Archives for October 2018

It is a big thick book.  So many words, the size of it is daunting.  But there it is.  The contents, waiting to be read.  Available for anyone that will open it.

Tragedies.  Romance.  Adventure.  Scandal.  Mystery.  Betrayal.  Redemption.  Reconciliation.  Hope.  Love.  Compassion.  Missions.  Death.  Birth.  Science.  Fragrant.  Tasty.  Physical.  Emotional.  Spiritual.  Intellectual.  Radical.

Take your pick.  It is there.  Inside the pages waiting to be discovered.  But yet it is much more than words.

It is the display of God’s love and compassion.  All waiting for you to notice.  Collecting dust until you decide to open it.  More than the pages of the book need to be opened.

A heart.  A mind.  A soul.  Opened to faith in the Author.  Because He cares about your faith.  So much so that He wrote you a lengthy letter.

Will you open the book?  Will you search to discover the faith contained in its pages?  In opening and search you will find that faith is a two-way street.

With a genuine heart and mind, it will be the best read ever!

Her topic was prayer. As she spoke, my attention was pulled from the words she spoke. I tried to listen to her but there was a clicking sound. Not constant but just frequent enough to distract me.

Isn’t that exactly what Satan does? He uses the smallest annoyance to grab our attention so we won’t focus on what is important. He likes that game. He uses it quite well.

I knew where the clicking came from but I continued to choose to ignore it. Even though I was very aware of it. I wondered if anyone else noticed it. She was not the first speaker over the course of the weekend that I had noticed the same clicking. I even wondered if she heard it.

She gave us a moment of silence. Time to pray. A brief moment to offer up a request to God. In that moment the only thing I could think was to keep my focus. To keep my perspective from shifting somewhere outside of the immediate need of thought. I needed to hear what God had for me through the words He had given her. I didn’t need for Satan to distract me from this!

So I asked for the ability to ignore the clicking. No earth-shattering request. Just one simple, ridiculous request when there are so many other things with much more importance. Did I waste that prayer or did God use it to show me He listens and He answers? You decide.

As she closed out that moment of prayer, she removed one earring. The very earring that clicked on the shaft of her microphone. And she continued unaware that anyone else had been distracted by it. And I heard and saw and witnessed such a simple request with an earth-shattering realization.

Don’t ever doubt God’s concern for every detail of your life. He is in control over all! He wants our prayers offered in sincerity and genuine realization of Who He is and who we are, His children.

It is so early. The cool of the night still lingers in the air. Rain silently falls cleansing the air and ground. Drops of sweet clean. Rhythms of life singing praise to the Creator. Rivers of life coming from heaven. Reminding of the living water.

A slight breeze wraps around and cools a little more. Refreshing the skin of my face from a warm night sleep. Awakens me to a new day full of promises.

The expectation of the day ahead beating hard in my chest. Desiring more than I knew yesterday. Because yesterday is gone but today is now with new opportunities right in front of me.

So let’s go. Are you seeking truth today? Will you share?

Taking that hand.  Trusting that hand would rescue from the swirling water.  Knowing before that the water would be a sure-footing underneath unsteady feet.  But looking down pulls one down.  But looking full into the face of the One that saves rescues from the chaos below.  And He gently reaches down and lifts the hand without yanking.  Because in His love there is a gentle touch.  Knowing His strength so that harm doesn’t come in the helping.

Are you fully trusting in His strength this hour, this moment?

Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”  Matthew 14:31 (ESV)

Cutting through the mindless hours wasted doing nothing of eternal benefit.  Sitting in front of light that gives me no path for my feet.  Feeling numb or befuddled because I haven’t engaged into meaningful fellowship.  Facebook doesn’t count as meaningful fellowship!

But hearing my girl on the phone trying something new.  Again.  Her using her desire for beauty in this world, making something small to add a little touch of beauty.  Does she know that the beauty is in her by doing?  That the love He placed within her is where the real beauty comes from?  Not the small something she put together!  But it can remind her of the real thing!  That is meaningful fellowship.  (And she does know it!)

Seeing my young man, in diligence, be punctual for work.  Dedicated and dependable.  Does he know where that desire comes from?  Does he know that the driving force behind that desire to do and to do well comes from a place planted inside him?  That seed is waiting to erupt from him.  And I have a front-row seat.  So I watch and wait.  There is meaningful fellowship in the waiting.  (Whether or not he knows!)

That boy acts just like his daddy.  Finds humor in just about everything.  But has a big heart.  Does he know the gift God gave him?  I asked him the other day.  He said he knew.  That he can capture the friendship of anyone and bring a ray of light.  He makes me laugh.  He makes me think.  He keeps me from living in the nursing home yet!  That is fellowship!  (Even though he thinks I am weird!)

The one that stole my girl away.  He knows fellowship.  His mama raised him to stay engaged.  He doesn’t have much idle time.  And if he finds himself in front of a screen, he has conversation in the middle of it.  Learning and doing and putting his abilities to use while developing fellowship with many.  He lives in constant fellowship!

Then that man that puts up with me!  He patiently endures the ups and downs of me.  He takes me to places where I can point and shoot.  He tolerates my early morning risings because he knows the solitude I desire during that time.  He recognizes my hurts and tries to steer me in another direction, if I listen.  But he never pushes!  He lets me make my own decisions.  He encourages me to do what is right and good.  That is meaningful fellowship!

I think I will go do something fun today with some of my people!  What are you doing today?