Loving the Weak

Greetings, Dear Friends!

And to those visiting I say welcome! I post every Wednesday and my purpose is to encourage you and to nourish your soul.

The other day my son Jordan came home with a stray pet. He found this dog jutting in and out of traffic, almost getting hit over and over again.

The scraggly dog had no collar, no identification. Jordan took the dog to the Humane Society only to find a "Closed" sign on the door.

He walked in the door with Scruffy in his arms and tenderness in his eyes. "Can we take care of her tonight, mom? I'll bring her to the Humane Society tomorrow."

Of course I said yes but I must admit something to you.

I'm not really an animal person. I wish I was though because it seems like such a nice thing to be. Unfortunately my over-developed sense of smell and my selfish desire for personal comfort are not conducive to having pets around - not to mention smelly, old, scraggly pets like the one Jordan brought home.

Within twenty-four hours of having this visitor invade my home, God invaded my heart once more with a fresh revelation of Himself.

Scruffy, or "Bubs" as Jordan called her seemed to be a victim of abuse. Every time I reached out to pet her, she jerked back and hovered lower to the ground appearing very afraid or ashamed. She rarely barked because she didn't seem to have the energy for it.

When she climbed the stairs her legs shook. I think she has arthritis.

When I pet her I felt sorry for her because she has coarse hair and smelly breath.

I found myself falling in love with this weak, old, smelly, sweet dog.

Yesterday morning I sat out on my deck with my Bible, my journal, and Bubs at my feet. I read about my Jesus and His radical love for the messy and the wounded. I looked down at the messy wounded animal sitting at my feet and I was instantly convicted and humbled. Ole' Bubs confronted and exposed the smallness of my heart and my low capacity for love.

I reached down to scratch her behind her ear and she scooted a little closer to me. But just a little. Trust comes slowly, I know. As silly as it sounds, I saw myself in my newfound friend. I'm more aware of my needs because of her.

I need more of Christ's love for the least of these, the marginalized, the weak, the smelly, the shakey, and the abandoned. I need to be less protective of my comforts and more protective of those whom Jesus came to save.

I understand on a deeper level that it's not enough for me to go on the occasional mission trip and to send regular money to ministries that tend to the poor and the needy.

Reaching outside of my comfort zone to the least-of-these must be a way of life for me; just as it was (and is) for Jesus.

As I stared down at this lonely old dog, I realized how selective I am with my personal space. God forgive me!

Scruffy made me aware of something else about myself...

I also need more of Christ's love in me, for me. I have areas in my own life where I shrink back in fear, where I'm slow to trust, and I have low places in my character that release more of an odor than the fragrance of Christ. I need to love me like He loves me.

We all have those hurt places in our lives. But since we're addicted to the approval and acceptance of others, we cover up our weak areas with great clothes, good jobs, and influential associations.

We need Jesus' eyes and His ears and His hands if we are going to be His messengers. We need to know and rely on His love for us if we have any hopes of giving it away.

Jesus confronts our humanity so that He might make us more divine. When we respond to His love rather than react to our own weakness, we will be transformed.

We love because He first loved us. And as our capacity for love increases, so does the Kingdom in our midst. We will become more like Him.

Instead of trying hard to love the weak, we will see the treasure of God's Kingdom in their midst and we will love out of instinct rather than duty.

Lord, God, make me more like You! Burden my heart with what burdens Yours! Forgive me for all of the times I have missed the opportunity to be Your hands and feet. Help me not be afraid to admit my need for You. Fill me with a profound love for the hungry, the weak, and the sick. May I follow in humility Your humble example of love and kindness and mercy. Make me more like You, Lord. I need You every hour. Amen.

Our Shelter...

Greetings, Dear Friends!

A special welcome to my visitors! I post every Wednesday and my purpose is to nourish your soul along the way.

Well, I did it again. I missed my post yesterday, but I have an excuse! Yesterday was the 4th of July as you know, and it didn't even occur to me to post. For some reason the blogosphere wasn't even on my radar.

Today is a new day and what I have to share with you feels especially important.

For the past week or so, the Lord has drawn me to Psalm 91 on a daily basis. Every morning I've been reading the whole chapter aloud. And every morning, I take one verse from that chapter and I ponder its meaning. I want my own ears to hear the promises and the contingencies that go along with those promises. I want a close up look at each verse in this wonderful passage of Scripture.

In this day of unrest and amidst the continual threats from the terrorists I've been feeling compelled to taste and smell and know Psalm 91 inside and out.

I ask you to know the same thing.

Take time to understand how to position yourself before the Lord so that if and when the threats and plagues come near you, they will not touch you. Know how to stand without fear. Know what it means to stand strong because of faith.

Let's look at the first part of the first verse in this chapter.

It's packed with meaning...

The first part of verse one says, "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High..."

To go to a shelter means to place yourself under the care of the one who runs the shelter and thus to trust that you'll be protected. It means that you're willing to abide by the house rules and stay within the boundaries set for you.

To dwell in the shelter of the Most High is to place ourselves fully under His care; to abide by His rules, and to trust Him to protect us.

