Anyone who knows me knows that I like the space around me to be clean. The problem is, I do not like to clean.
However, I do love sweeping the floors this time of year. There is always quite a lot of glitter mixed in with the dirt at Christmastime, and glitter always makes me smile.
I had a thought one morning as I was sweeping and admiring all of the silver and gold glitter in my dirt pile. I sweep the floor, and shortly afterwards someone tracks dirt in on their shoes. I sweep the floor again, and someone drops bread crumbs all over the floor when they make a sandwich. I sweep again and the dog shreds a tissue that she found, and on and on it goes.
That’s kind of how life is too. I have encountered some pretty big and dirty messes. I have experienced strained relationships, unpleasant consequences, financial difficulties, health issues, concerns for loved ones, hurts… I sweep one problem away, and another one pops up. I sweep that one away, and another appears.
There’s always going to be dirt. There’s always going to be messes. There’s always going to be problems.
Yet, just like the little pieces of glitter mixed in with the dirt when I sweep, I see blessings mixed in with the difficulties of life. God’s touch is always there in the middle of it all. He gives me strength to endure, wisdom to solve the problem, guidance for the next step, words of healing, glimpses of hope…and most of all, peace to get me through. Knowing He is near and seeing Him at work makes life beautiful.
Those little pieces of glitter in the dirt and those little blessings in life’s troubles remind me that God is near. It reminds me “that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
God’s love, peace and hope always shine through the darkness. As you sweep your floors this Advent season, look for the glitter mixed in with the dirt. And as you tackle life’s troubles, look for God!
“In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’ This is the one who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: ‘A voice of one calling in the wilderness, “Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him”’” (Matthew 3:1-3).
It is estimated that Isaiah the prophet lived about 700 years before the births of John the Baptist and Jesus. The world needed a Savior, and God promised to send One. When Jesus was born, John the Baptist’s role was to proclaim His coming and to prepare the people to meet Him.
When questioned by priests and Levites as to who he was, John’s reply was, “I am the voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord’” (John 1:23). He further explained, “I baptize with water, but among you stands One who you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie” (John 1:27).
“The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is what I meant when I said, “A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.” I myself did not know Him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that He might be revealed to Israel’” (John 1:29-30).
John the Baptist had been commissioned by God to prepare the people for Jesus’ arrival. Before John was born, an angel had appeared to Zechariah to explain that Zechariah’s wife, Elizabeth would give birth to a son who they would name “John.” The angel explained John’s purpose and informed him that John would be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth.
John did exactly as the angel and Isaiah had foretold. He urged people to repent and prepared them to meet Jesus.
We too have been commissioned by God. Jesus said in Matthew 28:18-20, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Many in our world are still in desperate need of a Savior. Some who are getting ready to celebrate Christmas have no idea who Jesus is or why they need Him.
God’s word tells us that there will be a day when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Whether we accepted Him as Lord or not while we were living on earth, we will know that He is Lord when we meet Him face to face. For those who did not accept before their physical death, it will be too late.
So I ask you as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Savior of the world, “Are you prepared for the day that you will meet Him face-to-face?” If not, don’t put it off any longer. “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near!”
If you are prepared (and I hope you are), I ask you this, “How will you proclaim the Good News of Jesus today?” Will you send a Christmas card explaining the true meaning of Christmas and follow up with the recipient? Are you bold enough to post a message on your social media platform? Are you willing to take the time to talk to your unbelieving parents, cousins, friends, neighbors, co-workers or whoever God sends your way? Will you shine your Light in the darkness? What action will you take today?
As we remember the reason that we celebrate Christmas, we must find a way to share the Good News with others. We must proclaim and prepare the way.
December can be a pretty hectic month! The calendar can get pretty full with Christmas programs, parties and family gatherings. Our to do list can get pretty long with decorating our homes, sending Christmas cards, shopping for gifts, baking cookies and cleaning our houses for guests. Our schedules can get pretty tight leaving little time for enjoying our families, resting our worn bodies or reflecting on the actual miracle of Christmas itself. We must remember the reason we celebrate.
