Finding Good in the Midst of the Hard

Horses, like humans, have distinct personalities. Toby, my first horse, has always been sassy and full of zip, but he's slowed quite a bit. He's more than thirty years old now, and his personality is a little more zap than zip. He's slower to come up than he used to be and his final days are near.

When it comes to eating, he's especially slow, and it shows in his gaunt physique. I've added extra feed, wormed him more often, checked his teeth. No change. He's always been thin, but he's gotten thinner as the years have passed. "Just like me," Sam always said. "We're both thin. It don't matter a bit." 

Most of the time, I feed the horses together in one trough at the edge of the pasture. The younger horses eat quickly. Toby chews on every bite. It takes him a while, and he's often at the trough long after the other horses have wandered away. Hay's always available, so he's never without something to eat, but I've worried about him. 

When single-digit weather came, I moved the horses to the pasture behind the barn and started feeding them in stalls again. The first day, the young horses were finished eating long before Toby. I waited a bit to turn them out, and Toby finished his grain.

Last night, I dumped feed in Toby's pan and ran my hand down his side. He was still lean, but his ribs weren't quite as prominent. He'd gained a few pounds since he'd been in the barn. "Hey, Toby, I think the freezing weather has helped you, old buddy." He kept his head in the feed.

The cold snap brought low temperatures, ice, frozen pipes, and extra work, but the effort hasn't been wasted. Toby's a little better. It's a bit of good in the midst of the hard.

I've been through plenty of hard times in my life, but one thing's been true of every difficulty. There's always something good in the midst, IF we're willing to look for it.

Today, let's spend some time considering our own difficulties. What growth has God brought from it? How are we becoming more like Him? How has blessing come from the hard? Let's look close to find the good, and be sure to thank Him for what He has done.

"Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?...But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us." Romans 8:35, 37 nasb

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In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post: The Method in the Madness and Learning from the Land

Caregiver Chronicles: When Times are Hard and You Can't Recognize Your Blessings

I'm studying Ruth in preparation for teaching a session at church in a few weeks. This morning, Naomi's words on returning to Bethlehem caught my attention. 

"I went out full, but the Lord has brought me back empty..." Ruth 1:21. 

Generally, I have a lot of compassion for Naomi. She and her husband and two boys moved to Moab because there was a God-sent famine in Israel. While in Moab, her husband died and her two sons married Moabite women. This wasn't considered a blessing. To top it all off, her two sons died. 

One loss after another after another. I'd have been reeling. Devastated. 

Naomi got word that the famine had ended in Israel, so she decided to go home.  I wouldn't have wanted to go back, because I wouldn't want everyone to see how badly my big adventure had worked out. 

Pride would've kept me in Moab.

Naomi, however, humbled herself enough to return home. Her two daughters-in-law announced they were going, too. They hadn't gotten out of town good before one of the young women turned back, and that must have been yet another blow that added to the hurt and bitterness.

She arrived back in Bethlehem, one of her Moabite daughters-in-law in tow, a broken and bitter woman. On arriving, she announced that she should no longer be called Naomi (or "pleasant") but Mara (or "bitter"). 

In general, there was a lot of prejudice toward Moabite women because of the women who led the men astray, (Numbers 25), so Ruth might've had a hard reception in Bethlehem. Regardless, she chose to go with a bitter, broken hateful mother-in-law and embrace that mil's religion, which could not have looked good about that time. 

That's a plus for Ruth in my book, right from the start.

If I had been Ruth, listening to Naomi say, "I've come back with nothing," I'd have wondered what about me? To be perfectly honest, I'd have probably left Naomi on the spot and made my way back to Moab, but Ruth stuck it out.

What Naomi couldn't see, because of her depression, grief, anger and bitterness, was that the woman she counted as a burden was her greatest blessing in disguise.

That's an easy mistake to make, especially when you're in a hard situation like caregiving. I cherish Sam, but I can see how someone could be so overwhelmed that the one for whom they're giving care might not seem like the greatest blessing they have.

When you're confronted with loss and disappointment and grief, it's easy to be confused about what's a blessing and what's a burden.

