With all that's going on in my life right now, it's amazing that I am functioning at all. Not only are we having to downsize from over 3000 feet of living space to 1900, we are leaving a house we both love.
I spoke to two of my closest family members yesterday and came away from the conversations hurting for them. Another family member's actions have caused so much pain to those who love her, and there's nothing we can do. Except pray. And even that doesn't seem to be enough.
This morning I woke up with a heaviness. So much to do and so little energy. So many loved ones hurting.
My car has always been my prayer closet. Today I finally had time to go to the chiropractor and as I drove, I tried to get my thoughts together and have a talk with God. The words didn't come. I got behind a very slow moving vehicle and followed it for several blocks before I saw the bumper sticker that read "Jesus Christos."
I thought very little of it until I came out of the doctor's office and started home. My heart was still heavy so I turned to the Christian channel on Sirius radio. A song began, very slowly, slower than I'd ever heard it and when the chorus began, I sang along."Oh, How I Love Jesus."
My heart lifted. I sang all the way down the street to the next stop light and when I stopped, I looked at the truck sitting next to me and just a little ahead so that I could clearly see a sticker on the back of the cab. It read "Not I, But Christ." And I knew the answer.
Without asking, God saw my heart and answered my unspoken prayer. None of this is about me or my problems. It's all about Him. I rejoiced and turned the radio back on, this time pushing the button that played a CD. The first song on the tape was another word from Him.
"We need to get back to the basics of life.
A heart that is pure
And a love that is blind.
A faith that is earnestly grounded in Christ.
The hope that endures for all time.
We need to get back to the basics of life."
This move has been all about purpose, and that purpose is for us to keep our eyes on Jesus. He is the Way and has our Way. My family is in His hands. All I have to do is slow down, love Him and get back to the basics of life.
Showing posts with label Jesus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jesus. Show all posts
Friday, March 5, 2010
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
He Is Mighty To Save
We attended a Christian concert last night--the first I've been to in years. Back when I was a charismatic I went to many and loved them. But the music wasn't the same. Or maybe I'm not the same.
The concert was billed as Jeremy Camp's but Bebo Norman and Natalie Grant took up the first hour and a half before Jeremy showed up. For three hours we heard wonderful inspirational songs, some of the words we could understand--some not so much. The building was crowded, sold out, both in tickets and to Jesus.
I loved hearing the ministry of these young people; loved hearing them lead the audience in praises to God. Memories of past meetings where people raised their hands and moved with the music, even shouting praises and singing along with the performers, reminded me of how on fire I was when I first met Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
I'd always known God back then, knew Him from the time I was very young. Jesus was a baby in the manager and who was the Holy Spirit? I'm not sure I'd heard much about Him although I knew there was a Spirit because I sang, "Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me."
June 21, 1971. I'll never forget that day--the day I met God anew, Jesus became real and the Holy Spirit appeared.
Last night I listened to music that doesn't appeal to these ears today. When Natalie sang "It Is Well With My Soul" acapella and we sang along with her, I was once again filled with Him as I had been in the past. When Jeremy sat at the piano and sang "Saviour, He can move the mountains. My God is mighty to save",a song we're familiar with at church, I experienced God's presence and could sing the words.
The audience of all ages knew the songs. A woman next to me said she goes to all these concerts and she had to be in 40s or 50s. She sang along, as did an Asian man nearby, a man and his wife with two sons who sat behind us, and so many others.
Jeremy and Bebo are involved in Compassion, International and gave moving accounts of their involvement with the organization. The Albuquerque children's home was chosen as the local charity to be given gift cards at the event. We had a booth where many came and took information and asked questions.
These young men and the young woman are sold out to Jesus and are giving their lives to bringing Him to people. What am I doing at my church? What is my church doing? Do I hear testimonies like theirs from our people? Do I see people with their arms around each other praying as I did at the intermission?
I used to and I long for that again. I pray our body, as well as all the churches in this city, will experience the wind of the Holy Spirit that will lift us out of the complacent way we worship God and fill us with the excitement and fervor we had when we first met our Saviour.
The concert was billed as Jeremy Camp's but Bebo Norman and Natalie Grant took up the first hour and a half before Jeremy showed up. For three hours we heard wonderful inspirational songs, some of the words we could understand--some not so much. The building was crowded, sold out, both in tickets and to Jesus.
I loved hearing the ministry of these young people; loved hearing them lead the audience in praises to God. Memories of past meetings where people raised their hands and moved with the music, even shouting praises and singing along with the performers, reminded me of how on fire I was when I first met Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
I'd always known God back then, knew Him from the time I was very young. Jesus was a baby in the manager and who was the Holy Spirit? I'm not sure I'd heard much about Him although I knew there was a Spirit because I sang, "Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me."
June 21, 1971. I'll never forget that day--the day I met God anew, Jesus became real and the Holy Spirit appeared.
Last night I listened to music that doesn't appeal to these ears today. When Natalie sang "It Is Well With My Soul" acapella and we sang along with her, I was once again filled with Him as I had been in the past. When Jeremy sat at the piano and sang "Saviour, He can move the mountains. My God is mighty to save",a song we're familiar with at church, I experienced God's presence and could sing the words.
The audience of all ages knew the songs. A woman next to me said she goes to all these concerts and she had to be in 40s or 50s. She sang along, as did an Asian man nearby, a man and his wife with two sons who sat behind us, and so many others.
