#907, 12AUG

The Mystery

If there’s one thing I have learned with following the Lord, it is: Don’t stop what you are doing just because you don’t understand how it will finish!!! (One example currently is preparing my daughter for returning to college in 2 weeks – just keep doing the prep, the journey is as important as the destination.)

Somehow, in a great mystery the small tasks or the large tasks will be completed, either successfully or in a detour, or halted clearly in a stop. The answer will be provided or you yourself will be redirected. In the meantime, keep working the work that works.  Drop the fluff that fails. Don’t be blind to the need to change.  Listen to your heart. Keep the faith. Perhaps you will understand. Perhaps you won’t. Perhaps you can’t.

The mystery…

The mysteries are endless in faith, and even the faith is mysterious to me, but I know that I must keep it. I believe, therefore I will delight in knowing God knows. The mystery in how – what – when – why is NOTHING compared to the WHO. God knows. 

I have thought that when I reach heaven I will know everything. I guess I don’t really know if I will. It must be even more mysterious. I’m guessing that I won’t mind if I don’t know all because I DO know that I will see the Glory of God and that will be sufficient. How could it not be enough just to be in His presence. Therefore, is not the Glory of God sufficient for us right now?

I wonder if like Peter, we can really step out in faith forever or only for a few steps, or if we will continue to reconcile our faith after denying our thoughts that God has things under control. He built it and us, and He still does. I wonder if we really can see how we ourselves ARE becoming part of the Kingdom of God – only by being strengthened by God Himself. If He is the builder, then in addition to the rocks, He must be providing the mortar too Keeping it and us all together. Some builders can put perfectly matched rocks together and some rocks need mortar to stay where they are built. I would be one who is not perfect and needs the essential mortar of faith to fill me in. Fill in my gaps. Fill in my faith gaps. Be fulfilled. Be placed. Be.

I’m a mystery in myself, yet God knows me and what it takes to build me up. So won’t I let Him build me? Won’t I let Him direct me? Won’t I let Him place me.

In a combination of faith mystery and life mystery, we continue our journey, we must continue as God has never stopped – has He?…  He creates His new Kingdom with us in mind. HE knows where we fit. He will even try every angle, knock off the rough edges, anything to keep us from the discard pile. He has a purpose for us.

In the Book of Revelation chapter 5, John writes that Heavenly creatures say: “Who is worthy to open the scroll?” Then clearly Jesus, the Lamb who was slain, steps up, He is worthy. Jesus WAS and IS the answer. So can we understand that deep but revealed mystery now? We question and are to know: Jesus is the answer, let Him take the lead for us too. Build. Fit. Trust. Know. Be. Live. (And keep moving).

The Mystery of Faith is rooted in Faith. Faith holds us, Jesus made us all worthy.

We have God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, and life, what more do we need to know?

Amen

#906, 10AUG

Love is the Best Fruit Worth Sharing

Picking blueberries yesterday afternoon (in perfect summer weather with the sun at my back) reminded me that God has plenty good still prospering out in the world for us to enjoy and sustain us and be in the norm of His creation… and I had the opportunity so I took it. My conversation with the farmer, I could have continued it all day, about his family, about mine, about him being off the grid as a dream… About his life, I told him about my father working 50 plus years at the bank, his dream to work just as long as his father worked the railroad,  and about his dream for each of his kids to go to college, we did… I  told him that a favorite Facebook post of mine is “it’s not your job as a parent to get your kids into Harvard, but Heaven” about teaching the next generation how to live and love what they do rather than what actually to work at… I said how blessed I am that both my kids have direction and dreams.

