We had just returned from a weekend trip and had some sad phone messages awaiting us. A friend of ours lost a friend and neighbor in a tragic house fire, another friend lost his sister to cancer, and a family member was having some medical tests run to determine what was causing their health problems.
I rested fairly well that night, despite the burdens that accompanied me to bed. I awoke around 5:30 a.m. and there they were — pressing hard on the door of my mind, asking questions to which I had no answers, and wanting to take center stage for the day.
As I lay there in the quiet darkness of early morning, no light yet to be seen except for the dim glow of the clock on our nightstand, I sighed and thought of all the times throughout my life that I’ve brought the same type of prayers before the Lord, asking Him to comfort someone, or heal a sickness.
Never will I forget the call I received in the middle of the night many years ago letting me know that my older sister had died suddenly at the young age of 36. I was only 30 at the time and was hit with the sad, crippling reality that I’d have to go through the majority of my adult life without her. Or the time my baby was sick with a fever and began having convulsions in the middle of the night. Or the two times my dear husband fell to the floor, turning gray and, while waiting on the ambulance to come, was terrified that I would lose him. And the time when . . . oh, there’s been so many times that you and I could tell about when we’ve gone before the throne of God needing help.
Sometimes you and I have walked quietly, in deep sorrow and tears, into the throne room, while other times we’ve run there with the fear and panic of a 911 call. But this particular morning, as I was pondering all these things, I asked myself if the Lord ever grows weary of my repetitious prayers for basically the same things in life. And the answer came back to my heart and mind with the joyous reminders that, “He never slumbers , nor sleeps (Psalm 121:3), and is the same yesterday, today, and forever!” (Hebrews 13:8)
The sweet spirit of God reminded me that we are to cast our cares upon Him because He cares for us (I Peter 5:7) and never grows weary of our requests. We are to ask, seek, and knock — a continual process. (Matthew 7:7)
Several years ago, before we had any grandchildren of our own, the Lord brought a
precious baby girl into our lives whose family was having some difficulties.
From the moment we first saw her, we fell in love with her and she wrapped herself firmly around our hearts. She was with us often during her first two years of life.
During those two years I was saying things to her like, “Bring it to me,” “Come to me,” etc. So it seemed natural for her to begin calling me “MeMe”. The little girl is now in school and her family is doing well. We don’t see her as much as we did, but when we do, she still hugs her “MeMe”.
The name carried over later to our own little grandson, Landon, who is now 2 1/2 years old and the little love of our lives. And often I say to him, “Come here and let MeMe hold you.”
He has now begun putting words together and when tired, sleepy, sad, or hurt he comes to me with his little arms open wide, waiting for me to pick him up, and says, “MeMe, hold you.”
And each and every time my heart melts as I look into those little eyes and enfold him in my arms, putting kisses on his soft, tender cheeks.
And that’s what happens with the Lord, our Abba (daddy) Father. When we are tired and physically worn out from the journey of life, or our body is wracked with pain, or someone has wounded us with unkind words, or when we’ve lost someone we loved more than life itself, we can softly run to Him as a little child, hold out our arms, look into His loving eyes as His heart melts, and say to Him, “Jesus . . . hold you.”
All material copyright, November 2008
Green Stamps, Redeeming the Time
Growing up, there never was much money left over for the unnecessary things of life, but fro
m time to time we were able to get a few nice items from the S&H Green Stamp Redemption Center. Mom and I always enjoyed looking through their catalog as we picked out what we wanted when we finally had enough books filled up.
Back in those days you would not only bring your groceries home in real, brown, paper bags, but after ringing up your items a machine near the cash register would spit out a certain amount of Green Stamps, depending upon the total of your receipt. The cashiers back then didn’t have registers that automatically told them how much change you should get — they had to figure it out for themselves and actually count it back to you! It kept both cashier and customer sharp with their arithmetic!
