Love is an Action Word

Today I visited a friend with very precious little girls.  My kids love being there and it's always hard to leave.  I was trying to pull away and the little girls were hanging on, begging us to stay just a while longer.

"Don't go!"

"I need to go.  I want to go."

"Why?"

"Because Uncle Brian is at home and he's probably hungry."

Perplexed looks.  "But he's okay.  Please stay."

"He is okay and he's very kind and patient, but I still want to go make supper for him.  He's worked really hard all week--it's one of the ways he shows us he loves us.  I want to go make supper to show him that I love him... Love isn't just words.  It looks like something."

I loved their wonder-filled eyes and my wonder-filled heart.

Love doesn't have to.  It gets to and wants to.

Love is an action word.

"But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us..."

Romans 5:8a

Sensory Gifts

Today I'm thankful for my five senses.

I had the rare treat of going out for lunch at an Indian restaurant.  The dazzling smell as I walked through the door...mmmm.  The sound of the Bollywood music...impossible not to smile.  The laughter of friends, even better music.  The colour of the vegetables in the gorgeous yellow curry sauce...  Butter chicken.  Taste bud heaven. (If you have a good recipe, I implore you to share!)  *sigh*  It was all so good.

I'm sure that our senses are a gift.  They're practical in the way they keep us safe, but I'm also convinced that He had our delight in mind when He created them.  Of course these gifts have been corrupted--we're all too well acquainted with how they've been misused.  This has caused some to regard all pleasure with suspicion thereby creating a fear-based religion that demeans the very things that were meant to delight.

Perhaps you've been exposed to this type of religion and it's hard for you to view God as a Father who delights in giving His children sensory gifts.  Perhaps you're a bit resentful toward Him because you've wanted to enjoy these pleasures outside of the parameters that He says are good and beneficial for you.

Just as we are thrilled when our kids like the gifts we give to them, I know He likes it when He sees us enjoying His gifts.  Tonight as I made tortillas, I felt His pleasure in my joy.  The feel of the soft dough in my hands, the sweetness of the time spent with the boy who was flipping them as fast as I could roll them, and the moment in which we all shared one hot off the grill and slathered in butter and honey--all gifts.  The joy in our hearts was all worship...

"Then I realized that these pleasures are from the hand of God.

For who can eat or enjoy anything apart from him?"

Ecclesiastes2:24b-25

A Recipe for Joy

This is my least favorite time of the year.  The glorious leaves are gone, the gracious mantle of snow hasn't yet arrived to cover the bleak landscape, and there's so...much...less...sunlight.  I'm pretty sure I'm solar powered.   For the rest of the year I cannot sleep in.  In October/November, it seems I cannot wake up or remain awake.  As a substitute for sun, my body demands carbs and sleep.  It is as though I'm overtaken by a primal urge to hibernate.

However, nothing else in my life recognizes or validates my hibernation theory so I trudge on determined to hang in there until my body adjusts.  I take my vitamins, try not to eat as much chocolate as I'm inclined, go to bed early when possible, and...well, I'm thinking about dusting off the elliptical machine.

Kindly, graciously, (might I add humorously?) my Father reminds me that my attitude also has a huge effect on my body, that there is a Source of strength greater than my circumstances.  Through the "mouths of babes" He speaks to me.  My daughter gave me a lovely picture--this is where the "humorously" comes in as I recognize it as a smack up the back of my head!

This is now posted beside my bathroom mirror--the spot where my day more or less begins and ends--to remind me of the best way to start and end.

"Every morning tell him, "Thank you for your kindness."  Starting the day by thanking Him that it's going to be a good one is a really good plan!  Something physically changes in my sleepy mind and body as I say, "Thank you for your kindness," out loud, first thing in the morning.  It's surprising that choosing this stance of anticipation of His kindness actually positions the heart to recognize that kindness throughout the day.  I spot it in the laughter of my coworkers, in an encouraging phone call from a friend, in the hugs of my children.  It's everywhere!

"Every evening rejoice in all His faithfulness."  Ending the day by counting it's blessings rather than groaning under the weight of it's challenges has a good way of putting those (very real) challenges where they belong:  in the faithful Hands that carried you through this day.  Remember, pause to make yourself aware, and rejoice in His faithfulness.  Faith grows.

"You have done so much for me...I sing for joy!"

It's true.  It's a recipe for joy.  Even when the sun's not shining.

Taking the Challenge

My Little One inherited my love of verbal expression.  One of the things she was really excited to try in our homeschooling adventure was the NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program.  She's committed to writing a story of 7500 words in the month of November and we get to count it as her Language Arts program.  This isn't the first year that someone suggested I do it too, but adults have to write 50000 words and that's not going to happen at this stage of my life!  However, this is the first year someone suggested that I participate in NaBloPoMo--National Blog Post Month, a blog post a day for a month.

She should never have done that...now here I am committing myself.

I spent a whole day and part of night deliberating, arguing for and against the idea.  I swung from excitement to lame excuses (I don't want to be under pressure and turn out poor quality--ha!).  I like to wait for the inspiration (which, by the way, means "breathing in") of the Holy Spirit.  Yet I do have a commitment to myself to blog once a week.  So I know that inspiration and discipline do have a meeting place.

The thing that cinched it for me was this verse that has been rolling inside me for the last few weeks.  I know this always happens for a reason...  The Apostle Paul was instructing Timothy, a man very young in his ministry, to "stir up the gift that was placed within you".

Stir up.  Sounds a bit like choosing.

The gift placed within you.  Sounds a bit like something given rather than earned, put inside you and me by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Sounds a bit like inspiration meeting discipline.

