Like a Tree Planted…

For the past few weeks at church my pastor has been encouraging us to meditate on Psalm 1. My pastor is a smart, funny and handsome guy. Before you think me scandalous, I’m married to him so I’m allowed to say that stuff! Some of these thoughts are borrowed from the discussions we’ve been having at church. The first part of the chapter (verses 1-3) says this:

Blessed is the one
    who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
    or sit in the company of mockers,
² but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and who meditates on his law day and night.
³ That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
    which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
    whatever they do prospers.

Picture an old tree – hundreds of years old. So ginormous that you can’t put your arms around the trunk with huge, twisted roots drawing strength and health from its life source of flowing waters located beside it. Its deep roots contain a vast store of nutrients. When storms and winds hammer down, the tree is not moved. Its roots are steadfast. In the heat of the day, when the sun beats down, the tree provides shade and relief and fruit. It is a welcome sight to passersby who need protection from the elements.

Now picture this: The tree is you.

As you journey through life with God, you draw strength and wisdom, hope and joy to carry you along.  He is your life source. God’s words of love for you sink deep down and steady you and spill into every area of your life…who you are and how you operate in the world. When negative messages come your way, you are able to set them aside and cling to what He says about you. A driver cuts you off and you’re able to curb the angry blue streak that wants to jump out of your mouth. Your toddler is driving you crazy with tantrums and you’re able to patiently wrap your arms around them till they calm down. There’s a co-worker with a challenging personality that grates on everyone’s nerves and you’re able to resist sharing in the workplace gossip and extend friendship to that person.

Others are drawn to that anchoring strength and lean on you when they need a break from the storms of life. You shelter and shade others when you share a laugh with them and offer joy…when you truly hear them and offer compassion…when you roll up your sleeves and work shoulder-to-shoulder alongside them…when you remind them they’re not alone and offer love.

You do not offer these things because they come naturally to you or because you’re good at it. You offer them because they have been offered to you. They come from the overflow of your deep connection with God. If you cultivate deep roots and delight in God and His word, there will be an abundant supply of life and health to offer others. Be the tree and point to the Life Source.

Brenda E.

In Tune

“Come thou fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing thy grace.”

For some time I thought the lyric was “tune my heart to sing thy praise” which is a reasonable thought but the line actually is “tune my heart to sing thy grace”.

I have been pondering this phrase…tune my heart…like the strings of a guitar, my heart gets out of tune from time to time…and when I say from time to time, I really mean all the time.

I asked a guitar playing friend why guitars go out of tune. He told me that the strings stretch as they are played. Then they need to be tuned again. Hmm…

Tune my heart to sing thy grace…when I am stretched…tune me again to sing thy grace…

My default setting is not grace. It’s just not. Whether it is receiving grace or extending grace, I wander from it. Sometimes just a bit – so that the song from my heart sort of sounds okay. The words may still be right but if you listen closely something sounds a little off…a little out of tune.

I forget to remember that God loves me… completely…unconditionally…unfailingly. Period.

I forget that my busyness, my activities, my accomplishments, though all good and supposedly all for Him, do not change a thing. That is, they do not change His love for me. They do not change how He has forgiven me. They do not change the grace extended to me.

And the anger that I justify feeling towards another…my desire for justice when I have been wronged…my unwillingness to forgive…that is not my heart singing his grace either.

Later in the song it says, “Oh to grace how great a debtor daily I’m constrained to be.”

When I think of the grace I have received…grace and mercy so freely given…I am in debt infinitely beyond my ability to repay and yet so often I am like the ungrateful servant who demands a debt to be repaid even though it is a pittance compared to what he has been forgiven. (Matt.18:21-35)

We know it – don’t we – that we are lost without grace…completely without hope….

And we also know – don’t we – of the need to forgive as we have been forgiven?

“Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievance you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” (Col.3:13)

Grace and forgiveness…oh that that would always be my response…that my heart would be tuned to sing His grace.

Ruth U.

Strength in Weakness

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, 

for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, 

so that Christ’s power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ’s sake, 

I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. 

For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:9-11

Ughhh. My face still burns when I think about it. Those stunned faces as I lurched toward them with a full tray of sparkling beverages in fancy glasses. The chaos that ensued after I hit the floor and said beverages splattered and drenched formal clothes and carefully styled hair. Ughh. Just, ughhh.

I was an RA in college, there was a formal opening of a new building on campus, lots of important guests, and the student leaders were serving. Whoever decided it was a good idea to put me in formal shoes and hand me a tray of liquid in fragile containers really should have spoken with my mother. She would have told them it wasn’t a good idea. But there I was, eager to do well in my leadership role and telling myself, “You’ve got this.” And then that wretched half-step. You know the one that catches you off guard and sends you stumbling.

For a moment or two after I scrambled to my feet, I stood totally frozen in place, unable to move, just watching the scene unfold in front of me like an out-of-body experience. People were rushing around, grabbing napkins, moving people out of the way of broken glass, probably toweling off (just saying some folks got wet)…

I totally could have stayed cool. I could’ve apologized profusely, made a little self-deprecating joke, helped clean up, and served some new drinks. I could have done that. Or… I could have done what I actually did.

