A Ride in the Fog

          The other night I had to travel with Kimberly out to the high school in Rossville. We are in the middle of competition season and I needed to rehearse a song the girls are doing this Saturday.

          When we left our house at about 5:30 it was already quite foggy. Yup, it is January and we have crazy weather in Indiana! Last week it was absolutely freezing out... Monday I went outside without a coat because it was so warm… and tomorrow it will be back in the 20s.

          When we were done with the practice we got in the van to return home. By then the fog was really dense and I drove much slower to accommodate. When we reached the city limits it was rather eerie as from the road you could not even see buildings or houses that you knew were there. Even though I was familiar with the roads and turns, I was glad to pull into the garage and be done driving in that pea-soup!

          Made me think of this season I find myself in. Tim and I are in a waiting phase as we anticipate God’s direction as to what is next. There are days that I feel like I am going about in pretty thick fog.

          The wonderful thing about this ride in the fog is that I am not driving and navigating by myself. I have One who loves me, knows every curve and turn, and is giving me step by step directions as He guides me safely through paths that are hard for me to see. I just need to quietly listen to His voice.

 “How gracious He will be when you cry for help!

As soon as He hears, He will answer you…

Whether you turn to the right or to the left,

your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying

 ‘This is the way: walk in it’.”

Isaiah 30:19 and 21

The Last Battle

          I finished reading the Chronicles of Narnia – and the Last Battle was fantastic! My favorite part was when Eustace and Jill got to Aslan’s country.

        It reminded me of the incredible joy ahead of us when we get to Heaven. Of the absolute beauty of God’s home that He designed… of all our loved ones who will be standing there waiting to see us and welcome us Home. (And yes, like the book, there will be some surprises of who won’t be there.) It will be wonderful.

        And then – there He’ll be!

                The Lion of Judah

                        My Redeemer

                                My friend!

        Many years ago there was a song written called “I can only imagine” depicting the moment we see Jesus for the first time. I think they have some good thoughts as to our reaction the first time we see Him:

Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel
Will I dance for You Jesus or in awe of You be still
Will I stand in Your presence or to my knees will I fall
Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all
I can only imagine

        But for me, I want to run to His open arms and be folded up in His embrace. I can’t wait to hear Him whisper in my ear that He loves me and is so glad I’m finally with Him. And oh, how I long for Him to tell me I did a good job and was a faithful servant. It’s coming… I just need to stay steadfast in this final part of the battle.

“Though you have not seen Him, you love Him;

and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him

and are filled with inexpressible and glorious JOY…”

I Peter 1:8

In the middle

             I know that whenever we look back on something, we see much more than when we are in the middle of it. This morning I got a different perspective of how to look at being in the middle from something that happened to David before he was king.

            David was running for his very life from King Saul, who was doing everything he possibly could do find David. And it wasn’t like Saul was just looking for one man… David had over 400 men traveling with him. Saul was very intent to find David, even going so far as to kill 85 priests and an entire town of men, women and children in his desperation.

            Only God would tell this intense story and add a wee bit of humor to it… for as David was hiding in a cave Saul came to that very cave to, as the Bible puts it, “relieve himself”. David’s men encouraged him that this was the moment to get rid of Saul so David actually crept up and cut off a corner of the king’s robe. But then he realized what he had done and was convicted that he was not the one to bring justice to the situation.

            To quickly sum up the rest of the story – after Saul had left the cave and resumed his search David made himself known to the king, asked some questions, made a promise he would never kill Saul… Saul was remorseful and for the moment acknowledged David would be the next king. Saul went home and David and his men left.

            Ok that’s the story. We can read the whole account and see what all took place. But I have to remember David didn’t have those facts when he wrote Psalm 57. He was still in the moment – running for his life and hiding from Saul, who was trying to kill him.

            That is why as I read Psalm 57 this morning it was such an a-ha moment. Right in the middle of his cry for mercy and being very specific what the enemy was doing in their pursuit to kill him, David makes this comment about God:

“… Who fulfills His purpose for me…”

            Now I don’t know about you, but when I am in the middle of trouble and hurt and hard, confusing moments the thought that God is fulfilling His purpose for me right then isn’t the first thought I have. I eventually get to that thought after I am out of the danger or have had time to heal from the battle.

            But I’m thinking that needs to change… that the simple little phrase should ring in my head so I recognize that even right then – IN THE MIDDLE – God is fulfilling His purpose for me. I think it would make a difference in how I looked at the moment.

            But there is a second part that is just as incredible to me. Not only did David recognize that even in the middle God was fulfilling His purpose in his life, but he made the statement that his heart was steadfast – and that he was able to sing and make music.