Today is the first day of the Advent season, a time to remember when God’s people were awaiting the birth of the Messiah who would save us from our sins. Advent is also a time for us to anticipate Jesus’ second coming when He will return to take us home.
The “Prophecy Candle” or “Candle of Hope”–We Must Remember the Reason
Today we light the first Advent candle which is the “Prophecy Candle” or “Candle of Hope.” This candle reminds us of both the fulfilled prophecy of Jesus’ birth and the prophecy of his second coming, for which we continue to wait and hope for. The candle’s purple color represents Christ’s royalty as the King of Kings.
My prayer for each of you is that during the hustle and bustle of the season, you will keep your focus on Jesus. I pray that you will reflect on Him, be aware of His presence, become overwhelmed by His love, grow closer to Him and experience His peace and hope. As you excitedly prepare to celebrate His birth, I pray that you will also anxiously anticipate the day that He will return again to take us home.
Don’t let yourself get too caught up in thinking you have to stick to every Christmas tradition in effort to make the day special for your family. We can easily miss the beauty of the season when we go overboard in decorating, shopping, gift wrapping, baking, cleaning and involving ourselves in every single program and party that pops up.
Keep things simple, reflect on Jesus, the Greatest Gift of all. Remember how He left the comforts of heaven to be born in a stable. Be thankful that He lived a sinless life and took the punishment for our sins by dying on the cross in our place. Focus on His love, goodness, mercy and grace. Share the Good News with others. Anxiously wait for His return.
Throughout the Advent season, may your life be full because your focus is on Jesus and all that He is, yet simple because He is all you need. We must remember that He is the reason.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him” (John 3:16-17).
Just like the little boy in the shopping cart, peering through the trees to see Jesus, we too must fight to keep our focus through the busyness of the season.
As I rummaged through the box, I was quickly reminded something I had forgotten since I put things away the previous year. In my frustration, I threw out several strands of lights when I took the decorations down after Christmas. I would not be able to take advantage of the warm and sunny Thanksgiving afternoon to finish decorating my shrubs.
I went back inside to squeeze in a board game with my family before getting started on the noodles and mashed potatoes for our big gathering that evening. I would have to watch my time because all the dishes would have to be hand-washed. It was earlier that morning that the water dripping from the basement ceiling brought to our attention that the seal on the dishwasher had broken. Sigh.
That is how I found myself at the store on a Black Friday. It wasn’t to find the deals. I had done that one year, and one year only. It was one of the scariest times of my life, and I decided at that time, that there was no deal worth the crowd, rudeness and chaos that I had encountered. I vowed to never again set foot in a store the day after Thanksgiving.
No. Rather than venturing out to catch the sales, I found myself shopping on a Black Friday because we needed to fix the seal on the dishwasher, and I wanted to finish the lights outside before it got too cold again. At least it was late afternoon by the time we arrived. However, the store was still pretty busy.
My husband and I parted ways once inside. We had just returned to town after a 6-hour trip of driving our son and daughter-in-law to the airport and meeting another son for lunch at the half-way point. We were both physically and mentally exhausted, and I knew that I had better find what I needed quickly because my husband would not want to be in there long.
I was maneuvering my way through the crowded section of Christmas decorations and trying my best to hurry and not get distracted by all the things I didn’t need. Suddenly, above all the chatter of nearby shoppers and the Christmas music playing in the background, I heard a sweet little voice, “I want to see Jesus.” The voice that had grabbed my attention got louder, “Daddy! I just want to go see Jesus! Daddy, please!”
I peered across the Christmas light section and into the display of trees. There I saw a little boy standing in the back of a shopping cart and pointing towards a nativity set nestled among the Christmas trees and fluffy artificial snow.
His dad was not amused with the interruption; he didn’t seem to be enjoying his time looking through all trees with his wife and trying to decide which one to purchase. He finally gave in to his son’s persistence and pushed the cart over to Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus while muttering something not quite holy in his exasperation.
