When I was a child, my family and I would take walks. I suppose my parents used these excursions for exercise, but mainly they were opportunities to spend time together. We would talk about our day or anything on our minds. My parents always made it enjoyable for us. A favorite destination on these walks was the train tracks. We would walk around town and often found our way to the tracks so my siblings and I could experience the thrill of the trains rushing through town.

As an adult, I developed the habit of walking. I started with a desperate need for exercise when my children were young, and I needed to get out of the house. I have kept up the practice transitioning into an excellent opportunity to spend time with God. I usually have great talks with God. These walks enable me to see circumstances or situations from a new perspective. God usually gives me little pearls as I walk and allow my mind to wander.

One day during the summer, I was taking my usual morning walk. However, I focused on walking, goal setting, and achieving that day. I walked with purpose, head down, determined to complete the circle in good time, concentrated on myself. 

About halfway through, I realized I had no new nuggets from God. He hadn’t broken through my thoughts. I thought, okay, maybe not every time I walk, I get fresh pearls. It just isn’t my day today. I kept my pace up, focused on one foot in front of the other. I started to get tired and wondered why I was taking a walk. It was extremely hot, and I just wanted to go home. But I still had at least a mile to reach home. I had no choice but to keep going. I finally got to my street, and I could start slowing down.   I remember being so grateful that a nice cool drink of water was in my future. As I slowed down, I remembered my word for the year, “courage .”I started to pray for courage to face whatever the day would bring me. At my slower pace, I looked up – finally- and saw this massive tree in my neighborhood.

At the very top, things were sticking out. My eyesight is not what it used to be, and I wondered what was sticking out the top. As I got closer, the tree looked like it was wearing a crown. But I realized it was new growth sprouting up from underneath the established branches. Immediately I realized that is how we are supposed to be. No matter how big or mature we are, we must have new growth. This new growth was bursting through the established branches reaching for the light of the sun. I realized I needed new growth bursting through my rooted life and stretching for Jesus, the SON.

What does new growth mean for a believer? No matter how old we are, we can grow and mature in living for and serving God. As I participated in various Bible studies, I have seen my need to pray more. Not just a few sentences in the morning and at night, but soul-searching time spent with God. Time spent on my knees with my head bowed is when the Holy Spirit whispers truth to my heart and helps me change and grow in the areas that will be pleasing to God. My prayers have even changed as I surrender more of myself to God.

Several years ago, my father, a retired minister, decided to memorize more scripture. In his 70’s, he began writing down and learning God’s Word. I would have thought that he had this knowledge stored away in his mind, but he wanted more. He is now 86 and has suffered a hemorrhagic stroke, but he still remembers his Bible verses. He gives me a scripture verse to meditate on or encourage me whenever I talk with him. God’s Word is so important to him. I am inspired to start memorizing scripture. I rely on my phone to look passages up, but I need to have God’s Word stored in my heart so that I can meditate on it day and night. Psalm 119:11 says, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”This practice will help me grow in faith and help me not to sin against God.

As I have developed a closer relationship with Jesus, my attitudes have changed and grown. Other people’s behaviors or actions that once bothered me no longer do. With God’s help, I want to love people and not judge them. And attitudes that I once held dear I can let go. I must abolish attitudes and behaviors from my thoughts and actions that are not pleasing to God. If I want growth, I need to look forward, not backward. Proverbs 4:25 is a great verse to encourage me in looking forward, “Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.” I want to be a bright light in a dark world so that people will be drawn to God so that they can know the truth of God’s love and provision of salvation through Jesus. I have learned the value of growing the fruit of the spirit in my life. Galatians 5:22-23 gives a comprehensive list of what the fruit of the spirit is. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” Galatians 5:22-23.

As the new growth on the tree seemed to come from inside the tree, my new growth must come from inside me. None of us is perfect, so we all have areas to grow in. Just like in nature, change may be slow and, at times, difficult to see. I have walked past that same tree many times and never saw it growing until that morning in July. God knows what we need to grow and sees our growth long before the world around us may notice. If we are alive, evolvement is possible. How do I know this? Philippians 1:6 states, “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. My growth has less to do with me and more to do with Who is growing me. My part is to go with an open heart and allow God to have his way in my life. I strive for more life, not death. Elevation worship has a song entitled, My Testimony. One line says, If I’m not dead, you’re not done. Greater things are still to come, Oh I believe”—what an excellent thought. God is not done with me as long as I am alive. I can continue to mature to bring God glory, honor, and praise by His power and strength.

That particular morning I was so focused on myself, my goal, my determination that I left God out of my walk. When I got my eyes off myself and started thinking about Him, He showed himself to me and reminded me always to look up and reach for Jesus.

New growth comes as we reach toward the light. God gently but effectively reminded me to focus on Him instead of myself. I encourage you to put your heart and soul into finding the Son and keep growing. Growth is possible at any stage of our life.

Imagine being in a boat in the middle of a storm that you have been intentionally sent into. You have been fighting the wind, rain and waves for a while.  You are tired, wet, maybe a bit confused because you have been tossed by the waves in the darkness.  It has been a long night of rowing against the waves created by the storm.  Close to dawn, after a very long night, you see what appears to be someone walking on top of the water and waves.   What is going on, you ask yourself and those around you?  What or who could be walking on the water and waves through the storm with seeming ease?  I think I would be like the disciples, in Matthew 14, and think I was seeing a ghost.  What other explanation could there be?  These same disciples had recently witnessed Jesus perform a miracle by feeding over 5,000 people with 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread.  But still their first thought is not “Oh it must be Jesus coming to meet us”.  Jesus knows their fear and speaks “take courage! It is I.  Don’t be afraid”.  Jesus heard their distress above the noise of the storm and spoke these words to quiet and comfort their spirits.

At times I have been in a storm.  Life is coming at me from all directions.  I am exhausted from trying to navigate the storm in my own strength.  I am feeling wet, like a limp rag, overwhelmed and frightened. Do I look up out of the storm and see Jesus coming but don’t recognize Him?  He tells me the same thing – take courage and not be afraid.  Does Jesus’ presence with me give me peace and embolden me as it did Peter?  Do I have the faith to step out of the boat and walk toward Jesus? 

As I was reading this story, I saw things that hadn’t been evident to me in VBS or when I attended Sunday School as a child.  What made Peter think that was a good idea to step out on the water?  We don’t know what was going through his mind when he said “Lord, if it is you, tell me to come to you on the water”. We do know that he had the faith, and courage to ask and then when told to “come” he got out of the boat in the middle of a storm and walked on water.  We can also tell from this example that Peter had complete trust in Jesus.

