Just Read the Manual!

Does anyone remember using an actual camera to take pictures?  With a cell phone in every pocket, sporting a built-in camera, I don't see one-purpose cameras very often. 

I walked into our bedroom the other day and my husband, Paul, was reading from pages in a three-ring binder.  When I got closer to determine what he was studying, I saw it was the manual for his fancy camera.  We've had that camera since before we moved to Virginia eight years ago.  We read enough of the instructions initially to be able to point the camera and take a picture, review the shots on the screen, and put the memory card in the computer to upload the images we had taken.  After that, the manual was dutifully packed and moved from house to house and took up shelf-space without being examined again, at least until a few days ago.

The minute I saw what he was doing, the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart.  He said, "Some people treat the word of God that way. They read enough of it initially to find out how to be saved, familiarize themselves with a few inspirational Bible stories, and read enough promises to know what they can ask God to do for them.  After that, they feel like they know all they need to know to get by and they neglect the word from that point on, not even realizing how much they are missing."

Ouch!  Sometimes I neglect the Word myself, so that puts me in the category of "some people". 

I'm sure there are countless special features on this camera that could have used to improve all the pictures we've taken for the last decade.  Paul might have learned by now how to handle this camera as well as a professional photographer, but he's just now really digging into the manual.

Where could we be as Christians if we really knew the word of God?  Here's what the Word says about itself.

2 Timothy 3:16 - "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."

Hebrews 4:12 - "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

Knowing the actual word of God, not just the lyrics to popular Christian songs, is the basis for doctrine, for knowledge, for a relationship with God, and for the power of the Holy Spirit to truly flow in our lives.  If we really desire all these things in our lives, we just need to read the manual!  Only then will we know how our lives are supposed to be operated, just like that those camera instructions tell us how to use it to its full potential.

Same Room - A Different Perspective

 

In my elementary school, I share a classroom with my friend and colleague, Laura.  We've worked together for 8 years now and have shared three different rooms in our building during that time.  Our working and teaching styles complement each other, and we've cooperated very well over the years in designing our schedules and setting up our various classrooms in an order that works for both of us.

Teaching in the time of COVID- 19 looks very different than what we've ever done before.  With the changes in our teaching situations, we decided that we needed an adjustment in our room arrangement. Laura teaches some groups that needed to have more room between their chairs for proper social distancing, so we've adapted how we had divided our space to give her that additional room.  A free-standing partition wall that we've used for several years was turned diagonally in the room and it changed the look of the entire space. Very little of the furniture on my side of the room was moved, but the whole space looks different.  Even though there is probably a little less square footage there than before, it looks bigger and more open.  Same room - a different perspective.

This experience made me think about all the situations in our lives that can look a certain way to us, but we have the freedom in Christ to look at them from a different perspective.  We can endeavor to see circumstances the way God sees them.

The apostle Paul is a stellar example of this way of viewing life.  He saw shipwreck, beatings, danger, and imprisonment as a means to an end - the spreading of the gospel throughout the world. He looked beyond his current circumstances and saw God working behind the scenes to bring glory to Himself.  In Philippians 4:11, Paul writes, "Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content". He was able to look beyond the "room " of his situation and see a different perspective than others who might have experienced similar hardships.

In the Old Testament, Joseph went from being a favored son to a slave to a trusted servant to a prisoner before being raised up to become second in command to only Pharoah himself. The Bible doesn't tell us whether he held on to his boyhood dreams and expected release from prison, but it does tell us that he experienced favor in the midst of the worst situation of his life.  He continued to operate in the gifts God had given him, even in a jail cell.  He saw a perspective that didn't negate his previous walk with God, even though he didn't know exactly how it would all work out.

I can't count the number of times I've heard the words "unprecedented situation" in the year 2020, but I know that all of us have been touched in some way by either bewilderment, distrust, inconvenience, financial distress, illness, grief, or frustration.  This room that we are in has changed.  Life is not the same as it once was, and what we first thought might be a temporary rearrangement of our lives is feeling more permanent, even though we still hope and pray for a lifting of this burden in all of our lives.  