Oh, to always have the heart of that little boy who was searching through the crowd and through the forest of trees just trying to get a glimpse at Jesus. We get distracted by our long shopping and to do lists, the sea of bleary-eyed shoppers, mounds of packages to wrap and overloaded schedules. We can get so busy during the holiday season that we forget the true reason we are celebrating Christmas in the first place.
Just like that little boy in the shopping cart, we must fight to keep our focus on the beautiful face of Jesus. We can’t let the trees, the lights, the shopping, the wrapping, the baking, the cleaning, the programs and parties block our view of the One who was born to save us.
Our Christmas traditions that have developed since the birth of Jesus can be ways for us to express His love to others. The lights remind us of the Light that dispelled the darkness of the world. Christmas programs and parties can be ways to celebrate Jesus’ birth, and we can give to others because of the love of Christ that rules in our hearts. We just need to make sure that in the busyness of our Christmas preparations and festivities, we don’t lose sight of the fact that we are doing these things as a way to bring glory to Jesus, Greatest Gift of all.
Life is going to start getting really busy for many of us as we head into the Christmas season. Let’s remember the example of the sweet little boy in the shopping cart and start each morning by crying out to our Daddy in heaven, “Daddy, I want to see Jesus! Help me to see Him through the trees, through the crowded stores and through my never-ending to do list today. Let me not lose sight of the reason we celebrate Christmas. Let me unwrap the gift of each new day You bless me with. Help me to find a way to tell those around me the good news that the angel proclaimed long ago when in the town of David a Savior had been born (Luke 2). Compel me share with others the message that ‘God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life’ (John 3:16). Enable me be bold to proclaim that ‘If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved’ (Romans 10:9). Prepare the hearts of those around me to respond to your invitation as so many did when Peter urged, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’ (Acts 2:38). Give me opportunities to share your love and truth to others so that they too can find salvation, hope and peace in Him. Let me not take for granted the sacrifice that Jesus made for me when He surrendered His life to your will, but help me also to surrender my own life to You.”
We must fight to keep our focus on the One who is the reason we celebrate Christmas
“What am I thankful for?” my daughter doodled on a spiral notebook page at a Thanksgiving dinner. Each of us were to take a moment to answer the question.
I have been pondering on that question again this week. What am I thankful for? The list could go on and on.
I am thankful this week that my son and daughter-in-law who live over 1000 miles away were able to afford flying home for the week. I am thankful that they still want to come home to visit and that we have room for them to stay. I am thankful that when I told my boss that I was going to take Tuesday off to spend the day with my kids, he asked, “Aren’t you going to take Wednesday as well? You don’t get to see them much.”
I am thankful that all of our children and their significant others were able to join us for dinner on Saturday night even though they all have very busy lives and only one of them lives in town now. Not only did I enjoy seeing all 10 of us squeeze around the table, I loved hearing them joke, laugh and catch up with each other. Despite the distance between our homes, our hearts remain close.
I am thankful for the plans we have tomorrow. It has become tradition for us all to cram down into the basement to eat breakfast and watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade in our pajamas. One of the boys has been anxious for “the one time a year we get to eat monkey bread.” I used to get up and watch the parade alone because none of them wanted to get out of bed, but now that we don’t see each other as often and now that we have added more ladies into the family, this has become one of our favorite traditions.
I am thankful that my sister is hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year, and that my parents, my children, my siblings, nieces and nephews will all be together to enjoy each other’s company while stuffing our bellies. The conversations will be good, there will be plenty of hugs, and I’m sure we will have way more than enough food.
What am I thankful for? I am thankful for so many people. I am definitely thankful for family and that we are all able to be together again this Thanksgiving. I am also thankful for all of my friends and for their support, encouragement and prayers. I am thankful for good neighbors, teachers, doctors and dentists. I am thankful for the policemen, firemen, and armed servicemen who risk their lives to protect us.
