A New Year’s Desire

I looked outside yesterday and saw that the mammoth Camellia in my backyard is budding – a host of beautiful flowers just waiting to unfold. It seemed like a lovely New Year’s Day sentiment; a promise of good things to come.

As I think about the year that lies ahead, I feel like God keeps putting the word “ambassador” on my heart. It’s a bit of a strange word, but perhaps this is what He wants me to focus on in 2015…to be His ambassador. Wherever I am, whoever I’m with, whatever I say – to remember that I represent Him. I want my choices to show that I love Him, and my words (whether spoken, or written, or posted on facebook) to be the kind that bless and build up, not break and tear down.

It’s not so much a resolution, it’s more a heartfelt desire to keep calling to mind who I am called to be. And I know in advance that I’ll make a pretty pitiful ambassador, but as C.S. Lewis said, “if only the will to walk is really there He is pleased even with their (my) stumbles.”

New Growth

What words come to mind when you see this picture? What sort of emotions does it evoke within you?

When I look at this photograph it stirs a sweet sort of sadness. It is hope mingled with a tinge of heartache. The droplets of water still lingering from last night’s rain are teardrops; they trickle down blades of fresh green growth and quietly remind me that tears and trials often accompany new growth in my own life.

Rain is needed to bring about beauty; the same is true of pain. A life untouched by trials is rarely fruitful. Just as the rain softens the soil and allows the roots to stretch down deeper, so the hard things that happen in our lives allow us to sink our roots down deeply into the unwavering love of God. I have found this to be true in my own life.

So, when the sun is shining and all is bright in our worlds, let’s rejoice in the sweet times of refreshment that God supplies. But when the sun is hidden from view and our days are filled with constant drizzle, let’s labor to trust that God is at work and that we will one day see beauty spring forth from our barren places.

“He covers the heavens with clouds;
he prepares rain for the earth;
he makes grass grow on the hills.”
Psalm 147:8

A Frigid Day of Feasting

It’s a frigid day here in the Atlanta suburbs.  Some of my friends from up north might laugh, but the temperature is in the twenties, there are flurries in the air, and the schools are closed – that qualifies as near-blizzard like conditions around here!  Trust me – there is no toilet paper to be found on the grocery store shelves.

In the midst of the harsh weather (really, it’s brutal outside!) I have enjoyed watching my spoiled backyard birds.  Despite being blown about by the wind gusts, they have camped out at my feeders all morning, feasting on the seed and enjoying the fresh water from the heated water dish I got for Christmas.  There has been quite a frenzy going on – a constant flurry of feathers.  They need more nourishment when the weather is cold, and I am delighted to supply it.

As I watch them shovel seed into their beaks (this blue jay was quite the glutton), I am reminded that when times feel harsh in my own life, I too am in need of extra nourishment.  When life gets a bit brutal, I need to feast on the life-giving Word of God.  Thankfully, just like I enjoy feeding my birds, my Father delights to feed me.  He says to me in Psalm 81, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.  Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.”

So as the birds continue to fill up at the backyard feeders, I will seek out some solitude and ask God to feed my soul.  There’s no such thing as gluttony when it comes to feasting on God’s Word!

A Bit of Buried Treasure

Buried treasure…I found some the other day.

It was tucked away in the middle of an old and often neglected book written by a man named Amos, who was a shepherd by trade, but a prophet by the call of God.  He wrote – “He who forms the mountains, creates the wind, and reveals his thoughts to man, he who turns dawn to darkness, and treads the high places of the earth – the Lord God Almighty is his name.” (Amos 4:13)

Amazing!  Our God is more powerful than our minds can grasp, but more personal than our hearts can imagine.

He is the maker of the mountains and the One who brings the wind into being.  He commands the sun to run its course and holds each star in place.  He treads the high places of the earth and nothing can thwart His sovereign rule.

And yet…this all-mighty God “reveals His thoughts to man.”

The One who designed the universe desires relationship with you and me.  He wants us to know Him and reveals Himself to us through the world that He has created and the Word that He has inspired.

Oh, may we not lose sight of this – especially as Christmas approaches and we celebrate the birth of Jesus, God’s full and final revelation of Himself.

