Week 45: Hanging In There!

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.  And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2-4)

Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the

crown of life 

which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. (James 1:12)

This captivating photo intrigues me.  How can such a huge tree survive and grow with all those exposed roots simply hanging there and stretched across a vast cavern?  Branches sprawl out like so many bony fingers grasping for life along the beach cliff.  It's twisted trunk mimics the human body in the throes of a long jump. Indeed it's been shaped and redesigned by its environment.  Redesigned by hardship - wind, rain, earth - yet . . .

I'm struck with the sheer raw beauty of this tree - so vulnerable, yet stronger than most to survive the harsh reality of its environment.  Survival . . . erosion . . . triumph over adversity.

I'd like to think that we can all endure, persevere like this beautiful tree.  Fraught with struggles, people and circumstances trying to thwart our progress, our purpose, our hope, our families, our very souls - too many times I feel like giving in or giving up.  Yet . . . this tree clings to life, even seeks life out and goes beyond reason and science to make a way. Am I making a way when there seems to be no way?

Strong roots yield a spectacular crown of life . . . lush greenery, vibrant life, an example to all to persevere, to cling to hope, to strive for joy!

Never give up.  Life is fragile.  Joy is constant.

The crown of life is promised to those who love Him and persevere.

Lest I Forget . . .

When I lose my way . . .

It's so easy to lose your way.  The darkness and night can be overwhelming sometimes. Distractions overcome.  It could be a stumble down a rocky path or a misstep, perhaps even someone who throws us off our true path--a foe, a friend or even a family member.  But many times, I'm my own worst enemy - forgetting who I am and who I belong to.  Have you ever experienced that?

I've heard this Jason Gray song over and over again on the radio and it just blended into the background noise of my car grinding down the road.  Then, all of a sudden this week, I heard something new - something meant for me.  Maybe meant for you, too?

Simple words -- deep meanings.
Powerful words -- powerful meaning.

In the mirror all I see is who I don't wanna be - Remind me who I am.
In the loneliest places - when I can't remember what grace is . . 
When I can't receive Your love - afraid I'll never be enough - Remind me who I am
When my heart is like a stone, and I'm running far from home - Remind me who I am

If I'm Your beloved, can You help me believe it

I needed a reminder - a way back - an encouragement.
'
In our feebleness, I don't think we want to be thought of as "beloved."  It's almost "too" good. Insecurities grip our hearts and make us think we don't deserve to be found; don't deserve the love. Yes, we don't deserve even grace.  Dare we hope for something so precious, so dear?

If I'm Your beloved, can You help me believe it.
Tell me, once again who I am to You, who I am to You 
Tell me, lest I forget Who I am to You, that I belong to You, to You


Thanks Jason Gray for this wonderful reminder.  Lest I forget . . .

52 Weeks of Writing--A Challenge for 2014

Looking Forward~

Around the first of every year, I think every pastor or priest I've ever known feels obligated to challenge his flock to set goals, to look at life in a new way, to start afresh for the coming annum. To make plans and keep them. Those sermons never cease to surprise me. While you'd think, who could ever say something new? How could I be challenged once again? What could I possibly learn? Yet . . .

Every year, I seem to hear life from a new perspective. I collect courage and hope as new companions along the journey. This year, however, was even more surprising for something special was heralded from the pulpit--and it wasn't only Pastor Pat's soothing, familiar voice--it was the voice of a caring Father. A Father who wanted me to know that what I had been hearing in my head for months on end was indeed His voice.

"O taste and see that the Lord is good . . . " - a simple phrase reverberating in my head and heart for oh so very long. But, what does it mean?

As usual with God's word, there are a multitude of meanings behind and within. Sometimes my mind wants to explode--wondering, analyzing. God's word is the breath of heaven--it breathes and heaves and declares and commands. Yet . . . all I need do is listen and rest and (that awful word) wait. Seems I've been doing a lot of that lately (years now actually).

So I'm sure you're wondering now, what did I take away from that December 29, 2013 sermon. Well, before the sermon even really started in earnest, here is what I wrote:

52 weeks of writings

Taste and see that the Lord is good

What verse did Pastor Pat share several minutes into his sermon? Yep, you guessed it: Psalms 34:8 O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.

Personally, I don't like New Year's resolutions. They are trite, full of themselves, and under normal circumstances highly unattainable. Oh, and did I mention frustrating and downright demeaning?

Now that I've gotten that out of my system, I believe it's time to succumb to the triteness and get on with something that really matters. Writing. At least that's what matters to me and I believe deep down it's what matters to God because it is His gift behind and within. As Pastor Pat said, "we cannot change ourselves; only God can change us to the degree that we are willing to submit to Him." What will you do with your gift? Will you submit or succumb? Taste and see . . .

The Heartbeat of a Savior

"There was reclining on Jesus' breast one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved." (John 13:23, NASB)

Life right now has been overly challenging for our family. Many stresses and obstacles have obstructed our paths and even threatened our vision, our focus as well.

