Nothin' to Do Today

May 8, 2012

"For My yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light." Matthew 11:30

A never-ending list of things "to do" drives me to the point of exhaustion by the end of each day. In addition to our normal, homeschooling routine I am preparing for a three-week trip out of the country. There are shots to get (and lots of 'em, I might add . . . ouch!), lessons to prepare, miscellaneous travel documents and items and clothes to acquire, trinkets to purchase for the kiddos while I'm away, letters to write, a spiritual life to maintain . . . the list extends on into eternity.

I want to do all these things. Colossians 3:23 says to work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. I make a list of all the things I can do to work toward a particular objective so that I can give the Lord my best. But somehow I never find enough time or energy to complete the tasks I want to do. All I end up giving the Lord is an earful of complaints. When I fail to finish each task on my list I end each day feeling inadequate and discouraged.

Earlier this week I read in a magazine published by Proverbs 31 ministries an article titled, Are You Driven or Led?, written by Holly Gerth. That's easy, I thought to myself, I'm driven! I esteemed myself over my natural state of staying busy. But as I delved deeper into the article, I realized the error of my ways.

"If you're driven, you can't be led," wrote the author. I realized she had a point. The author listed three indicators of a driven lifestyle: exhaustion (check!), a lack of joy (check!), and a desire to control . . . everything (check, check!).

Jesus says, "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to Me. Get away
with Me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real
rest. Walk with Me and work with Me—watch how I do it. Learn the
unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on
you. Keep company with Me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly" (Matthew 11:30, The Message).

How do I know if I'm driven or led? I simply examine the fruit of my labor. Lately my work has failed to produce anything worthy of consuming. The only thing that's ripe is my attitude.

So yesterday I made a change.

As soon as I awoke I said to the Lord, "Father, I have nothing to do today. Not a thing. Only that which You desire to put on my plate. Please show me what You would have me do." I placed both feet on the ground and smiled. For the first time in weeks I did not have an impossible-to-finish "to do" list staring me in the face. I simply had to wait upon the Lord. I knew the day would prove enjoyable because His yoke is easy, His burden--light.

The Lord placed before me a joy-full and peace-filled day. We accomplished more schooling than normal, cleaned house (some of it, anyway), washed, folded and put away laundry (any of you mamas KNOW what an accomplishment that is), and I even had time for one more shot (polio, that is . . . not the other kind!).

What's on your list of things to do today? I haven't a thing on mine . . .

The Power of "J"

April 27, 2012


"That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:10-11

Did you know that when it comes time for a caterpillar to form a cocoon it attaches itself to a leaf (or as in our case, the top of a lid) and hangs upside down in the shape of a letter "J?" I had no idea! Not until the girls and I watched our fuzzy little guys (or gals) do so this week as part of our 1st grade science curriculum (amazing what you learn while homeschooling your kids!). I find myself awestruck by this seemingly insignificant detail for two reasons.

First, as I stand in front of our school shelf mesmerized by these creatures I capture a clear display of God's love for His Son. I imagine Creation went something like this. God said to Jesus, "I know! Let's make the caterpillar form the shape of a "J" as it prepares to enter the Pupa phase . . . You know, for your name, J-esus." And Jesus said, "Awe shucks Dad, really? Isn't that a little much?" "No way!" responded God. "I want the whole world to know how much I love You!"

God loved His Son SO MUCH that He enabled even the tiny caterpillar to bring glory to His Son's name.

But guess what?

God loves us as much as He loves His Son (John 17:23).

Hard to believe, isn't it?

Maybe God didn't cause Creation to form the first letter of your name. Instead, Scripture says that He writes your name on the palm of His hand (Isaiah 49:16). He rejoices over you in song (Zephaniah 3:17). His thoughts about you outnumber the grains of sand (Psalm 139:18).

God loves you so much He sent His Son to die for you, and for me. God's one and only Son. You know, the Son that He loves so much He causes the caterpillar to form the first letter of His name? God loves you that much.

The second thing which captivates me about our caterpillars is the symbolism they represent of a life transformed by the power of "J." The caterpillar enters the world as a hairy, multi-legged belly-crawler. Not much to look at. But once the caterpillar recognizes it's need for transformation, it grows still and allows the "J" to do its work. And out of the "J" emerges a beautiful creature; one who finds him (or her) self ready to fly.

