Gifts

Well, it's the weekend before Christmas so you have very likely been running around trying to find gifts. Let's be honest. Living unseen, Christmas in general and gift in particular can be hard for us. This post is probably something we need to know this week. I had planned a completely different one but left my thumb drive. Read on to see if you are one of the people who God wanted to share this with.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of Lights, in whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.  James 1:17

Gina took a lot of time preparing for Christmas. She got an angora sweater for her mother who loved soft things. Her dad was a woodworker and she got him new tools. Her brother got an official NFL jersey. For her sister, she got a birthstone necklace.   She watched eagerly as they opened their gifts Christmas morning. Her mother opened the sweater and exclaimed at its softness and color. Then she put it back in the box and told Gina that she couldn’t accept it because it was too precious. Gina’s father opened the woodworking tools and said that they were the finest he had ever owned. Then he said he was going to put them in the closet so they didn’t get dirty. Gina was amazed and puzzled. Her brother was next. He opened the jersey, held it up and then shook his head sadly. “I don’t deserve it. I skipped class 3 times this semester and I got a speeding ticket and I didn’t mow the yard. I can’t accept it.” Gina’s sister opened her package. She held up the necklace and watched the light sparkling off the sapphire. She laughed excitedly, and then she put on the necklace and gave Gina a hug.

What would you say to this family if you were there? You would be able to tell them that Gina had given her mother the precious gift because she loved her, that the tools were only helpful if they were used and that a gift does not have to be earned. It only needs to be accepted.  Now switch from the living room to the church. You see the same behavior if you can recognize it. God has offered us not only Jesus come to earth, but salvation, peace and the tools to equip us for the ministry he has called us to. So many people either don’t accept his gifts at all, or they don’t make use of them to live an abundant life. For example they receive the gift of the Holy Spirit but seldom allow him to use his power in their lives. Instead we try to do God’s work on our power which is like trying to run a car on a 9 volt battery.  We don’t have to earn the right to receive a gift. Like Gina’s sister we only need to accept it joyfully and put it to use.

The Bible has so much to say about the gifts we have received. Romans 6:23 says “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” John 10:10 explains why Jesus chose to come and give us the gift of his life. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 1 Corinthians 12 describes the idea of spiritual gifts that God uses to equip each of us and the body as a whole, but ends by encouraging us to earnestly desire the higher gifts, leading to the famous love chapter in 1 Corinthians 13. Finally James 1:17 says that Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of Lights, in whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. We can trust His gifts and we can trust him. Please do not allow the enemy of your soul to trick you into either not accepting or not using the gifts you have been given. He knows that if you do, He will be in big trouble!

As the holidays are upon us so is a lot of business and chaos. Read on to find out what can make this season and the rest of the year easier for us, especially as we live Unseen.

Do You Hear What I Hear?

My sheep hear my voice and the voice of another they will not quickly follow. John 10:4-5

One spring we were at a women’s retreat near Hamilton, Texas and our meeting place was off the beaten path.  After unpacking, I looked outside and saw a strange sight. 3 or 4 women were walking around seemingly aimlessly, holding their cellphones to their ears. One of my friends was walking in a circle around a stick standing up in the dirt. I asked her what she was doing and she said that was the only place she had found at camp where she could get cell phone signal.

Even without technological issues, it can be hard to hear what you need to in the physical world. There are distractions and noises that drown out what we need to hear and compete for our attention. My husband has a condition where every noise he hears comes in at the same volume and intensity. The TV, radio, air conditioner, refrigerator hum, dog snuffling and cars outside are the same level as me trying to talk to him. This makes him stressed out and irritable and crowds are almost more than he can take. If he goes to the store he likes to go in the middle of the night. My child has a similar issue and swears that he can hear crawfish tapping on the glass in the classroom aquariums.

It can be just as hard or harder to hear what we need to in our spiritual life. We know the truth but may need to be reminded of it. Fortunately this is what Jesus said the Holy Spirit will do for us. (John 16:13 ) We may feel like we need a stick in the spiritual mud to communicate with God , trying to say the right words or use the right ritual. Jesus addressed this when he talked about the Pharisee and the publican.  In Luke 18. The publican, with his humility was heard by God even without the religious trappings. It may be hard to hear God with the distractions of the world and inside our own minds, but it can be done.

