Once again, as we do every morning, Katie the dog and I were up and out the door at daybreak. It’s a lovely time of morning, so fresh and exhilarating. Seagulls were calling in the distance but other than that, all was quiet. It was also a very still morning; not a leaf stirred. As we walked around the little lake where I live I looked out across the water. For several moments I just stood and observed. There wasn’t a ripple anywhere. The lake’s surface shone like a mirror. As I continued to look, I saw across the top of the water a reflection of blue sky with pink clouds like cotton candy. I looked up and sure enough, the blue morning sky was beautiful with it’s pink clouds parading in a streak.
As we continued our walk, Katie busy with her sniffing pursuits, and I with my eyes locked on the water’s surface, a thought came to my mind. The lake is like our lives. When we know Jesus and choose to walk in His ways, then we become a mirrored reflection of Him. People look at us and see something of Jesus shining bright. As it says in I Peter 2:9, “…show others the goodness of God, for He called you out of the darkness into His wonderful light.”
Suddenly my concentration was broken when a duck decided to slip into the water. In an instant, the reflection of sky and clouds were gone as ripples raced across the water. Once again a thought came; that can happen in our spiritual world too. We can let the light of God shine in our lives, reflecting His holiness but in just a moment a ripple of sin can distort the image.
May we all pay attention to the ripples of ungodly behavior that would seek to smear God’s image in us. We must remember, someone, somewhere is watching us. Jesus encouraged us when He said in Matthew 5:16, “Let your Light so shine before mankind that they may see your good works and glorify God.”
May you be blessed with great joy in reflecting Jesus today.
It snowed this week along the coast in south-east England. Snow started one afternoon and didn’t stop for the next 24 hours. That first morning Katie the dog and I stepped outside into a world of brilliant white. There was a mighty hush as the thick blanket of snow muffled all noise. I was excited to see that our footprints would be the first that day. Katie hopped and I shuffled along where the snow was the deepest. What fun!
As we went along, enjoying the pleasure of the moment, I took note of something else with a little sadness. It was the daffodils. I love daffodils with their vibrant, bright yellow. The bulbs had only pushed through the ground two weeks ago, it’s green bodies growing taller with time. The yellow heads had opened and now they couldn’t be seen. As much as I was happy to have the snow, I was disappointed at what had happened to the daffodils.
The sun came out in the late afternoon. As quickly as the snow had come, just as quickly did it melt away, leaving no trace that it had ever been there. As Katie and I walked along I glanced over to where the daffodils had been. What? I had to look closer. Amazing! There were the daffodils all standing to attention, it’s yellow heads proudly pointing in spender to the sky. I could hardly believe it, but wait, what was that over there? A lone daffodil, wilted and bent over, it’s once lovely, yellow head now limp and sagging.
I deduced that the plants that had grown together were somehow able to survive the onslaught of cold but the plant that grew alone couldn’t make it. I was reminded then of the verse found in Galations 6:2, “Share each other’s troubles and problems, and in this way obey the law of Christ.” What is “the law of Christ?” It’s letting the love of God in your life, touch someone else.
There are times in our lives when we are alone and we have no choice. In those moments, God gives His strength to get through anything. Being alone is the exception. In most instances, there are brothers and sisters in God around us and He chooses to love and help someone else through us. God gives us the wonderful privilege of being Jesus with skin on.
Look around wherever you are today. There are people shivering in the cold of life’s difficulties. You and I can reach out to someone and make a difference.
Read what Jesus said in Matthew 25:35-40, “For I was hungry and you fed me. I was thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger and you invited me into your home. I was naked and you gave me clothing. I was sick and you cared for me. I was in prison and you visited me….. I assure you, when you did this to one of the least of my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me.”
When we must stand alone, take comfort in the fact that God Himself will comfort and strengthen you. If we choose to stand alone, not sharing our hurts and difficulties with anyone, may we quickly discover, that “two are better than one.”
“A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:12
Once again I have the great pleasure of having a dog in my care. Her owner is away and I get to have Katie the Schnauzer for a whole month! We’re having a wonderful time together. I take her most places I go. Today she was a special guest at a social gathering of senior citizens at one of our local churches. It was a delight to see the people reaching out their hands to pet Katie. She seemed as pleased as they were, with all the attention and admiration she was getting.
There was one area of concern I had just before Katie came to stay with me. She has arthritis and her legs have weakened considerably from the last time I had her. A few months ago she could get up and down the stairs, although not without great concentration and effort. Now, it is not possible on her own. She gets a few steps up, then sinks down and slips back. I knew that would not work for a month.