All my conversations in life and interest in people remind me how different people take the same thing VERY differently… Surely some people would never dream to live how this farm family lives (they do use electricity now) and his dream of the future. It looks idyllic in summer, but I wonder about winter though… It’s a privilege either way to choose a life that they can work towards.  Many in the world are stuck in bad circumstances,  we in America are generally not, but some are… so if we are privileged, we also have the ability to modify our attitudes and steps. The farmer told me about his daughter, my son’s age. He is motivating her to get her driver’s license as she depends upon them to get her to work. She just started at the local organic store, she dreams however to live in the city… my daughter loves the city too… All their kids were/are homeschooled. They all have dreams about traveling…

I only paid $4 for the blueberries, so I gave him $20 and a note for his daughter to use it for gas money. My father gave me $ for gas money, I can share some.  Most importantly I wrote in the note with the money about if God takes care of the birds, then surely He will take care of us…

And He does. My father and mother take care of me too as I take care of my family… and we all take care of each other.

And God’s love?… That’s always my twinkle in my eye, bringing  me my smile, seeing the extravagant LOVE and generosity of our God who is also to be feared, is jealous, and firm… He is watching us thru His angels too. Moving us thru His Spirit. He is a good God and if we watch where and when to take our steps, He will guide them best… for kids, for travel, for patience, for life, for blueberries that I got to pick, just like when I was a kid… i thanked this farmer for sharing the outside with the kids of today’s world, that’s rarity these days… the fruits of his labor brings joy.

God’s joy? That we are loved, and have our love for God – and have our love for one another – these ARE the fruits of His labor…

Love IS the best fruit… worth sharing…

#905, 08AUG

IMMENSE and INTENSE

How far away we are from the stars, but no doubt that looking into the breathtaking depth of the shining stars, we have no idea how deep and how wide and how vast and how IMMENSE and INTENSE the array. Their display of light dazzles from so far away, just like our sun, the intensity carries that far to our eyes. And there are SO MANY.

Tonight I am camping, in deep enough wilderness that I could see such intense, deep stars, so many that it is like a freckle-face field of star dots. I saw 3 shooting stars, I did not think to make a wish, I was in God’s Hand and there is nothing else I needed just then. He knows better than I what I need. His plan plays out best. He got me here, safe thus far.

If we realized we are sitting in the palm of God, our Creator, perhaps looking up at the stars would akin to looking at the twinkle of God’s eye. Perhaps we are that close to be in His LOVE that we don’t know – we don’t know how deep how wide how everything His Love is in us and around us. YES, we are that close and Him to us, that we are immensely immersed. Even remember  that if the stars display such light that travels from so far, His love surpasses that in wideness, God is bigger.  So IMMENSE that His Son, who is also God in person came to be intensely close to dwell with us, came to our level so we could all arise to Heaven level.

Even remember in that Vastness, that if God is SO CLOSE to us, we can feel His presence in and thru us. His love surrounding is even deeper. His Glory is so intense, His love so much light in darkness.

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2nd Corinthians 4:6

How fitting for we are that close that we don’t always see. Just like the stars, light pollution from us prevents us from seeing.  But strip away us, cast off our earthly interference,  our distractions, and focus on feeling and seeing Jesus as our Savior and feeling His Spirit as our motion and knowing Our Father as Love. Feel that, seek that, know that intimate FULLNESS of God.

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.  I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:14-19

My how CLOSE God is…

Surpassing all knowledge and simply becoming a presence to know.

Draw close, see and feel, and know that He was never far.

May you feel His Love always.

IMMENSE AND INTENSE

Amen

#904, 06AUG

Good Things: Grace and Flush Toilets

Your Grace is sufficient Lord.

I did ask for CAMPING, so I didn’t expect a power outage, so I guess it’s like camping, except with flush toilets. Yeah.

Thank you Lord for the Grace. Thank You Lord for the Good Things. Thank You Lord for the flush toilets.

I did ask for more family closeness Lord, so I didn’t expect to see my son more because he’s got no A/C or computer power in his room now. And he said: “do you need a hug?” Oh blessed. So I did hope for teaching lessons for my children, and I got them and I learned too. Yeah.

Thank you Lord for Your Grace, Thank You Lord for my children,  Thank You Lord for flush toilets.

I did ask to be outside more Lord, like camping, so I didn’t expect to hang laundry on the outside line, to learn how to use a borrowed generator (power still out).  To have non-random helpers. Yeah.

