Rocky Road

If you’re breathing you have had a few challenges in your life. It seems to me the little, sometimes daily stresses are like little pebbles beneath our feet. The stresses can be as simple as getting cut off while driving, picking up a bottle and finding the lid isn’t on tight so that what was inside is now outside, forgetting your umbrella during a rain storm, or getting to a store after it’s closed. I’m sure there are many inconveniences you could add to this list, but you get what I’m saying. The bothersome things of life – like bothersome pebbles -- can provide an occasion for stress. I see these as the gravel beneath our feet. Don’t let them trip you up! Walk above them.

Sometimes we encounter rocks, big enough to cause problems but you can see over them. These are situations that you find right smack-dab in the middle of your path. They just show up out of nowhere and you can find yourself stumbling right over them. These rocks might be relationship issues, job tensions, or even stupid things like drinking and driving, smoking, and the like. The goal is to spot them as soon as they plop down and then be able to side step. Unfortunately, I have personally discovered that I’ve had to trip over a few of these rocks and get a bit scraped up before I could learn to recognize these impediments. Learn to recognize these rocks and miss them the next time they find their way in your path.

Then there are boulders. These gargantuan rocks fall with a thundering thud, totally blocking your path. I have found they tend to come in groups, too. They typically occur stacked one on top of another, reaching heights for which a telescope would be needed to see their top. Boulders are things like being laid off-thud, house foreclosures-pound, divorce-crash, bankruptcy-pummel, and major health issues-smash. What do you do? What have you done? I have taken my little hammer and hacked away at a few boulders myself. Have you? Are you now? How do you bulldozed or surmounted these troublesome obstacles?

Paths

For many summers, bunches of us kids enjoyed the freedom of exploring pathways that snaked all over a small valley in the back country near Yosemite, as we camped with our families. One place in particular comes to mind when I think of the word path. It’s the path to the little meadow embraced by a small stand of forest at the top of one of the mountains.

On the last section of the path, in order to reach our favorite meadow we needed to climb a 45° slippery slope of deep decomposed granite-covered mountain. As soon as each of us reached this section we started running as fast as we could to make it through this quick-sand-like mountain defense. It was like an epic battle against the mountain to win our way up this path to reach our treasured meadow. The problem was that year after year we would run as hard as we could, but our progress became slower and more difficult. Finally we would become so tired in our assault on the trail that we would find ourselves sliding backwards. It was like being on an escalator going the wrong direction. People would just pass you by—going backwards. If you stopped moving completely you would soon find yourself knee deep in granite sand.

One year when I got to this section of the path, one of my friends happened to be climbing over to the right of our usual path a bit more than normal. To my surprise, they didn’t seem to be struggling as much as the rest of us. With effort, I slowly worked my way horizontally to the right. Although the path was still covered with the decomposed granite, to my surprise it didn’t seem as slippery. I decided to try stepping and step a bit more to the right up against some Manzanita plants and discovered that the ground was firmer! Why didn’t I think of this before? There was still a river of decomposed granite, the mountain was still breath-takingly steep, but I now had a firm foundation under my feet. My feet were covered with granite sand, but I could still walk. I must have looked smug as I slowly passed everyone.
Once out of this treacherous section, the ground levels out near the top and is covered with five- to six-foot high Manzanita plants and the path narrows substantially as it winds through the plants. After much effort, I finally broke through the Manzanita growth to a view of our special sun- dappled meadow.

As I have considered that path, I have realized that it is like our life’s journey. Sometimes we struggle and fight against the situation or circumstances of our life. Sometimes we just keep going, struggling and never changing, and becoming weaker. On occasion we stop while the world passes us by. Then maybe we do something different and find a fresh step on solid footing. We are finally able to move forward and make progress. However, we can soon discover that as we move out of one complication, we immediately face another, until we reach our goal.