I need faith like Peter’s.  I am not sure I recognize Jesus’ presence in my storms. And if I do, I don’t think I am so quick to take the courageous step of faith to leave a somewhat secure situation to step out into an unknown situation.  I immediately think of what could go wrong.  I may not be successful at a new endeavor (sinking) or I am in over my head and I have no idea what I am doing or what I got myself into (drowning).  I am more afraid of what could happen than what is happening in my boat in the storm.  Peter’s faith and trust, in Jesus, enabled him to do something humanly impossible.  It wasn’t anything in Peter that allowed him to walk on water and it isn’t anything in me that allows me to experience the impossible.  Only faith in Jesus, God’s Son, allows mere mortals to experience the miraculous power of the Almighty God.

The next lesson I learned from Peter is to not take my eyes off Jesus.  There have been times that I have taken a risk, but like Peter, I take my eyes off Jesus and focus on what is going on around me.  Peter went from amazement of walking on water to sinking. This happened quickly and it can happen quickly to me.  We live in a fallen and broken world and even when we are walking and obeying Jesus, things in life go wrong.  People may do things or say something that knocks me for a loop.  An event I want to participate in may not work out.  My child may not get into the school or job they really wanted.  A job transfer may happen at an inconvenient time for the family.  These are just a few of the storms I have navigated in my life.  The winds and storms of life come at me and if I take my eyes off Jesus I will sink.  But Jesus is always there to pull me up and save me if I cry out to Him.  As Peter began to sink, immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.  My rescue may not always be immediate, but the next words always apply.  “You of little faith”, he said, “why did you doubt?”  I imagine Jesus saying the same thing to me.  Why does my faith waiver and doubt take over? As my BSF leader said, we need to have vertical eyes, not horizontal eyes.  Keep looking up for our help, not to the people and world around us.

The final lesson I learned is that taking a step of faith may not just be for me.  Maybe it is so the people left in the boat can see Jesus’ power over the earthly realm and have increased faith.  Matthew does not tell us what the reaction of the other disciples was.  If I was there, I would probably be saying “what on earth are you doing”, “are you nuts”, or “Peter get back in the boat”.  I recently had lunch with a friend, and we were talking about life and how she wound up moving to Charlotte.  She has a getting out the boat in the middle of the storm story.  As she said, it made no earthly sense to move here, but she did.  She is so glad she did.  The move has not been without challenges, but she is so glad she took the opportunity to try something different.  Her story encouraged my heart.  Steps of obedience to Jesus are always met with encountering His presence.

Storms look different for different people.  Your storm may be the death of a loved one.  Everyday you have to find peace and figure out how to live without that special person beside you.  Or maybe it is retirement.  You may have looked forward to your last day of work, but after a long career you may be wondering, now what.  One of my storms is the emotions around my last child leaving the nest and going to college.  Eighteen years ago, it seemed so far away, and now that it is mere months away, I am left wondering what will happen to me once she leaves.  Emotional storms can be just as daunting as physical storms.

Perhaps I have also been intentionally sent into the storm to grow my faith, or maybe I am there because of choices I made.  Regardless of the reason I am not alone in the storm.  Peter trusted Jesus. I need to trust Jesus also and get out of the boat.  Trusting and obeying Jesus can unlock the miraculous and impossible in our lives.  Doubt and fear will lead us to sinking away from Jesus.  We have to cry out to Him to save us.  We should never fear that Jesus will ignore our cries for help.  He did not ignore Peter, but instead immediately reached out to save him.  We can trust that Jesus will do the same for us.  Jesus knows we have doubt and fear but, I feel, He calls us to rely on His faithfulness and trustworthiness.  I encourage you to take a step out of the boat and see how Jesus meets you in the storm.

Can you turn on the light for me?  Would you like me to turn the light on for you to see better?  These are two questions I have asked people in my family.  Light is a fantastic thing.  Without a light source, our life becomes increasingly more complex and duller.  I used to get so depressed in the winter when I lived in the northern part of the country.    It is harder for me to get going on gloomy days.  Light makes you feel better. God is the ultimate source of light.  On the first day of creation, He said, “let there be light,” yet did not create the sun, moon, and stars until the fourth day.

I have a fluorescent light in my laundry room but am also blessed to have a window.  This window became very important over the week around Christmas.  I had been having trouble getting the light to come on consistently.  Sometimes I would have to flick the switch several times to get the bulbs to illuminate.  Eventually, this process stopped working, and I needed to replace the bulbs.  No big deal, just a pain to get the ladder out.  My husband got the ladder positioned under the light and went to unscrew the bulbs.  A wooden frame encases the light fixture.  No matter how many ways he maneuvered the bulb, it was not coming out.  There was no way to get the bulb out without breaking it.  We checked for a way to remove the frame.  There was no obvious way of taking it down.  We asked people if they had any idea how to fix our problem.  No one seemed to know what to do.  If it was light out, I could do laundry, but doing laundry or anything in the laundry room became more problematic when it was gloomy or dark.  I was ok with my new routine for a couple of days.  But after a while, I became more and more frustrated.  The lack of light started getting to me.

It turns out there is a small screw on one end of the wooden frame.  From my perspective, this screw was hard to see, but it held everything in place.  Once I removed the screw, the frame came right off, and we could replace the burned-out bulbs.

Two days later, I was in my closet, and I noticed the light was flickering.  One of the two fluorescent bulbs is starting to burn out.  Fortunately, there is no wooden frame to deal with; just another reminder of how essential light is.

These two light fixtures started me thinking about the light in my life.  The light in the closet was still working because the one bulb was in good working order.  Even though one bulb was flickering, I could still see because one bulb was still working correctly.  Sometimes, I am like the flickering bulb.  I am trying to be light, but in reality, I am relying on the light of Christ to shine.  The only light I have comes from God, and I need to be sensitive to His leading, not my agenda.  I am to reflect the light of Christ in a dark world.  God can be seen despite my flickering light because He never burns out or grows weary of drawing people to Him.  Psalm 73:26 says, “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

The laundry room light made me think about pretty covers that may be hiding a problem.  Not only did the wooden frame come off, but it slipped out of my hands and broke.  I picked it up and realized that I could repair the frame, and with a bit of paint, it would be almost like new.  I began to ponder what in my life do I need to let go of so the cover can come off and repairs can take place so my light can shine bright again?  Is there something small and hidden that needs to be removed?  Maybe something concealed that only God could see that I need to give over so replacing an attitude or behavior may occur.  I looked at this as unfavorable, but it could be positive.  It could be a release of some sort.  It is a good reminder that not all things removed bring hardship or difficulty.  Because God knows everything, He may remove hindrances to my dull light and bring peace and joy

Once we repaired the cover, we could put it back into place.  The laundry room light looked nice once again, and the light shone as intended.  It made me wonder if this is how God looks at me sometimes.  Once he changes me so I can fulfill his purpose for me, He puts me back together, and my light can once again shine as He intends. 

