The day had been a long one, and I was finally heading home. The sun had slipped below the horizon and darkness had settled in, along with a heavy blanket of fog. I was traveling on a route that I knew like the back of my hand. However, I could barely see a few feet beyond the front bumper of my car. Without warning, my heart started to pound and I felt panic setting in. I had lost sight of any landmarks or road signs and had absolutely no idea where I was. It was as if I was moving in a bubble made of white cotton candy … and my sense of direction vanished.
Inching along, I tried to keep close to what I felt was the right hand side of the road. It’s terrifying in these situations when a driver realizes that they are at the mercy of the oncoming traffic to stay on their side of the road as well. In a jumble of rational and irrational thoughts, I realized that if I just kept going … bit by bit … eventually I’d see something that would give me direction. Yes … something that would just give me a hint of an idea of where I was and where I was heading. Just something familiar would be so comforting.
Sound like your life right now? Maybe not. But it sure sounds like mine … many times over.
When the dense clouds of pain, confusion, loss, fear, doubt or loneliness envelope us, and we can’t see to take the next step … there’s a prayer that was written for us thousands of years ago by an overwhelmed shepherd. “From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” Psalm 61:2
Yes … when the fog is that dense … where we can’t see to take the next step … we need to be led to the Father. Our circumstances are so painful that we can’t see His Face. The confusion is so thick that His Presence seems miles away.
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[At this point in my writing I decided to finish it another day. I left it and went to bed. A few weeks later, our sweet Anna was taken Home to be with her Heavenly Father.]
Dense fog … confusion … pain … loss … fear … have all been churning in my head. My heart cries out “lead me to the rock”… while at times my head screams for answers. As I struggle to see the white lines at the side of this road that I’m on, I know without a doubt that my loving Father is traveling with me, with His hand on the wheel. And I rest.
Because He is higher than I.
He sees it all.
He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End.
My sweet friend … call out to Him. Allow yourself to be led to the Rock. And then rest….
“Dear Heavenly Father … You know my pain. You understand pain … infinitely. In the dense fog, You faithfully reach out and take my hand … and lead me to Yourself. Then… together, we take the next step. Thank You for being my Rock when my heart feels shattered into tiny rubble. I will rest in You. In Your Beautiful and Precious Name …. Amen.”
The sun was slipping down out of sight on the horizon as another day on the farm drew to a close. Everyone needed their rest. The cows… the farmers…. the families. As each one closed their eyes in sleep, a gentle rain began to fall.
During the day, the farmers had been hard at work doing repairs in one of the barns. They soon realized that hammer and screwdriver were not going to be the answers. The repair needed a weld. Equipment was rolled in… welding completed… and the problem solved. The farmers took a last look as they picked up their tools, making sure that no sparks were left in the freestalls. No sparks were seen… at least to the farmers.
Early the next morning, one of the farmers took his usual walk around the farm… checking on cows, equipment… and, yes, the barn. He wandered over to where they had done the welding the day before. What he saw took his breath away….
A spark had landed on one of the wooden crossbeams, and had been smoldering all night long. Up overhead, there was a slight opening in the roof, and rain had been gently dripping on the smoldering fire while they slept, keeping it from spreading. The fire hadn’t gone out… it had just been kept small and safe by the hand of God.
Thousands of years ago, God showed mankind His desire to have a relationship with them, in providing detailed instructions on the building of the tabernacle. But He didn’t stop there. He also gave specific rules and guidance as far as the sacrifices to be offered. There was the Burnt Offering, the Grain Offering, the Sin Offering, the Guilt Offering and the Fellowship Offering. After describing each one explicitly, God then said in Leviticus 6, verses 12 and 13…
“The fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must not go out. Every morning the priest is to add firewood and arrange the burnt offering on the fire and burn the fat of the fellowship offerings on it. The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out.”
Imagine. No matter how tired the priest felt…. “it must not go out.” No matter what else was on his schedule for the day….. “it must not go out.” No matter the status of his headspace…. “it must not go out.” No matter if the others in the tabernacle were pulling their weight…. “it must not go out.” No matter how angry he was at God for what He was doing or not doing… “it must not go out.” No matter how little he understood of God’s will and design…. “it must not go out.”
He was to add firewood…. the basic requirement of keeping a fire burning. He was then to arrange the burnt offering on it… the offering that gave a beautiful aroma… an aroma to the Lord, but also allowing everyone around to know that it had taken place. And then he was to add the fat of the fellowship offering… the part that specifically was to be set aside for the Lord. It must not go out.