To dwell under His shelter is to stay within the boundaries He has set for us.

To abide actually means "to be held."

To live there means to entrust ourselves to His covering and care. Every. Single. Day.

It's significant that this verse is the building block upon which the the whole chapter rests. The chapter as a whole will fortify your soul because it is strong with the supernatural promise of protection.

When we abide by the "rules" of the house, we are also blessed by the benefits of belonging to Him.

You are safe in His care.

You don't want to have to scramble to find the rock when the ground shakes beneath you.

With verse one of this passage, God invites us with this plea, "Let me love you; let me care for and protect you. I will provide for you. I will cover you when trouble looms overhead. Live with Me and by Me each and every day and you will have all that you neeed. I came that you may have life. And not just life...life more abundantly."



Live there. Breathe there. Be there.

I'm on vacation next week, but will return with a post on July 18th...

Until then, my friends.

Peace to you~

God Heals!

Greetings, Dear Friends!

I can't wait to share with you today. My normal posting day is Wednesday but I was way under the weather yesterday. Even so, what I have to share with you today is way better than anything I could have posted yesterday.

As many of you know, my son Jordan injured his back some time ago. He is an active athlete and yet for six months he hasn't been able to lift his foot more than a foot off the ground. He had a terrible disc herniation which was pressing on three sets of nerves.

Jordan's girlfriend's mom (Carrie) was praying for Jordan one morning and sensed so strongly that Jordan would not only be healed, he would come back stronger, faster, and better than ever.

Carrie shared with me this amazing story:

Weeks ago, her husband Rich was taking care of some landscaping at a job site when a man limped up to him and said, "My name is Bob and I got my miracle today. God has completely healed me." Rich kindly extended his hand to Bob and said, "I believe you, Bob."

Week after week Bob greeted Rich with the same greeting and yet week after week, Bob's limp got worse. One day Bob rode up on a scooter because he could no longer walk, and yet with the same sure confidence and sweet countenance he smiled at Rich and said, "I got my miracle today. God has completely healed me." And to that Rich shook his hand and said, "I believe you, Bob."

The following week Bob was off the scooter and just limping. The week after that he was walking a little better. Each week, claiming his miracle. Then finally several weeks ago Bob came running to Rich, "Rich! I got my miracle today! God healed me!"

Rich enthusiastically replied, "I believe you, Bob! You're running!" Bob smiled huge and said, "And now, I'm going bowling!"

Carrie relayed this story and said, "Bob's injury was similar to Jordan's. How about if we just thank God by faith every day for Jordan's miracle?"

Jordan was on board. Every morning before he went out the door, he prayed, "I thank you God for being faithful to me and I thank you for my miracle."

Last night at youth group a young man gave a testimony from a recent mission trip. Prior to the trip he didn't believe that God still healed people today. But on the trip he prayed for someone and they were healed!

As Jordan listened to this story he felt an inner urge to get prayer from this young guy. At the end of the service he pressed through the crowds, found the guy, and asked him for prayer. As Jordan was being prayed for, his back heated up.

When the prayer was over he went outside and "tested it out." He moved this way and that. No pain. He took off jogging and then went into a full run! No pain!

He ran back into the sanctuary crying and told people he was healed.

Last night he burst into our bedroom and said, "Mom! Dad! Look!" And with that, he kicked his leg high and then forcefully bent to the floor to touch his toes.

I put my hand over my mouth and started to cry.

Jordan's lips quivered and his eyes filled with tears as he relayed this powerful story.

Just yesterday I was reading this Scripture, "You are the God who performs MIRACLES. You display your power among the people."

Beth Moore's husband once said, "I would rather be healed than well."

Amen and amen!

Thanks for letting me share this story.

God is the same yesterday, today, and forever!

Making Progress...

Happy Wednesday, Friends!

And to those visiting, I say welcome! I post every Wednesday and my sole purpose is to bless and encourage you along your way.

I have a question for you today...

How do you measure your progress spiritually speaking?

All too often we measure how we are doing by how we feel. And while this may be one component for determining where we are at, it cannot be the only one.

If you've been reading my regular posts you know that my son has been dealing with a back injury. It's been about six months of back to back appointments and various therapies with no apparent change. At least not until recently.

A couple of weeks ago, Jordan began a daily regimen of decompression, electric stim, ultrasound, etc. Every day I ask him how he is feeling and every day he says, "The same." But yesterday he came home and said, "They tested my leg strength today and even though I feel no change, something has changed because I'm showing a significant improvement in the strength of my leg."

Later in the day I spoke with a friend who was feeling blue. I acknowledged her blue-ness but then reflected back to her all of the good things God has done in her life in the past year. Right away she perked up and said, "You know, you're right! Things are different."

Sometimes progress is invisible at first.

Our choices matter. Every day they matter. Not that we will always do things right. Some days we will squander our time, eat too much ice cream, or spend a little too much money. God loves us and is well aware of our tendency towards excess and our capacity for inconsistency.

Graham Cooke wisely said, "God is not disillusioned with you. He had no illusions about you in the first place."

I love that.