Infinitely powerful…intimately personal…may God give us eyes to see the treasure of this truth.

A Lion On A Leash

Meet Moses – a six month old lion cub my daughter and I fell in love with when we visited the Chestatee Wildlife Preserve in the North Georgia Mountains.  We happened to be there the day he was being moved to his new habitat.

And just how do you move a lion from one location to another?  Why, on a leash, of course!

I have to confess, it was a comical scene to behold as Moses was not inclined to cooperate. Not knowing where he was headed, he had no desire to be led away from his familiar surroundings.  The workers pushed, pulled and prodded while the stubborn cub resisted their every effort.  One minute he would stretch himself out on the ground and refuse to budge, and then the next minute he would try to dart off into the hedge of bamboo.

When they finally corralled him into his new enclosure, he stretched out in the grass, utterly content.  Isn’t he a cutie?

Scripture speaks of another lion, only this one isn’t cute at all.  1 Peter 5:8 says, “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

There is a lot I don’t understand about spiritual forces and unseen realities, but I know that Satan is real and that he hates God and despises those who worship Him.  His aim is to bring destruction and his goal is to cause harm; and yet, he is only allowed to act with God’s permission.  When Satan sends things our way that he hopes will batter and break us, God takes those very things and uses them to build us and bless us.  And one day, when our adversary reaches his final destination (for he too is being led somewhere he would rather not go) he will look back and see that all of his evil schemes unwittingly served the high and holy purposes of a sovereign God.

The evil one is fierce, but we need not fear his roaring for he is a lion on a leash.

My Favorite Place

Every Tuesday night, I head to the Foxtale Book Shoppe (think Cheers in bookstore form) where I am taking a class called “The Artist’s Way.”  I treasure the time that I get to spend with this quirky, creative group whom God consistently uses to encourage, inspire, and stretch me out of my comfort zone.  I am out of my league in their midst, but my secret hope is that their creativity is contagious and that their skills will somehow rub off on me.  During our time together, we study the craft of writing and then, well, we write. One of our prompts this week was to describe our favorite place.

 

My favorite place is a large boulder in my own backyard.  Each day, I fill the feeders, pick up my camera and head outside.  I sit quietly on this solid surface, and try my best to blend in with the environment.  I often wear earth tones and stillness comes easily to me, so it usually isn’t long before I am greeted with the flutter of wings and a chorus of whistles and squawks.

 

I love the crispness of the autumn air and the  canopy of leaves that covers me.  The gold and amber hues stir a sweet sort of melancholy, while the bright feathers and cheerful chirps fan the flames of a hope grown fragile and dim amidst the demands of everyday life.  A few feet away, a small waterfall cascades down the hill, calling to the birds to come and quench their thirst.  As it races over the rocks in its path, it sings a soothing song and speaks peace to my soul.  There is a reason that the voice of God is said to be like the sound of many waters.

This place, at this time, is a gift to me.  It is my sanctuary – a place where I can slow down, quiet my spirit, and savor the presence of God.  It is a time when I can take a deep breath and be reminded that God is real, that He is good, and that His hand sustains all things. Surrounded by the beauty of a well cared for creation, I am assured that I too am well cared for.

I read these words by Madeleine L’Engle this morning, which made me smile and seemed a fitting ending for this post.  She wrote:

“I sit on my favourite rock, looking over the brook, to take time away
from the busy-ness, time to be.  I’ve long since stopped feeling guilty
about taking being time; it’s something we all need for our spiritual health,
and often we don’t take enough of it.”  (Walking on Water, p12)

My sentiments exactly, Madeleine.

As Water Reflects A Face…

I spent some time at the Chattahoochee Nature Center the other day.  It was a crisp morning with the leaves beginning to boast their autumn colors.  It does my soul good to carve out times of stillness and to immerse myself in such beauty; it is one way that God renews and refreshes me.  I slow down, and breathe, and marvel at His handiwork.

While I was there I visited with a pair of Mallard Ducks, who graciously allowed me to take their picture a couple of times.  Okay…so it was more like a couple of hundred times…but they didn’t seem to mind. In fact, I’m pretty sure they enjoyed the whole photo shoot.

Aren’t they delightful?

