Author: cmmary2021

“Sitting vigil” and “active death” were unfamiliar terms for me… until nine years ago. My mom had been battling cancer, and now these strange, new, unwelcomed, frightening concepts had crept into our vocabulary and our experience. Thankfully, hospice nurses were educating my husband, siblings, and me to understand what the body goes through as it shuts down and eventually stops. When death claims one’s loved one.

It often felt like this journey was someone else’s… should be someone else’s. It couldn’t possibly be mine. My mom had always been there for me, my greatest cheerleader. My dad had predeceased her, and so with her death — well, now I’d be an orphan.

When I started this blog two years ago, it was in honor of my mom. And so, on this — the ninth anniversary of saying our final farewells — it only seems appropriate to once again turn my thoughts to her.

In the early weeks and months after her passing I journaled. A LOT. Putting my thoughts, my often-conflicting emotions on paper helped me process what was going on in my head and my heart.

Grief.
It has no schedule, no timetable.
It has no right or wrong procedure, no instruction manual.
It comes at unexpected times —
as well as what might be considered “normal.”
It surprises one with its intensity, peculiarities.
It affects individuals differently.
It is deeply personal and mostly private.
It can be misunderstood by all save the one involved.
It hurts, it aches, it surfaces a myriad of emotions.
It has to be.

from my journal a few days prior to the one-year anniversary of my mom’s death … ” Thursday, August 20th”

In my initial blog (“Remembering my mom… August 31, 2021”) I shared how, through her death, I came to realize in a powerful way how God is always here for me… how He’s my biggest fan… how He always WILL be here for me.

I also began to see how “even though I no longer ‘hear’ my mom’s voice of encouragement, God often uses others to speak His message of hope and healing to my heart.”

Loss is hard. Gut-wrenchingly hard. Not only loss of a loved one, but also other losses in life — loss of a job, relationship, financial security, home. And as I shared in that initial blog, “ALL of us need to be reminded that God is rooting for us and wants to see us grow and prosper. No matter what time of day or night, HIS voice is ready and eager to reassure us of His love, His faithfulness, His commitment to us, His ability to make possible those things we deem impossible.”

Be that someone this week who can speak words of encouragement, words of hope and healing to another person’s heart. We desperately need one another — we were made for community, for relationships, not to be lone rangers — and together, we can have joy in the journey of this thing called “Life!”

“The Cypress Maze” by Fiona Valpy is an historical novel set in Italy during two juxtaposed time periods, 1943 and 2015. One part of the intriguing story revolves around young children who found refuge from the horrors of war in a beautiful villa in the seemingly peaceful Tuscan countryside.

Gio and Alfredo, one from the local village and the other from the bombed-out city of Turin, became fast friends. One day, young Alfredo was found crying inconsolably. In his hand were the crushed remains of a butterfly. His friend Gio explained that “We didn’t mean to hurt it. We thought we were helping.”

The boys had found a butterfly chrysalis (cocoon) as they explored the grounds of the villa. In their innocence, they thought they would “help” the butterfly by releasing it from its “cage.” Gio said, “We only wanted to let the butterfly come out and spread its wings in the sunshine. We wanted to save it the struggle and keep its strength for flying.”

The kind woman who had opened her home to the refugees gently explained to the young boys…

“But you see, my darlings, you can’t do the work for it.
The butterfly has to struggle to release itself from the cocoon
in order to become strong enough to fly.
See how its wings were fully formed?
But nature still needed it to go through a little more
so it could develop its strength.
You meant well, I know.
You wanted to help it,
to save it from the hard work.
But now you understand,
it’s the struggle itself
that gives the butterfly the strength to survive.

Francesca in Chapter 19, Beatrice’s Story — 1942, page 132

“It’s the struggle itself that gives the butterfly the strength to survive.”

How often do I find myself responding to life in the same way the boys did???