I could have ended this pathway story right there. But as I reflected, a deeper thought bubbled to the surface. God was with me on both paths. Yes, just like with the quicksand-like granite struggle, God is with us during every challenging time in our lives. Times when we just can’t take another step. Periods when we are weak and weary. At such times we go about life in our own strength, mental ability, or sheer will. The Lord bids us to come to Him and He will give us rest. The Message says, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest.” Matthew 11:28. He is there even when we are weak, asking us to gain strength from Him. God desires to show us a better path and He will set our feet on a firm foundation. Again from The Message, “The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see.” Hebrews 11:1

Want to reach the goal and set foot in the beautiful sun-dappled meadow? He is with you and He knows the way.

Time To Come Alive

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs are people who have come alive." Howard Washington Thurman

What makes you come alive? What makes your soul sing at just the thought? Find time to do it. Your heart and soul will thank you in ways you can’t imagine. This could be a small thing, one thing or many things. Whatever it is, perhaps knowing this is a signal that you need to consider a change in your life direction, or that you should seriously contemplate the idea of a career change.

If you don’t know what brings you joy, it may be because you haven’t met yourself. If you don’t know who you are, who you really are, how will you every find your joy? How will you know your joy if it walked up and knocked on your life’s door?

One way to do this is to acquire a journal. It could anything from a simple spiral-bound tablet to a fancy leather bound plank book. Need ideas to get started? Describe your perfect day from the moment you wake up until you lay your head down at night. Be as detailed as possible and include colors, smells, sounds, and all the sensory impressions you can think of. Take as many pages as you need to finish this task

Here are ten questions to salt the mine and help get you started. For each question, write out why you answered the way you did. This is an important part of this step.
1. What is your favorite color?
2. What is your favorite time of year?
3. Do you like the beach, mountains, desert, high country, coast, prairie, or what?
4. Do you have many friends or just a few close friends?
5. How do you feel about each of your family members? Pick at least one word to describe each of your family relationship. Write one paragraph about each person.
6. Are you a morning person? Or do you come alive at night-time?
7. What is one item you can’t live without daily?
8. What makes you cry?
9. What makes you laugh?
10. How do you want to be remembered?

These are just a few questions to get you going. Think of more. I know it will take time to walk through the process to find the value of you, but it is important! Don’t just sleep walk through your life. Get to know yourself. Voltaire said it so clearly: An unexamined life is not worth living.

Is Hope Real . . . This Time?

Adults told us to dive under our desks, grab the metal legs, and keep our heads down. This action was to protect us from The Bomb. On another occasion we were let out of school early and were told to go directly home. The object was to time our trip home so our teachers would know exactly how long it took to get home in case of a bombing.

Then . . .

We were told Cuba had missiles aimed at us and ready to fire. Where was Cuba? Why did they want to hurt my friends and family? I didn’t even know what a missile was, but I could tell it scared all the adults.

This president would frequently come on the black & white television and make us feel like everything was safe and going to be okay. His speaking taught me a new word, inspired. He had a way of speaking that caused you to well-up inside with hope.

At a different time he encouraged the whole country with his confidence that we could send a person to the moon. To the moon! What an incredible thought. He also called on everyone to give their time and talent to help others. He started a group called the Peace Corps to reach out to help those in need. His sincerity took the fear out of diving under my desk and made me believe the world was full of possibilities.

Then . . .

My principal came into my classroom, whispered into my teacher’s ear, and she started to cry. Was it the bomb? No. It was my president. Someone had killed him and we were sent home. Children and adults across the land went home and sat in front of their television for days.

Darkness spread over the landscape. Sadness and grief was the norm for a long time. I’m not sure it ever really went away, just settled deep inside.

Life moved on, but slowly.

Years later, the president’s brother, Robert, decided to run for president. There was a memory of the inspiration we had once known, the hope, and the challenge to be more. Robert came through my hometown on a train. The train stopped and as he spoke from the back of it the mood of the crowd was electric, his speech was rousing, and our enthusiasm and hope for the future was high.

Then . . .

Two days later, after his acceptance speech at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angles, he was shot while leaving the building through the kitchen area.

