Live as You Were Meant to Live

It has been a long time since I have blogged.  I have struggled with the balance of working, while trying to keep a house in sensible order, and still maintain good relationships with my family by finding time to spend with my husband and children.  Quite a juggling act, I’ll have to admit. There has been more than one time in the last few months that I’ve lost balance with the whole thing and all the balls have crashed down.  My juggling act has, on many occasions, become quite a mess; time to refocus.  That is where I find myself tonight.  My body thinks it is still on the night shift, so although I’m not at work tonight, I’m wide awake after a couple hours sleep. 

At the small group my husband and I attend from our church, we have been doing a study series by Bill Hybels called Just Walk Across the Room.  The focus of our most recent study was on telling our faith story.  There a tendency to lose sight of the big picture when telling our faith story.   Often, stories are long winded, unfocused, and really not clear.  Rather than inviting people to explore faith, our stories can make them want to run from any association with faith.   We all laughed at the rather humorous way the examples of ‘bad stories’ were presented.   I found I could identify and had been on the receiving end of many a bad story, myself, while others have had to listen to my bad story.  How do we share our stories well? What makes a good faith story?  Each faith story is basically the same.  There is our life without Jesus, our decision to follow Jesus, and our life after Jesus.  Put in those simple terms, it really forces you to focus on what your life was without Christ, and what it has become because of Christ. 

It is good to revisit your faith story on a daily basis. Not necessarily wallowing in what was before Christ, but refocusing on what life has become because of Christ.  Lately, I’m not sure my life is a glowing example of “becoming”.  It can be a little closer to “hit or miss” and “sink or swim”.  Getting a grasp on what my life has become because of Christ is also helping me come to terms with other questions that I have lost sight of in the rush of busyness. What are my priorities? What is my purpose?  It is good to remember from where you have come, to help you focus on where you are going. Tonight while reading my Bible a passage really reached out and grabbed me.  In Acts 16:22-36 in the conversation between Paul, Silas, and the jailer, the jailer asked “Sirs, what do I have to do to be saved, to really live?” They said, “Put your entire trust in the Master Jesus, then you’ll live as you were meant to live – and everyone in your house included!” MSG

 Beautiful, isn’t it? “Live as you were meant to live”;   It makes me realise this is not the life Christ has called me to, or better said I’m not living my life the way Christ has called me to live it.  He has given me this life, my family, my job, and He calls me to live it the way I am meant to live.  Not my messy style, but with a clear focus on Him, putting my entire trust in the Master Jesus.   Relieving, isn’t it, so much simpler and meaningful.

I don’t remember much of my life before Christ.  I was raised in a home where I was taught about faith from my earliest memory.  When I was about five years old I knelt at the couch in our front room with my Mom and we prayed together because I had decided to follow Jesus.  Although I was very young, I distinctly remember the instant feeling of freedom and guiltlessness I experienced.  It was like a load had been lifted.  When I was fourteen I began to understand that following Jesus was not about following rules, but having a relationship with God who wants to be intimately involved in my life.  I am still learning about God’s grace, I can’t and don’t have to earn my salvation; it has never been my job.  That job belongs to Jesus, He paid it all.  I am learning to trust Him more and more. 

 Help me to put my entire trust in you, Master Jesus, then I will live as I was meant to live.    

                          

Tribute

After the recent death of my Grandfather, I was asked to write down a few thoughts to be shared at his funeral.  It was a daunting task.  My Grandfather had crammed a lot of life into his ninety-six years.  As a young man, he trained to be a cabinet maker.  During WWII he moved to Toronto and worked at de Havilland Aircraft manufacturing Mosquito bombers.  Following his return to the Maritimes he taught high School woodworking for thirty years.  After taking an early retirement, he followed his passion and entered the ministry.  As long as his health allowed, he served faithfully in the work of the ministry.

 One of the first memories I have is as a toddler, squirming out of my Dad’s arms in church to run across the aisle to my Gramps arms.  My Dad would get irritated by the running back and forth, but it didn’t bother Gramp, he loved spending time with us.  He would get down on the floor and play, always having an interest in what we were doing.  A highlight of the summer was going camping with my Grandparents.  After Gramp entered the ministry, my brother and I would go stay in the big old parsonage in the country, and on Sundays we would travel from church to church while Gramp conducted services.  He was a great spiritual influence in our lives.  Gramp baptised my brother and I, performed our marriages, and was involved in the dedication services for our children.