• Thinking that by avoiding struggles, wanting to make things easier, looking for an escape from conflict or pain or hard issues is the best route?
• Interfering in the lives of others thinking I’m helping… when actually the best thing they — and I — need is to go through whatever is before us?

“God’s Instruction Manual” (aka the Bible) talks about how life IS hard. It IS filled with struggles, heartache, injustices. They are often referred to as “fiery trials” — fiery because they’re intense, impassioned, have a lot of heat and potential for hurt. And yet they have benefits (which often aren’t felt or understood at the moment — voice of experience speaking!):

• Develop perseverance, and perseverance leads to maturity/not lacking anything (James 1:2-4).
• One author (Paul) goes so far as to say that we can REJOICE (!) in our sufferings because they produce perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us… (Romans 5: 3-5).
• “Enduring hardship” is actually a demonstration that God loves us. Why? Because it’s showing that He’s disciplining us, treating us as His children. “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12: 7, 11).

Yes, like the young boys I often want to help things along by avoiding the cramped/unproductive/HARD feelings of being stuck in the midst of struggles. And yet… it’s by these very struggles that my faith and trust in God most readily grows.

I also tend to want to short-circuit what God may be needing to do in the lives of others — especially those closest to me — by wanting to free the butterfly from its chrysalis, so to speak. But again, I need to get out of the way to let Him accomplish His purposes… in HIS time. I often forget that “It’s the struggle itself that gives the butterfly the strength to survive.”

I haven’t yet finished the book, but I’m already grateful for how a fictional story has brought such a practical truth to light. Just as the young boys were gently comforted by the wise words of Francesca (the owner of the villa), I’m encouraged by God’s tenderness in helping me grow as His child… how He is always with me, always loves me, always wants to make something beautiful out of the things (cocoons) in my life.

Chrysalis? or butterfly? May we encourage one another in whatever state we find ourselves and together have joy in the journey of this thing called “Life!”

references to “The Cypress Maze” by Fiona Valpy

published July 18, 2023 — available on Amazon.com

Ok. I admit it. I’m often a wimp. Not strong. Not courageous. Often afraid/fearful, insecure, overwhelmed by feelings of inadequacy. Often discouraged…

And yet this past week I was reminded of how God works in our lives to give us opportunities to grow in faith, in obedience, in learning to align our perspective with His.

In the Old Testament of the Bible there is a story of how Moses, the leader of the Israelites, sent twelve men on a scouting expedition to check out the land they were hoping to possess. Ten of the twelve only saw the obstacles, the BUTs…

• BUT… the people who live there are powerful… and they are stronger than we are!
• BUT… the cities are fortified and very large!
• BUT… the descendants of the Anak are there… and the Amalekites… and the Hitties, Jebusites, Amorites (all peoples who had opposed the Israelites and warred against them at various times).
• BUT… the land devours those living in it!
• BUT… the people are of great size!
• AND… “We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.” (Numbers 13:33)

Interesting. They felt small, insignificant, powerless — like grasshoppers — in their own eyes, and as a result, that’s exactly how the inhabitants of the land viewed them.

The other two men on the scouting expedition — Joshua and Caleb — had a completely different report. They said the land is exceedingly GOOD!

“If the LORD is pleased with us, HE will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and give it to us.”

Joshua’s report in Numbers 14:8

Ten saw ONLY the obstacles, the BUTs. Joshua and Caleb saw the possibilities. Why?

Because they were viewing the same challenges from God’s perspective.

The story continues with some powerful reminders:

Be strong and courageous,
because you will lead these people to inherit the land
I swore to their ancestors to give them.
Be strong and very courageous.
Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you….
Be strong and courageous.
Do not be afraid;
do not be discouraged,
for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

God’s instructions to Joshua (Joshua 1: 6-9)

Did you happen to notice what was repeated three times???

BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS !!!

