon the wide, easy path of conventional wisdom and embark on the long, difficult, and narrow path of divine wisdom that leads those of us who choose to follow away from temporal values centered in ourselves toward eternal values centered in God. He is always lovingly and compassionately inviting His followers to a different way of seeing and living."

Today it is still hard for us to recognize Christ as he walks along with us. We don't  recognize him because we are focused on all the worldly things that seem so important.

 But if we look closely as this deadly health crisis continues, we see God's light shining so generously all around us. As I watch a glimpse of the news, tears come to my eyes - just a culmination of all the pain and sorrow and struggle and loss and wondering how is this going to get better? And then, out of nowhere, I get a glimpse of the Holy. Maybe my heart burns a little. But it is a training process to watch for the presence of Christ in our lives and on the news. We have to seek it. Look for it. Allow nature to fill us with wonder. Listen for the gentle words, the kind spirits, the soft eyes, and always, always look for the light.

"I am the light of the world. whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12

On Writing The Personal Note

She's writing more notes these days. She has always written lots of notes, but sheltering has given her more time to put her thoughts into words as she encourages others.

I mean who doesn't like to reach in the mailbox and pull out a hand-written note? Whether it's a thank-you, a get-well wish, or a seasonal celebration, the hand-written note is always special. But the one letter that is often hard to write for all of us is the letter of condolence.

This note takes more time and thought so we put it off. 

It takes compassion and courage so we back away. 

We simply do not know what to say so we don’t say anything.

And the weeks go by and we begin to feel guilty and the note goes unwritten. 

And we feel ashamed .

This morning I sat down and composed a letter to a friend who recently lost her husband. While I have not had that experience, I know loss. I wanted my words to convey an understanding, yet an acknowledgement of respect for her grief.  I wanted her to know some of my memories of her loved one and what I prayed for her. I felt comfortable in sharing a bit of my own loss, but only as it could relate to hers. I had to think hard about that – you know, to not make it about me. I had to say those simple words, “I am sorry for your loss.”

Maybe you have found yourself floundering for the right words to say in a time of loss. But finding the right words does not mean using too many words. Sometimes less is more when sincerity and thought are utilized.  Spend some time  with your heart, thinking about what you really want to say. 

Here are a few suggestions for writing that letter.

1.       Be prompt in your writing, but also remember that often a note written months later can be timely for the recipient. I often receive notes that could not be better timed. When you feel the nudge, get to work.

2.       Use the name of the person often. The receiver appreciates hearing the name of their loved one. Recall something you shared together. Create a memory. Make them smile through your words.

3.       Never refer to yourself as it relates to their experience. This is not about you. For example, do not say, “I just cannot imagine what you are going through” or “I don’t see how you can go through this” or “I know you are stronger in your faith than me.”

4.       Never give advice unless you are asked and then be very careful with your answers.

5.       Only offer scriptures and religious quotes that mean a great deal to YOU. Maybe it is something you found meaningful or you memorized. Please….save the sermons for church. 

6.       A card is often the most appropriate choice with a personalized sentence or two. Don’t feel you must always write a letter.  And keep some generic sympathy cards on hand.

7.       Remembering an anniversary is very special. It doesn’t have to arrive on the actual date, but receiving a note that says, “I know this month brings many memories. I am thinking of you” is a reminder to that person that others do remember and care.

We have this writing opportunity laid before us more often than we would like.  Today is the perfect day to sit down and write a letter to someone. There are people you know who would benefit from getting a note from you. Who are they? The question becomes, “Will we take the challenge and respond to those around us who need an encouraging word? Will we take the time to search our own souls to find the compassion and courage it takes to reach out? Can we pause long enough to discover who we are, unmasking our own feelings and  fears? We must learn to understand our own hearts and then reaching out becomes a natural overflow. 

And the words come.

 1 Thessalonians 5:11 "Encourage each other and build each other up."