I am thankful to live in the United States of America. I am thankful that we have freedom of speech, freedom of religion and the right to bear arms. I am thankful to live in a country with so many job opportunities. I am thankful not only for all of the agencies we have in place to help those who are struggling but also thankful that there are so many citizens in our country who are willing to assist those in need and help them get back on their feet when they fall.
I am thankful for my home, my vehicle, a heater that works, indoor plumbing, clean water, a dishwasher, refrigerator, freezer, oven, microwave, washer and dryer. My house may need a lot of repairs, and not all of my appliances work perfectly, but some people do not have these blessings at all.
I am thankful for each day that I wake up. I am thankful for the medication that helps me breathe and for the eye glasses that help me see. I am thankful that I can hear, that I can talk and that I can walk.
I am thankful that though I am becoming more forgetful, I still have many wonderful memories. I am thankful not only for the good times but also for the difficult times because it is through the difficult times that I have learned and grown. I am thankful that in those trying times, God is teaching me to have a heart that can give thanks in all circumstances.
“Give Thanks in All Circumstances” print & greeting card available at Every Season Creations on Etsy
I am thankful most of all for God. I am thankful that we have His very words to us written down in the Bible. I am thankful for His love, mercy and grace that He extends to me even though I don’t deserve it. I am thankful for His Son, Jesus, who He sent to die in my place. I am overwhelmed by His sacrifice and forever indebted to Him. I am thankful that through Jesus, my sins have been forgiven and my relationship with God has been restored. I am thankful that I can go to God in prayer knowing that He is listening and that He will respond. I am thankful that He has filled me with His Holy Spirit who blesses me with discernment, counsel, guidance, wisdom, strength, courage, comfort, peace and absolutely everything I need to live the life that God has called me to.
I am thankful that in Jesus, my life has purpose. Though God doesn’t need my help, I am thankful that He allows me to join in His work and witness lives being saved and transformed for eternity. I am thankful that God can take a mess like me and work in me, through me and around me to accomplish His will. I am thankful to know that despite my shortcomings, God isn’t finished with me yet. I am thankful that “He who began a good work within me, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”
I am thankful that whether I die or whether He returns, whichever comes first, I have the assurance that He will take me home to live with Him forever in heaven where there will be no more tears, death, mourning, crying or pain. I am thankful that between now and then, whatever life throws my way, He will be with me through it all and that He will see me through to the end.
What am I thankful for this Thanksgiving? I am thankful for far too many things to list. I pray that you too will take time to think about all that you are thankful for, that you too will find that you are thankful for far too many things to list and that you too will realize that Jesus is your greatest blessing of all and that you have found life abundant in Him. I pray that if you have not yet surrendered your life to Him, you will boldly step forward in faith and find true peace and satisfaction in your decision to accept Him as your Lord and Savior.
My family loves the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies, and one of our favorite characters is a quirky pirate named Captain Jack Sparrow. Jack is an opportunist who always seems to come out on top despite being called, “the worst pirate I’ve ever heard of” by Admiral James Norrington.
One of Jack’s most prized possessions is his compass that doesn’t point north. Most people consider the compass broken and worthless, but Jack finds it of great value. For instead of pointing north, the compass points the way to whatever its owner wants most in this world. When Jack sets out to find a person, a place or a treasure, he simply pulls out the compass which points him in the right direction.
Navigating with this compass that doesn’t point north works well for Jack until the day that he sets off in search of the key to the “Dead Man’s Chest” which holds the heart of Davy Jones. When he holds up the compass, it spins out of control.
The crew notices Jack’s strange behavior that follows and believes that “something’s got Jack vexed.” The soothsayer, Tia Dalma, suggests that Jack does not know what he really wants or that he knows but is reluctant to claim it for his own.
In another “Pirates of the Caribbean” scene, Jack hands the compass to Elizabeth Swann who wants to find and rescue her love, Will Turner. Jack convinces Elizabeth that in order to find Will, she needs to reach the same destination that he is seeking. When Elizabeth follows her desire with the compass in hand, Jack is set back on course. However, throughout the voyage, when Elizabeth checks the compass, she find the compass pointing back to Jack. This again questions the true desire of the person holding the compass.