Gramp had a great sense of humour and loved to tell jokes.  Puns, which he said were the lowest form of humour, were his specialty.  Gramp was a story teller.   He loved to tell a good story, and he always had a story to tell:  Saint John church history stories, stories of his childhood, stories of falling down an elevator shaft, wartime stories at de Havilland Aircraft, and stories of teaching high school.  On one occasion he caught a student smoking in the bathroom.  The unfortunate fellow quickly stuck the cigarette in his back pocket.  Rather than drag him down to the office, Gramp played innocent and engaged him in a rather lengthy conversation.  When it seemed he was good and uncomfortable, and somewhat smoky, Gramp wished him a good-day, told him to quit smoking, and left him to put out the fire in his pants.  

As we grew older his stories turned to sermons.  No matter what the topic of conversation, he had a verse, or passage of scripture.  It didn’t matter where he started; he always ended with Grace, God’s unmerited favour, extended to us through Jesus.  The Gospel was his passion.  He would always finish up by saying, “It must be time to pass the plate, since I’ve preached you a sermon”.   When his health began to fail he often remarked that he sensed Jesus’ presence so near.   On one of our last visits, when he was so weak, he said “Oh, I’d love to go to church.”  The desire of his heart was to be in his Saviors’ presence.  We know that is where he is.

 I Thessalonians 4:13, 17,18 says:

¹³ Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope….¹⁶ For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another with these words. 

And so he will be in the presence of his Lord forever.  The Message says it like this:

¹⁷ He'll come down from heaven and the dead in Christ will rise—they'll go first. Then the rest of us who are still alive at the time will be caught up with them into the clouds to meet the Master. Oh, we'll be walking on air! And then there will be one huge family reunion with the Master.

One huge family reunion!  Amen. 

Childlike Trust

                Trust is a funny thing.  We are born programmed to trust.  Babies depend wholly on their parents to meet their needs.  As children grow, they become more independent and can do things for themselves.  Young children take pride in doing things without help.  My three year old glowed when I discovered she could help while I cooked supper by winding the swing when the baby cried.  “That is wonderful!  You did it yourself!”  I would praise.  While we praise self-sufficiency and independence, we can’t neglect the importance of trust in God.  As people grow, they grow from trusting others to trusting themselves.  God’s plan for us isn’t one of self-sufficiency, but trusting in His sufficiency.   God is teaching me and re-teaching me the trust lesson. I’ve been searching for a job; I trust one day and panic the next.  God came pretty close to hitting me with a hammer recently.

A couple of weeks ago I was teaching my class of six year olds in Sunday school.  The lesson was on trust.  Abram and Sarai had begun their journey, they had no idea where they were going, and they trusted God to lead them.  God met all their needs on the way.  He led them to the land He had promised them.  It was all unknown, it must have been scary, but they trusted.  The memory verse was Proverbs 3:5, Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Oh yes, God does have a sense of humour. “I wonder if these kids know that this lesson is really meant for me.”  I thought.  I taught the lesson to myself that Sunday. 

The next day, Monday, I was on the computer doing my daily search on job sites.  Nothing found.  Frustrated, I checked my email.  I have subscribed to Daily Hope, a daily email devotional from Rick Warren. http://purposedriven.com/blogs/dailyhope/index.html?contentid=9072   The topic that day was trust.  “If you will trust God and keep on moving in faith, even when you don’t see a way, he will make a way.” The verse Proverbs 3:5-6. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him and he will make your paths straight. Perhaps God was trying to say something?  I was beginning to see a pattern. 

On Tuesday I was talking with my Mom on the phone, she had just returned that day from a trip.  We were discussing job leads and interviews, which jobs would work well with our family, which wouldn’t.  Was there a job that would be a good fit?  This was when my mother said, “Oh, I meant to tell you. I found a decal for your wall while I was away.  I think you’ll really like it.  It says, Trust in the Lord with all your heart.”  I laughed out loud. “You’re kidding, right?  Let me tell you about the past few days.” 

