Category: faith

I Have Everything I Need

What can you live without?

I was cleaning my house today and I remembered a conversation I had with my grandson not too long ago. He asked me, “Mema, why do you have so much?” I looked around the room we were sitting in and his question made a lot of sense, especially thinking about his own home which my daughter decorates using a sparse mentality. My house tells the tale of multiple collections. You can quickly see the things we not only like, but value.

I have always had a lot of stuff. I remember one spring when my dad picked me up from college. He loaded my boxes into the car while I went off to sing with the college choir at Bacheloreate. While I was singing Dad was driving and he ended up having a flat tire which resulted in him unpacking the trunk to get to the spare. Needless to say for a long time I heard about how much stuff I had and it was never a positive thing.

This was not always the case. There was a period of time when I had very little. I was issued a blanket, two sheets, and two towels. I had one uniform at a time. I was also issued a coffee cup, a stubby toothbrush, and a nineteen cent black short comb. I had to purchase soap, shampoo, and toothpaste from the commisary from money left for me by my husband. I could have three bras, three pairs of underwear, and three pairs of socks—they all had to be white.

I was in jail for sixty days. Not long by comparison to some sentences, but near an eternity for me. My life was run on the schedule of others. I slept when I was told. I ate what I was given. I had to ask permission to go through doors. I could see my husband twice a week for fifteen minutes each visit.

I learned I don’t need very much at all.

So each time when I read Psalm 23, I am reminded anew that I have everything that I need when I allow my life to be led by the Great Shepherd. Everything I need. I can ask for what I want and what I think I need, but if I don’t have it—then I must not need it.

This week I thought I killed my laptop (thankfully not) and I was told that the SD card in my phone containing two years worth of pictures of my inquisitive little grandson was kaput. I had to come once again face to face with the question: what do I really need? I don’t have a list. What I do have is renewed sense of peace that comes from the assurance that the one who knows me best and loves me most will supply my every need.

 

Asking Jesus to Show Up

Yesterday my reading in “Pray Big” was still regarding praying for others who are either struggling with faith or living life their own way. The author, Wll Davis, Jr., used the story of Jesus raising Lazarus to make his points about praying for others.

One of the points that really impacted me was praying that Jesus would meet people where they are—and that’s not typically in the church. Church, in fact, for most believers is the last place they want to be. Too much judgment. Too much perceived hypocracy. Too much that is unfamiliar and uncomfortable. And for most, too many painful memories. Why not instead pray that Jesus will ambush, interupt, come alongside them right where they are?

The thing that hit me freshly here was the very idea of praying Jesus would show up. I had often prayed that God would put someone in a person’s path who would direct them to God, but it never occurred to me to invite God directly into that person’s life. Seems pretty audacious, but isn’t that the kind of God we have? We, human beings, weren’t getting the message so well from others, not from prophets, priests, or kings, so God sent his son not only to teach about the way, but to walk it for us. His very name indicates his desire to enter into our messed up lives, Emmanuel—God with us.

 Beyond just praying Jesus onto the scene of a person’s life was the new way of how that should and could happen. Imagining Jesus coming alongside someone in an Emmaus sort of way had a nice appeal, probably more so than blindingly bursting onto the scene in a Damascus Road (see Luke 24 and Acts 9). Yet either could be quite effective given a person’s particular situation or personality.

Reading this and thinking through it has truly energised my desire to pray for others. I feel like I gained more than a tool. In a new way, I realize I have a really huge ally and that feels really good!

Love given

 

I’m a people watcher. So it was no problem for me that I had over an hour to sit and wait at my gate before taking off to Arizona.

If you’ve flown lately you know that as the airline counter person is calling groups to board, one of the first groups invited to board is military personnel in uniform. As that call was made, a young man walked toward the counter from behind where I was sitting. He checked in and took a few steps toward the long tunnel that led to the plane. Then he stopped, turned around and gave a come here wave. Immediately three people moved towards him: a woman, a man, and a boy. The woman appeared to be his mother, the man (I then assumed) was dad or step-dad, and the boy, his little brother.

He first reached out to the boy. Initially there was some of that guy-like arm bumping, but it was quickly replaced by some hugging and words spoken directly into the boy’s ear. It wasn’t a long transaction, but it was so touching that I felt myself getting choked up and my eyes filled with tears.

