Messes & Miracles

When you look at your life, do you see little messes among the miracles?  I know I do.  Even though our daily lives bring about miracles, no matter what we do, there is always some kind of mess.

We are humans.  We are messy.  The biggest messes are the ones we try to clean up ourselves.  We can trust Jesus with so many things, but then there are those things we feel we simply must take care of on our own.  That is when stuff gets really messy.

In Acts 10:36 we are told that “…He is Lord of all…” Lord of everything, Lord of big things and small things.  Lord of the past, present and future.  

If He was the Lord that brought the miracle, why can’t he be the Lord 
that can take care of the mess we made?

In my dictionary, the word all is an adjective meaning “the whole of”.  It also goes on to tell us that the adjective whole means “comprising the full quantity, amount, extent, number, etc., without diminution or exception, full or total”

That pretty much means nothing is
left out, wouldn’t you say?

Why not let Jesus be Lord of all yesterday, today and tomorrow?  

Yes there will still be messes, but we have a powerful cleaning solution.

Questions & Answers

For a few years, despite being raised in church and raising my children in church, I began to doubt my faith.  I questioned why things happened in my past, yelled at God, cried into my pillow, read many books and blogs.  

I was searching.  I was looking.  I was not finding any answers.  Well, “new” answers.

I knew all along what needed to happen.  I kept thinking there would be some new answer, some new information.  Some bright, shining, neon sign that would point me in the right direction.

Guess what? There wasn’t a bright, shiny, neon sign.  There was no new answer, no new information.  

In Ecclesiastes 1:9, the “Preacher’ tells us, that there is nothing new under the sun.

It took me a while to realize that this applied to my life as well as the actions in the world at large.  Let me explain.  I was not the first person who had grown up in the church to begin to question their faith.  I was not the first Christian to suffer from depression.  I certainly wasn’t the first person to look for answers to my questions in places other than the Bible.

When I heard the Lord speak to my spirit and felt His gentle hand leading me to where I should be, I realized I was once again home.  I had questions, but they no longer mattered.  I didn’t have the answers I was looking for, but I had the answers that mattered.  

We should seek, because Seeking Is Believing, but it is what and who we seek that matters.

Waiting Is Learning Without Fear

I shifted in the chair for the eleventy billionth time asking myself why hospital waiting rooms have extremely uncomfortable chairs?  

This was not my first time waiting like this and it certainly would not be the last.  That was not the way life worked.  

Eight years ago, I lost my mother.  Less than two months later, her mother (my grandmother followed).  Fifteen months later, my remaining grandmother.  My heart was heavy, but life goes forward.

Now here I sit, waiting once again.  This time it was for my great-aunt.  My mother’s aunt, but yet only a few years older.  This aunt was special.  She spoiled like an aunt was want to do, but loved and chastised like a mother.  Things were definitely different when she was around.  A special light resided inside of her and it shined like sunbeams on water.  All of her numerous nieces and nephews loved being with her.  Even if it was just sitting on the couch, not talking, but the small touch of her hand, the soft squeeze let you know she loved you.  

She was the wife of a pastor, a mother and grandmother, leader and prayer warrior, fashion model and chief cook and bottle washer.  Not afraid of hard work but loved to wear beautiful clothes.  One who welcomed and loved of all babies and little children.  

I shifted in the chair again, rolled my neck to stretch and listened to the cracks and pops.  I watched the people come in and out.  There was nothing but love all around us. 

A young girl was asking questions about how we were dealing with it all.  She told me that she really had no experience with death, she didn’t know what to think of all this.  To her it was so different.  I smiled and said, “The Christian heart has hope.  We know death is not final.  Our hope is in Jesus Christ who is our Resurrection.”  

Death is not the end,
for it brings the promise of new life.  

We are humans.  We will of course cry and miss our loved one something fierce.
However, that sadness is tempered with HOPE.

I am reminded of a scripture that my mother loved.  In times of trial and sorrow I remember this:

Joshua 1:9 NIV
Have I not commanded you?
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid;
do not be discouraged,
for the Lord your God will be
with you wherever you go.” 

Some versions replace the word “afraid” with “terrified“.  I like that. 
Do Not Be Terrified! 
How many people are truly terrified in world today?  
Do not be afraid, frightened, scared…terrified.  Our Lord is with us.
Not only “with us”, but with us Wherever we go.
Wherever covers a big territory, my friends.  

I switched chairs.  I walked the halls.  I answered phones.  I directed traffic.  I watched and waited.   No, there was no fear.  No one was terrified.  No one was discouraged.  No one was dismayed.  Yes there were tears, but there were hugs, there were kisses, there were small touches and a squeeze of a hand of the one next to you to let them know that you were there.  

Jesus knows our hearts, he knows our minds, He knows the number of days that we have here on this earth.  There is no fear in the end of those days when you know that Jesus is our life and promise.

Psalms 139:16 NLT
You saw me before I was born.
    Every day of my life was recorded in your book.Every moment was laid out    before a single day had passed.

I went back to the waiting room and watched the other families.  We were all shifting in our fabulous waiting room chairs.  Some of these families seemed to have the same peace that we held.  Others did not.   

Waiting can teach you many things.
These are the moments in which we learn. 

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.  

Isaiah 40:31 KJV

Trees

I was lost. Really lost. Well, maybe not really and truly lost, but lost enough.
I mean, I did have a GPS in my car, after all. But, I was off the beaten path.

I had decided to hop in the car and just “go.” I woke up with a restless spirit and wanted to see where the road would take me.