Knowing all that He knows about us - knowing how we'll stumble tomorrow - He still uses us today.

Amazing.

I'm establishing here that we are not what we do, we are someone He loves.

But it still matters what we do because we were placed on this earth for some very specific reasons. Further more God's Word says that He will not be mocked; what we sow, is what we grow.

Our choices are like seeds and what we plant, we will harvest. Even though we plant an occasional weed because of our unbelief, bad attitude, or an unhealthy appetite for carbohydrates, we will still reap a harvest of goodness when we mostly plant good seeds.

This is a Kingdom law: sowing and reaping; sowing and reaping.

So what does this have to do with progress?

Everything! The law of sowing and reaping is more real than the law of gravity. And if you approach every day as one who is loved and cherished by God, and if you approach every weed in your life as something that needs to be repented of, forgiven and uprooted, you can know that you're making progress...regardless of how you feel that day or at a particular moment.

Just this morning I spoke to another friend who was also feeling blue and wondering why her life lacked power. I didn't agree. This woman brings the loving kindness of Christ with her wherever she goes. She carries His mercy in her arms and I told her so.

My friend then recalled all of the ways God has moved in and around her.

Once again I was given the privilege of seeing that though she feels like she is back at square one, my friend is truly walking in an increase of spiritual mobility and "range of motion." Though at the moment it's hard to see or feel, she is without a doubt gaining ground and making progress in her walk of faith.

Now how about you?

The question today is not "how do you feel?" though your feelings are important to some degree. But for the sake of measuring your spiritual progress the question must be: What can you do now that you couldn't a year ago? Are there family members who are more open to your faith than they once were? Do you possess a greater boldness than you did before? How about mercy? Are you able to receive mercy and share it more readily?

Measure your spiritual progress not by how you feel, but by the tangible display of increase of God's presence and power in and all around you.

Sow seeds. Believe Him. Live expectantly. A harvest of righteousness is coming for you.

Until next week...

Enough for Today...

Greetings, Everyone!

And to my new visitors, I say welcome! I post every Wednesday and my sole purpose is to bless and encourage you along your way...

With the frantic pace we keep and the seemingly endless lists of tasks that beg our attention, how do we adjust to the easy yoke and the light burden Jesus promised us?

Are we doing something wrong if the weight of our burdens is more real to us than the weight of His glory?

Some things in life we have no control over, but there are some things we can do to make the load lighter.

In fact there are five things you can do today that will change everything...

Give...

Give the Lord the first part of your day. Even if it means you have to get out of bed fifteen minutes earlier. There's no stock investment that will give you the kind of return you will receive when you start the day acknowledging your need, affirming your relationship with the Lord, and opening your ear to hear His voice. As you sit with Him, your heart will begin beating in rhythm with His, and like a divine blood transfusion, you will begin to care about the things He does. You'll begin desiring for your life, the very things He has planned for you. The grace will lift from the tasks that you're not appointed for and you'll know it's time to move on. Give Him the first part of your day, and you'll receive all of the direction and energy you need.

Choose...

Make choices today that support the direction God is taking you tomorrow. Make a plan to graciously step back from committments that drain your perspective and steal your joy. When your eyes begin to glaze over because the day spins out of control, choose to look up and notice the beautiful sky. Remind yourself that if the Lord can speak the universe into being, He can help you through your day without lifting a finger (but He won't impose Himself on anyone who doesn't think they need Him). Make choices that nurture the life you have in Christ.

Acknowledge...

My life verse is this: "And so I walk in the Lord's presence as I live here on earth" (Psalm 116:9). Acknowledge His presence throughout the day as often as you think of it. Whisper prayers as you go along your way. Make declarations of faith regarding the things you are believing God for (e.g. "I thank you, Lord that You will supply all of my needs! You are the one who establishes my purpose and direction!").

Believe...

Believe with all of your heart that God is carrying the world in His hand, so you don't have to carry it on your shoulders. When life gets too heavy, stop and ask God, "What part of this do I need to give to you, Lord? You promised my yoke would be easy and my burden would be light. Help me to get there again, Lord."

In his book, "Language of Love" Graham Cooke wrote this wonderful insight and I want to pass it along to you:

"Successful ministers plan for the future but live for today. They place their lives in day-tight compartments, taking everything one day at a time. At the end of the day, such ministers know how to shrug everything off, cleanse their hearts and minds and be thankful for the blessings God has given them. When they awake the next morning, they awake anew to the tangible mercies of God. Those mercies are like a first cup of coffee or a first mouthful of food." (p. 55)

Keep it in a "Day-Tight" Container:

Borrowing from Graham's fabulous insight, the ONLY way we will find sweet joy in our day is by learning to keep our lives in a day-tight container. We embrace God's forgiveness of our past. We entrust our glorious future to Him, and walk expectantly through today with our eyes lifted towards Heaven. We refuse worry and we embrace hope, because this is what Jesus told us to do.

We have all that we could possiby need for today...and then some.

Reach up and recieve all that God so lovingly wants to give you today. You have more than you need to walk powerfully through this day.

Be blessed, my friends!

Until next week...