An idea came. I purchased a harness. It fastens securely behind her front legs and gives good support to her chest area. Now, when she approaches the stairs, I just pull up a bit on the harness, supporting her from the chest (not the neck as a collar would do) and it’s as if she is suddenly, floating up the stairs. She gets to the top of the landing, obviously happy and proud of herself. She looks up at me with her lovely, sparkling eyes, as if to say, “Did you see me? Did you see me? I did it!” Indeed, I congratulate her on her success. This praise instigates a prance of jubilation down the hall.
This incident made me think of difficulties that you and I have in our lives. Sometimes, there are situations that appear to us as insurmountable. Solutions to our troubles can’t be found, and success seems unattainable. What can we do? How about taking a reminder from Katie and her harness. What Katie cannot achieve on her own, my strength, pulling her up, helps her succeed.
It’s no different in our relationship with God. There are times when we just have no strength to go on. We can’t get above our stairs of difficulty, but God always has the strength we need. He delights in pulling us up, helping us to succeed. When we feel ourselves slipping down the stairs, God says to us, “…I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” Isaiah 41:10
It has been so cold here in the UK. Yesterday an icy wind was biting at my neck so I tightened my scarf and pulled on a hat. That was better. It’s been like this for days so, naturally, I’ve been putting my sweaters to good use. In fact, I’ve put them to such good use that last night I realized they were now all in the dirty clothes basket. Oh dear. Must wash them in the morning, but wait, what do I put on tomorrow? I shivered just thinking about a day with no sweater to wear.
I rummaged around in the chest of drawers and looked again on the shelves in my closet and then – what? Oh joy! A lovely, blue pullover sweater appeared to my delighted eyes! I had forgotten all about it. I couldn’t even remember I had that one. I made a mental note to sort out my closet, making clothes a little easier to find.
This morning I got up and put on that warm, blue sweater. Ah, I can face the weather now. What a blessing of warmth my blue sweater will be on another cold day. As I thought about my sweater that had been tucked away, I thought too of God’s blessings available to me.
God has given us so many promises, that if remembered and put to use, we would be warmly blessed in all life’s situations. However, sometimes we forget they are there. His promises get pushed back in our closets of busyness, and lost on our shelves of life’s worries. In panic, we can mistakenly believe we have to face the world’s weather dressed in inappropriate attire.
How untrue. Father God provides clothing of peace, wisdom, courage, joy, and guidance; everything we need to face the elements this world puts at our door. God’s promises are not really lost. They are there, perhaps tucked away and forgotten, but ready to be found again when we come to attention and call to Father to help us.
I love the following verses in Proverbs 4:20-22:
“Pay attention, my child, to what I say. Listen carefully. Don’t lose sight of my words. Let them penetrate deep within your heart, for they bring life and radiant health to anyone who discovers their meaning.”
Whatever your are facing today, remember to look into your spiritual closet, and you will find just what you need to stay warm and protected no matter the weather.
My dog sitting has come to an end with Rasta the Collie, but in just two days, Katie the Schnauzer will arrive. I’m anticipating the event with gladness as saying good-bye to Rasta was filled with sadness for me, but of course, great gladness for her family. There was a great tail swishing of excitement from Rasta at this reunion.
I love watching dog behavior and their reactions to people and situations. I find it very interesting. For example, I observe when I’m keeping dogs that, whatever room I go to, they come as well. They have a radar that, even in a seemingly deep sleep, and even with me tiptoeing away, they detect the movement and here they come after me. They always look so pleased and content just to be with me wherever I go. I find that so sweet.
Observing this behavior in dogs has made me question something in myself. Do I have the same desire and take the same delight in spending time with my heavenly Father? Oh, I know He’s omniscient and is everywhere at once, but in the places of my heart where He resides by His Holy Spirit, do I always want to acknowledge Him there and bask in His presence?
I recall times of loveliness just being with Him and thinking about Him. At such moments, words aren’t always necessary. We’re just together and it’s so sweet. I can recall the sweetness so vividly, so the question comes, “Why do I ever stop? Why do I let the busyness of life keep me away?”
Do you remember the story recorded in John 13 where Jesus and His disciples are having the Passover meal together? At one point John leans back and rests his head on Jesus’ chest. They were all reclining, as was the custom to eat, so it was easy for John to lean back on Jesus. He wanted to ask Jesus a question, so he leaned on Him to talk.
The Scripture refers to John as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” Of course, we all know that Jesus loved and still loves us all the same. Even so, there are some with whom He has a sweeter relationship. He can’t have a sweet relationship with those of us who get too busy to spend time with Him. The sweetness is for those who take the time to lean on Him and bask in His presence. Remember, words aren’t always necessary, but an awareness of His presence is vital to having a sweet walk with Him or not.
