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Eat, Sleep, Move

Posted in life, Walking with God, tagged ##elijahran, #angelofthelord, #despairdoflife, #eatanddrink, #eatsleepmove, #elijah, #exhaused, #fear, #godiscompassionate, $thisisthewayofthelord on May 28, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Just this week, I realized I have never written about Elijah. A giant of the faith! A hero. A prophet. One who God used to orchestrate miracles. One who teaches us so much … about God.

Not only have I not written about Elijah, but I realized I did not know well the stories of Elijah. So, guess what I have been reading this week?!

A friend had referenced the story of Elijah and how God encouraged him to eat and sleep when Elijah was in the depths of despair. That it is a model of how God encourages the same of us.

I checked out the story.

Elijah had done the work of God, faithfully, confidently. He was the one through whom God’s plan to thwart the intent of Ahab and Jezabel in the indoctrination of the worship of Baal upon people of God. Through the challenge given by Elijah, 450 prophets of Baal were killed after they could not elicit a response from their god (thus proving the lack of existence of such a god).

Lets just say Jezabel was a bit miffed at this loss of ‘her’ prophets (and perhaps the egg left on her face) and she threatened Elijah’s life.

Now, one might think, after such a great success that the threatening words of a mere mortal would be as nothing to the ears of one who had just shown God’s strength and power through such a large scale miraculous show. But this was not the headspace of Elijah … (1 Kings 19:3):

“Elijah was afraid and ran for his life.”

Fear is a response. Sometimes our fears are valid. But, sometimes fear is a response not to the threat, but because we are weak, tired, not in a place of good health.

Elijah’s fear, that took him to fleeing … it (his fear) originated in his own deficiencies, not in his fear of Jezabel.

Not only did he run away (into the desert), but his fatigue was so great he didn’t even want to live (1 Kings 19:5)

“I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.”

Then he lie down and slept … I expect there was nothing else that he could do at this point.

We don’t know how long he had been sleeping, but (and I love the next verses, v. 5-6)

“All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.”

So … this angel shows up with a midnight snack, which he eats then goes back to sleep. No awe, no wow … he just eats and drinks and rolls over. Why? Because he is so exhausted that the natural responses are muted.

“The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.”

So (v. 7), the angel comes back, wakes him to yet more food and drink. This time introducing a journey.

“So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. There he went into a cave and spent the night.”

Without a word (v. 8-9), Elijah just does what he is told. He gets up, eats and drinks, then travels for forty days and forty nights (still in the desert … hum, didn’t Jesus spend the same time in a desert?). He went into a cave and slept yet again. He is exhausted! Yet, he does as he is told. Is it because he is too exhausted to put up a fight? Does he instinctively know this angel of the Lord is God’s own messenger? Why doesn’t God correct Elijah’s despair of life? Why doesn’t God tell Elijah to pull himself up by his bootstraps? Why doesn’t God frown and say, “stop the naval gazing and get on with it”?

God knows that Elijah is exhausted. God knows that he cannot see the forest for the trees … he is not thinking right. God knows that Elijah’s soul needs are best first met through physical ones.

Eat, sleep, move …

These are the instructions that Elijah receives from this angel of the Lord (a pretty significant entity throughout the Bible).

What is the lesson? Well, I am still studying this one, but this I am coming to see … God’s medicinal care instruction for us, when we are exhausted, is to care for our physical needs … the basic needs we have as a newborn … so that we can begin again to live.

This is the way of the Lord.

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Familiar Reminders of Things Essential

Posted in Nature/Creation, WONDER, tagged #childhoodmemories, #christianrituals, #familiarremindersofthingsessential, #reminders on May 23, 2021| 2 Comments »

Are there things in nature that remind you of your childhood?

There are many for me.

Just yesterday the Wonderdog and I took a meander (because that is the speed of this canine buddy of mine of late) in the wooded pathways near our home. The sun was warm and life-giving to my soul, making the speed of the walk redundant, for a slower walk meant more time under the sun, more bird’s songs, more fresh air to fill the lungs.

It is a common occurrence that, when I am out in nature something will remind me of my childhood.

The first reminder of childhood made me smile, wide enough that the person walking towards me, I am certain, thought I was smiling at them. Buttercups. Plentiful and petite, but bright and moving together like waves. Do you like butter? I could hear the voices of the past ask.

