Monthly Archives: October 2013

A Pan, A Plan, and A Prayer

Posted on by
54
“I wish God would just come down and hit me with a frying pan. That would get my attention!”

My friend stood in front of me, head down, a tight smile on her face. Her husband had lost his job, and she didn’t know if she should start looking for work, or stay home with her children. She couldn’t settle on the right thing to do.

Moses had his Burning Bush, and Paul his lightening strike, but bold, attention-getting events like that are rare in today’s world. Real life problems demand time, thought, and prayer for solutions.

But it sure seems like it might be a faster process, if cast iron was involved.

There’s no question that I’d respond positively to the first unexpected thump. “Thank you Lord!” I’d sing out, rubbing the goose egg sized bump rising out of my noggin.

But after a few experiences like that, I wouldn’t be so grateful anymore. As a matter of fact, I’d probably get pretty mad. Obstinate even. “Hit me in the head again God, and I’ll refuse to do it because you are mean !”

I know I would act like this, because I come from a long line of stiff-necked people.

The Lord is not going to use violence to get my friend’s attention. As he well knows, it doesn’t work, and his infinite mercy will not allow it. And it’s a good thing too. If God was capable of actually inflicting pain to get us to do the right thing, imagine what he’d do to get us to stop doing the wrong thing?



I have this image of walking down a busy, urban street teeming with people. All I can hear is: “Ouch! Yow!” as God wields his rod, reacting to the judgments we make, the lies we tell and the time we waste. Can you see it too? Crazy.

Just like a good earthly father, our God wants my friend to come and talk to him. Our Father is very interested in showing the way; he doesn’t want her to suffer in this decision. He will speak in that sacred place of prayer.

As she prays with trust, he will show the way. And she shouldn’t worry about making a mistake. If my friend chooses one way, and God wanted her to go the other, he’ll let her know. He will take her by the hand, and lead her gently to the truth.

Like my friend, we all want to make the right choices. Do you want to find the right way? Forget the frying pan, it’s not coming. (Phew!)

Go to your quiet place and pray. God is waiting to show you the way. If you don’t hear his voice, don’t despair. He’s there, it’s just that sometimes our own voices are loud, and it drowns out everything else. Ask for his peace, and you will hear.

Brain Strain

Posted on by
79
I pull my suitcase out of the pile of bags in the basement. Up the stairs I go to start packing. My husband and I are going to visit my son and his family (including grandchild #2!). My “little boy” is turning thirty this weekend.

Ok. I’ll be gone for five days. Let’s see…I’ll need clothes for daytime, pj’s, socks, the usual stuff. I’ll exercise, so I’ll need clothes for that. The hotel has a Jacuzzi, so I’ll grab my suit and cover. What’s the weather like? Hmmm. Foggy, temperature around 50 degrees.

Crazy Brain:

Pack four sweaters, six hoodies and a parka. Oh! And pack church clothes and shoes too. Maybe some boots, it’s always raining there. And a raincoat!

What about iPod, iPad, camera, cellphone, earphones and crossword puzzles? And by the way, did you remember to pack a telescope? The view out there is amazing!

Check, check, check. Phew. Thanks Crazy Brain!

Oh sure. I go to all the O.P. Anonymous meetings. I get up and say, “Hi. My name is Ceil, and I am an Over-Packer.”
The arena where we meet thunders in response: “Hi Ceil!”

(Yeah, it’s an arena. Maybe I’ve seen you there?)

I decide I’m going to spill oil and ketchup on myself daily, so I’d better have some extra shirts. Will I wear make up? I’ll pack it just in case.
My suitcase cowers shamefaced in the front hallway. My husband solemnly lifts the portable scale. I wait to see if I, yet again, have blasted through the fifty-pound limit.
The reason I stuff my suitcase? I’m afraid I won’t have what I need. Stressed and anxious, I’m obeying a mind that’s racing around like my neighbor’s Dodge Charger.
In Scripture, we are told: Don’t worry. Don’t be afraid. Lay down your burden. Yes, take a deep breath. Worry sure can make a perfectly sane person do some pretty silly things. A telescope? Really??

So you see what I mean. I’ve got a situation here. “Hey! Crazy Brain! Go sit in the corner and read Matthew, Chapter Six.” Sheesh.

The weight of my overactive mind is just as oppressive as my overweight baggage. Trying to do anything, while not at peace, is not a pretty sight. Carrying all that nervous tension makes me totally inefficient and stressed in body and spirit.

“Do not be anxious about your life…” (Matt. 6:25).
“Peace I leave you; My peace I give to you…” (John 16:33)

Ahhh. There is so much healing and love in the word of God. And fortunately, my ‘crazy brain’ is now renewing itself; reading Matthew over there in the corner.
I’m beginning to feel so much lighter and clearer. God is so good! I call over to my brain: “You feeling better now?”

Sane Brain:

Absolutely! Come on, we have some unpacking to do.
A telescope? Really??


Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.                           St. Francis de Sales

Heart and Soul

Posted on by
64





There is a fun piano duet piece that just about every beginning piano student learns. It’s called “Heart and Soul.” Most of these budding pianists have no idea that this composition actually has lyrics.