I realize that my life is more than just changing a bulb for the light to shine again.  Bulbs incorrectly inserted into the bulb holder will not produce a bright light.  In living my life, it is not just enough to be a “bulb.”  I also have to be plugged into the source of my light correctly.  If a bulb is loose, it does not work correctly, and when it has reached the end of its life, the light no longer shines and needs to be replaced.  Some days I feel like I have come to the end of my useful life.  I am burned out or loose in my holder.  Life is chaotic, and somedays I forget to plug into my life-giving source.  Jesus becomes my ballast.  The part of the fluorescent lamp that keeps the bulbs from burning out by controlling the amount of current flowing through the bulbs.  Without Jesus taking my burdens, I would be like the fluorescent bulb and self-destruct because I may not regulate myself effectively.  I remember it is ok to have days of rest.  God commands us to rest on the seventh day.  Some days we are just weary, and carrying our burdens further wears us out.  Jesus said, “come unto me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  (Matthew 11:28-29)

How can I let my light shine in the darkness so God can be seen and magnified?  It seems to me the core issue is a heart attitude.  Is my heart open to God and His ways and not on myself?  If I am doing something with a willing heart, the result will be brighter and more honoring to God.  I can also be the hands of feet of Jesus to those around me by looking for opportunities to lend a helping hand.  And I can praise God and be thankful in the middle of hard times.  Nothing speaks louder to the world around me than a joyful spirit, even when things are not going great.  People might wonder why I have joy in difficulty.  Displaying joy in the face of adversity is an excellent opportunity to tell them about the amazing God I serve.

The lesson I learned from my light fixtures is this: to shine brightly, I have to have the proper connection to my light source.  If I feel burned out, I will need to make some changes so that Christ’s light will again shine brilliantly through me.  I may have to go through a time of dismantling to get to the source of what is keeping my light from shining, but whatever that entails will be worth it.  God never does anything for my harm but for my good and His glory.  Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches.  If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5).  No matter what, I need to stay firmly connected to my light source.

Shine Brilliantly!

It was a beautiful spring afternoon, and I decided to take my dog, Max, for a walk.   Our winters in North Carolina are not so bad, but I was still glad to get out as spring was making an appearance.  I was enjoying the clean, crisp spring air. And for once, Max was behaving himself as we walked around the neighborhood.   As I was walking, the word “perspective” came to mind.  I thought of a picture I saw of a small boy lying on the ground with a boot on his head. It looked like someone was stepping on his head.  When enlarging the screen, you see the boy with the boot on his arm; he is placing the boot on his head.  It shows how you can manipulate images to make people think something is happening, but the reality is very different.

This thinking led me down the path of self-reflection. What is my perception of myself?  Sometimes I am too close to myself to see the reality.  I need to pull back and look at the bigger picture – not the small up close distorted view.  I have no idea how God can use me or what or when this storm will pass.  But to have a narrow view, distorted, means I am limiting God in his big picture plan.  I need to change my perspective and not let feelings, emotions, circumstances, doubt, and fear manipulate me.

It is easy to embark on changing your perspective on a subject.  You could read books or articles on a topic. You could talk to people and get their input and perspective; basically, you need to educate yourself.  Through this process, you may find that you were right; or you will have to change your perspective.  But how does one change their perspective about themselves?  I suppose you could ask close friends or family members how they see you. However, this interaction might be a good thing and a bad thing. I struggle with how do you bring that up in a conversation without sounding prideful? 

I thought about funhouse mirrors.  As a child, these were always fun to see how different mirrors made you look either short and fat, tall and skinny, or any other variation. These mirrors create a distorted view of your image.  I find myself here sometimes—walking around with a distorted picture of myself created by my main enemy, Satan.  He loves nothing more than to play with my mind and get me to think one way when the reality is very different.

It is easy for me to give in to Satan’s lies designed to keep me distracted when I feel this way.  He may tell me that I am not important enough for God to care, or God does not love me in my current state.  I know these to be false statements because David said of God, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb, Psalm 139:13.  Not only did he create me, but I am created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27). I started to research “How does God see me”?  I found several blogs that answer this, but the best resource is The Bible. Most comforting to me is Psalm 139.  This Psalm is rich in comfort and truth about how God not only sees us but is always present with us.  God gives us many scriptures to go to in these questioning times. His Word is part of our armor.  We can use it to defend ourselves and attack the lies the enemy hurls at us.  The most important thing to remember is that God loves me enough to send His only Son to die for me (John 3:16).  What else do I need?  God loves me!  I am not the first person, nor will I be the last person that struggles with how God sees me.  When I get this straightened out in my mind and heart, I will overcome the times my perspective gets turned around and leads me down a distorted path.

God creates us and desires to have a personal relationship with us.  God calls us His children (1 John 3:1). I wonder if He ever thinks as I do about my children?  I have said at different times to them, “I wish you could see yourself as I see you.”  He sees how I suffer from my perspective, and maybe He is saying to me, pull back and look at your situation from my perspective.  A child lovingly created for a purpose loved beyond comprehension and a life with meaning that he is faithfully working on completing (Philippians 1:6).

Changing my perspective can give me a different point of view.  Sometimes, I get bogged down in the twisted way I see myself and where I am that I may miss God and what He is doing.  Also, I may have a wrong perspective of God at times.  I can look at my situation and think, where is God in this? He promised never to leave me or forsake me (Deuteronomy 31:6). So why can’t I see Him or feel Him? Then one of Satan’s favorite lies pops up; God doesn’t love you.  This lie is so destructive, and Satan knows it.  This lie can change my perspective about myself and God.  I can not allow this is to happen.  I must go to the Bible and look at the scriptures that combat this lie.  Of course, we always point to John 3:16 to show God’s love, but there is also 1 John 4:9-11, Romans 5:8, Romans 8:37-39, and Isaiah 54:10, to name a few.

One scripture that gives me strength and hope when I am trying to get my thoughts straightened out is “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” Jeremiah 29:11.  It helps me remember that God is in charge of my life, and He has wonderful plans for my good and His glory.