This reminds me of how we too can sometimes become confused about our desires and what we truly want or need. There are times when we think we want one thing, but after acquiring it, we find that it wasn’t really what our heart was longing for. We are left as empty as ever.
The human heart can have many desires as there are many things on earth that bring us pleasure. Many of these things were actually given to us by God. However, there is nothing on this earth that can completely satisfy us. Our soul will not find true rest until it rests in God. It is when we delight in Him that we are given the true desires of our hearts. In Him, we find complete contentment, satisfaction and peace.
Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”
Desires of Your Heart
This Scripture does not mean that we delight in the Lord in order to get everything we think we want. Rather, when we truly delight ourselves in the Lord, we find peace and fulfillment in Him. As we seek the Lord, His desires become our desires.
God may choose to bless us with many earthly and material treasures which do bring us enjoyment, but those things are only a glimpse of the true satisfaction that is found in eternal treasure. Our hearts’ deepest longings can only be satisfied when we find rest through Jesus. Until we surrender our lives to Him, we will be restless, chasing what we think we desire and always longing for something more.
Thankful for the glue that holds us together after 31 years
My husband and I celebrate thirty-one years of marriage today. It seems like only yesterday that we were two kids starting our adventure together but at the same time seems like we’ve been together forever.
We’ve been through a lot. We’ve experienced for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health. We’ve laughed, cried, celebrated, mourned, embraced and fought.
Our marriage hasn’t been perfect. In fact, it hasn’t always been easy. We haven’t always agreed. There have been times that we’ve hurt each other. We’ve seen each other at our very worst. On rare occasions, we’ve threatened to part ways.
Yet, here we are, thirty-one years later with a marriage that is stronger than ever. How did we make it this far? We made a commitment to each other and to God, and we are not willing to break it no matter how difficult things get.
For thirty-one years, God has been the glue that holds us together through the good, the bad and the ugly. As we relied on God through the difficult times, He taught us what true love is.
True love is more than a feeling. True love is an action. It’s choosing to love someone even when they’re unlovable. God has taught us to love each other with the same love that Jesus has for us. The perfect love of Jesus is described in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
Jesus loves us with that kind of love. He loved us when we were sinful and evil. We deserved death. Yet He took on the punishment for our sin and died in our place so that we could be forgiven and have eternal life with Him in heaven. We do not deserve His love, but He loves us anyway. This is the love that we must love everyone with. This is the love that makes a marriage work.
This is something we didn’t really understand when we were married back in 1987. But as we each grew in our relationships with Christ, His love, His ways, His plans, His calling and His purpose for us became clearer.
Together, we have learned to work as a team with God as the coach. And our love for Him and for each other grows deeper and deeper as time goes by.
God has blessed us through the years in ways far greater than we ever could have asked or imagined. He has blessed us with far more than we need and far more than we deserve.
I am thankful for the wonderful memories that we share, but I am also thankful for the difficult times and the struggles that we have overcome. I am thankful for a God who gives us mercy, grace, wisdom and a love that endures. I am thankful for a godly husband who loves me at my worst and a God who continues to be the glue that holds us together.
Imagine a child outside, innocently hunting for butterflies. Her parents told her to stay inside the fence, but she can’t help but step outside her boundary as a beautiful swallowtail lands on a purple coneflower on the other side. As her net gets close, the butterfly flutters to a different flower, and she wanders a little farther away. She excitedly chases after the beautiful winged insect, and soon she finds herself deep into the woods. She’d been having so much fun that she hadn’t even realized how far she had strayed. When the butterfly disappears, she realizes she is lost.
Her parents become frantic when they can’t find her. Caring people help spread the word and join in the search, hoping to find her alive. They understand how dangerous this situation is. She is without food and water. Darkness will fall soon. She could fall into a hole or drown in a pond. She could encounter wild animals or strangers seeking their prey.
