Do you need an Aaron or Hur today???

photo credit: wayneforte.com

There’s an interesting battle scene in the Bible. To give some background…

An old man — the one credited with leading the nation of Israel out of their slavery in Egypt — has faced numerous challenges with those in his charge. There are quite a few of them — 600,000 men and an additional who-knows-exactly-how-many women and children! They had already seen some incredible things happen, like when God literally parted the Red Sea so that they could walk through on the dry riverbed — and then as those same waters flowed back, obliterating their pursuers.

This huge entourage then started walking through rough, desert terrain. For three days they couldn’t find any water, which is a HUGE problem in a desert, especially with so many people! Finally, they found some water — but it was bitter and so unable to be drunk. The people grumbled. In all honesty, I think I would have, too! Their leader cried out to God — and then another unlikely, incredible thing happened: he took a piece of wood, threw it into the water, and the water became sweet and able to be drunk!

Less than two weeks later they had another grumbling session, this time about the food (or lack thereof). They reminisced that life had been better before. “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt!” they complained. “There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you [addressing their leader Moses and his sidekick Aaron] have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”

Once again, God provided for their needs in a most unusual, unique way: every day, for the next forty years, they would have sufficient nourishment. But only enough for one day at a time. If they tried to hoard their allotment it would be full of maggots and stink the following day. Yuck.

After this, they had yet another setback: no water… again! They grumbled, quarreled with their leaders, and asked, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?” This time, their leader Moses took the very same staff that he had used previously when parting the waters of the Red Sea and hit a rock, which then gushed forth water.

The next challenge they faced was being attacked by a hostile nation. Oh, brother. As if their journey to what was called “the Promised Land” hadn’t already been difficult! This brings us to the interesting battle scene mentioned at the beginning… the leader (Moses) went to the top of a hill with his brother Aaron and Hur (someone we don’t know a whole lot about). Moses held the staff (yep, same one) in his hands, and as long as his hands were UP, the Israelites were winning. But whenever he LOWERED his hands, the enemy was winning. When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him so that he could sit down. Then, Aaron and Hur — one on one side of Moses and the other on the other — held his hands up. The result was that his hands remained steady until sunset. And the Israelites won the battle.

Hmm… I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been in that kind of battle. However, there have been times when the challenges and pressures of life have been intense. Overwhelming. Times of feeling unsure of what to do next, how to respond to a problem, how to deal with a comment or criticism, how to not give up when everything looks hopeless.

It’s at times like this that I — we! — need an Aaron or Hur. Someone to be there with us in whatever we’re facing. Someone who may not even say anything, but just by their presence communicates a steadiness, strength that we desperately need. Someone who lifts us up so that we don’t grow weary or give up.

In addition, those in the thick of the battle are unable to see the big picture. They don’t have the vantage point of being up on the hill, so to speak (like Moses, Aaron, and Hur). God wisely instructed Moses to write on a scroll what had happened — ESPECIALLY for Joshua, who was the one on the ground waging the battle. He wanted to make sure Joshua knew and remembered what had happened that day.

That’s another reason we need one another… to remember the victories, the lessons learned, and yes, even the challenges themselves. The good, the bad, and the ugly are the very things God uses — IS USING — in our lives to make us the people we are today and will be tomorrow.

Do you need an Aaron or Hur today? Or could you be that for someone else? As we become more attentive to others in our spheres of influence, more attentive to what is happening in and around us, may that be the catalyst that enables us to have joy in the journey of this things called “Life!”

* You can read more about this story in the Old Testament of the Bible, the book of Exodus, chapters 13-17.

Retreat… necessary for survival!!!

photo credit: Cheryl Stinchcomb

Having grown up near the ocean, I LOVE all things related to the sea! Walking on the beach, swimming, sailing, water skiing (at least in my younger years) all have a way of refreshing my body and soul. So when a friend shared these incredible pictures earlier this week — and a life lesson learned from them — something resonated in my very core.

She and her family were at the beach here in Thailand (this is our hot season/summer, and so schools are on break). She shared…

I got to observe 15 species of crab this week…
Some were armoured and scary-looking, some looked soft and vulnerable, some preferred hiding in their shells to scuttling on the rocks, some colourful, some camouflaged.
All required some level of retreat for survival.