Yesterday, Sam was worried about that very thing. We'd had a tough night and a hard morning. I'd had a lot of unexpected work to do. I was frazzled and frustrated. We had a difference of opinion with our hospice provider and I was very frank with my opinion of the situation. Too frank. 

I agonized about what had happened, and finally decided that we needed to change hospice providers. There wasn't anything wrong with our first hospice company. They gave Sam perfectly competent care. We just wanted something different.

A few hours later, I realized Sam had been unusually quiet and the reason came to me. My hasty words. I was stabbed to the core by regret, so I did what had to be done.

I pulled a chair up close to Sam's and took his hand in mind. "I love taking care of you, Sam."

He looked at me with red-rimmed eyes. "You do?"

"Yes. I love being home every day. I love taking care of you. I love trying to talk you into eating when you don't want to do it. I even love doing your medicines to help you feel better."

"I'm not too much trouble?" he asked with a tremulous voice.

I hugged him. "No, Sam. I was upset with the nurses. Not with you. I've given up a lot to do this, but that's not a bad thing. It's a good thing. I'm here because I said I'd do it, but I'm also here because I want to take care of you."

Sam smiled and I finally found the words he needed to hear. "Even when it's hard, taking care of you is a blessing to me." 

As the words came out of my mouth, I knew they were true. I've never considered Sam a burden, but I haven't always seen the great blessing this season is to me.

It's forced me to slow down. To choose speaking engagements wisely. To cherish each day. To put first things first. To let some things go. They're all things I've needed to do.

This season is as good for me, in its way, as it is for Sam, and I love it. I'm grateful for it.

Hard seasons can be so overwhelming that they begin to seem like a burden. A closer look, however, will likely show that burden to be a blessing in disguise.

Here's our challenge for today: Let's take a closer look at the most difficult places in our lives. Where is the blessing in the midst of the burden? 

Here's our action for today: Let's surrender our hurt and bitterness to the One who's allowed our situation, and embrace the blessing. Thank God. Speak words of healing. Show our love in both word and deed. 

A season is always temporary. It's not a lifetime. No matter how hard that season may be, there's a blessing waiting for us to embrace it. Look for it. Cherish it. 

Don't be a Mara. Be a Naomi. 

I learned this song as a child, and I still sing it when times are hard: 

"Count your many blessings. Name them one by one. And it may surprise you what the Lord has done." (Lyrics by Johnson Oatman) 

"...to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing..." 1 Peter 4:13
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In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post: Caregiver Chronicles: When the Word of God Comes Alive Just When You Need it Most 

If this is your first time to read about the Sam adventures and the Caregiver Chronicles, you might want to read this post to see how it started: When the Time to Move Finally Comes

If you feel led to partner with this ministry (US, Middle East, the digital world), here's the link to give your tax-deductible donations: Global Outreach Acct 4841 

Or you can mail your check or money order to: Global Outreach/ PO Box 1, Tupelo MS 38802. Be sure to put Account 4841 in the "for" line

The Blessing Jar

One of my friends (Joy Melville) posted a photograph of a jar on Facebook around the New Year. She planned to write good things that happened during 2016 on scraps of paper, store them in the jar, and read all of them in one marathon of good memories at the end of the year.

The Blessing Jar is a variation on journalling that appealed to me because of its ease. As you can tell from the photo, I found a jar of my own. Jar, paper, and pen now rest in a basket in my kitchen. 

As the seventh day of the new year begins, I already have fourteen blessings in my jar. 

There have been more than fourteen blessings this year, of course, but I've recorded the notable ones. Most of the cards in my jar record answered prayers and unexpected blessings of grace that have already arrived. They are records of the faithfulness of our Grace-giving God. 

One day, I had just written a blessing on a card when a serious concern came to mind. "I can't wait to write God's answer to that need on a card and put it in the jar," I told myself. 

A loved one's loss of faith has been a major concern for quite a while. The verse, "He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion..." (Philippians 1:6 esv) came to mind. God had begun a good work. I knew that was true. If so (and it is), then He will also bring that good work to completion. 