Another visual that had me reminiscing were the sun dapples, through a treed area along a stream. Quite truly sun dapples might be the most dreamy of all that nature possesses. I saw them yesterday and immediately saw them again, many years before along a brook while hearing stories of childhood fishing from my dad.

Yet another were the berries on the bushes, from flower to ripened berry. Though these were (I believe) salmon berries, my mind saw raspberries on the vine, reminding me of sunny days with my maternal grandmother, picking berries to fill a bowl, then returning to her home where she whipped up the most delicious pie I ever remember eating.

Finally were the roses. Though planned and purchased by a landscaper and not the wild variety that they remind me of, their scent was just as I remembered. It is truly where ‘rose-scented’ perfume originated. And I was inhaling their scent at my childhood home.

Things in nature so easily bring memories of the past to the surface, for they are always there. These are the warm and fuzzy reminders of good memories.

I love that the Bible also speaks of the value of memories, or remembering.

“So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.” 2 Peter 1:12-15

Peter is obviously intent on leaving a letter to those who receive his letter, at the time as well as in the future, focusing on the promise of reminders. These promised reminders of the teachings of Christ, the redemption provided, the responsibilities as a follower of Him. These reminders that the Good News would continue after he departed (this life).

What are our reminders? Perhaps they are in the rituals of Christian life, such as prayer, worship, reading of the Word. Perhaps they are in nature, in the guarantee of the sun’s rise, the phases of the moon, the changing of seasons … buttercups moving in the breeze on a sunny, warm day.

I love how Charles Swindoll spoke of this:

“Allow the things familiar to point you to things essential.”

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The Dark Cloud

Posted in Walking with God, tagged #godinthedarkcloud, #godiswithus, #hewillneverleaveus, #thedarkcloud, #whereisgod on May 21, 2021| Leave a Comment »

A beautiful day. The sun, high in the brilliant blue sky. The air warming to the skin.

I felt beckoned to go out, to join in the revelry of nature.

As I walked down the sidewalk I glanced to my right to see a most unsettling sight (image to the left).

The dark cloud almost seemed to have a silent but dominating presence. It moved in my direction, east to west. If one were to have an active imagination, it could be said that it seemed to be hunting for a place to land, for a location to unleash upon.

I imagined I could be that location.

To continue or go back for a waterproof jacket? That was the question.

A tug at my arm reminded me of the presence of yet another indomitable force, the Wonderdog.

I submitted to his will and we continued our trek along the sidewalk. Townhomes and a condo building hid the Cloud (for it seemed imposing enough for a proper name) for a number of minutes as we walked on the sidewalk, turned the corner and continued along.

As we passed the tallest building, I looked to see where the Cloud was currently ‘hanging out’. I looked left and right. I even digressed from our regular walk and moved toward the back of the condo building, thinking it had moved more quickly than I’d imagined.

It was gone. The remnants of it dispersing, dissolving into the atmosphere.

Then Solomon said,
“The Lord has said that
he would dwell in a dark cloud”
2 Chronicles 6:1

God dwell in a dark cloud?

I can envision him in a cloud, but … in my imagination it’s a white, fluffy cloud reminiscent of that commercial for cream cheese. I simply do not imagine God on or in a dark, thunderous, threatening cloud.

Now, some have said it is because God is light and so his brilliance would make the cloud appear dark. But, what if we look at it as God being in the midst of dark clouds that sometimes surround us? What if he comes into our dark clouds with us, so that we are not alone, so that there is still the presence of light, even when we cannot see it?

Isaiah 25:4 :

“For You have been a strong-place for those who could not help themselves and for those in need because of much trouble. You have been a safe place from the storm and a shadow from the heat.”

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Which Way?

Posted in Walking with God, WONDER, tagged #decisions, #dontletyourheartsbetroubled, #dontworry, #howcanweknowtheway, #theanswerishimnotus, #whichway on May 18, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Which way? A common human question. When there are options of which way to go (or what decision to make) we want to make the best decision, the right decision, the decision which will incur the least harm, the most joy.

Prior to the death of Jesus, he is readying the disciples for his death at every opportunity. They had lived life together. Jesus, knowing that his time with them was coming to an end seemed to be ramping up his lessons on life without him, on how to continue his work.

After they had enjoyed the meal of the last supper, Jesus is trying to prepare them, to give confidence in the process to come. Unfortunately he makes the common error (yes, I just said that Jesus made an error … give me a moment to explain).

