"Knock Knock" But No One's Saying "Who's There?"

RELAX!!!

Yesterday, it was in the low 40s in Frisco and it rained, literally, all day. My kind of day! I started out sitting in front of my fireplace -- sending love text notes to my children. I never made my bed -- just in case I wanted to crawl back in -- I did. After all, those 4 to 5 hours of sleep at night justifies a little nap during the day. I did lots of office work, made several important phone calls, had a sweet time of devotion, washed clothes, created this post (as well as a couple of other posts for another day -- time well spent), and I loved every minute of this easy-go, easy-flow, RELAXING day. I looked into my bathroom when I laid down for that little middle-of-the-day nap and saw those words RELAX and I could hear two reassuring messages from God.

1) RELAX -- I was feeling a little guilty about having such a care-free day, doing just what I wanted to do. But, then I remembered the last three weeks of call-of-duty with my grandsons and then my mother-in-law -- that were non-stop, sometimes exhausting days. Here's what I know. It's okay to have a day when we can just BE. After all, we were created by God to be human BEINGS, not human DOINGS. I know that many of my younger friends dream of days like this. I was you in my busy working days, wife and little children days, Bible teacher and speaker days -- and now I am here, in these days. You'll be here one day and I urge you to savor these days, because tomorrow can be amped up, full-on, all-out exhaustive days. These are the days to refuel and get ready for firing up for the next call-of-duty.

2) RELAX -- There are many things to be concerned about in my life, my family's life, our city, country and world. How can we relax when there's so much to do for God? After all, we are His hands extended. After all, if we don't go, who will? After all, if I don't take care of this and that, who will take care of it for me? Then, loud and clear -- I could hear God's voice in these words in Psalms 26:3, "Be still and know that I am God." When He said those words, He meant it for the many troubles in King David's life and times, and just as assuredly, He means it for you and me today. I don't think He meant for us to actually sit in a chair and be still, but I think He meant "Be still of worry, anxiety and fear." How many times did He say "Do not fear. Do not be afraid"? I didn't count, but I read in my Google search, 365 times. So, then, when God says to RELAX -- that means, fear is unnecessary AND is disobedient to God's command of "Do not fear!"

Isaiah 30:15 says “For the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel says: in returning and rest shall you be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength….” I've been at this journey of faith long enough to be convinced that in quietness and confidence in God’s faithfulness, we will be renewed and strengthened daily. The word for quietness in Hebrew means “repose”. And repose means calm, relaxed, free from all anxiety, to be still, to lie down with support underneath (like the green pastures in Psalm 23). That was my yesterday -- enjoying the green pastures of my Father -- and RELAXING -- because why should I worry or fret, when He can handle it all for me?

And I Think to Myself....What a Wonderful World

It was our first morning home after being in the hospital the two weeks before. Our family had come over the night before and removed our king size bed from our bedroom. We spent our first night home – my Honey, on his new hospital air bed, and me, on a blow-up air mattress beside him…..that the air escaped from in the middle of the night. I added to my “To Do List” for the day….find a twin mattress set as soon as possible. Indeed we would be like Desi and Lucy in our twin beds – I was even contemplating dyeing my hair red.

I can’t even imagine all that must have been going on in my Honey’s head as he looked out our bedroom double windows that were open wide. What a special blessing it was that our bedroom windows faced the little lake that adjoined our back yard (the accompanying picture is that view). It was a beautiful morning. Fall was in the air. The water was smooth as glass, the fish were jumping, and the birds were chirping loudly. Feeling the serenity of the moment calmed us and made us very aware of how blessed we were and how thankful we had to be in spite of our new circumstances that seemed like a bad dream. It was then that the doorbell rang. It was our new Social Worker, Melvin – a beautiful African American man, who exuded the sweetest and most gentle spirit that made us feel God had specially hand-picked him just for us. After asking us many questions, it was our turn to ask about him. When he mentioned that he loved singing in his church’s choir, I told him we'd love for him to sing for us. He didn’t wait to be asked twice. He immediately began singing in the most beautiful baritone voice, Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World”. Just imagine our thoughts as we heard these words:

I see trees of green, red roses, too.
I see them bloom for me and you.
And I think to myself, “what a wonderful world”.

I see skies of blue and clouds of white,
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night.
And I think to myself, “what a wonderful world”.

The colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky,
Are also on the faces of people going by,
I see friends shaking hands, saying "How do you do?"
They're really saying "I love you"

I hear babies cry, I watch them grow
They'll learn much more than I'll ever know
And I think to myself, “what a wonderful world”.
Yes I think to myself, “what a wonderful world”.

