Coyote Blessings

Blessings sometimes come in strange packages, and it makes them a little hard to recognize. You've probably had a few blessings of your own like that. The coyotes have turned out to be a blessing in disguise for me. Well, sorta. 

There's a train that passes through our town. I don't have its time schedule, but best I can tell, it passes through here at 9:00 pm, 11:00 pm, 1:00 am, and 3:00 am. I know that, because that's when I wake up. Every night. As it rolls through town, it blows a train whistle that is loud enough to wake the dead (as well as the sleeping). Now, that whistle is a good thing, despite the racket in the night, because it lets drivers know to stop at railroad crossings. It keeps our citizens safe, and I am all for that. 

The whistle, however, wakes the coyotes too. They go totally crazy, yipping and making coyote-racket. It's a frightful sound. Then the coyote-yipping wakes the dogs ( my outside dog as well as my inside-on-my-bed dog) and they start barking like a home invasion is underway.  There is no way to sleep through all this, so I get up for a few minutes. I can't stay up long, though, because I only have two hours to sleep before we do it all again. 

Recently, I've been pondering the racket in the night and how to get more sleep. As long as the coyotes and Maggie the Wonder Dog are mixing it up every two hours all night long, it's not going to happen. You can probably guess where I'm going with this. I began to think about getting rid of those varmints. 

Now you may not believe this, but it turns out there is an art to coyote hunting and there are people that really like to do it. I'm not saying they specialize in hunting coyotes, but suffice it to say, there are people to call.  I had begun to think about calling the coyote whisperers and asking them to reduce the population, but the idea of a massacre just didn't appeal to me. There must have been some reason to create them (though I can't imagine what) so, instead, I began to hope (and pray) for an alternative. 

I didn't hold out much hope for some sort of miraculous disappearance, so when Bill ( who helps me on my farm) offered to trap them, I said to go ahead. This sleeping thing was nearly to a critical point. I started fretting about fur licenses and permits and Bill said,"Nope. I don't need any of that."  Here's where things get interesting. He has a friend who has a kind of coyote farm. 150 acres!!! The man wants the coyotes, but only if they are alive!  No massacre!! No killing varmints!!! Can you believe it? 

I'm thrilled and really looking forward to moving the coyotes to the coyote-farmer's land. They didn't turn out to be a blessing for me, exactly, but they have allowed me to bless the coyote-farmer, and they will (I guess) be a blessing to him (if not to his neighbors). I can hardly wait for them to move!

The coyotes have reminded me of something I should have considered. There is no problem so bad or so complicated that it cannot be solved. There is a way through anything you face. There is a plan, and it's a good one, designed by One who loves you more than you can understand. The solution for finding the blessing lies not in yourself, but in knowing Who to ask. 

House of Prayer (Luke 4:15)

And He began teaching in their synagogues and was praised by all. (Luke 4:15 NASB)

Synagogue. Jewfaq.org describes a synagogue this way: "the center of the Jewish religious community: a place of prayer, study and education..." Synagogues are always, at the minimum, a place of prayer. In Jesus's time, most little villages had a synagogue, where men gathered to pray and, usually, to study as well. The young boys would be taught the Torah there in a "study hall".  Some synagogues are enormous, elaborate structures, holding thousands of people, but in the villages in Galilee, they were usually built of stone, and had one large assembly hall with a small room at the side for teaching the boys. Jesus began His ministry by going from village to village, visiting and teaching in their synagogues, the houses of prayer. 

I'm not sure how you see the place where you gather with believers (your "church"), but I don't usually think of my church as a house of prayer. There is a room that I use regularly that is the "room of prayer", but house of prayer? Maybe not. To me, it's always been the "house of sermons".  

Until today, I'm ashamed to say, I never saw a problem with this. Local synagogues were places of teaching and study, but that was secondary to corporate prayer. Jesus had a serious issue about turning His Father's house from being a house of prayer to a den of thieves, but maybe we would do well to consider that the problem began when the House of Prayer was turned into anything other than primarily a place of communing with God. 