This picture of the female is one of my favorites.  I love the design of her feathers and the expression in her eye.  I especially love how the surface of the water captures her reflection so clearly, even showing the water dripping from her beak.

When I look at this picture it reminds me of the words of Proverbs 27:19 – “As water reflects a face, so a man’s heart reflects the man.”

Who we are on the surface is not our truest reflection; what’s in our hearts reveals who we really are. This is where I would love to claim that my heart holds only what is pure, lovely, and admirable…but that is clearly not the case.  A lot of yukky stuff has taken up residence in my heart, and it is reluctant to move out.  Yes, God has planted some seeds of glory in me, but they dwell side by side with such grossness.  I do love Jesus, but I am one sinful saint.

Here is what gives me hope – God will finish what He starts in the lives of His children.  He will faithfully use both the burdens and the blessings of life (especially the burdens though, right?) to skim off the scum that mars the reflection of our hearts.  The One who calls us will be faithful to cleanse us, and He will not quit until His own image shines forth in our lives.  So let’s give each other grace while God is at work, and trust that He is doing something beautiful in us.

And thanks for bearing with my camera craze…I think I have become a bit obsessed…

Watch Out For Spider Webs

Watch out for spider webs…not the literal ones, the metaphorical ones…those things that we are tempted to place our trust in other than God.  They will always let us down.

Job 8: 14-15 says: “What he trusts in is fragile; what he relies on is a spider’s web.  He leans on his web, but it gives way; he clings to it, but it does not hold.”

Only God is able to bear the weight of our trust.  He is strong; He is wise; He is good; and He is unchanging.  He knows us completely and loves us with a love that is immense and unwavering. He promises that He will never let us down.

So, when life gets hard – and it will – let’s turn to God and not away from Him.  Let’s strive to place our trust in a faithful God and not in a fragile web that was never meant to bear our weight.

Listening to the Flowers

Last night, just as the sun was getting ready to set, I decided to go for a walk.  As I stepped out my front door into the crisp autumn air (I love sweater weather!) a brilliant yellow flower caught my eye.  I couldn’t resist grabbing my camera to capture its beauty.

Tucking my Canon back into its case, I turned around to see a pretty purple flower that seemed to be shouting, “Hey!  Take my picture too!”  Well, I didn’t want it to feel left out so I walked over and let it pose for a few clicks of the camera.

Before I knew it, it seemed like every flower in the area was calling out, asking me to come and take its picture.  Now, I should pause here and ask that you not judge me too harshly for listening to flowers…it had been a long day…besides that, they really do speak, but we’ll get back to that later.  Anyway, I spent the remaining moments of daylight oohing and aahing over one flower after another – each one boasting a beauty all its own.

As I traipsed about taking pictures, a question rose in my mind: “What kind of God would create such an abundance of beauty?”

The answer followed on the heels of the question: “A God who is both beautiful and abundant.”

God is FULL of glory – and it is His nature to overflow and bless us by giving us glimpses of Himself. This is part of what makes Him glorious!   He is not aloof or miserly.  He is not a God who withholds or conceals Himself.  He is always giving and revealing and displaying His glory, which is the only thing that can truly satisfy our souls.

So, go outside and listen to the flowers…they really do speak…and the constant message they delight to proclaim is this: “God is glorious!  God is glorious!  God is glorious!”  It is a message our souls need to hear.

Singing in the Rain

It is a dreary old day here in Georgia.  The sky is grey and the rain is steady.  You could almost call it gloomy – if it wasn’t for that mocking bird perched on top of the holly bush in my front yard, singing his heart out.  I have to smile (and snap a photo or two) as I listen to him.

Hearing him sing while being drenched by rain drops reminds me of these lyrics from “Praise You in this Storm” by Casting Crowns:

I was sure by now
God You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say “Amen”, and it’s still raining

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear Your whisper through the rain
“I’m with you”
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

And I’ll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
And every tear I’ve cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I think I could learn a bit from this feathered friend.  I want to sing and praise God, even when (make that especially when) my life circumstances seem dismal, showing that I love Him and trust Him and value Him more than a carefree life.

I wonder what my neighbors would think if I went out on the front porch and joined him in his song…well, only one way to find out…