Thank you Lord for Your Grace, Thank You Lord for my children, Thank You Lord for friends and generators, Thank You Lord for flush toilets.

I did ask to have a cleaner house, so I didn’t expect to be vacuuming freezer coils, eat down pandemic stockpiles. I did work at what You put in front of me this week, and I mopped up the messes.

Thank You Lord for Your Grace, Thank You Lord for my children, thank You Lord for friends and generators, Thank You Lord for the time, Thank You Lord for the mess, Thank You Lord for flush toilets.

I didn’t ask for Grace because I didn’t understand. I do now. I do need Grace and it IS sufficient, and everything else will fall into place. I now ask for extended Grace to all. May all know You. May all learn. May all be patient with Your Pace.

Thank You Lord for Your Grace, Your lessons, Your love, Your hope, Your Love. And Your pace for my race, You can plan my plan and I will try to understand.

And oh yeah, those Flush Toilets… You inspired Good Things,  You made Good People who made Good Things,  You are Good. You are the Power and the Light in the dark.

Goodnight.  Thank you for the day Lord. Thank you for the night… Thank You for all Good Things…

Amen

#903, 02AUG

There will be Time, Now is a Sacrifice of Praise

I miss my praise band people so very much, it was actually very upsetting to me tonight, enough that I had to write, but a certain song set me straight… “Sacrifice”… a sacrifice of praise…

I miss seeing raised hands in the service, I just loved it… I miss singing my praises to our Lord, in a group, for sure I do sing in the kitchen, but I can’t justify singing without mask inside a building right now, nor justify the time away from the kids right now when we circled the wagons in the spring. Even work is urging us to not get sick, of course. Maybe I feel selfish for not singing and yet I could be considered selfish for wanting to be singing… Well, what is one to decide to do? Well, when we LET JESUS DECIDE, then it’s a no-brainer… 

We need to focus on Jesus to get peace instead of playing the ping pong game back and forth of our earthly wants.  Jesus KNOWS what we need. Jesus knows what He needs and where He needs you.

God initially, and I myself, hit the continued pause for me in praise band. I call it a Sacrifice of Praise (which is an old praise band song from my first band that I miss so much too.)… a sacrifice either way, either your time one way or another. But isn’t it better to have a sacrifice of PRAISE?

It’s a sacrifice, because I choose to opt out, as it’s my discernment that that’s probably safest and needed in these times but mostly after surveying the scene, it is what I needed in my times… and my times will change, THEY WILL. I can justify everything until the cows come home, even if I don’t have to at all… and surely the best justification is not justifying, only praising, only listening, for we don’t know the best plan, only the Lord knows… all we need is worship and praise. Discernment comes with divine direction.

Why does it become a “sacrifice of praise”? Because I praise that I have much I am able to sacrifice.  A praise also on my mind for Jesus and God’s sacrifice to guarantee our placement home.  Sometimes we are sacrificing somethings for others, sometimes we are sacrificing for peace of mind too. It’s my praise that I do have people in my life who do mean so much and I sacrifice for their sake… it’s my praise that we are called to drop our personal agendas too… it’s true that we are to praise the Lord even in the storms. Focus on Him and tears flow back in.

It’s our truth that Jesus as our focus must knock out all the other noise.

“Man looks on the outside, You look on the heart.”

It’s odd to me that I am like the least germaphobe, I eat stuff off the ground, even from my rug at work, but I feel what I feel, and so I can’t justify myself in the band mix right now… Thankfully, with Jesus my decision burden became light… I’m even a gambler, risk taker (sorry John Wesley) but my gut tells me solidly where to be…  With Jesus my “me” decision tree became “we”.

“To truly live for you, to truly seek Your Face.”

We justify with Jesus.

“Man looks on the outside

You look on the heart

That’s where my worship has to start”

A month from now is not now, and times will change. And my choices then will too… I don’t have to justify sending my daughter back to college, both because she is an adult whom I can’t prevent from making her own choices AND I won’t stop her school progress AND she moves from my bubble to hers, learning her way in the world.  I transfer much to her decision process,  but most importantly I must transfer my control to God (so hard!).  I justify also a month from now allowing my son’s wisdom teeth surgery… I may sacrifice some peace of mind then, but that same month he turns 16 and wants his driving permit. YIKES, so yes there are risks everyday… whew… Jesus take the wheel!

