Week Thirty - Hanging on Nothing

Do you ever wake up with an idea floating in your head? I do. I wake with vivid images and sometimes exciting prospects and ideas. It drives my husband crazy. Thankfully for him, I don't follow through with the majority of them. But the other day, I woke with a thought that I had to write down, and I wanted to share it today.

My mind's image was of this little planet we call Earth hanging on nothing - suspended in space with only the power of God keeping it in position. Then, I tried to imagine what would happen if the Law of Gravity lost its power. We would simply fall off!  Like those space programs, where the little astronaut falls out of the ship and goes floating across the galaxy, we would all be drifting aimlessly into the abyss of darkness or be fried by the heat of the sun. Who knows! I'm not adequately educated in space science, but my mind drew its own pictures.

As I allowed my imagination to entertain this quandary, another much wiser thought took control. Have you ever heard of laminin? Laminin is a cell adhesion molecule in our body. Like glue, it holds the membranes of our bodies together and has the shape of a cross. I don't think that is an accident of science, especially when it read Colossians 1:17, "And he is before all things, and by him all things consist." So Jesus was not only active in creation, but he is the one who holds all things together. And then I thought, Jesus is gravity!

He is gravity both in the sense of holding this universe together and in the idea of our being grounding, solid, and having our feet firmly planted in truth because He is the truth. So our Saviour is as secure as the fact that our bodies won't come unglued, and we won't randomly fall off this planet.

There is another scripture in Jeremiah 31:35, 36 which reads, "Thus saith the Lord, which giveth the sun for the light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; the Lord of hosts is his name: If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the Lord, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever." In other words, God's design for the sun, moon, and waters stands forever. It is unchangeable and fully reliable. That is how secure we can be in God.

And our faith, our wavering, puny faith, needs to be ground and glued to the fact of the reliability and consistency of our God. He will not let us fall apart. He holds us together. We can be firmly planted in that truth. Jesus is gravity both in the physical sense of holding the universe together and spiritually as a place in which we rest our faith.

This world doesn't hang on nothing; it hangs on God's power. It was spoken into existence by his word, which will endure to the end. And our lives aren't hanging on nothing either. We have an all-powerful, eternal God and Saviour lovingly and purposefully holding us together.

So today, don't fall apart. Instead, plant your feet firmly in the Saviour's love and let him hold you together!

Week Twenty-Nine - Treat Me Gently

Today, I'm enjoying time with special friends. You know the kind - the ones with whom you feel comfortable, the ones who allow you to be yourself as you draw strength from each other?

    Leslie Weatherhead said, "A true friend is one to whom you can tip out all of the contents of your heart, chaff and grain together, knowing that the gentlest hands will take and sift it, keep what is worth keeping, and with the breath of kindness, blow the rest away."

   I am challenged to think, "Am I that kind of friend? Do I allow people to tip out the contents of their hearts? Do my friends see me as a safe place to share burdens?

There is a short passage in James 3:17 that holds a little phrase, "easily intreated." Do you know what that means? It means easily drawn, sincere and open, approachable, and has the idea of compliance and diplomacy. The passage describes wisdom, but we can relate this easily to the qualities of a good friend. There are other characteristics here in James 3 that also translate into friendship, qualities like purity, peace, gentleness, mercy, and acceptance. So, what kind of friend are you when these definitions are applied?

Another question we might ask ourselves is, "When my friends share their hearts, can I tell the difference between windy words and words of meaning, or do I throw in my junk and create more drama? We all need that place to dump our stuff on the table and get some help sorting things out. Sometimes, just hearing our junk in words or looking at the mess is all we need. A good friend knows we will most usually find our way to the truth if they lend a listening ear.

Let me give you a word of warning here. When your friend comes to offload, they don't want to hear, "I told you so, or "Well, that happened to me too." They just want you to listen. If you jump on the bandwagon with them, you aren't helping them solve their problem; you become another weight for them to carry, and add fuel to the fire. So learn, learn, learn, to be a good listener.

That brings us to some other questions, "Am I gentle with my friends? Or judgmental? Am I considerate or harsh? Am I patient or eagerly waiting to tell my side of the story? I've known times when I have borne my heart to someone I considered a friend only to have them turn on me with words that didn't answer my quandary or added to my heaviness. My heart stopped as I realized I had poured my heart out to someone cold and calculating. They revelled in the morsels of my pain and offered no soothing balm. They were not a safe place. So let's be warned - don't be this type of friend. Keep your heart and lips from harsh, judging words and seek to be a safe place.