This humbles me, shakes me, begs for my obedience, calls my name. How often is the flame in my heart just smoldering, dripped on by incessant needs, questions, doubts and fears… and I rush, push, scramble, plan, figure… working hard to please the One Who whispers, “it must not go out”?
Every morning… everymorning… every morning… God calls me to first tend to the fire in my heart. Beginning with the wood… I need that daily reminder of the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for my sins… and all that He endured in the agonizing hours that He hung there for me. As my heart and soul are overwhelmed with His grace, it then will respond with the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. But wait. That’s not where it ends. The aroma… the beautiful scent or influence of being in His Presence will follow me as I head out into my day…. and others will know… and wonder… and be blessed.
“It must not go out.”
How’s the fire in your heart?
Loving Heavenly Father… I bow my head in Your Presence, humbled that you love to have me spend time there with You. Keep the fire in my heart burning bright… illuminating You to the hurting world around me. Help me to eliminate anything in my life that works tirelessly and subtly to destroy the fire. Continue to overwhelm me with Your grace… and may the scent of being in Your Presence follow me as I go about my day… Amen
The scene in the airport was nothing out of the ordinary. People, people, everywhere. People rushing, sitting, eating, checking, sweating, dozing, paying, riding, smiling, texting, scowling, chatting, praying, cussing, waving, dodging… and then flying.
She was traveling with her husband. Although not as young as she used to be, she could hold her own. With a heavy backpack carry-on and a purse filled to capacity, she was still able to navigate pulling her suitcase, dodging oncoming people. However, her steps were many as she struggled to keep up with her other half. Sweat began to bead on her forehead. How far can it be to that terminal? Shoulders aching and starting to feel lightheaded, she saw him turn to check on her. He mouthed to her… “You OK?” She smiled as much as she could muster and nodded, whispering back… “I’m fine.”
Then she saw the stairs ahead. Are you kidding me? Fighting back tears she pushed on. “Just keep going. Your plane leaves soon. You can do this.” Her backpack shoulder burned with exhaustion. Without there being time to eat, hunger had set in and she started to feel disoriented. She’d lost sight of her man in the crowd. Everything started to close in on her, and vision blurred. “I need to sit. I can’t do this. I’m not going to make it.”
All of a sudden she felt the weight lifted off her shoulder. A strong hand had reached out and taken the backpack. There was the love of her life at her side. He’d seen the look on her face, the face that he knew so well. He knew that it was too much for her, and that he could carry it. “I got it,” he said quietly, and put it easily up over his shoulder.
As the stairs came closer, he understood without asking the fear in her heart. He knew the limits of her strength and that the suitcase was too heavy for her to carry. With love in his eyes, he said softly, “Let me carry it.” Lifting the suitcases and backpacks, he carried them down the stairs.
She then followed him down the stairs easily, holding onto the handrail…. and they continued their journey together.
Thousands of years ago…. in a land, far, far away. .. in a country called Egypt… there was a group of people known as the Israelites. Their population was increasing in numbers and strength everyday. The Egyptians were getting nervous… so they worked the Israelites to the bone. Ruthlessly. They were forced to carry insanely heavy loads of brick and mortar.
But God knew. He was working behind the scenes. Watching. He saw their exhaustion and the sweat on their brow.
At just the perfect moment, He stepped forward…. and lifted their burden.
The psalm-writer of Psalm 81 was remembering this story as he wrote… Speaking of God he penned, “I removed the burden from their shoulders; their hands were set free from the basket.” (verse 6)
Beautiful, Beautiful Burden-Bearer…..
For reasons that I will never fully understand, God has called me to watch those near and dear to me go through deep pain. Often I am asked, “How are you doing?”… or “How are you handling it?” Thank you… each one of you… for asking. I hold you all dear to my heart.
Most days, the Lord gives me the strength to walk through it, holding my hand as He promised. He parts the waters… He refreshes me with water out of a rock… He pulls close to me in the fire… He hides me in the cleft of a rock… He whispers His promises in a still, small voice… He carries me close to His heart. He reminds me to “cast my cares” on Him (Psalm 55:22)…. and that He “daily bears our burdens.” (Psalm 68:19)
However… when the pain is too excruciating for my heart… when I’ve lost sight of Him and the room is swirling… When my next breath won’t seem to come…. He reaches down and lifts the burden off of my weary shoulder… and carries it for me.
