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.
It so happens that this week I’ve received cards, letters, emails, and phone calls that really have made my week. The words were encouraging and uplifting to me. Hearing the words made me feel joyful, confident, hopeful, and loved. Can you remember times in your life when unexpectedly, someone offered a word of sincere compliment or encouragement to you? Doesn’t it lighten your heart? Don’t you hope that such words will come your way again?
Does God have anything to say about our words? Oh, yes! He says some wonderful, helpful things about our words to each other, such as:
“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” James 1:19
“Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.” Colossians 4:6
“A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.” Proverbs 25:11
“Pleasant words are as honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.” Proverbs 16:24
I remember something very wise my mother would often say to my sister and me in our childhood: “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.” I also remember a rhyme that children would say. (perhaps they still do) “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” How foolish and incorrect is that statement but we can overlook it when we know it’s a child’s immature understanding. The dismay comes when we realize that adults still take on such childish and foolish talk.
Words do indeed hurt. How lovely to know they also heal. They can destroy and they can build up. They can cause pain or gladness. They spread lies or truth. They point to evil or they point to godliness. They are filled with love or hate.
Let us take time each day to ask Father to bless the words of our mouths that we may speak as Jesus would. Many of us have read the popular book, “What Would Jesus Do?” Let us also ask ourselves before speaking, “What would Jesus say?”
Happy New Year everyone! New Year celebrations often put into our minds a challenge to undertake some resolution. We give ourselves a goal to meet; it’s something to better ourselves. I admit that I gave up making new year resolutions a long time ago. Not only did I break them but most often I forgot what they were to begin with.
Instead, I have developed a different kind of habit. Instead of looking forward and speculating about what I might achieve in the next year – I look back and remind myself of all God has achieved in me and others around me. For example: for me and my family, 2012 allowed us to see God give joy in what could have been great grief in the passing of my Dad from this world to heaven. We also saw God turn my getting cancer into a wonderful new opportunity to share His love and peace with others going through the same thing. The presence of Father was so sweet and near in both of the above instances, that I can honestly say, 2012 has been one of the most blessed years of my life.
Looking back and seeing God’s faithfulness in 2012, establishes in my heart the confident assurance that whatever 2013 brings, He will give the same joy, peace, courage, and wisdom, as He did in 2012.
My Dad loved a song that is rarely sung these days, but it remains one of my favorites too. In thinking about another new year of going into the unknown, I share the words with you now:
I Know Who Holds Tomorrow
I don’t know about tomorrow;
I just live from day to day.
I don’t borrow from it’s sunshine
For it’s skies may turn to grey.
I don’t worry o’er the future,
For I know what Jesus said.
And today I’ll walk beside Him,
For He knows what is ahead.
Many things about tomorrow
I don’t seem to understand
But I know who holds tomorrow
And I know who holds my hand.
Every step is getting brighter
As the golden stairs I climb;
Every burden’s getting lighter,
Every cloud is silver-lined.
There the sun is always shining,
There no tear will dim the eye;
At the ending of the rainbow
Where the mountains touch the sky.
I don’t know about tomorrow;
It may bring me poverty.
But the one who feeds the sparrow,
Is the one who stands by me.
And the path that is my portion
May be through the flame or flood;
But His presence goes before me
And I’m covered with His blood.
(Ira Forest Stanphill)
I’ve shared before that I love a storm. I get excited at the first clap of thunder, the first flash of lightening, and the pounding rain. I love walking in rain but I restrain myself in a thunder storm and keep myself inside. It would be foolish to stroll about with thunder banging and lightening streaking across the sky. It would be even more foolish to stroll about when warnings of tornadoes have been issued by the National Weather Service. The warnings are there for our protection and safety.
Such was the case all through Christmas night. The rain pelted the roof so hard that at times we could hardly hear each other talk. The wind blew loudly and limbs were broken from trees. Thunder was booming and rolling across the black sky. Lightening would flash so brightly that for a second the black was gone and a seeming daylight appeared across the countryside. Then came the sound of a freight train – only it wasn’t’ a train; it was a tornado. Just a mile and half away it hit the properties of several of our friends. How thankful we are that no one was hurt. Things can be replaced.
What care we take when warnings of tornadoes are given. Why do we ignore the same tornado warnings in our spiritual world? When our loving Heavenly Father, whose goal is to keep us safe, issues warnings, clearly telling us what to do to avoid tornadoes of sin that will cause havoc and destruction in our lives, why do we ignore them and decide to take a stroll in the storm? How foolish we can be. We deliberately do something Father has warned us not to do; we then lose our inner peace, begin to feel distant from God, perhaps we get hurt, and then we dare to ask God – where were You? Why didn’t You help me?
The proper questions to ask are: Why didn’t we trust Father and obey Him? Why did we go strolling in the storm of sin? Why were we walking where limbs were breaking and crashing to the ground? Why did we turn from God’s commands and do something so very foolish as to walk in a thunderstorm of sin?
Sometimes we are the very ones whispering lies to our own ears where sin is concerned. We tell ourselves, “I’m not cheating or lying or stealing or committing adultery or murder, so I’m doing okay. God will bless me.” How easily we blind ourselves when we choose to walk in the darkened storms of sin around us. What is sin then, exactly? It’s twofold: It’s disobedience to God on any level, and it’s anything that knocks God off the throne of our lives. Sin is always a storm and it always destroys. It sends tornadoes that tear apart our inner joy and blows away our peace.
Good news. If that’s you right now, you can get out of the storm today. You can pray right now the words in Psalm 51:10, “Create in me a clean heart, oh God, and renew a right spirit within me.” Father is waiting to forgive when we ask and to put us back on the right path; it’s the path of peace and goodness and great joy. It’s the fun path!
This week I had the joy of going to the state of Georgia and speaking at two Christian schools and one church. I spoke to both junior and senior high students. I loved being with them. They asked wonderful questions and talking with some of them afterwards, I could sense their deep love for and commitment to following God. It was a blessed time.
My mother joined me on this trip to Georgia. We had a general idea of how to get there but didn’t know the exact route to get to our destination. Enter – Rosie. Who is Rosie? Rosie is the name a friend of ours has given to his GPS device. I turned Rosie on, typed in the address, and presto! we were off. “Drive 12 miles to Interstate 65,” Rosie said. “In 1.2 miles turn left onto Hwy. 80,” was another direction. How comforting listening to and following Rosie.
But then – what? Did she say that? Turn there? That doesn’t make sense. Surely Rosie has got it wrong. Twice her directions seemed like she had blown a fuse and couldn’t possibly be right. Even so, we decided to give Rosie a try. You know what I’m going to say, don’t you. Rosie was right every time and she got us safely to our destination – right to the door.
I’m so thankful for the GPS invention that knows the way I need to go in my physical world. I’m even more thankful to our heavenly Father who knows the way I need to go in my spiritual world. Sometimes His commands and instructions seem not so important. “No one does everything God says,” we reason to ourselves, “and they seem happy enough.” “God will still love me,” is another fact we use to convince ourselves that not following everything God says is necessary. Of course He still loves us when we disobey Him. We never lose God’s love but we do lose our own inner peace and joy. Obedience to our Father’s ways bring perfect peace. Why does He instruct us? It’s because of His vast love for us. He knows our ways are imperfect but His ways keep us on the road to joy and courage and wisdom and peace.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.” Proverbs 3:5-6
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