In a way, I can count it done, even if I haven't seen that answer of God yet. 

I pondered that thought for a while and decided to thank God in advance for the answer to my prayer that's still to come. A card to record my statement of faith was quickly written and placed in the jar. It's been a big relief as I've thanked God all week for His promise.

Another concern has weighed heavy on my heart. The first "thanksgiving from faith" card was so inspiring that one more card seemed in order.  This time, I thanked God for the answer to my prayer in advance, based on a promise from Joshua 1:5. "I will never fail you or forsake you..." (nasb) 

God's answer may not look as I expect, but it will come. He will not fail. 

The words to a song, learned in childhood, comes back to me almost every time I drop a card in my Blessing Jar. 

"Count your many blessings, name them one by one. Count your many blessings. See what God has done." (Oatman, 1897)

Whether you use a jar, a journal, or voice your thanks in prayer, let's be faithful to give Thanks to God for all His blessings, great and small. 

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thessalonians 5:16 esv

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In case you missed one of this week's posts, here are the links: Out with the Old, Freedom and Grace, Walking with God or Hiding with the World,  The Same Jesus, The God Who Never Fails and Halfway to Canaan. 

#gratitude #countyourblessings #blessingjar #givethanksinallthings #answeredprayer

The Blessings that Were Not

It has been my routine for years to start in Genesis, work my way through the Bible, then go back to the start. When I arrived at Dr. Luke's book, I camped out for so long that all the other books seemed to fade. I'm still in Luke, but I've recently decided to return to the straight-through work, too.

Today, I came to the story in Genesis 12 about Abram's journey. You know this story, but for a quick review Abram and his wife Sarai were living in Haram. Abram was a young seventy-five years old, and up for adventure. God told him to go on a journey to a new place.

I'm doubtful I'd have gone on this journey, but Abram was made of better stuff than me. He loaded up everything he owned and all his servants and livestock and headed out.

"Where are we going?" Sarai probably asked.

"I don't know, but God will tell us when we get there," her husband likely reassured her.

This seems a wild way to make a move, but Abram and Sarai went. The only assurance they had was the word of God that there was, indeed, a destination at the end of the journey.

Off they went. The journey was smooth at the start. They had lovely mountaintop worship time. Plenty of food and water. On the way to the Negev, they encountered serious trouble.

Abram and Sarai (and all their servants) encountered a famine. Famine is not the same as a crop failure. Famine is the severe scarcity of food that comes after widespread crop failure. If it had just been Abram, perhaps he would have tried to scrounge enough to get by. Abram, however, was responsible for feeding more mouths than his own. 

Abram did what most of us would do. He did a little research, found that food was available in Egypt, and headed to Egypt for a little sojourn. It probably seemed like a perfectly sensible approach. He could resume his journey when the famine was over.

After he arrived in Egypt, he prospered. We might see the increase in livestock and prosperity and say, "Look how God has blessed Abram in Egypt. It was a good thing he's done." 

We would be wrong. It was not God's blessing at all.

God didn't tell Abram to stop in Egypt. God told him to keep moving.

Abram appeared to prosper but Sarai was placed in grave danger and the house of Pharaoh encountered severe plagues because of Abram's decision. 

When Jesus said that a man's life does not consist of the abundance of his possessions, this is one of the situations to which he was referring. Disobedience to God can be accompanied by wealth, but wealth and the blessing of God are not always synonymous. 

It is far better to encounter a severe famine than disobey God to avoid the physical famine and end up with famine of the soul. Hard times are just that. Hard. When they are a part of the journey of obedience, however, God is there. His promises hold true. He will provide. 

When our journey of obedience leads us to a time of hardship, it is critical that we persevere, for God will lead us through it. He will bless us in it, but it may not look like blessing to the rest of the world.

Let us hold on to the promises God has given. Let us take our eyes off the world's accumulation of stuff and recognize that the blessings of God are sometimes intangible, but no less real than a pile of silver and gold.

The Apostle Peter understood this truth. He encountered a lame man and said powerful words. "I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene - walk!" And the lame man walked. (Acts 3:6 nasb)

When we have Jesus, we have more than enough. 