            Wow. I want that!! I want to have a steadfast and undivided heart that recognizes God at every moment of my life and to see that what He is doing is so awesome my heart can remain at peace. I want to sing and make music… even in the middle.

            I love David’s heart! I appreciate his transparency and I’m thankful God preserved these lessons for us to learn from.

            David’s amazing conclusion of this psalm has become some of my favorite verses describing God’s love and faithfulness:

I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations;

I will sing of You among the peoples.

For great is Your love, reaching to the heavens,

Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;

Let Your glory be over all the earth.

My first visit to ~ Narnia

          It is a cold Monday morning. The sun is up but still hiding behind the clouds. But I am warm and cozy inside my home, sitting in my chair and thinking about the weekend.

          It was a good weekend – filled with many moments of joy. Enjoyed a quick but nice visit with Andrew who was home Saturday night and Sunday… at the grocery store was blessed with some extra sales that I wasn’t expecting but will help feed my family… and thoroughly enjoyed taking a drive with my husband.

          I’ve also been ~ to Narnia.

          The Chronicles of Narnia, by CS Lewis, are classics that somehow I missed reading when I was a kid. My children read them and loved them and we have the movies. I was issued a challenge by my youngest daughter, Kimberly, that before we watched the movies again I needed to read the books. So I am in process of reading the series.

          So far I have loved them! I wish I could slip into the wardrobe and end up in Narnia. I would love to have tea with Mr. Tumnus, see all the incredible beauty of this make believe land, become friends of Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy… but most of all I would love to meet Aslan.

          For according to C.S. Lewis, Aslan is “an alternative version of Christ, that is, as the form in which Christ might have appeared in a fantasy world.” It is also well known that Alsan is not a tame lion.

          I have loved the relationship Lucy and Aslan share and wish I, too, could walk beside this magnificent lion and stand in awe of his strength and majesty.

          Yes – they are just a set of fiction books, but they have prodded my thinking and yearning for Heaven. Think I’ll head back for another visit to Narnia before piano lessons…  

More than a survivor

          This morning I spent some time in Romans 7 and found myself identifying with Paul’s struggle – I want to do good and right but the sin nature takes over and I end up doing the exact opposite of what I want to do. That is, I sin. “Waging war” is a good word picture of what is going on inside of me.

          War is intense and wearing. So it stands to reason that after you have been battling this for so long, you could end up just worn out and in deep despair: “What a wretched person I am – who will rescue me?”

          If I pause right there, it really does seem hopeless. For I know there is no one who could ever rescue me. No one.

          No one, that is, except the One who is God and man. “Thanks be to God!” the rescue comes through Jesus.

          Right there is enough to make a person jump up, dance and shout “hallelujah!” But if you keep reading, you will find as I do that there is even more. Not only are we rescued, but there is NO condemnation to those who are in Christ. It is almost unbelievable but there it is written in black and white.

          But wait – there’s more! (I’m starting to feel like an infomercial.) We’ve been given the Holy Spirit who leads us… not to be slaves to fear but instead we are made sons. We can call Him “Abba” (papa). He has given the Spirit to help us in our weakness and Who prays for us when we haven’t a clue what or how to pray.

          Then the icing on the cake is that God works everything in my life for good – to make me more like His Son, Jesus. Everything.

          It makes me stand speechless. Someone would have the right to poke my arm and ask “if God is for you, who can be against you?” And before I could even answer that – the second question really hammers it home… “Who is condemning you?” All I can say is this – Jesus is at the right hand of God and He is interceding for me.

          Isn’t that incredible? All of that is just amazing. BUT that isn’t what hit me this morning. On top of the delicious cake and icing, there is a cherry. (Of course it is chocolate covered!!)

          God goes one step further and says we are more than conquerors. Wow. I had to sit back and think on that. I am more than just a survivor. More than a survivor and yet way too often that is exactly how I live – like I have barely survived.

          No wonder I (along with my fellow Christians) am so unattractive to the world around us. Who would want to join a raggedy-taggedy bunch of war survivors? (In my mind I picture a bunch of people who have bedraggled, dirty hair… torn, smelly clothing… and extremely hollowed out, solemn faces just barely able to stand. Nothing there inviting.)

          This whole thought goes right along with Jesus statement in John 10 where He said He had come to give us abundant life. Abundant life is way more than just surviving!

          When I put those two truths together the only conclusion I can come up with is that having a survivor’s mentality is wrong. Very wrong for someone who has been made a son of God.

          It actually shows a very ungrateful heart. If I had no other reason to be thankful and  realize I am more than a survivor, all those incredible things told me in Romans 7 & 8 should make a huge change in my countenance and demeanor.

          I’m not saying it will be easy or there won’t be days that are challenging. But I think it is time to rally the troops, get rid of this survivor’s mentality, and act like who we really are – sons and daughters of the King!