I found myself lost and thrilled.

A low, one lane bridge over a river; trees growing from the riverbed. Roots reaching down deep, not wavering, stalwart and strong.

These trees have been through droughts and floods.
Seasons of time have passed and yet here they are.
Unmoved.

Jeremiah 17:8 talks about people being like trees planted by the water; having no fear.

Psalms 1:3 tells us of the people who are like trees planted by the streams and what ever they do prospers.

I sang when I saw these trees! I shouted!
My spirit was lifted and I rejoiced!
These trees were magnificent and strong – I want to be a tree of righteousness!

Bloom where you are planted.
Grow strong.
Let your fruit show your faith!

H - E - L - P

I yelled as loud as I could.  To the top of my lungs.  Feeling it down in my toes.

 "H E L P ! ! !"

No one heard me.  I was alone in the house.  I was being overwhelmed with waves of, well, everything. I felt as if I were drowning and there were no other people around to see me going under.  I yelled it again, even louder this time.

 "HELP! I need help here!"  

I put my head down into my hands and pressed the heel of my palms into my eyes so hard, I began to see those colored, swirling lights.  I took a deep breath.  I looked at my checkbook again.  Nope, the numbers were still the same.  

I was a single mom, with two teenagers.  One about to enter college.  I had a sick mother who lived three hundred miles away that I drove to see as often as I could.  I was working two sometimes three jobs.  Still there were months were there were more days than money.  I needed help.  

I opened my Bible, l was going to pray over my checkbook and my children's future.  I had done this before, this was not some pop-up inspiration that was going to be an instant miracle.  I knew this.  But, I knew, right then, I needed help and my help came from the Lord and His word.

Isaiah 41:10

So do not fear, for I am with you;
    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

I decided my fear of being overwhelmed was going to leave.  I was being lifted up by the hand of God.  He was holding me as a father does their child.  No miracle cure for my checkbook, but a comfort, a peace that let me know,

"Susan, I'm here.  I've not let go.  You can do this thing.  
You can make this work.  I will be here, you are not alone."

I scanned down a bit further.  The words seemed to dance in front of my eyes.  Maybe from tears, maybe for joy, but they danced.  

Isaiah 41:13

For I am the Lord your God
    who takes hold of your right hand
and says to you, Do not fear;
    I will help you.

He promised! He was going to help me! 

Peace surrounded me that day at my little table.  I paid my bills that day, not shoving them aside in fear.  I trusted that things would be better.  I knew I was not alone. I had help.  

My fear of not being enough, of not doing enough, of not having enough overwhelmed me that day so long ago.  It has tried to visit me again on other occasions.  Sometimes I have forgotten and opened the door.  Then I am reminded of  His promise - I Am Not Alone.   

You are not alone, you have the same help and safety.  

His promises are there for us all.  

What makes a family?

Is it because you share DNA with other people?  Because you are related by blood?

I know many people who have a family and do not share any genetic markers that would make them a biological family.  They didn’t find each other when the “child” was a child, they were older, in their teens or mid-twenties.  However, this did not make the “parent” any less of a parent because they did not raise them, in fact, it usually makes them closer.

Throughout my life, I watched my mother take in other “children” and treat them just as her own.  Sometimes these “brothers and sisters” would live with us, other times they were just close by.  To my mother, they were hers; her children, her babies.  She introduced them as such and when they got older and had children of their own, she was grandma.  This is how I was taught about family.

My mother had wanted a house filled with children, she had six miscarriages (that I know of) and only two children.  One of the scriptures she always quoted to me was Psalms 37:4-5,  

 “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this:”

If there is one thing that anyone would say about my mother, it would be she took delight in trusting in Jesus.  She wanted many children, and she was given more than she dreamed. Her family grew, and her heart was filled.  Trust can be a delight when there is love. 

If I can leave you with anything today, remember this:  

Delight my friends, trust the Lord.  Watch and see His mighty works.

When do you pray?

 “I thank my God every time I remember you.” Philippians 1:3

I have not ever been a get down on my knees, by the side of my bed, prayer time person.  I had my children when I was pretty young, if I knelt down with my eyes closed, that gave them an opportunity to create some new experiment in the bathroom sink.  Out of necessity, I became a pray with my eyes open, open and continual dialog with God, prayer time person.  My best prayers have been in traffic and the shower.

When someone crosses my mind, I say a prayer for them.  I don’t think twice, I just pray.  I may be in the grocery store, in line at the DMV, or heading into a client’s office.  Their name floats across my brain and my immediate response is “Jesus thank you for ____, bless them and keep them in your hand today.”

Life is filled with busy schedules, our days become hectic and finding a dedicated time to pray is sometimes impossible.  It can be so easy to slip past prayer time to help create the diorama for the science fair or bake cookies for the bake sale at church.

Instead of “making time” to pray, why not be in continual prayer?  Every breath becomes a prayer, keep and open dialog with Jesus all day long.

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

We do not know what our days hold, each one a mystery and filled with unexpected events.  Especially if you have children.  Every breath a prayer should be our constant state.

Pray without ceasing, just like breathing.

This principle became even more important to me as my children got older.  Letting go, allowing them to learn on their own, stretching their wings and giving some more independence.  This made my breathing more heavy and my prayers more fervent.

When we find a challenge, such as parenting, our prayers get taken to the next level.  Having a constant and open dialog is as necessary as oxygen.

When you remember me, pray for me.  I will pray for you as well.
I will most likely be in my car, in traffic.