The Box Means Nothing

 

 

I was nearing the end of wrapping Christmas presents, when I realized that once again, I was short not on wrapping paper, but on boxes.  In a galaxy far, far away, stores actually used to provide a gift box for your purchase. 

As our girls were growing up, they soon comprehended the reality of the dearth of boxes.  In absence of a gift box, I'd find some kind of package in which to wrap the gift.  As they pulled the decorative paper from the neatly wrapped packages, they rarely could guess the contents.  They would comment, "The box means nothing."   Whatever was printed on the outside of the box usually did not give a clue to its contents.  Surprises lurked within.  A shoe box might contain a long-wanted sweater.  A large carton might bear a small joy that was never so small.  

Don't judge the treasure by the box it is in.

At a recent gathering, I met a new neighbor who had moved into the neighborhood shortly before the unanticipated covid lockdown.  And in the midst of it, all the challenges of a new location and strange surroundings.  Lockdown meant her job radically transitioned, and quite suddenly, as for many of us, her work became remote.  Their guestroom became her office.  Her three daughters were also confined to home as schools were shut down. 

Eighteen months later, her girls returned to in-person schools.  But her work is still based at home until the offices are finally and fully reopened.

As one who has worked remotely much of my career, I always like to ask, "How do you like working from home?"

She hesitated for less than a moment.  "It was a gift," she replied.

She described the logistics of managing a large department of a national company from a small bedroom, continual zoom meetings, phone calls and messages that demanded her immediate attention.

"And it was a gift," she repeated.  For the first time in her long career, she was so proximate to her family.  Even long hours, hard work, and busy days did not often preclude her from having lunch together during her daughters' break from online school.  Her girls often just peeked their heads into her room and waved, or snuck in for a quick hug.  There was no arduous commute or long business trips to endure.  She found a blessing in what appeared on the outside as disastrous circumstances.

A very odd box was delivered to her doorstep.  Something she had not looked for....or ordered...not anything she thought she needed or wanted.  But when she opened it, God surprised her. 

What touched me was not just her attitude, but her heart set.  She looked for the gift.  Not for "maybe someday" or what was next.  But in the now.  She did not miss it for what appeared on the outside.  

And I thought, what if I considered this affliction of my own, this momentary suffering, this unknown path, this difficulty as a gift?  We all struggle with something.  And there is always something more that comes with it.

The box means nothing.  Look for the treasure within.  God packs blessings in unexpected packages, in unlikely places, and impossible situations.  Sometimes we recognize the blessing at first sight.  Surprise! But sometimes we question God.  This is not what I signed up for.  Wrong person, God.  Wrong address.  Return to sender.  But as it is accepted and grows, we discover a new strength emerging or resources we never knew we needed, custom-fit, right when we need it most. A surprise as well.  And always, God's faithfulness.

May we realize something different in this situation.  His Presence.  And that makes the significant perceived alteration of what appears on the outside and revealed within.

"Trust Me in this" in whatever strange box lands on your doorstep.  You will be amazed at what God brings to it.  

Count it as a gift in unexpected packaging.  See it redemptively. 

 

Now to Him

who is able to do far more abundantly

than all that we ask or imagine...

                Ephesians 3. 20

One Week to Go: Are You Ready?

And suddenly, after three months of decorations, deals in stores, and unending retail emails, one week from today, we celebrate Christmas.

I asked a friend yesterday, "Are you ready?"  She counted off her remaining gifts to buy, the little stuff that always occupies the most time and brain space.  And she described her attempts at navigating all the moving parts of her family getting together.

Advent is a time of anticipation and preparation and Target.

But advent is also a time not limited to a December holiday, but a time of seeking and praying and working through what is around us with a willing heart -- in what is now and what is next.  Am I ready for Christmas to come?  Or for Christmas to be?   Am I willing and ready to let Jesus come not just into the festivities, but into this situation or relationship I am facing?  The stockings are hung by the chimney with care. But have we pushed Jesus out of the story?

Christmas -- the coming of Christ -- makes everything look different, and not just in our living rooms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But the abiding of Christ in our hearts has an even more visible transformation, in how we approach circumstances, how we walk, how we love, how we respond, even in our ever-unfolding experiences.  "...among whom you shine as lights in the world." (Philippians 2. 15)  Sometimes we catch a glimpse of what He is doing through us.  Sometimes what we do are just seeds planted for future harvests beyond our sight and lifetimes.  God's faithfulness has no expiration date.  God never works in singular outcomes.

Sometimes a present is given, sometimes a gift is opened, but always even more breathtaking is waiting and trusting God for His glory to appear.  Christmas is an annual holiday to be celebrated.  But every day is a holy day to honor Him.

Are we ready for Christmas?  Are we ready today for what only God can do?