Repeating BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS encourages my heart… because by repeating that phrase it indicates that there probably will be times when my strength is lacking. When my courage fails. Times when I may be terrified! Times when I may get discouraged. And yet God reassures us — each of us — that He will always be with us.

When I’m feeling rather wimp-ish, often it’s because –just like the ten — I’m only seeing the obstacles, all the BUTs. I’ve lost perspective, focus. I’ve forgotten that in my own strength I am weak, but with God — He delights in demonstrating His power IN my weaknesses! His grace truly is sufficient!

So, the next time you feel lacking in strength or courage… and maybe even feel fearful and discouraged… remember the two who saw challenges but viewed them as possibilities — not obstacles. Realign your perspective with God’s, recognizing this as an opportunity to grow in faith and obedience … and also remember that together we can have joy in the journey of this thing called “Life!”

photo credit: kensiekate.com

We dreamed. We prayed. We planned. We prayed some more.

The planning was for an annual women’s training here in Thailand — something, as team leader, I was intimately involved with! Participants had registered from four different countries. The team that would be leading the sessions was gearing up to join us from the US and the Philippines. The venue had been booked since last November and was awaiting our final count once registration closed the end of July.

But… because of the interactive nature of the training and because we didn’t have enough registrants, we had to cancel.

God said no.

Disappointing? Yes. Confusing? Yes.

This wasn’t the first time in my life that God halted plans I have made — nor will it be the last.

I remember how, as newlyweds, we had dreams and hopes and plans about our future… how we would start our family after a couple of years and then have three kids (since we both came from families with three kiddos, that seemed the likely number). That dream took us on a new path when we learned, after being married six years, that we wouldn’t be able to have biological children.

Disappointing? Yes. Confusing? Absolutely! How could this be happening to someone who used to dress her dog up in doll clothes and push her around in a baby stroller?!?

Another plan that went haywire was our desire to continue traveling to and working in then-Communist Romania once we moved from there to Austria when our student visas expired. It only made sense to us — since we had learned the language and had so many wonderful relationships there — that God would want us to keep building upon that foundation. And yet on our very first train trip there after moving we were both ushered off the train when crossing the Hungarian/Romanian border… and my husband was not allowed to reenter Romania for six years.

Disappointing? Yes! Confusing? Totally! Wasn’t this a waste of all those hours of language learning?!?

More halted, re-directed, discarded-altogether plans have occurred in subsequent years, and yet some valuable lessons have also surfaced.

For I know the plans I have for you, declared the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Jeremiah 29:11

All my life’s whys and whens and wheres and wherefores are in God’s hands.

Psalm 31:15 as translated by Dan Crawford into Lubu, a Bantu language

The more I get to know God as a loving Father — MY Father — the more I’m able to rest in knowing that HE is in charge. That HE knows what He’s doing.

And so disappointments, as they continue to come, are things I endeavor to see through the lens of a loving Father who ultimately knows what’s best. Notice I said, “endeavor to see.” Some days I do that better than others… I’m still learning, still growing.

As to the saying “God’s ‘no’ is actually a ‘I have something better in mind’ “… that proved true for us in both the above examples. In God’s timing He provided two incredible children for us through adoption. And He used the no-longer-able-to-enter- Romania scenario to redirect our path to what we’re continuing to do today.

But, in all honesty, there are those times when God’s ‘no’ feels more like He doesn’t have something better in mind. And so when there seems to be no reason, no advantage, God’s ‘no’ ends up being a response we just have to sit with. Accept. And trust that the finality of His answer will ultimately be for our good. Other times ‘no’ means ‘wait.’ Both types of ‘no’ are hard. Both are opportunities for us to realign our perspective with God’s.

When I wrote to the participants and the team that would be leading the training sessions I shared with them that…

God’s plan and ours for this fall’s training ended up being different. We’re confident, however, that HE knows what He’s doing — and so we rest and trust in that … and pray that God will use this experience to help each of us see Him in fresh ways.

