Month May 2021

Stretching While You Wait

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 “He who is best prepared can best serve his moment of inspiration.”

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

“Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.”

C.S. Lewis

I have often heard that God answers prayers in one of three ways: yes, no, and wait. I get the answer “wait”… a lot. There are times that I wish those answers came in an 8-ball so that I could just keep shaking it until I got the answer I wanted. God, however, is not an 8-ball, so when He says wait, it is best to obey.

2 For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him… 9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.

Genesis 21:2, 9

Sarah had to wait 25 years for the promised son. She grew a little impatient, so she took it upon herself to make it happen by giving her handmaid to her husband so that she could gain a child through Hagar. Now that Sarah finally had what God had promised her, she had to deal with the consequences of her actions: Hagar and Ishmael. She should have waited, but it is hard to sit idly by while the world moves on. So,what do you do while you are waiting?

When God says wait on Him, he doesn’t mean to just sit in front of the television binge watching or endlessly scrolling through social media. Maybe what you are waiting on requires a little preparation. So, maybe it’s time to get up off the couch and stretch.

13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:13-14

I recently bought a copy of The Joy Box Journal by Adria Wilkins. I ordered the book online and it took the scenic route to get to my house, so I was waiting [not so patiently] on it. Then, I was busy dealing with the flea incident [see earlier posts], causing me to wait another week to actually open it. I was excited to finally sit down and open the book. The first entry was about how the author had to wait a while to adopt a child, referencing Luke 1 about Elizabeth and Zechariah waiting for a child. It caught my attention because the Sunday before the pastor preached a sermon on the Genesis 21 text I referenced above. I had been praying about a couple of things, so the book had actually come at the right time to confirm God’s answer to wait.

A couple of days later, an entry referenced Philippians 3 and the idea of stretching yourself. I had been planning to start a 21-day plan to help me focus on discerning God’s will for my writing, and part of that plan is a focus on eating and exercising in a more mindful way. Maybe I needed to stretch my mind, body, and spirit while I wait.

Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

1 Corinthians 9:24

If you want to finish the race and win the prize, you have to grow. As Christians we grow by renewing our minds in the scriptures, praying, and obeying God’s known will. Take the waiting time to study to show yourself approved. Digging into the Word of God prepares our hearts and minds. Then, pray for guidance, but also purpose to pray for others. It is easy to get caught up in our own little world, but when we focus on the needs of others, it gives us a clearer perspective. Finally, If you want to be considered for bigger jobs, then you should do your current job to the best of your ability. If God tells you to mop the floor, then make that floor shine. None of these things is easy, but stretching isn’t about easy; it’s about growth. Usually growing has its share of pain, but it’s worth the end results. I will keep telling myself that every time I pass the ice cream shop. Maybe I’ll just change my route to work.

Home Again

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There’s no place like home.

Dorothy Gale – The Wizard of Oz

How do you pick up the threads of an old life? How do you go on, when in your heart you begin to understand…there is no going back?

Frodo
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
J. R. R. Tolkien

Yesterday I came home from a much-needed vacation in the north Georgia mountains. Everything was peaceful, calm, and green with perfect temperatures and a nice breeze. My sister and I ate what we wanted and did what we wanted. We put together a jigsaw puzzle, watched a few movies, listened to an audio book on a landing near the river, or just rocked on the porch while we listened to the river below and the birds in the trees. Then, we came home. I was glad to get back to my fur babies, but it is always a little surreal, like something is not quite right.

In 1994 I moved to Seoul, South Korea for almost two years as a missionary, teaching English at the WMU headquarters. When I went to Korea, I expected life to be different living in a foreign country, and I wasn’t disappointed. However, I was not prepared for the return home. Everything was the same but different. A tree that had been in front of my childhood home for probably a hundred years came down during a hurricane that made its way inland. My niece had grown so much from the toddler I remembered that I almost didn’t recognize her. The house was the same, but it didn’t feel quite right.

For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.