Jesus didn't just show up.  The gospel, the good news of His coming, was seamlessly woven from the beginning of time.  Written 800 years before the birth of Christ, the prophet Isaiah pointed to His coming:

For unto us a child is born,

    to us a son is given;

and the government shall be

      upon His shoulder,

and His name shall be called

Wonderful Counselor,

Mighty God, 

Everlasting Father,

Prince of Peace.

            Isaiah 9. 6 

 

Joy to the World! The Lord is come

Let earth receive her King!

Let every heart prepare Him room

And heaven and nature sing!

 

Who is in the manger?

Years ago, as I wandered through the magnificence of the British Museum, I discovered an area of antiquities from faraway cultures of the past.  Most of the items were small rock-like images, dull and ravaged by centuries of being buried, some almost cartoon-like in their appearances.

As I looked at these ancient crumbling souvenirs, I realized that these were objects of worship.  These were the idols people made and chose to worship, instead of the LORD God, the Creator. 

And still in our day and time, it is incredible the absurd things we replace for God.  Even the fleeting objects and loves that push God to the margins or totally out of the picture.

We all worship.  And if we do not worship God, a lesser god will take His rightful place.  Even the ridiculous.

Somehow on the day after Christmas last year, I noticed that Jesus was replaced in the manger. 

 

And we found baby Jesus face down on a bookshelf.

 

Amusing for just a moment, but then the reality hit me.  One thing is not like the others.  Our worship of God Almighty is so easily replaced by other loves, desires, even the warm and fuzzy, even when we barely recognize we have switched our focus.  But what we worship changes us.  The object of our worship is not interchangeable with the same journey nor outcome nor strength.  

There is a significant difference there.  A carved rock of our own doing or the Creator of the Universe.

"You are what you love," says James K. Smith in his book by that same title.  Our lives exhibit what our hearts are set on. 

We were wired to worship.  God created us that way.  We don't usually view our loves nowadays as "idols," but they rule our souls. Choose carefully what you love and long for.  Our loves --even misplaced ones --change the trajectory of our lives.

Jesus is not a Christmas decoration, observant for a few convenient weeks and then stored away until next year's festivities warrant His appearance.  Don't leave Him on a shelf or buried in the attic.

What is in our mangers?  Are we really worshiping, delighting in, and celebrating the coming of Jesus?  Or family get-togethers?  Or what we will give....or get?  The time off work? The music?  The traditions?  Even what someone else has and we do not?

Advent is not anticipating what is coming someday.   But recognizing what is already.  The angel chorus sang, "He is here!"   Right now.  Right here.  "I am with you."

O Come Let Us Adore Him.

And watch the transformation His Presence makes in our hearts the other 364 days of the year.

 

Birds of a Feather: On Redness and Awareness

We let our bird feeder run empty over the summer as our only visitors in that season were crowds of greedy squirrels who could empty the feeder in an afternoon, jumping precariously from the railing to the swinging feeder like contestants on the American Ninja Warrior show.  And the squirrels' perennial audience enjoying the spectacle were the grey silent doves lined up on the railing, waiting to feast afterwards. 

We filled the feeder this week.  Within a day, we noticed finches, chickadees, a Rufus-sided towhee, and a cardinal.  

On this rainy, grey December morning, a bright red cardinal on the feeder caught my eye.  His brilliant color stood in sheer contrast with the dreary appearance around him, not in an arrogant "look at me" kind of way.  But as if to greet me with a "there you are!"  The sight of this cheery bird made me smile.

 

Does this bird wonder: "God, I don't know why You put me here.  Or why You made me so red?"

God's purposes are always far beyond our radar.  We do not always face valiant battles with fire-breathing dragons, but ordinary days that are riddled with His divine appointments that we rarely notice.

Because this bird is a reminder -- a wake up call -- to a redeeming we cannot imagine.  God is trying to get our attention.  Not just to bless us with His splendor, but to be aware of His Presence.

God created.  God created beauty.  And He created in us the capacity to recognize beauty, to be awed by it, and to respond to it.  There is good news after all.  And that is the gospel natural and essential in all of life.

Sometimes God sends momentary beauty to cheer us on -- like a fleeting patch of redness on the canvas of our day.

And sometimes He reminds us through it to

     be that cardinal 

                        for someone else.

How can I encourage someone today?

Not look at me,

   but there you are!

Those fly-bys

    and lingerings that say,

                        I see you. 

         You are not alone.

God makes us red 

        on His paths for us

and aware of unexpected opportunities

     in blessing others

at a moment's notice.

Sometimes we 

       don't even notice

      how God is using us

         or His faithfulness

         carefully colored in.

I could see the cardinal.

I don't think he could see me.

As he flew off,

   he had no idea

   his impact on my heart.

Look at the birds of the air:

they neither sow nor reap

nor gather into barns,

and yet your heavenly Father

                    feeds them.

Are you not of more value than they?

                     Matthew 6. 26

Be that cardinal.

