Pleased with ordinary things

Maybe it’s the cold, gray, February weather. Maybe it’s me finally getting used to not having to go to work every day, instead, I have the whole day available to do whatever. But either way, I feel myself getting a little restless or bored – or not living very usefully or purposefully.

So in my morning prayers today, I asked God, “Who am I and why am I here? What should I be doing? What is my purpose for being here in this place and having all this ‘free time’?” Some worthy activity… some passionate purpose…

No response from God. Stillness. Absolute quiet. Nothing. Not one word from God.

Have you been there? Desperately seeking God and no sense of response from Him?

I finally decided to knit and rock here in my chair for awhile. And picked up the prayer shawl I’ve working on. Yes, you read that right – a prayer shawl.  As in, making something for the benefit of someone else. And praying along each row for someone else’s health and well-being. To have it ready and available for a fellow church member in need.  BAM! Answered prayer. Some worthy activity!

The more I thought about this startling, immediate, answered prayer – the more excited I got and the more energized and passionate I became about writing about it and sharing it with others on my blog. BAM! Answered prayer. Some passionate purpose!

Praise God! Answered prayer can happen just like… that! (snap your fingers)

 

1 Peter, chapter 3 says that God is pleased with gentle, quiet things.

2 Timothy, chapter 2 says that some purposes are noble and some ignoble… an instrument made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.

2 Corin., chapter 4 says we are jars of clay. It’s easy to forget that we are the packaging and His work is the treasure…

Yes, I believe He is pleased with small, ordinary things… things that carry the love of God. So, what small thing can you do for someone today?

• It’s been too long! How are you? Can’t wait to hear back from you!
• If it matters to you, it matters to God.
• Be still and know that I Am God!

 

 

 

 

 

Stay connected

God, it’s a beautiful day! The sky is a flat, dark gloomy gray. There’s large patches of dead grass – scalloped with little piles of dirty snow. The bare, black branches of the trees are twisting to and fro under the weight of the cold, cold wind. And there’s a tiny, needle-pricking snow coming down sideways.

And so I sit in my cozy living room… and remember the lunch hour I spent yesterday with two wonderful friends over in Grand Rapids. And I recall the comforting phone call I got on Saturday from a cherished family member. I remember with fondness someone’s little note sent to me – just saying she is praying for me. And last week, I received a letter from a long lost friend – and she’s coming tomorrow for coffee and a nice long chat. I pull out the valentine I got from another friend that I haven’t seen in too long a time. Another couple of dear friends drove all the way over on Sunday to worship and sup with us. So many wonderful people in my life. Old friends. New friends. Friends I see all the time. And some less frequent – but always on my heart and mind. Sometimes relationships do drift, physically – but the love remains. The feelings I have for them do not diminish. What a joy to reconnect!

Real friendships stand the test of time. Stand the test of closeness or distance. I love my friends that I see on a regular basis. I love the friends I see on occasion. I love all the notes and cards and phone calls and texts and facebook messages and behind-the-scene prayers. It’s that staying in touch. Staying connected. Staying concerned for each other… an exchange of loving and being loved, listening and being listened to. Yes, love remains.

And God Himself. There are times when we can sense His presence. There are His love notes to us found in scripture. There are beautiful landscapes He paints for us to enjoy. A mug of coffee and moments of quiet solitude – with Him. An exchange of loving and being loved, listening and being listened to. What a joy to reconnect!

God, it’s a beautiful day…

• So grateful to call you friend!
• Hope all is going well for you… keeping you in thought and prayer.
• Let’s make plans to get together soon! You are missed…

 

"like" alot

So many of us, at least once (if not more) in a day, scroll through facebook or some other social network. I did again this morning. Everyday I see: funny cartoons… support for various causes… pictures of family and friends near and far… prayer requests… happy couples… happy friends… happy children… happy dogs… sadness, hurt, loss, broken hearts too… vacation photos… the weather…upcoming events…and lots of “likes”.

