Do You Need a Do-Over?


Have you ever done or said something and instantly wished you could have a do-over? That you could take back what you said or make a different choice in your actions? We’ve all had times when we’ve made wrong choices.  Times when we would like to rewind and start again. But we can’t. That’s not how it works in the natural world.

Wouldn’t it be great if it worked that way in everyday life?  If every time we did something wrong or unwise we could just rewind and try it again? Yes? Well, actually, it wouldn’t.  What would happen is that we would never learn from our failures and never realized what Jesus has done for us. We would get too comfortable with just hitting the rewind button and going back to start over again.

Jesus specializes in do-overs. But they aren’t really do-overs in the sense that we can rewind and do something different. What He does is give us a second chance to get it right. He allows us to try again and do things differently with His help. He allows us to be forgiven of the wrong and move forward as though it never happened.

He also gives us grace to face the consequences of our actions. He walks with us as we mend relationships. He helps us learn and grow from our mistakes. Certainly we are to be wise and try to make good choices in the first place, but there is always mercy when we don’t get it right.

Grace and mercy are the gifts Jesus gives to us to help us live on this earth. He knows we are fallible humans and He is there to help as soon as we ask. All we have to do is ask.

Lamentations 3:22-23 The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.

To Know in Your Knower

flowersIMG_2709What does it mean to hear the voice of God? It’s an age-old question. Sometimes you listen so hard and it seems like all you hear is silence. Sometimes you think you’ve heard more than one voice and it seems difficult to know which voice is the real deal.

I’ve had my children ask me, “How do you know when God is speaking to you? What does His voice sound like?” Of course there isn’t any audible sound, at least not when He speaks to me. But there are times when I know that I’ve heard from the Holy Spirit as surely as if He had spoken aloud.

I’ve explained it to my sons by telling them that I just know in my knower. I can’t pinpoint where that is exactl—it’s somewhere between my head and my heart. It really can’t be confined to one or the other because both have been known to want their own way and not be totally honest with me!

I remember a time when one of my boys asked permission to go somewhere. I’d prayed about it and felt sure that the answer should be no. Logically there was no real reason I could give him and my heart really wanted to let him go. I knew he would be disappointed but there was just this deep sense that it was not to be. He pressed me for a reason and I finally told him that when you walk with the Lord for a long time you develop a place inside that is for God alone. It’s not your mind or your heart, it is God’s place. It’s where God speaks and if you are willing to quiet both your heart and your mind, you will be able to hear God’s voice. I told him that I trusted that God was speaking about the situation and I knew enough to listen even when I didn’t understand.

I recently read an article that was trying to explain the difference between your heart and your mind. It said, “If it feels good it’s your heart and if it feels right it’s your mind.” I suppose that could be true, but it isn’t always helpful.  Sometimes what is right doesn’t feel right and certainly doesn’t feel good so how can it be either mind or heart?

Have you ever needed to make a decision that just wasn’t fitting into logical arguments and you also  felt clueless as  to  what your heart really wanted? That’s when you must direct both to be still and listen with your knower. God will speak. He’s waiting for the clamor to cease so you can hear.

Jeremiah 33:3 Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.

John 14:16-17 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

Do You Have a BFF?

Have you ever had a friend that knew you so well they could anticipate what you were thinking? Were they even able to finish your sentences because they knew what you were going to say? In some social circles, that person would be called your BFF (Best Friend Forever).

Or maybe your son or daughter planned to ask you for something but you had already anticipated their request and arranged to fulfill it even before they asked. Because you love them so much, you want to take care of them, to surprise them, to make them smile.

There is someone who knows you that intimately. Who knows your thoughts and knows what you need. Your Heavenly Father begins to answer your prayers even before you speak them. He is so tuned in to what you are thinking that He can finish your sentence while you are still speaking. He loves you that much.

Isaiah 65:24 It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.

Go ahead and tell Him what’s in your heart and on your mind. He’s listening.

Hide and Seek

Hide and seek is a fun childhood game that we’ve all played. When I was a child I remember playing this game in my house with an older girl who lived next door. She was already in middle school when I was just beginning elementary school, so I felt very special when she came and played with me. I loved every minute that she spent with me. I especially loved playing hide and seek. And I remember another form of hide and seek that I played when it was time for her to go home. I hid her shoes so she had to stay a little longer!

As we grew older, the neighborhood kids would play more elaborate forms of hide and seek, playing in the yards of neighbors on our block. There was one boy who didn’t want to play by the rules and instead of hiding, he would go home and have a snack while the rest of us continued to hunt for him with no success. Finally we caught on to his trick and made him promise to play fair or go home.

As a child I loved to hide and try to be clever so I’d be the last one found. But later as a parent of young children I found a different aspect to the game. When we would play with our little boys, it was more fun to see the look of triumph on their faces when they found us so we learned not to hide too well. We wanted to be found.