We’d get home and one of us would soon sit down and begin the process of adhering the stamps to the front and back of each page! The stamps were green on the front and on the back was a glue that, of course, became sticky when wet. And the saliva glands went into overdrive as we licked and pressed the stamps onto the dry pages of the book. By the time we were done, our tongues were dry and the taste of glue stayed with us for hours! Week after week we would re-count our books and anxiously await the day when we could turn the books in for our “wished-for” item.
Waiting on our books to fill up was mighty good for us, as it taught us patience and the reward at the end gave us something to look forward to! No credit cards back then! We paid cash or simply did without. And our faith increased as we relied on God to meet our needs in daily ways and, at other times, miraculously!
There’s sadness in my heart for our society today — instant credit and instant gratification have taken away our need to wait on the Lord and watch Him supply. Now if we need something, we simply grab our Visa card and pay for it later. The only credit back then was at the corner “Mom and Pop” store where a running tab was kept on regular customers. Your word was good, and you eventually paid your bill in full.
If given the choice to do it all over again, I would still ask the Lord to put me in my family that had to trust God for their daily needs. So many lessons were learned from that experience as a child that have helped me cope in life as an adult. Some of my favorite childhood meals were served when money was scarce, such as a dinner of nothing but fresh corn-on-the-cob served with real butter, or home-fried potatoes. Yum-yum! When the day finally arrived for us to “cash in our books” it was exciting! Mom would often get new sheets, pillowcases, bath towels, or something pretty for the house.
Mom not only knew how to redeem her time, but also her money, which was always scarce. But every bill got paid and we never missed a meal, thanks to the provision of our wonderful Lord! Time today is a precious commodity. In our age of affluence and modern conveniences, it moves at record speed. And before we know it, life will be behind us and eternity ahead.
Yesterday’s time is gone and tomorrow’s sunrise may not come for us. But we have today to redeem, or cash in, our time. Spend your time wisely and it will reward you. Spend time with the Lord each morning before your day begins and your mind is at its peak performance.
Fill your day with prayer, call a friend, visit someone who is sick or lonely, volunteer in your community, read a book while sitting on your porch or in your favorite chair. Work in your garden or flower bed, play with your grandchildren, talk and laugh with your spouse, invite someone to dinner, take a walk along an autumn path and watch the leaves fall gently to the ground. Lay in your hammock and watch the clouds go by, and give a gospel tract to a lost person.
But, most of all, listen long and with a pure heart to the voice of God. He often speaks with a still, small voice, and if our time is spent surrounded by loud distractions, or consumed with “busyness” we will fail to hear His soft whisper in our ears. Ephesians 5 tells us to make good use of our time, because the days are evil. God instructs us not to be unwise, but to ask Him for wisdom.
Stay busy today, but don’t run so fast that you fail to enjoy the day, or fail to hear your Father call out to you.
All material copyright, October 2008
m time to time we were able to get a few nice items from the S&H Green Stamp Redemption Center. Mom and I always enjoyed looking through their catalog as we picked out what we wanted when we finally had enough books filled up.Back in those days you would not only bring your groceries home in real, brown, paper bags, but after ringing up your items a machine near the cash register would spit out a certain amount of Green Stamps, depending upon the total of your receipt. The cashiers back then didn’t have registers that automatically told them how much change you should get — they had to figure it out for themselves and actually count it back to you! It kept both cashier and customer sharp with their arithmetic!
We’d get home and one of us would soon sit down and begin the process of adhering the stamps to the front and back of each page! The stamps were green on the front and on the back was a glue that, of course, became sticky when wet. And the saliva glands went into overdrive as we licked and pressed the stamps onto the dry pages of the book. By the time we were done, our tongues were dry and the taste of glue stayed with us for hours! Week after week we would re-count our books and anxiously await the day when we could turn the books in for our “wished-for” item.Waiting on our books to fill up was mighty good for us, as it taught us patience and the reward at the end gave us something to look forward to! No credit cards back then! We paid cash or simply did without. And our faith increased as we relied on God to meet our needs in daily ways and, at other times, miraculously!