The mixture of ups and downs is always the same – a mixture of good and bad, happy and sad. But the face of those posting seems to rotate and take its turn. We all get of dose of these various life happenings. So, maybe it’s not so bad that we share – because at some point - we experience it all. It sure is encouraging when someone “likes” what you wrote. It sure is comforting when many comment “they will be praying”. It’s heart-warming to “see” friends I haven’t seen in a long while; heart-warming to see my son’s smiling face. Good to be aware of various health issues and causes. Good to join in. Good to not feel alone in something.

It just struck me this morning, what a great, big world we live in. What a great number of folks are out there… all living and feeling and experiencing days and nights – and life, just as I am. And how coming alongside through a simple “like” or “comment” can make all the difference in the world – “like” can bring renewed strength and hope.

As I stated in my ABOUT section of this blog:

I believe people want to be known. People want to be heard. Whether they express sadness, fear or joy… to have someone come alongside and say “I see you. I hear you. I will remember you while you are going through this”. There is an awesome power at work when we feel remembered. It says, “I have time for you.” … “You have value…” Wow….

So, whether it’s a card or a phone call or a simple “like”, let’s stick together. Let’s encourage and support each other in this journey. And let’s do it often.

• You mean the world to me.
• Thank you for sharing. It’s been a great help.
• Your friendship has made this bearable. Thank you for your thoughtfulness.

 

 

Gimme five!

 Many of us (of a certain generation) have plenty to say about all the texting, instant messaging and facebooking, etc. of another generation. Seems flat somehow. Barely two dimensional. It just seems highly unlikely that a true relationship can deepen and grow just by reading about one another and “unfriending” with an impulsive click of a button when you read something you don’t like. But hear me out – I’m going somewhere with this.

Think about a relationship you have had, for example, it may be a sibling… but a relationship that you couldn’t “get out of” per se… but you learned to live together through good times and bad and your bonds became stronger and despite all the teasing or whatever, you still love that brother /sister… you worked through, lived through,  some tough times together. You have matured. You “know” each other better than ever because you experienced much of the same stuff that happens in life. Along with all that time of actually being together, you grew in trust as well. And comfortable with each other. The same can be said for many couples who invest a lot of time in their marriage… or life-long friend...

Now, with these two visions of relationships in mind…

How many of us of trying to build a relationship with God by just reading about Him in His Word? And by attending church on Sunday to hear His Word and sing words about Him? Reading the bible and being involved in church ARE good things – and I’m not saying we do these things without heart - but like texting, it is one small facet to building a wonderful relationship. You also need joint, shared experiences.

So, are we treating God as risen Lord? A Person? A fully, alive, though invisible Presence? In good times and bad…living all of life – in His presence.

This Lenten season, I invite you to give up, sacrifice, “fast” from all external distractions – and for five minutes – every day, seek Him with all your heart… Close the door to your office, or your bathroom, or your wherever – close your eyes, breathe, and open your hands, and repeat in your mind one of the scripture verses below…

I’d be curious to know where you are in your relationship with God in 40 days…

• Come near to God and He will come near to you. – James 4:8
• But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. – Deut. 4:29
• Be still and know that I am God… - Ps. 46:10

When we all felt loved...

 I browsed through an antiques store the other day. They had a wonderful display of good ol’ valentine cards… you know, the kind we used to exchange in grade school. Remember when we used to get a class list from the teacher, and picked out a box of those cute little cards… writing out each one… picking out the right pink or red sweater to wear that day for the party… oh, yes! And we made “mailboxes” by decorating shoeboxes in art class to set on our desks. On valentine’s day we went around putting a card in each classmates mailbox. And you received a whole box full! All different kinds. Probably had cupcakes or heart shaped cookies too.  What a joy! What fun! Be my valentine! Be mine!

All that love! Poured out in one afternoon! When everyone got valentines… I think that was the beauty of it that captured my attention the most. It wasn’t just for best friends. Or the most popular. The outgoing and confident. You got a lot of little “warm fuzzy love notes” because everyone got a class list and everyone participated. It leveled the playing field. Everyone was included. I wish we could level our playing fields again and love and accept each other without so many reasons for division…

Yep. A sweet memory…

Could we possibly capture that feeling again?