Hearing God happens in different ways. It may be a still small voice like it was for Elijah. (1 Kings 19:12    ) It may be hearing something in the sermon or Bible class that speaks to you. It may be something you hear from another believer. This morning I found a quiet place and wrote down all the scriptures that came to mind. Today most of them were about standing firm, being still and trusting.  One of the most important things that helps us to hear God is to spend time with him so we know his voice. John 10:4-5 says, My sheep hear my voice and the voice of another they will not quickly follow. Jeremiah 29:13 says you will seek me and will find me when you search with all your heart.

Ask God to open your ears to hear his voice. Then help someone else tune in also.

One God Fits All

Welcome to Unseen today. God is unique in the way he relates to each of us. Read on for a lesson in how I learned this.

One God fits All

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone  1 Corinthians 12:4-6

My mom was very creative and could come up with some good ideas to keep us all busy and entertained. One summer she was taking painting lessons and decided to share the joy. She opened up the garage door and set up card tables and portable easels. She gathered me and my sister, a few assorted friends and my two grandmothers. She talked us through the process of creating the painting. It was a fun day together and at the end we each had a painting. What struck me at the time was that even though we were all working together and doing the same steps, all the pictures came out very different. I almost wondered if we had been in the same class at all.

It is tempting to see God as a one size fits all God. We do what he says and he meets our needs. We can see it as cut and dried. The reality is quite different. He deals with different people differently and with one person differently from one time to the next. Start with Moses. One time He has him strike the rock and another speak to it to get water. When he called the apostles he approached each one differently. Although there were several blind men healed, they were healed in different ways, such as speaking the cure(Mark 10:52), touching the person’s eyes (Matt. 20:34), and spitting and making clay to put on the person’s eyes (John 9:6). Also, while some were completely healed immediately others took time, such as the man who said first he saw trees walking around and then saw properly.  (Mark 8:23-25) Also, his approach to someone like the woman caught in adultery was completely different from his approach to the Pharisees.

  He does the same thing today. I hear small things from God all the time such as songs, scriptures, insights, and a still small voice. My friend who is hard of hearing has a hard time understanding what she reads, but she has dreams where she has insights from God. My child is much more likely to hear from God in spurts rather than a constant stream. Why would God do this? He tells us that we are part of a body and that we all have different gifts. He told Jeremiah in Jeremiah 1:9 that he had set him apart before he was born to be a prophet. He loves us individually and has plans for each of us. (Jeremiah 29:11. Like the paintings were all similar but different, so is each believer’s walk with God unique and special to him.  God knows us from the inside out because he created us and knows how we think and work.  

We need to understand this and not judge how God relates to another person. I am not saying all roads lead to heaven. I am saying that because someone’s interaction with God does not mirror mine that does not make them wrong. Enjoy your walk with a creative God who loves you as his precious child.

Sticks and Stones

Welcome to Unseen today. II think this may be a post several of you need to see because I have had all kinds of trouble getting it posted. Read on to see  how God shows his care for us.

He prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies. Psalms 23:5

 

Probably no other passage is as familiar as the 23^rd Psalm. The verse about preparing a table before me was always a neat picture, but it turns out the picture that I had was not the one the Psalmist intended to paint.  I had always thought that it meant, he prepares a table of food in front of me. In the little book A Shepherd looks at Psalms 23,  the writer explains that when it was time to move the sheep to higher pastures, or table land, the shepherd would go before he brought the sheep. He would prepare the table for them by removing boulders and sharp sticks, killing snakes  and predators and making sure there was fresh water and grass. He would also remove the small stones that could stick in their hooves and injure or cripple them. This fact stuck with me( no pun intended). The shepherd did not just remove the big things from the pasture, but all the things that could harm the sheep.

                In my life right now there are no lurking predators or great boulders.  The things that are bothering me today are stones by comparison. There are disappointments, hurt feelings, frustrations, irritability, and frustration with people who are being irritable. I am tempted to not bother God with my stones when other people have boulders . Does God have time to help me with my discouragement over a door that didn’t open when a two year old just got a colostomy or a mother doesn’t know where she will sleep tonight? Isn’t it petty to take up God’s time with my hurt feelings over a slight when an older person had a house fire this week and is suffering? Would a shepherd tell a limping sheep, “Shake it off. You’re just fine.”, or would he look for the problem and then correct it? The truth is these small troubles, while not affecting our salvation, can keep us exhausted and off guard so that we are not as effective and victorious as we could be. More importantly, the God of heaven and earth cares about the details of your life.