What about the burden you’re struggling under right now? Are you clenching your teeth and trying to tell God and everyone, “I’m OK”? Are you determined to make it through on your own strength, while your shoulder is screaming from the weight of it all? Have you lost sight of Him in the crowd and you’re feeling completely alone? Have you felt like you actually could reach your goal, but you just turned a corner, and saw insurmountable “stairs” ahead?
He sees you. He’s right at your side. Take your white knuckled hand off of your burden… and let Him carry it for you. He knows you so well…. and wants to be your Burden Bearer. His strength is like no other.
Then continue your journey together…..
…. and thanks, my sweet Dan, for being there for me in the airport. I love you….
“Beautiful Burden Bearer…. You see me right now. You know everything that I’m carrying, and it’s so heavy. At times, the pain is unbearable. There are moments where I can’t see You…. but I know that You’re there. There are days ahead that are going to be insurmountable and I’m afraid that I won’t make it through. Lord, I now release my hold… and ask you to lift the burden. Thank You, Jesus. I love you…. In Your Name…..”
Sweet little ol’ couple they were…. sitting at their kitchen table… chatting with me. Such loving, welcoming looks were coming my way … but not so much to each other!
Some of the most priceless moments for me as a home care nurse were waiting for me as I arrived for my visit. Couples would often have arguments prior to my arrival. Then … they would wait for me to get there to settle it!
This precious little wife was just really angry at her husband and jumped right in to let me know. Her deep love for him was hidden at that moment, under a heavy covering of verbal care.
Looking daggers at him across the table, she threw out at me… “He sometimes takes his breathing treatments before he’s supposed to. He’s just not reasonable!” Poor hubby … All he wanted to do was breathe.
Sensing a teachable moment, I asked sweet wife to place her hand over her mouth so that she couldn’t breathe. I told her just to leave it there for awhile and then to see how “reasonable” she felt. Without having to carry out the experiment, she just nodded. There was no more discussion between them about the treatments during our visit! For those of you in the medical field, yes, I did talk to him about letting the doctor know if it was an ongoing problem!
All he wanted to do was breathe. Just breathe.
Have you had a moment where you’ve physically had the wind knocked out of you … and you just can’t breathe? I remember this happening to me as a child … and it’s terrifying. If I remember correctly, I fell out of something that I was climbing on, like a tree or an outdoor playset… and landed on my stomach. The next breath just wouldn’t come.
But … have you had a moment … a telephone call … test results … an email … a knock at the door … a message from your boss … papers handed to you with the words “you’ve been served” … a bill in the mail … a notice taped to your door … a letter from a lawyer … a text … a whispered diagnosis … that took your breath away?
All you wanted to do was breathe. And it seemed like your next breath wouldn’t come.
Many years ago … on a gorgeously new, sunlit earth … God created the first man from the dust of the ground. And then, He “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” (Genesis 2:7) Imagine your first breath being the very breath of God! How incredibly pure. His body had just been formed by the hand of God. What could possibly go wrong? Within a very short time period, Adam experienced loss that would definitely have taken my breath away. He lost status, his first home, his dream of having a happy family and he lost his son.
I, too … have been the recipient of news that made it very difficult to breathe. Many of us have had those moments. Heavy, excruciating, pounding, heart-shredding moments…. where our lungs scream for air and our hearts scream for answers. Within seconds of learning “what” our brains are yelling “why?” Often… later… our tired minds call out for justice. And sometimes… in the peak of the pain…. we literally scream out at God, while gasping for air.
And once again … there He is … faithful and true … helping us breathe.
Thousands of years ago, an incredible prophet named Isaiah, prayed on behalf of God’s people. As he prayed, he reminisced about their tough times and oppression. He reminded God of things that He already knew! (Yes… I do that, too!)
He prayed… “Lord, they came to you in their distress, when you disciplined them, they could barely whisper a prayer.” Isaiah 26:16
Is this you right now? Are you finding it impossible to form a complete thought in prayer? Do your words and pain and anger and fear and frustration and helplessness all get tangled, leaving you in a heap of breathless silence?
Come to Him anyway. He has promised us … “Before they call I will answer.” Isaiah 65:24 He’s got you. When you can barely whisper, He gives you strength to just breathe.
Reach out your hand, and pick up your Bible. Open it up, as you whisper your prayer…. and then listen. “All Scripture is God-breathed…” 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture … pure truth.
There’s a gentle breeze … and a slight scent of smoke in the air. The sun is sinking quickly below the horizon, taking with it the comfort of warmth and light. Dinner was scant and thirst is becoming painfully real. Although the trees provide shade and camouflage, they offer no water to my parched lips.