House of Prayer. I wonder, what would God do in response if we turned our churches into Houses of Prayer where we actually communicated with the Most High God and were still enough to hear that Still, Small Voice? How would we be changed? What about our loved ones who are struggling with issues of faith? 

Dear ones, pray. Pray that we will allow God to turn our assemblies into Houses of Prayer and that we will approach The Most High God with humility and brokenness. He will not leave us unchanged. He will not fail to move. When that happens, those we love and for whom we pray will not be able to deny the work our God has done. 

The new Waiting Thankfully Season

     Somehow, I seem to have my holidays upside down.  In August, I wrote a series on the birth of Christ.  Today, I've been formatting that series as a little Advent book.  In the midst of all this formatting, I've been cooking for Thanksgiving.  We aren't even through October yet!!  For the people who are coming to my house for Thanksgiving, I might as well tell you that I have the menu a little mixed up.  I started out to make traditional cornbread dressing, got distracted, and ended up with Taco Soup and Chili. I'm not sure how that happened, so don't ask. I did make gluten-free cornbread, but I still don't have the dressing.  Today, I got distracted again and made watermelon sorbet.  How that's going over at Thanksgiving is anybody's guess.  I still don't have dressing.  Oh well.  Since I've started so early, there is still time for dressing and turkey!

     After I got the little book formatted, I realized you couldn't tell clearly when one day's devotional stopped and the next day's devotional started, so I went back to number them.  This is clearly not a well-planned project, because it has FORTY THREE days of Advent.  I have checked with that modern authority on all things, Wikipedia, and Advent starts on the fourth Sunday before December 25th.  It's always the Sunday between November 27th and December 3rd. That sounds as confusing as my forty-three day Advent, so I guess I'm good to go.  I have decided to start Advent on November 13th or maybe November 23rd, which means t hat, either way, I will be combining Thanksgiving and Advent this year.

     Since Advent is "a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity" (thanks, Wikipedia) and Thanksgiving is a day of giving thanks for the harvest and the blessings of the preceding year, I've decided to celebrate a new season this year.  It's the Waiting Thankfully Season. Isn't that perfect?  While we wait for the celebration of the Nativity, we can ponder it, and as we ponder, we can consider just how grateful we are (or how grateful we should be). The best way to celebrate the Waiting Thankfully Season will be to give thanks every day for that wonderful event for which we wait... the Nativity.

That gives Advent a whole new meaning doesn't it?  It spices up Thanksgiving a bit, too, if you ask me. Waiting Thankfully Season. With grateful hearts for decorations and bended knees for the main activity, I think it might be one of the best seasons of all.  Who's joining me this year?

Trending Topics and Spreading News (Luke 4:14, 2 Kings 7:9)

... and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district. (Luke 4:14 NASB)

Then they said to one another, "We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news, but we are keeping silent; if we wait until morning light, punishment will overtake us. Now therefore come, let us go and tell the king's household." (2 Kings 7:9 NASB)

It's amazing how fast news can travel, isn't it? A tasty morsel of gossip can spread faster than a virus. The news that Jesus had returned to Galilee was one of these rapidly spreading bits of news. The memory of scandal is long and the questions about Mary and her pregnancy may have been put to rest by her godly life, but it's doubtful it was completely forgotten. With Jesus back in town, and clearly speaking with such power as they had never seen, people probably wondered. Maybe what Mary said was true.  Maybe.  But Messiah? His return was the "trending topic" of their day. As people traveled back and forth between adjacent villages, the talk spread like wildfire and, before long, people everywhere were wondering and talking. Could it be true? Could Messiah have come? 

Centuries earlier, during a time of war with the Arameans, four starving lepers decided to surrender to the enemy hoping to get some food. While they were walking that way, God caused the army to hear the sound of chariots and to be overcome with fear. The entire, ferocious army turned coat and ran. With the deserters gone, the lepers had the army camp, including food, animals, and weapons, to themselves. Like most people, their initial response to the good fortune was to keep it for themselves. They feasted on the provisions and hid a supply of gold. They were, however, soon overcome with conviction. These men who were ostracized because of their disease and totally outside society, decided to go to the king that very night and share the good news. It was too wonderful to keep to themselves!  They didn't waste another minute. 