In Matthew 10:29 we read, "Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30"But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.…” In Matthew 6 Jesus advises us to avoid worry about the small things. HE says, Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?.

So many places in scripture tell us similar things. We are valued by Almighty God. When God brings about the restoration of all things we are told that he will wipe away every tear from our eyes.(Revelation 21). Bring your boulders, your lurking fears, and your stones to the shepherd  who has prepared a table before you.

This world is not my home.

Welcome to Unseen today. You might have noticed that life is hard. Did you ever wonder why? Read on.

This World Is Not My Home

We look for a city whose builder and maker is God. Hebrews 11:10

I am not a good outdoor person. I was not good outdoors as a teenager and I am not a good outdoor mother. I particularly dislike camping.  I don’t like being hot, being bitten by bugs, or being uncomfortable. This is pretty much the description of camping. When my kids were little after a Boy Scout camping trip they convinced me to sleep in the tent in the back yard. I made several discoveries. I discovered that while global warming may or may not be true, I believe the ground has become much harder than it used to be when we were camping out in Girl Scouts.  I discovered that while air mattresses start out comfortable they often leak and you wake up in a dip. I also discovered that two little boys take up a lot of room in a tent. . We were crammed in like the proverbial sardines. The cars whooshed by outside and I could not get in a position where the street light was not in my eyes. I tried to get my husband to participate in the next back yard campout, but I think he was smart enough to refuse.

Motor homes were not that much better.  One year we went on a mission trip to an Indian reservation in Arizona. There were lots of really neat things that week but the motor home was not one of them. Many people had their own motor homes or campers, or borrowed them. We ended up in the main one where the cooking was done and people gathered. We were crowded and had to keep things really clean, but what I remember most was that for some reason we were not allowed to use the bathroom in the motor home. We had to hike down to the chapter house ¼ mile away to use the bathroom or “Shower” with the water hose and a drain in the floor. 

What was the main problem with these settings? Besides the cramped quarters and rustic conditions, they were not home. It was not that bad I suppose, but they were only temporary. (Thank goodness) I was SOOO glad to be in my own bed and my own bathroom.

Well, we are in a temporary home here. There is a reason that we are not comfortable and feel out of place in this world. In Hebrews 13:5 we read For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come. Jesus said in John 14 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. Hebrews 11, the faith chapter, shows us this. All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.

This world is really tough to live in, but like we park our motor homes and roll up our tents, someday we will be in our true home. Fight the good fight.

All by myself ... or not.

Everywhere I have gone this last two weeks I have been seeing and hearing things that remind me I can't do it by myself.  I couldn't seem to distill them into a story until my husband gave me an idea. If you need proof that God can use anything to teach us, read on!

All by myself…Or not.

Bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2

Cars come streaming into Pit Row. The colors and sounds are almost overwhelming and your eyes flit around. Then a strange thing catches your attention. A driver is climbing out of the window of his car. He runs to the back and puts fuel in. He runs to each tire and checks the pressure, adding some air in the front.  Then he races back and takes out the nozzle for the fuel. He quickly replaces the tear-off window screen and then puts on his helmet and climbs back in the window. What do you think the result of this escapade was? Not only is the driver behind, he is probably exhausted and now he can’t do his best. If only he had relied on his pit crew.

 No one would be that silly, right? At least no on the race track. How about in other parts of our lives? Do we isolate and refuse to use the team God has given us in life because of pride, shame or not wanting to bother someone? We may have different reasons. My favorite was always, “I won’t tell anyone what is going on (especially my mother) because I don’t want her to worry. That never worked with my mother and it probably doesn’t work with yours either. If my children are reading this it does not work with me.  Maybe we just don’t want to admit that we were wrong or that we don’t know. We would rather take care of it ourselves. If we rely on just one other person, such as a spouse or a friend, we can suck the life out of them. God has given us resources and people to help us. When we don’t we end up behind and exhausted. We can’t do our best for our families, our jobs or our ministry.