I’ve heard poor Gideon beat up for his lack of trust; he experienced three miracles before he believed and obeyed.  Three seemed to be my magic number too.  Sometimes in a fearful state it can be hard to see the forest for the trees. I am so thankful that God is patient and keeps repeating the lesson until we hear what He is saying.  This is my lesson: It’s not my job to fix this; it’s my job to trust. Our needs are met, God is in control. My prayer is that my spiritual attitude will become more and more childlike, wholly dependent on my Heavenly Father.  

               

     

Reminded to Trust

Last spring I knew my job was going to end for the summer.  I had looked forward to time home to spend with my family.   Money would be tight, but experience had taught me that God would meet our needs.  As a proclamation of faith I cut a memory verse out my daughters Sunday school paper and stuck it up on the fridge.  “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19)   To be honest, I had a few rough moments when I said “Please do it, don’t mock my faith.”  Yet again and again I had the opportunity to look at the verse on the fridge and say “Yes, you did say you would, didn’t you.”  During this time I leisurely looked for a summer job, only to find out that the job I expected to return to was gone. This was when the not so leisurely, somewhat panicked job search began. While working, I felt pretty self-sufficient.  I met needs and wants too.  Now God was teaching me an important lesson about trust, and His ability to meet my needs.  Trust is not an easy lesson to learn, it looks simple on paper, but it is hard not to panic when the fridge is getting bare and kids are outgrowing clothes. 

At the grocery store near our home, you have to put a quarter in the cart to unlock it from the rest in the corral.  Recently, I arrived at the store only to realise I had left my quarter on the dresser.  What a pain, I had no other change, and without a quarter I’d have to carry my groceries in the shopping baskets the store provides.  I don’t mind using baskets when I only need a couple of items, but I needed a full grocery order.  As I walked toward the store feeling a sense of defeat, I looked and there was a cart sitting with a quarter in it.  Someone had left it behind.  That just doesn’t happen.  It is a discount store, and people who shop at discount stores always take their cart back to get the quarter.  It's in their nature, I know, because I am one.   Yes, the cart was a need, the need  was met.  As I went through the store I thought how again and again over the summer God had met our needs.  I didn’t always see it at the time in my uptight state, but needs were met.  Friends had passed on their kid’s out-grown clothes, odd jobs had come up, and an unknown person had even left a gift card in the mailbox to help with back to school.  The cart was another gentle reminder that God was faithful to His promise. 

My lesson during this has certainly been trust.  I am definitely a work in progress.  I have also had many opportunities to teach my children about the difference between a need and a want.  Much of what we think we need is really what we want.  We are teaching our kids to see things on a bigger scale.  Since the food crisis in the Horn of Africa has been drawn to our attention we have had many discussions in our home.  Comparatively, my job crisis is insignificant.  

I am still faithfully searching for a job; the sense of panic is growing less, and I am trusting a little more.  The uptight feeling comes back here and there, but I am learning to say, as the boy’s father said in Mark 9:24 “I do believe; help me to overcome my unbelief!”  
    

Yarn Potential

                 My experience as a Mom has taught me that it's good to find activities that are relaxing outlets to preserve good mental health. When I am stressed or need a mental break from meeting the needs of children, I knit and crochet.  Almost daily I find time to spend with yarn for one project or another.  It is a good way to relax before bed so I can clear my mind of the day’s activities.  That way when I do my before bed Bible reading, I can make sense of what I am reading and even remember what I have read.  Being creative with yarn is a wonderful stress buster.

                Yarn is a great medium to work with.  There are oodles of different types.  Different colours, weights, some are self- striping, some are furry.  A ball of yarn is so much more than just a ball of yarn.  It has so much potential; it can be anything.  Mind you, sock yarn will never make up into a big bulky sweater, but would make a lovely light sweater.  Bulky furry yarn would make horrible socks.  There are purposes that fit the type of yarn better, but the possibilities are still endless.

                I was recently working with some pretty wool self-striping yarn. It was bulky and warm and perfect for a scarf pattern I wanted to try.  It was sold in bulk in bags of 10, and although the balls were from the same dye lot, they all looked remarkably different from each other.  As I began working with the yarn, I realised there were colours hidden in the middle of the balls I didn’t know were there.  Originally I thought it was purples and pinks, but as the colours changed there were blues, browns, greys, and orange.  I began to knit faster and faster so I could see how the stripes changed from one shade to the next. I desperately wanted to get to the end so I could see how it would all turn out.  What I thought would be a scarf that was striped pink and purple turned out to have shades of every colour.