Waiting, Watching And Being Surprised

We are in the season when both the expected and unexpected are literally dropped on our front doorsteps. The ordered, the unordered, the backordered, even sometimes the disordered, surprise us by their swift appearance.   Suddenly, a package appears.  And often I never even see the delivery truck.

Yesterday morning, I looked out the front door and remarked out loud, "I don't know if we are expecting anything today."

My words hung in the air.  That sounded like a rather defeatist attitude.  If we are not watching, we miss out.

Unlike just the delivery of a Target package, God responds even to our unspoken needs, that which we didn't recognize we needed, that for which we had no words, even for what we didn't consider praying about. God surprises us by His wonders.

Look, it's not just a box to watch for,

                but a day to be unwrapped.

 

Look what God has done.  Trust in what He is doing.  See what He redeems.

There are no ordinary days in His created order.  Nothing but nothing that God cannot use.

Wait, watch, and be surprised.  We can never know what lies within.  We have yet to realize His divine appointments.  What is revealed may be something we desperately need or a special delivery to encourage someone else in our spheres.  Sometimes a deep mystery is unveiled.  But what is always revealed is His steadfast love which cannot be contained.  And His faithfulness that exceeds our wildest imaginations.

Am I living in anticipation today?  Am I expecting anything?   Not that "God will show up" like a package on the doorstep.  He has already arrived.  He already resides.  He is already with me, guiding, providing, and surprising me by His goodness.  

This is the LORD's doing;

it is marvelous in our eyes.

                  Psalm 32. 7

Wear Something New

 Thanksgiving is a great holiday of feasting together with friends and family and imperfect people, of which we all are.

Wear something new into an old situation.  Enlarge your wardrobe.  Reach deep for the unexpected.

Tie on that red scarf of courage. Dress in layers, grace upon grace, encouragement upon encouragement, unexpected and caring responses in volatile situations.

And underneath it all -- because it will show through the most--  put on love.

 

Don't leave home without it.

This is the day

It was a hard upward struggle yesterday afternoon.  I had chosen to run my hilly course, so familiar now that my brain doesn't even have to think about the turns in the road.

The asphalt was broken into chunks in places.  Cracks appeared like a strange map across the pavement, leading to nowhere we have been before.  Potholes gave birth to even more potholes.  Even the edges of the road were beginning to disintegrate into the gravel.

And on my heart were so many people I know right now who are struggling with life, choices they have made, choices they never made, decisions and incidents beyond their control.  We are all falling apart, it appears.  But why are we surprised in this fallen, broken world.

My head was down, contemplating the grey, shattered road, trying not to trip.

After a particularly hard ascent, in which I thought about stopping and just walking the rest of the route, leaves began to appear beneath my feet, thousands and thousands of leaves, so deep that I couldn't help but notice them.  Indeed, I was shuffling through them, a myriad of shapes and colors and textures,  like every created day of our lives, heaped up into something beautiful.

And then, I raised my eyes from the hard broken places.  God was trying to get my attention.

My mother had a condition called synesthesia in which when she heard or played music, she saw colors, as if her senses blended seamlessly into each other.  When I looked up and saw the fellowship of trees clamoring around me, I could almost hear them singing. 

Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy before the LORD, for He comes... Psalm 96. 12

...the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.  Isaiah 55. 12

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And the wonder before me literally stopped me in my tracks.  It was a sanctuary. This is what glory of the LORD must resemble in some small way.  And how much do we miss because we are not looking, acknowledging, recognizing, not just His hand, but His Presence all around us?

God designed us to recognize beauty.  God wired us to recognize Him.  God paves our way with His faithfulness.  Even in what we cannot yet see beyond the turns in the road.

This is the LORD's doing;  it is marvelous in our eyes.  This is the day that the LORD has made.  Let us rejoice and be glad in it.  Psalm 118. 23-24

This very day.  Not just in the yesterdays.  Or tomorrow.  But now.

We make a conscious choice to be glad in it, not just on days of blue skies or circumstances favorable in our sight or when we feel like it.  But a grateful heart is observant and doesn't miss a thing, even in what we can't understand.  Because we can trust Him through it.  A glad heart sees things differently, a tool in our toolbox for how we will lead the rest of our lives day by day and be fully equipped to help others.  

Every day that we make a choice to rejoice strengthens us for what is yet to come.  I don't have to know the journey-- nor the outcome --to know God is good and His steadfast love endures forever.  That changes my vision.  That changes my heart. Even in this mess, this broken world, these incessant potholes.

I shuffled through the leaves like the days of my life.  And realized that the trees are still full of them, not one drifts down to join the others that God does not know about it.  His beauty is not just entrenched in the colors of the season or the impenetrably blue sky, but every day.   

The day was just a glimpse of what He has made.  A day that He walks with us.  The uphills don't have to be a battle.  The potholes are mere craters to avoid.  The brokenness is only temporary.  This is not the end of the story.  But right in the midst of His redeeming.