Off in the distance I see moving waves in a river… blue, gentle, gliding.
I need to step out. My heart pounds…. I can hear its rhythm in my ears. I feel the tearing as I’m torn… leaving the security of what I’ve found to be safe… to pursue what my soul needs…. what I was created to love. I hear the brittle crunch of leaves as I walk. Although I know that I could exist in the shadows of the forest, I also know that I need to take a risk, in order to thrive.
My two fawns follow close behind me, eyes darting, legs trembling, rapid breathing… “Where’s she going?… Why are we doing this?”
Because I know. I know that the only way to see my soul completely satisfied, is to walk away from the self-perceived sense of security, and take tentative, faltering steps toward the Source of life and satisfaction…
“Come …my young… walk close behind me. We can’t stay in the shadows and reach our calling. I’m thirsty to the core. Follow me. Trust me. It will be worth the risk.”
Is this you, my sweet friend? It’s definitely me.
Are you hiding in the shadows of the “already accomplished”… or the “I know there are others more gifted” … or the “what if I fail?” … or the “I’ve done plenty of serving; it’s time for others to step up” … or the “I’ve felt the arrows of rejection before; I’ll stay right here, thanks” … or, yes… “I’m just too thirsty and tired to take the first step”….
Our first few haltering paces need to take us to the water’s edge. A Psalm writer in the Bible wrote these words, “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” (Psalm 42:1,2)
Reach out and press the pause button on life…. then listen closely. You’ll hear God saying to you, “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters.” (Isaiah 55:1) You’ll then hear Him saying to you, “…whoever drinks the water that I give them will never thirst.” (John 4:14)
Has the gristmill of life left you parched? At one time in your life were you at the water’s edge every morning, drinking your refreshment from God’s Word, the Bible? Then something happened… that changed you. Ever since, you’ve been just existing in the shadows. There’s so much more for you….
Begin at the water’s edge… and drink deeply. As your soul revives, turn and look up at the mountains behind you. Listen closely. Do you hear God calling you? What seemed insurmountable is waiting to be your vantage point. An intimidating possibility is waiting to declare glory to Him. Your weakness is waiting to display His strength. “The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.” Habakkuk 3:19
I just love how language evolves! Words that were perfectly acceptable to say 20 years ago are now considered socially verboten. However, there are also new words… and new meanings for words.
During my childhood, if I were to tell you that I had spent the morning copying and pasting documents on my tablet you would have thought that I was tracing a picture using carbon paper, with a glue bottle next to me, with plans to paste them onto something akin to what Moses was carrying, coming down from the mountain. If your mother had mentioned flattening the curve, it would have had a completely different meaning than today … and zoom had to do with a very expensive attachment to the family camera.
However… the word “app” is especially interesting! Well… is it a word? Or is it just part of a word? Oh, goodness … I honestly feel sorry for those brave souls trying to learn the English language. If the letters are capitalized, then APP stands for “Advanced Practice Providers.” It also can be on a menu in a restaurant… as “apps”… meaning all sorts of delicious foods that are supposed to increase your appetite, and yet do the opposite. The apps that we all are using… almost every waking hour… are the “applications” on our phones or other devices… that assist us in completing certain tasks.
A few months ago, I was having a “messenger” conversation with my daughters, and one of them asked about an app which has great Bible stories on it for kids. She wanted it for her little boys. One of us described it to her, telling her which one to download. We waited. She then responded that it didn’t have what we were describing. After a minute or two, we started to get laughing emoji’s and exclamation marks! She then wrote some profound words.
She wrote… “I downloaded the wrong Jesus.”
I just stared at the screen. Yes… I had just heard a five-word sermon, that knocked the wind out of me.
How often have you and I downloaded the wrong Jesus? We want the Jesus who fixes things, who saves me a parking space, who keeps the car running when it’s on “E”, who heals all sicknesses, who promises me Heaven, who has infinite power, who has limitless resources and who loves me unconditionally. We may just want the Jesus who we hear stories about when we go to church on occasion but then will fit nicely back into the box and go up onto the shelf in the closet, until we need Him.
Let’s get more personal…
Have we downloaded the Jesus who we just want to … get me the promotion … take away the cancer … fix my marriage … get me a bigger house or car … or maybe just make me happy?
Come. Sit here next to me and listen. ‘Cause you and I have both been guilty of this.