Life lesson from the rockpools —
there is space for all in this world and retreat is good!
The hermit crab should not try to live like the stone crab.
They are not made for it…
and yet still I push sometimes for the
hermit-crab people in my life to “come out” more…

Retreat is necessary for all of us,
but more for some species (people) than others.

Cheryl Stinchcomb
in “God’s Creatures in Thailand” Facebook post
April 18, 2024

The reason this resonated with me is because I sometimes find myself in a tizzy, anxious about one thing or the other; weary because of a busy schedule; becoming snippy, critical with those I’m closest to (translated: my husband!). What my soul is trying to tell my brain and my body is that I need to retreat… to take time to do something to nurture my soul. Something that can get my focus back on what is life-giving as opposed to feeling drained. Something that recharges me.

As a Christ follower, the primary way that happens is by spending time reading God’s love letter to me (aka the Bible). But in all honesty, the past few weeks I feel like what I’ve been reading has been going in one eye and out the other — completely missing my heart and soul. Instead of being recharged, my battery level has kept going down.

Cheryl’s “life lesson from the rockpools” reminded me of how Jesus — God Himself walking among man — sometimes felt the need to get away, to withdraw, to retreat.

And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, He departed and went out to a desolate place, and there He prayed. – Mark 1:35

Perceiving then that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king [after the feeding of the 5000], Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by Himself. – John 6:15

Hmm… if Jesus needed to do this, how much more do I!?!

My “life lesson from the rockpools” is that I need to MAKE time to do things that provide “retreat” from the busyness of life, things that recharge instead of drain my energy. This doesn’t mean to forego my daily times reading the Bible, but to be intentional in doing things like writing this blog — since it is life-giving for me! Another is getting together with a friend for a heart-to-heart/below-the-surface chat. I also need to recognize the importance of planning some down time, which has a way of refreshing and renewing. Proverbs 13:12 talks about this when it says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” In other words, having something to look forward to is also life-giving!

And that, my friends, is how I’m choosing to move forward so that I can have joy in the journey of this thing called “Life!”

By the way, if you would like to check out more of Cheryl’s adventures, go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/274029857018047/?ref=share

Doubts

Doubting Thomas by Carvaggio

Our family lived in Romania for a number of years. The churches there designated the Sunday after Easter as “Thomas Sunday,” a day to remember the disciple who had doubts about the Resurrection. He wasn’t present when Jesus first appeared to the disciples, and so when they told him this good news he was skeptical:  “Unless I see the nail marks in His hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe it.”  (John 20:25)

A week passes and then, when the disciples are together again, Jesus shows up and tells Thomas, “Put your finger here; see My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop doubting and believe.”  (John 20:27)  Thomas did what Jesus said… and believed. 

Doubts are a normal part of life, not just for Thomas, but for ALL of us. And yet God invites our questioning, seeking, skeptical hearts to honestly share with Him our concerns. And then, like Jesus graciously did with Thomas, He shows up and helps us in our unbelief… helps us to see Him as He really is. 

Sometimes it helps to verbalize what we’re grappling with to another person. We may not have all the answers, but often a listening ear, a caring gesture can be “just what the doctor ordered.” In the midst of our doubts, our fears, our confusion there is someone who truly does understand and care… our Savior and our God.

May God encourage your heart… especially if you are feeling like Thomas these days! And together, may we have joy in the journey of this thing called “Life.”

Silent Saturday

photo credit: mbschurch.org

Good Friday. Easter Sunday. But Saturday… I’d never thought much about the in-between day until recently…

Saturday, the day after the gruesome crucifixion of Jesus, His followers were nowhere to be seen. They were in hiding, fearful for their own lives due to their association with Christ. They were scared. Struggling. Undoubtedly feeling abandoned, wondering if all they’d seen and heard the past three years was real, was worth dying for.

The following article addresses some of the same thoughts I’ve been mulling over on this Silent Saturday, and so I’m sharing it in its entirety — a guest post, so to speak. As you read, may it cause you to have hope for those inevitable times of silence in our lives, the day “between the struggle and the solution; the question and the answer; the offered prayer and the answer thereof.”