How befitting to hear such words as we had already been sensing that wonderful world as we looked outside at God’s creation, on this, our first morning home. It was another one of those precious times when we knew God was orchestrating our lives.

Right from the beginning of our journey until that day, different ones had quoted Psalm 46:10 to us “Be still and know that I am God.”. In our efforts to help God out with His plans over those previous eight months, we became very busy with many doctors’ appointments, treatments, medications, consultations, surgeries, seeking advice from experts on what to eat or not eat, and so much more. Suddenly, in the quietness of our bedroom, we realized that God was speaking loud and clear to us. He was saying…..”at last….you’re still…now you will know that indeed I AM GOD.” A dear family friend and renown motivational speaker, Zig Ziglar, put it this way: “God created us as human beings...not human doings.” We had been “doing” much more than required. Now, we had the opportunity to BE in that place where we really could know God and His character and His profound love for us. We ceased striving and were now pursuing that place of contentment and peace. And in that place, we were expecting that we would be able to accomplish more for God and be used by Him to encourage and help others even more than we did before. That was our hope and greatest desire.

After two weeks at home, my Honey amazed me with his new found way of life. Amazing, in that that highly energetic, multi-talented, could-do-anything, man was always known as a Type A personality – in control with everything about his life, detailed to the inth degree, and was always motivating and encouraging others with the words “no matter what your circumstances are, you can be all God destined you to be….just never give up!” Now he quietly laid in his bed, unable to move his legs and unable to sit up. He occasionally picked up the phone to make or receive a call, check his emails, prayed, listened for God’s voice and called upon me or another to fetch something for him or to adjust his position in the bed. He didn't complain about his new “state” of living. We looked back on the previous nine months of that year when he suffered so much from the pain in his back – pain that was only resolved from strong medications and having to bend over or lie down to cope. Now, though he was obviously bed confined, he wasn't suffering. He looked great – had maintained his weight -- in fact, he “grazed” all day long. God had been so faithful to us in so many practical ways and we recognizedmany of those ways by dear family and friends who were providing such love and care through delicious, homemade meals (our freezer was packed full of food), ran errands for us, and even to the extent that our niece, who would be taking her Licensed Practical Nurse test the next month, had been able to help us with Ron’s care when I had to leave him for a brief period of time.

We absolutely knew that there was a “reason for that season” of our lives. We knew that none of this was a surprise to God. We knew that God was a proud Father that had a plan, a destiny, and a purpose that He specifically designed for each of us to fulfill. We knew that our busy lifestyle had changed and our sovereign God knew what was best for us. We knew God's unfailing love and faithfulness to us like never before. We were not moved by the circumstances we were seeing. We continued to be steadfast, unmovable and unshakened….and were convinced that we were in God's hands and on track in His best plans. Just a month later, my sweetheart was completely made whole. He got to go home -- no hospital beds there -- no pain there -- just a perfect, whole body.

And here on this side.....I still sing and say to myself. "What a wonderful world…what a wonderful God….what a wonderful life!”

Had Any Knee Jerk Reactions Lately?

Had Any Knee Jerk Reactions Lately?
I had a huge decision to make. "Should I say “yes” or should I say “no”. Should I stay or should I go?" Ever been faced with some tough decisions and rather than waiting to hear the voice of God, we just couldn’t sit idly still….we had to make a move. So, with a knee jerk reaction, we WENT.....only to realize we put the cart before the horse.....er.....rather, we put our ways before God's ways.

What happened to that instruction from our loving, all-knowing Father? ”Be STILL and KNOW that I am God!” (Psalm 46:10) We just couldn’t sit STILL long enough to get the plan from THE MAN. So we head out on our own. Someone came to my office last week and she told me she really made a mess of a situation and became quite disappointed in herself. She went to see her Mom and her downcast attitude caused her mother to say, “I know that look! So, you had to be in charge again, instead of letting God be charge?"

Oh, the messes we get ourselves into. During this season of my life, I am wading my way through options of saying “yes” or “no” and whether to stay or go. So, as any capable, deliberate, strong and able, “can do” gal would do, I just GO. After all, the light is green….. so I begin to move forward….aggressively, and then suddenly I’m overcome with a loss of peace, a troubled heart and thinking “What was I thinking?” I just couldn’t sit still long enough to listen for His voice. I just couldn’t wait for His voice to call me, instead, my “knee jerk” reaction propelled me into unknown territory with making even some regretful decisions.

Does that sound like a story familiar to you, too? But, here’s what I love about this faith journey we are on. Though I may start out my day as an independent, self-willed "can-do" woman, and I may get myself into some crazy circumstances that may come as a surprise to me, they are not a surprise to God. In spite of my knee-jerk reactions, my God is still my loving Father. And, like our kids who repeatedly do something that we’ve told them a hundred times not to do, we lovingly reel them back in with correction and help them through the mess they got themselves into.