                So much like life, isn’t it?  We have a tendency to want to speed through certain stages of life to see how it all turns out.  Will things be OK?  Will I ever get a job? Will this child ever sleep through the night?  Unlike my approach, God doesn’t knit faster and faster.  He doesn’t share my impatient, anxious, foot-tapping response.  He keeps on at His pace, doing things in His time.  Just like my scarf that turned out so different than I had expected, our lives often turn out much different than we imagine.   The pink and purple scarf I had imagined would have been pretty, but not nearly as interesting as the scarf with the surprise stripe of orange or vivid blue.  God colours our lives with unexpected events and friendships.  His way of knitting together our experiences often have much better outcomes than we expect.

              God see’s each of us like those balls of yarn; such great potential, each with a purpose they are suited for.   “ 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. (Jeremiah 29:11) Our response to His invitation to follow Him needs to be accompanied with trust and willingness to allow Him to “knit the yarn of our life” into the pattern He chooses.   I’ve heard it said, “If you don’t know what God wants you to do, keep doing the 80% you know He wants you to do, the rest will take care of itself.”  Looking back over my life, I see again and again how God has orchestrated events and seasons to accomplish His purposes. At the time it usually wasn’t that clear, just a step of trust in the middle of uncertainty.  Reading through a knitting pattern it is hard to imagine what the end product will be, but as it is knitted the garment takes shape into something unique with a special purpose.  Continue to trust God as you follow Him; remember He is making your life into a beautiful creation.

Growing Pains

I am discovering that crabs are wonderful teachers.  On a recent excursion to the beach, a crab was discovered in a pool.  It had just molted and its shell was still quite soft.  “Don’t try to pick it up,” my son said “Crabs are easily hurt while their shell is soft, they have very little protection.”  I decided to do a little research and learned that molting takes a lot of energy for the crabs.  They have to store up energy, and at the end are left depleted.  Some aren’t able to survive the process.  The crabs absorb water and swell, this causes the shell to split, and then they gradually back out their old shell exposing the new soft shell underneath.   The soft shell expands to allow room for the crab to grow.   After molting, it takes from a few hours to a few days for their shells to harden depending on what type of crab it is.   During this time the crab is extremely vulnerable since their only protection is their exoskeleton, which at this point is soft.   Sounds like risky business, doesn’t it?   The thing is, unless a crab molts, it can’t grow.

Growth isn’t easy.  Most of us remember having growing pains as children.  Waking to leg pains is quite common for children going through a growth spurt.   As parents we are familiar with the adjustments that come with a growing family.  Older siblings rarely want to hear that Mommy can’t cuddle now because she is busy with the new baby.  Much of a baby’s day is spent sleeping, especially during a growth spurt.  Growing is tiring business.   Spiritual growth is no different.  I can’t ever recall hearing anyone say, “I am so thankful God has allowed this challenge, I feel that I am growing so much.” I have heard people say, “I’ve learned my lesson, enough already!” The times we experience uncertainty, difficulty,  and challenging circumstances push us to grow in our faith.   These difficult periods can often leave us depleted, exhausted, and feeling vulnerable.  It would be much easier if God would just let us read about difficulties, but it is the experience that develops character and prepares us for His purposes.

     What do crabs have to teach about growth?  Soft shell Crabs are reclusive, they hide for protection.  Run to Jesus, hide in Him.  It can be tempting to run away, but run to Him. “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) Times of Bible reading and prayer can help you to regain perspective. Seek out a trusted Christian friend who will support you through the process.  Usually after crabs molt, they regain their strength and then reproduce. Molting serves a very important purpose in their lifecycle. The season of molting and growth does not last forever.   There is a purpose God wants to accomplish by this period of growth.  It is a season in the cycle.  Knowing that doesn’t always make it easier, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.   “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. ⁷ These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith……may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (1 Peter 1:6 7)   It is said that hindsight is twenty /twenty; it is easy to look back at things and to see the purpose.  Then, of course, there are times when looking back it doesn’t make sense, and probably never will.  Still, all these things mould us and shape our characters. 