As I reflected today on these challenges, God brought to my mind the image of the apostle John reclining on Jesus' breast during the Last Supper. Several years ago, I read some teachings on this short little verse that opened my eyes to a great many truths. And, thankfully those truths refreshed me and gave me courage once more.

First of all - a few words about John. He refers to himself as "Beloved" or "the one whom Jesus loved." Strong words indeed to indicate a very close, intimate relationship - none of the other apostles are referred to with such tenderness. He wasn't afraid to admit his closeness with His Lord, His Savior.

We are told that he was probably the youngest of Jesus' disciples and he lived the longest of all - dying on Patmos after God granted him the visionary book of Revelation. Just imagine--

* a young boy who witnessed first-hand the life, miracles, and death of the Son of God

* a young man whom Jesus gave over the care for his earthly mother Mary,

* an older man who wrote, under the power of the Holy Spirit, the most readable, yet profound gospel in the New Testament

* and, finally, an elderly man whose lasting legacy is the most complex of all Biblical texts--Revelation.

What shaped this apostle's life into the powerful man of God we know today? What made the difference in his life? Mark 3:13 reads, "And He went up to the mountain and summoned those whom He Himself wanted, and they came to Him." The twelve were chosen, each one for a reason and because Jesus Himself wanted them. However, I still find it fascinating that we don't have a book of Andrew or Philip or Bartholomew or Thomas; not Thaddaeus or Simon either. And, certainly not Judas - though his purpose was just as deliberate as the rest. While He chose them all, only a select few developed as leaders within the early Church.

I would like to think that John thrived and His ministry and legacy grew out of his intimate relationship with Jesus. He leaned backed upon Jesus' breast and listened to His heartbeat. That simple image always stops me in my tracks--Is that where I am right now? Listening to, leaning upon, learning from a God who actually wants me as a friend.

While Jesus is not with us in bodily form today, His Spirit lives in the hearts of every believer. And, the words of His mouth and the meditations of His heart lie within the pages of the Spirit-breathed Scriptures He left to us. As such, I can still hear His heartbeat--it's a privilege He has bestowed, an honor He gives me to be His child and rest in His heart.

Most importantly, to deny those precious gifts He lavished upon us (the gift of friendship & love, the gift of His word, indeed His very heart) is to deny Him.

Are you taking time to listen to His heartbeat today?

SPECIAL NOTE: The two images I've included are scans of two Catholic holy cards from my collection. As you can imagine, this particular theme is of particular interest to me and I have several cards depicting the scene from the Last Supper. The first card is written in French--(loose translation is "Lord, you are sweet nourishment for the soul and the one from whom we receive dignity and will have a part of the heritage of His eternal glory."). The second card reads: "It is there, alone with Jesus Christ that the soul tastes the full sweetness of the Holy Eucharist (P. de Ravignon)." While the word "Eucharist" is the term for Communion or The Lord's Supper in the Catholic tradition, I only just learned that the word "Eucharist" is a Greek word meaning "thanksgiving."

The Wee Hours

Are you a night owl or a night predator, prowling the moon-lit nights seeking prey? Or, are you at the opposite of the light spectrum and are a child of the morning light? Are you one of those people whose internal clock is set to pre-dawn timing so you can watch the Eastern sky stretch open its eyelids to greet the pink glow of another day?

Lately, I've been a bit of both worlds - attempting to stretch myself way beyond the limits of healthy non-sleep habits. What's gotten into me - you wonder? Well, it's a combination of many things - taxes, commitments, and striving to make more money on eBay because no matter how hard I try I still don't have enough money each month to pay necessities (groceries, gas, little things like electric bills, etc.). I also enjoy the "thrill" of the scavenger hunt through my house looking for valuables to sell, and then when they do sell - it's quite a joy to see them go out the door, sometimes to far off places like Poland and Taiwan or Canada.

It also means it's just one less thing for me to dust, one less thing to worry about and one less chain about my neck. I'm sure there's many out there who wouldn't share my twisted thinking on this issue. But when it comes to providing for my family, paying my bills, etc. - I'd much rather sell from my excess than go without the necessities. And who needs all the clutter anyway?

This whole process continues to be a lesson in simplicity, in finding grace in the midst of turmoil. It's actually a joy to rid myself of so many "things" that have had the tendency to weigh me down, to distract me from the eternal.

Actually, I've learned to see this time in my life as a time of refining, a time of perfecting, a time to rejoice in drawing ever closer to who God is and to what ultimately He has in store for me. It's not all about me - it's all about Him, for Him, and because of Him

I challenge you too, each and every one of you, to check out your shelves, search through your closets and through those cluttered drawers. Discard the useless, the excess; refabricate the old and make it new. Not just in the material things stacking up, but in matters of the heart as well.

"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature. The old things passed away; behold new thing have come." (2 Corinthians 5:17)