I turned around and ran out of the room. Through the hallways, out of the building and fully across campus to my dorm where I could sneak quietly into my room and be alone with my shame and berate myself in peace.

This would have been a fine plan, if three of my girls were not sitting in the lounge when I rushed in. They saw my wet clothes and stricken face and rushed to me. “What’s wrong???  What happened??  Are you okay??”

And I burst into tears. Me, the older, mature leader, appointed to mentor and guide these young women. In tears. And not delicate tears slipping gently down my cheeks. No. Huge, snotty, gasping, sobbing, ugly-cry tears. Accompanied by angry embarrassment. I distinctly remember saying, “I’m SUCH a clumsy idiot!! Why did I even think I could do it?!”

What’s worse than spilling a tray of drinks on couples in fancy clothes? Bawling like a baby about it and being held and consoled by kids, KIDS, who were supposed to respect me and look up to me and believe I had it all together!! I eventually collected myself, apologized, and slipped to the shower to clean up and cry some more. I was pretty sure I had totally blown the entire year – and it was only the first week…

But somehow, to my utter amazement and astonishment, the year wasn’t “blown” at all. Somehow, seeing me at a moment of total weakness humanized me to these young women. They had seen their leader humiliated and awkward and sad. And in ways I cannot fully comprehend, this opened the way for trust and relationship that would have taken much longer to build if I’d just had it all together. This very humbling experience actually paved the way for much deeper, authentic, and often raw communication in our dorm.

It’s another paradox. With God, we live and we lead most effectively from our places of weakness. This is so upside-down from the culture that we live in, and we resist it all the time. We hold on tight to what we can control. We guard our hearts and build walls to prevent others from seeing our imperfections. We spend an enormous amount of energy managing the image we present to the world. And in so doing, we move further and further from the place of vulnerability and openness where God can shape us and use us.

The reason it is true, that “when I am weak, then I am strong,” is because we give God space to work when we acknowledge that we are not in control. When we are weak and just can’t get it together on our own and everyone around us knows it… we are in the perfect position to allow God to move through us in ways we could NEVER do in our own strength.

May we unburden ourselves from the pressure to have it all together. May we release the need to project and maintain our image. May we be willing to be exposed in our weakness, in order to experience God’s grace and strength in new and unexpected ways.

Arlene M.

JUMP, JUMPER!

What would you DO, if you could do ANYTHING in the world? What would you BE if you could be ANYTHING in the world? What would it take for you to live with sacred joy? What would it mean if we shut out all of the lies that paralyzed us in fear? What would it mean for us to take a flying leap into the unknown, but KNOW that Jesus was right there, right beside us? What would it take for you to know the TRUTH, and have it set you FREE?

“You are truly my disciples if you keep obeying my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31,32 TLB 

“If you hold to my teachings, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31,32 NIV 

“If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure. Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you.”  

John 8:31,32 The Message 

I love the last version of this verse! If you “STICK WITH THIS”. Doesn't it feel like that sometimes? Doesn't it feel like, in certain seasons, that we are just sticking with it, holding on, barely breathing?

The word "hold" actually means: to abide, live in accordance with, dwell within, adhere to, are faithful to...

Most of us could quote John 8: 32 by memory. “Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free” (NIV). It's quoted in movies, songs, on TV and in our churches! But vs 31 is often left out and yet it is the hinge to our freedom. In order to be free, we must abide in, live in accordance with, dwell within, adhere to, be faithful to, HIS WORD!  HOLDING = FREEDOM!! If you want to know truth and want to be free, then we MUST begin to live a certain way. We must begin to stay, remain, give our life. Stay WITH Him. Remain IN Him. Give your life TO Him.  

Sometimes it takes every ounce of strength to HOLD. Sometimes it takes every ounce of patience to remain, to STAY. Sometimes it takes a flying LEAP, to give your life fully to Him. And every. single. time it results in freedom. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. Stay - when you feel like running from Him. Hold - when it feels like everything around you is letting go. Jump - because you were born to jump, Jumper!!! When we stick with it, when we stay in His word & in His ways when things get hard (because we KNOW they will), the reward is a beautiful life of FREEDOM! Fight it out. Don't give up. Don't let your guard down for even ONE minute because at the end of this season there is triumph and freedom. This pain you're experiencing will end and with it will come freedom from the lies you've believed, from the weight you've been carrying, from the condemnation you've been feeling. Remain in HIM, in HIS Word, in HIS ways. HOLD to His teachings. Keep your eyes on him.  

So, I ask again. What would you DO if you could do ANYTHING? What would you BE if you could be anything? Often we confuse "DO ANYTHING" with an occupation. Maybe it's teaching that Sunday School class, taking over the Christmas Musical, taking piano lessons for the first time, doing a 5km run for Cancer, maybe it's walking into a church for the first time in YEARS. Maybe 'BEING' is being kind to the person that wounded you, maybe it's loving the unlovable in our cities, maybe it's being honest with ourselves and our brokenness and holding tight to His word because, really, it's all we've got. If holding onto His word results in freedom, then JUMP. If you are a follower of Jesus you are a jumper. YOU. ARE. A. JUMPER.   