I know part of the gift placed within me is for the purpose of proclaiming hope and healing and restoration to hearts made weary by life (and perhaps by religion).  Blogging is one of the ways I do that.

So I'm committing to the discipline of writing a blog post every day for the month of November.  Trusting for the inspiration!

What's the gift that's been placed within you?  (If you don't know, ask Him to show you.  You do have one.)  How can you "stir it up"?

2 Timothy 1:6-7

Joyful are those...

This week I have heard two stories of God's faithfulness...and a few huge prayer requests.

My friend writes to me about her new job and her message is full of happy faces and words like "superb...hilarious...incredible...ridiculous...happy!"  I feel full of laughter that's half choked with tears as I read.  Months ago she boldly turned down a job that didn't seem right, but then there were no other offers.  We prayed.  She did a mission trip.  Waited.  Prayed.  Wondered.  Did she make the right decision?  Her bank account dwindled and she dared to give some more.  Still no job.  Then suddenly!  The job is perfect--all she hoped for and more!

I think of her heavenly Father smiling on her all those months of waiting and wondering.  I think of the angels cheering her on as she took courageous, faith-filled steps that seemed only wondering and trembling to her at the time.  All the while her Papa knew that He had this wonderful surprise in store for her.

The second story is of praying parents watching their daughter stand at a crossroad in her faith walk, knowing they can only pray and love and wait.  The daughter has taken small steps toward the light.  The parents have lain awake, praying in the darkness.  This week they met a total stranger who had encountered their daughter months ago...and has been praying for her ever since.  The parents are filled with joy realizing that God is at work, has been at work all along, and they don't need to be afraid.

These stories encourage and excite me!

But what about...

My friend who has a lump in her breast.

A friend who believes God has abandoned him because the circumstances of his life are so difficult right now.

The baby girl I've been longing to see healed for two years but open-heart surgery is now imminent.

A woman is still barren...a marriage is still falling apart...

When my thoughts dwell on all these things something icy cold fills up the center of me.  I want to crawl back into bed and pull the covers over my head.  These challenges are big.  Real people are in pain.  How can I rise up and face the day?

Unless I surrender my right to understand for now.  Unless I believe that God is at work, even now, behind the scenes...that glory is yet to be revealed...that I'm someday going to use words like "superb...hilarious...incredible...ridiculous...happy" to describe the end of the story.  Unless I believe His promise that He is willing and able to make something beautiful out of messes.   Unless I choose to give thanks before I see the miracle.  Unless I begin to worship the One who is my only Hope...  Then a fire fills me and I overflow with laughter.

That is how we can rise up and face the day.  Worship.  Giving thanks in all things.  Remembering what He has already done...which gives rise to more worship.  Then we are filled with hope and laughter...and it's contagious!  It's a hope and a confidence that you can bank on.

Let all that I am praise the Lord.

I will praise the Lord as long as I live.

I will sing praises to my God with my dying breath

...joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, 

whose hope is in the Lord their God.

Psalm 146:1-2, 5

Exposure to Glory

"When all the people of Israel saw...
the glorious presence of the Lord filling the Temple,

 they fell face down on the ground and worshiped and praised the Lord,

 saying, 'He is good!  His faithful love endures forever!'"

2 Chronicles 7:3

When I read this passage this morning the thought that struck me was that exposure to the glorious presence of the Lord didn't fill the people with fear--not even these people of the old covenant.  Rather, it provoked recognition of His goodness and love.  You might expect them to run in terror.  You might expect that exposure to the glory would make them self-conscious, aware of their own sinfulness.

If you're feeling afraid of God or focusing on your own sorry state, it may be that you haven't tasted or aren't currently tasting of His glory.

This glorious presence fell on them after the Temple was dedicated as a place of worship.  It came as a response to the worship-filled dedication spoken by Solomon.

That Temple is no more.  Now YOU are His temple.  And His glorious presence still fills the temple when we offer ourselves with worship and praise.  The glorious presence never condemns or inspires fear, but fills us with awe of his goodness and mercy.

Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship,

for they will walk in the light of your presence, Lord.

Psalm 89:15

1 Corinthians 3:16

Holy Moment

My favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner is when we pause in between the main course and dessert so everyone around the table can take a turn expressing gratitude for something significant in the last year.  There are always a few tears as well as a lot of laughter.  Sometimes it's a little awkward for a guest new to the tradition--until they've experienced it.  Something holy happens in those moments of giving thanks.

I recently heard someone say that "complaining can only come out of a heart of unbelief".  I've pondered it a bit and I think it's true.  If I'm complaining, it's because I don't believe His promise that He can and will work all things out for good--I'm not believing that His plans for good in my life trump the difficulty I'm facing in that moment.

The holy thing that happens when we pause to give thanks is that our faith is strengthened.  The God who accomplished these good things in our life is able to accomplish great things in and through the challenges ahead.  We believe.

My biggest "thankful things" this year are the fun of a surprise trip to California to visit our far-away family, the way He's led us into and blessed us in our homeschooling adventure, and the way He provided for our family through a very lean financial time.   Remembering these things, I believe that He'll be there for us until the calendar comes around to this holiday again--with surprise blessings and help through difficulties.   He is good!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.

Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness

Let the whole world know what he has done.

Sing to him; yes, sing his praises

Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds.

Exult in his holy name;

rejoice, you who worship the Lord.

Search for the Lord and for his strength;

continually seek him.

Remember the wonders he has performed,

his miracles, and the rulings he has given.

I Chronicles 16:8-12