If you have downloaded that Jesus… that’s the wrong one. That’s not the Jesus of the Bible. That’s not the Jesus that you want to be following after. Is He able to do all those things? Absolutely. He’s all-powerful. And praise God, sometimes He does! Will He always do all those things? No. He told us that life wouldn’t be easy. He said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 He calls us to follow Him at all cost. He says, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Matthew 16:24
Jesus, the eternal Son of God, the One and only Son of God, Who died on the cross for you… first of all promises you forgiveness and redemption through believing in Him, and asking Him to come into your heart, and be Lord of your life. He knows that life can be tough. He knows that we can experience excruciating heart pain and physical pain. So He promises far greater things than a wish list of stuff. He promises His Presence by our side, when the waves are knocking us down. He promises that when we call out to Him He hears us… and will be with us in trouble. He promises that He will never leave our side. He promises that the really difficult times in our lives are designed to produce perseverance, and perseverance produces character, and character produces hope. He promises us HIS peace…. which is a treasure beyond value. He promises us a Home in Heaven… in His Presence for ever and ever.
He says to you and I, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” Isaiah 43:2
Just double check… make sure that you’ve downloaded the right Jesus.
“Dear Jesus … thank You for Your faithful promises … to be all that I need, no matter how deep the pain or how uncertain the future. Remind me often that you are all that I need. I love you… In Your Name, Amen”
Hush…. close your eyes… listen… remember. Can’t you feel that soft, gentle breath of your newborn …. on your neck … as they slumbered? Or wait … stop for a minute. Can’t you feel the trust on your hand as your foster child first slipped their little hand into yours? Inexpressible. Irreplaceable. To be locked up in the heart for safe keeping.
Hundreds and hundreds of years ago, in a small town, a mom was given a job to fulfill that no one had ever been asked to do, or would ever be asked to do again. Although we cannot even come close to understanding the experiences of Mary, the mother of Jesus, she was still a mom. A normal, human mom … who handled an incredibly challenging, joyful, painful and lonely job … with grace and wisdom. We have much to learn. So let’s go …
Come! Travel with me on the rough uncomfortable back of a donkey … along a dusty road … to the hill country of Judea. There! There it is! A small, simple home … hidden in the hills. S-h-h-h! Let’s peak in the window … Oh, look! There’s two women talking and laughing! Have you ever seen such joy?
There … away from the eyes of the rest of the world … Mary and her cousin Elizabeth were able to talk about the callings God had placed on their lives and the fulfillment of God’s promises. Two pregnant women … realizing that God had incredible plans for them and their little ones … Mary’s heart overflowed in song, and she worshipped. Her voice could be heard as she softly lifted up her Lord, “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…. for the Mighty One has done great things for me – holy is His name.” (Luke 1:46, 47, 49) Before Jesus was born, Mary was lifting up the Name of the Lord in adoration.
Mary lifted Him up in worship.
Time to move on. We’ve rested awhile in Nazareth … and we need to hurry. Something is going on in Bethlehem! Oh! Over there! Wait… in a barn? Do you see that faint light coming out between the boards? Yes. That’s it. Let’s wait to see what happens …
And so the Almighty, Holy, Omnipotent God came to live among us … in the form of His Son, Jesus. Mary gathered Him to her heart … and felt that soft, human breath on her neck. Although she knew she was holding God’s Son, she was still momma. Gently … oh so gently … she wrapped him up … in cloths. She had been called to care for this perfect, little One. And she intended to do it well. Her mother heart … her nurturing, tender heart … cared for Him so carefully.
Mary wrapped Him up carefully.
Do you hear what I hear? What was that? It sounded almost heavenly! It’s voices … coming from far away… giving glory to God in the highest. Incredible. Something beyond our imagination is going on here. Follow me quietly. Sh-h-h … Oh, look! Are those shepherds going into the barn?
Yes, it was shepherds. Shepherds who had no idea as they started their shift that night, that they would be seeing their Messiah before morning. What good news they had to share … and share they did! Everyone was amazed. And momma Mary … she watched … and thought … and “treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” (Luke 2:19) Some of her dearest moments with her Son were too priceless to be spoken. So she wrapped them up … and kept them safe in her heart.
Mary treasured up in her heart.
You and I have to walk quickly. Gather your robe and tighten your belt. We have over thirty years to cover … as we follow the Son of God. We’ll be at a wedding and a funeral. Lepers will be made whole and the blind will see. The hungry will be fed and the thirsty will drink. Crowds will gather and then He’ll slip away to be alone. Thousands will be taught and thousands will reject. Tears will slip down His face … the face that will be blindfolded as He’s beaten. We’ll see Him carry His cross … and then watch as nails are driven into His hands and feet. He’ll then be lifted up and His cross will be dropped into a hole in the ground, the spikes tearing at the hands that healed.