I am learning the importance of pulling back and looking at situations from a different point of view.  Two examples of ways to do this may be pulling back on a picture to see its context and google earth.  When my kids were small, they liked to go on the computer and look at our house from the sky.  It seemed tiny and insignificant, but when we got down to the street level, it was easier to see it in reference to the other houses in the neighborhood.  Sometimes it may be necessary for me to pull back and see myself in the grander scheme of things.  I have context in the world around me. Although I may feel small and insignificant, a street-level perspective also shows me where I fit in daily life.  I have recognized both views are necessary to have a healthy outlook.  At times I have zoomed in on a picture too much. The image becomes significantly distorted to the point that I cannot see the picture.  Once I zoom out again, everything comes back into focus. If I focus too closely on what I am thinking or going through, everything may get fuzzy as I am close to the situation. I need to pull back, take some time to think, read the Bible, get some sleep, and then things get sharper and easier to see the clear perspective. I want to remember that if closely looking at my life brings judgment and condemnation, that is not from God or good for me.  However, if it brings growth, maybe even conviction, I need to take a closer look because that could be God transforming me into what He wants me to be. God comes alongside me and speaks truth into my soul. He may use the people along my path that speak a word of encouragement, just when I need it, or a devotional that ministers to me on a day when I am susceptible to Satan’s lies. 

I want to be more aware of the people around me that may need a word of encouragement. It may help them change their perspective and be God showing His love to them.

Joy to the world, the Lord has come!!  An angel appeared to shepherds in a field to announce the birth of Jesus. “Do not be afraid I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people”(Luke 2:10)

As a child, I loved Christmas.  I grew up in Ohio around my mom’s family.  The anticipation of Christmas was exciting.  We would go to our grandparents around Christmas, I can’t remember exactly, but I think Christmas Eve.  We had dinner with family then we got to open presents.  On the way home, I would hope for snow to give us a white Christmas.  Sometimes my wish came true, and other times it was just a dull brown day.  That did not take away from my excitement of Christmas morning and wondering if I would get what I wanted? 

My dad was a minister, so Santa Claus was not a big deal in our house.  We were allowed to believe in Santa, but my parents always stressed the true meaning of Christmas – the birth of our Savior who gave us the ultimate gift – Salvation.  I remember seeing Santa and telling him what I wanted. In reality, I don’t think I believed Santa would bring the presents; I think I just wanted the candy cane!

Christmas now is different from those wide-eyed days of my childhood. I have gifts to buy and wrap, decorate the house, cook, Christmas cards, etc.  It has become very stressful. Somewhere along the line, I lost my excitement about the holiday.  Every year it would get more stressful to the point where I would hate Christmas.  This year I am determined that I will not utter the phrase “I hate Christmas”.  I am going to embrace Christmas and, most importantly, rejoice in my gift of salvation.

I thought about blessings and plans that I am waiting on God to fulfill.  Mary came to mind.  An angel told her that she would give birth to the Messiah (Luke 1:29-33).  She had to wait nine months to give birth. Instead of it being a glorious time, it was not an easy waiting period.  She had to travel late in her pregnancy for the census (Luke 2:1-5).  No one wants to travel long distances that late in pregnancy.  The journey had to be very tiring and burdensome.   Once she arrived in Bethlehem, it was time for Jesus to be born. “And she gave birth to her firstborn, a son.  She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger because there was no guest room available for them.” (Luke 2:7)  These were not ideal conditions to give birth.  Then, her baby, Jesus, is born in that stark, cold place, and she has no place to lay her precious son but a feeding troth.  She is the mother of the Savior, and she had to go through pain and trial to fulfill this blessing and promise.  I also go through pain and difficulty for God’s blessings and plans to be fulfilled in my life.  The idea of waiting and hardships goes against my makeup and our society.  We live in an instant gratification world that tries to mitigate any hardship and take the easy way out.  I look back over my life and realize that I would not be where I am today without the hardships and trials.  Mary had to go through all she did to fulfill the prophecy of Jesus’ birth.  I realize that  God is not calling me to give birth to the Savior of the World or fulfill an ancient prophecy. However, He does want me to wait upon Him for His perfect time to work in and complete His plans for my life.

As I am wrapping my Christmas presents, I see different shapes and sizes. I use diverse wrapping paper to give Christmas morning a lot of color and variety.  Is this how God gives me gifts?  Gifts displayed in different shapes and sizes, wrapped in various paper?  There was always the one present my children would want on Christmas morning.  They would go from one present to the next looking for that special present.  Do I tear through all God’s gifts to me, looking for the “one” and miss blessings along the journey? Now my children are older and learning to enjoy the journey of Christmas morning, not the destination of the one longed-for present.  This new outlook encourages me to enjoy the journey of the blessed life God has given me.  Take my time with each gift and enjoy it.  God showed me to be grateful for each present along the journey and not just discard it while looking for the one longed-for answer or blessing. I need to recognize everything that comes into my life is from God.  One blessing is not better than the next.  Each one is special and personally chosen for me from my Heavenly Father.  Just like every gift to my children is handpicked for them. They do not receive everything on their Christmas lists, and God does not give me everything on my wish list either.  I need to be more like my children were this year.  Very brief lists with the idea of “mom, you get for me what you think I would like.”  They trust me to know them and know what they would like or need.  I need to have that kind of attitude toward God for my life.  Complete trust that He will give me what I need or would like because He knows me and loves me.  He loves me so much that He will not leave me thinking I know better than Him.

Praise God that 2,000 + years ago, Jesus was born to save us.  Not like the Jewish people thought their Messiah would rescue them, but something so much better.  While they were looking for freedom from the Romans, Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection gave all who believed in Jesus freedom from death.  That same belief in Jesus as Savior gives us freedom from death today.  The Jews thought the Messiah would overthrow the Roman occupation, setting them free.  That is not how God worked for them, and it is not how He works for us.  God does not just come in and overthrow our oppressor.  He gives us strength, hope, and peace while we journey through this life. The ultimate gift of salvation and eternal life was given to us by the birth of a perfect, sinless baby boy.  I pray that I will not look with limited eyes on the gifts from God or think that He has to act in the way I believe He will.  I want to embrace each gift with the knowledge that it is what God knows I need for my good and His glory.

As I celebrate another Christmas, I pray I will be filled with the joy and hope that Jesus brought all those years ago.  Also, that I will truly treasure the best gift of all; a baby born to give salvation.  A gift I did nothing to receive but a gift given out of the gracious love of a Heavenly Father who loves me more than I can imagine.  May you also rejoice in this Christmas season and all year long.  “For to us a child is born, to us, a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)

I wish you a very Merry Christmas!

Have you ever felt broken, cracked, beyond repair?  If one more thing piles on, you may collapse and shatter. This is an overwhelming feeling.  At times like this, I find myself quoting the psalmist when he said, “I lift up my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1-2. In moments like this, all I can pray is I know God exists, and He is good.  He has a plan, and He is faithful to complete it. 

A while ago, I realized that I felt like a dry, broken well on my morning walk.  I felt cracked, and at the same time, wrinkled.  I felt broken and crumpled.  I asked God to fill me with living water.  To plump up my pores, seal the cracks and nourish the wrinkles into smoothness.  I am not talking physically, but my soul.  I am a dry, broken, and thirsty land that needs Jesus.  He is the living water, and He is all I need.  My daughter has a saying on her bedroom wall that says, “if all you have is God, then you have all you need.”  Such fantastic truth in that short sentence.  I have to drink of Him and let Him change me, fill me, nourish me, and heal me.  I must spend time with Him daily so that I don’t get dehydrated and start to crack.