First Corinthians 12 describes very clearly the fact that we are a part of the body of Christ. He is the head and we are different parts of his body here. Try opening a door with just your pinky. ( I just tried.)  try walking 10 feet on your tiptoes. You can probably do it, but it is harder than it has to be. If you tried walking on your tiptoes I bet your calves are sore now.  It is the same way with our spiritual bodies.  We can do the work God has called us and equipped us for alone but we are not going to do it as well.  HE has given us other believers and he has given us his spirit.

One of my favorite verses  is in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falls; for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

This lesson has been hard for me to learn. If you want to see something interesting look up the one another verses in the bible. According to blue letter bible. There are 234. We are meant to live in community and to be part of a team or a body.  Don’t let pride or fear keep you running around the car any longer.

operation

Welcome to unseen. It has been a hard week and I am glad it is nearly over. God reminded me that he can take care of my family members. I know that but it is hard to watch when they have bad days. Read on to see what I was reminded of this week.

Operation

Those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not grow weary. They shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

 

                A man is going in for an operation. The nurses start IVs and clean the incision site. The transport aides move the man onto the gurney and begin rolling him down the hall. His wife follows, holding his hand. They reach a pair of swinging doors and she kisses him and goes to the waiting room. Inside the operating room, the doctors and nurses perform a well-rehearsed symphony in the sterile environment. They move together with few words needed, each one doing his or her part to complete the operation efficiently and safely. In the waiting room, the wife prays and waits. She fidgets and paces. She drinks coffee and chews her nails. Finally she gets up and when someone runs out of the operating suite she pushes her way in. She comes up behind the doctor doing the surgery and says, “Do you need some help? I think the incision is too big. Are you sure those stiches are going to hold? They look a little long. You know, while you’re in there can you do some liposuction? Why are you taking so long?”

                What would you do if you were the doctor? You had gone to school for years. You had practiced your skills. Here was a woman coming into your sterile, safe environment, bringing germs, advice and demands. We would never do that, would we? Unless it is to God. Do you have a loved one that God is working on? Perhaps it is a stubborn teen or a family member or friend opening a heart to God. How hard is it to sit in the waiting room and let God do His job? God informed me that my job while He was working on my loved ones is to pray, sing praises and love them. I would much rather tell God how He should hurry and suggest things He could fix while He is at it.

                I love and hate the verse in Isaiah that says, “Those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not grow weary. They shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31) I love it because it reminds me that God is faithful. I hate it because it is so hard to wait.  I am a good West Texas girl and was taught to pull myself up by my own bootstraps, even if I don’t have any boots. I have to rely not only on God, but on friends who bear each other’s burdens. The waiting room is a hard place to be.  If that is where you are, take courage. The Great Physician has your loved one in His mighty hands. If you are not there now, you probably have been and can bear someone’s burden.

 

 

Welcome to Unseen today. Today i feel nostalgic and sad. My children are growing up and my parents have passed away. Today is the anniversary of  my mom's death. I went looking back through old writing looking for encouragement. This is what I found. Hope it is helpful for you, too.

 

Watch Me

The eyes of the Lord are upon those who fear him. Ps 33:5

“Watch me, Mama!”  How many times have I heard those words in the last 19 years? Usually they are followed by a daring feat, a skateboard jump, a dive or even a spectacular crash with Hot Wheels. Many times, it will work great until the moment that I look, and then fall flat. It doesn't matter to my kids though. They just love the attention.  It is not just my kids either.  When my kids were little, I would sit out on the front porch with them on cool evenings.  I would watch them play and neighbor kids would come up. “Hey, Rob's mom, watch!”  The need to be noticed is universal. We don't seem to outgrow the need either. I was talking to one of my residents at the nursing home where I work not long ago. She had been a professor at a local college, and I asked her what she liked best about teaching. She looked me in the eye and said, “People would listen to me.”  What an indictment on our culture.

In Genesis 16 we read the story of Hagar, Hagar was Sarah's maid. She had been given to Abraham so she could bear him a child. This was Sarah's idea. When Hagar actually had the child, Sarah was furious and jealous and the Bible says Sarah was despised in Hagar's eyes.  Abraham tells Sarah that she can do what seems right with Hagar. Sarah sends her to the wilderness.  In despair, Hagar is crying in the wilderness, when an angel finds her and brings her words of assurance. She builds an altar and says “You, oh Lord have seen me.” Her words in Hebrew, El Roi, are one of the names for God: the God who sees.