Well, there will be time later for my praise band time, God-willing…and if there isn’t? Well then there will be eternal praise time for the Lord,  there will be all the time not “in the world” but “out of the world” then.

“For all eternity, with every breath I take, I want my life to be,  a SACRIFICE OF PRAISE…. to You!!!”

So a sacrifice of praise it is… 

God, thanks for pulling my worries into worship and my pensiveness into praise.

There’s always time for PRAISE!

Amen

 

—–

 

Sacrifice,  Paul Baloche 

“Man looks on the outside

You look on the heart

That’s where my worship has to start

—

Words fall short to tell You

Yearnings that I feel…

I want to worship You for real

For real

—

To truly live for You

To truly seek Your face

To turn my heart towards You

A thousand times a day

—

For all eternity

With every breath I take

I want my life to be

A sacrifice of praise

A sacrifice of praise to You

—

Man looks on the outside

You look on the heart

That’s where my worship has to start

—

Words fall short to tell You

Yearnings that I feel…

I want to worship You for real

For real

—

To truly live for You

To truly seek Your face

To turn my heart towards You

A thousand times a day

—

For all eternity

With every breath I take

I want my life to be

A sacrifice of praise

A sacrifice of praise to You

—

To truly live for You

To truly seek Your face

To turn my heart towards You

A thousand times a day

—

For all eternity

With every breath I take

I want my life to be

A sacrifice of praise

A sacrifice of praise

A sacrifice of praise

A sacrifice of praise

A sacrifice of praise to You

#902, 31JUL

Patient Praiseful Endurance

It’s a summer of patience, it’s a time of waiting but still working. Pandemic and all, you must say it’s been an interesting year…

PATIENCE is needed – and I’m talking only about grocery store shopping! LOL… I watched a very long line, a very patient set of people… Everyone was polite and surely for the privilege of Trader Joe’s premium food, it was worth the wait. I was just walking by this time, but I know it is good stuff!!! The clerk at the fabric store next door was wiping down the carts as I walked in and later as I waited to check out. She said it takes time if you want to do it right.

It takes time… it takes patience…

“This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.” Rev14:12

That scripture is not about shopping, but enduring trial, waiting thru evil in a broken world, and remaining faithful to fulfilling God’s commands, one of which is to share the Good News about Jesus. So, wait we must – but work we must do too – now and for end times. John was given an actual trip into the Spirit realm, to witness what leads up to end times, and to write about what he saw. “Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth — to every nation, tribe, language and people. He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.” ” Rev14:6-7

Let all those with ears hear this too, so that they will understand – and let us understand how important it is for us to praise, fear God and give Him glory.

John wrote so that we may understand about endurance, be encouraged to remain faithful regardless of the afflictions of evil. We are called to be patient and we are called to shine the light…  So as tempting as it is to be emotionally feeling down and grumpy about our circumstances, we must still be encouraging and uplifting… We must shine even brighter right now…  God is patiently waiting for all of us to worship, to love, and to praise. God is giving us Time for He wants all to meet and be saved by Jesus.

I placed a blue painted rock on the bench near the end of the grocery store entrance line, stating the importance of patience… We need all to focus on God, we need all of God’s plan to reach all. God needs that too… God is very patient, but there will be a time when earthly time will cease… a NEW JERUSALEM will emerge… Jesus says get ready and God surely says about our work:  It takes time if you want to do it right…

Since God is in charge of time, surely we can take time to share the Good News…

Amen

#901, 29JUL

Chain Reactions

God did good today, and so did His Angels. Especially for my daughter’s birthday. A chain reaction of car accidents stopped right in front of us, everyone was fine, but not those cars or tractor trailer frames, ouch, mangled bumpers and we were all so glad the tractor trailer hit the guard rail to take most of the brunt and that he didn’t tip over.