My choices formed some cracks, and I now live with the consequences of those choices.  I also have to accept that God has forgiven me, and I need to forgive myself. These cracks are tough to overcome.  Relationships have also broken me. Some of these fractures occurred consciously by someone, while others were unintentional. Either way, the hurt was real and left scars and brokenness in the wake.  Sadly, time does not heal all wounds completely.  These hurts have left deep scars that, from time to time, rear their ugly head and remind me of past offenses or mistakes. I have to consciously decide to forgive, put things permanently in the past and move on.

My aunt told me of a Japanese art form called Kintsugi.  The idea is to take broken pottery and repair it with a mixture of glue and gold dust.  This process makes the object beautiful and more valuable in its restored condition.  She sent me pictures of some pieces; they were marvelous, and the beauty was magnificent.  As I was thinking about these pictures, I realized that this is how our life can be.  We can repair cracks in broken things, but brokenness in us is harder to put back together.

Along with this art form, I thought about how cracks let the light shine out from the center.  A broken candle holder came to mind.  If I repair it, it will never be perfect again.  I will see the flaws and where they did not go completely back together.  However, when I put a lit candle in it, the light that shines out is beautiful and fills the room with light.  I think about my life this way.  I need to let the light of the Holy Spirit shine out through all my cracks.  Stop regretting that I am not perfect, therefore feeling unloved or worthless.  I need to see that I have worth and my light can make a beautiful difference in a dark world.  I need to look at the cracks as good things.  I may be broken, but I still have value.  When God puts me back together, the new creation is more valuable. Much like the artist who creates something beautiful out of broken crockery and gold dust, God makes something beautiful out of our brokenness if we allow Him.  I can stay cracked and broken, or I can allow God to repair me by receiving His love and allowing His light to shine through me.  One of the most remarkable aspects of God’s character is His capacity to love flawed human beings.  Once I accept His Son, Jesus, as Savior, God looks upon me through the lens of His Son’s righteousness.  This gift of grace is what gives me value and worth, not the mistakes and heartaches that I think make up my worth.

There are several ways that we can try to mend cracks.  For the believer, the best way is to go to God and ask for help, strength, renewal, and healing. God is faithful and ever-present.  He will help us.  He has helped me by sending a friend to speak the truth into a situation or love me.  Other times I have been reading a devotional, and I read a verse or passage.  I may have read that same verse a hundred times before, but on that day, it is like God put it into the Bible just for me.  Sometimes I have to go before God and be still, listen for His voice.  I know for sure that whenever I feel like I did on that day, going to God always lifts my heart, and renewal begins. Through Christ, reconciliation in relationships is also possible.  The worst thing I can do is try to fix the crack on my own.  Whatever I do to repair myself will undoubtedly come apart and reveal the gap is still there or may have even grown.  I can try to fill myself with worldly things, new clothes, cars, etc., but eventually, I will see that it is not very meaningful and does not fulfill long term.  Solomon came to the same conclusion in Ecclesiastes 2:10-11.  The only one or thing that truly satisfies is my relationship with God.

I can not cover it up and pretend everything is perfect.  While I was walking today, I thought about this blog post, and a song came on that spoke to me.  Look at the lyrics for Maybe it’s OK by We are Messenger.  The refrain says, “Maybe it’s OK if I’m not OK ‘cause the one who holds the world is holding onto me.  Maybe it’s alright if I’m not alright ‘cause the one who holds the stars is holding my whole life.” It is okay to be broken sometimes.  What matters is what we do in those times and who we turn to.  

I now realize that something must fill the cracks.  Unsealed cracks will lead to more damage as the pain spreads from my mind to my heart.  Look at a cracked sidewalk or driveway to understand this.  When cracks occur, grass or weeds may grow in them. The only way to take care of this problem is to spray weed killer or repair the break.  I need the blood of Jesus to clean out and seal the gaps in my life.  If I do not do this, something else, perhaps bitterness, envy, or anger, will grow out of whatever created the crack.  God wants to fill that void with His Spirit, so light shines, distorted at times, but still, light shining in the darkness.

This dry, cracked, porous, and wrinkled soul needs the soul-quenching power of Jesus.  I want to have a powerful significant life for my Savior.  To do that, I have to allow Jesus to saturate my life.  My journey has been slow and filled with heartaches.  I internalize these heartaches, which further dry me out and chip away at me.  I need to give everything over to God and allow the healing to take place in my heart.  As His living water fills me, His word is like an IV going directly into me. I am sustained, encouraged, and nourished, which gives me a renewed life.  This renewal gives me vitality and hope. Although I am fighting internal and external forces every day, I can fight the feeling of brokenness in my life by staying connected closely to God.  He loves His children and is more than able to sustain and heal me through all my brokenness and cracks so that He receives all the glory and honor from the light shining inside me.  Hebrews 12:2 tells us to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author, and perfector of our faith.  No better place to place our attention.

It has been almost a year since I wrote that original journal entry, and as I look back on this time, I see that I no longer feel broken; chipped some days but not broken.  I know I have a long way to go, but I see that God met me in my brokenness and spoke truth into it.  He healed it with His grace and mercy and still is patient with me, so I will see Him when I feel broken.  He was calling me into a deeper relationship with Him.  I see now that, along with my broken state, I was also lacking something.  I was missing that deep daily dependence that came as I cried out to Him to heal me.

Praise God He is faithful!

Thanksgiving has become the forgotten holiday sandwiched between Halloween and Christmas.  Usually, I am so busy thinking about Christmas that I gloss over Thanksgiving.  But this year, I think I would like to take some time to be thankful.  Christmas is important for obvious reasons, and Halloween has taken over as the 2^nd most expensive holiday.  But what about Thanksgiving? Do I go through the routine of the day in anticipation of Black Friday?  Do I obsess over what food to either make or take to a relative’s house? Do I focus on how to get all the Christmas decorating done before company comes?  We have come a long way from how the pilgrims were thankful for an abundant fall harvest, the fact that they survived the voyage and the weather in the new world.

As I was going through my morning, I thought about this upcoming week.  My son is coming home from college and, my daughter will be coming home for the first time since she started her new job.  I am excited.  But I was a little convicted that I do not spend enough time just being grateful.  A while ago, I started a gratitude journal.  I was doing great with it for some time, but I stopped writing in it.  I am going to start the practice of writing in it again. Writing in a gratitude journal allows me to slow down and be grateful for something during the day.  So often, for me, I see the chaos around me and not the blessings.  I want that to change this year.  I am grateful first and foremost for Salvation through Christ.  Following that is that the Holy Spirit dwells with me and helps me, intercedes for me, and empowers me.