There’s sadness in my heart for our society today — instant credit and instant gratification have taken away our need to wait on the Lord and watch Him supply. Now if we need something, we simply grab our Visa card and pay for it later. The only credit back then was at the corner “Mom and Pop” store where a running tab was kept on regular customers. Your word was good, and you eventually paid your bill in full.
If given the choice to do it all over again, I would still ask the Lord to put me in my family that had to trust God for their daily needs. So many lessons were learned from that experience as a child that have helped me cope in life as an adult. Some of my favorite childhood meals were served when money was scarce, such as a dinner of nothing but fresh corn-on-the-cob served with real butter, or home-fried potatoes. Yum-yum! When the day finally arrived for us to “cash in our books” it was exciting! Mom would often get new sheets, pillowcases, bath towels, or something pretty for the house.
Mom not only knew how to redeem her time, but also her money, which was always scarce. But every bill got paid and we never missed a meal, thanks to the provision of our wonderful Lord! Time today is a precious commodity. In our age of affluence and modern conveniences, it moves at record speed. And before we know it, life will be behind us and eternity ahead.
Yesterday’s time is gone and tomorrow’s sunrise may not come for us. But we have today to redeem, or cash in, our time. Spend your time wisely and it will reward you. Spend time with the Lord each morning before your day begins and your mind is at its peak performance.
Fill your day with prayer, call a friend, visit someone who is sick or lonely, volunteer in your community, read a book while sitting on your porch or in your favorite chair. Work in your garden or flower bed, play with your grandchildren, talk and laugh with your spouse, invite someone to dinner, take a walk along an autumn path and watch the leaves fall gently to the ground. Lay in your hammock and watch the clouds go by, and give a gospel tract to a lost person.
But, most of all, listen long and with a pure heart to the voice of God. He often speaks with a still, small voice, and if our time is spent surrounded by loud distractions, or consumed with “busyness” we will fail to hear His soft whisper in our ears. Ephesians 5 tells us to make good use of our time, because the days are evil. God instructs us not to be unwise, but to ask Him for wisdom.
Stay busy today, but don’t run so fast that you fail to enjoy the day, or fail to hear your Father call out to you.
All material copyright, October 2008
Summer's Farewell
In the winter months my back porch is empty and barren, except for a stack of firewood that is used in our fireplace on cold winter days. The wooden, swing frame will sit empty and still as the canvas seat cushions are stored away in the attic, awaiting warmer weather once again. The concrete patio will be cold and visited only by an occasional layer of ice or snow. The black, wrought iron fence surrounding the patio will bid it stay until the next season arrives.
With spring comes a much anticipated flurry of outdoor activity. Flower pots will once again be brought out of storage and filled with fresh potting soil. Young, tender flowers will be planted therein, and look so small and lonely in those big pots!
Our bistro table will return and we will again enjoy coffee and morning breakfasts around it. The rocking chair will take its place amongst the flowers and the swing cushions will be brought down from the attic and, once again, placed on the wooden frame of the swing.
Finally, summer will arrive and what a beautiful time it brings! As I sit on my swing I will be once again surrounded by pots of flowers of all shapes and sizes. Pink mandevilla will climb along the wrought iron fence, baskets of million bells will hang over the edge, impatiens will grow knee-hi along the brick wall of the house that attaches to the patio. Petunias, geraniums, marigolds, coleus, purple and yellow lantana, hibiscus, vinca and other flowers will grow to full capacity and my once large, empty patio will shrink in size as the flowers take over.
A garden flag flies overhead as the morning breeze gently blows. Purple morning glories will grow on the fence and climb up the side of the house by the back door.