God loves to play hide and seek with us. He says that when we hide, we can feel safe. We can hide in the shelter of His wings. He doesn’t want us to hide from him like Adam and Eve did. He wants us to hide in Him.

When God hides, it’s for the purpose of drawing us to himself. He says that we will definitely find him if we seek him with all our hearts. This is a little different than what we played as children. Instead of one person seeking and everyone else hiding, it is the opposite.  In this version God is the only one hiding and all of mankind is seeking. And the greatest mystery is that He wants to be found! The God of the Universe wants you to find Him. Each day we can begin again to seek him with all our heart and we will be rewarded by sweet fellowship with Him when we find Him.

Psalm 119:114 You are my hiding place and my shield; I wait for Your word.

Proverbs 8:17 I love those who love me; And those who diligently seek me will find me.

Sunshine Above the Clouds

sun-above-the-cloudsWinter is sometimes a dreary time. Dark days, overcast and void of color. Sometimes after a few days of that sort of weather it is such a relief to see the sun. After the clouds clear and the sun is shining in a brilliant blue sky we just feel better.

Life can sometimes seem like those gray foggy winter days. Like we just need to see the sunshine for a little while. Whether we are facing difficult circumstances or trying to remain faithful to do what God has called us to do day after day, we can get weary and feel like we need refreshed.

If you’ve ever flown in an airplane on a cloudy day you know the feeling of climbing through the clouds and seeing the sun turn the clouds, gray from below, into a dazzling white from above. The sun was always shining, you just couldn’t see if because of the clouds. You never doubt that the sun is still up there, somewhere, even if days and weeks go by without a glimpse of it. You never wonder if it is still shining you are certain it is and that you will eventually see it again. The clouds will clear and the sun will shine.

Isn’t that just like life? Don’t we have dark days when we long to get a glimpse of God’s goodness? When we feel like all is overcast and gloomy? But we must not despair. Just because we can’t see God’s hand, doesn’t mean he isn’t working.

Just like the assurance we have that above the clouds the sun is still shining, we can also have assurance that beyond our gray circumstances, the Son is still shining as well. The Bible says that one day we will no longer depend on the sun or the moon for light. The Lord will be our everlasting light. He will shine over us for eternity.

Isaiah 60:19 No longer will you have the sun for light by day, Nor for brightness will the moon give you light; But you will have the LORD for an everlasting light, And your God for your glory.

When we get discouraged, we can imagine ourselves rising above the clouds where the sun is still shining. We can put our hope in our Heavenly Father, who’s light is never extinguished.

The Simple Joy of Hearing Scripture

IMG_5768God’s Word has always been a comfort to me. I go to the Scriptures when I am in need of encouragement, counsel and wisdom. I seek God’s direction in His Word. But sometimes I find myself in a place where even the energy to decode the words is beyond me. Have you ever been there? When you can’t even seem to understand what you just read with your own eyes?

As I write this, I have just experienced that again. Yet another family crisis has taken us from our comfortable routine. I find myself in the middle of a set of circumstances that swept us off our feet and hundreds of miles from home in bad weather. When we will go home is uncertain. What we will face as this day begins is uncertain. We don’t know how to prepare for the unknown.

Of course, the unknown to us is never unknown to God.

When we got the news that would take us on this latest unexpected journey we made the decision to travel at night. We drove twelve hours in the middle of the night and went immediately to the hospital. After several hours there, we finally went to our son’s home to eat a meal and rest. By this time I had gone about thirty hours with no sleep. I knew I was struggling to even think clearly. At this point God knew exactly what I needed.

As I rested my head, eyes closed, for a few minutes I heard a small quiet voice say, “Grandma, do you want me to read to you?” I really didn’t have the energy to listen to a story. While I was trying to find a nice way to tell this precious granddaughter that I really wasn’t able to listen right now, I heard her ruffling pages. Then she said, “Which Bible verse would you like me to read?” She wanted to read to me from her Bible? Well, yes, maybe I could listen to that. I knew just what to tell her. Psalm 34.  A place I have gone frequently over the years.

She flipped the pages and soon, in her sweet six year old voice, she began to read. The words soaked into my soul. I never opened my eyes, never moved. I just stayed there, quietly allowing God to use this precious little girl to sooth my tired spirit. Her gift to me was such a simple act of love. She knew I was tired. She just wanted to help. What an amazing gift. I need to remember to allow God to use me in other’s lives in such simple ways as well. It doesn’t always have to be a big deal to be a blessing to someone else.

Some of the highlights of what I heard?

Psalm 34: 4-9 I sought the Lord, and He answered me, And delivered me from all my fears.  They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces will never be ashamed.  This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him And saved him out of all his troubles.  The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, And rescues them.  O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!  O fear the Lord, you His saints; For to those who fear Him there is no want.