When I was little I used to hear the song “There's an All Seeing Eye Watching You” , and to be honest it gave me the willies. I pictured a big eyeball watching everything I did, waiting for me to make a mistake. I know now, though, that it is the eye of a loving God watching over me just as he watched over Hagar. Psalms 121:5 we read, The Lord watches over you. He is your shade on your right hand. Matthew 10 says that not even a sparrow falls to the ground without his knowledge. Ladies take comfort in the fact that your Father is watching you and he sees all your pain and the injustices done to you. You are precious to him.

Help me find the stairs

Welcome to unseen today. The post for today was one of my first and is the "title piece" for my first book. When we live unseen we may feel like there is no purpose for what we are going through. Read on to see how God can redeem our trials.

Help me find the stairs

Bear ye one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2

                Once upon a time there were two sisters.  They lived in a big house in a small town.  There was not a lot to do, but they managed to keep busy and happy.  One thing that was fun to do was to sleep in the basement.  It was set up like a living room. Along one wall was a couch. On the other wall was a day bed, and next to it was a bookcase with glass doors. In the back corner was a sewing machine that was set up on a card table. At the front of the basement was a large cabinet TV.  Around the corner from the TV was the stairway.  There were two light switches; one was at the top of the stairs and the other was at the bottom.  The sisters would camp out in the basement and put sleeping bags in front of the TV.

                There was only one problem.   The basement was very dark at night. Many nights the younger girl would wake up and need to go upstairs. She would wake up, get up and go to where she was sure the stairs were. Instead she would bump into the couch. She would adjust and try again to find the stairs, only to bump into the wall this time. Now she was more careful and walked with her hands in front of her. The longer she was in the dark the harder it was to keep her bearings.  She would find a wall and, deciding that the stairs where close by, she would take a step up, but there would be no stair.  She usually ended up along the far wall by the day bed.  If she found the bookcase she would drop to her knees and crawl until she found her sister. She would shake her and say, “Sheryl, help me find the stairs.”  Her sister could find the stairs every time with out fail, because she had spent more time in the basement and because she was older.

                The story about the two sisters is true. It is also much like our lives before we come to GOD. When people are in sin they are wandering in the dark.  They think they know their way out but they find out that they are wrong. The longer they stay in their sin, the harder it is to find their way.  Finally they may be fortunate enough to find someone who has been there before. Who can help them better than someone who has already found the way out?  When we get to the “up stairs” of GOD’S grace, he lets us recover from our ordeal. Then he sends us back to help others.

                 Listen for the cries.   They may be loud and angry or quiet and pleading but they are saying the same thing.

                “Please help me find the stairs.”

Make the Most of it.

Hello and welcome to Unseen today. I have been working on a tribute to my mom and have been searching through my memories. Read on to see what I learned about life from one of my most colorful family members.

 

Make the most of it.

My Grandma was what we lovingly called a character. She always looked at life about 30 degrees off of what everyone else did. You never knew what you were going to get. Once she made sandwiches cut in a variety of sized circles with mayonnaise, cheese, bread- and- butter pickles and jelly. She was so excited about them none of us had the heart to tell her that they were terrible. She loved genealogy and was telling me her version of Grandpa’s family. She said, “Now, your great-great uncle John Carver was a stowaway on a wagon train. “  Grandpa rolled his eyes and said, “Oh, Stella, he was not! It’s my family. I ought to know.” Without batting an eye she said, “Well, I have to make it sound good.”

When I was in high school, my mom and her brothers and sisters told Grandma and Grandpa that they needed new carpet. Grandpa said that they didn’t because it was the top of the line carpet when they bought it. (in 1968) One child got them out of the house and another let in the carpet layers.  Of course when they saw it they loved it.  My cousin Nancy was there that weekend and had gone on a date. She didn’t want to wake anyone up so she didn’t turn on any lights. She nearly tripped on Grandma laying in the middle of the living room floor. Grandma was in her 80’s at the time and Nancy asked if she was alright. “Well, sure.” came the reply. When Nancy asked why she was lying in the middle of the living room floor she said, and I quote, “I’m just trying to get my money’s worth out of this new carpet.”