Ask yourself these questions. "Do my words have the aroma of kindness? Do my friends trust I will not injure them, even if I have to speak the truth in love? Do I bathe my words in prayer before they escape my lips?"

There's a fine line between speaking the truth in love and slicing someone with a spiteful knife. When your friend lays open their heart, they are making themselves vulnerable. They aren't sure you will understand, might not be confident they have explained themselves fully, and could even be harboring condemning guilt over a situation. They need your gentle hand - the gentlest touch - that will lovingly and carefully help them unravel their fears and find the way to truth. Or, as Leslie Weatherhead put it, "sift it, keep what is worth keeping, and with the breath of kindness, blow the rest away." Remember, they have placed the gift of confidence in you, and you, as their friend, have the utmost responsibility to not injure them but point them to hope in Christ.

We are all looking for a friend like this, and we cherish the ones who fill this bill. But the question for us today is, what type of friend am I?

Dear one, if you have been disappointed or let down, let me assure you there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. This friend will never disappoint, never misunderstand, and never deal harshly. Take your stuff to Him. Lay it all out on the table and watch Him gently breathe His love into your situation.

Week Twenty-Eight - The Good Hand of God

Last week, I asked you to join me in an unspoken prayer request. Thank you to the many who reached out and added it to your prayer time. I can now share what prompted my request. 

My oldest daughter had gone to the ear doctor due to significant hearing loss. This prompted the scheduling of an MRI on the Friday before the 4th of July. As they looked to see what might be causing her hearing problem, a small brain tumor was discovered. That moved her into the hands of a neurosurgeon, and an appointment was quickly made for the following Wednesday.

At the consultation, he explained that the tumor is not the cause of her hearing loss but must be addressed. It is not cancerous but requires treatment to prevent future problems. It is called a meningioma. She will need 2-4 treatments by radiation to reduce the tumor, and then, she will be regularly monitored.

This past Friday, she had a follow-up appointment with her ear doctor. He began rejoicing in the Lord for the timing and results of the MRI, the good surgeon she had been given, and the speed in which she was being seen. Her first treatment will be on July 22nd. He saw this as the hand of God protecting her and went on to explain, these types of tumors don't usually present themselves until someone has a seizure. Praise the Lord; it was caught before anything untoward happened. They will look more at her hearing loss after the procedure is completed with the brain tumor.

During my Bible reading a few weeks ago, a short phrase kept catching my attention, "the good hand of our God upon us. (Ezra 7:6, 9, 28, 8:18, 22, 31, and Nehemiah 2:8) I remember meditating on how God's hand had often appeared in my life, and when this current situation presented itself, I found great peace knowing God's hand of protection was around my daughter. He moved everything to the exact time and position for this tumor to be found. Only He can do that!

You know, answers to prayer do not always mean an immediate solution. Sometimes, God's plan means using a situation to point us upward or teach us to trust Him further. The resolution might involve a process, but His good hand takes us through. My daughter has a path ahead of her, but God will remain by her side, and so will all our prayers. Thank you.

I ask you to hold her up in prayer as she faces radiation, and please, continue praying for the lost ones around her. May they see the good hand of God actively at work, and may He draw them to Himself.

Week Twenty-Seven - Prayer Request

It's Tuesday evening, and tomorrow morning my blog should be ready. It isn't. I am staring at the computer, searching through files for ideas, and praying about what to write. Why? Well, sometimes it's hard to express all that is happening.  And sometimes, while you are waiting on the Lord, you must also wait before you share. So today, let me begin by asking for prayer - prayer for God's graciousness and mercy in an unspoken situation.

My husband and I are using Chris Tiegreen's devotional, At His Feet. A couple weeks ago, he wrote a group of devotions around the idea of "All Authority." Let me share with you what I learned.

We are children of "All Authority." "Whatever impresses us, frightens us, threatens us, embitters us, or thrills us - all that we can imagine and more - is under the reign of our Father." God has our back! Nothing we face is outside His authority. I don't know about you, but this fact helps me relax. When I receive bad news, when I anticipate an unknown outcome, I rest in the promise of His authority in my life and in the lives of those I love. There is no obstacle God cannot overcome. Of course, we will not pass through this life without trials, but knowing our Father cares and has authority gives us hope and assurance for the path.

We are partners with "All Authority." We are on the winning side. I like John 15:15, "Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you." I am a friend of God, a servant, a workman. I am not a pawn or a piece of a jigsaw. My life has a united purpose with God. He placed me here intentionally, and He did the same with you. None of us are mistakes; we are God's creation and, thereby, partners with Him. 