Heart and Soul, I fell in love with you
Heart and Soul, the way a fool would do

Madly.

I often take the words of love songs, and think about how they describe the love God has for me. And how I should be loving him.

My heart and soul live in harmony when they rest in his powerful love. But sometimes, my heart and soul are not united. I should belong to God completely, but I’ll find that I’m torn in two. That’s when the misery starts.
When I’m sad, my heart cries out in pain. My soul, belonging wholly to God, tries to balance this reaction with encouraging perfect trust. I struggle between the two sides. I try to hold on to faith through the hard times, but i t’s not easy living with these opposing feelings.

Turns out I’ve got company. There were two other guys who suffered with the heart and soul split.

My soul thirsts for God, the living God. Psalm 42:2

King David knew his soul pined for unity with the Lord. He describes that desire as thirst, a beautiful comparison, easy to understand. So what’s getting in the way of his drinking with gusto at the feet of the Lord? You guessed it. His heart.

King David fell in love with someone else’s wife. We all know the story. In the end, he had his lover’s husband killed. Yikes. A King, who declared his unending thirst for God, buckled under the fracturing desires of his heart.

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate, I do

Romans 7:15

We never find out what St Paul struggled with; we don’t what split him in two. But it’s probably better that way. We can all fill in that unknown with whatever we ‘hate’, but still do. Maybe it’s laziness or anger…it could be any number of things. They are the bugle call that starts the war with our souls.

Heart and Soul. King David, St. Paul and me. At times, we all suffer the painful separation; the pulling in opposite directions.

But I can take comfort in the repeating cycles of reconciliation in the lives of these great men. God never gave up on them. He constantly called them back, wanting David and St. Paul to continue working in the field. The Father never tired of renewing his grace.



The favors of Yahweh are not all past, his kindnesses are not exhaus ted; every morning they are renewed…
Lamentations 3:22-23

I know I can count on this daily rebirth of God’s grace too. He will show me how I can stop the war inside. Then, I can fall in love with him, heart and soul. Just like a fool would do. Madly.

SLA’S

Posted on by
62
When my daughter was learning to talk, it became pretty obvious she had speech problems. I don’t mean just certain sounds, or lisping. I mean I couldn’t understand her unless I was looking right at her face.

If she was behind me, or out of my sight, I usually had no idea what she was talking about. It made car rides pretty interesting. If I was at a stop sign, and could stare at her via the rear view mirror, it was ok. Other than that, it was pretty much like this:

Daughter: Babbling. Something unintelligible. (Point at something                 out the window.) Garbled mouthwash sounds.
Me: “I don’t understand you, honey. Let’s wait until we get there.”

That’s fun for a two-year-old, right?

Thank the Lord for my son. When he was in the car, he’d watch her talk and then interpret. Sometimes I thought I was a character in a foreign film with audible subtitles. Other times a Marx Brothers comedy. But if not for him, my daughter and I would both get frustrated with the inability to communicate.


I experience much the same thing in faith sharing.

I love the Small Group setting, and I am in a group every summer. There are five of us, and we’ve been meeting for several years. We have read many books together, and completed group studies too.


It never fails to amaze me how much I learn from these women. We are all reading the same chapters, and answering the same questions. But often, there are five different takes on the same theme. At the outset, I may not understand their point of view at all. But then, through discussions and explanations, a new perspective comes to light. I love that!

I believe that the Lord puts special people in our lives to act as Spiritual Learning Assistants, or “SLA’s”.

Just as my son revealed the meaning of my daughter’s garbled speech, my Small Group sisters open me up to the Lord’s amazing love and intervention, through his work in their lives.

God has many ways to communicate with his many people. He expresses himself to me in ways that I understand, but you may not…and vice-versa. When you take the time to translate your experience to me, then I’ll be born into a new awareness.

It might sound like: “Wlskj isodg“ to me at first, but you will interpret it as a new truth. That truth leads me to a new, deeper, and richer knowledge of the Lord.

And God calls us to a deeper relationship with him. That’s why we need our churches, our small groups, and our SLA’s. These are some of the powerful places that the mystery of God is revealed.

I believe this blog is a true SLA to me, because I learn so much from your comments. Every one of you: shares your faith, offers an experience, or finds a new way to interpret the post for the day. I love that! I join St. Paul in praying for you with joy, for your blog-friendship and generosity of Spirit.

I thank my God whenever I think of you; and every time I pray for all of you, I pray with joy, remembering how you have helped to spread the Good News from the day you first heard it right up to the present.

I am quite certain that the One who began this good work in you will see that it is finished when the Day of Christ Jesus comes. Philippians 1:3-6



Linking today with: Bible Love Notes , Faith Filled Fridays , Essential Fridays

Olympic Whining

Posted on by
56


Mom! PLEEEEEEEZZZZZZ!!!!

Ah yes. Whining. That nagging dance our children, grandchildren and even our friends employ. Why do people keep doing it, when it’s so irritating?

Because it works, that’s why.