Jesus is silent on Saturday… The cadaver of Christ is as mute as the stone which guards it.  He spoke much on Friday. He will liberate the slaves of death on Sunday.  But on Saturday, Jesus is silent.

So is God.  He made himself heard on Friday.  He tore the curtains of the temple, opened the graves of the dead, rocked the earth, blocked the sun of the sky, and sacrificed the Son of Heaven.  Earth heard much of God on Friday.

Nothing on Saturday.  Jesus is silent.  God is silent.  Saturday is silent.

Easter weekend discussions tend to skip Saturday.  Friday and Sunday get the press.  The crucifixion and resurrection command our thoughts.  But don’t ignore Saturday.  You have them, too.

Silent Saturdays.  The day between the struggle and the solution; the question and the answer; the offered prayer and the answer thereof.

Saturday’s silence torments us.  Is God angry?  Did I disappoint him? God knows Jesus is in the tomb, why doesn’t He do something?  Or, in your case God knows your career is in the tank, your finances are in the pit, your marriage is in a mess. Why doesn’t He act?  What are you supposed to do until He does?

You do what Jesus did.  Lie still.  Stay silent.  Trust God.  Jesus died with this conviction: “You will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay” (Acts 2:27 NIV).

Jesus knew God would not leave him alone in the grave.  You need to know, God will not leave you alone with your struggles.  His silence is not his absence, inactivity is never apathy.  Saturdays have their purpose. They let us feel the full force of God’s strength. Had God raised Jesus fifteen minutes after the death of His son, would we have appreciated the act? Were He to solve your problems the second they appear, would you appreciate His strength?

For His reasons, God inserts a Saturday between our Fridays and Sundays.  If today is one for you, be patient.  As one who endured the silent Saturday wrote:  “Be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord” (James 5:7 NKJV).

© Max Lucado, 2013

Last words… lasting words

photo credit: https://velocitychurch.life

I’m not sure what prompted the reminiscing… but earlier this week I started thinking about words or phrases I associate with certain people:

  • Things just keep perking along! (my mom — whenever we would call to check in on her)
  • I can put you in the canoe and give you oars… but you have to do the paddling. (my dad — as I left home after graduating from university for a job on the other side of America)
  • Blameless??? What does “blameless” look like??? (Nicole K. — during a Bible study years ago)
  • You can’t be your husband’s Holy Spirit! (Linda D. — in a study on marriage when I was a relatively young bride)
  • “Praise the Lord!” is a command… so tell God what you’re praising Him for! (Myrna A. — at a conference for college students at my first job)
  • We can’t live in a “what if” world. (my husband — shortly after we got married)
  • Only two things last forever: God’s Word and man’s soul. We want to invest our lives in those things. (my husband again — when we were newlyweds)
  • Sometimes you just need a good cry. (my sister — when we were teenagers)

Thinking of those words and phrases brought to mind some important things that Jesus said…

We’re entering into what is often referred to as Holy Week: the period of time encompassing when Jesus triumphantly entered into Jerusalem riding a donkey (Palm Sunday), the Last Supper (when He celebrated the Passover meal with His disciples and then was betrayed by one of them), the Crucifixion (what is referred to as Good Friday), and then Easter (the day He was resurrected from the dead). Significant events. And so what He had to say during that period — His last words — is vitally important for those of us who are Christ followers.

Last words… lasting words.

Imagine what it would be like for YOU if you knew you only had a limited amount of time — just a few days — with those with whom you’re closest. How would knowing that impact what you would say? do?

Jesus gathered those He was closest to — His twelve disciples — for a meal. That’s not so unusual. But what He did during the meal was VERY unusual. Shocking even. He assumed the role of a servant and began to wash the feet of His followers. In that day and that culture, when walking was the main mode of transportation and wearing sandals the preferred footwear, a person’s feet would get dusty and sweaty when walking from Point A to Point B. The lowliest of jobs was that of the servant who would be tasked with washing the feet of those entering one’s home.

Just a few days before, Jesus had been hailed as a king. Now… He was washing feet. By doing this, He was communicating a powerful message to the twelve and subsequently to us: we who have placed our faith, our trust in Jesus have been totally washed/made clean. But periodically, we need to have our feet washed… to be cleansed of the sins that creep into our lives.