We were fine, amazingly a police officer was in the backed up traffic too and instantly there. We saw the people get out of the cars. Thank God the car behind me stopped in time too. A hedge of protection for sure. I raised my hand to the sky in thankfulness, heaped praises to the Lord in humbled halleluiahs. My daughter had just finished saying she preferred taking the train to inner city. It was stressful driving, it was a great save in our day.

There is something to be said for keeping a safe following distance,  it helps give angels more time to move in. 

Chain Reactions are bad on highways, angels are always needed.

GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME.

It was my daughter’s 19th birthday, was a fabulous day, she and I spent all day together, from presents to free Starbucks to a trip to a fancy art store in inner city, to a bubble tea place, to home, time for painting and resin pouring, kitty time, takeout steaks and movie watching – and our new norm is always prayers at night. Thankful prayers.  REALLY thankful as it could have taken a REALLY bad turn at that moment on the highway, but it DIDN’T. Just luck? No, because God INTERVENED thru our Holy Spirit. I didn’t really even think of the “what ifs”, I just reacted, then we kept moving… We were and are blessed with a chain reaction of Spirit flowing, of Angel-catches, and of paced timing.

Chain reactions in life can be harsh like car accidents or an intricate process for good – like God starting something, angels intervening, and so forth down the line… Everything is connected like a chain. Death could have been the end of the chain, our individual chain, except it isn’t – because when we accept His gift of salvation, JESUS RESTORES OUR LINK TO LIFE EVERLASTING.

There is another chain reaction to consider – but it is the reaction of our chains to Jesus, He breaks the chains that bind us, our chains forged in life and originally by sin, worldly things, death – these are broken and we are supposed to shake them off because Jesus broke them thru His death and Resurrection. Jesus is our Savior. His Alpha and Omega are not on separate ends as much as they are linked together. Love links all. The reaction chain of Him saving us means that our Father in Heaven can have us home.

SO…, live today like you should, form new links of life knowing Jesus is our link, our vine. Keep a safe following distance and watch for changing times. Keeping linked with others and with Jesus, faith in faith…

Thank You Lord for my children, my life, my links, my missions and Your SAVE.

Thank You Lord.

Whew.

AMEN

#900, 28JUL

Jesus Knows Your Name

There’s a little tidbit in scripture which means everything. Jesus KNOWS your name. Scripture tells of white stones inscribed with names and those He calls will understand… will know Him… a REVELATION for sure…

“I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it”. Rev 2:17

Jesus knows your name.

The little white stones at the beach are scattered and moved by the waves, they are smoothed by the friction, they stand out from the endless grains of sand when revealed, and even though they may exist only in the depths of the ocean, or buried under the shore, they exist, they are retained, they are strong enough, they are like us. These stones can represent our lives smoothed out from rough patches by abrasion and water flow, our lives held together by faith even if sometimes we are whirled in motion, or lives sometimes seemingly lost in the world but never out of sight of the One who made us. We are rolled by the rock tumblers of this world, but that also means we are SHINED by the Light Within. We live: “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;” 2nd Corinthians 4:7-9

Not only are these stones and our lives known by the Lord, we are called by name. Jesus knows the whole world, but it’s your name He is specifically calling, because He is the one who has gone ahead of you. He knows your hopes and wants to lead you to share His: the time when everyone knows His.

The time draws nearer and nearer to the end of times, and we are called to serve, share and let others know that they are known. It is not our curiosity that we need to feed, it’s His Kingdom we need to fill!

Read the book of Revelation, read the scriptures, read the signs of the times. But most of all, hear and heed the call of your own name by Him.

Go then and tell the others…

Amen

---

The rest of the story starts here:

“The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.” – keep reading Revelation,  AMAZING…

#899, 26JUL

Turn the Page for Self Care

What does “self care” look like? That’s the new hot term “self care”…  Does it mean spoiling yourself or does it mean just remembering to take care of yourself – to put your own oxygen mask on first before putting it on others. I can call this particular moment “self care” as I just sat down at the beach this morning, a friend will be coming but I decided to come early since the cat wakes me up at 5:00 a.m. anyway. I got a free parking spot – I hope to get a beach tag but the best is that at least I got here. At least I got here.