“If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!” (Matthew 7:11)

God’s character can be trusted. God delights in answering our prayers. Only, He doesn’t always answer how we think He should answer. I think I have great ideas about how my life should go. I think I know what is best, but then I remember that He knows better. He knows the end from the beginning. He knows what outcome will bring about His purposes. He wants to bless us with good things . . . health, wholeness, peace, joy, and rest. When I pray and I feel as though He is silent or not letting me in on the game plan, I have to trust that there is purpose to what He hasn’t told me. He doesn’t hide things from us to hurt us. He will allow me in on His plans in His perfect timing. His perfect timing is the timing that places us at the right place at the right time with what we need for ultimate blessings.

I have a line I use to help people when they have met up with some difficulty or challenge. “Nothing happens to us that doesn’t first go through His sovereign hands. We are no surprise to God.” It all matters to Him. He allows circumstances and consequences to come, especially when we have KNEE-JERK reactions. But thanks be to our loving Father, He gently jerks us back on course to help us finish the race we've started.

The Sower Sows and Sows and Sows

Day 240 of Photo Inspirations -- The Sower Sows and Sows and Sows
"Be still and know that I am God."  Psalm 46:10.  That almost seems an impossible feat to find a place of quietness, a place to be still and a place without the so-easily-achieved distractions. That place to hear God's voice and feel His presence so near and dear.

I found it Sunday with other ladies when we went to St. Joseph's Monastery for a mini-retreat, and, oh, what a heaven-sent afternoon we had.

Sister Barbara Austin took us on a reflective journey about the Sower and the Word (seeds) from Mark 4:14-20, but more than the seeds, she talked about the Sower who sowed and sowed and sowed. He never ran out of seeds even though some fell on stony ground, some were devoured by birds, some fell among thorns and some fell on good ground.  But, bottom line, the Sower continued to have plenty of seeds. He just kept on sowing.

Sister Barbara's emphasis was on THE SOWER and what the seeds would do.   She said, "God is the Sower and His grace and generosity is abundant. He doesn't pay attention to the 'issues' that we have. Let Him just keep sowing and sowing in your life. Swim in His generosity. Then turn around and YOU be the sower of His generosity to the world."   I had never heard it expressed this way but it made such sense to consider Father God and His unlimited blessings in our lives -- those "seeds" He plants in us.  He is SO generous.

She sent us, individually, to other rooms or to the grounds to be still and meditate on the lavishness -- the undescribable generosity of God.  I found a quiet, peaceful little room -- and I knew I was in a holy place.  I thought about the Sower Who gives and gives and gives to us. Great is His faithfulness. I quietly sang this old song "Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace." I was in that place. I soaked in His generosity and left feeling "I have been with my God!"  I was still enough and quiet enough to KNOW He IS God!  I was full.

Just in case you can't seem to find a place where that peace is found, I highly recommend hanging out at a monastery -- a holy place where God is found not only in these precious sisters who have dedicated their loves wholly to God, but where the presence of God is almost tangible.

His Sheep Listen to His Voice

Funny cartoon -- but, the message is clear and VERY real to our lives. Jesus said, "My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:" (John 10:27) . Wonder if He had in mind how difficult "listening for His voice" would be in 2014? And, more than ever, we really need to hear His voice. We need His wisdom, comfort, guidance, peace, and direction. Of course, we long to hear His voice, but in the busy-ness, the clamor and the many, many activities and distractions of everyday life, oftentimes, we may be hard-pressed to find that quiet PLACE where we can go for solace, rest and peace, and hear the voice of our Shepherd. And, even when we manage to find that place, "noise" -- our cell phones, iPods, radios, computers, TV, etc. -- keeps us distracted from hearing our Shepherd's voice.

Seems that it's time to find that place where His voice comes through loud and clear to us. Oh, He has that place -- and we can find it, but it's up to us, to disregard the distractions to "Be still -- to hear and know our God." And, I'm not referring to a far off island in the middle of no-where. It's possible to find that place, if only for a few minutes in our day, to "Come away with Him"!

What if everything we're needing -- the decisions we need to make, like, what job should we take; what school our kids should go to; what diet or fitness routine we should be on; what part of town we should live in, etc. All of these answers, and more, are found and answered by our Shepherd -- He Who knows everything about everything. After all, if...."The Lord is my Shepherd, He promised, I would never want......", then maybe we need to "tune-in" to our Shepherd, and "tune-out" what's NOT!