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In case you missed any of the past week's posts, here are the links: The Grateful Heart: Predawn Stillness, The Grateful Heart: Orchestration of God, The Grateful Heart: Avoiding Distraction, Maggie: Eye Protection, Maggie: Wanting Eye Drops, and Grateful Heart: Superheroes and Missions Conference.

The most read posts of the past week: The Grateful Heart: Orchestration of God

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#blessings #JesusChrist #famine #journeyofobedience

The Faithful and Sensible Steward: The Adventures of Alfred the Butler, part 5

Photo courtesy of freeimages.com

"And the Lord said, 'Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes.'Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But if that slave says in his heart, 'My master will be a long time in coming,' and begins to beat the slaves, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk; the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers. And that slave who knew his master's will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many lashes, but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few." Luke 12: 42-48 NASB

In case you're just joining us, we have taken a little segue for the story of Alfred the Butler. It's an allegory and it has surprised me as much as anyone. 

Alfred has been a butler for a long time. He has a great master who announced he was giving Alfred a new job. Instead of being a butler, he is now in charge of grain distribution. You might want to read the previous stories to get caught up. Alfred # 1, Alfred # 2, Alfred #3, and Alfred #4. 

We pick up the story late on the first night. Alfred had worked past his usual bedtime and had cleaned 500 square feet of a 100,000 square foot warehouse. He finally stopped for dinner, but all he could find was a long-opened jar of peanut butter. He ate two big spoonfuls and went back to his work.

Alfred had picked up trash and swept up dirt for more than twelve hours. It's 2 am and he's finally finished his goal of cleaning a 1000 square foot area. He walks back to the little bedroom. When he flicks on the light, he hears a scurrying of little feet and sees four gray mice running under the bed. There is no way he can sleep in this room. 

Alfred doesn't even bother resenting this new assignment from the master. Missing his wonderful bed with the down duvet would take more energy than he has left. He slides the pillow out of the soiled pillow case and trudges back to the area he's already cleaned. He puts his bare pillow in the center of the 1000 square feet, lies down, and promptly falls asleep. 

It's been a long and very hard day, but so far, Alfred has made good choices. 

When he awakens at 7 am, Alfred has had five hours of sleep. His body is aching from sleeping on the floor and his muscles are stiff from the unaccustomed physical exertion. He can see the difference in the warehouse, and is determined to do as much today as yesterday. He is determined to keep his good attitude and to make wise decisions again today.

Attitudes and decisions are choices we make. If we have bad attitudes, it's because we made that choice. If we make bad decisions, it's a result of choice. 

We can do better. If we will.

Unfortunately, not everyone associated with Alfred has the same determination. Jack is the master's gardener. He loves working outside and keeping the gardens beautiful. He loves working in the roses and the other flowers. The master's gardens are a testimony to his skill.  Today is his day off. 

Master stops by and says, "Jack, Alfred is working in the grain warehouse and he has a big job. He could use some help today. What do you have planned for your day off?" 

Jack smiles. "That Alfred is a hard worker. He can handle it. I need some 'me time' today. I'm going to get a barber shave and have a massage. After that, I'm meeting some friends for tennis and lunch. This afternoon, I'm reading a new novel. I have a great day planned." 

"That sounds like a fun day. If you decide to help Alfred, let me know. Have fun."

Jack nods. "I'll do that, Sir. You have a nice day, too." Jack thinks, "There is no chance I'm going to help fusty old Alfred. He can deal with grain himself. It's not like I need the grain in the warehouse. What good will it do me?" He wisely refrains from telling the master this, though.

Jack chooses his busy, fun day. 

Alfred chooses to press on. 

At this point, he's exhausted, hungry, and sleep-deprived. He could use some "me-time", too. Fortunately for Alfred and his friendship with Jack, he will never know about the choice Jack made. But Jack will know. One day, Jack may wish he'd made a better choice. But it will not be this day.

Alfred remembers the Eggs Benedict and thick-sliced bacon from yesterday's breakfast. He misses Cook more than ever, but there's nothing to be done about it now. He goes back to the little kitchen, washes his spoon again (there's no telling what has walked over that spoon during the night), and eats two big spoonfuls of peanut butter. If only he had some coffee.