When plans go awry, may we encourage one another to see those disappointments from a different perspective — from God’s point of view. And together, we’ll be able to have joy in the journey of this thing called “Life!”

You’d think I’d be better at this by now…

Having lived overseas for a number of years, there have been a LOT of people we’ve said goodbye to. I remember one time when we were living in Vienna, Austria — where it seemed a revolving door of hellos and goodbyes occurred because so many in the expat community were there for 2-3 years max — it dawned on me that I had developed a strange coping mechanism whenever a friend said they were going to move…

I would start withdrawing. Avoid getting together. Avoid revisiting all the memories from our shared experiences. I called it getting “weird.” But actually, it was a way of building a wall of protection around my fragile heart. An attempt to isolate myself from one more disappointment. An attempt to protect myself from the emptiness, the pain that my friend’s absence would bring. The hole in my heart couldn’t be filled by the next newcomer who came to town. And so I began to not even WANT to start new relationships as a way of preventing what would inevitably come to pass.

NOT a healthy way to deal with things!

After this eureka moment of identifying my ineffective coping strategy, more opportunities presented themselves for me to do things differently. Yep, it’s inevitable … but not just for those of us living overseas. People come and go in any community, anywhere on the globe! Our lives ebb and flow with changes in geography, job, season of life (think of kids and how the various stages from birth to out-of-the-home influence us!). Death itself is the final goodbye, and so ample opportunities to learn how to say goodbye abound.

And so when the time came for us to move from Europe — our home for 34 years — to Asia, I told those I was closest to (including our daughter, who would be remaining in Romania, where she had lived since she was 12 years old — and still lives!) about my tendency to get “weird.” I told them that I might start withdrawing. That I might avoid getting together. That I might say things that seemed out of character. That I probably would be more emotional, irritable, unpredictable. And I asked them to PLEASE say something to me, to bring this “weirdness” to my attention so that I wouldn’t cut them out of my life. This was when I needed them the most, even though everything about me was giving a different message. I also told them I’d bring it to their attention — with their permission — if I began to feel they were doing the same thing to me.

Wow! What a help that was — for all involved! It even opened up some opportunities for gut-level communication that was hard, but so very needed.

Fast forward to last week…

I had known my friend Marcia was going to be moving this summer. My husband and I had been in the States for two months, and so our first Sunday back home we got together with Marcia and her husband — naively acting as though this was a normal thing, not one of our last in-person times. A few weeks later we got together again…

… and now the “weirdness” set in. I felt like a zombie when we were together. More like an outsider than a participant in conversations. When I realized what I was doing, I shared my heart with them. What a relief to be able to talk about it and to also have the opportunity to share with them special memories of our times together, how they had impacted and influenced my life, what I appreciated about them. Things I needed to say, wanted to say… and yet had felt stymied when the “weirdness” set in.

The word Romanians use for goodbye is “La revedere.” Literally, to see again. Germans have a similar word, “Auf Wiedersehen.” Until we meet again. I like these much better than goodbye, which sounds so final!

As a Christ follower, there is truth in the fact that no matter what the future holds I will be seeing Marcia and her husband again… if not on this earth, someday in heaven. That softens the leave-taking that will occur tonight when we see them off at the airport. And knowing this is what helps me to have joy in the journey of this thing called “Life!”

It hit me like a ton of bricks. I was sitting in our living room one morning, enjoying the view off our balcony. Plants swaying in the gentle breeze. Hazy mountains (more like hills!) in the distance. Tropical birds were serenading me with their ever-changing repertoire of song. I was spending some time reading the Bible and praying — my “Quiet Time,” as I like to call it. A habit instilled in me when I became a follower of Christ as a university student.

BUT… my mind was wandering all over the place. What time was I supposed to meet Elaine — was it 3 or 3:30? I’d better get a load of wash in — today looks like a good drying day. Oh, dear — I missed another deadline for the home office. Was today the day Myrna was flying? I told her I’d be sure to pray. Dinner… fiddlesticks. Looks like I need to run to the store.

