God, I am Yours and You are Mine

I found this on youtube and a "share" option was provided, and so I share it here:

  

Matt Maher is one of my favorites for worship music. I listen to his music often.

Let this song be my prayer this evening. Jesus, be the Lord of my life!

How Am I Going To Get Through This?

All of us face situations at one time or another and we ask ourselves, "How am I ever going to get through this?"

Maybe it's the loss of someone we love, or it could be a diagnosis of a really serious illness. It could be any challenging, difficult time we are living through. "Am I going to make it? How will I make it?"

Just this morning I saw a video posted by Matt Maher (who happens to be one of my favorite musicians) who raises these questions and he offers his response. (The video is a trailer of what is coming.)

Nightebirde - Look Lower

Nightebirde, Jane Marczewski, is famously known for her amazing performance on "America's Got Talent" TV show. She wowed the audience and the judges with her music and her presence. She left the show while battling stage 4 cancer and, just a few days ago, passed into her new eternal life.

Her reflections on life and her quotes are striking. One of them about her experience with God is: "If you can't see him, look lower. God is on the bathroom floor."  This is from Nightbirde's blog, dated March 9, 2021.

We tend to think that we need to reach up to God, and He seems so very far beyond us. Nightebirde found Him by going lower. She found Him when she was at her very lowest.

When was I at my lowest?? For me it was also with a cancer diagnosis. Was God there?

I remember the feelings of shock and disbelief. "This can't be happening. What will the future be like?" and imagining the worst. I felt trapped with no way out. I went into my closet and sobbed. I cried out to God.

Soon afterwards I came across Psalm 84:6 that I read: "They shall go through the Bitter Valley and make it a place of springs." What I was going through was my bitter valley, and I became determined to make it a "place of springs."

I knew that at my lowest point, I was not abandoned. There was a way out.

What are the low points in my life today? Someone once said that God can be found in the midst of our problems. "Here's the situation, Lord. What can we do about it?" Listen for His answer.

"Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there. If I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will hold me fast. If I say, 'Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,' even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day..." Psalm 139: 7-12.

Mercy, Peace, and Love be Yours

Here's a favorite photo of a favorite place, the shores of Lake Champlain in St. Albans, Vermont. Having grown up near Lake Michigan, I always feel most at home near a lake. I am grateful that Lake Champlain is just a short drive away.

Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you. 2 Thessalonians 3:16

Mercy, peace, and love be yours in abundance. Jude 1:2

Who Do You Trust?

Today I opened a new book written by my friend Mark, My Questions God Answers. Chapter 1, page 1: "Is God Safe? Can I Trust Him?"

I paused to reflect. Was there ever a time when I trusted someone and that person betrayed my trust? Have I ever been let down by someone? How did that affect our relationship? Have I ever been disappointed by an organization or institution that I was part of? Have I ever felt disillusioned by the church? By church leaders?

Who is it I trust the most? What is the difference this makes in my life? Who is the first person I ever trusted? 

For me the first person was my Dad. He took me by the hand and led me out into the world. The "world" was the barber shop where he got his hair cut and winked at me from the chair. It was the bakery where he let me pick out any cookie I'd want (a sugar cookie!). It was the restaurant where we'd meet my mom who was a waitress and short order cook. I'd go anywhere with him.

Back to Mark's book. Is God safe? Can I trust Him?

The only way to really know is to give Him the opportunity to demonstrate how trustworthy He is.

Just as I trusted my Dad when I placed my hand in his, I will trust even more for Father-God to lead me. And so I begin again to lean on Him. Maybe a place to start is to let Him know (well, He already knows, but I need to tell Him) about the times I've felt disappointed, betrayed, disillusioned. What will happen when I bring to Him the hurts I've experienced, even things I wouldn't want to share with anyone else? Can I trust Him to "catch" me when I "let go?" What will happen? What difference could this make? I can only know when I dare to try.

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord,
'plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you a hope and a future.'" Jeremiah 29:11

Lesson from a Lemon

I bought a large bag of lemons. I was attracted by their bright lemony yellow color. When I came home, I looked up lemon recipes. I found one for a lemon cake.

The recipe called for grating, then juicing the lemon. So I am vigorously grating away and saying to myself, "Poor lemon." That's a lot of abrasive action against that beautiful peel! Then I sliced it and pressed it against the juicer. I noticed the wonderful lemon aroma. I then added the zest and the juice to the other ingredients for the cake.

There's a lesson here, I'm thinking. Even from a lemon. To be useful for the recipe, it had to undergo change. The outer layer was scraped off for the zest and it was pressed for the juice.

There are experiences that I come up against that are grating, abrasive. When I am in the midst of these situations, there is no avoiding them. They are unpleasant. But these are the situations that can release beneficial inner qualities, like forgiveness, kindness, generosity, perseverance, etc. Like the lemon that undergoes change to fulfill a purpose, I also can fulfill a rightful purpose in trying circumstances. Hopefully, abrasive situations will bring out the best in me.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking. It is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7

Let's eat cake!