Grandma may have understood something many of us don’t.  She did her best to get the most she could out of ingredients in the fridge, stories, and carpet. How do we go about getting the most out of life? One way we can do this is by using the gifts God has given us. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul talks about the different types of gifts and how many members become one body. It is tempting to try to fit our spirits and our mind into a mold that looks more exciting or more profitable than what we are designed for. We may want the spotlight or the thrill of public leadership when we may be fitted for behind the scenes work. For example, I could make a meal and host someone at my house, and it would be fine, but I would probably do more good with half an hour of writing or singing than in 2 hours of cooking and 8 hours of cleaning to get my house ready for company.  My mother-in-law finds it hard to express her love in words, preferring to cook, sew or craft instead to show her love.

Ephesians 2:10 say,  For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. He told Jeremiah that he had set him apart as a prophet before he was born. (Jer 1:9) One of my favorite life verses is Phil 1:6. He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it till the day of Jesus.  Then there is the beautiful verse in Jeremiah 29:11-13. For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 

Remember who you are. Find your gifts and learn to serve God and others with your gifts. Then we can do what Paul advises in Ephesians 5:16 Walk as wise men, not as unwise. Make the most of the time because the days are evil.

Shadows

Once again God took my post in a direction I did not expect.  I tried really hard to write a great post about busy signals.  Maybe next week. See if you are one of the ones who needs to hear this instead.

Shadows

Thy word [is] a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalms 119:105

My dog does not have the same sense of night and day that I do. If the urge strikes him to go out it is in my best interest to oblige. His Indian name is He-who-must-not-be-ignored. I don’t worry about being out with him after dark, because he can go from zero to ferocious in 2.6 seconds if he thinks I am being threatened. One night we were walking through the complex in the moonlight and I saw something strange on the ground. I reached to do pick it up and see what it was. It was actually just a shadow. It looked solid and real, but it was an illusion. 

One dark and stormy night when we were kids, the electricity went out. We hung out in the living room together.  We made popcorn in the fireplace (and scorched it). Dad told silly stories that he made up as he went along. We hung up a sheet between the living room and kitchen and put some big candles behind the sheet with us. Then we did a shadow play which our parents said was fantastic.

 Petra had a song that said,

Sometimes a shadow, dark and cold, falls like a mist across the road

But be encouraged by the sight. Where there’s a shadow there’s a light.  

In both of these cases the shadow was cast by the light from the moon or the candles.

                How many times does there seem to be a threat to our spiritual well being, our safety or our joy. Yesterday the threat to my joy was that I did not know how God was going to meet a need that I had. Fortunately he knew exactly how He was going to meet it. As real as my anxiety seemed it has melted away in the light of his truth.

Jesus is called the light. John 1 says  “In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 

And the light shines in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” One of the promises of Jesus coming was in Isaiah 9:2. The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. And in John 8, Jesus tells us,  Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

Let Jesus light cast out the shadows in your life. Then be the light that is set on a hill that all men may see.

 

Stars

This was not the post I was planning on tonight but apparently it is the one God was planning on. . Are you feeling insignificant today. Stop it and read on!

Stars

When  I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor. Psalms 8:3-5

With the weather in the brief span of time that passes for spring in West Texas, I am spending more time outside. I love to walk outside or lay on the grass and look up at the stars. Stars are just cool. They are beautiful and powerful and draw our attention in an almost hypnotic way. My children could spout lots of cool scientific facts about stars and how big they are, how far away they are and how long it takes the light from them to reach our eyes, but I am not going to put those numbers here.  If you want them you can look them up or call my children.

Louis Giglio has an amazing video on the web that talks about the relative sizes and distances of different stars I am blown away when I watch it.  The thing I come away with is awe at the power and majesty of God. God keeps galaxies with vast numbers of stars in perfect alignment, and yet we are fearful that he doesn’t have the power to answer our prayer. We may go to the other extreme and say that he is too busy or we are too insignificant.  The reality is that neither of these things is true. The psalmist has such a beautiful expression of this.  Read it again.

 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor. Psalms 8:3-5. Psalms 147:4 says He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name. Psalm 19:1 says, the heavens declare the glory of God.  The writer goes on to describe how God made a tent for the sun like a bridegroom coming out of its chamber.

We are the crowning accomplishment of this creator. It was for us that he sacrificed the one most precious to Him. He wrapped his power, so great it can keep billions of stars and galaxies operating, in humility and weakness for us. How dare we allow the enemy to make us feel insignificant! He has called us to be his children and invited us to share eternity with him. Take him at this word.

