Back in England this week, I shared an evening with friends. At one point we took their dogs for a short walk in a section of the beautiful hills of The South Downs. You might remember I’ve shared stories of one of the dogs, Katie the schnauzer, who I keep when her owner is away. Katie was happily coming along, although limping with the arthritis she bears.
At one point, one of my friends turned to look back at Katie and I heard her say, “Why are you struggling up the mountain when it’s easier to come along in the valley.” I looked back, and sure enough, their was Katie showing great determination to walk up the incline rather than down to the flatter area.
We humans do the same thing in our spiritual walk, don’t we. We long to be in the mountain tops where we tell ourselves, the heights of mountain top experiences are full of joy and gladness. We tend to fear and dread the valley experiences. It’s almost as if we forget that God is just as much in the valley as He is on the mountain top.
Have you ever read the book by Hannah Hurnard, “Hinds Feet On High Places?” The main character, Much-Afraid, longs to be with the Shepherd in the high places of the mountain but He first leads her to the valley and along difficult paths. Sometimes she is cut and bruised on the sharp rocks and she tires greatly when the climb is steep. Even so, it’s in the valley where she experiences the sweetness of the Shepherd’s care for her when she’s hurting. It’s in the valley where she learns His vast wisdom in how He plans her paths for her own good. It’s in the valley where she discovers something of herself that she never thought possible: she has become strong in all the areas of her life where she knew she had always been weak.
It’s time spent in the difficult places of our life’s journey that allows us to enjoy the views from the mountain top that would never be possible without first traveling in the valley.
“The Lord is my Shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; He leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to His name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23
I’ve had a new experience this week in Kyrgyzstan. It was a warm, Spring evening; the sun shone brightly. It was hot if directly in it’s rays but cool beneath the shade of the large oak trees that stand, grand and majestic, in the city center parks. It was to be an evening with friends in a local cafe. Then, abruptly, and only for a second of time, the calm evening was torn apart by a thunderous blast. It’s booming intensity shook walls and through the ground, a sharp vibration shot through my legs.
I jumped up as did every other person in the vicinity and peered along with them toward the direction of the blast. Police were swarming, roads were blocked, yellow tape marked out the area to be untouched by all except appropriate officials. Very soon a bomb squad appeared; men with thick helmets and padded vests roamed the area just fifty yards from where we stood looking.
I glanced around at frozen faces, staring eyes, occasional whispers of speculation at what had just happened. Then, I don’t know why, but I looked up toward the tree tops. The evening sun was still shining through bright, green leaves peeking between branches; it’s presence known by strips of fading light along the ground and sidewalks. A bird was preening itself.
It was the bird that held my attention. Surely it had flown off with the bomb blast, but if it most certainly did, it had just as quickly returned, apparently unperturbed by what was happening below. I found this amazing. I glanced at ground level once more. Police were busy taking care of the matter at hand. I glanced up at the bird. It was sitting calmly as if purposefully taking in the last of evening’s sunlight.
I thought about life then. We all have “ground zero” experiences, some worse than others, but all difficult. We have to pay attention to what’s around us. We can’t hide from it. Life’s troubles are there, staring us in the face and we must handle it. I was still amazed about the bird. It had to have flown off when the blast occurred. It did what it had to do to deal with the trouble at hand. Then it came back – to what? It came back to it’s life in the treetops and carried on with it’s bird life, doing what birds do.
Words from Philippians 3:13-14 came to mind, “…I focus on this one thing:Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Jesus Christ, is calling us.”
We all have a race to run. There will be bomb scares along the track but let’s not let that hold us back. We go through it or around it but we continue running. We look forward and we put one foot in front of the other. Standing still, trapped in the debris, must not be an option. Like the bird, aware of it’s Creator, preening peacefully above the troubles, we too are aware of our Father, who gives everything we need to run, run, run, successfully and peacefully, crossing the finish line.
This past summer when my mother and I sorted through my Dad’s closets, we packed up and gave his things away, mostly to the Good Will or Salvation Army store. It was Dad’s own request that we not keep his things after he had gone to heaven. “Let them be a help to someone else,” he had said. We found it a joy to do so.
As we went through his clothes I looked at his ties. Being a pastor he had many ties and they were so beautiful. My Dad loved wearing his ties. I carefully packed most to take to the Good Will but several I packed away in my own suitcase. I had a few in mind to whom I wanted to give the ties. Five were laid aside for my next trip to Kyrgyzstan. I had in mind, five of my father’s students from Bishkek Bible College days. He loved his students so much and I know they loved him too.
This past Sunday I gave one to the pastor of the church I attended here in Bishkek. The service had not yet started. I saw the pastor come to greet me and I gave him my Dad’s tie. I could tell he was touched and happy to receive it. The music started then and we parted as the service began. It was a wonderful time of worship and praise together. Then I saw the pastor walk to the front towards the pulpit. As he turned around, my breath caught in my throat. He was wearing my father’s tie. I felt a huge and lovely joy explode in my heart. Tears also sprang into my eyes but they were tears of happiness to see this former student of my father, showing happiness also in wearing his former teacher’s tie.
Throughout the rest of day I kept recalling the incident and then I thought of the articles of clothing that our heavenly Father gives us to wear. In Ephesians 6 we are given some wonderful and exciting instructions that are key to living successfully. It all has to do with our spiritual clothes! The Apostle Paul tells us in verse 10 to, “Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.” Well, we all want that, don’t we. We want to be strong with His own power so that we can stand against the troubles of this world and stand triumphant against the attacks of the ruler of this world – Satan.