But what if in the midst of all this, we look at it from a different perspective? Same situation; different view?  What if we looked upon this time as a season for the church to shine like never before?  What if we took the time spent at home when other places are closed to us, and we used it to seek God with a renewed enthusiasm and intensity?  What if we use the gifts that God has imparted to us, even in a less than ideal situation?

Give those questions some thought and prayer this week and ask God to help you see the potential He sees in the problems in your life.  Ask Him to alter your perspective so that instead of seeing what you've lost, you can see where He is taking you next.  His view is far superior and He knows exactly where He wants you to go.

These Boots Weren't Made for Walking.....

      Last week, I wore a pair of boots with heels to work.  I'm an elementary school teacher who works in classes all over my building, so there's a great deal of walking involved.  By 10:00 a.m. I was on the phone with my husband, begging him to bring me a change of shoes.  My poor feet, which had been either barefoot or in tennis shoes for seven months, were miserable.  There were aches and pains in places where I didn't even remember I had places. For many days after this unfortunate choice of footwear, my feet continued to hurt.

     I remember thinking, why in the world did I do that to myself?  I started thinking about all the reasons a woman might wear shoes that hurt her feet and it led me to some spiritual parallels as well.  See if you agree.....

1.  To be accepted in a group

     When my daughter was about to enter middle school, she pleaded with me to buy her some Guess jeans.  She insisted that NOBODY would talk to her if she didn't have the right label on her behind.  How often do we do something because it's the "in" thing to do? This is most prevalent with teenagers and peer pressure, but many adults fall victim to needing the world's stamp of approval more than the acceptance of God. 

     The Bible tells us, "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Romans 12:2.

      In other words - don't worry about being "in fashion", concern yourself with letting God fashion you into His image.

2.  To increase height

     I am vertically challenged, barely hitting five feet tall.  I always say I went into elementary school teaching so I wouldn't have to teach students taller than I, but they start catching up with me toward the end of fourth grade, so I guess that wasn't good planning on my part after all. Adding those extra inches with a pair of shoes can be tempting. 

     Being taller gives us a feeling of being more in authority.  Did you know the average height of our American presidents is 5' 11"?   The average height of an American man is 5' 8". Leaders are thought of as being taller and more imposing than those they lead.  

     Artificially trying to make ourselves taller can cause all kinds of issues with our feet.  Trying to force ourselves into positions of authority to which we are not entitled can cause issues also.  In the kingdom of God, He holds all authority but gives it to us in the name of Jesus.  We can't operate in authority in our own strength.  

     Acts 19:15 tells the story of seven sons of a priest named Sceva who were attempting to cast out evil spirits in the name of Jesus "who Paul preaches".  The evil spirit answered back to them saying, 

"Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?"

    If we walk in humility instead of trying to exalt ourselves in the eyes of those around us, something extraordinary happens.  James 4:10 says, "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up."

3.  To look good

     We all want to look out best, and that goal is fine as long as we don't prioritize our looks over all else in our lives. However, when vanity overwhelms us, it leaves us putting all of our efforts into things that profit nothing in the eternal scheme of things. 

  1 Peter 3:3-4 says, "Do not let your adornment be merely outward-arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel - rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God."

     When we seek acceptance, power, or physical beauty in the wrong places, we can hurt ourselves, just like those boots which are now in my "give to charity box" did a number on my feet.  If we are accepted by God, empowered by God, and made beautiful in His sight, we don't need anything else.

 

The Part is Not the Whole

 

Have you ever started a craft project that was designed to be beautiful?  Did you ever plan a home repair to make something function the way it should?  When you set out to do those things, did they look perfect from the first step you took in the process?  Of course not.

Sometimes life is like that.  You go through a difficult or ugly season in your life.  Nothing feels or looks the way you think it should.  You are disappointed in yourself or in someone you love and trust.  When you are in the middle of that circumstance, it's easy to think to yourself - that's just the way it's always going to be, but that kind of thinking is faithless and hopeless.