For the Body of Christ there is also a lesson to be learned.  Those facing rough situations are left vulnerable, weak and exhausted.   How can we encourage a friend during a difficult season? Something as simple as a hot cup of coffee and a listening ear can be a great comfort.  Respond to the hurting with compassion, patience, tenderness and love.  Knowing how to respond is sometimes just as hard for the Body as the experience is for the person having it.  Pray for wisdom.  A little encouragement can go a long way.   “…. your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing. ⁴ Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring. (2Thessalonians 1:3,4)

 Just like people, challenges come in all shapes and sizes:  grief, dissapointment, poor health, strained relationships, or maybe dealing with that annoying co-worker. The list is endless.    Do you know a friend who is in the process of growth?  Do you feel yourself swelling so your shell can pop open ready to be stretched again?  Has your experience left you exhausted?    “Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children….. God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. ¹¹ No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:7,10,11)

Back to those crazy crabs; older crabs may only molt every year or so, young crabs can molt as often as every three days.  Sounds awful!  Here we grow again..    

     

Get Out of the Boat

 the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

²⁵ Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. ²⁶ When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

²⁷ But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

²⁸ “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

²⁹ “Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

³¹ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

³² And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.

                                                                                                                    Matthew 14:24-32  

At bedtime tonight we read the story of Jesus walking on the water.  I was reminded of time I spent working in a small church in a rural community.  One Sunday I preached on this same passage.  I talked about Jesus’ faithful presence in times of storms, and His power over the storms we face.  At one point I chastised Peter for his lack of trust in Jesus when he looked away.  I found it difficult to understand how he could have spent so much time with Jesus and yet could still doubt.  I don’t remember much more of the sermon, but I do remember a very patient man in the congregation who spoke to me after the service.  He had occasionally worked with his son in law as a lobster fisherman.  He had experienced the Atlantic Ocean, and probably the occasional storm.  As far as “life’s storms”, he had experienced much more than I had at 25.  He had raised a family, and had grandchildren, and had probably faced more than I could understand. 

“I appreciated your sermon today,” he said, “You had a lot of good points.   I’m a fisherman, though, and I understand the story as a fisherman.  These men were always on the water, they knew what to expect, they also had respect for the water, and they knew how deadly it could be.  They understood the potential, the strength, and what the water was capable of.  That is why they were terrified, they understood the water.”   Often people say “ignorance is bliss”, and in this case it was.  I had no idea of the dangers associated with stormy seas.  My only experience was with large ferries that travel to Grand Manan and used to cross to P.E.I., not the small fishing boats used by lobster fisherman.  The big boats were bad enough in bad weather, growing up I had spent more than one crossing lying on a bench trying to forget about the awful nauseous feeling I had.  He helped me look at the passage in a whole new light. 

These men had struggled and strained against the waves until dawn.   They had been up all night and were exhausted.  Enter Jesus, walking on the water.  This is when I realize Peter’s incredible faith.  He was exhausted, scared, probably frustrated from rowing all night and going nowhere, and still he got out of that boat.  He understood the danger, he knew the deadly power of the waves, and still he walked toward Jesus.  He did get distracted by the wind, but immediately his eyes went back to Jesus. 

This is when I have to ask myself a hard question; “Would I get out of the boat?”   Honestly, I don’t know.  I’m sure in life’s difficult situations I have missed more than one opportunity to “get out of the boat”.  I haven’t always been a shining example of incredible faith.  The beauty of this story is that while Peter is demonstrating his amazing faith, the rest of the disciples sit in the boat too dumbfounded to speak.  Jesus rescues Peter and then returns with him to the boat to join the others. 

Each of us faces our struggles differently.  Some very gracefully take the giant step of faith, falter, focus on Jesus and carry on.  Others, paralyzed by fear can’t move. Still, Jesus is there riding out the storm with us.  He remains the one in control.  I love it that He didn’t say to them “What’s wrong? Why didn’t you get out and walk out to meet me too?  He seemed to save the gentle rebuke for the disciple with the greater faith.   He comforted them with His presence and quieted the storm.  He allows us to experience difficulties according to our faith to help us grow. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. “  James 1:2,3 

Here and there I have felt a little beat up from being tossed around in the boat.  I’m still working on considering it “pure joy”, but I am learning that again and again He is the one that quiets the storm; it is completely out of my hands.  My prayer is that when Jesus says “Come”, He gives me the faith to get out of the boat. 