This is marvelous in our eyes.  And we have not even snatched a glimpse yet.

Lingering Inefficiencies

We have reduced so much of life to what we see as practical, useful, and productive.  Stay on task.  Get something done.  Carpe Diem. Don't waste it. 

We have indeed also reduced God in our minds the same way by focusing on His work, His timing, His plans and purposes, His designs, His provisions, and His answers to our prayers -- what is useful and efficient and what we deem as fruitful.

But in that utilitarian view, we miss the wonders.  It is often in the inefficiencies when nothing appears to be happening that we become most aware of the presence of God.  

In God's sight, inefficiencies may not be so insignificant at all.  All through Scripture, God calls His people to listen, to watch, and to wait.  Paying attention is never a waste of time.

God speaks to us in the most unlikely places and unexpected situations.  Our "inefficiencies"-- that pointless task, that waiting for a package that doesn't come, the bread that did not rise, the people who did not show up, an arduous task that deflated like a flat tire -- are sometimes the places of hearing Him more clearly. 

The most frustrating inefficiencies in our day may be the most fruitful part of it.  God's designs linger far beyond our lifetimes or our comprehension.

As a shy little girl, I hung out a lot with my grandmother who lived with us.  God wove deep spiritual growth through those very ordinary moments.  My grandmother was busy from dawn until past my bedtime, and I often wondered if she slept at all.  But she always left an all-present margin for conversation in the quietness of just being together or working side by side.  Her faith in God and His faithfulness to her just kind of bubbled out of her.  

I consciously remember only fragments of what she said to me.  But what lingers --and still impacts me-- was her "inefficient" use of time.  In those little interruptions of mine, wandering into her room with my unceasing questions, she didn't view as disruptions but as scattered intermissions in what she was working on.  And somehow she saw the profound significance in those inopportune moments when she had a myriad of things to do, could have produced that which appeared tangible, and she would have something to show for her day.

Which she did after all, because she gave me her time and attention.  She did her work, but was not distracted from what really mattered.  And that is what I still carry with me.  

A whole new day is stretched out before each one of us, full of appointments, urgencies and big rocks in the middle of our paths.  We want to glorify God, to be faithful, get things done, and fulfill His purposes.  

But we miss the point if we restrict Him to our practical and tangible accomplishments, or limit ourselves to a check-it-off-the-list kind of day. We still need to be responsible and get our work done.  But all the while, God calls us to "Abide with Me" through it.  And that is never an inefficient use of time, work or being, but a joy that lingers and lasts forever.

He is before all things,

and in Him all things

        hold together.

           Colossians 1. 17

Getting Unstuck

I knew it was coming -- that first 30 degree morning run of the season.  I dreaded it.  It's going to be cold!  I didn't want to go.  I was stuck on the inside looking out.

But I also knew that if I am going to run at all this winter, I needed to get out there.  I just had to remember how to dress for it.  By the end of the winter, I will again know the right combinations for each temperature--whether 20 degrees or 50 -- a t-shirt under a long-sleeve, when to wear a jacket, gloves or even a hat.  Those who embark on outdoor adventures know what matters most is not the plummeting temperatures or harsh weather but how you approach it by what you wear.  Wisdom is embedded by experience.  Dress in layers and get out there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

God's Word talks a lot about what to wear to any occasion and in all circumstances.  Not just the red scarf of courage, but layers of love and grace and pockets full of kindness to give away. Not armor to wear to a disaster, but forgiveness and a compassionate heart, even on the every days in the neighborhood, even in the unexpected, even in the most unlikely places.  God shows us how to get unstuck by preparing us and equipping us beyond the phantoms of our dread so that we may respond to His nudges.

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved,

compassionate hearts, kindness, humility,

meekness, and patience,

bearing one another,

and if one has a complaint against another,

forgiving each other,

as the Lord has forgiven you,

        so you also must forgive.

And above all these

put on love,

which binds everything together

           in perfect harmony.

                  Colossians 3. 12-14

And so this brisk morning, I pulled an old long-sleeve from the bottom of my drawer, found my fleece still hanging on the hook, grabbed a thin pair of mittens just in case, and headed out to the frosty park.  I ran outside my comfort zone.  Not surprisingly, it was far better than I could have imagined-- a beautiful and refreshing experience outside with crisp cold air, a mosaic of colorful leaves on the path, and under the canopy of a sheer blue sky.  I am so grateful I did not miss that.  I did not just endure.  In getting out--even in my reluctance-- God gave me exactly what I needed.  Obedience to God brings with it strength for today in whatever I will face and bright hope for the days ahead.  Not the world's "you can do it."  But God's "I am with you."

Our circumstances may stay the same.  But I can approach what is on my path with a new heart and mind, no matter the conditions.  What am I wearing into this situation?  And am I walking with Him?

