I've moved my personal blog to a new location. Read more at: The Delighting Heart.
The Delighted Heart
"Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4
Tuesday, August 10, 2021
Sunday, November 22, 2020
Hope Does Not Disappoint
Yes, I’m one of those people who puts up an artificial tree. If you’re a Never-Faker, Only-a-Real-Tree-Will-Do type of person, don’t judge me. When I put up my tree this year, dangling from one of the fake-snow covered branches was an ornament leftover from last year. It spelled out "hope".
I put up my Christmas tree before Thanksgiving because…. well, why not? I notice others are doing the same thing. While Thanksgiving signifies thankfulness for what God’s done in the past, Christmas gives us hope. And this year, we all need a huge dose of hope.
In my hopefulness, I feel like Ralphie from the Christmas Story. You remember Ralphie; he’s the kid who wanted the Red Rider BB gun for Christmas. But everyone---his mother, his teacher, the department store Santa---frowned, shook their heads, and snickered, “You’ll shoot your eye out.”
Well, my dearest desire is to spend Christmas with those I love …. just like I used to. But from every corner I hear the warnings: “You’ll spread the virus.” But I miss the things that gave me joy: having the family home for the holidays (because you know, There’s No Place Like Home for the Holidays), singing Christmas carols, worshiping with my choir, having the family travel over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house.
I know it’s wise to be realistic, but I’m not ashamed of feeling hopeful. Though we’ve all had a rough year in 2020, I’m confident God is using our difficulties to help us develop character. That feeling of hopefulness comes from God, and we need to hang on to it.
"But we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." Romans 5:3-5 (NIV)
When all seemed lost for Ralphie, when Christmas morning had come and gone and he hadn’t received the gift he desperately wished for, there in the corner was one last surprise: A Red Rider Carbine Action 200-Shot Range Model air rifle.
So I’m holding on to hope and waiting to see what wonderous surprises God has wrapped up and waiting for all of us.
"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." Romans 12:12 (NIV)
Monday, August 10, 2020
The Alpha and Omega
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord
God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:8 (ESV)
Boxes, boxes, boxes!
It seemed like everywhere I turned, I had to navigate
a maze of boxes. I wanted things in order, but I didn’t know where to begin.
When my husband and I married, we combined two
households. He sold his house and moved into mine. Though we’d given away a U
Haul full of furniture and sold a truckload of assorted items in a yard sale,
the garage was still stacked floor to ceiling with stuff. Inside, the house was
littered with piles of unsorted items.
I couldn’t even find order and familiarity at my
workplace because my job was also in a state of flux. I was transitioning from teaching
kindergarten to teaching in a new first grade classroom. So after my June
wedding, when I tired of unpacking, sorting, and arranging at home, I went to
my new classroom to do more of the same.
Can I just admit I did a lot of banging and clanging
as I not-so-carefully shoved tables and chairs from one corner of the classroom
to the other. I may have kicked a few boxes that were too heavy to lift. I sat
on the floor and cried.
I hadn’t asked to
move to first grade. With so many other changes going on in my personal life, I
would have preferred to relax into the familiar routines of the kindergarten
class I’d taught for several years. But my principal hadn’t given me a choice. I
felt tossed around by circumstances and events beyond my control.
Life seemed
chaotic and overwhelming, and I zoomed in on the tiny pixels of my own problems.
My view of reality was distorted. I needed a change of perspective.
I needed to remember I belong to the Almighty
God, who is a God of order and has a plan that is unfolding according to his
purpose. I can be confident that in the end all will turn out the way God
intends.
In the Book of Revelation, as he gives the apostle John a glimpse
into heaven, God identifies himself as “him who is and who was and who is to
come, the Almighty,” the “Alpha and the Omega.”
Because he is the God who was, I know my life
is not accidental; I was created with a purpose.
Out of nothing, God created a universe of unfathomable
intricacy and complexity. Down to the tiniest particles, all of the pieces of
his creation work together to perform their God-intended function. God’s
creation is well-planned, and I am part of that plan.
Because he is the God who is, I know he is
still involved in my life.
He is still intimately involved in his creation. He
holds all things together. And because I am his child, he’s at work in my life,
helping me to grow into the person he wants me to be. God can take tragedies in
my life and use them for good. Each situation in my life----even a job change I
didn’t ask for---has a purpose.
Because
he is the God who is to come, I know in the end everything will be made
right.
In the Book of Revelation, God gives us a sneak peek
at the end of his story. And in the end, God wins. Jesus is coming back to
earth, and one day he will make all things right.
When I’m faced with uncertainty, I can ask God to give
me his perspective. How might God be using my circumstances to bring about
good? What new lessons will I learn? Which new relationships will be formed?
How can I honor him?
So sitting on the floor surrounded by cardboard boxes--and
after I’d had a good cry--, I prayed. Then I opened the closest box. Stapler,
tape dispenser, scissors, pens …..I began setting up my desk.
Father, sometimes I feel overwhelmed. I want to put things in
order, but I just don’t know where to start. Give me your wisdom. Then empower
me by your Holy Spirit to take the necessary steps. I know you are working in
my life to accomplish your purpose. You are the Alpha and Omega, and I am
trusting you.
Are you overwhelmed? Remember your life is
part of a bigger story. Bring your frustration and confusion to the Lord. Then
spend some time just listening for his voice. If it helps, write down what you
sense him telling you. What is the first step you need to take?
He is the Alpha and the
Omega, the first and the last. All things begin and end with him.
Tuesday, July 7, 2020
A Time to Love
She loved baking funfetti cupcakes, frosting them with white icing, and topping each one with red and blue sprinkles and an American flag.
Monday, May 18, 2020
Mother's Day
Tuesday, April 7, 2020
When You're Anxious about the Future
I felt my heart rate accelerate. My jaw clenched. My muscles tightened. My body and mind were suddenly on alert: Stressful situation approaching!
My husband and I were discussing our finances in view of the sudden upheaval in the world's economy. I'd tried to ignore graphs of the stock market jumping up and down like a kid on a trampoline. But as my husband and I talked, my heart rate was bouncing up, too.
The world is in a crisis unlike any I've experienced. We don't know what the future holds. What if we make the wrong decision?
If I let my imagination run wild, I could envision us in a Depression Era scene, empty bowls in hand, shuffling in line to get our daily ration at a soup kitchen.
Then I had to take a deep breath and remember where our hope is anchored. It's not in our bank accounts, our jobs, or the economy. Our hope is in God ... the very same God who's provided for us through past upheavals, recessions, and natural disasters.
In Matthew Chapter 6 we read Jesus's wonderful illustration of how God cares for the lilies and the birds. It's important to note this comes right after Jesus says not to lay up treasures on earth and that we can't serve both God and money. Jesus tells us to focus on the important things; God will provide for our needs.
31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
I sniffed a few times, considering this.
"Why, just before we get on the train."
"Exactly. And our wise Father in heaven knows when we're going to need things, too. Don't run out ahead of Him, Corrie. When the time comes that some of us will have to die, you will look into your heart and find the strength you need-just in time.” Corrie Ten Boom, The Hiding Place
Thursday, March 26, 2020
Prayer Makes a Difference
And since God has allowed me to live a little longer on this earth, I'm going to use my time to declare the wonderful things he's done.
It changes me. It aligns my desires to his desires, my will to his will. It provides a peace that is beyond anything I could produce on my own.