“Do not let your hearts be troubled”

There is nothing like one putting their hand up in a “just a minute” gesture, then saying “now, don’t worry” to cause we mere mortals to begin to worry. Saying the words almost always secures that that the hearer will do the absolute opposite of what is being said.

(don’t worry … I really don’t think Jesus made a mistake … I think he, who was a question asker to answer questions, was baiting his eleven (Judas had already left) to keep the conversation going).

He then goes on to speak of preparing a place for them. That they know the way …

Then Thomas … I just love Thomas. He is the most human of those disciples. He asks the questions that the others want to, but they just do not have the pure-hearted curiosity to actually speak them. He asks :

“Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

Can’t you just see his face? Can’t you imagine the face of Jesus in hearing the question. There’s gentleness written all over the face of his Saviour, in my imagination.

I think Thomas was chosen to be part of the group as a kindness to Jesus, as a kindness to us. He reminds us that curiosity, that asking the obvious questions is good, normal, real. He reminds us that there are no wrong questions. And I think that maybe, he reminds Jesus of who the human race was created to be like … not that Thomas does not carry the weight of human sin, but that he also carries the reflection of Adam, prior to his choice to eat of the fruit.

You just know that he is the guy in the crowd who everyone rolls their eyes in response to pretty much every time he opens his mouth. But, you also know that they would all die for him, for he is harmless to anyone or anything around him. He is pure of heart.

Maybe, just maybe when we are confronted with the question, when we, like Thomas, have the guts to ask … which way? Then we can be reminded that the answer is not us, but Him. Then we have opened the door to his response that we also need to be reminded of daily.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:1-6

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The Bride of the Pacific

Posted in Walking with God, tagged #brideofchrist, #christloveshischurch, #cloakedinwhite, #missteps, #mtbaker, #thebrideofthepacific on May 14, 2021| 1 Comment »

Just a few items to pick up at the store. Plant fertilizer for my outdoor growing greenery and flowers. A new filter for the coffee maker to replace the one with a rip.

Of course I bought more than those two items. Girl guide cookies greeted me on a shelf facing the entrance (and how can one not support the Girl Guides? … the ‘guys’ in the house would be so thrilled). Descaler for the coffee machines (yes, that’s plural, two of them, in use every morning … that is a subject for another post). Then I noticed that Nairn’s Ginger cookies (biscuits) were on sale and, well I had to buy them in honor of my Scottish Nan (and the fact that I love all of their products).

So, in for two items, out with a bag full. If I could only go into a store, pick up what I want and go home! But no, I have to check out every aisle, as though I am some sort of Proverbs 31 woman … “She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar” (v. 14) … from the beauty counter to the electronics department, from the shelves of sweeties to the coffee machine paraphernalia.

Though the clock just turned half past seven, the sun was still high in the sky, beckoning me to pause my mental to do list. My body felt more worn that the time, so a mini drive chosen … and I knew exactly where to go.

Just a short walk from my home, this spot is perfect for viewing Mt. Baker. This giant of the Pacific Northwest is known as “the Bride of the Pacific” for it is always cloaked in white (snow) year round. Though it is roughly 100 kms. from this spot, it is perfectly visible.

Mt. Baker is always there, yet it never looks the same way twice. The weather conditions, sunlight, snow pack, cloud cover all change the daily appearance of that mountain, yet it is always there. It is always covered in white snow, this Bride of the Pacific.

Makes me think of ourselves, who, as the church are frequently called Bride of Christ (who is the Bridegroom).

Like me, heading into the store for an item or two, I got distracted from what was my purpose. I spent my time focused on things I never intended to spend my money on. As the Bride or church, we too have gotten distracted from our purpose. We have spent time on things God never intended for His church. We have wasted our resources on things that, as stewards of His good gifts, we should not.

As the church, we have frequently blown it, forgotten our purpose, our first love. We are scarred by our corporate sin.

Yet, as the Bride of Christ, through the eyes of Him, our hard surfaces are covered over by his sacrifice, by his love. It is as if we are permanently cloaked in white, like the Bride of the Pacific.

In this, there is still hope for us, as His bride.

“ … just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless” Ephesians 5:25-27.

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Someone is Listening

Posted in life, Walking with God, WONDER, tagged #godhearswhatwedontsay, #godlovesyou, #godpursues, #godsees, #godspeakes, #godspursuitofus, #someoneislistening, #wherecanigofromyourspirit on May 11, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Seriously?