Close by … we’ll see momma Mary. Standing. Not screaming. Not fighting with the soldiers. Standing. Only a yielded heart could stand. Mary had grasped that He did not belong to her. As the treasures had gathered in her heart over the years, she had seen that God’s plan for His life was far beyond what she could control … And yes, far beyond what she could hope or imagine. Standing … she yielded Him up.
Mary yielded Him up.
My dear, sweet mommas … you and I are called to nothing less. God calls us to worship Him before anything or anyone else. He needs to be the only One on the throne of our hearts in order to be the mother that He longs for us to be. We then need to wrap our little ones up … Yes, we need to nurture, pour into, surround them … swaddle them … with our love and the love of their Heavenly Father. As the moments, days and years race by … we need to reach out and snatch the moments to be treasured … wrap them up … and tuck them away in our hearts.
But, oh, the hard part … We need to yield them up. Yes, yield them up to Him. When a heart is filled with worship … and has nurtured and poured out love in abundance… and is overflowing with wrapped up treasures of God’s faithfulness … then the bigger picture is more visible. The outline of God’s plan and design, although never fully understood, is a little more in focus. The grip loosens … grace and peace fill the heart. And we stand.
There are moments in time that are etched deeply in our memories. These engravings can bring joy, cause pain, allow reflection, carry regret or envelop us with gratefulness.
The night was cold, with a real bite in the air. My boyfriend…who is now my husband… and I were at a skating rink on a mountain in Montreal. Since we were both about as far removed as one can be from entering the Olympic Games, we frequently found reasons to sit on the benches at the side of the rink. This looked planned… and minimized the risks of falling.
How I loved to talk and dream with my man! We talked about how God brought us together… and what He had planned for our lives.
There… on that cold mountain top… twinkling stars overhead… our words forming misty clouds in the night air… we chose a Bible verse that would be our anchor… a promise that we would often lean on in the coming years.
“Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31
Although all of God’s creation is phenomenal, intricate and awe-inspiring, I have always felt that the eagle is one of His crowning masterpieces. If you and I had the time, I’d tell you to grab a cup of coffee and pull up a chair…’cause I’d want to tell you in detail about the hundreds of life lessons found in the eagle!
But today…. it’s soaring. Soaring on wings. You and I. Just like the eagle.
The older I get, the more often friends or acquaintances will comment to me on how they have watched us come through painful situations. Yes… we’ve experienced real and excruciating pain. Just like most of you. God has, in His sovereign design, allowed us to feel the loss of loved ones, walk through the agony of tragedy and to now watch our sweet daughter suffer from a disease. He continues to walk beside us, assuring us of His comforting Presence and reminding us often that He’s holding us.
However… it’s His strength their seeing. Not ours.
An eagle can sense that a storm is coming, long before it is visible to everyone else. Before the storm arrives, the eagle flies to a higher place. And it waits. Then… when the wind picks up as the storm is building, the eagle flies off, over top of the wind and storm… and using the wind… it soars. The eagle is the only bird that can lock its wings…. so that it can rest while it soars. As all the other creatures are rushing to find cover and survive the storm, the eagle is using the wind to rise to higher heights…. not by its own power… but by the strength of the wind and the Creator’s design.
Whether you’re enjoying a period of smooth sailing or are in the center of a storm… I encourage you to rise to a higher place by spending time in prayer in God’s Presence and reading the Bible …. and then trusting in His power… not yours… spread your wings. Allow Him to take you to heights you’ve never known.
Somedays…. I soar at a much lower altitude. And it’s a bumpy, turbulent ride. I’m white knuckled and panicked. I’ve taken my eyes off of the One Who is all powerful, causing me to lose hope.
Our hope is in the Lord… the One is knows all, designed all, gives us the breath that we breathe, provides us with the strength for each day, loves us infinitely, knows the end from the beginning and is the Alpha and Omega, redeems us, has intentionally forgotten our sins when we trust in Jesus, calls us His children, holds us close when the pain is unbearable, promises to never ever leave us, provides our daily needs, reminds us in His letter, the Bible, that He’s coming back for us…
I am a nurse and one of life’s greatest joys for me has been the privilege of caring for my patients in their hours of deepest need.