Cool Running

I'll admit it - I've been a "couch potato" for the last few months. Blame Covid, blame the cold weather. I haven't been to the gym. I haven't been running outside. And I've been feeling sluggish.

Yesterday was a brilliantly sunny day. The temperature was 38 degrees. (That's above freezing, right?) So I dug into my closet to find my sneakers and layers of clothing I could wear. (I wanted to be warm, but still look the part of "a runner.")

I started with a brisk walk from our house and headed toward the rec path. I decided no goals. No time, no distance, no pace, no intervals. I'd be out here just to have fun. I brought my phone camera with me.

Once I started jogging, it was even better than I had expected. Sure, I'm out of shape, but I was doing it. Honestly, it was exhilarating. I recalled the many times I've been out here in warmer weather - yes, even in hot weather. This felt refreshing, although challenging. I watched my step so as not to slip on ice. Even though above freezing, the air was bracing.

I stopped to take photos. I loved seeing the blue tones of the shadows on the whiteness of the snow. I loved seeing the paw prints of dogs and of other animals I could not identify. I loved looking up and seeing the patterns of the white clouds in the blue sky. I truly loved being in a familiar place that did not look as familiar. And I loved greeting people I passed along the way.

 

I don't think I will ever become a cold weather runner, but when the day invites me, I will do it again. I'll not put off the opportunity. Covid and cold weather shall no longer be my excuses.  

Frost and chill, bless the Lord; 

praise and exalt him above all forever.

Daniel 3:69 (New American Bible)

"Are you coming with me?"

When I take our dog for a walk, she often likes to pause and sniff her surroundings, or she likes to walk slowly when I want to pick up the pace. I turn around and say to her, "Are you coming?" and I might give a gentle tug on the leash to keep her moving.

I thought about this as I was reflecting on what it means to follow the Lord. Ideally, I want to be right behind Him. However, sometimes I am distracted by my surroundings, or I am off on tangents that I have to admit are a waste of time. Or sometimes I procrastinate and the moment passes (like the phone call I neglected to make to a friend, and later learning that he had recently died). In these situations, I can envision the Lord turning around and saying to me, "Are you coming?"

So I look up to Him. At times He is so far ahead that I can hardly see Him. With just a desire, I again can be following closely in His footsteps as He makes a way for me where I've never been before.

Or is He the one who comes back to me, exactly where I am, to continue our walk?

If I don't follow Jesus, I have no idea what my destination is or how to get there. If I'm lost, He is the one who finds me. He calls me out of my distractions. "Are you coming?" 

And for this I give thanks.

The Best Gift of All

My cousin posted a photo yesterday of her son about to open a present he received for his 7th birthday. I felt somewhat mesmerized by that photo. The present was large and it was just about to be opened. The little boy's eyes were wide with anticipation. What would be inside the box under all that wrapping? What was the gift chosen specially for him?

I imagined his parents intently watching him open this present. How would he like it? What joy would be his - would be theirs - when he saw what was inside!

I began to wonder about the very best gifts I have ever received, the ones for which I am still grateful. Mostly, they were the ones that were unexpected:

- The warm homemade cinnamon rolls our neighbor brought over when I was exhausted from cleaning up our flooded basement;

- The silly pear-shaped toy our daughter sent me when I was undergoing chemo;

- The cup of hot coffee and chocolate chip cookies the nurse brought me when I was receiving yet another infusion.

These were simple gifts that came to me when I felt at a low point, and they truly lifted my spirits. Joy! With these simple gifts I felt loved and cared for.

"No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us." 1 John 4:12.

God is the best gift we can ever receive.

The Real Me

I picked up a used jigsaw puzzle. It looks like new. The picture on the box is attractive and I thought I'd like to spend some time relaxing and putting this puzzle together.

When I opened it, I was actually shocked to see that the pieces in the box in no way matched the picture. "This can't be," I thought. Did someone do this deliberately? Or did they put the puzzle pieces in the box and mistakenly put the wrong cover on it? This puzzle is not what it seems to be. I was disappointed.

When I read Proverbs this morning, verse 13 of chapter 14 jumped out at me: "Even in laughter the heart may be sad..." I thought about people who seem to be so very happy and accomplished, who seem to have everything going for them, but they may have an inner sadness that they do not show.

People tend to think - I tend to think, "If people really knew me, would they accept me as I am?" 

I thought again about the puzzle and whether there might be a lesson here. When do I pretend to be someone I am not? Am I authentic? By my actions and demeanor, do I show people who I really am? Or do I try to project a false image of myself, of what I would want people to think of me?

It is a liberating, healing experience when we are loved and accepted exactly as we are. It's like the puzzle pieces of our life that we feel don't belong, come together and are truly appreciated and valued.

I pray for the trust to be vulnerable and to let my guard down, to be an authentic me. And may I be trustworthy to allow others to do the same. No pretenses. No false images. Just to live and walk in truth in the image of our Creator God. (Genesis 1:27)