Creating a self care plan to me means that I made a plan and I was able to run with it (when you know all plans don’t actually get to be run)… Self care means I took care of my other obligation cares first, to be able to just be. Self care to me also means accepting what I can’t do and taking advantage of anything good I can. Being here at the beach is a successful moment of “I did“.

Self care is best achieved in being aware of being in the care of the Lord. Focusing, sitting down with the Lord – walking with the Lord – and resting with the Lord. Listening and remembering HIS care is infinitely better than your own self care.

New book I have – reading about Peter and Jesus walking on the water, about Peter sinking and Jesus lifting, that is me too. I went to take this beach photo,  but the page kept turning and I thought: isn’t that true for our lives: DON’T STAY ON THE SAME PAGE, accept the save and turn the page.  Get-up-and-go. Take time of course to sit down and rest, but Peter didn’t stay “standing still” with Jesus after he was lifted, they got back onto shore swiftly. They keep moving…

If you listen to the waves, listen to the birds, feel the sun, that’s self care time well spent but most importantly listen to your heart – your heart is where the Lord resides. He can help you there and everywhere, help you in a way that directly speaks to you. In everything the Lord has created, He specifically made YOU. And what has the Lord has deposited in You?  HIS SPIRIT.

There is no better self care then SPIRIT CARE.. His Spirit is for you.

Keep turning the page, for you, for your care, for your plan, for your hope, for your mission. The Lord ALWAYS has something to say about your walk with Him.

Amen

898

Stop Focusing On Your Fears, 25JUL

Stop Focusing On Your Fears.

Easy to say. Not easy to do.

Best way? Focus on Jesus instead.

We say that all the time, Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Perhaps often my distractions are that I see my fears being played out in someone else’s life, and I forgot that it’s NOT happening to me, I forget my blessings of being “safe thus far”.  Perhaps through somebody else’s situation, I get paralyzed by watching when I should be thinking of how Jesus would get them out of that situation.  (And sometimes we are but perhaps we are not always on the rescue team).  None the less, we are ALWAYS on the prayer team. ALWAYS.

FOCUS ON JESUS. You will find praise. Praise that He knows you and knows your fears. Praise that He forgives you and forgives your forgetfulness. Praise that He is True. Praise that He has gone ahead. Don’t let your fear make you forget your faith. Your steps are sure if you surely can remember to trust.

Perhaps better than worrying about train wrecks, let us all go in advance to the intersections of people’s faith and strengthen them with ours. Perhaps you will find others strengthen yours too. Perhaps better than being the spoiler, or stopping traffic, let the trains cross slowly and see if it all fits together in a plan better than you could have imagined. Don’t be afraid to cross if Jesus is directing. Crossing intersections of faith could involve the Cross, sometimes sacrifice, and always praise.

Adding onto the famous lyrics:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus, [not the world or your perceived future].

Look full in His Wonderful Face, [not at shadows that your fears hide in].

And the things of Earth will grow strangely dim, [because Jesus seriously IS THE ONLY LIGHT].

In the Light of His Glory and Grace, [as nothing earthly, even death, can touch His Glory and Grace].

Nothing can even touch His GLORY and GRACE.

Always remember: JESUS SEES WHAT HE WILL LEAD YOU TO.

AMEN

#897, 24JUL

You’ve Been Paced

I’ve watched and heard the sweetest goodbyes between a little kid and their dad. The dad drives such a slow pace each morning leaving the house a few doors down from mine, and he and his little child yell goodbyes within earshot to each other for at least half a block. Dad leans out his work van, drives at just the right pace. Awww… I bet the child will remember that all day.

The pace of our lives are just that, a certain pace in a certain place.

Yesterday was my first turnpike slowdown in 5 months of the lightest traffic, never a stop but a 45 minute crawl covering only 10 miles. I heard about the construction set up, I chose that path anyway, since it is most direct. The radio traffic report said the cars were being purposefully “paced”.