What about everyday blessings? I am grateful for the beauty of fall, even though it was chilly on my walk today.  The late fall is just as beautiful as the early fall to me.  Yes, the leaves have lost their luster, but walking through fallen leaves has its own kind of beauty. The crunch and smell of the leaves remind me of being a kid.  Friends, family, and I had such fun raking up a big pile of leaves and jumping in them. We all looked forward to the fall bonfires my family would have.  Those are some of my best memories.  I realized that I have a lot to be thankful for and, I often take most of it for granted.  I am grateful for my three children. Not just their physical presence, I am also thankful for their personalities.  They each have driven me nuts at times, but I have learned so much and learned to love to a greater capacity. They have stretched me sometimes to the limit, but I would not be the person I am today without each of them.

When my oldest was about a year old, I was watching her in the nursery at church.  She was walking away from me, and I thought, “I wonder if she knows how much she is loved?”  Immediately I heard in my head, “Do you know how much you are loved?”  I have thought about that day on and off over the last 20+ years.  Do I know how much God loves me? Do I take His love for granted? I want to take the time to thank God for His love.  I am grateful for a heavenly Father who did not spare His only Son for a fallen world.  I was thinking about Abraham, Isaac, God, and Jesus.  One father is asked to sacrifice his only son, but at the last minute, God spared him.  One father willingly sacrificed His Son and did not spare him the agony of death and taking all our sins upon Him.  One son was spared to fulfill a promise, a covenant, and one Son was sacrificed to fulfill a promise to redeem the world.  I am so grateful for Jesus’ willingness to sacrifice Himself for me, a wretched sinner.

I am going to start my gratitude journal today.  So often, during a storm, I ask God to remind me of who He is. I think I need a miracle to see God’s power and authority.   If I have a gratitude journal, I can look back on all the blessings He has given me. I will be able to see Him in everyday life, not just in the big miracle moments.  Philippians 4:11-13 says, “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do all things through him who gives me strength.”  I want to start a journey where my attitude becomes “I can do all things through him, who gives me strength.”  I want to be grateful for the hills as well as the valleys.

The Bible references being thankful quite often in both the Old and New Testaments.  The idea of being thankful is referenced 102 times in the Old Testament and 71 times in the New Testament.  We see that an attitude of thankfulness is God’s will for us. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, states “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” After looking into the meaning of Biblical thankfulness, I see that it is not something physical, something we do, but more of who we are in Christ.  By being thankful, we can release the power of God that is in us.  Our praise can tell the world of God’s goodness, endurance, and provision.  Two examples of this are Psalm 107:1, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Also, verse 8; “Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.”  I am finding that by giving thanks, it becomes about who God is, not so much about what He has done for me or given me.  By being grateful for all his goodness, my heart changes. I can praise His name in my actions and with my words.  I pray that I will not have a spirit of murmuring and complaining, which is easy to fall into, but one of Thanksgiving.  An attitude of Thanksgiving will enable me to live out Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” I have an amazing God who created this world out of nothing. He tells the stars where to shine (Psalm 8:3) and how far the sea can go (Proverbs 8:29).  This amazing God lets me call Him Abba Father. How can I not be grateful for everything in my life? I deserve nothing but condemnation, and He offers me abundant life.  I pray that I will offer back an attitude of praise and Thanksgiving, not murmuring and complaining.  John 16: 33 tells us we will have problems in this world “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”  It is up to me to have the right attitude.  With God’s power residing in me, I can be thankful for all circumstances.  I will start by being grateful for something every day.  I am excited to see how God grows my spiritual attitude to reflect Him as I learn to be thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving.

My family and I are experiencing a time that a lot of families go through.  It is college tour time—an exciting time and a time that, at least for me, is a little sad.  My youngest child is looking to leave our home and go to college, and we are so happy for her to be experiencing this next stage of life.  However, this means my husband and I will share our next phase of life: empty nesters.

My daughter and I went to look at a college. The route to get there is not direct, and it consists of some highways and some two-lane roads.  On our way, these two-lane roads were charming.  Open fields, huge cotton fields, and quaint towns to drive through dotted our trip.  It was mid-morning, the sun was shining, little to no traffic, music playing, and she, of course, was sleeping. 

When we started our journey home, the sun was setting.  The sky was so beautiful. Pink and orange streaks shot across the sky as the big ball of fire went down over the horizon.  We talked about the school, her thoughts, my thoughts, pros, and cons.  As we continued our journey home, it became dark.  We traveled the same roads that we took to get to the school.  Only now, as we were driving on the charming, quaint two-lane road, it became, as my daughter said, “spooky.”  The charm of the towns and open fields was shrouded in darkness, and we started to notice quite a few cemeteries that we had not seen in the light.  The twisting roads became dangerous as big trucks came at us with their lights shining and, at times, nearly blinding me for a moment.

As I was driving, I thought about experiences in the light and dark. We were traveling the same road, just under two different circumstances.  I  recall how comforting light is and how distressing darkness can be.  I was tense as I drove home, not like in the morning when I was relaxed and just enjoying the drive.   At night I could not wait to get back to the highway and kept looking to see how many more miles until I reached the safety of my home.

I thought about how God is the light, and in him, there is no darkness (I John 1:5).  In God, there is comfort, and I can relax because I know I can trust Him. Just like my daughter trusted me and was able to go to sleep.  Why don’t I completely trust God all the time?  I know He is a good Father, trustworthy, faithful, loving, and omnipresent, to name a few.   I don’t always enjoy and bask in the light on my various journeys.  I guess it is a control issue, and I want to be in control and not let Him. That night driving, I was struck by just how much I do not take the time to enjoy the light of God thoroughly. Many days I take it for granted.

I also realized how frightening the darkness is.  You might ask, “why was that road so spooky”?  I thought about that as I drove.  The road was twisting and turning, but it was that way earlier too.  But at night, it was so very dark.  The open fields now had an eerie feel to them.  There was just an ominous feel that we could not escape while on that road.  My life is like this at times.  Some days seem darker than others.  I may be doing the same tasks each day, but some days are bright, and some are dark.  The difference is that I incorporate God fully into my life on some days, and on other days I don’t.  I am struck by how I try to muster up a better attitude or white knuckle those dark days instead of turning to the source of light.  I don’t have to face these days alone; God is with me, ready and willing to shine His light on me and take away all uncertainty and anxiety.  David understood this when he wrote Psalm 23 specifically verse 4.  “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Praise God for His faithfulness!