That takes me to Philippians 1:6, where I am assured that He began and will continue the work in my life, and Philippians 2:13, "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." Both verses teach me my value to God and assure me of His activity in my life. Do they do the same thing for you?

And finally, we are a part of the mission of "All Authority." "Our God is the God of the incomprehensibly huge and also the God of the infinitesimally small. In the vastness of creation, we begin to glimpse the height, depth, and breadth of the power of God, which, incredibly, is the same power that is working within us to conform us to His image. It is also the same power that sends us out to accomplish His agenda. And what is that agenda? He makes it plain: Make disciples of all people, baptizing them and teaching them. The highest goal of the God of the infinite and the infinitesimal is to be worshiped - everywhere. And though all creation testifies to His glory, there are places in this world where He is not even known."

Sometimes, we get so focused on who we are and what He can do for us that we forget why we are here! We have a sacred charge, and God wants us to be busy fulfilling it. So what is the goal of God? "Restoring the rebellious race back into the pure image of God." 

Mr. Tiegreen finishes by saying, "Do we want meaning in our lives? Here it is. Do we want to know we are in God's plan? This is it. Do we want to know power? This is the mission that has "all authority" behind it."

Dear friend, too often, we get distracted by the challenges, hurts, and complications around us. They take center stage, and we forget God's main purpose is winning souls, sharing His love, and furthering the Gospel. As His children, we get to partner with Him in this main purpose.

So, may I ask you to add one more thing to my unspoken prayer request? Pray others will come to Christ through this situation.

Week Twenty-Six - Your Choice

Have you ever been caught between a rock and a hard place? It's a tricky spot when both sides of the situation look too hard to handle, and there seems to be no easy way out, no simple solution, no happy outcome. These difficult decisions and challenging circumstances blind us as we struggle to see the way forward.

A friend shared this little blurb with me -

Marriage is hard, Divorce is hard. 

Choose your hard.
Obesity is hard, Being fit is hard. 

Choose your hard.
Being in debt is hard. Being financially disciplined is hard. 

Choose your hard.
Communication is hard. Not communicating is hard. 

Choose your hard.
Life will never be easy. It will always be hard. 

But we can choose our hard.

We'd have to agree, life can be hard. While we wish things were easy, they rarely are. As I thought about the idea of choosing my hard, I had to remind myself that anything of real value requires effort. A good marriage takes work. Staying fit and being disciplined in spending involves dedicated self-control. Working through misunderstandings means risk and swallowing our pride. The hardness of either side is equal. Both sides hold dangers and pitfalls, but our choices remain our own and determine the outcome and the reward. 

While I pondered on this, another challenge popped up. Instead of focusing on reaching specific goals, how would things change if you focused on how you worked toward those goals?

I got to feeling like the Lord was picking on me. I had just begun accepting hard choices as beneficial when he got more pointed. Let me see if I can explain. Around my computer screen are little notes. No, rather large notes, stating my goals and even to-do items that move me toward them. But I tend to be inconsistent. I brainstorm on paper, pin it up, feel good about the ideas, and then go play Candy Crush.

Instead of following through with the hard decisions that will move me forward, I daydream. I need to choose my hard and make a more concerted effort to do the things that will move me forward consistently. Otherwise, disappointment will haunt me, opportunities could be missed, and the blame would lay squarely on my shoulders.

That's quite a bit of honesty for me to put on paper, but I want you to know you are not the only one who struggles with self-motivation and discipline. What are we to do?

I came to this. God gives the increase, but he can't increase what I'm not putting out. So, if I move steadily forward, he multiplies my effort. My responsibility is faithfully taking the next step, making the next hard choice, doing what I know I should do, and leaving the rest to him.

And when it comes to my choices, wisdom dictates I first compare my hard to God's Word. There, I find strength, encouragement, and perseverance. My hard will not last forever. But if I make poor choices, I turn an already difficult situation into something seemingly impossible to bear. For me, I'd rather choose the hard that keeps me inside God's will and design. I feel too vulnerable stepping outside of that!

What hard choices are you facing? Are you making and acting upon wise choices that move you forward, or are you daydreaming? Take the advice of this little song and keep moving forward looking for God to increase your efforts.

One step at a time,
Only one step at a time.
That is the way the Lord will lead you,
One step at a time.

Take that one step carefully,
Walk that one step prayerfully.

That is the way to victory,

One step at a time.

Week Twenty-Five - Hurdles

One of my favorite track and field events is the hurdles. I love watching the precision and the piercing concentration of the runner's faces as they strain every muscle and clear each hurdle. The crashes can be painful to watch, but I still love the energy of this event.