I have this experience periodically. I will be musing, or mourning, or making sense of life in my heart and mind on something for days … days, maybe even weeks. Then, suddenly, I am flabbergasted by what seems like intentional communications to me, from the Creator of heaven and Earth.

They will come in the form of social media posts, song lyrics that are playing on the radio, or words from another who has no idea what is going in my heart and life.

It makes me feel a bit as though I am experiencing Zephaniah 3:17 :

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

Except that, in these cases, the verse might be re-written as :

The Lord your God is always right beside you, a mighty one who will save, support and encourage; he will rejoice over you with joyfulness through your co-workers; he will quiet you by his love written all over instagram; he will exult over you with whispers of encouragement through singing on the radio; he will speak his message of care to your heart and mind, while you listen to that podcast.

It is as though God is listening to the silence around us, hearing every beat of our heart, whispering into our souls,

I see you

I know what you are experiencing

I love you

and will pursue you, even to the end of the world (Matthew 28:20).

There is no other god who reaches so far to show himself to us. No other who sticks closer. No other who knows us so well that he knows our silent thoughts, and fears, and insecurities, and doubts.

People, the Almighty God, the Creator of heaven and Earth, the one who loved us so much that he sent his Son … he is worth following, he is worthy of our praise. Follow Him and you will experience a love and freedom beyond anything else.

Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
Psalm 139:7-8

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Three Little Words

Posted in Love, Walking with God, tagged #becauseofwhoseweare, #jesuslovesme, #theologyinsong, #threelittlewords, #yesjesuslovesme on May 4, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Three little words can really pack a punch. They can move me through memories, years and so many emotions. They give me that warm and fuzzy feeling, but one that lasts …

Jesus loves me

I hear the words (or write them) and the song starts to play in my mind. Learned in a tiny Sunday School, on Canada’s other coast, the words take me there, take me through the evidence of life and living that the words are more than just simple song, but solid theology lived out.

I know that others struggle more in their belief and understanding of who Jesus was and is. For me, I have always known the truth of his presence, the simplicity that my belief in him achieves, the sacrifice that he made on behalf of me, of my eternity. Learning to sing this song only confirmed what my heart knew, before it was taught,

that Jesus loves me.

It has been the song of my life.

Though I am no scholarly theologian, like Karl Barth, I would echo his response to the question to summarize his theology with :

“Jesus loves me, this I know.”

It was one of the first songs I taught to our children. As each one learned it, I would make a call to my grandmother, so that she could hear each one sing it to her. Though I am certain that they might have sung it in various church or camp related gatherings, I am also certain that it was rare, as other songs have taken it’s place.

but still, how does one replace the security and comfort of its message?

I recently saw those words, written on a screen, on a social media post … and the heart song began within.

Jesus loves me—this I know,
For the Bible tells me so;
Little ones to him belong,—
They are weak, but he is strong.

Jesus loves me he who died
heaven’s gate to open wide.
He will wash away my sin,
let his little child come in.

Jesus loves me, this I know,
as he loved so long ago,
taking children on his knee,
saying, “Let them come to me.”

Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.

I sought out the words, to see their message and realized how very valuable they are in how we see and know truth, ourselves, as well as how we see our place in relationship with our Creator, with our Redeemer.

This song is a reminder of how very loved we are, not because of who we are or what we have done (or what we haven’t done) but because of whose we are and what he has done.

May this song play in our hearts today.

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Prayer for a New Day

Posted in life, Walking with God, WONDER, tagged #afreshstart, #anewday, #breathofgod, #iamalive, #praisegod, #prayer, #prayerforanewday on April 30, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Dear God,

Thank-you for breath today.

No matter what the day brings, if we have breath in our lungs, it is a reminder that you have purpose for us in this very day. Let us be mindful of each breath … inhale, long and slow then exhale the same … feel that breath move in and our of lungs … whisper, to remind oneself,

alive

No matter how yesterday ended … exhaustion, joy, mind-swirling, excited, sorrow-filled, joyful, meh … today is truly a brand new day. Though today is linked to yesterday, you give us the daily gift of new. The left-overs of yesterday’s blunders can be tempered by the freshness of a new day … with no mistakes in it yet (Anne of Green Gables). Today is the gift of a blank slate, a fresh start, an opportunity to change course.

God, remind us of your presence today.

We get so distracted by everything around us. Though we know that all that we have is from you, we forget you in our days. We think about what to eat, where to go … hum, I am reminded of the words of Matthew (6:25)

“… do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?”