In the midst of the storm

Welcome to Unseen today. Summertime means storms, both in the physical world and in our lives. Read on for a lesson about weathering tough times.

In the Midst of the Storm

These things I have spoken unto you that in me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world. John 16:32-33

                Monday was a long day. I was making visits for work and MapQuest had failed me more than once. People in rural West Texas give directions like, “Find the Atmos building and go 3 miles till you come to a red fence. The mailbox has cow horns on it. You can’t miss it.” Believe me, I can too miss it! It was a little over an hour’s drive home and I was tired. I had friend riding with me so she could navigate. The clouds started to look a little dark. The further we drove toward home the darker they got, and I noticed the wind picking up. Finally, we reached a spot where there were dark, ominous clouds on one side of the car and bright sunshine on the other. We went around a curve and got a few misty sprinkles, so I turned on the wipers. Within a few seconds it was raining heavily and I listened to the wipers. Swish, swish, swish, swish, swish, thunk. I looked out my rain streaked driver’s window to see my wiper dangling off the windshield. I couldn’t reach it to get it back on track, so my friend got out of the car. The wind whipped her hair and clothes as she wrestled the wiper into place. She got back in and we took off, but in just a few moments it was raining too hard to see the road. We pulled off on the shoulder, such as it was. No sooner had we parked than hail peppered the car and wind gusts rocked it back and forth. I would like to tell you that I realized the power and sovereignty of God, but the truth is it scared the willies out of me. When we could hear over the storm we called and texted our families to let them know we were stuck but unharmed.  When we were able to go again we drove slowly for the last ten miles into town. She laughed and asked if I could pry my hands off the steering wheel. I was never so glad to see town in my life.  

                Are you going through a storm in your life? If not you probably have recently or are about to. How do you cope when you’re in the middle of a storm? Some people rage and rant at the unfairness of the storm, but that doesn’t make it go away. Some people are like me and try to isolate so they won’t bother anyone, but that doesn’t help either. Remember the story of the disciples in the storm? The Bible tells us in Matthew 8 that they were on the lake in a boat. I was not happy being in a little car in the rain, wind and hail. I can not imaging being in a boat! They were just like us. Some of them ranted and some tried to hide while shivering in their sandals. Do you remember what Jesus was doing? He was asleep in the boat. “Lord,” they said, “Don’t you care that we are about to drown?” He got up and spoke to the wind and the waves. “Peace. Be still” Immediately the wind stopped and the waves died down. Then he looked at the disciples and says, “Oh you of little faith, Why were you so afraid. .”

 Jesus is with us in the literal and spiritual storms in our lives. Sometimes I may be going through something that seems huge to me, but Jesus is asleep in my boat. This is not because he doesn’t care, but because he is so completely in control. Some of my storms last a lot longer than I want and I am ready for Jesus to hurry up and speak to the waves, but he does it in His time and he is with me in the boat in the meantime. The psalms tell of the privilege of hiding in God and resting in Him. Psalms 46 and 84 in particular encourage us to be still and know the safety of being with God. Isaiah 30:15 says in quietness and trust shall be your strength. When you go through storms try to rest in Jesus. It is harder than it sounds and takes a conscious decision, but it will get you through till you see the end of the journey.

Together

Welcome to Unseen today.  People who live unseen may find it hard to have time together with people who build them up. Read on today for a precious memory and the lessons I learned from it.

Together

 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. (Revelation 21:3)

            My grandmother was a really special person. She had a lot of pain and a lot of frustration from Parkinson’s, but managed to stay positive. She was determined when she wanted something, and told me she was a daredevil when she was a girl. She went to college for the first time when she was forty and I kept her diploma on my dresser while I was back in school for a second degree.  She was encouraging and she was accepting. She was funny and she made you feel special. I spent a lot of time staying at my mom’s parents and it was a lot of fun, but staying with Grandmother was different. I think one way to explain it is that she let me grow up. To Grandma and Grandpa I was “Little Susan” even into my 30’s, but not at Grandmother’s.