Light and dark are always in opposition to one another.  Jesus told us to let our light shine and not hide it (Matthew 5:15-16).  Darkness can never extinguish the light. (John 1:5) When I remember to shine the light of Jesus into any situation I am facing, the dark will flee.  When the darkness is gone, I can relax and be at peace because it doesn’t seem scary anymore. 

When my children were little, they feared the dark and wanted night lights.  As they matured, they no longer needed the comfort of light and wanted to sleep in complete darkness.  They were secure that nothing terrible was going to happen to them.  If they happened to wake up, mom and dad were just down the hall and were available to them if needed.  I need to look at my life, both spiritually and physically, in this way.  I don’t need to fear the dark because God is always with me.  He is not some remote god that I must dial-up when required.  He is a personal, intimate God who lives within me through His Spirit.  I don’t ever have to fear the dark because the most significant light source is always in me and available.

Situations or places in the bright light of day are not spooky but the exact times or places at night frighten us. My walk with God is also like this.  When I pray and press into the light of Jesus, I do not have anxiety.  However, when I attempt to walk through my life on my own, the darkness can, at times, take over.  Fear and apprehension can be overwhelming.  When I stop to shine the light of Jesus on my situation, the frightening becomes peaceful.  Just like the night light, my children would use.  They played for hours in their room during the day.  But at night, that same room would become spooky and scary.  They needed light to calm their fears. Light from God will calm me also.

Sometimes we walk or travel the same path, as I did that night.  I need to remember that it is the same path, and just because it is dark right now does not mean I need to be frightened.  The same God with me in the light is the God who is with me in the dark.  My daughter found a bright spot on that “spooky” drive; you could see many more stars.  The bright lights of the city did not obscure the brilliant light of the stars.  I learned that night to always look for the light in a situation. Now when I walk into a dark room and turn on the light to see, I want to remember to “turn on the light” in my life when I face a dark time or situation.  I want to take the time to stop what I am doing, grab my Bible and turn to God in prayer for Him to shine light into my situation.  For God is always shining, sometimes the condition of my heart keeps me from seeing Him, but He is always there.

Who are you? What is your identity?  There are several ways to identify someone.  Physical characteristics, behaviors, DNA, social security number, fingerprints, cars we drive, houses we buy, but the most personal way is in a name.  Your name is an intimate way to identify yourself and to be known.

This year we are studying the book of Daniel at church.  I was interested in this book as I had not studied it before.  Nebuchadnezzar conquered Judah, destroyed Jerusalem, and carried some Jewish people back to Babylon in captivity.  Daniel, along with three of his friends, became captives and fell under the king’s notice. These young men were of the royal family and nobility. They were without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. (Daniel 1:3-4)  

Nebuchadnezzar changed their names.  Maybe he hoped they would forget about their homeland and their God.  Whatever his reason, it seems clear that he wanted them to assimilate fully into Babylonian culture.  Instead of names that reflected God, each new name reflected various Babylonian deities.  Daniel means “God is my judge,” but his new Babylonian name, Belteshazzar, means “servant of Nebo.” Hananiah means the grace of the Lord. Shadrach means the inspiration of the sun. Mishael means “he that is the strong God; Meschach means “of the goddess Shach. Azariah means “the Lord is a help”; Abednego means “the servant of the shining fire.”  These names all reflect things the Babylonians worshipped.

I started to think about Daniel and his friends. Who am I, and where do I find my identity?  God says that I am a child of God because I have accepted Jesus as my Savior.  A conquering enemy has not carried me into captivity; however, I am still vulnerable to giving up my identity.  I live as a captive to sin every day I am alive.  This world is not my true home.  I am finally “home” when I get to Heaven. There is no evil king to rename me, but I have an enemy who is constantly trying to get me to forget my identity and be known as what the world says I am.  I have an enemy that wants me to forget about my God and Heaven and identify with the world.  This enemy wants to steal my identity and therefore steal my purpose.  If I know who I am, then I know what I am supposed to do.

These two identities oppose one another.  The world says, “me first,” and God says to put Him above all else.  God calls us to love and serve others above ourselves.  The world says to take advantage of people before they take advantage of you.  Jesus taught to go the extra mile; if someone asks you to go one mile, go two.  If they ask for your cloak, give them your coat too. (Matthew 5) The world sets up idols to worship and adore.  God says we are to have no other gods before Him. (Exodus 20:2) God gives us standards to incorporate into our lives.  The world says anything goes, as long as it makes you happy.

I wonder if Daniel and his friends were discouraged living in Babylon and having everything stripped away, even their identities.  It would have been effortless for them to assimilate into the kingdom they were now living in.  All they had to do was turn their back on their God and the God of their people and worship the gods of Babylon.  They served in the king’s palace and learned all about their new land, language, and literature of the Babylonians.  They were even given food and wine from the king’s table.  It does not sound like Nebuchadnezzar mistreated these particular three captives.   

As children of God, we are living in a similar situation.  We live in a world that wants our hearts, minds, and souls. We eat of the land we live in; are part of the culture, and every day we must fight to not turn our backs on our God.    Verse eight says Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. As I read this, I asked myself if I would be strong enough to go against the king’s orders and not eat food from the king’s table? Would I trust God to supply my needs and not fear the king’s wrath?  Am I strong enough to not want the things this world offers that pull my heart and one true love away from God?

As the story continues, Nebuchadnezzar had a large image made of gold and had it set up.  An order went out commanding everyone to bow down and worship it when they heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music.  Astrologers came forward and told Nebuchadnezzar that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were not following the decree.  Nebuchadnezzar became furious and ordered the furnace to be heated to seven times hotter than usual and threw the three men into the furnace.  He was so arrogant he thought no one could save them.  The three responded that their God is able and will rescue them, but even if He didn’t, they would not bow down to Nebuchadnezzar.  As a child hearing this story, I never realized that in recounting this story, these young men are known by their Babylonian names, not their Hebrew names.

I am so encouraged by this truth.  I saw that no matter what name people refer to us by God is always with us.  It does not matter what the world calls us, we are His children, and He knows us not just by name, but He knows how many hairs are on our head. These young men entered captivity and had everything they knew stripped from them.  However, they did not assimilate into their new culture or give up their faith in the one true God.  They are an example that I must resist the desire to embrace my culture and weaken my faith in the one true God. God wants my heart. They were willing to die for their faith.  Do I struggle to tell people I believe in God and go to church? 

We live in a complicated world.  Many people are against Christians and want to strip us of our identity—things of this world attempt to lure us away and lead us into rebellion against God. We need friends like Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.  Friends that stand together and help each other during tough times – when the world is against us and insists, we bow down to the latest king of our culture.