As the sunset days of their lives are seen on the horizon, often the mind has a hard time moving away from a situation causing stress and anxiety. In coming alongside of a patient, I often used the approach of redirecting, the shifting of their attention to something more pleasant…. moving away from the unknowns, into the world of truth and reality. “Look, Mabel, your favorite dinner is here. Chicken pot pie! And your cup of tea…”
It is a beautiful thing to watch the stress lines on their worried faces relax and be replaced with a bit of a smile, and their eyes shine again… as they focus on the truths of the moment.
Thousands of years ago, an ordinary man was out taking care of his father-in-law’s sheep, just minding his own business. All of a sudden, an angel showed up, surrounded by flames, in the middle of a bush! If that wasn’t off the charts terrifying enough, the bush wasn’t burning up at all. Whaaaat was going on? As he got closer, God spoke to him out of the bush. He called him by name… and then gave him a job to do. Nothing much… just that he was to gather and lead all of the Israelites, thousand of them, out of Egypt where they were being mistreated, into a new homeland… a land flowing with milk and honey.
Moses… this humble and amazing man… tried to reason with God. He tried multiple angles… “Who am I…?” and “Suppose….?” and “What if…?” and “I have never…” and “I am slow…” and “Why, Lord…” and finally my favorite… “Please send someone else.” Oh, I hurt for this guy! Don’t you feel his pain? It’s like, “COME ON, Lord….”
But Moses put his “yes” on the table… and started on a journey that would go down in history. Little did he know that his next few decades would make the fire in the bush look like a walk in the park. He watched God turn his staff into a snake. He learned what plagues of blood, frogs, gnats, flies, livestock death, boils, hail, locusts and child death looked like. He watched God carve a dry path through a sea… and then close the water again to cover their enemies. He saw God provide springs of water for them when they were thirsty. He looked on as God rained down bread from heaven because they were hungry. He witnessed God bring water out of rock… and was in front row seating to see God conquer their enemies. He met God on a mountain and received the Ten Commandments… and stayed on the mountain forty days and nights. He was entrusted with the detailed instructions for the building of the Tabernacle… and the Ark of the Covenant… and was given the tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God.
But wait … are you kidding me? While he was still on the mountain, the people became just a little bit impatient… figured he wasn’t coming back… and told Moses’ brother to make them an idol to worship instead of God. And he did. Oooh, God was angry. Really angry. Moses went to bat for them… begging God to let them live. But when he came down from the mountain, he was furious as well at what he saw. He threw down those tablets of stone, smashing them to pieces… and grabbed their golden calf, burned it in the fire, ground it up and mixed it with water…. and made them drink it. He then cleaned house… and many died that day.
It’s little wonder that Moses had a special place, a tent, to retreat to… to speak with and hear from God. While he was inside and God was speaking to him, a pillar of cloud would stay at the entrance. The Presence of God was so real in that tent…. and He would speak to Moses like a friend speaks with a friend.
Then Moses would go back to the people.
But on this particular day…. Moses was ready to have a little chat with God. He said, “You’ve been telling me, ‘Lead these people’ but You have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’ If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways…” Moses was basically saying, “Ummm, God… thought you and I were tight. Can You please fill me in a bit on what You’re up to here?”
God’s response? “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
God…. the Perfect Redirector… gentle Father…. wraps His arms of love around His faithful servant Moses, and reminds him that all he needs is His Presence. That….. brings rest.
No answers…. no explanations…. no reasons….
His Presence on the journey…. and perfect rest.
“Dear loving Heavenly Father…. please continue to be the Perfect Redirector in my life… turning my attention away from the anxiety of unknowns…. toward the unshakable truths found in You. Through Your touch, help me revel so completely in Your Presence that the unexplainables fade away…. and I rest. In Your Beautiful Name…. Amen.”
One more step… keep looking up… one more step… don’t think about how high up you are… Oh, God, why did I agree to this… almost there… almost there… I could hear my Dan coming behind me, speaking words of encouragement…. one more step…. you’re doing it…
Ahhhh…. there I was… at the top of our tallest silo, 84 feet up. I made it. Deep breaths… Oh, the feeling of wind on my face… I could see Toronto across Lake Ontario, just like I’d been promised. Feelings of exhilaration filled me as I soaked in the view.
Then it was time to descend.
I started backing down the steps. No problem. Just go back down. Just do all this in reverse, and you’ll be back on wonderful, solid earth. Wondering how far I had to go, I looked down.