We must each come to a point where we reach up and attach ourselves to Jesus. He invites us to come away with Him, into our own cocoon while He transforms us by His Word. And like the caterpillar, out of our cocoon will emerge a beautiful creature; one ready to soar on wings like eagles.

I Will Always Love You

February 13, 2012


"And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is." Ephesians 3:18

When others fail to show you the genuine affection you desire. When you long for a companion but find only callousness. When you feel unloved . . .

I love you with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3).

When the things of the world fail to satisfy your cravings. When you work longer and harder to maintain an elaborate lifestyle. When its never enough . . .

It is Me who will provide for you (Philippians 4:19).

When you feel as if everyone has left you behind. When you feel as if no one cares. When you feel alone and forsaken . . .

I will never leave you. I will never forsake you (Hebrews 13:5).

When the past leaves you feeling worn-out and used-up. When you feel you've hit rock-bottom and there's no place to turn. When you look in the mirror and fail to see beauty and glamor . . .

I see you as a masterpiece. I created you new in my Son to do good things (Ephesians 2:10).

When you've messed up so badly you feel there's no hope, no chance for redemption. When your mistakes become your identity. When you feel stained by sin . . .

I will wash you clean (Isaiah 1:18).

When you feel shamed by the things you've done or by the things that have been done to you. When you've lost hope for restoration. When you feel like succumbing to the worst . . .

I will crown you with glory and honor (Psalm 8:5).

When the cares of this world weigh you down. When the load grows so heavy you can't take another step. When you feel weary and burdened . . .

I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).

The recent death of the queen of pop music grips my heart. I find myself captivated, not by the way she lived, but by the way she died--seemingly alone, hurt, attempting to mask the emptiness with what might have been one too many substances this time. I wonder how many read her story and think, I wish I could slip away too.

Death creates a void so deep we question how we could ever feel complete again. Perhaps the greatest gift of love we can offer is to faithfully lift the queen-of-pop-music's legacy in prayer. May she come to know the fulness of His love which somehow seemed to escape her mother's heart.

Leftovers

November 28, 2011


"After everyone was full, Jesus told His disciples, 'Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted.'” John 6:12

Our family enjoyed quite the Turkey Day. Ham and turkey and all the trimmings one might imagine. We finished our meal, stocked the refrigerator full of the food which remained, and consumed a second round of our Thanksgiving meal again the next day. We were thankful for leftovers. And it wasn't until I read John 6 this past week that I realized how important leftovers are to Jesus too.

John 6 records the account of a little boy who offered all he had--five loaves of bread and two fish--to Jesus as Jesus aimed to feed a crowd which had gathered before Him. Five loaves of bread and two fish to feed 5,000 men (not to mention the women and children who traveled with these men). The boy's offering doesn't seem like much but what matters most is that he withheld nothing from our Savior.

I can't help but wonder why the boy had five loaves of bread and two fish. Had the boy come with his family only to give away every last bite of nourishment they had prepared for their journey? Had the boy paid an honest day's wages for the food only to return home empty-handed? Why did the boy bother offering his food to Jesus when it obviously would fail to feed such a crowd?

Jesus took the bread and fish, thanked God for it and distributed the food amongst the people who had gathered. Scripture tells us that everyone ate as much as they wanted (John 6:11). That a crowd which likely exceeded 10,000 was fed by such a small amount of food is just one of the many miracles Jesus performed while on this earth. But what I find just as fascinating is that Jesus took extra care to capture every last piece of the boy's offering.

After the crowd had eaten their fill Jesus said to His disciples, "Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted."

Not only does the story of Jesus feeding 5,000+ teach me that no offering is too small for Jesus to use, it reminds me that nothing goes to waste in God's economy. When we surrender our lives to Him for His purpose and His glory, He promises to use every last bit of our offering for the good of ourselves and for the good of others.

Feel as if you have nothing to offer our Lord? Remember the boy and his fish and bread. Jesus said the harvest is great but the workers are few (Luke 10:2). Offer all you have to Jesus so that He may feed the crowd which stands before Him.
If there is any part of us, any part of our family, any part of our
offering left over, rest assured that He'll collect it in a basket so that none goes to
waste.