His actions also spoke loudly of what it means to be a leader… by being a servant. Being willing to stoop down, be inconvenienced. Being willing to be misunderstood.

Another thing Jesus did during His last days was pray for His followers — both those who were physically present with Him and those of us who now are embracing Him as our Saviour. His final plea was that we would be unified and reflect His love to the world in which we live.

I do not ask for these only [the twelve who were present], but also for those who will believe in Me through their word [us], that they may all be one, just as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that You have sent Me.

Jesus in John 17: 20-22

There were other last words… lasting words that Jesus shared those final days (you can read them in the New Testament: John chapters 13-17). But for now, I’m focusing on and mulling over these two examples and how they impact my life: being a servant and living in harmony with others/reflecting God’s love to those in my sphere of influence.

Take time this next week to reflect on who Jesus is and what difference He makes in your life. And may we encourage one another to heed those last words… lasting words. By doing so, may we have joy in the journey of this thing called “Life!”

Deja vu… COVID times two

The unwelcome symptoms were eerily familiar. High fever. Loss of appetite. NO energy. My-head’s-about-to-explode headaches. Only this time I wasn’t in the comfort of my own home. We were in another country, in a hotel.

Once we got back home, there was the familiar nose-swab, wait, and then see if anything shows up routine that confirmed what I dreaded: I tested positive for COVID. And then two days later, my husband also tested positive. Misery loves company, right?! We both had been vaccinated three years ago. We both had had COVID three years ago after being vaccinated — at least at different times that first go-round, which made caring for one another easier. Thankfully, this time his case was “mild.” Mine, on the other hand, took almost three weeks until I felt like my old self.

This deja vu experience evoked memories of what life was like during the height of the pandemic…

Our son was managing a restaurant in southern California back then. A peaceful protest against COVID restrictions unfortunately morphed into looting and destruction. A jewelry store across the street from his restaurant was looted. Another shop in the same block was burned down. There were some shootings. As a result, the restaurant closed as a precautionary measure.

“I’m OK.”

When we received an email from our son with “I’m OK” in the subject line this mother’s heart leapt for joy! How thankful we were that he took the initiative to check in with us!

His response reminded me of how one Sunday our pastor shared that the pandemic may change who we see as heroes. He asked,

How much do we value service/serving others?

Do we see serving others as being heroic?

He went on to develop the idea that our service is, indeed, an outflow of our LOVE for God and others. It doesn’t necessarily need to be the large, more visible things, but the “hidden,” small things… like guarding the reputation of others, common courtesy, being served/allowing others to use their gifts to serve you, hospitality, listening, bearing one another’s burdens, intercession, sharing the word of life with one another (from Richard Foster).

When our son took the initiative to check in with us he was showing common courtesy. He was serving us by showing his care. He was giving us the opportunity to bear his burden. In other words, his “service” to us was reflecting his love for us… and in my book, that’s being a hero!

Having COVID again has reminded me that there were some crucial lessons that surfaced during those days… lessons I don’t want to forget. And one of those is to be intentional in taking the initiative to check in with others… just to see how they’re doing. To offer a listening ear. To discern what’s really going on beneath the surface/beyond their words or actions. To seek ways to offer help.

It’s often the little things, the “hidden” things that communicate powerfully, so don’t underestimate what a kind word or an unexpected text or fill in the blank can mean to someone!

How might YOU take the initiative to serve someone today? This week? As we do this, I’m confident it will enable us to have joy in the journey of this thing called “Life!”

Worship??? IN the waiting???

photo credit: krazyinlove.com

There’s nothing like putting something in black and white for all the world to see — at least those who read this blog — that makes one… well, I guess the best word is accountable. Accountable to put into practice the lessons I talked about last time, lessons based on learning to wait… and wait well.

All week I’ve been mulling over something I shared at the very end of the post, the words from a song…

… I will worship in the waiting
when I cannot see the end…

“Waiting” by Healing Place Worship

Worship in the waiting.

Worship??? IN the waiting??? How in the world is that possible??? If I’m not mistaken, this hints at a major change in attitude as much as anything. Yikes.

Earlier this week I was reading in the Psalms — and wouldn’t you know, waiting was mentioned yet again!