     

• May knowing how much you are loved be a blessing to you today.
• My days are most pleasant when they include thoughts of you!
• You are such a sweetie! Thanks for being YOU!

Refreshing freedom

 God rested on the seventh day. (Genesis 2:2)
Jesus often went off to a solitary place. (Matt. 14:23)
Even the earth, creation, seems to rest for a season

We work hard to follow their examples when it comes to “doing”, but somehow feel guilty when it comes to following their examples of resting.

Date night with the spouse but you constantly worry about the kids with the babysitter. Taking a day or two (or more) off work and constantly worrying about the mess piling up on your desk. An illness which has you homebound or bedridden for a time. And retirement – you get to live your life not strapped to someone else’s timeclock, yet some people feel guilty for not having every day - jamb-packed days. Saying “no” to a committee you have served on several terms already. Or simply laying in bed “longer than you should”.

Why do we feel so guilty about resting? Because we see it as doing nothing. What does REST really mean? Here are a few of the definitions I found in the dictionary. See what they bring to your mind:

A state or period of refreshing freedom from exertion

The repose of sleep that is refreshing to body and mind and is marked by a reduction in metabolic activity

Something used for support

To allow a person or animal to regain energy by means of relaxation or sleep, or allow a limb or body part to be inactive to restore its strength

 Refreshing freedom… support… regain energy and strength.

A time of rest sounds like a necessary thing in order to continue on with one’s life and living. Sounds essential. So let’s stop feeling guilty when we take time to rest in between all the doing. Whether it’s a ten minute break from your desk or a week away, God is in the business of restoration while you are doing “nothing”.

• … be confident of this, that He Who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion… - Phil. 1:6
• I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint. – Jer. 31:25
• Be at rest once more, o my soul, for the Lord has been good to you. – Ps. 116: 7

Who will I be today?

I got a bracelet as a Christmas gift. It says:

“Dreams become reality

one choice at a time.”



The local restaurant owner here, when asked what his plans are for the future, said:

“I plan on being here tomorrow.”

 And on a website for healthier living, I found listed:

“Envision what it will feel like.”

 Aren’t we all guilty of making something look incredible difficult, impossible? Do we bite off more than we can chew (no diet pun intended) – before we even start? Whether its dieting, or reading the Bible straight through, or considering a new hobby, a new job,  organizing the home office, straightening up the basement, getting to the gym, even having good intentions to send more cards out this year… do you wish you were more (______________ fill in the blank) but just can’t seem to get the ball rolling and keep it rolling… ?

(I’ll fill in the blank) I want to be someone who is more organized. I want to be someone who has a healthy attitude about diet and exercise. I want to be someone who shows love and compassion towards others.

It feels impossible to give up bread and sweets completely and  forever so that I can lose weight, right? That basement is filled, filled, filled with boxes… all of them half-opened and dug through – it will take forever and a day to get it all organized. Changing clothes to go to the gym, driving to and from in this weather, re-showering… every day for the rest of my life… Do you see where I’m going with this? We need doable, bite-sizes of change / improvements.

I’m going to take the advice from the bracelet and make it happen one choice at a time.

I’m going to take the words from the restaurant owner and make plans for one day at a time.

I’m going to take the advice from the website and imagine myself, just for today, as someone who will do at least one thing as the person I desire to be.

So that, at the end of this day, I can say to myself,

“I was helpful today in encouraging others to have hope – because I wrote a blog post.”

 (I am a HELPFUL kind of person)

“I was thoughtful today because I mailed out a thinking of you card.”

 (I am a THOUGHTFUL kind of person)

“I was kind today because I helped someone brush the snow off their car.”

( I am a KIND kind of person)

How about you? Just for today, what kind of person will you be?

• Thank you for your letter! It was so good to hear from you again!
• Keeping you in thought and prayer… because I care.
• You are such an inspiration to me… thanks for being there.