He's Calling You

October 9, 2011


"So they called the blind man. 'Cheer up,' they said. 'Come on, He’s calling you!'" Mark 10:49

Bartimaeus was a poor, blind man. His physical limitations forced him to depend on others for even the most basic of needs. Unable to actively embrace the beauty of this world we find Bartimaeus perched along the side of the road. Hopeless. Forgotten. Doubting his significance in life. Questioning, "Is there any purpose for me?"

Then enters the Savior. The Christ. The One of whom it was foretold that when He should come, "the eyes of the blind would be opened" (Isaiah 35:5).

Satan whispers, "He doesn't want you, Bartimaeus. You're nothing but a blind beggar. What would the Christ have to do with you? You were born blind; your father was blind. It runs in your family. Don't you know there's no hope for you?"

But Bartimaeus dismisses the enemy's lies. Bartimaeus has heard rumors of the healing power of the Christ. Bartimaeus' ears capture the rumblings of a crowd. Seated on the ground Bartimaeus begins to feel the vibrations of a stampede of footsteps which follow the Healer. Could it be Him--the Christ? Should I ask for help? What if He turns me away? Desperate for hope, Bartimaeus shoves doubt and fear aside. As God in flesh approaches, Bartimaeus stands in faith and cries, "Son of David! Mercy, have mercy on me!" (Luke 10:48)

Time stood still for Bartimaeus. How would the Holy One respond to the cries of a poor, desperate beggar? Would Bartimaeus be cast away in shame or welcomed with open arms? Truth be known, we struggle with similar doubts.

Jesus stops.

"Tell him to come here."

The crowd rejoices. Because if there's hope for Bartimaeus, there's hope for them too.

“Cheer up,” they said. “Come on, He’s calling you!”

Only Heaven knows the hope that lies in those three little words.

He's calling you.

We do not call Him first. We can call upon Him because He first calls us (John 15:16).

How will you respond to His call?

"Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus."

“'What do you want me to do for you?' Jesus asked."

"'My rabbi,' the blind man said, 'I want to see!'”

"And Jesus said to him, 'Go, for your faith has healed you.' Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road" (Mark 10:50-52).

The gracious invitations Christ gives us to
come to Him, are great encouragements to our hope, that we shall speed
well if we come to Him, and shall have what we come for. Let the guilty,
the empty, the tempted, the hungry, the naked, be of good comfort, for He calls them to be pardoned, to be supplied, to be succoured, to
be filled, to be clothed, to have all that done for them, which their
case calls for (Matthew Henry Commentary on Mark 10).

If you find yourself beside a lonely road, take note of His footsteps. Listen for His voice. He's calling you. Call upon Him. Tell Him exactly what you need (Philippians 4:6).

A Call to Persevere

August 20, 2011


"Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep His promise." Hebrews 10:23

Life is tough.

We come to know Christ as Savior and Lord, and He alters us completely. We find ourselves renewed; ready to engage the world with the power of Christ working in and through us. We expect the world to change. It doesn't. Instead our surroundings remain eerily consistent. We continue to endure strained relationships, bills to pay, a job to pursue, and mortal bodies which fail us daily.

Is it worth the effort?

Is a relationship with God through Christ worth pursuing when we routinely face trouble and hardship and persecution and famine and nakedness and danger and sword?

A relationship with Christ is worth continuing even if the effort to maintain that relationship requires us to sacrifice everything within us.

Hebrews 10:35-37 read, "Do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that He has promised. For in just a little while, the Coming One will come and not delay."

God sees your effort to hold fast to His ways, and He will reward you greatly for your patient endurance.

Hebrews 10:32-34 read, "Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering. Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions."

Though life is hard, stand your ground. God has better and lasting things stored up for you.

Scripture says blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him (James 1:12).

The apostle Paul tells us to rejoice in suffering because—there's more to come. Continue to shout your praise even when you're hemmed in with troubles, because you know how troubles can develop passionate patience, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping you alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, you're never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—you can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into your life through the Holy Spirit! (Romans 5:3-5, The Message)

So when you face a troubled marriage . . . persevere.