      

Crabby Christians

                One of my favourite things to do in the Summer time is to explore with my children at the beach.  Things that seem every day to me are fascinating to them.  They love to search the tidal pools for sea creatures at low tide.  On one occasion we found a large tidal pool with quite a few crabs in it.  Some were average size, but many of them were very small.  We made a game out of seeing who could find the smallest crab.  Some had shells the size of quarters, some the size of pennies.  My daughter was enjoying a little crab that was crawling on her hand.  Its shell was just a little larger than a quarter.  It was so tiny it couldn’t pinch her and it tickled as is crawled around.

                “Oh look,” I said, “here is the tiniest one yet today.”  I had never seen such a small crab, its shell was about the size of a pinkie finger nail, so tiny.  “I’d like to hold that one too,” my daughter said, so I gently placed it on her hand next to the larger one.  We began to walk to another part of the pool to see what other interesting sea life we could find when my daughter stopped fast. “The big one just ate the little one!” she said, somewhat horrified.  I hadn’t expected that!  I didn’t think it was big enough for that, or that it would want to.  I guess in the animal world, the grown-ups aren’t necessarily interested in protecting the smaller, weaker creatures.

                Instinctively, people protect their young.   Babies are cuddled close; toddlers are watched with an attentive eye.  Out of habit I have often caught myself at the playground warning other people’s children to “hold tight” as they climb the monkey bars.  It is so natural, so instinctive to protect, and yet with Christians it isn’t always the case.  Well-meaning Christians can often leave new, immature Christians feeling condemned, discouraged, and like they have been devoured.

                It is important for us to remember that each Christian has a beginning point in their faith walk.  None of us made a decision to follow Christ and was immediately all grown up spiritually.  Growth is gradual, with Jesus as our goal.  All of us are in the process of becoming, and yet in this life none of us will ever reach perfection.  The body of Christ can provide a wonderful place for Christians to grow together.  Unfortunately, it can sometimes be a place of discouragement and condemnation.  Growth takes place best in an environment of love, encouragement, and patience.  Everyone needs to have the freedom to tell a fellow Christian “this week, I blew it,” because often we do. 

                Galatians 5:15 paints a horrible picture, “If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.”  Sounds like those crabs, doesn’t it?  That poor little crab had no idea what hit it.  Let’s not be “crabby Christians” harming each other with discouraging words.  Rather,” we who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak.”  (Romans 15:1) The body of Christ is meant to be a safe haven for growth.  As Ephesians 4:15, 16 tells us;

¹⁵ Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. ¹⁶ From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

                We can take a lesson from the little crabs on what not to be.  With love, let’s make our church a place where baby Christians can grow and bloom.  Together, let’s learn from our failures and push on in our faith aiming toward our goal, Jesus.  

 

              

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up,    1 Thessalonians 5:11

     

The Balloon Fix

At our house, balloons are always a source of disappointment.  I cringe whenever one comes home; it never has a happy ending.  Once, after a frilly fairy princess party, a lovely balloon came home.  It had three pretty smiling princesses on it.  It was a favourite and managed to survive for quite a few days.  Then, oh unfortunate accident, my daughter stepped on her sister’s balloon.  No, I’m not completely sure how that happened, but the disappointment was a little unbearable.  There was great sobbing and cries of “fix it, fix it!”  “Oh Dear,” I said, “I know you are upset, but you really have to stop yelling, you know it can’t be fixed.”  I expected more crying and then comforting, but the determined little girl said, “Fine, I’ll have to fix it myself,”  and off she went.

I had no idea what was coming next.  I figured she must know something I didn’t.  A few minutes later she returned with a new freshly blown up balloon and was in the process of drawing on it with a magic marker.   She then presented me with her version of a perfect replacement for the broken balloon.  There was her new balloon with three smiling stick figures drawn on it.  “There,” she said, “I fixed it, good as new.”  In her determination to be right she would never have admitted that it was less than perfect.