Oh, hello, God! Sorry… I haven’t even stopped to acknowledge You. Now… where were we???

That’s when I realized I have it… Spiritual ADHD.

Typically, ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) — at least the “inattentive” type that resonates most with my malady — is expressed by

1. easy distractibility

2. frequent forgetfulness in daily life

3. difficulty staying organized or managing time

4. a tendency to put off or avoid tasks that require long periods of mental effort, such as homework or work projects
<<<>>>
resulting in finding it difficult to complete tasks on time and procrastinate on schoolwork, chores, or even projects you enjoy.

see the link below

https://www.healthline.com/health/adhd/difference-between-add-and-adhd

Pondering this revelation, I began to realize that at the heart of my thoughts-racing-all-over-the-place mind I had forgotten what this “Quiet Time” was actually all about. It’s about daily meeting with a person… the God I have a relationship with. The One who made me and knows me better than I know myself — and loves me anyway!

I thought back to when my husband and I were first getting to know one another. Oh, how eagerly we looked forward to spending time together! We for sure would greet one another before racing into conversation — not like me forgetting to even acknowledge God at the beginning of my Quiet Time. Sometimes he would talk, I would listen; other times I would take the lead. There were often periods of silence as we reflected on what was said — and also “listened” to what was unsaid. As our relationship developed, these times of communication built trust, which in turn enabled us to be more open, more vulnerable with each other. We got mad with each other, angry even! And learned to deal with conflict… and with those “hidden” things we had hoped would never be brought to the surface.

My getting distracted, getting sidetracked, losing focus when spending time with the Lord robs me from going deeper in my relationship with Him. It robs the intimacy that can only flourish when trust is established. When openness is present. When fear is absent.

Those with ADHD — the clinical kind, not my spiritual variety — often come up with coping mechanisms to help minimize those triggers that get them off-course. I realize that I, too, need some strategies, like…

1. Reminding myself that I’m meeting with my heavenly Father! And so don’t look at my phone or computer — for incoming texts or to check emails or read the latest Facebook posts or…
AND put my phone on silent!

2. When the inevitable interruptions DO come — like remembering something to do, whatever it may be —
jot it down in my agenda (or wherever may work best for you) and LEAVE it there!
Don’t let the interruption rule me,
but rather I control the interruption.

3. Be comfortable with silence.

4. Be honest with God —
with my questions, my hurts, my confusion.
AND tell Him about the good things!
Be quick to thank Him, slow to blame Him,
eager to be with Him.

5. And remember Him throughout the day.
I think of those who religiously stop to pray five times a day — and realize that I need to grow in
turning my attention to God all day long.
Not as a legalistic type of thing,
but rather a checking-in-with-my-friend type of thing.

Yep, Spiritual ADHD. A “diagnosis,” but not incurable. And if you’re anything like me, I trust that together we can make progress in this area and have joy in the journey of this thing called “Life!”

photo credit: http://www.sailing-cruising.com

Jessica Watson was a 16-year-old Australian girl with a big dream: to be the youngest person to circumnavigate the globe unassisted. That means sailing a 34-foot (10.23 m) long sailboat for nearly seven-months. SOLO. No stops along the way to restock provisions. No pulling into port for repairs.

Among the many challenges she faced were waves up to 40 feet (12 m) high.

In the Atlantic, the boat rolled over four times during one storm. The third wave had me worried — I got picked up 180 degrees upside down and then thrown into the trough of another wave. It kind of makes you think: How big must that wave have been to do that? There wasn’t a lot I could do, in a situation like that, except hunker down, hold on to anything and everything, and stand on the ceiling.

Jessica Watson, in the National Geographic article linked below

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/article/meet-the-adventurers-of-the-year-circumnavigator-jessica-watson

I’m not a sailor, but I DO understand what being turned 180 degrees upside down — literally head over heels! — means… and it’s terrifying! Once the mast pushed 180 degrees into the water it set off an emergency beacon signaling that the boat sank.