The two separated and the woman stepped over. Their embrace was the most touching thing I’ve seen since I can remember. She held him tightly and then prayed out loud for him. As with the boy, he spoke softly right into her ear. Then they just stood there hugging, rocking back and forth, back and forth, both of them crying—and me right along with them.

When they finally separated, he shook the man’s hand, turned, and walked down the gangway. As he disappeared the three left behind stood there briefly, holding each other in a kind of group hug, and then they turned and walked away as well.

I’m not sure where the young soldier was going, but it was away, and given the tears, I’m thinking it was into battle and harm’s way. I wondered how someone could do that. I was immediately grateful for his service and prayed a prayer of protection for him and peace for his family.

As I prayed, I was reminded that God did just that: for God so loved that he gave his son, that while we were yet sinners (and unknowing of our need) his son died for us all, for we have all sinned and are in need of one to save us. And I was thank-full all over again.

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.  Romans 5:8

Feeling Held

 

So yesterday I flew to my mom’s in Arizona. My journey, however, began in a car. A friend drove me to the airport. We arrived surprisingly early and it didn’t take too much effort to pry my fingernails from the seatbelt that I had been gripping to keep me secure. I am a horrible passenger, and that is putting it mildly. Weaving through the heavy morning traffic had my heart doing all kinds of flip flops.

Flying has not been too different an experience. I am only an occasional traveler, so I have never acquired that calm demeaner that seems to waft from those who saunter through airports with ease and confidence. I’m constantly checking for my ticket, watching the arrival departure screens, getting to the gate ridiculously early, and praying. The whole process is one long continuous prayer vigile. I try to go with the flow and fake outwardly that I know what I’m doing, but I’m well aware that my nervous giggle gives me away every time. It causes me to truly understand and engage in Paul’s adominition to pray without ceasing.

The serious praying for me really begins as the plane begins to taxi down the runway and occurs again when I feel the jolt of the landing gear emerging as we prepare for landing. At these critical junctures in the flight I realize I need to be keenly prepared to meet my God, so I pray. These prayers are foxhole prayers at there finest.

The first leg of my journey was a quick jaunt from Columbus to Chicago O’Haire. Approaching Chicago something happened that I have never experienced before. I looked out my window and saw that we were about to swing out over the lake to head the plane toward the airport and all of a sudden I had this sensation of floating, of weightlessness, but also of being gently bouyed. It reminded me of a time when as a young child my mother was trying to teach me to float in a swimming pool. Initially she had her hands under me, holding me up. Slowly she would pull her hand away, but I could still feel it near. She was trying to teach me to trust that the water could hold me, but also that she was there catch me if I became afraid and started to go under.

In that moment in the plane I felt such peace. Gone was the frantic praying that normally would have begun as descended to the ground. I knew I was being given a gift and I just reveled in it silently, and thankfully.

And then we landed. And then we sat. Why wasn’t the plane moving? Didn’t the pilot know I had very little time to make it to my connecting flight? Who cares if the plane at the gate we’re assigned to hasn’t left yet? It’s a big airport, pick another one.

I felt myself starting to fret and stew. I’m so unaccustomed to traveling that I didn’t know what I would do if I missed my connection. Would I be able to get to Tucson? Would they have to honor my ticket or was I just out of luck? What was I going to do?

And then that little spiritual lightbulb went off in my head. I had been on the mountain and experienced a precious moment in the presence of my God just like the disciples had in the story of the Mount of Transfiguration (see Mark 9). They wanted to tary in the specialness of the moment, but had to return to real life, and as soon as they did things started to press on them and cause them to question, fret, and fuss. Just like me.

Sitting in my seat, waiting, I entered a quiet internal place and sought forgiveness for allowing the uncertainty of the moment to crowd in and make me forget that God’s hand was just as present on the ground as it was in the air. God isn’t just about the taking offs and landings, the big scary moments of life. No, he cares about it all, because he cares about me. And there, in that moment, I felt the peace that comes from releasing myself and my insane want of control over to the One who has called me and upholds me.

I have called you back from the ends of the earth so that you can serve me. For I have chosen you and will not throw you away. Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Be not dismayed, for I am you God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will uphold you with my victorious right hand. Isaiah 41:9-10, NLT

 

Getting the Word

1Timothy 2:1-3 The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way our Savior God wants us to live. (The Message)

Each year I use the week between Christmas and New Years to intentionally seek the “theme” that God would use as a guide for me in the new year. One year it was the word contentment, another time surrender. Last year it seemed that God wanted to reinforce in me the thought from Psalm 23 that “I have all I need.”