Yes, that’s right. I looked down. What a mistake. The farm buildings and equipment looked like miniature toys. That is when I realized how high up I was. My legs started to shake uncontrollably, and I held on with a white-knuckled death grip. I was envisioning falling, landing on my poor husband, who then would need twice the strength to get us back to safety. Thinking back, I’m sure that my fear was nothing compared to his!
Slowly… holding on with everything I had… eyes barely opened…. and listening to every word of direction below me, I descended safely back to the security of solid ground.
Scary comes in so many different costumes. There’s the black ugly spider costume…and there’s the costume designed with the scene of speaking to a room full of people… and then there’s the walking in dress shoes across glare ice costume, carrying the birthday cake for the party… Yes, all so scary.
Then there’s fear. Fear is a whole different species. It arrives on the scene in all its glory, parading around like it belongs. At times, fear enters subtly, creeping, covertly inching its way into our souls. And then there are moments where it comes screaming into the room, knocking valuable possessions over in its path, climbing higher and higher, seeking to conquer.
Beyond scary and fear… lies debilitating, crushing, threatening terror. Thank God most of us don’t experience terror too often. It is defined as “intense or overwhelming fear.”
Most of us, including myself, allow fear to control and dictate many of our decisions, and thereby miss the best, the beauty, the brilliance, the blessing, the bounty that God has for our lives.
Yes… God calls us to place our fear on the altar. And it’s hard. So hard. Because when it lands with a thud on the altar, we have handed the control over to Him.
It is then…. and only then… that we can experience the beauty of full surrender.
Travel with me, if you will. Grab your jacket and a coffee. We’re going to journey back a year or so… and then about 2,000 years beyond that. We’ll be gone awhile.
The night was dark and rainy, a little over a year ago. I was working and my shift was almost over. My cell phone lit up with an incoming call. I could see that it was my husband, and he rarely called me at that time of day. I took the call, and realized quickly that my husband was in shock. He had been in a terrible accident. It was a heart-breaking accident… leaving us struggling with the millions of “what if” questions … while trying to balance the scale with the truth of God’s sovereignty.
A year later, as the one year mark approached, many kind and caring family members and friends asked us how we planned to spend the evening. The answer was always the same…. “We just want to be at home that night.” As the date grew closer, I became aware of the needs for volunteers at a homeless shelter where we serve. Feeling that it would be good for us to spend some time there during the day, I reached out to offer our help. The response I received was that yes, they needed help… during the later evening shift.
God calls us to place our fear on the altar.
Together… with some struggle but with God’s help … we lifted our fear and placed it out of our reach…on the altar. As we drove out of the driveway… in the dark… on a rainy, dismal night… we saw clearly what God was doing. He was slowly, gently, releasing our white-knuckled hands from the grip we had on our safety… so that He could use us and bless us beyond what we imagined. And we almost missed it.
But let’s travel on…. back over 2,000 years… to a little town named Galilee… where there was a young girl… who had been chosen to carry the Son of God in her womb. She had been spoken to by an angel, informed that she was favored by God and would give birth to a baby boy… and she was to call Him “Jesus.” She was humbled, challenged… and I’m sure at times, humiliated.
As her time to deliver approached, Joseph, the man she loved, informed her that they’d be traveling to Bethlehem to register. This would be approximately four to five days… or 70 to 80 miles…either by foot or riding on a donkey.
As far as we know, Mary left on that trip, not knowing if she’d deliver while away, where she’d be sleeping at night and what to expect with the delivery of a child.
What she did know is that God had called her to this. God had called her to put her fears on the altar.
So what did she do? She took the first step towards Bethlehem. God handled the rest.
What about you?
What fear is God calling you to place on the altar? Fear of failure? Fear of abandonment? Fear of imperfection? Fear of the unknown? Fear of pain? Fear of loneliness? Fear of unchartered waters? Fear of loss? Fear of grief? Fear of change? Fear of being in need?
Fear of trust? Trust means abandoning control. The Bible says, “Throw all your worry on Him, because He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7 Throw it? Yes… so it’s out of our reach.
From my heart to yours… Don’t miss out on all that God has for you. One step at a time… keeping your eyes looking to Him… take your fear and lay it on the altar…. and then stand back and watch God’s power on display. Take the first step towards what you know God is calling you to… He’s got you.
“Dear Jesus… You know this fear that immobilizes and controls me … the fear that keeps me from trusting You with full abandon. I’m asking You for Your help… in lifting this fear onto the altar of surrender. Thank You for all that You have been waiting to show me. I stand before You humbled, waiting in anticipation of watching your plan unfold in power. Thank You for loving me more than anyone has ever loved me.