In the Netflix movie “True Spirit” that topsy-turvy event seemed to last forever! But I discovered that Jessica said, “The 15 ft. underwater is real because my emergency beacon did self-activate as the boat sank. That happened. But the time I was upside down for, it certainly felt like a long time. I haven’t really got a concept of how long it was in reality, but we are talking seconds compared to what we see in the movie, which stretches on forever in minutes and minutes and minutes. That’s a little bit of an exaggeration there, but it was real to the experience of it feeling like forever.” (https://www.historyvshollywood.com/reelfaces/true-spirit/)

So… what’s all this have to do with drogues? and what are they anyway?

A drogue is a device that looks a bit like a parachute. It is similar to an anchor (which fixes a boat in place), but is used to control speed and stabilize one’s course — kind of like putting your boat in “park.” In the movie, when faced with monster waves, Jessica chose to use a drogue to keep her yacht upright while more-or-less riding the waves as a surfer would. This kept her from being 180 degrees upside down again!

…. and what’s all this have to do with the Christian life?!?

I started thinking about “drogues” in my life — things God may have allowed to slow me down, to stabilize me in the midst of daily living. In the midst of the storms of life. Things like getting behind a slower-than-molasses-in-January driver to make me more attentive when my mind is pre-occupied and not paying attention to the road. Or not getting an email response when I thought I should have — and then seeing later how that kept me from responding prematurely (and ususally incorrectly!) to other related emails.

Or when we learned that we were unable to have children of our own. That threw a wrench in our plans… definitely slowed us down. And yet the lessons we learned as we waited upon God for His perfect timing to provide children through adoption — I wouldn’t trade those lessons for anything! Especially how it helped me redefine how I viewed God (something I’ll save for a later blog)…

And then there have been numerous times in our marriage when we’ve been in prolonged waiting mode. A drogue that can be confusing, perplexing, frustrating, maddening… and yet inevitably, once we’re on the other side of the waiting, there’s been clarity and thankfulness.

Usually.

When God brings drogue-like situations into our lives, it helps to have others who can come alongside us and remind us to keep hanging in there! As Jessica Watson experienced, her boat finally righted itself. She survived being upside down — submerged — in turbulent seas. She also had family and friends who were cheering her along via email and satellite communications.

We may sometimes need to use a drogue, other times an anchor. Jesus Himself is the anchor of my soul, the firm and secure One I can cling to (see Hebrews 6:19)!

Whatever storm(s) you may be facing right now, my prayer is that God will make Himself real to you and that you can see how very much He loves and cares for you. You aren’t alone! And together… may we have joy in the journey of this thing called “Life!”

It was the first evening of a nine-day intensive training. Women from six nations had traveled here to Chiang Mai, some leaving their home country and flying for the first time. One woman had left behind her four-month-old son and enough breast milk to keep him fed until her return. Another would learn, during our time together, that a beloved colleague had committed suicide. All had spent a considerable amount of time preparing for the training — approximately 40 hours of pre-work — and organizing things at work and home for this time away. I was in a new role, as were others on the facilitation team. There were a LOT of things that could cause us to be anxious. Worried. Preoccupied.

And so… that first evening, I introduced the “Worry Jar.”

I shared with the women that more than likely there may be things weighing on our hearts — worries, cares, concerns — that could rob us of all that God would want to say and do in our lives during these days together. I shared some encouraging words from God’s Word..

Be still [surrender your anxiety] and KNOW [realize] that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Psalm 46:10

Do not be anxious about anything [don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing], but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving [overflowing gratitude], present your request to God. [Tell Him every detail of your life.] And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4: 6-7

Cast all your anxiety on Him [pour out all your worries and stress upon Him and leave them there] — because He cares for you.