I hadn’t really even begun to give thought to the process when God broke into my quiet time this morning with the scripture quoted above. Initially, I thought that the verse was merely there to set the tone for my search, but I quickly realized that the first part of verse one was the answer to the question I had yet to ask.

So it looks like it’s going to be a year of prayer. As I let this soak in some specific thoughts bubbled up:

-Pray first. My standard practice of allowing worry to drive me to prayer will no longer suffice. Before worry, before complaint, before anything: prayer.

-Pray for leaders. I must confess that I am quite tired with all the grumbling and negativity associated with our current governmental leadership as well as with those seeking to be considered for leadership. I really feel that I am being asked to be silent in the conversations that will be raging and instead be prayerful.

-Prayer is going to lead me into living simply, humbly, and contemplatively.

 My thought is to write about this journey. I intend to read about prayer, and about pray-ers. I want to be able to look back see what the terrain of this year-long journey has been. And I will be recording that here (interspersed with other reflections, especially during Lent). To that end, if there is something that I can be praying for you about, please leave me a note. If it’s a private matter, perhaps we can email about that.

I’m excited. I expect I’ll be stretched. I don’t anticipate that this will be easy. But growth rarely is, and I believe I will grow.

It’s Christmas!

Well, the waiting is over.  When you awoke this morning what did you feel?  Excitement? Relief? Exhaustion? Anything? For some, this morning could bring a huge let down, disappointment over long hoped for items not found.  Sadness over things lost.  Emptiness.

The one true way to be sure to not be let down, it to have come into this day realizing that the greatest gift has been given.  It’s a gift that always fits, is always in style, never wears out, and won’t ever break.  The gift of God, Emmanuel with us.  God coming into our existance.  I love the way Paul put it to the Philippians:

5You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

6 Though he was God,[a]
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges[b];
he took the humble position of a slave[c]
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,[d]
8 he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
and gave him the name above all other names,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

That kind of love gives the perfect gift.  I hope that you have recieved it.  I pray that it will fill you life with all the joy that you can hold.  It can.  He will.

Many blessings to you this holy day. 

 

http://seg.sharethis.com/getSegment.php?purl=http%3A%2F%2Fpotofmanna.wordpress.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost-new.php&jsref=&rnd=1324855357910

Advent: Quiet

 12-24-11 Quiet

15For thus the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said, “In repentance and rest you will be saved,in quietness and trust is your strength.” But you were not willing,

When our first grandchild, Penelope, was born I created an ABC lullaby that was quite effective at calming her and lulling her to sleep. She heard it nearly every day for six months and then she and her mommy moved away. My second grandchild, Caden didn’t get to hear the song much since they lived away from us when he was little. When Asher came along he lived with us and even when he and his mommy got an apartment he came to see us nearly every day. Needless to say, Asher heard the lullaby almost daily. As calming as it was for him, singing it also calmed my spirit.

I have come to appreciate quiet and not just the quiet that comes after the kids are gone. I mean the stillness of a fresh morning when I whisper even to God. This has not always been the case. For far too many years I had way too much on my on my plate. Keeping myself busy, taking on more and more tasks earned me recognition at work and seemed to impress people. So I kept at it, all the while feeling a niggling in my spirit that whispered of my need for quiet and rest. But I was not willing, and the result was tragic. I’m still trying to put the pieces back together, but some days it really doesn’t feel like there any pieces to work with (see Isaiah 30:14).

Recently Asher was obviously needing a nap, but desperately fighting to stay awake. He had crawled up into my lap so I started to sing the ABC lullaby. Knowing that he didn’t want to go to sleep, he put his hand over my mouth and said, “No, Mema.” He knew if I continued to sing he would fall asleep and he just couldn’t afford to miss anything. Or so he thought. He had a miserable afternoon which resulted in his spending some time in Time Out where, finally alone, he fell asleep.

Just like I knew that Asher needed a nap, God knows what we need. He knew what the children of Israel needed, too. They foolishly wanted to put their confidence back in Egypt. They didn’t want to trust in God or his word. The prophet is warning them that they needed to return and find their rest, their satisfaction in God and his plan. They needed to surrender their disquieted spirit and find their strength in him. But they weren’t willing. Are you?