Psalm 34: 17-19 The righteous cry, and the Lord hears And delivers them out of all their troubles.  The Lord is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all.

Just what I needed.  The reminder that He is here no matter what the circumstances. As I listened I felt the tears begin to roll down my cheeks. Tears of exhaustion turned to tears of joy. God was speaking to me through the voice of a little girl who brought me the simple joy found in His word.

Consider Your Eating Habits

At the TableThe holiday season is nearly over. You know you’ve overindulged. Maybe you’ve added a few pounds. You know you haven’t taken time to exercise properly because the holiday season has been busier and you just haven’t had enough time. Maybe you feel sluggish and just not like yourself. So what do you do?

A large percentage of the population approaches the new year with a fresh resolve to change behavior. They make New Year’s resolutions. In the top ten most popular New Year’s resolutions you will find these: lose weight, eat healthier, drink less, quit smoking and exercise more. Why would these be so common? Perhaps because after a month of too much food, too little exercise and less that ideal schedules, we just don’t feel good. We know the answer is to make some new goals and get a fresh start. We instinctively know that if we want our physical bodies to come back into line, we need to make some changes.

But what about our spiritual health? Do we recognize that when we haven’t been feeding our spirits the right diet we can also get sluggish and flabby in a spiritual sense? Our spirits need a regular diet of God’s Word. We also need regular daily check-ups in God’s presence so He can tell us the things He desires us to know. But we also need to cut out the less than healthy parts of our spiritual diet just like we do with our physical diet. Even if we eat lots of fruits and vegetables and get plenty of good protein and lots of fiber, if we continue eating donuts and French fries on a regular basis, we still may not be caring for our bodies in the most optimal way.

Spiritually speaking, we need to pay attention to the “junk food” we are feeding ourselves every day. Perhaps we need to consider what we can cut from our daily intake. Perhaps we would benefit from looking at what we allow into our hearts and minds every day. Maybe we can make some changes that allow God more room to work because there is less clutter in His way. It’s kind of like comparing the way fats clog our arteries in our body to how worldly indulgence clogs our spiritual arteries.

I know I’ve found that writing these devotions is much more difficult if I’ve neglected this intentional feeding of my spirit. I’ve found it’s much more difficult to hear what God has to say when I’ve filled myself up with things of the world. They aren’t all necessarily sinful things, just too much of something that distracts me from God’s voice.

While I’m not particularly inclined to make New Year’s resolutions, I do think it’s wise to consider my behavior and recognize that I make choices every day that either draw me toward my Father or away from Him. It may not be as visible as our efforts to lose weight or exercise where we can see definite results. We need to trust that God will use our desire to draw closer to Him for our good even when we can’t really see any difference.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

With regard to making healthy choices for our bodies, we are really fighting a losing battle. There is only so much we can do to prolong life on this earth. Eventually our bodies will fail us and we will need them no longer. Our spirits are a different matter entirely. We are continually being transformed into the likeness of Jesus, Himself. More and more each day. One choice at a time.

What choices can you make today that will draw you closer to your Heavenly Father?
What will you feed your spirit today?

Is the Universe Collapsing?

http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=22672&picture=ce-space-scene-1

Photo courtesy http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=22672&picture=ce-space-scene-1Is our Universe on the verge of collapse? According to scientists we are headed for the end of the world. Well, I’m sorry to burst their bubble but those of us who are Christ Followers already knew that.

In an article that I read today, they talk about how a Danish university has “proven” scientifically that the universe is preparing to collapse and that in fact, the process may have already begun. That sounds like doomsday predictions that have been occurring for centuries, probably since the beginning of creation.

As residents on this planet, of course we would be concerned about what happens if the world ends. What happens to us? Will humanity cease to exist? Again, as believers we already know the answer. So when I hear these predictions I don’t get fearful or worried. I actually get excited.

According to the article, the theory called “the big slurp” predicts that the Universe will expand to the point where it cannot go any further and will then come crashing back to the center to be completely destroyed. “Yes, the universe will probably collapse,” and: “A collapse is even more likely than the old calculations predicted,” says the article.

Romans 8:22-25 “For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.”

Picture a circle of people with large rubber bands and raw eggs. Each person has their egg in the rubber band and begins stretching it away from the center, as far as the rubber band will stretch. Finally when it can’t go any further the egg slips from each person’s hand then, suddenly propelled by the contraction of the rubber band, goes crashing with all the others into the center, completely destroyed. It’s an extremely simplified example but you get the idea. Can’t you just hear those rubber bands groaning as they are stretched to their capacity? And if we listen, we can hear all of creation groaning as it awaits God’s final redemption of His followers.