Summer brings such sweet sounds as the birds chirp back and forth in the morning light.At night, a string of patio lights will softly glow among the mandevilla vines and the candle on my bistro table will flicker with the fireflies as crickets fill the night with their song.
Yes, flowers are a lot of work — planting, fertilizing, watering — but the pleasure they bring far outweighs the labor!
Without a doubt, there are places far more beautiful than my old, concrete patio with a crack running down the middle, but for me it is my simple place of solitude and refuge. It’s a place where I can be alone and quiet. A place where I read God’s Word and spend time with Him in prayer. And enjoy the beauty of God’s creation in my flowers.
Each day I try to really “look” at my flowers — not just see them from a busy distance, but sit amongst them and soak in their beauty. I touch them, smell them, and care for them.
God is the Gardener. I am just the caretaker of what His hands have designed.
In a few short days, autumn will be upon us and my flowers will have died. My back porch will once again be empty and barren and I will anxiously await springs return when I can begin the planting process all over again.
Ephesians 2:19 tells us that as believers in Christ we are “no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints of the household of God.” Just as we enjoy a beautiful garden of flowers, take time to enjoy the sweet presence of other saints — your fellow citizens.
Plant the seed of friendship in the heart of a stranger, nourish it by taking time to talk with them, care for them, and enjoy their company. Fertilize that friendship through edification, prayer, and encouragement. And water the relationship so that the sweet scent of Christ in your life fills their heart with His beauty.
All material copyright, September 2008
With spring comes a much anticipated flurry of outdoor activity. Flower pots will once again be brought out of storage and filled with fresh potting soil. Young, tender flowers will be planted therein, and look so small and lonely in those big pots!
Our bistro table will return and we will again enjoy coffee and morning breakfasts around it. The rocking chair will take its place amongst the flowers and the swing cushions will be brought down from the attic and, once again, placed on the wooden frame of the swing.
Finally, summer will arrive and what a beautiful time it brings! As I sit on my swing I will be once again surrounded by pots of flowers of all shapes and sizes. Pink mandevilla will climb along the wrought iron fence, baskets of million bells will hang over the edge, impatiens will grow knee-hi along the brick wall of the house that attaches to the patio. Petunias, geraniums, marigolds, coleus, purple and yellow lantana, hibiscus, vinca and other flowers will grow to full capacity and my once large, empty patio will shrink in size as the flowers take over.
A garden flag flies overhead as the morning breeze gently blows. Purple morning glories will grow on the fence and climb up the side of the house by the back door.
Summer brings such sweet sounds as the birds chirp back and forth in the morning light.At night, a string of patio lights will softly glow among the mandevilla vines and the candle on my bistro table will flicker with the fireflies as crickets fill the night with their song.
Yes, flowers are a lot of work — planting, fertilizing, watering — but the pleasure they bring far outweighs the labor!
Without a doubt, there are places far more beautiful than my old, concrete patio with a crack running down the middle, but for me it is my simple place of solitude and refuge. It’s a place where I can be alone and quiet. A place where I read God’s Word and spend time with Him in prayer. And enjoy the beauty of God’s creation in my flowers.
Each day I try to really “look” at my flowers — not just see them from a busy distance, but sit amongst them and soak in their beauty. I touch them, smell them, and care for them.
God is the Gardener. I am just the caretaker of what His hands have designed.
In a few short days, autumn will be upon us and my flowers will have died. My back porch will once again be empty and barren and I will anxiously await springs return when I can begin the planting process all over again.
Ephesians 2:19 tells us that as believers in Christ we are “no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints of the household of God.” Just as we enjoy a beautiful garden of flowers, take time to enjoy the sweet presence of other saints — your fellow citizens.
Plant the seed of friendship in the heart of a stranger, nourish it by taking time to talk with them, care for them, and enjoy their company. Fertilize that friendship through edification, prayer, and encouragement. And water the relationship so that the sweet scent of Christ in your life fills their heart with His beauty.
All material copyright, September 2008
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