Those lepers were pretty wonderful weren't they? They had life giving news and they shared it with everyone. Wow. Pretty convicting isn't it?  We, too, have life giving news. Jesus Christ has come, paid the penalty for our sin with His blood, and is risen  again. His Spirit is here with us to help us in every moment of our lives. We look to an eternity in heaven. What great news!!

The challenge for us is to share the joyous news with the enthusiasm of the starving lepers, not keep it to ourselves. Look for an opportunity to tell your good news to someone today. 

As we pray for opportunities, remember to pray for our loved ones to hear the good news of Jesus with fresh ears. Pray, too, that the good news of Jesus will become the trending topic of the day, and everyone they see will be telling of the power of our Savior. 

Picking pigs

Pig selection was different this particular year.  Before, the children had looked the piglets over and picked which ones they wanted.  This eventful year, there was a drawing.  Amazingly, each child STILL got the pig they had wanted.  

The year before, our pig came from a nearby pig farmer who had a large operation.  He was an excellent farmer, but it was clearly a business.  He provided for every need, and our pig was healthy but totally wild.  She was rowdy from the start and I’m not sure Ryan ever really connected with her.  She certainly never settled down enough to be a pet.  

This particular year, there was a clear difference.  All our pigs came from Mr. Barnman’s brother.  He had lots of pigs, but it was more than a business to him.  It was fun.  As we entered the barn for the first time, the pigs greeted us.  Curious, they sniffed our feet and nibbled at our shoe laces.  Those pigs were used to being greeted, petted, enjoyed and their response was much different.  I thought perhaps Mr. Barnman had been keeping the pigs a few weeks, but he corrected me.  “No, I picked them up Saturday morning.  They’ve been here three days.  They were sweet like this when I got them.”  He explained that his brother spent time with the pigs and enjoyed the piglets.  Clearly, time spent in the pigpen had made a difference.  

The boys wanted to chase the pigs, but Mr. Barnman discouraged it.  He explained that, when the pigs get upset and start running, they don’t pay attention and are likely to run into the feed bin or even the walls of their pen.   If they start running, he said, they were too likely to injure themselves.  A limping pig can’t show.  

Ryan had the good sense to wear his “pig boots”, special rubber boots for wading in the pigpen.  I forgot about the muck and wore my tennis shoes.  I was confident I could stay out of the mud and manure.  After all, it was Ryan’s pig.  I would just watch from the side.  I was careful with every step.  Ryan waded right in, confident he would avoid all the “smelly spots”.  Almost immediately, Ryan’s new pig rooted with her snout in the mud, then headed straight for Ryan.  She nuzzled him with her nose, smearing his leg with mud.  

When we climbed back into the car to head home, I smelled a familiar essence.  “Ryan, one of us smells like pig.  I can’t believe we smell like pigs already.  Did you step in the pig manure?” I asked.  “No, it must have been you,” he insisted.  Once home, we both checked our boots, but they all looked fairly clean.  Regardless, after only a few minutes with the pigs, we smelled just like them. 

We had been showing pigs for a while, but we learned some important things that evening.  Pigs respond in kind to the care they receive.  Generally speaking, a piglet that is treated with kindness is a pretty nice piglet. Pigs like to share their dirt. That's why Ryan's pig nuzzled him with her muddy snout. She was just sharing her fun.  If you want to go in the pigpen without getting dirty, you have to plan ahead or you will be as pungent as the pigs when you leave.

There was another boy once who had a very nice home, but thought big city life was pretty exciting.  He found, however, that it didn't work out quite as well as he expected.  In fact, that big fancy life of his turned out to be a kind of pigpen.  Everyone was eager to share the "dirt" they had learned to enjoy. It started nice but ended up a stinky mess.  Before long, he wasn't just as bad as his friends, he was in a real pigpen himself, wishing he could eat what the pigs were eating.  In that pigpen, he came to his senses, made a quick 180 and headed back home.  He must have smelled like the pigs.  Phew!  They smell bad, and he did too, but his dad loved wayward boys like Mr. Barnman's brother loved little piglets.  He responded with such kindness that the stinky boy felt welcomed and loved.