We all struggle with things a lot scarier, riskier, more consequential and overwhelming than a cold morning run.  But we need not be paralyzed by them.  God never promised that life in this broken world would be easy, but gave us His Word over and over again, "Do not be afraid. I am with you."  We are not alone.  And He embraces us with His strength and grace.

The key to getting unstuck is to trust God, dress in layers, and get out there, choosing to get out of the miry bog --or just out the door --by even taking one step, and then another.  His faithfulness covers us, even in our scary places.  Just do something.  Trust Him in this.

God will surprise you.

If I had known, I would have taken a picture

I had the privilege of picking up our five year old twin grandsons from school on Thursday.  They each carried a small paper lunch bag, the remnants of the school Halloween party earlier that day.  It was a fun day of dressing up in costume.  The most memorable to them was their buddy Fletcher dressing up as a wolf.  Animals of any kind roam endlessly through their imaginations.

Even on the short ride to their home, they were already digging into those little bags to discover the treasures there.

By the time we walked into the house, a couple pieces of candy were already consumed.  They continued to pull out a plastic ring, a rope bracelet, a black ink stamper (what was someone thinking?!?), and of course, more candy.  

But what stood out to me that afternoon was when one of the boys reached into his little bag and pulled out some Smarties, one of his favorites.  He walked over to me and handed me the little plastic wrapped roll.  "Give this to Papa.  I want him to have this."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If I had known what was taking place, I would have taken a picture.  But I didn't have to.  That image of his generous spirit is engraved indelibly in my heart.

It was not like he didn't like this sweet treat.  It was not like he was coerced into "share with your grandfather." And it is important to note that he had no idea that Trick or Treat was coming.  He did not know that there would be anything more. But his offering was a pure five year old expression of love.  Not an emotion or an "obedience."  But the reality of "I want to share with you."  And it spoke loudly of his character.  He is aware and responsive to those around him in his life. Somehow even at this young age, he realizes it is not all about him.  He loves others, not because he has to, but he gets to.

I can't wait to see how God will use his generous heart.

Just a little piece of candy and a very big heart that God will continue to use his whole life through.  Kindness continues to reverberate.  It blesses others.  It changes us. 

O Lord, give me a generous heart like that.  

The point is this:  whoever sows sparingly

will also reap sparingly, 

and whoever sows bountifully,

will also reap bountifully.  

Each one must give

as he has decided in his heart,

not reluctantly

        or under compulsion,

for God loves a cheerful giver.

And God is able to make

   all grace abound to you,

so that having all sufficiency

    in all things at all times,

you may abound

               in every good work.

           2 Corinthians 9. 6-8

May we live hilariously like that.

I Almost Missed It

In the middle of a rough and rocky wilderness road, I realized suddenly where I was. 

Don't look down.

I was driving for the first time a 4 x 4 truck on a 100 mile unimproved road through the Utah desert, on narrow paths along cliffs, and at times just feet from the edge of canyons.

I had no idea what I was doing.

My husband and I were participating in a three-day mountain biking and camping excursion in Canyonlands National Park, a remote and arid landscape in the vast wilderness of Utah.  The group would mountain bike the entire 100-mile White Rim Trail in three full days of cycling.  I expected to ride in the support truck through the flat terrain of the desert, from campsite to campsite.

But adventure always exceeds our expectations....and sometimes far beyond our perceived abilities. 

That first morning, moments before we started out, the team leaders decided to bring along not just one support vehicle, but two instead, accounting for the forecast of inclement weather.  Instantly, I was no longer a passenger, but a driver.  I didn't even have enough time to panic over the thought.  The first incline was a serpentine narrow road.  "Just get me through that harrowing part," I told them, "and I'll be ok driving the rest." And so someone else drove that initial scary part.  The rest will be breeze, compared to that. Just a flat dusty road.

Or so I thought.

But my plans were pathetic compared to what God had in mind.  I love that God desires to surprise us and to shake us out of our complacent attitudes, convenient plans, and comfortable surroundings, no matter where we are, even on the most ordinary of days and even in the remarkable.

There was grace in not knowing what was ahead of me.  The reality was far beyond my fears, worries, expectations, or even of what I considered my skill set. What emerged was an elevated narrative as God intended all along. 

And somehow, there was no room for debilitating fear in the cab of that truck. Instead, I was in awe of my surroundings.  I was awestruck by God.  I was actually enjoying this adventure.  Even the hard parts.

Before I knew what I would be doing, before we left for the trip and drew closer to our departure, the weather forecast grew more dismal by the day.  Temperatures continued to drop, the chance of rain multiplied, and the wind velocity increased. Daily, I grew more hesitant to go as the trip appeared more and more out of my comfort zone.  We were going to be tent camping in that.

"It's going to be cold,"  I said to Bill.  "It's going to be wet.  It's going to be hard."

And he replied:  "It's going to be epic."  Far more than I anticipated.