When you face a rebellious child . . . persevere.

When you face a difficult work environment . . . persevere.

When you face financial hardship . . . persevere.

When you face the loss of your health . . . persevere.

When you face the temptation to abandon your faith . . . persevere.

Galatians 6:9 reads, "So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up." Sometimes we must spend a lifetime planting before we reap a harvest. But one day a great harvest will come.

How will you respond to His call to persevere?

Beautiful Feet

August 17, 2011


"So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing." 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Check out my guest post running today at www.lanierlanding.blogspot.com. I pray you'll join me in petitioning the Lord for the healing of this little one. Enjoy!

Taming the Mean Girl Inside

August 9, 2011


"If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." Romans 12:18

Just in case I've given anyone reason to think of me as a saint . . .

Just in case you think I live by the Spirit at all times . . .

Just in case you think I'm full of sugar and spice and everything nice . . .

I'm writing to set the record straight. There's a mean girl inside of me, and yesterday—she escaped.

My day began as any other normal day. Quiet time—check. Shower accomplished and game-face (i.e. makeup) applied—check, check. Breakfast, laundry, a bit of housecleaning—check, check, check. No inclination that the mean girl in me was preparing to make a big debut.

Come late morning the girls and I headed to an eye-glasses store to replace my oldest daughter's prescription lenses. In defense of the mean girl I must explain that for some reason any time I address issues with my daughter's eyesight my emotions run high. I remember that the only reason my daughter requires eyeglasses is because of all she . . . and her late twin sister endured six years ago. I praise God that the only outstanding complication with which our daughter struggles is her eyesight; an issue which is easily resolved with prescription lenses. But it makes this mama's heart tinge with pain just the same.

(Mind you none of this serves as an excuse for what happened next.)

With our selections in hand I asked the nearest employee, who just so happened to be the store manager, for assistance. It was then that I realized I'd left a coupon for a discount off of my daughter's glasses at home. The manager kindly explained that I had to have the coupon in my sweet little hand to receive the savings.

Unfortunately, that caused the mean girl inside of me to rise.

Before I knew it the mean girl in me shoved the nice girl—the girl who had her quiet time that morning, the girl who teaches a weekly Sunday school class—to the ground, and began to wreak havoc in the eyes and hearts of those standing witness. She asked the manager if he really intended for her to drive all the way back home with three little ones in tow just to get a coupon he could find on the store website. When he insisted that was indeed the case, the mean girl tossed three pairs of sample frames back on the table and stormed out of the building with those three little darling ones in hand, only to discover that one of the sample frames she had not-so-kindly pushed aside was actually her daughter's real glasses. The mean and now embarrassed and ashamed-of-her-behavior girl had to re-enter the store, reclaim her daughter's glasses, and then flee from the store before anyone noticed the tears streaming down her oh-so-humiliated face.

Ever met that mean girl?

Of course you haven't. She only lives in me.

We try ladies, don't we? We have our quite time. We pray. We love, or at least we attempt to.

Why is it us Jesus girls still sometimes fall flat on our faces?

I dunno why. But I do know this—as His daughters God calls us to strive toward a higher standard. A standard which is not met through our own strength (obviously) but through Christ's strength in us.

God calls us to—as much as it depends on us—live at peace with everyone (Romans 12:18). God calls us to be holy because He is holy (1 Peter 1:16). God calls us to bless those who curse us and to pray for those who hurt us (Luke 6:28). God calls us to feed those who are hungry for Him and to help those who are in trouble (Isaiah 58:10).

What's a mean girl to do?

Repent. Ask forgiveness. Receive forgiveness. And then, try again.

On my way back to the car I asked the Lord my God to forgive me. Inside the car I asked my kids to forgive me. Once I returned with the coupon in hand I asked the store clerk to forgive me. When we returned to pick up my daughter's new glasses (which were ready in a few hours!) I asked the store manager to forgive me.

When we claim to be children of God we serve as representatives of His Great Name wherever we go. May He give us the strength to bring glory and honor to Him in all that we do.

How you tame the mean girl inside of you? Leave a comment to share your ideas.