This series of events spanned the time from my second grade class to high school and set in place my lack of hope in all things political. This lack has only been reinforced over the years with Watergate, Iran -Contra, White House intern scandals, Iraq war, and on and on. Whatever party is in office seems to become haughty and makes stupid mistakes while the other party only points fingers and declares this is the worst leader ever. My conclusion is they are both wrong and much more alike than different perhaps just two sides of the same coin. I have become a member of the disillusioned majority. You don’t hear from us very often because we are busy going about our jobs, raising our families, taking care of parents that are aging, and just living.

And Now . . .

We are facing a new presidential season. Hope is in the air. Will this time be different? My hope is it’s just more words from adults telling us to dive under our desks for safety. I want real hope to be demonstrated. May it be so.

Road to Hope

Jeremiah 29:11-13 (NIV) is a very familiar passage to most Christians: For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Linking the words I know to our future seems like an oxymoron until you consider who is saying, they “know.” Our Lord God states unequivocally that He alone knows. Not only does He know, but He has plans. Not for just an ordinary what-to-do-today agenda, but He has a long-term goal to flourish, thrive, prosper and grow you, And on top of all that, you get hope. Hope. I could go a long time on just hope alone.

It seems sometimes that we vacillate between conceit and despair, thinking we know it all, only to ultimately realize we don’t know anything. Then God comes into our lives. When we met God for the first time He was already completely aware of everything that was, is, and will be relating to us, past, present and future. He is the Source, and in His hands He holds the plans He has for us. We may only see the circumstances swirling around us and with that view, there are times when despair sets in; but God sees the whole picture.

Knowing our future as He does, His desire is for us to come to Him and talk about the unique plan He has for our life. The word used in the verse is “seek.” Seek means to search, set out for, and request. Is He hiding? No, the point is that while He is always available to us, our charge is to be aware of our need, to set out and seek for Him, to turn to Him, and to turn nowhere and to no one else. God wants us to seek after Him and as we find Him, He has given us a clear and explicit promise that He will be found. Run to Him and discover all the great plans He already has for you!

A Call For Stories

A call for stories about local women or girls in foreign countries

I have been given the go ahead to write a devotional with an international flair for women 20-35 years of age entitled, “Passport Into Today.” Each day will feature a story about a local woman or girl living in a foreign country. There will also be country facts included with each day and a scripture to encourage and bless the reader.

Would you be interested in submitting a story? Your story needs to be 250-350 words in length. This page has 249 words. So the stories do not need to be long or take a lot of time to put together. In fact do you have a story you have used in a newsletter already that you could pass along? Is there a story about a local woman on your website or in print somewhere you can send? You would receive the credit for the story and your organization's web site can be listed. I also want to list the mission organizations in the back of the book with contact information. My hope is to promote a missions worldview with this book. For restricted access countries it is understood that names and perhaps locations will need to be changed.

If you are interested, please contact me at: blessingmeadow@sbcglobal.net and send your submission as a Word document. Also, if you know of someone you think might be interested in participating, please send this email on to them. Thank you.

Is Your Bag Empty?

I seldom saw Sara smile. She went about her job day-in and day-out without skipping a beat. Walking toward her, I never knew what she was thinking. She had perfected a cool, imperturbable manner that revealed nothing about her true feelings and made her hard to fathom. I decided that I was going to make it my daily goal to make her laugh out loud at work. You need to understand that up to this point I had never heard her laugh or even express the slightest amusement. It took many days before I was able to get my first out-loud laugh out of Sara. When she finally did, it made me laugh with joy and my laughter encouraged her to laugh louder. From that point on, although I wasn't able to get a response out of her every day, it began to happen more and more regularly.