The bible is full of effective complainers. My favorite is Moses. God chose him out of all the Israelites to save his people. He was the most humble of all men on earth. Perfect choice, right ? But wow. That man was an Olympic-caliber whiner.

When God appeared to Moses, and gave him his mission, Moses was less than enthusiastic. Trying to politely decline the job, he told the Father that Pharaoh would never listen to him. God responded by showing him the miracle of changing his staff into a serpent. Pretty impressive.
But Moses followed that up with a classic complaint; he’s not a ‘public speaker’. God points out that he created mouths, so no problem.

And now for the final shot: “Oh my Lord, send I pray, another person.” (Exodus 4:14).

No amount of protesting is going to change God’s mind. The whining did not change Moses’ mission, but it did have a favored result. Because of his bellyaching, God was moved to show Moses how he could perform wonders with the staff. And it resulted in God assigning a partner to walk the path with him. He assigned Aaron, Moses’ well-spoken brother.

When I pray, sometimes I think I whine too much. “What is the purpose of all of this?” Or: “I can’t bear this right now.” Facing prayers like these, I wonder if the Lord plants his fingers in his ears.

But God wants to hear all my prayers. To prove it, he lets me know I had holy company. Examples in the bible of his servants, who did not shy away from grumbling, are numerous. Were they being ungrateful? I don’t think so. Just human. Moaning and griping are really just honest reactions to pain and confusion.

Take the Israelites in the desert (Please! LOL!). The Lord sent manna to feed them. Were they satisfied? Oh no. Let the Whining Games begin. Now they wanted meat.

Not wanting to give up his own Gold Medal in wailing, Moses becomes distraught, and cries out to the Lord: “Did I conceive these people? Did I bring them forth?…I am not able to carry all these people alone, the burden is too heavy for me.”

Our Father did not roll his eyes and throw down a lightening bolt. He saw through the attitude, and discerned the pain in their hearts. He listened and gifted. The Israelites got their quail.

God was so patient and loving with the Israelite nation; Moses included. How much more will he listen and help me when I complain? I may not get a free pass out of my suffering, but I will get the help I need to get through. Our Father did not pinch his ears to block out whiny Moses, and he will not do that with me either.

Just like Moses, I need to reach the Promise Land. On my way there, Lord, please change me. Transform one of your biggest whiners, into one of your biggest warriors.



Linking today with: Wednesday Prayer Girls

Who You Are: A Message To All Women

Posted on by
60

Are you ready to lifted up? Yes, it’s a video, but I promise you will love it. It’s three and a half minutes of support and encouragement.

A great way to start the week!


Please give it a play, and enjoy. It’s for all of you…women who support and encourage me every day.

Thank you Laurie at montananana-nanashouse.blogspot.com , where I first saw this amazing video.

Linking today with: Sharing His Beauty

There Are No Words

Posted on by
64
Turning for home after my twilight walk, I saw the dark creeping in, spreading over the weakening light of day. I wondered at the muddy color of the sky.

I thought to myself, “How would I describe this sky? Without any idea of the time of day, it would look like night falling, or a storm brewing. Reaching for adjectives in the small vocabulary room in my mind, I failed to find a way to describe what I was seeing.

There were no words.

Visiting different blogs, I see gorgeous photographs of flowers, sunsets, families, spider webs and backyards. I’m sure you’ve seen them too. Some just make you gasp out loud, don’t they?

But I bet if you met the photographer in the aisles at Target, and gushed about what you saw, you might be surprised to hear the response. I think 99.5% of photographers would say that the real scene was 99.5% more beautiful than the photo. Have you ever taken a picture of a beautiful beach scene, only to be disappointed by the print?

What we see, we cannot adequately describe.

What we capture on disc never looks like what we see.

I know that we are only human. We have limited verbal skills. We are imperfect photographers, straining to capture the beauty that defies being assigned to one still frame. But I think the reason we are so challenged, has less to do with our humanity, and more to do with our spirituality.

When I look up at the night, seeping and spreading across the sky, my eyes capture the wonder, but my soul does too. When I try to photograph a perfect rose, my constant spirit is filled with joy to see and experience that flower too.

Words and lenses belong to the human part of us, we use them to explain and record the world. But what can explain the movement that occurs in the soul? We struggle then, because we do not have the capacity to express or reflect the wonder present there. Because our shining soul is the house of God.

And there are no words.

“Let all the earth keep silence before him.” The prophet Habbakuk instructs the people to silence in the Temple. Our temple is the soul. And we are silent there too; unable to comprehend its holiness.

King David says: “…close behind and close in front you fence me around, shielding me with your hand. Such knowledge is beyond my understanding, a height to which my mind cannot attain.” (Ps 139) We will never be able to perfectly explain or capture our view, because what our spirit experiences, absolutely defies description.

Steven Curtis Chapman has a song that expresses this inability to speak in the presence of glory.

I say so many things, trying to figure you out.

But as mercy opens my eyes, my words are stolen away, with this breathtaking view of your grace.

We are speechless-so amazed.

We stand in awe of your mercy…

You have shown us a love that leaves us

Speechless.


May my soul speak its silent language, while I stand in my silent awe.