Yes, it was cold.  It rained buckets. We experienced wind, rain, hail, and at times, brilliant blue skies peeking through. The 100-mile road was rockier, steeper, and sometimes indecipherable. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is that really the road?  Is that glimmer of water on the trail just a shallow puddle or a deep crater the size of a Chicago pothole?  And more times than I could count, the road dropped away into a canyon just feet away from where I was driving.  Don't look down.  It was an adventure I could not have made up in any kind of fiction.

And over and over, when the impossible appeared before me, God gave me another gear that I never knew I had.  

 

But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope.

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases,

His mercies never come to an end;

they are new every morning;

great is Your faithfulness.

                      Lamentations 3. 21-23

The views outdid one another in grandeur every time the road curved and another panorama appeared.  God whispered His strength through the hard stuff.  He shouted His glory through creation all around us, from the tiniest cactus stubbornly holding its ground to the monumental cathedrals carved by the sheer rock walls and canyons.  God enlarged our range of vision in more ways than one. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was mesmerized by the landscape.  It was not so barren at all.  I was surprised by the story unfolding before me, that which was enjoyed, shared, suffered and lived through. 

I almost missed it by bowing to my fears and excuses.  I can't do it.  Not in me.  Not on my life.  And I would have been far poorer from missing that incredible experience.

And I think of what I almost miss daily.  Am I open to God's adventures in what He places before me today?  Not my will, but His.  Not my plans, but His.  Not even on my radar, but in His design for me and others this day.

Do I face today with the attitude of ordinary, or really hard, or "it's going to be epic" -- far deeper than I can imagine?

God brings the epic to it.   And that would be His glory.

Never Stop Exploring

My husband has backpacked with the same group of guys every six months or so for the past seventeen years.  Whether locally or distant, what has made these hikes epic has not always been the destination, but how they faced the unexpected. 

For all of their careful preparation, with the exception of one long weekend, not one hike has gone according to plan.  They have had to alter their routes, their timing, their pace, always being flexible to accommodate what was way beyond their control--snow, floods, winds, emerging health problems, injuries along the way, pandemic restrictions, and the latest, last month in the Alaskan wilderness, a landslide across the access road.  

As they start off at a trailhead, they never really know what they will discover.  But as they have found, the difficult parts, the challenging, and the unexpected does not ruin the trip.  It is what makes it an adventure.  For all of us, the unexpected is the what we likely remember most of our own experiences and how we learn and prepare for the next.

As my husband has discovered on his treks, the adventure really starts when the unplanned appears.  The wonders are not limited to the fantastic views, but in the "how in the world are we going to get through this?"

Even in our most ordinary of days, how do we approach what is set before us?  Just seeing it as the same old stuff....or see something new -- and adventurous-- in it?  Do we see interruptions?  Or opportunities?

My husband and I recently viewed a short series of documentaries about an expedition through the wilderness.  The group had prepared years for this journey-- compiling all the best equipment, carefully planning their routes, places to stop for the night, pinpointing sources to resupply fuel and food, what they would do, how they would do it, and document it all.  

When it came down to it in the documentary, their trip was almost cut short by a depleted supply of bandages and dependence on a rather mediocre chain saw that was thrown in at the last minute.

But my favorite part that they filmed daily was in the waning hours of those hard days, going around, one by one, and asking, "What was your favorite part of the day?"

Their answers were never based on what they had expected to do, to find or discover, but those experiences far exceeding their carefully planned schedule, agenda, or vision.   It is why God calls us to "Follow Me into it."  There is something more that He wants us to see and experience.  

We can lay our day before the Lord, but when we ask Him to lay His day before us, there are no interruptions but His wonders that transcend even our imaginations.

The unknown is not unknown to God.  The unexpected is not what to fear.  It may actually turn out to be your favorite part.  "I never knew I could do that."  "I never knew God could do that."  "I could never have done that without Him."

And just plain "Wow!"

We are not in control.  But He is.  Nothing random after all.  But His staggering faithfulness.

 

For I know the plans I have for you,

                   declares the LORD,

plans for welfare and not for evil,

to give you a future and a hope.

...You will seek Me and find me,

when you seek Me with all your heart.

                       Jeremiah 29. 11, 13 

And that is when the adventure begins. Even in what only appears as an ordinary day. 

What if we add to our conversation over supper, What was your favorite part of this day?  And then look for the unexpected treasures of His faithfulness.  

Never stop exploring. 

October 1 ?!?!

 Yesterday, October still seemed a long time away.  

This morning, I woke up and realized it is here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"It's October," I said to my husband.  "How did that happen?"

"Day by day," he remarked.

I thought about author Annie Dillard's response to the swift passing of time and our response:  "How we spend our days is how we spend our lives."

What is our response to the 24 hours before us?

The world says, "Seize the day."

But God says, "Take My hand."  

 

From of old not one has heard

         or perceived by ear,

no eye has seen a God besides You

who acts for those who wait for Him.