In the hurdles of life, however, I don't like putting out that much effort. I prefer keeping my jumps low and manageable, so I can clear them with ease and proficiency. I enjoy a day focused on controllable goals and like to end the day happy and satisfied that I ran that day's race well. Recently, those days seem far and few between because I keep getting distracted.

A hurdler cannot afford distraction. Once they are in the air, the landing and the jump ahead must be their next focus. Mid-jump is not the time to look around, check out the opponent, or get self-confident because it takes concentrated effort to complete the race without tumbling.

Distractions are villains, stealing our time, effort, and progress. I've heard of all sorts of ways to keep them from their thievery. One way is to not turn on your internet until you have everything completed that does not require the internet. Imagine that! For me, that would mean getting dressed, making the bed, getting breakfast, and maybe even doing some housework before I picked up and turned on my phone. That sounds like a real challenge!

If you work from home, that will mean not turning on your computer until you are ready to start work and turning it completely off when your workday is finished.

Why keep the internet turned off? Because of all the pop-ups and notifications that distract you from your work. You know the drill. You start working on your lesson, doing your study, trying to get a project complete, and here comes the ping of a notification. Curiosity means you click to see, and before you know it, you have clicked and clicked and clicked. You have gotten so distracted you can't find your way back to what you were doing.

I think the enemy - that villain - wants us side-tracked. He knows if we focus, we accomplish things for God's glory. That defeats his whole purpose. He is the author of confusion and comes to destroy - even our progress. He wants us to stumble at every hurdle.

Another way to circumvent distraction is to work to a plan - have a list of things to accomplish. I have those floating all around my workstation. They help me think about what I should be doing and give me a sense of accomplishment when I strike them through or tick them as completed. Some lists are short-term - to be done today. Others are medium-term - to be done within a week to a set time frame. And others, that float and float, are the long-term ones. These keep me pointed toward the future; they shape the lesser goals.

This thought challenged me - What if instead of focusing on reaching goals, we focused on how we worked toward those goals?

Well, a hurdler knows that looking down the track and seeing the hurdles isn't enough. The secret is found in how well they train, the physical approach, the mental concentration, and the practice no one sees. Winning the race doesn't happen because they have a want to win. It is accomplished by setting out to win. Winning happens behind the scenes in the everyday choices and practices that create strength and endurance in the hurdler as he works toward his goal. It is the same for us.

So, I have to ask myself, and I challenge you to ask yourself, how well are we preparing for the race? Do we have focused practice, or do we get easily distracted? Are we stretching forth to higher goals or happy jumping puddles? Are the villains of distraction haunting us, or do we have a plan for limited them? Good intentions will not be enough. It's time to knuckle down and make daily choices with our eyes and hearts fixed on the next hurdle!

Week Twenty-Four - God Can Handle Your Overwhelm

I confess. I tend to be an over-thinker. I run every possible scenario as I try to solve problems and think through decisions. It can be overwhelming. I caught myself doing this early one morning and began praying, "Lord, I don't know how things will work out." And God calmly answered me, "Gail, that's okay. That's not your job."

Not my job? He is right. It isn't my job, and besides, I would never figure everything out anyway. I am limited. He is not.

My prayer changed to, "Well, Lord, then what is my job? What am I to do?" And again, he was ready with an answer. I grabbed my pencil and began jotting down my Father's instruction.

"Love me. Love me with all your heart, soul, and mind. And love others as well. Walk worthy, acceptable, and by faith. Enjoy the life I have given you. Do your job and leave the rest to me."

I got up that morning much lighter and less overwhelmed. Let me share a few verses that support my Father's answer and see if you can apply them to your overwhelm.

Some of the verses you probably know, like the first and second commandments. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." Matthew 22:37-39

Walking worthy is found in Ephesians 4:1. Living acceptably relates to Romans 12:1, "present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And to walk by faith brings Hebrews 11:6 to mind, "but without faith it is impossible to please him."

When I lose focus on life's perspective and get overwhelmed, I take myself to Ecclesiastes 5:18, "It is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him." This verse, and others that say the same, remind me that God wants me to enjoy life, to appreciate all he has provided, and to relax in his provision.

And the Lord's last instruction brought to mind my son's favorite verse, Micah 6:8. This verse sounds exactly like what the Lord said to me in the midst of my overwhelm. "What doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God."

You know, when we overthink and begin to succumb to the pressures around us, we aren't doing what the Lord requires. He requires so little compared to what we try to produce. He just wants us to love him, trust him by faith, and appreciate his provision. That's our job. We can trust him to do his. He can handle our overwhelm.