I waited patiently for the Lord;
He turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire;
He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.
He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear
and put their trust in the Lord.

Psalm 40: 1-3

Waiting patiently was not done in vain, but rather resulted in action. God heard! He responded! The outcome was being lifted out of the difficult circumstances the writer was in. AND having a new song, a hymn of praise, put in his heart.

I’d call that a major shift in attitude! Instead of bemoaning whatever was causing him to wait, instead of being critical or questioning or discontent, the writer patiently waited for God… and it paid off! That shift also encouraged others: those who saw what had happened in the writer’s experience also put their trust in God.

I had a text exchange earlier this morning with a dear friend who is thousands of miles away. She had had a heart attack a week ago and was back in the hospital. I asked how her anxiety level was… and she responded with brutal honesty how hard this has been. How confusing. How unfair (since she’s always been fit, eaten sensibly, etc.). How she felt her body had betrayed her.

What struck me with her honesty and vulnerability was how that stripped away any pretense, any trying-to-be-spiritual-when-your-heart-is-breaking-and-your-mind-is-reeling attitude. Like the psalmist, her crying out to God, waiting for Him in the midst of uncertainty and very real fears opened the door for God to use her in what I’m sure was an unexpected way — helping me to see some things more clearly:

  • The importance of living each day to the fullest. Jesus put it this way: “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough troubles of its own.” (Matthew 6: 34)
  • The importance of verbalizing appreciation NOW… when the opportunity presents itself. “Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it is in your power to act.” (Proverbs 3: 27)
  • The importance of recognizing that our days ARE numbered… and that they are in God’s loving hands. “The length of our days is seventy years — or eighty, if we have the strength… Teach us to number our days aright…” (Psalm 90: 10, 12)

My friend shared that her new life verse is

My flesh and my heart may fail,
but GOD is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.

Psalm 73: 26

That, my friends, is how we worship in the waiting… by having our focus on Someone who is greater than whatever we’re going through, Someone who loves us and is eagerly waiting for us to call out to Him.

So… yet another tutorial on waiting. Another reminder that we need each other and that together we can have joy in the journey of this thing we call “Life!”

Wait!!! Wait!!!

As the youngest of three children, my oft-repeated refrain was “Wait!!! Wait!!!” My older siblings and cousins would leave me in the dust… like a slow-moving turtle who wanted to be a part of everything the big kids did but wasn’t fast enough to keep up. I was ahead of my time as a FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) personality!

Learning how to wait — and wait well — seems to be a lesson God has been zeroing in on the past few months. Unfortunately, I’ve flunked several of my “waiting tests,” but as a good teacher, He keeps giving me opportunities to learn, to grow, to put into practice principles that continue to surface through a variety of life experiences.

The main on-going lesson is with my vision. The last time I blogged was — gulp!! — November 4th. In all honesty, I kept putting off writing because I wanted to have a happy ending to that post. Instead… guess what?! I’m still waiting to have clear vision!! I have since had a second procedure to address the blurriness issue. From a medical point-of-view, everything looks good. I just need to… you guessed it! WAIT!!!

In addition to this in-my-face example, it also seems that often these past months, when reading God’s Word, the word WAIT pops up!

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him.

Psalm 37:7a

Ugh. A double whammy. Be STILL. Wait PATIENTLY. 

My tutorials on waiting have also been emphasizing the need to be still, which in my mind connotes being at rest, at peace. Not being anxious. I picture a body of water with no waves, no current, no turbulence. Quiet. Tranquil. An inviting place that is life-giving.

Too often, my waiting is characterized by NOT being still. NOT being at rest. More like chaos with an inner unsettledness, all of which are polar opposites from what the psalmist is inviting us to do.

Be STILL and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.

Psalm 46:10

Being still and waiting — waiting well — are both rooted not so much in technique as in a person: God. Why a person? Because He knows me best. He knows what I’m going through, what I’m struggling with, what my hopes and dreams and fears are. He knows that I want to see clearly physically, but from His perspective, more important to my life is that I see clearly spiritually.