                        Isaiah 64. 4

I don't need to worry that I am missing out.  I just need to be faithful to Him.  Because in what we consider an insignificant detail, God brings both His faithfulness and fruitfulness to it.  Mundane does not appear in God's dictionary.  We think in days.  God has eternity in His hands.  We add.  God multiplies.  We plant a seed.  God produces a forest that will outlive us.

There are no insignificant obediences.   My response to God directly impacts our days and the lives all around me.

And so I pray Colossians 1. 10 and add the word today at the end of each phrase: 

"...to lead a life worthy of You today,

fully pleasing to You today,

bearing fruit in every good work today,

and increasing in the knowledge of You today."

Order our days, O LORD.

Guide our steps.

Direct our thoughts.

Align our hearts

                 with Yours.

Infect our decisions

              and our vision.

 

The LORD will fulfill His purpose for me;

Your steadfast love, O LORD,

                   endures forever.

                                  Psalm 138.8 

Even today.

Even for a billion tomorrows.

Even in this.

 

Trip or grip

We all struggle with something, that which is visible to others, or that which is hidden from view but very real.  

 

We can learn from the stories of others, not just how they coped but how they pressed on and lived through the hard stuff.  This summer, I read the memoir of the beloved children's author Beverly Cleary who passed away this past spring at the ripe old age of 104.  She did not just make up stories for kids.  She lived a very real story of her own.

"Make adversity work for you," she wrote in her 1995 memoir My Own Two Feet.  Beverly's life had not been easy.  Having lived through two pandemics, the Great Depression, two world wars, and a host of other personal troubles and mishaps, she approached difficulty with a great deal of creativity.  When hardship arrived, she did not just make the best of it.  She threw herself into it.  When the only job she could find was an assistant librarian in a small town, she learned as much as she could about children's literature, not realizing at the time that this very narrow and humbling experience--not what she would have chosen-- would set her up to eventually become a writer herself.  We know her best as the writer of children's books, her characters including Ramona, Henry Huggins and a mischievous mouse on a motorcycle. Her first book was not published until she was 54 years old.  More than 90 million of her books have been sold. 

Yesterday, as I ran a local trail through the woods, I dreaded the famed Farrell Road section, a sharp hill studded with massive roots strategically placed in the last sweaty mile, seemingly to trip me up.  I have been this way many times before.  And then as I was struggling up this path which I could not avoid, I realized that the meandering roots actually looked like a staircase.  Not to trip me up, but to give me a grip.  I could see this "affliction" differently and navigate it with a fresh vision.  The roots gave me traction. 

The first time I came upon this treacherous stairway of roots, I was dismayed.  But each time I run this hilly route, each time I encounter this hard place, it no longer defeats me, but it strengthens me for yet another challenge. 

"...maybe that's the real secret weapon:  believing that you have another gear," states PhD physicist and runner Alex Hutchinson in his book Endure:  Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance.

And maybe the real secret weapon is knowing it is not in me, but God.  We keep on discovering new dimensions of strength for our journey.  Not mind over matter, but His strength over mine, letting endurance have its perfect work, equipping us for the road ahead, wherever that may be, whatever it entails for our souls, and the story of His faithfulness that God gives us.

How do I approach this hard situation differently?

Blessed are those whose strength is in You,

     in whose heart are the highways to Zion.

As they go through the Valley of Baca

     they make it a place of springs...

They go from strength to strength...

                             Psalm 84. 5-7

More than that,

we rejoice in our sufferings,

knowing that suffering produces endurance,

and endurance produces character,

and character produces hope,

and hope does not put us to shame,

because God's love has been

poured into our hearts

through the Holy Spirit 

who has been given to us.

                    Romans 5. 3-5 

 

Count it all joy, my brothers and sisters,

when you meet trials of various kinds,

for you know that the testing of your faith

                     produces steadfastness.

And let steadfastness have its full effect,

that you may be perfect and complete,

              lacking in nothing.

                            James 1. 2-4

Unexpected Appointment

I am usually out the door early to catch a run before the heat of the day and my excuses catch up with me.  

Except this morning.  For some reason, I lingered after my morning reading.  Even fully dressed, shoes on, water bottle filled, I swept the kitchen floor.  Where did that come from?  I don't know why.  And then I left before the flood of other undone things could grab my attention.  Our sequence of events is not always chronological.....or logical.

It was not that I felt like I was falling behind, but navigating a different time table this morning.  I turned into the park entrance and noticed a number of cars in the parking lot, largely because it was later than I usually arrive.  As I pulled under the big tree to park, suddenly a friend of mine popped out of the car next to mine.  I haven't seen her in a while.

"Wow," I said.  "We couldn't have timed that more perfectly. Are you walking?" I asked her.

"Yes, I am waiting for a friend.  She should have been here by now," she remarked.  And then, my upbeat and outgoing friend uncharacteristically said, "I am not looking forward to this.  The last time I met her, she was overwhelming.  It was hard.  She was so difficult. I am afraid it will happen again."

