Loving well

We are seeing the beginnings of this prophecy:  "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be..."  These words are from 2 Timothy 3.  I didn't post it all because this is the most important thing to catch from it...the terrible times will come because of how people will act towards one another.  In difficult times when people are our problem be a person who loves like Jesus did.  Love them all!  Overcome their hate, anger, rage or whatever they are going through with simple love.  Just love them.  Then, when they relax a bit and know you really care you can talk about the problems they are struggling with.  Love is the balm that heals every wound.  Apply it liberally!

Variety

God loves variety.

In fact God invented variety!

He is a wonderful and creative God. He made colors, all of them, and he uses them in sunsets, trees, flowers, birds and animals. He loves color! And God is amazingly creative in the animals he made, giraffes with their long necks, lions with their manes, deers with their antlers, elephants with their trunks…the list is amazing and diverse. And he colored all of them as well! Look at his birds! WOW! The colors he used in making birds is way over the top. He is creative! He didn’t stop with nature or the animal kingdom, he extended his creativity to us. He made some of us tall, others short. Some with straight hair, some curly. He made redheads, blondes, brunettes and a combination of several more (I'm not sure where pink hair came from). He made some with big noses, others with small petite ones. Some have big feet and some cute little ones. Blue eyes, brown, hazel, gray...what an amazing creation. And some he gifts with athletic skills and some (like me) are clumsy. And He used his amazing colors with us as well. Some tan, brown, black, red, etc. All to show his creativity and his design. All of this, all of it, was done by God to celebrate and show off his glory. All of it to be celebrated as a way to worship an amazing God. So, how could we, why would we take just one part of his work of art and say it is less than, worse than, lower than any other? We are not insulting the man we discriminate against alone, we are insulting God who made him! How dare we criticize the artist for the glory of his work! But that’s what sinful men do. We have now become God’s art critic and the outcome is we judge his works of art as well. Whenever a baby is born, no matter the color, God smiles and says, “I made that! This one is special!” How dare we demean or destroy a work of God! We are called by the artist himself to love his work simply because he made it. We are never to be color blind, that’s not glorifying to God, but rather we are to celebrate the handiwork of God and love it because God made it. No matter what color it is. God loves variety….that’s why he made each of us and says, "love one another as I have loved you." And do you know...and this is important...that God sent one of the early deacons Philip on a special trip to share his love with just one black man on his way home to Ethiopia...One of the earliest converts to Christianity was a black man sought out by God. God loves his creation and he loves each one he made. And he invites us to imitate him...love one another!

What can the righteous do?

"If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?" 

Ps. 11:3

That is a great question!  It's the question asked by the author of this Psalm.  It's a question being asked in many ways today. What can we do?  How do we navigate these days in a way that honors God and helps rather than hurts those around us?  

Here's my short list of things we can do when the foundations are destroyed:

1. Pray.  We have a really BIG God who is sovereign over the affairs of men.  I'm sure he is interested in being part of your solution...why don't you ask him?

2. Don't fret.  In the midst of chaos and destruction we easily become fearful, fretful, worried, scared....add your own words, you know what I'm talking about.  Out of prayer should come on thing very clearly- peace.  It comes from trusting a big God with the worries of your life.  See Psalm 37, Mat. 11:28-30 and Phil. 4:6-7.

3. Love.  Look for ways to show love and compassion to those around you.  Really look for ways to love others.  The ways are everywhere if we would simply look.  John 13:34-35 and Eph. 5:1-2 come to mind.  In the midst of anger and fear a person who loves well will change the emotional environment around him.

4. Take a nap.  That sounds strange, doesn't it?  But remember when Jesus and the disciples got in the boat to go to the other side of the lake?  Jesus went in the back of the boat and fell asleep.  He trusted himself to God.  Trusting God looks strange in a storm but that's when. you most need him.  Prov. 3:5-6

5. Keep your "eyes" on Jesus.  Another storm story illustrates this.  The disciples in the boat, Jesus walking on the water, Peter asking if he can do it and he does.....but the text follows with these insightful words about Peter, "but seeing the wind he became afraid and beginning to sink he cried out...."  Did you see Peter's cause of fear?  He focused on the wind instead of the creator of the universe right in front of him!  Watching the wind will make you afraid.  Keeping your eyes on Jesus will give you peace.  The situation may be no different but you are.  No matter what, focus on Him!

What can we do when everything is crumbling around us?  Start with these and let's see what happens.

A God dependent system

It is interesting to me that God made a system totally dependent on him for what it needs. Every creature but man lives as if that were true. Somehow man thinks it depends on us. That's why we're fearful.

God has a plan

You and I have been placed where we are, when we are, to be who we are on purpose and by design as part of an eternal work of a sovereign loving God.  You were designed for these days!  Don't be fearful, be excited.  God knew what was coming and prepared you for it, designed you for it and equipped you for it.  It will be exciting to see what God does with us in the days ahead of us.

The truth is....