When my spiritual vision is clear, then I can rest in knowing that my loving Father is truly working ALL things together for my good (see Romans 8:28). I can be still, quiet, at peace knowing that His timing is perfect — even though it frequently is different from mine! The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah relayed God’s words to people in exile saying,

“I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

Jeremiah 29:11

So… the lessons continue! The waiting goes on. But knowing that God is directing my steps, not playing games with me or deliberately trying to derail me (that’s what the enemy of our souls does!) enables me to have joy in the journey of this thing we call “Life!” May that be true of you as well.

PS

Even the music I have been listening to during my morning devotional times with God has had a waiting theme! Two stanzas from this song have impacted me:

… I will worship in the waiting
when I cannot see the end…
… If I’m waiting, God you’re moving…

“Waiting” by Healing Place Worship

Blurred vision…

photo credit: eyecarecs.com

It’s been almost six weeks. SIX weeks since I had cataract surgery. My vision is still not clear. Every day when I wake up I wonder if this will be the day when voila! Everything is clear! Last week’s follow-up appointment showed that my eyes are healing well, that everything is ok… but still… my vision is out of focus.

It’s been frustrating. Disorienting. It’s even affected my balance, throwing it off a bit — as experienced when I fell a couple of weeks ago. The fall was a bit comical in retrospect… one foot caught on an uneven pavement and then, as if in slow motion, I was unable to regain my balance and went down on the opposite hip, scraping my arm as it tried to protect the fall. Thankfully, nothing was broken… but I did hobble around for a few weeks until my wrenched knee no longer was bothersome.

The fall accentuated the problem of having distorted vision. But it also surfaced a distorted view of life. I started wondering if my eyes will EVER get better? Was the surgery a mistake? What if….?

My focus — my vision, even my view of myself and life — was clouded, confused. Not being sure-footed or stable surfaced fear and robbed me of peace and confidence.

Sometimes this happens in our relationship with God as well. Our focus on who we are in Christ, on who HE is becomes unclear. We forget what GOD says about us… and we become fearful, defeated. Peace and confidence elude us. We get tripped up over things that ususally wouldn’t be a problem.

So… what DOES God say about us? about who we are? For those who have placed their faith and trust in God, He says…

  • We are His child, adopted into His family.
  • We are complete in Him and have everything that we need to live life abundantly.
  • We are a “new creature” because of being born into His family.
  • We are a unique, one-of-a-kind individual.
  • We are His ambassadors here on planet Earth, representing Him to the world around us.
  • We are His light in a world of darkness.
  • We have been given specific gifts/abilities that enable us to function/serve others.
  • We are a member of His body — a worldwide community of Christ followers.

I was sharing this list with a group recently and asked them to consider…

  • If I’m _______ (fill in the blank with one of the above), how does that affect what I do? what I say? how I think?
  • In other words, how does ______ affect my character? my thoughts? my actions?
  • Which of these is hardest for me to believe is true about myself? Why???

Sometimes I struggle with recognizing and accepting my capabilities and limitations. For example, it’s easy for me to see my inadequacies, my insecurities, all the “but’s…” in my life. I fall into a trap of comparing myself to others… and as a result, always fall short.

Going back to blurry vision and how it distorts our view… when my focus gets out-of-whack regarding how God sees me, I’m much more susceptible to listening to things that are untrue… like playing a tape (think of the old cassette tapes) that rehearses all the things that are UNtrue about me instead of listening to the new tape that counters those false claims with what God says.

What we spend our time thinking about has the power to affect our emotions, our actions, our character.

One thing this latest life experience has surfaced is how crucial it is for me to make sure I’m listening to the right things. There are no easy fixes for this, but a good place to start is what the Bible calls “being renewed in our minds.” (see Romans 12: 2) Renewing is like rebooting a computer — stopping what we’re thinking, restarting by installing a new “tape”, and then moving forward “refreshed,” so to speak. This isn’t a one-time thing, but something that needs to be repeated as often as necessary.

Another helpful action is to take our thoughts “captive.” (see 2 Corinthians 10:5) I’m a visual person, and so I picture a wrong thought as something I need to lasso and throw in jail (!) where it can’t have any more influence on me. Easier said than done, but the idea is that we need to be pro-active about what thoughts we allow our minds to dwell on.