After his quick breakfast, he trudges back to the warehouse, finds a new garbage bag, and starts on the second 1000 square feet. 

He's one-fourth of the way through the second section when Alfred hears a car pull up. It's the master. Great, Alfred thinks, I can tell the master this is too hard a job. He will need to get someone else. I'm going back to being a butler.

The Master comes in with a basket, a red-checked cloth tucked atop the contents. A fabulous aroma wafts from beneath the cloth. "Hi, Alfred. I thought you might need some breakfast. Cook sent you a little something. Stop and eat." 

Alfred hurries to the basket. When he lifts the cloth and sees the food tucked inside, he has to blink back tears. Homemade banana nut bread. Still warm. A thermos of coffee. Link sausages. Biscuits. Orange and grapefruit salad. A plate, knife, fork, and spoon. A cup and saucer. When Alfred sees the cup and saucer, symbol of the life he left to work in the warehouse, he can't hold back. Tears begin to trickle down his cheeks. 

The Master sees Alfred's tears and they break his heart. He knows Alfred is working too hard. He knows Alfred is doing this because of his great love for his master. He knows the job is too much for Alfred. He also knows that the work will change Alfred into a stronger, wiser man and that he has a wonderful surprise planned for Alfred when this horrible job is done.

He puts his arm around Alfred's shoulder. "You've done a good job, Alfred, and you've accomplished more than I expected. Stop now, and eat. I brought a few things for you, and I've come to help." 

Master spreads the cloth (which was a little table cloth) on the floor, sets the tableware and the food out, and directs Alfred to the picnic. Next, the master does the most surprising thing. He sits down with Alfred. "Tell me all about it, Alfred," he says, and Alfred does.

"Oh, Alfred, I'm sorry it was so hard, but I can help. First, those mice need to go somewhere else. I brought ultrasound plug-ins to chase off the mice." Alfred's heart leaps in his chest. Hooray! Alfred can't stand mice.

"I have something else for you, Alfred. You need a decent bed to sleep in. I ordered you a new mattress and box springs. The one you have is in terrible shape. They couldn't deliver it to you until today, but it will be here later this afternoon. I brought clean bedding, too. Just send the old bedding with me and I'll deal with it."

Alfred is already feeling better. His hope is restored. The master hasn't forgotten him. The master knows his needs. Maybe he shouldn't quit after all.

"Finish your coffee while I bring a few things in from the car." The master comes back with two new push brooms and a variety of cleaning supplies. He has several large boxes. Alfred can't image what's in the boxes. All he knows is that his master has seen his needs and has met them. 

Alfred has experienced the truth David wrote about in Psalm 23. "He makes me lie down in green pastures... He prepares a table before me..." He has a master who cares about him and meets his needs.

It's easy to wish for our needs to be met in a certain way and miss the sweetness of the provision our Lord makes. Certainly Alfred would have enjoyed bone china and heavy sterling silver with a gourmet meal but, with an humble grateful heart, he was able to see the picnic on the warehouse floor as a tremendous blessing. 

Every gift from God is a blessing, even when it's not the one we wanted.

For today, let's focus on the provisions God has made, even when they weren't made in the way we hoped. Let's give thanks for the gifts we've been given. Let's press on.

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Almighty God, who lives and reigns forever, we give you thanks for all the gifts you have bestowed upon us. Thank you for the gifts we wanted and for the ones we didn't know we needed. Thank you for being our Good Shepherd. In Jesus' name, Amen.

#disciple, #JesusChrist, #Alfredthebutler, #servant #countyourblessings

Sending the Seventy, part 30: Waiting to See

Turning to the disciples, He said privately, "Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see, for I say to you, that many prophets and kings wished to see the things which you see, and did not see them, and to hear the things which you hear, and did not hear them. " (Luke 10:23-24 NASB)

This is a continuation of  part 29 of this series. You can read that post in a separate window here.) 