I learned that it does not matter what name identifies us.  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s faith and actions glorified God.  They had faith in their God, and He did rescue them from the fiery furnace. Nebuchadnezzar praised the God of these three Jewish men and realized it was their God who rescued them.  He informed the people that no one could say anything against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s God and that no other god could save in this way.  God does not always rescue us, for if He did, we would not need faith, and what we did have would be very shallow.  Their faith grew, I believe, because they saw God at work in their lives and for them as they were carried into and lived in captivity. This growth enabled them to believe in God when they faced certain death, and the only way of escape was by God delivering them.

As I live in my own Babylon, I am learning that my identity is not in a name or anything else of this world. I can have confidence that my identity is secure as a child of God. I need to be on my guard for Satan, who wants to steal my identity by luring me away to identify with things of this world.   External things that I am identified by will pass away and change over time.  However, my identity as a child of God is eternal. When I have a clear view of my true identity, I will be able to live that out in a world that wants me to bow to the latest golden statue set up and fully trust in God and live for Him.

I pray that I will be like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and not bow to this world but live in such a way that my faith glorifies God

There is a plant outside my bedroom that I walk past several times a day.  I was busy with life and did not pay attention to it. Days turned into weeks, and I did not water it.  One day I looked at it and saw that it was limp and looking lifeless.  I had to pay attention to it and give it water, or it would die.  I watered it and left it for a while to revive.  It still looked limp, so I gave it more water and went to bed.  The next day it was full of life again.  The leaves were standing up, and it no longer looked pathetic, showing the benefit of water to thirsty roots.  I realized this is how my spiritual life is at times.

I get so busy with life I forget to water my soul.  I take my faith and relationship with Jesus for granted.  But by not watering my soul, I will begin to wither.  Like the plant, I may go a while because of the roots I have developed.  Without nourishment, eventually, I will wilt.  The soil of my life will become so dry there will be nothing to sustain me.  I may try to get by on my strength and abilities.  There is a limit as to how long I will be able to keep going.  If I spent time with God, I would be filled up again and receive the life-giving nourishment and strength I need to live in a fallen world. I would be stable, not in my power, but in God’s. I  would be taking Him in and allowing Him to give me what I need for life, a vibrant existence that brings joy to me and those around me.  A life that shows His beauty and brings the light of Jesus to a dark world.

To do this, I must drink of God’s word daily.  This time spent with God grows my root system.  And like my plant, it requires more than just a little bit of water; it requires intentional time and, at times, prolonged time with God. This living water that Jesus offers is not Himself but the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  (John 7:37-39). God knows how fragile human beings are.  He did not intend for us to go it alone on earth. God promises to draw near to us if we draw near to Him (James 4:8). Once we accept His Son as Savior, God imparts His Spirit in us to help us. (Acts 2:38)

Water makes a plant stronger, just as the indwelling of the Holy Spirit makes us stronger.  By being filled by the Holy Spirit, I can resist temptations thrown at me by Satan.  Just look at how Jesus was able to resist temptation in the wilderness (Matthew 4).  He had spent time fasting and praying.  Although I believe he was weak in the flesh, He was strong in His spirit because of spending quality time with God, and He defeated Satan.  Jeremiah paints a beautiful picture of a tree planted by water in Jeremiah 17:7-8 “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him.  They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.  It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” This tree, planted near the source of life and nourishment, will flourish. We will also grow when we draw living water from the Holy Spirit, who indwells the believer.

If I don’t have strong roots, I will be susceptible to falling.  As I was thinking about this concept, I looked at root systems and why they sometimes fail.  It is always sad to see a big, beautiful, old tree uprooted after a storm comes through.  I often think, what happened?  How could this tree be on its side with all those roots to give it stability?  After all, roots serve many purposes, but two important ones are to provide nourishment and strength, an anchor, for the plant.  One answer I found was that the roots were damaged somehow, either by human intervention (perhaps damaged while digging) or natural causes (a disease in the soil or roots).  Am I damaging my spiritual root system?  Do I spend quality time with God? Do I allow the Holy Spirit to guide me and give me wisdom and discernment, or do I go off on my own and forge my path? Am I allowing fungus and disease of the world to guide me?  Do I read books or listen to speakers that are not following the Bible’s teachings, but they sound good?  All of this will tear down my root system, not make it stronger.  The only way to get stronger is to drink daily of the living water that Jesus offers through the Holy Spirit.

Not all liquid is appropriate for a plant to receive nourishment.  I could not just pour anything I happened to have in my hand on my plant.  Some fluid may do more harm than good.  Only water will satisfy the plants’ need to spring back to life.  In fact, not all water is the same.  I read somewhere that rainwater is the best water because of what is in it.  Like rainwater being the best water source for plants, Jesus is the best source to quench our thirst.  I am not talking about physical craving, but spiritual.  A longing that, if fulfilled by things of this world, will always leave me wanting more.  Do I long after God, thirst, like the Psalmist described a deer panting after water (Psalm 42:1). Sometimes, I look to the wrong things in life to satisfy the thirst I feel. A job, children, money, cars, houses, relationships, etc., will never fulfill my cravings long-term. These things will always disappoint and leave me dissatisfied.  Why?  I believe because I was created in God’s image and to have a relationship with Him.  I will not find lasting satisfaction in anything other than God.  People may also look to other people or relationships to fill the hole they feel inside.  Only Jesus can satisfy the deep longing inside.  As David said in Psalm 63:1, “You God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.”

We are reminded in hot spells to drink a lot of water.  Don’t people know they need water?  But during these heat spells, I hear of people who get dehydrated.  What about in my spiritual life? Do I realize when the heat index is going up in my life?  Do I try to get by in my power? Or do I press into and drink of the Spirit that lives within me?  My part is to go to the river and drink the living water that Jesus offers.  The old phrase “Lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink” comes to mind.  As believers, the Spirit is always there with us, but we have to listen to Him. We need to open our hearts, minds, and eyes to see the soul-quenching life-giving source of nourishment for our souls that are available to us.  Jesus stood on the last and greatest day of the festival and gave the encouragement that can be found in John 7:37-38 “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”

My little plant taught me the importance of staying hydrated.  To remain vibrant and alive spiritually, I must have nourishment found in the Holy Spirit, who is alive and active in me.   If I do not go to the well and drink the living water that Jesus offers, I will be like my plant: I will need constant watering.  But, when I accept Jesus as my Savior and drink of the Holy Spirit, this is refreshment that lives within me and is a continual source of nourishment and strength. Jesus offered living water to the Samaritan woman (John 4), and He offers us living water today. When I am tired and limp physically, there is nothing quite as refreshing as a nice cold drink of water.  I pray that I remember to draw on the life-giving living water within me before I get depleted spiritually.  Not only does the Holy Spirit guide us and comfort us, but He also strengthens us and keeps the soil of our hearts fertile.  When our hearts are soft and open to receiving what God has for us, we can stand tall and find refreshment with the living water available to us.