            My Granddad had been a telegrapher for the Santa Fe Railroad, and they decided that we should experience the passenger trains before they were gone. They took my oldest cousin by himself, and then took my sister and my other cousin together. After Pa-Pa died she took me by myself. We rode the bus from Amarillo to Albuquerque, New Mexico and then boarded the bus to Raton.  We met the rest of the family at the end. It was a magical day. There were plush red velvet seats that I could hardly get up into, the music of the train on the tracks, and the amusement park fun of trying to walk down the aisles on a motion. One of the most interesting things was the dining car. I remember that it was hot and stuffy, unlike the rest of the train. The tables were set close together and had impossibly white tablecloths and sparkling silverware. This is a treasured memory, and the details of it are so clear more than 30 years later. As much as the trip, though, I loved the time with her. I had hours and hours of not having to compete with my more outgoing siblings for her time and attention. I have no idea if the weather was bad or if the food in that amazing dining car was good. I only remember that for a whole day we were together. She told me stories about things that were important to her, including riding the train from Panhandle to Amarillo every Saturday to go shopping with two little boys in tow. It was so special.

            God’s word says that one of the names of Jesus is Emmanuel or God with us. (Mat 1:23) More important than what he does or what he gives us is his presence. It amazes me that the Lord who made the world is pleased to walk with me and be with me. I don’t have to compete with the powerful people or the charismatic people or the pretty people, or even the thin people. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice we are welcomed into his presence and encouraged to come boldly before his throne.(Heb 4:16) We will be with him both here and in eternity. I think the only thing that can be said to that is REJOICE!!

Chosen

Welcome to Unseen today. I hope everyone had a good memorial day and thank you to those of you who served. People who live unseen feel less worthy than others. Read on for a lesson on why it is not true.

Chosen

You did not choose me, but I chose you that you may go and bear fruit and that your fruit may endure. John 15:16

 

When I was growing up, I felt like I had a sign on my forehead that said, ALMOST GOOD ENOUGH BUT NOT QUITE. It was more than not being part of the in crowd.  I grew to hate PE, especially if we picked teams.   I was almost always among the last 3 to be chosen. Academic teams were a completely different story, but the pattern started early of focusing on what I couldn’t do rather than what I could do. As I got older, I tried out for teams and groups, and many times I almost made it. All district choir. All district band. Homecoming Court. There were 9 girls in my ninth grade class and 8 spots on the Homecoming Court. I was the one sitting in the bleachers. It was the same story with cheerleading tryouts. I had a very rational response. I grew to hate cheerleaders. Interviews, when I made it to the top 2 or 3 and didn’t make the final cut, added to the feeling.  None of these experiences by themselves were that bad, but the sum of them left me with deep wounds. I felt like I would always fall short, no matter what I tried. This conflicted with the message that if I tried hard enough I could get anything I wanted and do anything I wanted. I was confused and frustrated.  I coped by trying to never hope so I would not be disappointed. Would you like to guess how well that worked out?

Even growing up knowing God, I was shocked when I found what Jesus said in John 15:16. You did not choose me, but I chose you that you might go and bear fruit and your fruit should endure. This verse began the slow process of setting me free.

Maybe you are like me. Maybe you have wounds from rejection. Maybe you don’t see why anyone would choose you, much less the God who created heaven and earth. It is the truth, though. He assures us over and over that we are His beloved and His chosen. Isaiah 43:1 says that he calls us by name. Imagine being at an event where the governor is speaking. When he announces the team to manage a ne w project, He calls your name. He doesn’t just say, I want the short lady with the short blond hair. He says, “I want Susan on my team. I have work for her to do.” What an honor that would be, and that is what God did  for each of us. He told Jeremiah that he chose him and consecrated him (set him apart) to be a prophet before he was born. You, like Jeremiah, were made on purpose. Ephesians 2:10 says God had good works prepared in advance for us to do. Finally 1 Peter 2 tells us that we are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation  and a peculiar people so that we should show forth the praises of God, who has called us out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Knowing the truth of our destiny, it is vital that we get that truth into our spirits. We have walked around long enough in hurt, fear and rejection. If the enemy can keep us there we will not do the works that God prepared in advance and we will not show forth the praises of God. The enemy will shine the light on our rejections and replay our hurts in our minds like DVDs. We can choose to take hold of the spotlight and shine it instead on God’s acceptance and show others how to do the same.

One final note: once, on a retreat, I was dealing with rejection that I felt. I had an image of my hand and it was bleeding from many places, like pin pricks. Then I saw Jesus nail scarred hand superimposed on mine. He said, “What is their rejection compared to my acceptance.” Good question.