Advent: Gifts

 12-23-11 Gifts

A group of us were discussing how grace is like a gift. One person in the group noted that they really couldn’t understand how anyone could turn down a gift. Another said they didn’t think people refused gifts. I had to unfortunately disagree.

The first example that came to mind was my grandson. While he was yet a toddler, my husband began the daily habit of giving him a Matchbox car. Asher loved this. It was like a game to him. As time progressed, Nelson tried to introduce other gifts into the mix and they were met with a fit of tears and protests. Now, we may not stomp our feet when we don’t receive what we want or expect from God, but take inventory for a moment. Have you ever had your own spiritual tantrum or pouting party when God didn’t come through like you wanted?

The other thing I’ve noticed is from adults. This probably stands out more to me because I have in recent years been more on the receiving end of people’s generosity. I have witnessed folks trying to help others and those would be recipients turning down the gift when it wasn’t exactly what they wanted/needed. They were offered a couch or bed and the gift was declined because it wasn’t the right size, style, or color.

Perhaps I’m thinking more about gifts because of the season we’re in now,or because the holidaysforce us to focus on thankfulness and God’s great gift to us. Perhaps, but really, for me it’s  just that I’m seeing every day as a gift. I have truly taken to heart the words of Jeremiah in Lamentations 3: The steadfast love the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness (vs. 22-23)

I’m not foolish or naive enough to believe that everything that comes my way is going to feel good or be exactly the thing I want or the way I want it. But like Paul in his words to the Roman church so long ago: he (God) works everything for good. The best news in that is that I don’t have to see that right now. I just have to know it and trust it. He really is the giver of all good gifts.

Advent: Satisfied? Satisfied.

 

12-22-11 Satisfied

I remember being asked, quite sarcastically when I was younger, “Are you satisfied now?” Typically the question came when I was being perceived as annoying and it often resulted in my mother crying or becoming enraged. Being satisfied, then, was never associated with a good thing.

So it was pretty amazing when I was in seminary and studying the Beatitudes to come across this: 6″Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. (Matt. 5:6, NASB). The word for satisfied is often translated filled, but it is a richer word than that. The root refers to an enclosure, or pasture-ground. The verb means to feed or fill with grass; to fatten; to satiate or gorge.

Now a couple things jump out at me immediately with this. First, when was the last time you were gorged? With having just come through Thanksgiving dinner and all the holiday parties we get to graze through, it shouldn’t be too hard to come up with a time. You know how it goes, we’re already full from a wonderful meal and yet somehow we find just enough room to squeeze in a few bites of dessert, with whipped cream, please. And pardon me while I loosen my belt. Hold onto that image and now answer me this: when was the last time you were that satiated spiritually? Are you hungering and thirsting for the things that will truly satisfy?

Then I was thinking about the root word, pasture-ground and enclosure. My mind drifted back to the image of the Good Shepherd (see Psalm 23) who leads his flock to lie down in green pastures. He knows where to put us so that our spirits can be fed, and fed to the fullest. His promise is that if we will hunger after him, he will completely fill us. If you’re not feeling satisfied, full on God, it’s about you—not Him!

So, I’m wondering today: Are you satisfied now? It really is a good thing!

Advent: Wonder

 

12-21-11 Wonder

Today’s word is wonder. I sat here, at my computer, yesterday and watched videos about wonder. I walked around my house and sang “O, the wonder of it all.” I thought about it a lot today. When did we lose the wonder?

I remember standing at the Grand Canyon, speechless, trying to absorb the magnitude and the beauty. I held my grandson seconds after he was born. I have experienced a depth of love and forgiveness from people who could have leveled heavy justice and judgment. O, the wonder of it all.

Recently I’ve read a statement and heard it in sermons. The author is most often cited as unknown, but I think he or she gets this idea of wonder. S/he said, “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.”

I imagine that standing out on the hillside being serenaded by an army of angels, the shepherds had their breath taken away. Looking into the face of the baby born to take away the sins of the world must have taken away Mary and Joseph’s breath. And humble as they were, it must have been breath taking to witness three magi bowing before their child and bringing extravegant gifts to pay him homage.

How’s your wonder when it comes to the Christmas story? The miracles of Christmas? Can you still come to the manger with the wide-eyed wonder of a child? O, the wonder of it all.