Though God is a much better artist than any of us could ever be and much better at fixing things, even He takes His time.  His projects in our lives are a process, and sometimes that process looks messy.  It may be confusing, uncomfortable, and take more time than we think it should, but He knows the end from the beginning and can see the final picture when all we see are the shattered puzzle pieces all around us.

The last seven months have been a trying time in our family.  There has been stress and upheaval.  Many hours of exhausting work have been done by all of us and we are tired, physically, and mentally.  There were times we wondered why we even started on the current "project" in our lives.  Wasn't it fine before all this?  Why did we rock a perfectly comfortable boat?  

No situation in our lives is ever separated from our spiritual selves.  We may be going to college, planning a wedding, remodeling a house, starting a new career, or one of a thousand other things that the rest of the world does, but when Christians do those perfectly ordinary things, there are spiritual lessons and spiritual purposes in all of that.  

So this week, as we get the keys to our new "multi-generational" home, I can see those final puzzle pieces fitting into their places.  I see the favor of God all over the situation, here at the end of the process, when months ago I wondered if our problems would ever resolve.

Philippians 1:6 says, "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ".

All those things in our lives whether we perceive them as good or bad, are part of that picture.  The part you are in right now is not the final picture of your life.  It's just the first few strokes of the paintbrush, the first cuts in the lumber of your life, which God is using to create a "whole" that He sees.  

What Do These Stones Mean?

 

My life is going through two very different stages simultaneously.  On the one hand, my family is experiencing one of the most stressful times we have ever faced.  We are in a great period of uncertainty where we feel that we have no control over the events that are happening to us.  We are struggling to maintain our relationships in the face of all the changes and disagreements and disappointments that make up our days in this season. On the other hand, it's an exciting time for me because my first book is about to be published, and I'm able to see the layout of the book and the proposed cover design on my computer as they are being finalized by the publisher.

Tonight as I reviewed the layout to make any last changes, all the writing that was passing before my eyes reminded me of all the times I had walked through other storms in my life and how God used those times to make changes in me.  I saw how He had taken terrible circumstances and answered prayers that changed those situations, even if it wasn't in my timing or in the way I thought He should have done it.  I also saw that ultimately, His way was the best way.

When I went to my blog page, I saw that my last post was made over two months ago.  That represents months of upheaval in my life where I was so busy and so distracted by the situation, that I couldn't even listen to God for an inspiration to write. I thought about all those words written by my own hand that told me to trust God, to stay strong, to keep going, to rest and not to worry, to walk and not faint.

Then I remembered that is exactly what the Lord told Joshua in the first chapter of the book of Joshua.  Moses had died and Joshua was the leader of the Israelites.  God told him over and over again to be strong and courageous. His first assignment was to move the people across the Jordan River.  Miraculously, when the priests carrying the ark of the Covenant stepped into the river and stopped in the middle, the river became dry ground, even though it was at flood stage at that time of the year.  The whole nation of people walked across to the other side.

Joshua then directed that one man from each tribe of Israel bring a stone from the middle of the river, from the place where the priests were standing and to put them down in the place where they would be staying that night.  He then told them, "In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’  tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever (Joshua 4: 6-7).

In essence, they took stones to remember the challenge that God brought them through and put those stones in the place of rest they found on the other side of that trouble.  My stories are the stones in my life.  They show me what great turmoil God has brought me through.  I can look at them and remember the times that He has been faithful. I've read over these stories of mine many times when I was in a place of rest as I've been writing and editing this book for many months, but in the last few months, I've lost sight of the meaning of the words as I found myself trying to cross my own river that seems to be at flood stage.  

It's in those times of challenge that we most need to revisit what God has done in the past and what He will do again.  My stones are my blog posts and the writing in my journals.  What stones do you have to remind you of what He has done in your life?  Look on them again as a memorial of the miracles in your life and be strong and courageous, just as God told Joshua.

What's Stopping the Flow?

This week my granddaughter, Bella, and I went out to check the small flowerbed in our backyard.  In the scorching July heat, the plants were beginning to shrivel and were badly in need of water.