There are a lot of voices trying to get our attention, trying to capture our minds and our thoughts. Social media, advertisements, others’ opinions to name a few. Who are going to listen to?? May we encourage one another to daily be in God’s Word so that we’re hearing what HE says is true.

I’m not sure when — or even if — my vision will be restored, but in the meantime, I’m grateful for some of the lessons that have surfaced because of this experience. I’m also grateful for how God often uses others — like when I needed to hang onto my husband’s arm when my walking was unsteady — to enable me, to enable all of us to have joy in the journey of this thing we call “Life!”

Pigeon wars…

photo credit: http://www.grafisktarmig.com

We had only been out of town a week. But during that time, it seems the local pigeon population had a convention on our balcony. Evidently, they all ate something that gave them diarrhea. Not only the balcony floor was covered, but also some of the glass sliding doors, which were under a popular roosting spot, were splattered.

NOT a pretty sight.

And NOT a pretty attitude on my part!

Our balcony has a lovely view of nearby mountains (more like hills, but they call them mountains here). Sunsets are spectacular. My morning Quiet Time — a time of being quiet before the Lord, listening to music that helps me focus my thoughts on God, reading the Bible, praying — is my favorite time of the day as I sit listening to the serenade of birds (NOT pigeons, but other birds!) and soaking in the beauty of the vista.

And so, after the “convention,” my view was marred… until I got down on my hands and knees and worked to clean up the mess.

Hmm… this graphic picture made me think of sin in my life. Yep, it’s ugly. Dirty. Some is “surfacy” and cleans relatively easy… but other things are more deeply embedded and need the deep-cleaning “scrub-with-a-tootbrush- treatment” that was necessary to get our balcony clean.

Just as not cleaning up the residue from the birds would hinder my ability to enjoy our balcony, so not cleaning up the sin in my life hinders my relationship with God. NOT a pretty picture, on both counts.

Where I get tripped up the most with sin — which is anything that comes short of a holy, perfect God’s standards — is with my attitudes. I’m not going to kill someone or rob a bank, but I do sometimes struggle with being anxious, which basically indicates that I’m trusting in my efforts instead of relying on God. And falling into a comparison trap, which often reveals a lack of contentment regarding where I am in life, what I have, who I am (with my particular gifts and abilities).

Just a few days ago I had a doctor’s appointment that threw me off kilter. It was a routine visit to the ophthalmologist, but the diagnosis — that I need cataract surgery — wasn’t on my radar! A date for surgery was set, but a few hours later I chickened out and cancelled.

Later that same evening, after chatting with a friend who shared some helpful insights, doing some research to allay my biggest fear (we’re scheduled to fly two weeks after the surgery, and I was anxious about the safety of doing that — even tho the doctor had assured me it would be ok!), and a LOT of prayer, I realized that the real issue was one of trust: could I commit the health of my eyes into the hands of the surgeon — and ultimately to God?

Yep. Back to the “being anxious = lack of trust” issue. Something God keeps graciously dealing with in my life.

  • Pour out ALL your worries and stress upon Him and leave them there, for He always tenderly cares for you. I Peter 5:7
  • Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing. Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering your faith-filled requests before God with overwhelming gratitude. Tell Him EVERY detail of your life, then God’s wonderful peace that transcends human understanding, will guard your heart and mind through Jesus Christ. Philippians 4:6-7

My war with pigeons is a good reminder to make sure I clean up my OWN life. I don’t want anything to interfere with my relationship with God. Thankfully, He’s a loving, patient Father who readily restores my relationship once I come to Him and admit where I’m trusting in my own efforts instead of relying totally on Him.

I’m not sure what it may be in your life that may resemble the aftermath of our pigeon convention, but I do know that God is eager to come alongside you as you deal with the messes in life. He’s not waiting till everything is cleaned up — He knows that some things are easier to deal with than others, but He wants your relationship to be restored. He’s already done everything in His power to enable that by sending His Son to die for our sins. It’s up to us if we choose to take advantage of that incredible gift on our behalf.

… and that, dear friends, is how we truly can have joy in the journey of this thing called “Life!”

A little quiz for you! What do you observe in the above picture that indicates it was NOT taken from where we currently live? Leave your response in the “Comment” section.