His words say it. God, remind us as we walk through this day that our life is about more than just surviving. Remind us to give our needs to you. To look to you for our needs … for all of our needs.

Lord, we know that our days of life and breath are numbered, that no one escapes our mortality. May we truly live each day, blessed by your breath in our lungs, your Spirit in our souls. May we not come to the end of our day (our days) without praising you.

Amen

“Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.
    Remind me that my days are numbered—
    how fleeting my life is.
You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand.
    My entire lifetime is just a moment to you;
    at best, each of us is but a breath.”
Psalm 39:4-5

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Earliest Memory

Posted in Walking with God, WONDER, tagged #countyourblessings, #earliestmemory, #rememberingchildhood, #rememberinggodsfaithfulness on April 20, 2021| Leave a Comment »

What’s your earliest memory?

Maybe there is more than one? Maybe they blend together? Maybe they are incomplete? Maybe it isn’t a memory so much as a feeling?

I have a memory from my childhood. It is late spring or early summer. The sun high in the sky, causing my squinty eyes to squint even more. I can recall it’s warmth on my skin, not enough to sweat, but feel comfortably warm. I remember holding the hands of my parents, me in the middle … where every child aims to be. We are walking through a path or trail with trees on either side. I remember feeling, not just the warmth of the sun on my skin, but also the warmth of love, connection, safety.

And that is all I remember.

It is a happy memory.

We all have memories from our childhood. Ones that make us feel good things and ones that leave us feeling the trauma of that moment. Sometimes we can identify the origins of our feelings, but not always. Sometimes it is smells or sounds that awaken our memories of years ago. Sometimes, our memories aren’t accurate at all and what we think we remember may not have even happened.

The Psalmist has said, (9:1), “I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.”

Have you ever done that? Recounted the wonderful deeds of God in your life … ?

Ever looked back for times when you know that God stood in the gap for you? That something in your occurred and you know, without a doubt, that he worked things for you? That he did a miracle? That he filled you with joy?

Try it. Really! Try it.

You might remember something that has been forgotten, some evidence of God in your life that you need to remember now.

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In Service

Posted in Easter, life, Walking with God, WONDER, tagged #inservice, #serveothers, #serveothersbeforeself, #toserveisselfless, #toserveornottoserve, #wedonotdeservegrace on April 11, 2021| 2 Comments »

To serve is to submit, help or do for another … another group, another person or to God. Basically service is submission of me for another.

To be in service can mean that there is a payment for such acts, but the act of service is always, always an act of the will.

In recent days the word service has been used more than in months previous, added together. The death of Prince Philip, husband to Queen Elizabeth, has heralded the use of the word service in news articles and social media posts in the most honorable of ways.

Just yesterday, scrolling through Instagram I came across a post referring to the decades-long service of Philip to his wife and Queen. Following that was a meme about how we deserve better. I paused my scrolling … and sighed.

To serve is selfless, to speak of our deserving more is quite a different thing.

I think we humans, in this age, struggle to serve others, for we are constantly told that we deserve more, better. Serving takes on the connotation of being low, personal sacrifice without recognition, being in the shadows. No one wants to live in the shadows when the spotlight is so shiny.

This perspective can be exemplified when the culture around us has a pattern of looking down on those who serve others. The current pandemic has done some repair to this perspective, acknowledging those who serve others in hospitals, care homes, grocery stores, schools, on ambulances etc.

Our human choice to focus on what we deserve as opposed to how we can serve others means that we lose out on the joy of serving, of understanding how our strengths and gifts might be used in our service to others. To serve others is to live our life walking more closely with Christ, for he himself came to serve.

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served,
but to serve,
and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Mark 10:45

What we deserve … would not be IG meme popular today to our eyes and hearts. For there would not have needed to be a cross if what we deserved was socially marketable. What we deserve is why Jesus had to die … his body broken, his blood spilled, his father’s back to him … he did this because of what we deserve. Thus we have John 3:16 (the Carole Wheaton translation)

“For God so loved the world,
that he GAVE his SON,
that whoever SERVES HIM,
will not get what they deserve.”

Romans 3:24 does give us hope in regards to what we deserve,

“God treats us much better than we deserve,
and because of Christ Jesus,
he freely accepts us and sets us free from our sins.”

His is the example of service to us, for through his sacrifice, we get far more than we deserve. May we focus our lives on what the example of Christ’s serving rather than on what the world says we deserve.

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