I have a friend who is leaving this week-end for Australia. We have mutual friends there whom we have not seen for several years. They are Russian friends who immigrated to “the land down under” a long time ago. For several weeks now I’ve talked with my friend about her trip. We’ve imagined together the reunion she will have, the hugs, the laughs, the overall amazing joy that will be shared by all concerned.
I wish I could slip myself into her suitcase but I must wait my turn to go. Until then I can only imagine what it will be like when I get there too.
There’s another trip I’m waiting to take. My father took the trip this past year. I sometimes try to imagine what he is doing and who he has talked to and what was it like to see the face of Jesus for the very first time. I can only imagine what it will be like when I see His face too.
One of my favorite songs is by the group MercyMe. Some of the lyrics are as follows:
I can only imagine
What it will be like
When I walk
By Your side
I can only imagine
What my eyes will see
When Your face
Is before me
I can only imagine
I can only imagine
[Chorus:]
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
I can only imagine
While each of us awaits our time to take that heavenly trip, we must continue with what God has called us to do on earth. We all have the same calling, to let the Spirit of God work Father’s will in our lives. Then, as it says in II Corinthians 3:18, “As the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like Him and reflect His glory even more.” Imagine that.
I was visiting a friend this week. In our talking together we recalled my last time in Kyrgyzstan. There was a terrible virus going rampant in the city. Many people caught it and died. I caught it, became deathly ill, thought I might just leave this earth, but lived instead to tell the tale.
When I had recovered sufficiently to fly, I returned to England and to my doctor to get the medical attention I so badly needed. Blood tests were taken and my doctor prescribed something called Complan (Ensure). Many of you will know this is a drink filled with all sorts of nutrients. Although I had done my best to keep myself hydrated, my body was still depleted and needed recharging. I drank the Complan twice a day to restore the nutrients but something else happened too. My appetite, which was sorely waning, began to return. In fact, after just a week of drinking the Complan, my appetite had returned in full. Cooked food smelled good to me once more and I began to enjoy a variety of meals. Oh, how happy I felt to enjoy eating again. Joy grew in my heart and stomach with every bite.
Of course, it’s no different in our spiritual world. Do you ever feel dry, spiritually speaking? Do you ever feel you lack appetite for the things of God? You don’t like the way you feel but you’re not quite sure what to do about it? Let me suggest – spiritual Complan. Open God’s Word, even though you don’t feel like it, ask the Holy Spirit to please restore your appetite, and begin to read – begin to feed on God’s Word.
Remember, God’s Words are living. The Bible says, “For the Word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires…” Hebrews 4:12 There is another verse that reads, “You must crave pure, spiritual milk so that you can grow into the fullness of your salvation. Cry out for this nourishment as a baby cries for milk, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s goodness.” I Peter 2:2-3
Remember David, writer of so many of the Psalms? Even he knew about spiritual Complan. In Psalm 34 he tells us of a very difficult time he was going through. He writes in verses 6-8, “I cried out to the Lord in my suffering, and He heard me. He set me free from all my fears. For the angel of the Lord guards all who fear (respect and worship) Him, and He rescues them. Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who trust in Him.”
When we’re not hungry, we naturally don’t want to eat anything but I encourage you to “taste and see” for yourself if your appetite doesn’t return along with inner joy and peace.
Did you guess from the title that I might be dog-sitting again? This time every year I have good friends who go on vacation to India. They plan their trip according to when I’m in the country so I can be their dog’s vacation. I love having a dog to care for. We’re up early and taking a brisk walk to start our day. Late morning we go for our longest walk and mid-afternoon we take a shorter one. I find the whole process completely invigorating in both mind and body, no matter the weather.
I began keeping Rasta when she was still a young dog. She’s fifteen now, has arthritis, is completely deaf and her obvious cataracts make focusing a real challenge. But let us not forget her nose which, despite age, is still excellent in it’s ability to sniff out delicacies that only a dog could truly love. What joy Rasta has in her daily sniffing pursuits. (Her appetite is also still excellent!)
Until this year I could take Rasta on a countryside walk and let her off her leash. Away she would go in rapturous canine running and sniffing delight. Sadly, I have to be more careful about letting her run free now. If I let her off her leash I must be certain that I keep near and that she is aware that I’m near. I ascertained that fact very quickly when, after taking off her leash, I walked on. She was immediately into her sniffing routine. I kept glancing back at her to make certain she was still coming in the right direction. At one point, I looked back and suddenly there was a look of sheer panic across her face. Her head was turning wildly from left to right. She ran to the left. She ran forward and then turned and ran back in the direction from which we began our walk. I realized a bit too late the problem. Rasta couldn’t see me. She didn’t know where I was. She was scared. Panic took over.