Hebrews 13:14

The saying that you can’t go home again doesn’t mean you can’t physically go home; it means you can go but it will never be exactly the same because you have changed. My two years in Korea had changed me, matured me. For two years Seoul was my home, so returning to my childhood home was not the same anymore. It wasn’t bad, but it took several months to settle back into a routine. I understand what Frodo meant in the quotation above: there is no going back. But, that’s not a bad thing because we shouldn’t be going back; we should be moving forward.

For our conversation [citizenship] is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:

Philippians 3:20

When we become Christians, our citizenship changes. We are no longer of this world though we remain in it. Therefore, we will never really feel like we belong because we are looking forward to home inHeaven one day. When Frodo returned to the Shire, he knew he couldn’t stay. He stayed long enough to finish his last task, and then he journeyed on to the white shores. When we accept Christ as Lord, we should be looking toward Him and what He has for us to do. Then, once our assignments are complete, we will go home to our reward.

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

John 14:1-2

In the meantime, we have a purpose right where we are. Some days it is fighting fleas, and some days it is fighting giants. Most days it is somewhere in the middle. It is a journey down a road less taken, and you never know what will be around the next turn, but you know who walks beside you, and you know the journey’s end: Home. Like Dorothy said, “There is no place like home.”

Home is behind, the world ahead, And there are many paths to tread Through shadows to the edge of night, Until the stars are all alight. Then world behind and home ahead, We’ll wander back and home to bed. Mist and twilight, cloud and shade, Away shall fade! Away shall fade!

J. R. R. Tolkien

In Praise of Fleas?

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But have you known a dog to praise his fleas?

Wm. Butler Yeats

I hate fleas! As I write this, I have literally sprayed myself into the corner of my house, more specifically to my office. Earlier today I gave each cat a dose of flea medicine, so they are currently cleaning themselves profusely while staring at the closed door with suspicion. I am resisting the urge to scratch myself just at the thought of it. In the meantime, the flea spray is doing its job in the rest of the house, so I am writing this blog post while I wait for the two hours to pass.

So, I began to ponder what God might have me learn from this aggravation. I came across the little poem by Yeats. He was talking about refusing to praise bad poets who imitated his poetry because they were like fleas living off of his work. The same could be said of Christians who claim righteousness as if they had done something to deserve it. The only reason we have any righteousness at all is because of Christ within us.

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9

We have salvation because of God’s grace and Christ’s sacrifice. We are all sinners (Romans 3:23), and if we have anything to brag about, it is in Christ alone (Galatians 6:14). So, when I am tempted to think more highly of myself than I ought to, I will try to remember these fleas. You see, the cats didn’t bring fleas into my house. I did. The cats are indoor cats and never go outside. The fleas came in on me and infested my house and my cats. I am to blame.

Now, while I am dealing with the consequences, I still wonder what I can take away from this situation. Well, these little critters have motivated me to do what I should have already done, which is a deep spring cleaning. Maybe a spiritual spring cleaning is in order as well as we try to move past all of these trying times. You see if I had made sure the shop cat had been treated before the first flea bit me, then I wouldn’t be spending my day off fighting these pests. What will it take to motivate you? For your sake, I hope it isn’t fleas.

Stay Still

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Think of yourself just as a seed patiently waiting in the earth; waiting to come up a flower in the Gardener’s good time, up into the real world, the real waking.

C. S. Lewis

Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

Psalm 46:10

For the last few weeks I have been working an extra temporary job to help save up for a car. One day I was trying to focus on the work, which can be tedious, but my mind was flying in every direction. I was going over all the things that needed doing and bills that needed paying and trying to figure out how to get it all done. There should have been a blue circle over my head going around and around. I couldn’t get my mind to stay still.

Sometimes the busyness of this world can overwhelm us with things we think we should do or worrying about might ifs. The story of Martha is often the story of us. Jesus was in the house, and she was in the kitchen. She was missing out on the best part of life doing what was expected of her by society, being a good host, instead of enjoying her company. Jesus doesn’t call us to do what the world expects; He calls us to be obedient to him. Sometimes that means to just be still.