There is a lesson in the pigpen for all of us.  We may not end up there because we have chosen a stinky lifestyle, or because we have run out of other options, but at some point we all want what we don't have enough to make some pretty bad decisions that can get us in trouble.  Most of us will have at least a little time in a pigpen of our own making.  What I hope we will always have is someone clean who is waiting to welcome us back with open arms and a warm heart.  For those of us on the other side of the pigpen, may we always be the clean one with the warm heart and the widespread arms.  That's who I want to be. What about you?

Power of the Spirit (Luke 4:14)

And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district. (Luke 4:14 NASB)

Jesus had been reared in Nazareth, one of the towns in Galilee. After His trial in the desert, He returned to the area, and began what we call His public ministry.  He went into the wilderness "full of the Spirit" and was "led about by the Spirit". It appears that the "power of the Spirit" came after He successfully navigated the wilderness temptations, where He fought and won the battle over self. What a benefit of choosing selflessness!

Charles Spurgeon (spurgeon.org) said that the power of the Spirit is visible in outward displays that include creation, the resurrection of Christ, attestation works (the dove at His baptism, the miracles He would soon do), and the works of grace shown when lives are redeemed. 

Spurgeon also described the inward or spiritual power of the Spirit that must be felt to be understood. This is the power of conviction that changes our hearts, our will, and our imaginations. Future power of the Spirit is what refines us in holiness and will eventually  take us into eternity. 

Filled with the power of the Spirit and working in the Spirit! It is no wonder people were telling everyone they saw about Him.  I wonder what people would have to say if we allowed the Spirit to fill and work through us. The same Spirit that did attesting miracles through Jesus also did similar works through the disciples. How would He work through you and me if we allowed Him full access, full power, full control in our hearts and lives? 

Today, pray that we would surrender our will to the Spirit's leading in such a way that He would be free to do visible displays of Spirit-power through us. Pray too for the inward,"felt" power of the Spirit to work in our loved ones (and in us), bringing conviction and change so that they (and we) can become more like Jesus than we are right now. 

Happy Boss's Day to the Boss of the World

On the way home from work today, I was considering possible blog topics for tonight. There were tons of interesting things that happened today, and I couldn't decide. A comment I hear sometimes (and heard today) is, "You should write about that..."  It's actually pretty helpful, so feel free.

Anyway, I was pondering and praying and said,"Lord, what do you think?"  Immediately I had a distinct impression about National Boss's Day. What?? As I was laughing about how silly that seemed, I realized suddenly that it might not be so silly after all. God is the One in whom we live and breathe, and have our being. (Acts 17:28) He commands the dawn, contains the seas, stores the snow and hail, knows the stars, yet also has the very hairs on our head numbered. (Job 39) He loves us, sustains us, and provides for us. He guides and directs us.  He is Omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipowerful.  He IS the "Boss of the World". 

It turns out there are many articles on the internet today about how to celebrate Boss's Day. Cards and thank you's are especially popular. Business Insider had an article about ten ways to impress your boss.  Not all of this article was worth quoting, but it did have a few helpful tips. Wear red. Get up early and get to work early. Smile a lot. Contented employees are better employees, it suggested, so do what is needed to be content. 

I suppose it might please God if we were smiling and content. Getting up early for quiet time with Him would certainly please Him. The prophet Micah, however, gave us all the tips we need to please God (AKA Boss of the World). I like The Message paraphrase: 

"But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, And don’t take yourself too seriously— take God seriously." (Micah 6:8 MSG)

What a great way to honor the One who is the boss of us all! 

With that verse in mind, I am completely serious and worshipful as I say this...

"Happy Boss's Day to the Boss of the World."  After all, He is the Best Boss of all.