We did rock, paper, scissors, or something a few weeks ago to see who would go out in the rain right before dark to feed the "shop" cats and put up the chickens. I don't even remember if I played or not, but I won the honor of an evening walk. On my way back from the shop, I heard a bird still singing, chirping, whatever you want to call it even though the rest of our little chunk of land here seemed to be going to bed for the night.
The little bird made me smile. (I am a self-confessed bird nerd anyway and have been known to talk to my purple martins and even understand them when they answer back. I promise you they still knew me the year I was half-bald from my chemotherapy when I walked out to welcome them back home in late February. They knew it was me!!!)
Why did the bird make me smile? I could not even see it. I did stop in the rain and look back into the trees for it, but I could not find it. I questioned my sanity until I heard it again because it was no where in sight. The sweet bird reminded me of the HOPE we have when we know the Lord in a real, personal way.
I thought of the singing bird again today when we read our Jesse Tree Devotional book and put the new ornaments on our Jesse Tree. It was day 13 (yes, we are behind a bit) about the green shoot from the stump of Jesse. This devotional series traces the lineage of the birth of Jesus back to creation. The really cool thing is that the lineage does not only need to be traced BACK. It is still going forward daily as well. We can write our name in the line too when we accept the free gift of grace and salvation. His family line is not complete. It is not only about a baby born many years ago and a nice story to read over the holidays. What happened in that stable was a gift that is for us to take part in now and that is where the HOPE comes from!
The stump of mentioned in Isaiah 11:1-5 is Jesse. Think about an old, dead stump. That is really the human race without a close walk with the Lord and without salvation. The stump's life is over. It is dead. There is nothing pretty about it. Does the story end there? No, the green shoot is Jesus. He is life. He is the second chance no matter how many mistakes you have made and how bad life may be, Jesus was born for you. He is the gift of Christmas and is not just a gift of Christmas pasts. Jesus is the promise that even when we see failing economies, more and more cancer, families split up at Christmas, and children in need, there is new life and there is HOPE! Jesus is the bird that still sings when it is nearly dark. Jesus is the bulb hidden deep in my flower bed just waiting to bloom again in the spring. It will happen! There is life even in the midst of the dead weeds and leaves that need to be raked.
If you look up today and you see your life kind of as a dead stump, please know that there is a fresh, green shoot ready to bloom. There is HOPE and we may not always be able to find happy, but we can find JOY. He was born in a manger, crucified, and rose again. He is not finished! You may be, but He is not. Go and forgive today. Go and give today. Go and tell today. Do not sit at your window and stare at all that has not been or all that went wrong, there is a new thing going on today everyone can be a part of it!
This "thing" is Christmas.
It is the birthday of our KING.
His name is JESUS.
He is HOPE!
Do you know Him?
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Monday, December 19, 2011
The next big thing...
If you are the mountain type, I want you to imagine a really gigantic mountain in front of you. If you need a sports example, put the biggest, strongest opponent you have ever faced in your path. For me, I am a simple hands-on kind of girl and I use my hands so much when I talk, that I need to see this visual not only in my mind, but with the use of my hands. The Lord showed me this point a few days ago like this: My left hand is smack dab in front of my face, elbow bent, hand straight up in a vertical position, thumb facing me, top of my fingers at about the top of my head. This is the hand position you would have assumed as a kid if you were going to pretend like you were going to chop a board with your hand! You know that one....
The point of my lengthy description and several visuals is this: My next obstacle, my challenge of the day, month or year, or the next time that something in life seems like a GIANT, I am going to look at it differently. I am not going to focus on the what is next...what will happen....how will I get thought this one, but I am going to look BACK! I am not going to worry about how I will get OVER the mountain or get past my opponent. I will not let my attention go towards knocking down that arm that I am holding up straight in front of my face, but I am going to look on the left side of it. My thoughts will be on what has happened before the line, before the mountain or before I lined up a faced my giant on the field or court.
What look back? Because when we look back at the faithfulness of the Lord, we may just find the strength we need to go forward. I can see the grace of Jesus Christ all over my life leading up to this point. I have trusted Him with my salvation to name a biggie and so many little things along the way, so what makes me think that at the point of this next big "thing" that He will not do it again. That just does not make sense. My point exactly! When we are in panic mode, nothing does make sense. We need these reminders from the Word.
Psalms 116: 7 says "Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you."
Psalms 143:5 instructs us to look back and meditate on what the Lord has done. It says "I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done."
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, life has not always been a walk in the park or a bed of roses, but let me tell you...The Lord's hand has been all over my life and He is not going to take His hand off of my life! Yours either. So, I believe He begs us to take our hand off of the panic button and rest in all that HE HAS DONE!
Whether you are standing in front of a huge mountain or a tiny molehill, a wimpy linebacker your could flip with just one hand or the giant of your life, take this into your soul and begin your day saying this out loud:
"Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you." Psalms 143:8
Trust the Lord. He will not let you down. If the road ahead does not look too bright, glance back over your shoulder at all He has done. He will see you through the next interview or job change, doctor's visit, final exam, break-up, late night visit with your challenging teen, or day with a dying loved one. You just need to remind yourself that things and people in this life may fail us, but HIS LOVE IS UNFAILING!
The point of my lengthy description and several visuals is this: My next obstacle, my challenge of the day, month or year, or the next time that something in life seems like a GIANT, I am going to look at it differently. I am not going to focus on the what is next...what will happen....how will I get thought this one, but I am going to look BACK! I am not going to worry about how I will get OVER the mountain or get past my opponent. I will not let my attention go towards knocking down that arm that I am holding up straight in front of my face, but I am going to look on the left side of it. My thoughts will be on what has happened before the line, before the mountain or before I lined up a faced my giant on the field or court.
What look back? Because when we look back at the faithfulness of the Lord, we may just find the strength we need to go forward. I can see the grace of Jesus Christ all over my life leading up to this point. I have trusted Him with my salvation to name a biggie and so many little things along the way, so what makes me think that at the point of this next big "thing" that He will not do it again. That just does not make sense. My point exactly! When we are in panic mode, nothing does make sense. We need these reminders from the Word.
Psalms 116: 7 says "Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you."
Psalms 143:5 instructs us to look back and meditate on what the Lord has done. It says "I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done."
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, life has not always been a walk in the park or a bed of roses, but let me tell you...The Lord's hand has been all over my life and He is not going to take His hand off of my life! Yours either. So, I believe He begs us to take our hand off of the panic button and rest in all that HE HAS DONE!
Whether you are standing in front of a huge mountain or a tiny molehill, a wimpy linebacker your could flip with just one hand or the giant of your life, take this into your soul and begin your day saying this out loud:
"Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you." Psalms 143:8
Trust the Lord. He will not let you down. If the road ahead does not look too bright, glance back over your shoulder at all He has done. He will see you through the next interview or job change, doctor's visit, final exam, break-up, late night visit with your challenging teen, or day with a dying loved one. You just need to remind yourself that things and people in this life may fail us, but HIS LOVE IS UNFAILING!
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