Jeremy and Bebo are involved in Compassion, International and gave moving accounts of their involvement with the organization. The Albuquerque children's home was chosen as the local charity to be given gift cards at the event. We had a booth where many came and took information and asked questions.
These young men and the young woman are sold out to Jesus and are giving their lives to bringing Him to people. What am I doing at my church? What is my church doing? Do I hear testimonies like theirs from our people? Do I see people with their arms around each other praying as I did at the intermission?
I used to and I long for that again. I pray our body, as well as all the churches in this city, will experience the wind of the Holy Spirit that will lift us out of the complacent way we worship God and fill us with the excitement and fervor we had when we first met our Saviour.
Monday, June 22, 2009
A Place for Weary Travelers
Our casita has welcomed so many people, but lately it seems we've been overwhelmed by guests. The room has been empty very few days since the first of the year. Our preacher stayed out there and commuted periodically from here to where he was moving from for two months. A few times his wife came with him for the week end. One week end we had all three of his children, too.
A couple of weeks ago we had three girls traveling through with a singing group. A friend coming through and going out to California to sell his movie film stayed one night and most of the next morning.
One of Reid's sons and his family (4) were here for a Fetish dance competition in February. The son and two children will be here in July on their way to a camp in the south. They'll stay a night or two then will come back through and stay another night on their way home.
Thursday we have a lady coming to stay two nights. She'll be here for a church meeting.
This morning a couple left who stayed two nights with us. They'd been out to Washington D.C. and all points between there and here and are on their way home to Washington state.
Cleaning and washing linens and putting them back on the bed(s) is a chore. Sometimes I get weary dealing with it, but as someone told us, "Look at all the people you are blessing."
Maybe he's right. Maybe we have this house with that casita just for weary travelers. Jesus said if we've taken someone in (or words to that effect), we've done it to Him.
Neither of us slept much last night and are bone-tired today--and probably headed for an afternoon nap. But when the couple thanked us for letting them stay here, the man said, "This has been the highlight of our trip."
That blew me away. Words like that make it worthwhile. Even if we don't hear those words, I'd say it's worthwhile anyway.
A couple of weeks ago we had three girls traveling through with a singing group. A friend coming through and going out to California to sell his movie film stayed one night and most of the next morning.
One of Reid's sons and his family (4) were here for a Fetish dance competition in February. The son and two children will be here in July on their way to a camp in the south. They'll stay a night or two then will come back through and stay another night on their way home.
Thursday we have a lady coming to stay two nights. She'll be here for a church meeting.
This morning a couple left who stayed two nights with us. They'd been out to Washington D.C. and all points between there and here and are on their way home to Washington state.
Cleaning and washing linens and putting them back on the bed(s) is a chore. Sometimes I get weary dealing with it, but as someone told us, "Look at all the people you are blessing."
Maybe he's right. Maybe we have this house with that casita just for weary travelers. Jesus said if we've taken someone in (or words to that effect), we've done it to Him.
Neither of us slept much last night and are bone-tired today--and probably headed for an afternoon nap. But when the couple thanked us for letting them stay here, the man said, "This has been the highlight of our trip."
That blew me away. Words like that make it worthwhile. Even if we don't hear those words, I'd say it's worthwhile anyway.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Filling the Holes
My mother had a fancy China boot she always had out on a table in our living room. Looking at it transports me back into my past. We had several items--a picture, a China set that included an old-fashioned bathtub, some tea cups and tea pot. I still have the boot and the picture but I wasn't around when Mother garage-saled the other things. It looks perfect--from one angle, but turn it around and you'll see a small chip gone. This missing piece taught me an important lesson.
Many years ago I made some choices that I wish I hadn't made. No excuses though. I made them and paid for them. In some ways I'm still paying. During that period of time someone broke my precious boot. I gathered the pieces and tried to put them back together, but one small piece was never found.
I grieved over that boot--over the loss of that piece. Every time I looked at it, the day it was broken, the choice I made was brought back to me. What I was really grieving for was the lost time, the hurts that came from my choices--and those things still plague me today in a different way.
But just as He is always ready to step in, God opened my eyes. If I could be so bold as to paraphrase what I think He said to me--"Your whole life is imperfect and can't be any other way because you're human. That's why I gave my son. When you look at that boot, just remember it is Jesus who fills the holes in your life."
Now, when I look at the imperfect boot, I see Jesus.
When I die and my belongings are passed on to my daughters, this boot probably won't mean anything to them. Maybe one of them will remember it from Grandma's house and mine, but more than likely, it won't be important enough for them to save it. I think it's time I tell them the story and let them see Jesus, too.
Many years ago I made some choices that I wish I hadn't made. No excuses though. I made them and paid for them. In some ways I'm still paying. During that period of time someone broke my precious boot. I gathered the pieces and tried to put them back together, but one small piece was never found.
I grieved over that boot--over the loss of that piece. Every time I looked at it, the day it was broken, the choice I made was brought back to me. What I was really grieving for was the lost time, the hurts that came from my choices--and those things still plague me today in a different way.
But just as He is always ready to step in, God opened my eyes. If I could be so bold as to paraphrase what I think He said to me--"Your whole life is imperfect and can't be any other way because you're human. That's why I gave my son. When you look at that boot, just remember it is Jesus who fills the holes in your life."
Now, when I look at the imperfect boot, I see Jesus.
When I die and my belongings are passed on to my daughters, this boot probably won't mean anything to them. Maybe one of them will remember it from Grandma's house and mine, but more than likely, it won't be important enough for them to save it. I think it's time I tell them the story and let them see Jesus, too.
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