For 400 years Israel waited to hear from God, waited for the prophecies that promised a savior to come to pass. Ever since Jesus ascended into Heaven we have been waiting for his return. God told Zechariah and then Mary and Joseph that the promise was on it’s way. Could it be that God is again letting us know that the time for which we have been waiting is near?

Don’t you just love it when scientists think they’ve found out something new, only to find that they are proving scripture? That makes me want to shout!

2 Peter 3:10 “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.”

So how does this apply to us? How can we possibly incorporate the end of the world into our daily lives? It’s really quite simple. We focus on doing what matters most. We spend our time furthering the Kingdom of God. We love and encourage each other while we still can, praying “come Lord Jesus.”

Hebrews 3:13  But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

A Life that Leaves a Mark

1185327_611885915500487_970469722_nA few weeks ago I wrote about being in Florida with my grandfather. We had gone there to say goodbye. At 97 he was ready to leave his earthly body which had failed him and he longed for Heaven. It was a long process that would cause him to be confined to a Hospice facility inching his way toward heaven day by day for six weeks. Finally on a Sunday afternoon, he would leave this life forever.

But what did he leave behind? Nothing he needed but much that we needed. He left a legacy to his family that cannot be measured. He left a mark on four generations of descendants who loved him and tried to live like he inspired us to. He was a quiet, simple man who spent his life trying to make other’s lives better.

If you went to his house and commented that you liked something you saw there, he would try to find a way to send it home with you. It was a good thing, when we made the trip by air instead of car so we didn’t have room to take so many things home with us. He was just as free with intangible things as well. He was quick to share a story from his past in order to demonstrate a life lesson to any of us who would listen. We spent a lot of time listening and learning how to live and love those around us.

This earthly life passes so quickly. If you’ve had children you know how fast they grow. They are adults and leading their own lives before we know it. My grandfather’s life went quickly too, even though it spanned almost a century. He filled it with meaning every day because he constantly looked for ways to serve others. Each of those lives, and there must be thousands, was changed because he was intentional about how he lived his.

At the end of his life, as he lay helpless in a hospital bed, he was still touching lives. One nurse told me that she’d never met anyone like him and knowing him had changed her. She had only known him for six weeks. How many people does she care for in a year? And yet this one man made a difference.

There’s a story in John, chapter 13, which is very familiar. It’s the story of Jesus at the last supper. He dined with his disciples and then did something none of them expected. He filled a basin with water, took a towel and washed the feet of those he loved. He could have been distracted by what he had to face the next day but he focused on those he was with. He served them in his most difficult hour. He set the example for all of us.

The last time I talked to my grandfather was to wish him happy birthday two weeks before he died.  Our last conversation was difficult. He struggled to find words, he stuttered trying to keep his thoughts together but I treasured every syllable. Finally when he was tired and ready to hang up he said, “Are you doing okay? Is there any way that I can help you somehow?” I was speechless for a moment trying to understand how he could be facing the end of his life at any moment but was still concerned for my welfare. I told him that I was fine and he didn’t need to worry about us. He’d taught us well and we would continue teaching the  generations to come how to live like he did.

After I hung up the phone I realized why that last conversation was so special. I had experienced the same thing the disciples had on that night at the table with Jesus. What I saw in my grandfather’s last words to me was the same thing the disciples saw in Jesus that night. I saw a glimpse of the heart of Jesus in my grandfather’s words, and in his life.

Grandpa didn’t have to do grand things. He just lived his life for others. He made a difference. He left a mark. He inspired me to do the same.

Do You Need to Vent?

2008-10-06 16:59 Photo by Brocken InagloryDo you sometimes find yourself in a situation where you just need to vent? Maybe things haven’t been going your way for a while and you are frustrated or angry about your circumstances. Maybe you need to get some things out of your system so you can take a deep breath and move on. You need someone to talk to that will listen and help you release all that’s been upsetting you.

According to the dictionary, the word vent, when used as a verb, has two meanings. The first is to “give expression or utterance to.” God understands our need to talk through our problems and He puts people in our lives that we can trust to listen to our venting and still love us. We weren’t designed to keep everything bound up inside.

The second meaning of vent is to “expose to cool or cold air so as to cool or freshen.” The vent in your car does a great job of providing fresh, cool air when you need it most. It sure feels good on a hot day.

I think both meanings apply to our need to vent when things aren’t going so well. On one hand we need to express what’s troubling us and on the other hand, we need a fresh perspective.

The important thing to remember here is that when we vent, we are seeking to get rid of what is stale and be refreshed. Only vent to people who will steer you toward a fresh touch from the Lord.  The Holy Spirit is the only true source of refreshment.  He’s that fresh breath of God. Sometimes we need another brother or sister in Christ to walk along with us for a little while, but they can never refresh us like God can.

Ephesians 3:16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man. 

It’s not just about venting what is stale, it’s about breathing in a new perspective from God.