The truth is that life isn't about whch side you're on, which candidate you support, which views you hold on an issue but how you treat one another. Are you kind, do you see others as more important than youself? Do you yield at the light, open the door for an elderly person, say thank you, tip well, help those who are struggling, encourage those who are down? Life is not a competition to see who wins. If any of us lose we all lose. My favorite verse is hidden at the end of 1 Corinthians. It's verse 16:14- Do everything in love. That's it. Four words. And they sum up a life lived well. Don't live in fear, live boldly, love well and see those around you. If they don't finish well then neither do you.

The tragedy of abortion

I've been thinking about the abortion problem and it is tragic and terrible, but it's actually much worse than many describe. Not only have more than 60 million lives been taken but 10's of millions of mothers have willingly killed their babies and are living with the guilt of it. I can't imagine the weight of such a decision and the burden they carry for their choice every day. They desperately need our love and prayers.

God's amazing provision

I have been reflecting on life. 

I'm old enough that I get to do that. 

As I look back on my life I realize I have not been qualified for any of the jobs I have ever gotten. I was given positions I was not qualified for, should have never gotten, but God opened doors I never saw, provided for us in ways I never imagined and led in paths I never knew were there. And, as we have wandered through our days here I realize that although it looks like a series of accidental encounters they were all divine appointments. 

God had his fingers in everything. 

How could I ever worry again as I look back and see God involved in everything that has ever happened? When he says, "My grace is sufficient..." he means so much more than we could ever imagine.

Fear and anxiety

Fear and anxiety linger at the fringes of our lives waiting for the opportunity to overwhelm us. These emotions are constant reminders of how thin and fragile our faith in God really is. I think this is why God has to constantly remind us, "Do not be afraid!" Why? Because there is a God who is fully in control of the events of our lives. He has never lost control. Everything that comes to us has to pass through his hands.

The most important thing....

The most important thing you will ever do is know and love Jesus, the Christ. There is no choice more important than this one.  Many will choose something else or someone else to know and love but in the end anything you choose instead of Jesus will leave you with eternal regrets for your choice.

A ways away and a while ago

This morning our pastor worked through a passage in Joshua 3. It was a great message on God's leading, our obedience and how we can walk with him in faith. As he worked through the passage it was clear that the miracle they experienced had happened "a ways away and a while ago." In other words the miracle had happened hours or days before and they became aware of it when the results of the miracle became visible to them. How often do we see something God has been working on for a long time? It's been in the works and only now revealed....in fact most of his works are like that...a miracle for us, but a work of God done before we ever saw it. Just because you don't see the results of your faith and God's promises doesn't mean anything, just wait....he's working....it probably happened a ways away and a while ago and is just now getting to your need. Are you aware God's timing is always perfect? You will see his love revealed in time in history....just wait.

Worship or Whine?

Each of us go through trials, tribulations and heartaches in our lives. It's unavoidable, it's part of being human. Our response will be to worship or whine, to praise and trust God or complain about the things that have happened. Our response will depend on our view of God and his role in our lives. Do we see him involved, caring, directing and working or do we believe we are completely on our own. Whether we worship or whine will depend on our view of God and his work in our lives.

Thoughts on a new year

Your value in the new year is not based on who you are, what you resolve to do or not do, how much money you make, how famous you become or where you travel. Your value has been set by God and his love says you are of infinite worth to him. So, in the new year resolve only two things- 1. Love God with all that is in you, and 2. Love others as God loves you. If you do just these 2 things your year will be amazing!

Now what?

Wow,  I have simply gotten so busy I've forgotten about my writing.  It has been weeks since I have had time to sit down, think about where I am, what I'm doing and write something.  That's no excuse, just reality.  

Blogging and writing has been part of my life for almost 20 years and yet, in recent days, I find the ink well dry, the thoughts rancid and inspiration gone.  I would love to have it all back and write once more, but for now I find I'm as blank as most of the pages I try to write something on.  Perhaps soon the inspiration will return, but for now....

She laughed!

She has Alzheimer's.  She hasn't spoken or interacted with another human for as long as I've known her.  She sleeps all the time! 

But I discovered from her daughter that she is a Christian, loved studying the bible and had a passion for singing.  She loved the old hymns.

She lives in a facility I visit weekly.  I spend time with this sweet lady every time I am there.  This week I arrived as the facility sang hymns in the great room with the patients.  

My friend was there, asleep in her chair, as usual.  I sat with her and told her, "let's sing along!"  And I did!  No one would want to hear me sing, but I knew she wouldn't complain.  As each hymn concluded I spoke to my friend about our hope, about the great day when there will be "no more crying, tears or sorrow."  

At the end of one song that spoke of the great day when Christ will return I told my friend,  "won't it be wonderful when we have our new bodies, no more pain, no sorrow, we can run and jump and dance together!  Won't that be glorious? I can't wait."  

And she laughed!  SHE LAUGHED!!

I couldn't believe it, but I knew what she laughed about.  She was thinking of that great day too.  The day when we will see Jesus.

Having a hope is a wonderful thing, but it's even more glorious when the transformation will be as grand as the one my friend will experience.  I can't wait for the day when I see her running and leaping and praising God.  On that day I will laugh with her.