The search will continue until the child is found. Most of the people assisting do not know the family. They don’t care about the family’s race, social status or lifestyle. There is a child who is lost and in danger, and they recognize the urgency. They will mourn along with the family if she is found dead, but they will rejoice with them if she if found alive and reunited with her parents.
There will be no scolding or punishment when they find her because she will now understand why her parents set up the boundaries. She will have regret for her disobedience and will not wander outside those boundaries again.
What if we searched for the spiritually lost as earnestly as we search for the physically lost? Do we understand the danger that many lives are in?
God created us to be more than just a physical body that turns to dust when we die. He created us in His image with a soul that lives on after the physical body dies. Our soul is in great danger when we wander outside of his boundaries, chasing our own desires and choosing to follow our ways instead of his. If we wander too far, we risk being lost and separated from God, our Heavenly Father, forever.
Eternal separation from God in heaven means eternal torment in hell. This is not what God wants for anyone. 2 Peter 3:9 says, “…he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
God sent his Son, Jesus, to die in our place. He took the punishment for all of our sin and all of our wandering outside of God’s boundaries. “For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
Sadly, some people do not even realize that they are lost or that there is more to life than their physical body. The Good Shepherd is seeking those who are lost and has commissioned his followers to do the same. So, I ask myself, and I ask those who understand this danger, “Do we understand the urgency in searching for the lost and bringing them to the Good Shepherd?”
A person’s race, social status and lifestyle does not matter in our search. God loves everyone and wants “everyone to come to repentance.”
Jesus tells a story to illustrate the importance of each individual’s well-being in Luke 15:4-7. “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”
We must remember why Jesus came. “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10).
We must heed the words that Jesus shares with his disciples in Matthew 9:36-38. “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.’” We must pray and be willing to go.
As believers and followers of Christ, we must also take seriously our calling. “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age’” (Matthew 28:18-20).
How will you respond to the urgency in seeking the lost? Are you willing to search for those who need to hear the message of the Gospel? Go share the good news before it is too late!
“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!” (Romans 10:13-15)
Trying to catch a flash of lightening from the storm in the distance
I sat along the shore of the little island we were visiting and watched the evening sky. I had been looking forward to seeing the sun set over the ocean, but there were too many clouds to the west. A small opening teased me by allowing me to see just a sliver of the beautiful colors on the other side. I was disappointed but was enjoying the quiet and peaceful evening anyhow.
I had never thought of lightening as being beautiful, but in this moment, I realized he was right.
As evening fell, bolts of lightening lit up the dark clouds that had been blocking my view. I amused myself by trying to catch the flashes of lightening with my camera. My daughter-in-law soon joined me with her camera as well. We were clicking away, focused intently on the storm when I heard my son down the shoreline, “Wow! Isn’t this beautiful? Isn’t God amazing?” I peeked away from my camera and saw him standing on the dock and watching in awe as the sky lit up in the distance.
His words surprised me. I had never thought of lightening as being beautiful, but in this moment, I realized he was right.
I have come a long way. Though there are still times when I do get scared by a storm, there was a time when I was absolutely terrified anytime a storm was in the forecast.
Despite all the modern knowledge and technology, we are unable to control impending storms. All we are able to do is prepare for them and ride them out.
In chapter 4:35-41 of Mark, Jesus instructed his disciples to get into a boat with Him to cross the Sea of Galilee. On the way to the other side, a terrible storm arose, and the waves were so high that the boat began filling up with water. Luke’s account of the story says they were in “great danger.”
Jesus was fast asleep, so the disciples woke him up, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”
“Peace! Be Still!” ~Jesus (Mark 4:39)
Jesus woke up and said to the waves, “Peace! Be still!” The wind stopped, and all was calm.
Then He asked His disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?”
“And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?’” (Mark 4:41 ESV)
The disciples recognized that when Jesus calmed the storm, He had done something that only God can do. The One who spoke everything into existence is also able to speak authority over all of creation. God has ultimate control over everything and He was right there with them!!!