I Peter 5:7

We spent a few moments in silent prayer, committing those things that were on our hearts to the Lord. And then, as a way of demonstrating giving everything to Him, releasing those things to Him, we wrote those things on a slip of paper and then put them in the “Worry Jar.” A visible, tangible reminder that we were giving these things to God, trusting Him with whatever was on our hearts.

Two days ago, did I ever need a “Worry Jar“!?! I had tossed and turned in bed, sleep evading me for several hours in the early morning hours while my mind was in overdrive. I awoke tired, anxious … a vague sense of things being out of kilter. I then realized that there were several things I was clinging to, things I thought I had given to the Lord — but obviously had grabbed back! Health concerns. Job concerns. Grieving with friends who had lost their son — the same age as our son. Planning yet another training this year. The list kept going!

At the close of that first evening of training last fall — after putting our slips of paper in the “Worry Jar” — we listened to a song that repeated a simple, yet profound phrase over and over…

Be still
Be still and know that
In stillness and quiet
That I am the Lord

Let go
Let go of your worries
Only one thing is needed
Just be still and know
Be still and know
That I am the Lord

“Know (Be Still)” by Jeremy Camp

The “Worry Jar” kept getting fuller and fuller throughout the week, and yet something else also happened. The peace of God — that peace that transcends all human understanding — became increasingly evident. As the song says, “Only one thing is needed… just be still and know that I am the Lord.”

We all need reminders from time to time. Sometimes, having a tangible “something” to remind us to keep our focus on the Lord is beneficial. Other times, a good friend can help us regain perspective. At any rate, may we continually seek ways to come alongside one another so that together we may have joy in the journey of this thing called “Life!”

photo credit: downloadyouthministry.com

I have a knack for getting distracted. I don’t even remember now what I was looking for… but I ended up coming across something I wrote a few years ago based on what is often referred to as the Lord’s Prayer.

The Lord’s Prayer isn’t a magic formula, but rather how Jesus instructed His followers to pray back in the first century. They often saw examples of religious leaders who loved to pray so that they would be seen and heard by others. Other “pray-ers” felt like the more words they used the better. But Jesus simplified all this. He made prayer something personal, intimate — between the individual and God. Something not dependent on how much is said or what is said, but rather what is truly on one’s heart. Something that is a conversation with Someone who knows and loves you. Who accepts you as you are — however your words may be expressed, either verbally or internally (in your thoughts/mind).

Our Father in Heaven,
may Your name be honored and revered.

• Forgive us when we seek the honor and approval of others…
• Forgive us when we take for granted how much it cost You for us to be able to address you as our Abba, Father.
• Forgive us when we trivialize Your very name, using it as an exclamation or worse — instead of addressing a person.
• Help us develop habit patterns of acknowledging Your presence in every aspect of our lives.

Soon may Your rule become visible to all
and may Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

• Sometimes we get overwhelmed when we see our world spiraling out of control. Forgive us, Father, for focusing on our circumstances… and not on You.
• Help us to encourage one another to keep our perspective on You, to not lose heart.
• Help us to not hinder what YOU want to accomplish/to get out of the way when necessary. Create within us a sensitivity to Your Spirit, Your ways.

Give us today our daily bread.

• Forgive us when we get anxious, when we forget that You know our needs… and how to fultill them.
• Forgive us when we compare ourselves to others, when we grumble and complain, when we act like spoiled children because we haven’t gotten our way.
• Help us, dear Father, to learn to be content… and to realize that contentment has nothing to do with our circumstances but everything to do with who You are.

Forgive us our sins as we ourselves forgive those who sin against us.

• Lord, we want to be strong. We want to be people who show mercy… but too often we are weak. We allow prejudice, gossip, dislike to creep into our lives. We hold onto grudges and petty issues that cause division and destroy unity.
• Forgive us, Father. Help us to admit our sin… to You and to one another. Help us to grow in our ability to show grace to others.