We saw in the previous post that, for those who see the mighty works of God, the blessing is "long and lengthy".  It sticks with us, changes us, and leaves us different (better) than before. In the verses above, Jesus said those who see the works of Christ were especially blessed because so many prophets and kings had longed to see the Messiah, had longed to hear the Messiah, had waited for the Messiah, but never saw or heard. The time was not right. (Eventually, of course, they did see and hear the Messiah, but only in eternity.)

That waiting, that hoping, that longing for the Messiah was not pointless. It was not just a fantasy. It was waiting based on fact, the fact that the Messiah was coming. The problem is that God's perspective on time is different from ours, eternal rather than temporal. In fact, everything about His timing is different from ours, isn't it? He waits until the time is right to move, in contrast to our desire for immediate action. 

There is a tendency to think that only the ones who saw and heard Jesus were blessed. The ones who waited for Him, however, were also blessed. Their blessing was not of seeing and hearing, but of believing in what they had not seen and heard. Theirs was a blessing of faith that gave them a relationship with their God that was filled with hope, longing, and anticipation. They were constantly watching for the fulfillment of the promises of God. 

In our society, we have been molded by the fast-food culture to expect instant results and that has extended to our prayer life. We expect God to move and to move right this minute, as if the Omnipotent God would consult us for His timetable! Because of our inherent impatience, we have lost some of the joy in waiting that the prophets and kings of old enjoyed, we've forgotten that God still moves in the midst of the waiting. The delay is never wasted. There is a constant sense of anticipation and joy that comes from believing before seeing and waiting until God moves, if we are willing to persevere in the delay. 

Are you waiting for God to move? Have you become impatient and weary in His delay? Take heart! The delay is not wasted. The waiting is not without point. Delay is not synonymous with denial. Perhaps God is using the time to mold you (and me) into the people He wants us to be... before He moves to answer our prayers. In the meantime, thank Him for the blessings you do see and wait with anticipation for the ones you don't.

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We often want a "fast food" answer to our prayers when what we need is the "crock pot" solution that allows God to do His work completely, both in us and our situation. If you are weary in waiting for the answer to your prayer, here's something that can help. The Waiting: When the Answer to Your Prayer is Delayed and Your Hope is Gone, is available here. Also available in Tupelo at Joyful Creations and Park Place Salon.

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Here's the link to last night's post, Learning From Experience. 

Sending the seventy, part 29

Turning to the disciples, He said privately, "Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see, for I say to you, that many prophets and kings wished to see the things which you see, and did not see them, and to hear the things which you hear, and did not hear them. " (Luke 10:23-24 NASB)

Jesus had been speaking to the seventy sent-ones. He turned "to the disciples" to continue speaking. The word here does not make it entirely clear. He may have turned to the twelve apostles but the word translated as "disciples" is also used in Scripture for anyone who is "both a pupil and an adherent" of Jesus, meaning they not only learn the words of Jesus but obey them. These disciples had not only seen the miracles but also understood at some level that they were a manifestation of Almighty God.  They understood that Jesus was not just the Son of Man, but also the Son of God.

The disciples had heard about and seen miraculous things. People had been healed of disease and distress. Lives had been changed. Hearts had turned toward God. Jesus told those who had seen, not just with their eyes but also with their hearts, that they were blessed. The word translated as blessed is makarios and comes from two root words meaning long and length. In a sense, the blessing that comes from seeing the mighty works of God are both long and lengthy, they "stick with us." 

Isn't that what time spent in the presence of God should do? Seeing Him at work should not just change those who receive the miraculous, but also those who stand in the presence of that miracle. Seeing God at work should change us, but does it? When we see Him work in our lives, do we take note and remember it, continuing to praise and thank Him for what He has done? When we see the evidence of His hand in the changed lives around us, do we celebrate it long after the initial glow has passed? 

Recently, a pastor asked for people to share praises in a worship service I attended. Almost all of the people present kept silent. At last, someone mentioned one of the attributes of God. Someone else mentioned another. Most of us (including me, I'm ashamed to say) kept silent. It wasn't that we hadn't seen God do wonderful things. For whatever reason, we refused to speak it. In retrospect, I had spent the last two days praising God for all He had done for me. How did I dare to keep silent? After the service, I was terribly convicted that I, who know so much better, had not done my part. Next time, I will.