41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: 42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

Luke 10:41-42

The funny thing is Jesus’ list is a lot shorter than the one the world tries to give us. His goal is not necessarily being more productive as much as it is being closer to Him. Now, we all have jobs to do, but sometimes we take on work that isn’t ours. We either try to do things that God didn’t call us to, or we try to do his job. In the Mary and Martha story, Jesus says that Mary has chosen the one needful thing, which was being in His presence. If we take the time to sit at His feet, we often find the To Do List is shorter than we thought.

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28

Jesus calls us to work alongside Him. When we do that, He takes the bulk of the weight for himself, but sometimes we try to take over. For instance, when I started worrying about the future, I was taking on His job and it is too much for me because I wasn’t made for that position. God doesn’t want us to work ourselves to death; He wants us to rest. He even set aside a day for it.

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Isaiah 40:31

When we take the time to wait upon the Lord, we are renewed. The word “wait” has a few connotations. The first is to wait upon the Lord like Mary did by sitting at His feet, to take a moment to be still. Another meaning is to wait for His guidance and timing. Finally, there is the idea of waiting on Him like a servant, or being obedient to His commands. When we wait on the Lord, our lives are much more enjoyable and satisfying because we are doing what we were meant to do, but it all started with being still.

Stay Focused

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“Bear in mind then, that Brag is a good dog, but Holdfast is a better.”

― Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

“I’m not in this world to live up to your expectations and you’re not in this world to live up to mine.”

― Bruce Lee

The two words set my nerve on edge: Below Expectations. I am working a short-term job which requires me to maintain validity. They judge this by randomly inserting tests in with actual work to make sure that I am responding in a consistent manner. For the last week I had been “Exceeding Expectations” and making incentive pay for my hard work. In one shift I had dropped to the danger zone, and I had no idea why because I cannot see what I have done wrong and my supervisor is not allowed to tell me. They can only offer suggestions. If I drop too low, I can be dropped from the job and possibly not invited to further job offers. I reminded God that He had provided this job and I needed wisdom to be able to continue.

 Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?

Jeremiah 32:27

Jeremiah was the verse for Monday and reminded me that not even a computer system or validity questions were too hard for God. I continued working, but the two words “Below Expectations” were always just to the left, mocking me. I clocked out early with a headache.

 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1:9

I had to confess that I was wavering in my faith a little, especially since the two words would not go away, no matter how carefully I worked. I had lost my confidence. I prayed again and kept working.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28

I could see no purpose in this mental torture, but I kept on working. There was still no change in the two words. I clocked out a little early, weary of the mental strain of trying to meet some hidden goal.

 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

1 Corinthians 10:13

The next night I picked back up with those two words still lit up in orange: Below Expectations. I began to work and occasionally the system would show me that I had answered correctly, but the words refused to change. Then, I noticed that the system had not notified me of a chat message from my supervisor. It was a word of encouragement. I responded that I appreciated it.

 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

Psalm 91:4

A little while later I received a phone call from the supervisor. He said that he had no idea why the system kept showing “Below Expectations.” From His perspective, I was doing excellent work. He could see everything I had done from His side of the system, while all I could see were the two words “Below Expectations.” His encouragement got me back on track and a day later I was back on “Exceeds Expectations.”

In life, sometimes all we ever see about us are evidence that we don’t meet up to the world’s standards. The truth is it’s not the world’s standards we have to meet; it is God’s standards. He knew we could never meet them, so He sent His only Son to bridge the gap for us. The enemy uses comparison and discouragement to try and distract us from doing what God has called us to do. God doesn’t require perfection, only a willing heart. He’s not looking for someone who talks a good talk; He is looking for someone who holds fast to Him.

So, when the world tries to distract you by throwing comparisons in your face, remember to stay focused on God and hold fast.