“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” ~Jesus (John 16:33b)
Even as a follower of Christ, we will encounter storms. Jesus says in John 16:33, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Storms can take us by surprise. We might find ourselves facing a bad report from the doctor, loss of a loved one, job termination, natural disaster, an accident, crime, persecution, evil…. Sometimes in our storm, it may seem that Jesus is silent or that He doesn’t care. But He does care. The Creator of the Universe, the God who fed the multitude, healed the sick, raised the dead, calmed the sea, died in our place and rose from the dead is right here with us!
While the enemy wants us to be scared and question whether Jesus cares, Jesus wants us to trust and have peace in Him. No matter how dark and scary it may get, Jesus is still in control through these faith-testing storms and He cares.
Jesus has the power to calm every storm, but sometimes, for reasons that we may not understand, He does not calm our storm on this side of heaven. However, when we put our faith in Him, we can be assured that He is always with us and will see us through whatever storms come until He takes us home to heaven with Him forever. We can trust the words of Romans 8:28 “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” and we can trust that Jesus is with us.
Hold on to the hope in Revelation 21:4 that one day, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Until then, He is with us here through the storms that arise, and He does care. Peace! Be still!
Do you know someone who needs a reminder that Jesus is with them? Share the good news today! Give them a call, go visit them, share this blog post or send a card or matted print from Every Season Creations (etsy.com/shop/everyseasoncreations).
The clock on my bathroom wall has stopped, and so must my lifestyle. I have finally realized twenty-four hours is enough.
Normally, the hour hand on the clock on my bathroom wall travels a full circle twice in twenty-four hours, but it has been motionless for several days. I assume its battery has died, but I haven’t taken time to check.
The clock and I are rarely in agreement anyhow. My idea of twenty-four hours and the clock’s idea of twenty-four hours don’t seem to match, and most of the time, I struggle to keep my life in sync with that hour hand.
The problem is, I try to cram too many things into the twenty-four hours I’m given each day. I’m often late because I think I have time to do “just one more thing” before I walk out the door. I dive in to tackle the task, and the next thing I know, I look at the clock and find that time has gotten away from me. Once again, I am running behind.
I have told my family that I want to be wheeled into my funeral five minutes late because it would be out of character for me to be on time. “Make sure I am wheeled in five minutes late or you will be cursed!” I tease.
I believe, though, that I have finally reached a point in my life that I am too tired to fight the clock anymore. I can’t keep up with the pace I have been going, and my life has gotten pretty messy both inside and out.
Besides the fact that my current lifestyle is a mess, and besides the fact that it’s rude and disrespectful to others when I am late, I have realized another important fact. This way of life I have grown accustomed to isn’t the way God intends for me to live.
God is the Creator who determined that each day consist of twenty-four hours. He is the one who created day and night. He created the sun and moon to mark the seasons, days and years. He saw that it was good.
God also created every cell of our bodies and designed each system to work together perfectly. He gave us a brain to help us reason, eyes so we can see, ears that allow us to hear and muscles that give us strength as we work…. He created food to fuel our bodies with energy, water to keep us hydrated and air so we can breathe.
He created us to be able to work the ground and take care of the earth, but He also created us for rest. He created bodies that get physically worn down, especially when we push ourselves too hard. He created us with a need to sleep.
Our bodies need sleep to restore, rejuvenate and repair itself. When we sleep, our minds and our bodies can rest from all the work and stress that we have put them through all day. This is how God created us, and He saw that it was good, very good.
So, God created day and night to consist of twenty-four hours. God created me to work and sleep during each of those twenty-four hours. Yet, I have felt like I need more than twenty-four hours to accomplish all of my to do list and also find enough time to sleep. It seems that I have been fighting more than just a clock. I have been fighting the Creator and His plan.
The All-Knowing, All-Powerful, Almighty God, Creator of All is perfect. His ways are perfect. If God created my day to be twenty-four hours, then twenty-four hours is enough.