It is a familiar story, isn’t it?  So often in my prayer life I have cried out, “Fix it, fix it!”  That, however, doesn’t always seem to be God’s answer to our problems.   When the instant fix doesn’t happen, I become frustrated.   I can’t count the times I’ve imagined up wonderful solutions for God so He could fix situations.  I have come up with some pretty “perfect” plans.   The times I’ve forced my way the result has been less than perfect, though I haven’t always been quick to admit it.  There are, of course, the times that not even my imagination can come up with a solution.   Not surprisingly, the resolutions God has given to my problems are usually very different than the solutions I thought up.  God has a way of providing an unexpected and much better answer than could be imagined.

 Sarah, in the Bible, is the great example of how wrong things can go when we try to fix things on our own.  I can’t imagine the frustration of waiting years and years for the baby God had promised.  Taking things into her own hands, Sarah gave Hagar to Abraham to have a child by her.  Her solution was heartbreak for her and Hagar both.  God had every intention of fulfilling His promise, just not the way she had expected, and Sarah found herself to be a mom at ninety.

 Psalm 27:14 says, “Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” Not easy is it?  Lamentations 3:26 also says, “It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” I’m pretty sure “wait quietly” means without screaming “fix it, fix it!”    God has a plan; He doesn’t want us to fall for the old lie “God helps those who help themselves”.   Wait quietly for God to do His work.  Finally, Philippians 4:6 tells us:

 ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Just like I can’t fix a broken balloon, there are struggles and circumstances that are beyond me, only God can fix them.   I’m thankful I don’t have to solve my life with my less than perfect answers.  Give me your peace, Jesus, while I wait quietly for you.

The Purple Pansy

               Last summer I had hanging baskets of flowers at the front of the house.  Among the various flowers were purple pansies.  By early October it was time for the baskets to come down, their season of beauty was over.  They had been touched by frost and didn’t have much life left in them.   I dumped them into the compost to get ready to put up fall decorations.   A couple of weeks later I noticed a purple pansy growing in the mulch under the front steps.  Some seeds must have dropped from the basket.

  It was a surprising time of year for a new plant to start to grow.  I expected it to wilt and die, but as the weather grew colder it continued to bloom.  The steps sheltered the plant from the frost, but still allowed the afternoon sun to shine on it.  Snow didn’t seem to bother it.  As December approached the little flower continued to bloom while surrounded with a light dusting of snow.  I knew this little pansy was fearless when it bloomed for me on Christmas day and then to ring in the New Year.   Soon after, when the great mounds of January snow covered everything, I figured that would be the last of the purple pansy.  February continued to overwhelm us with tons of snow.  During March the occasional thaw would allow a glimpse of the pansy through the snow.  The blooms were wilted, but the leaves were still a healthy green.  By mid-April the snow was pretty much gone and the persistent little flower started to bloom again.  I found it hard to believe the pansy had survived the winter, especially since it was one of the stormiest winters we’d seen in a while.  The little pansy had endured hardships and difficulties and still continued to bloom.  The flower had planted itself under a great shelter.  The steps were close to the house and made a perfect place to grow.

 Life quite often brings seasons of storms. No one is untouched by problems and hurts.  The difficulties can be overwhelming, situations can be smothering.  Facing the challenges and difficulties of day to day life can make one want to run and hide.   It can be hard to imagine that “Spring” will ever come.  In Psalm 91 David wrote: 

¹ Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. ² I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.” ³ (Psalm 91:1-2) 

It is important to remember that this Psalm was written during a very difficult time for David; his life was in danger.  He then went on to say:

 ⁴ He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. (Psalm 91:4) 

God is our shelter and protector in tough and trying times.   Being a Christian is not an exemption from experiencing difficulties.  It does mean, however, that we don’t have to go it alone.   God is faithful, the problem may not go away, but He remains close giving strength and comfort.  It doesn’t mean we understand why things are happening or that it is easy.  God has a way of giving “unreasonable” peace in the midst of trials.   Like the pansy, plant yourself under His shelter.  Make Him your refuge and fortress.

 This past winter while facing some of my own challenges, the purple pansy was a great source of encouragement to me.  Since it was growing under the front steps I saw it every time I went in the house.  It served as a constant reminder of God’s faithfulness to me.  I am so thankful that I can rest in His shelter.