I picked up the hose and just barely turned the water on so I could run it for a minute or two to release the water that the sun had been heating all day.  Then I pulled it across the lawn to the flowerbed.  I told Bella to turn the valve so I could have more water flow to give the flowers a good soaking.  Even though it appeared she was turning it in the right direction, I was only getting a dribble of water through the hose.  She tried turning it the opposite way.  Still, not enough water.

Finally, I walked back toward the side of the house to see if I could help her.  There I found an extreme kink in the hose.  It was folded back on itself, cutting off the water flow.  Once I corrected its position, the water flowed and lovely cool showers of water were able to soak my plants.

The Holy Spirit spoke a little word in my heart in that experience.  I'm going through a very stressful time right now, with a lot of uncertainty.  Sometimes my focus turns away from God and I begin to look back at myself, creating a spiritual "kink" that blocks the flow of the Spirit in my life.  While that blockage is there, it creates two problems.  One is that I can't be a conduit of refreshing to others in my life.  All of the things I'm called to do in this life get trapped in the place where I get stuck in my own situation.  The other issue is that I can't let the Holy Spirit work in me in the way that He wants.  I'm not open to the changes He has planned for me if I'm looking at my own problems instead of His solutions.

In the natural, I had to take the initiative to examine the situation, find the problem, and make the correction.  The spiritual requires the same.  I had to examine my life, realize what was stopping the flow in my life, and make the correction of turning my mind and heart toward what God was trying to do in the middle of the circumstances instead of just worrying and complaining about how difficult everything felt.

Where is the kink in your life? What is stopping the flow?  Find the problem and make a position correction in your spirit so the flow can begin again.  It's the key to all God wants to accomplish in and through your life.

Loving the Unloveable

A few weeks ago, I posted the picture above on Facebook with the following caption:

"Look, Mamaw! We have a new friend. His name is Caterpillar."

Bella has a "thing" for insects right now.  It's probably because, with no playmates her age in the neighborhood, and with only four boring adults around, the bugs are little, cute, and she has power over them. My little one seems to have no squeamishness or fear of any of them, alive or dead, though she seems to display the appropriate amount of caution around bees and other stinging things that fly. However, there was a startled reaction when a click beetle did his little "flip and snap" in her hand.

I don't have the same affinity for these creatures, though I can appreciate the beauty and grace of a butterfly or the look of a cute ladybug.  As far as I am concerned, I keep my distance from anything with more than four legs.  I am quite picky about my bug associations.

Bella doesn't care if the bugs are ugly or scary-looking. They don't have to measure up to any particular standard for her to enjoy their company. They don't even have to be living! They are all her friends, and they fascinate her.

She is the same way with people. She'll walk up to random people and ask, "What your name is? My name is Bella, and this is my mamaw and my papaw and my mommy and my daddy." Though we are trying to teach her to be careful around people she doesn't know, at this point in her life, she doesn't know a stranger. People are delighted with her attention and usually share a name with her. Bella wants to love everything and everybody - regardless.

God is the same way with people. He loves all of us - regardless. We don't have to look right, act right, or think right to deserve His love, though He'll make the right changes in us when we turn our lives over to Him. Not only that, but He expects us to love each other without conditions. We can't limit ourselves to the beautiful and graceful. He really did mean for us to love even those who curse His name, who are hateful to others, who celebrate sin, who oppose all that is good.

I've had a little difficulty with that expectation lately. So much is happening in our world, and I see hate and violence and division everywhere I look - at least in the media. There are leaders whose rhetoric seems to come from the very pit of hell, and I have to remind myself that God loves them too. In my own little world, though I love my family members very much, there are moments when it's not all beauty and grace around here either. Sometimes we bite or sting or startle each other in word or deed. Loving someone is not a feeling, it's a choice. I must pray for those who are spouting evil and violence. I must remember that I can be ugly too, and that I must give grace to those who are not gracious to me.

Jesus said it this way in Matthew 5:44.

" But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you."

It's a tall order, but it's a directive from Jesus Himself and not just a friendly suggestion. When you and I pray, we can't restrict our petitions for blessings to just ourselves and those who please us at the moment.  We must be praying for and loving all - even the unloveable.