JUMP, JUMPER!

Tara W.

Thankful

"Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting." Psalm 147:1 ESV

Wishing each of you a lovely Thanksgiving weekend as you enjoy spending time with family and friends and pausing to take time to be thankful for the many blessings we have each day.

Jo-Ann P

Scarves, sweaters, the sound of new sneakers

Backpacks and books hurry to bleachers

Nutmeg, cinnamon, pumpkin, and cream

Fill the air with sugary steam

Jack Frost is back and in full swing

Leaves crackle in the breeze, cheeks begin to sting

Hearts overflow with warm festive cheer

But tell me, why doesn't this last through the year?

Kate P

Always There

I love the stories of the Bible. I grew up on them yet am always amazed by how they can continue to speak to me and teach me deeper things.

One such story is that of Jacob in the Old Testament. I was recently reading again the account of the dream that he had – the “Jacob’s Ladder” story (Gen 28:10-22).

Jacob was en-route to his uncle’s place out of necessity. He had deceived his father and his brother and was in a very real sense running for his life. As he lay down to sleep one night he had a dream of a stairway reaching from earth to heaven with angels ascending and descending. In the dream, God spoke to Jacob with a promise of blessing and a promise of presence.

On awakening, Jacob makes this statement: “Surely the Lord is in this place and I was not aware of it.” (vs16)

To be where God is present and to be unaware…seems sad, even tragic…and yet…

I’ve been there. Have you? Those times when the “Where were you God?” and “Where are you God?” questions fall so easily from our lips and we doubt or forget that He is present.

At this point in scripture, God is not yet described as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob but rather as the God of Abraham and Isaac. Jacob had a long road ahead of him, a journey to discover for himself the faithfulness of God.

Many years later, David asked “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” (Psa 139:7) In the following verses he answered his own question. Nowhere. There isn’t a place to flee from his presence.

We turn to the New Testament and read these words:  “I am with you always...” (Matt 28:20b)

Then there is also the reminder that on his return to heaven, Jesus would send Holy Spirit to be present with us. Always with us. (John 14)

These are truths to know and to cling to because the reality is that although God is always present, always with me, I will not always feel it. Sometimes God is silent. Sometimes I am not paying attention.

When those times come, I need to trust in the truth of God’s Word and the faithfulness of his promise…in the faithfulness of God himself.

Immanuel…God with us…this is not just a poetic line for reciting at Christmas time. It is truth…enduring, unchanging and real. A truth that I can know and stand firm in when what I see obscures it and when what I feel denies it.

Jacob, while on a journey that would lead to the God of his father and grandfather becoming the God that he would not let go, discovered that God was indeed with him.

Where are you on that journey? Be assured that even if God is present and you do not know it, he is present. Like Jacob, don’t let go.

Ruth U 

Personal Challenge

I should probably make an admission right from the beginning of this writing. This one is personal.

Secondly, while this also may seem to be targeted to the folks in my age bracket (north of 50!), I don’t think it is exclusive so please keep reading.

In recent years my family has faced some losses. Not dramatic, really, but more just the stuff of life, the regular ebb and flow. My mom, my in-laws and just recently a very special aunt have all gone Home.

There is the usual grieving – if indeed there is such a thing…and the memories that bring both smiles and tears.

Something else came to mind this week though. Actually it was more like receiving a blow…it hit me hard.

With these losses, I and my family and my extended family have lost a significant portion of our regular prayer covering.

With that initial realization, I felt I could hardly catch my breath. I wrestled with the implications of that and my sense of loss deepened.

Then came the challenge:” Are you going to pick that mantle up?”

Immediately I am plagued with self doubt and questions.

I am not capable. What if I forget?

What if I am not faithful?

I am not nearly “spiritual” enough (whatever that means!)

But then a gentle rebuke: “I didn’t ask you if you are good enough or if you will never fail…I asked you if you would pick this up.”

Though of course the ‘right’ answer is yes, I continue to be challenged by these thoughts…am I going to pick it up?

I write this then to share this challenge particularly with those of my generation…we who are quickly heading towards being the older folks. Parent and grandparents are gone. We are becoming that generation. Whether we try to hide our age and defy the aging process at every turn, it is happening anyway. What are we going to do with that?

As the saints who we have come to depend on for our prayer support pass on to their reward, are we going to step into the gap for the next generation?

This does not mean that you are being relegated to the rocking chair! This is not a sidelines kind of thing. This is frontline, fight the battles kind of stuff.

We are told repeatedly in scripture to pray…for one another (Eph 6:18)…to carry each other’s burdens (Gal 6:2)…to pray unceasingly (1Thes 5:17).

Are you up for the challenge…for your children, grandchildren and extended family…for those younger than yourself in your church…for those younger than yourself in your community and outside your church doors?

Are you willing to support in this way the young “Joshua’s” among us who are being prepared and called to finish what our generation has not?

Are you willing to provide the prayer covering for those who are being called to very different, very difficult, even dangerous places and things?

Am I?

Ruth U