A large SUV pulled into the remaining parking spot.  It was her friend.

There was no time.  I had no advice.  But I knew what I could do.  In the remaining seconds while her friend approached, I whispered to her, "I'll pray."  My friend introduced us, and then, I took off for my run in an opposite direction.

I chuckled at God's timing which is always perfect.  Those unexpected appointments-- "just happened to run into" moments-- never take God by surprise, but fulfill His eternal purposes, even in ways we may never realize.  For some deep reason, this situation was too strong for my friend, not something she could handle on her own but only by His strength and power and wisdom.  Prayer always brings the supernatural into a situation and produces a radically different path or outcome.

God's divine encounters are never random occurrences.  His faithfulness exceeds circumstances. The pieces do not just fit together in some curious way or another, but designed and engineered with precision, planting a seed, covering a gap, filling an immediate need that far exceeds our vision.

I prayed for my friend while I ran. 

And when I finished, she had already texted me:  "Delightful.  Easy.  Healing." 

An unexpected appointment.  An unexpected result.  The first bold step of reconciliation, the door now open for something new and affirming.

Never hesitate to ask for others to pray. Never hesitate to pray for others. It is part of what fellowship is all about to lift up one another in time of need and support each other in supernatural dimensions.  Something radically different is put into action, God is part of the equation, whether we see it now or not yet.

The prayer of a righteous 

         availeth much.

                  James 5. 16

And What -- If Anything-- Can Come Out of This?

 

Yesterday, my husband and I hiked an obscure trail first established ninety years ago but one that I had not hiked before.   As we proceeded down the rock-studded, root-tangled, and eroded pathway, we surmised that perhaps it had not been maintained in that length of time and obviously not often traveled.   

The trail itself would not win any awards, but the surrounding trees and accompanying creek made up for it.  And as we hiked deeper into the thick green forest, we called out “Hey bear!” and clapped our hands to keep from surprising the residents.  You never know what you’ll find around the next bend.

But fear did not restrict us.  And the wonder of God’s creation beckoned us to go farther.

At one point, within a half mile of our turn-around, an enormous tree had recently fallen across the trail, its leaves still green. A chaos of branches and the massive trunk formed an impenetrable road block.  “Time to turn around and call it a day?”  Bill asked, verbalizing the obvious. But then seconds later, more in character, rising to the occasion, pushing aside some large branches and grabbing hold of a steadfast limb, he suggested,  “Let’s see how we can do this.”

Up and over, we both pulled ourselves, not something I would have ever attempted on my own.  As we continued hiking, I realized that simple incidents, such as this, grant us the courage to face the daunting fallen trees on our daily journeys.  “Let’s see how we can do this” sets in place a different mindset, a creative challenge rather than instantaneous defeat.  God's faithfulness and strength are always discovered there.

Alongside the little clearing where we ate lunch, a thigh-deep rushing creek bounded over rocks and flowed down the slope.  Bill fished, catching far more than he ever expected, and releasing them back into the cool waters.  I sat on a large rock, drinking in the sights and reading Wendell Berry poetry that seemed as perfect lyrics set to the symphony around me.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We began hiking back up the trail towards the trailhead about four miles away, scrambling over the fallen tree which was no longer so daunting.  Bill fished along the way.  And then as the larger creek pulled away from the trail, little rock-hopping tributaries crossed our path.  At one point a stream was the trail.  My shoes became muddy and my socks soaked.  But that didn’t seem to matter any more.

At one dribble of a stream not three feet wide and maybe four inches deep, Bill laughingly dropped his line in the water.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Within seconds, he was no longer laughing, but delighted.  At the end of his line, as fast as he cast it, a beautiful unexpected brook trout appeared.  Who would have ever thought a fish that size could have come out of such a small patch of water?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And what -- if anything -- can come out of this?  This ordinary day, this mundane task, out of our own unnoticed hard work, this difficulty or impossible situation?  The adversary always claims "It doesn't matter," when indeed it does.  But God says, "Now watch what I do with this."

Faithfulness is sown in places that only seem inconsequential.  Fruitfulness sometimes emerges full grown in the most unlikely places.  Nothing is insignificant in God’s economy. No effort that He cannot use.

In our own little dribble of water, may we be amazed at what God is bringing out of the impossible.  Astonished at what God redeems.  Surprised at what God is up to.  And far beyond what we expect.  We rarely grasp what is below the surface.

 

They went out and got into the boat,

but that night they caught nothing.

Just as day was breaking,

Jesus stood on the shore;

yet the disciples did not know

      it was Jesus.

Jesus said to them, “Children,

do you have any fish?”

They answered Him, “No.”

He said to them,

“Cast the net on the right side of the boat,

and you will find some.”

So they cast it,

and now they were not able to haul it in,

because of the quantity of fish.

 

                     John 21. 3-6