He who blesses us in long and lengthy ways deserves our most enthusiastic thanks and praise. We must be sure that we celebrate the One who is so generous with us. Don't hold back. Speak out, shout out, sing out. Let the world know that our Savior lives, reigns, and is still in the miracle business. Praise His Holy Name!

The New Year's Sign

There are two things you needs to know about my mama. First of all, she made great fried chicken. It was my favorite thing that she cooked. The other thing you need to know is that my mama always said that what you do on New Year's Day is what you are going to be doing all year long, so what happens on New Year's Day is a sign of what's to come in the next year. 

Today, I drove Ryan back to Atlanta and Georgia Tech. We had a leisurely drive with too many stops and were running late. The plan was to unload Ryan's things at his apartment, stop by the hotel and let me check in, stop somewhere for dinner, then see The Hobbit in IMAX 3D. Unfortunately, it took longer to unload Ryan than we expected and our schedule was suddenly extremely tight. Somehow, we managed it with 45 minutes to eat and get in the movie. 

Chick a Biddy is the new restaurant across from the theater. "Hey Ryan, let's see if we can get something quick here," I said. He wasn't hungry but I wasn't sure I could hold out for three more hours, so we stopped in. Since they had fried chicken, and I can't eat wheat, I figured I'd just get a salad. We picked up menus, and I started trying to find something gluten-free to eat.  Suddenly, Ryan said, "Hey Mom, look. They have gluten-free!"  There was a GF icon by the chicken tenders. The FRIED chicken tenders. There was also a GF icon by the sides section. ALL the sides. 

The waitress came to take our order. I wasn't positive about what I'd just read, so I asked to be sure. "Does this mean the tenders are gluten-free?" She smiled a huge, beautiful smile and said, "Oh, yes! Our fried tenders and all our sides are gluten-free." Somehow, it was such an unexpected gift that I started crying. I had to blink back tears and swallow back sobs to regain my composure enough to order my meal. I looked like a total nut, but Ryan just watched and smiled. He was rejoicing with me. Well, he was laughing a little bit, too.

When my meal came, it was astounding! It had been a long time since I last had fried chicken, but this was so crispy, juicy, and tender that it was just about better than my mama's. The Mac and cheese was so smooth and creamy that it was unbelievable. Yum! My tears had dried, but when the waitress came by to see how we were doing and asked how I liked the chicken, I started crying again. It was outrageous and embarrassing, but Ryan wasn't embarrassed. He was thrilled for me, still smiling and laughing. Then, the manager came by to see how I liked the GF Mac and cheese.  Apparently, they'd been talking about the weepy lady at the front table. I started leaking again. She was radiant at my response to their food. 

It wasn't so much that the food was wonderful, nor that it was gluten-free, although it was. Because of her celiac disease, my mama was gluten-free long before it was trendy, and she would've loved the meal. That was part of what was overwhelming. Really, though, my tears were mostly because my mama would've said it was a sign of something good to come in the new year. 

Such a sweet, totally unexpected surprise was not just a coincidence. I took it as a gift from God and, regardless of whether or not it was a "sign", it was an unexpected blessing in the least likely place. Because of travel today, we missed all those traditional New Year's foods like cabbage and black-eyed peas that are supposed to bring luck and prosperity. I've never put much stock in that anyway. I know that every good and perfect gift comes from above. The likelihood of blessings has nothing to do with peas or cabbage, or with chicken tenders and macaroni and cheese for that matter. Tonight, I was reminded all over again that blessings come straight from the hand of God, and the one I received at dinner was mighty precious, indeed.  

I've had some blessings that didn't look as much like a gift from God as the fried chicken did, though. In fact, they looked terrible and more like a curse than a blessing.  Now that I'm on the other side of them, however, I can see they made me more Christ-like, and that made enduring the blessing worth it. Perhaps you've had a few of those blessings yourself. There's no way to know what form our blessings will take this year, but there is one thing we can count on. Every blessing we receive will come, not from our own hard work or as a gift from a loved one, but straight from the hand of God, and that is something to which we can look forward all year long.  