I began to clap my hands as her owner had explained that while she can’t hear our voices, at times she can make out the clapping. I clapped and ran after her. She turned again, still looking for me, still panicked. I turned too, still clapping, still running after her. At one moment she turned in a new direction but wonderfully was backtracking again and this time I was near enough that I could reach out and touch her. I put my hand firmly on her shoulder and then my other hand to her head, stroking her and putting my face near hers. As quickly as the panic had come, the relief and joy came too. How happy we both were to be near to each other again and to know that we were near.
The fact is, I had never left Rasta. I was nearby all the time but she had lost sight of me. Her sniffing pursuits had distracted her from paying attention to me and my movements. When we found each other again, I squatted down near her for several minutes, stroking her, reassuring her, and enjoying her delight in my presence.
We continued our walk, this time with her happily hooked onto an extension lead. I contemplated her reaction to thinking I was gone and how she had distracted herself with her own pursuits. I thought to myself, I do that sometimes with God. He’s there all the time. He never leaves me nor forsakes me just as he promised in Hebrews 13:5. He’s always near to me even if I get distracted and forget Him for a time.
Although we all have moments when the busyness of life takes over our time with Father, it’s really a dangerous thing to do. It’s a habit we don’t want to form. We must take care lest we become as if we are deaf and blind, easily distracted by things that take our thoughts away from our First Love – Jesus. The Apostle Paul gave us an important warning in his first letter to Timothy:
“Cling tightly to your faith in Christ and always keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked.” I Timothy 2:19
None of us wants to be shipwrecked. We all want our faith in God to grow stronger each day. How do we aid ourselves in accomplishing this pursuit? Determine each day to pay attention to life’s distractions. When we go sniffing in our own pursuits, God is still near, but we may find ourselves panicking as if He were not. We lose our peace and our courage. Faith is weakened.
How much happier we are when we keep ourselves near enough to Father to more easily hear His voice and feel His touch. How happy we are to be near enough to enjoy His presence as He delights in our presence too.
I made the journey back to a snowy white England. Thank you to the many who prayed for my safe arrival. Amidst a cancelled flight, a later flight, a cold flight because the electrical system wasn’t working properly and it affected the plane’s heating, and an hour and a half wait to get through passport control – I made it safely back to my British home.
As much as I love my British life, my wonderful friends here, and the gorgeous beauty of the countryside and seashores, it always takes me a little while to readjust. I’m always conscious of the fact that I’m the foreigner here. I leave my American way of doing things behind and adjust to the British way. I drive on the left side of the road, eat toad in the hole, and say things like, “I do believe it’s brightening,” on the most dismal of grey days. (I love British hopefulness where the weather is concerned.) Even so, I wouldn’t fool any Brit into thinking I’m really one of them. I only have to speak a word and that fact is immediately known by the Brits around me. That’s okay. I love my time here even though I’m not a natural-born Brit.
As I’ve been contemplating this in the past few days, making my readjustments again to British life, it also came to my mind that spiritually speaking, I’m just passing through this world. I’m in this world, but I’m no longer of this world because I’ve been born again and my citizenship is now in heaven. That thought in mind brings to my memory a song I learned in my childhood, appropriately called, “This World Is Not My Home.”
This world is not my home I’m just a passing through
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue
The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door
And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore
Oh Lord you know I have no friend like you
If heaven’s not my home then Lord what will I do
The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door
And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.
Concerning our time here on this earth, let us take heed to the words founds in Romans 12:2:
“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect His will really is.”
As we become more like Jesus, the things of earth become more foreign to us and we know we don’t really belong. We’re just passing through. This world is not our home; it’s our temporary work place to share with others the wonderful truths of Jesus and His love for us.
Time really does fly. It doesn’t feel like it’s been two months since I arrived in Alabama. It’s been a blessing of great joy to me to have been able to share in so many churches in Alabama, Florida and Georgia. In Georgia I had the added pleasure of sharing in two Christian schools. Wonderful! Thank you all for having me. Now it’s time to pack the bags and take to the skies again.
I have a check-list that helps me with my journey: passport – check, ticket – check, book to read on airplane – check, and so on. I also have a check-list for my daily spiritual journey.
cleansed my heart – check
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from every wrong.” I John 1:9
aim to live in peace with those around me – check
“Do your part to live in peace with everyone, as much as is possible.: Romans 12:18
say “yes” to Father in all things – check
“…obey God with deep reverence and respect, for He is working in you, giving you the desire to obey Him and power to do what pleases Him” Philippians 2:12-13
don’t worry about anything – check
“Don’t worry about anything: instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
Everyday with God is a journey. Let’s stay packed and ready to follow where and how He leads. There’s no adventure like it.
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