To get Sara to laugh, I needed to get to know her and to be interested in what she liked and didn’t like. I found out that Sara had a crush on one of the men at our workplace, so I encouraged her to pursue her desires. As a result, Sara started to smile more and more. People began to interact with her because she wasn’t always looking down and frowning. Throughout this time, Sara herself initiated some changes. Unbeknownst to anyone, she joined Jenny Craig and slowly began to lose a bunch of weight. She had a make-over and started to wear make-up, got her hair cut into a new, attractive style, and with her new slimmer shape, she needed a new wardrobe. It would be great to be able to tell you that this all had a fairy-tale ending and that Sara and the focus of her crush ended up together, but such is not the case. The young man turned out to be very shallow and could only see himself with a tall, long legged blond. However, taking into consideration what he himself had to offer, perhaps there is some justice in the fact that this didn't happen for him and still hasn’t happened.

Now, not for a moment is the point of this story that because I encouraged her to laugh everyday her life changed. Sara needed to discover what was important to her, what she wanted for herself, and then to start moving toward whatever that was. It happened that God allowed me to be there at the time she was ready to make some changes and I was able to encourage her to understand that she has value, just because she is who she is. Sara needed to grab hold of that fact. Because she was willing to look at her life and make some changes, she found her joy inside.

You may need to think about this quote from Benjamin Franklin for a second, but the point is a good one: “It is hard for an empty bag to stand upright.” Is your bag empty because you haven’t taken the time to realize your joy?

The Path to Awe

It would be dramatic to tell you I hiked for hours, but the truth is I was in a parking lot heavy with pine trees. I started to walk; not realize what was in front of me. I finally got to the place where I realized there was something big in my path. I stop and began to look up and up and up. It was El Capitan. The power of it was overwhelming. What immediately came to mind was Romans 1: 20 ". . . His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead . . ."

This experience recently washing over me as I was reading Daring to Draw Near by John White. (Published by Intervarsity Press). My friend Laurie and I read through books together and discuss them. This is our new book. Each chapter is launched with a key prayer passage associate with the person a person in the Bible and used the prayer as a teaching point. The first chapter is about Abraham.

Here is the passage from chapter one that triggered my memory:
"Before I have taken upon myself to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes." Abraham was painfully aware of the incongruity, the total inappropriateness of what he was doing. Yet without such an awareness what is prayer, but a parroting of words? If we close our minds to everything about God that makes us uncomfortable, we are going through empty motions when we pray. We pray to a god we have fashioned for our comfort and not to God as he is. True prayer is to respond to the true God as he reveals more of himself by his Spirit in His word. Prayer defined in such terms can be a terrifying experience.

This passage and the memory of El Capitan has promoted days of lingering thoughts considering this question: Do I pray to God?

We do have a tendency to "close our minds to everything about God that makes us uncomfortable" and fashion a god of our own comprehension. Here are five examples I've come up with. Can you add to this list?

Santa Claus god
I'm sure you have heard of this one. The concept is a god you just send up your list of demands and he is required to fulfill your demands. You maybe think, oh the poor person who would pray this way. When was the last time you listened to God? Are your prayers a list and not a conversation? God desires a relationship.
Consider: Matthew 11:28-29 "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."
James4:8 "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."
Psalms 16:11 "You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy."
I Corinthians 1:9 "God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful."

Wizard of Oz god
This is an all flash and no substance god. In the Wizard of Oz when Dorothy and her three friends reached the Wizard he is this large green head that spits out anger, loud noises, and flashes of lighting. But thanks to Toto who pulls the curtain at the side we realize the Wizard is really something much smaller. With this version of god why should we brother to pray; he is just all noise and no underpinning.
What about: Job 42:2"I know that You can do everything, And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You."
Isaiah 9:-7-6 "For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever."
Isaiah 40: 12-15, 18 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, Measured heaven with a span And calculated the dust of the earth in a measure? Weighed the mountains in scales And the hills in a balance? Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, Or as His counselor has taught Him? With whom did He take counsel, and who instructed Him, And taught Him in the path of justice? Who taught Him knowledge, And showed Him the way of understanding? Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket . . .To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare to Him? "

Fear-based god
This view of god ends up in the same place as the Wizard of Oz god, but gets there from a different direction. With your understanding of god the only emotion you can muster is fear. He is vengeful, angry, and causing pain where ever he goes. Why would you want to pray to a god like this? The fear is in even talking to this kind of god he would then know you exists and turn his fury on you and start killing off your family and/or friends with diseases or accidents.
He knows and loves us: Romans 8: 37-39 "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
I John 3:1 "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him."