Spillover Blessings (Luke 5:7)

so they signaled to their partners in the other boat for them to come and help them. And they came and filled both of the boats, so that they began to sink. (Luke 5:7 NASB)

Simon was a businessman with partners. He had employees in the boat with him and, when they could not handle the catch alone, they called for the partners in the other boat. Simon, however, was the one who had the budding relationship with Jesus. The partners are mentioned only in passing in these verses and their status with Christ is not yet clear. 

What is clear is the blessing they received because of Simon Peter's faith that day. They were not at church. They were not at a Bible study. They were cleaning and repairing fishing nets, minding their own business. When Simon moved the boat out for Jesus, they stayed on the shore. When Simon moved to the deep water at Jesus's command, they stayed on the shore. Only when the blessings poured out were more than Simon could receive did they even get in their own boat. At last, they finally moved their boat out, and they, too, were nearly sunk by blessing. 

This miraculous incident reminds me of 2 Chronicles 7:14 "if My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land." (NASB). God doesn't require everyone in the land to repent for forgiveness and healing of the nation to come. He only requires His people to seek His face and turn from their sin. He promises that, if His people obey, He will heal the land and everyone will share in the blessing. When He pours out a blessing that is too large for us to contain, it "spills over" on those around us. 

We will see what happened with the spill-over-blessing people later, but you can be sure they were astounded by what they saw God do that day, just as those around us will be when God moves in miraculous ways. In the meantime, our job is humility, prayer (repentance), seeking The Lord (Bible study), and turning from our wicked ways (purification). We are to handle the repentance part; He is more than able to handle the blessing part. 

Today, actively do what is required by God (humble ourselves and pray and seek His face and turn from our wicked ways) and pray that the blessings He sends will spill over onto our loved ones in such a way that their doubts and rebellion are washed away. 

The Unexpectedly Grateful Heart -part 19

Today was grooming day and check-up day for Maggie the Wonder Dog. We were in line behind a man holding what I thought was a lop-eared rabbit. I'm very fond of lops (and, in fact, used to raise them, which is a story for another day) so I moved a little closer to get a better look at the bunny. I overheard the man telling the receptionist that they didn't have time for her and were thinking about finding her a new home. My first thought was, "How much time does a rabbit require?"

There was a lull in their conversation, so I leaned in to see the bunny. As I did, I realized it had a very odd nose that looked nothing at all like a bunny nose. "Oh, how cute!" I said, as I began to wonder exactly what kind a creature he was holding. "What kind is she?" I asked, hoping to get a clue from his answer. "She's a toy poodle," he said. I was speechless. I couldn't even tell it was a dog! 

This little fur ball is not a perfect fit with the lifestyle of her owners, but they love her. It may be that she needs a little more attention and they need a less high-maintenance pet. I was astonished when someone said, "if you are serious about finding her a new home, I might take her." What was the most astonishing was that the volunteer adopter was me! I reached out for the fur ball and she snuggled in. Maggie gave her a good sniffing over and seemed content. 

I'm not sure Maggie wants a sister, but that little fur ball probably needs one. For sure, she needs a second chance at a happy home. We won't know until next week, but for now Maggie the Wonder Dog and I think we may be expecting! It's exciting and scary all at the same time. 

Tonight, I'm grateful for second chances. I'm grateful for the kind of second chance the little fur ball may get, with a new and less hectic family, but also the second chance when I've totally messed up and need forgiveness. Over the years, I've needed those second chances far too often. There's something wonderful about mercy, not giving me what I deserve when I mess up, but oh the grace of a second chance that gives me so much better than I deserve! Mercy and grace. I'm thankful for them, too. 

Perhaps you've needed some second chances of your own along the way. Maybe you, like me, have needed that priceless mercy and grace. The One who dispenses both so freely deserves our thanks and praise. Let's not forget the Source of those gifts, as well as all the other blessings we enjoy, and let's be sure we offer thanks with a grateful heart. 

Happy Thanksgiving!