Do not lead us into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

• Forgive us when we blow it, Lord. You know our weaknesses, our vulnerable spots… and so does our enemy. Sometimes — by not listening to You — we play into his hand. Help us to remember that You will always provide a way out when we’re tempted. Help us to be on the lookout for that.
• Forgive us when we cringe and squirm, trying to avoid Your discipline. Help us to remember that You discipline us… because You love us.

For Yours is the kingdom
and the power
and the glory
forever.
Amen.

Talking with God. Sharing with Him what’s going on within our hearts, our minds. Being honest… because He’s a friend.

May we encourage one another to regularly be in honest and open communication with God and with one another… and together we’ll have joy in the journey of this thing called “Life!”

Note: you can find this teaching on prayer in two places in the New Testament: Matthew 6: 5-14 and Luke 11: 1-4.

It’s impossible to miss. From anywhere along the coastline, the 67-meter (220 feet) “Lady Buddha” in Da Nang, Vietnam looms even larger than the familiar “Christ the Redeemer” statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil — a “mere” 38 meters (125 feet) in comparison. And so, during our brief stay in this city she has greeted me every morning as I’ve looked out our hotel window.

“Lady Buddha” more accurately represents the Goddess of Mercy, one of the most-loved figures in Buddhism. She is said to have the power to assist those who pray to her. Locals believe that the statue, which faces the sea, watches over fishermen and protects the city from typhoons. She is seen as a sort of savior, as her name in various languages means “one who hears the sounds of the world.”

Interesting. Inciteful. Even in a part of the world that embraces another god, there appears to be an innate sense of looking to someone/something else to ask for help, protection. Someone/something to hear our heart cries, our inner thoughts and yearnings.

As a Christ-follower, that someone/something is a living God — not a mere statue made of out stone. In Old Testament times, a man named Isaiah said that “All who fashion idols are nothing, and the things they delight in do not profit.” (Isaiah 44:9) The Psalmist went on to say, “Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see. They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell. They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat. Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them.” (Psalm 115:4-8)

It’s easy for me to realize that Lady B doesn’t have the power, the capacity to answer my prayers or to be my protector, my savior. And yet her presence has made me ask myself…

What might be idols in my life???

It hits a bit too close to home when I realize that I, too, have other “things” that subtly become where I place my hope, other people that supplant God in terms of importance. Ouch. That hurts.

And isn’t it “ironic” that just last week I wrote about hope??? About how “hope is based on a person, not on our circumstances, not on other people, not on optimism, not on any effort we can conjure up.” It seems that frequently God gives me a pop quiz soon after teaching me a lesson to see if I really got the point!

So… what are some idols that creep into my life? Things like over-emphasizing human efficiency. Being more concerned with how things look than is necessary. Being too concerned with what other people think/being a people-pleaser. Becoming dependent on my “devices” as evidenced by frustration when internet is slow or something doesn’t work! And… even putting my trust in other people more than God, which is a recipe for disappointment.

I’m so very thankful for this view out my window. Why? Because it’s a visible reminder that I need to daily, moment-by-moment “fix my gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” (2 Corinthians 4:18)

Hebrews 11:1  ... as expressed in different translations....

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.  (ESV)

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. (NIV)

Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. (NLT)

Now faith brings our hopes into reality and becomes the foundation needed to acquire the things we long for. It is all the evidence required to prove what is still unseen. (TPT)

The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see. (MSG)

Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality -- faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses]. (AMP)

Those “things that cannot be seen” keep pointing me to Jesus. He is a living savior, One who listens to my prayers and protects me, One who isn’t a “sort of savior” but rather the One who gave His life for me so that I have a real savior. He has eyes that DO see and ears that DO hear. His voice has the power to calm the sea. He is all that I need!

Wherever you may be in understanding who Jesus is, whatever idols may be vying for your attention… may we come alongside one another so that together we can have joy in the journey of this thing called “Life!”