Sunshine, Rainbows, & butterflies god
The sun is radiating behind a glowing figure standing on a grassy mount with bunnies hopping around the flowers surrounding his feet; butterflies flutter and birds chirp close to him. Never does a moment of sadness enter his presences only joy and goodness. With this version of god he wouldn't understand the struggles and pain we deal sometimes on a daily bases.
But what about: Hebrews 4: 14-16 "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
I Peter 2: 21-24 "For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: "Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth"; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness--by whose stripes you were healed."

Take A Number god
Remember the little red machines that you pull a number from to wait for the clerk to help you? Well, with this version god is so busy that when you take your number it's in the trillions. With knowing the hair count of every person, keeping track of falling sparrow, and the whole time space continuum things he is too busy to even care about what is happening in my life.
He is personal: Matthew 10: 29-31"Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows."
Psalms 139: 7-10 "Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me."

Hopefully, you haven't found any of these definitions of a god you pray to, so let's go back to the last two sentences of the passage from Daring to Dare Near quoted earlier:
True prayer is to respond to the true God as he reveals more of himself by his Spirit in His word. Prayer defined in such terms can be a terrifying experience.

Now the question becomes, how do you pray to the true God? After these days considering this topic this is what I've come up with, "humbly I come . . . your praise to bring."

Life's Tapestry

Viewing our lives as a tapestry, from the front of the tapestry, there is a beautiful picture. It is made up of many different colors of thread to form a lovely scene or picture. But, turn the tapestry over and you cannot tell what the picture on the front looks like. Furthermore, the back view just looks like a mess of knots and threads, seemingly arranged without rhyme or reason. I believe that sometimes we are only looking at our lives from the back. All we see are the knots, the problems, the hanging threads, and the unresolved issues in our lives. But take heart! There is a beautiful picture being created on the front.

If just one of the threads were to be pulled out, the picture would be incomplete. It would not be the picture it was meant to be. So it is with our lives. Each and every experience, every difficulty and lesson works together to weave the picture of our life. We would not be the person we are without every single thread; every unique lesson.

If you choose to view the experiences, the difficulties, the bad days of life as a way of teaching and helping you to grow, you are the better for it. Not only you, but those that you come in contact with are given the opportunity to learn from your life tapestry.

Ask for a blessing!

I don’t remember now how my friend, Helen, and I discovered Psalm 86:17, but what an exciting and essential verse it has become in our lives. It’s a red flag, of sorts, that we throw upwards in difficult situations and say, “I’m in need of a blessing today, Lord!”

Psalm 86:17:
Show me a sign for good, that those who hate me may see it, and be ashamed,
because Thou, O Lord, hast helped me and comforted me.

“Show me a sign for good” – some translations say, “Show me or send me a sign of your favor;” or, “Give me a sign of your goodness.” Literally, this phrase means, “Make with me a token by Thy providential care.”

Over the years, especially during particularly stressful and difficult times, this verse has surfaced time and time again. It speaks to me and floods my being: Show me a token for good; send me a sign of your favor. Make it appear to others, as well as to myself, that God is doing me good and designing further good for me. Let me experience some illustrious instances of God’s favor to me, a token of God’s goodness.

This principle is straight from the Word of God, and it works, if for no other reason than it changes my directional views. Instead of looking at the situation in front of me or getting caught up in the stress swirling around me, I begin to look for signs of how good God is to me – to all of us – daily. Think back over your own life. How have you been blessed? What are you thankful for? If you look for them, these tokens or signs of God’s good are all over the place! I challenge you to open your eyes and your heart and see them.