You might be thinking – and it all has to do with our clothes? As Christians, Father has given us special clothing that will equip us to stand against anything, yes anything at all. Let’s read Ephesians 6:13-17: “Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body of armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmut, and take the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God.”
I am personally happiest when I am spiritually dressed for the day. There is a certain confidence in wearing what my Father has given me. There is a joy in being dressed in something of His.
I kept a denim jacket that my Dad used to wear. He looked especially good when he wore it with his cowboy boots and jeans. My sister has a denim jacket of his too. When I put it on, I am immediately reminded of my Dad. So many joyful memories come to my mind.
It’s the same when I dress in what my heavenly Father has given me. I put on the spiritual armor and I am immediately reminded of my heavenly Father. So many joyful memories come to mind as I recall the times over the years that He has given me His strength and peace and courage.
Today and everyday, may each one of us remember to dress properly before we walk out the door. Then, whatever happens today, we are prepared. We are already successful; we have already won whatever battle awaits.
I have been doing a lot of listening upon my return to Kyrgyzstan. Everyone has a story to tell of hardships taking place in the country. Inflation has gone wild; countless people cannot afford basic foods and needed medicines. One lady said, “Each month I must decide – which do I buy – food, medicine, or pay for electricity.” It is hard for us in the western world to fathom what many people around the globe endure as a daily challenge to their existence.
Others have told stories of beatings and muggings for all sorts of reasons: ethnic, religious differences, financial needs.
While my heart aches for them in their dire situations, my mind swirls in amazement and admiration at so many of their attitudes. How do they manage to still find smiles and even joke together? The way they live their lives reminds me of what the Apostle Paul said in Philippians 4:11-13 “…I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength.”
Notice that Paul said he has learned “the secret of living in every situation.” What is the secret of his contentment when clearly there are times that Paul doesn’t have enough food or he has been beaten and even thrown into prison? I have studied the contented faces of many here in Kyrgyzstan who often go to bed hungry and have no way to purchase needed medicines or clothing. They too have learned “the secret to living in every situation.” What is it?
It is this: When we can’t change our physical situations to be more pleasant, then we must be extra certain to fill our minds with God’s spiritual truth, letting His Words be our food. Then we will have all we need to be “content in all things.” It is not about learning to be happy in having a problem; it is developing trust in the One who is the Giver of all strength to get us through the problems. That indeed is great contentment.
Remember too, “For with God, nothing shall be impossible.” Luke 1:37 That means it is most possible indeed to live in contentment even in the darkest of our days. The secret is the answer to this question: Where is your primary focus? On the problem or the One who gives all we need to get through the problem?
After my first full day in Kyrgyzstan, I took a long walk around the city center. I walked past familiar places that I’ve looked at for over 20 years. I laughed to myself as I even recognized potholes and crumbling pieces of sidewalk. A great feeling of nostalgia swept through me as I walked past open-air cafes along the walks or in the parks. How many times I have sat in the chairs, sipping tea, talking with friends.
The sweetest of sadnesses came when I walked past a park cafe that my father and I especially liked to visit. We would sit, sipping tea, discussing our students and lesson plans, watching people walk by, and laugh at the antics of the red squirrels gathering acorns or jumping from tree to tree. I felt a smile curl on my lips and a tear slide into my eye. Such sweet memories bring out the beauty of pain. Had my father never come, there would be no sweet memories now. The memories are worth the pain. They are treasures to every tear drop.
Easter has just passed. Had Jesus never come to endure pain for us, there would be no sweet memories of Him either, no tears to cry in remembrance of what He did for us, no smiles to form on our faces in realization of daily strength He gives us.
Pain is not a bad thing nor a thing to avoid; it is a hard thing that makes us stronger to stand against the situations of life that would otherwise knock us over. Pain is not pleasant when it walks through the door but there is a loveliness when it is embraced with the knowledge of the sweetness it has to bring us.
There is no pain today, nor any tear cried, that God will not use to bring about sweet joy tomorrow.
“…Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.” Psalm 30:5
Many of you have already heard my good news this week – a year after treatment for breast cancer began, I was given the “all clear” from my oncologist. It was a happy moment. I drove home feeling light in my spirit. As I drove along, my thoughts wandered to all that had taken place this last year: getting cancer, watching my father take his last breath on earth, being separated from those I love so much in Kyrgyzstan.
As we know, being Christian, following God as best one knows how, is no guarantee of being without difficulties. Troubles come to us all but with every calamity in life, comes also the strength of God to face and go through anything. Sometimes, as in my case today, we not only go through but we come out seemingly unscathed. This is not always the case. There are times when we encounter crisis and the outcome we hope for doesn’t come to pass. Accidents leave some maimed for life, finances can be lost forever, and sickness can give way to death. While a Christian doesn’t always escape these things, every Christian has available to them the peace, joy, love and courage of God to get through anything.
I remind us all of a powerful passage concerning God’s love and care for us:
“Can anything ever separate us from God’s love? Does it mean He no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or are hungry or cold, or in danger or threatened with death? (Even the Scriptures say, ‘For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.’) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from His love. Death can’t, and life can’t. The angels can’t, and the demons can’t. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can’t keep God’s love away.” Romans 8:35-38
Are you walking a troubled path today? Are your hopes shattered to pieces because what you pray for hasn’t come to pass? Remember, God is with you on that path; He won’t leave you, and He will be everything you need today.
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.
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