PACED.

Today I was “stuck” behind the train crossing, with both kids after the dentist, it was ok I had nowhere super urgent to be, I was not far from home so I waited, checked my email on my phone and waited. It doesn’t pay to bail at that intersection anyway,  there would be an extra 10 minute drive around, not worth it…. and I could see the fast but long train. Just wait it out. Life slowed down but stay on track.

Just before the train finished and the track crossing opened, at least half a dozen cars bailed – waited for a long time and then bailed so late. Seriously, how long would you wait before bailing? I watched one car that did just before the opening and was then stuck at the light in the opposite direction. When the opposing traffic started to flow, he realized that he should have waited 30 seconds more. His face told the whole story of ugh…. he lost time trying to save it.

He had been paced.

I have been paced.

You’ve been paced.

We, we are being paced by life, paced by ourselves, paced by God.  Which is the best, right, smart way to live? We cannot outpace or out-race God.

No matter what you do,  if you don’t do it in God’s terms, He will pace you.

“As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.” Ecclesiastes 11:5

If you build a plan without God, it will fail. Psalm 127

If you rush, you will be paced back to His schedule.

If you think you can out-run God, you can’t. And you wouldn’t want to anyway.

If you try to slow down something God is doing, you can’t. His timing,  His place,  His pace.  Accept the pace. Sometimes the pace is a race but with God, let Him win the race.

You think things are falling into place, just right? You also have been placed, traced, spaced, and embraced. Paced.

Take the time that God has given you, use the time wisely, spend time with loved ones, work diligently. Embrace the pace, God has made time for you and me. He says we are worthy of His time, worthy not by our doing but by His Grace.

His Pace, His Place, His Grace.

Amen

#896, 21JUL

Calming the Waters

How many times do we think that we are in choppy waters in life  – too many…

How many times we realize that we are actually in CALM waters – we don’t notice this enough.  But I bet we are in calm waters more often than not. We see choppy times ahead but today look to see where your calm is placing you. If we have a moment to rest enough to pick up anything to read, we are at that moment calming down. If we sit and observe, we have an opportunity for calming… even moving water can still be calm… even ear-filled moments can be calm… and the eye of any and all hurricanes can be calm… BECAUSE calm is from WITHIN. Calming is an action. Calmness is.

Jesus is.

I sat looking at the “Calm Waters Cafe” sticker on my daughter’s laptop. It’s a great cafe run by spiritual folk. It has seats in the window for you to watch the world go by while you sit calmly… Jesus calmed those waters and those times. Jesus calms these times as well.

Sitting calmly I was looking at the sticker, but we were busy, we were shopping for birthday presents online with 2 laptops,  2 phones, 5 stores, coupons vs free shipping, delivery time vs pickup, gifted Grandma money vs ours… a burst of “hard work” for ease of easy times. Jesus calmed those waters and these times.

The cat is studying the world outside as close as we let her, through the locked screen door at 5am. I’m studying the cat who was gifted into our lives. At times when strife could erupt, the volume instead of moments of cat cuteness or coy cat-purposely-in-the-way-ness is a true calming influence in this house. Jesus calmed those waters and these times.

Looking across this floor to the door, there used to be times it was filled with junk, there used to be times when I had not yet had the money for furniture, there were times I didn’t even have times to look. Jesus calmed those waters and these times.

And there were times of joy. And there were times of pain. And there were times of strife. And there were times of loneliness. And there were times of stillness. Jesus calmed those waters and these times.

Jesus calms life sometimes “just enough” so even though there are big waves, you know which direction they come from. Jesus calms life sometimes most of the way and waits for you to stop making your own rough seas. Jesus also calms you sometimes instead of the waves. Jesus made these days for our realization of His Way.

Jesus calmed those waters and these times, these waters and these times.

Maybe we need to choose to look at the world and get ready to calm it ourselves. So don’t be afraid to step out of your boat today.  It’s ok to venture. Jesus will be there.

Jesus already knows the Way.

Amen