Hurry Up and Wait?

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

It does not seem possible that this is the last day of 2012.

Lately, the Lord has been putting the act of hurry on my heart. Prior to becoming an empty nester, I remember wondering how I would handle living life at a slower pace. Five years into empty nesting and my life has yet to slow down!

 I watch people driving in the passenger lane and imagine myself driving like that.  I tried it once, driving in the passenger lane, and all the slower vehicles frustrated me, so I’ve given up on that idea.

As God would have it, this morning’s email devotion discussed being hurried and the author stated that Hurry is a condition of the heart. Ok, Lord, I get the message.

Contemplating, it occurred to me that my hurry is due to worry. Of course sometimes we need to hurry and get something done or be somewhere but was I showing distrust in God by worrying too?

I never once remember reading that Jesus hurried during His earthly ministry or that God did anything in a hurry and look at all He’s accomplished?

Yes, sometimes we want God to hurry our circumstances along. But there’s actually been times that I wished God hadn’t answered my prayers or once the hurdle was over, relieved that God hadn’t done it my way.  We have to ask ourselves: are we ready for the size of what we’ll receive from God? When the student is ready, the teacher shows up.

As you usher in 2013, may you also think about the act of hurry in your life. Is your hurry due to worry?  I’m going to try not being in a constant hurry in 2013.  If I pass you on the roadway, just beep at me, I’ll remember.

Wishing each of you a blessed and healthy New Year!

Let’s pray.  Lord, You know our hearts and our hurried circumstances. Thank you for Your many promises and that we can lean on these in times of worry.  As we get ready to close out this year and attend to a new one, may our walk of faith with You be stronger than it has ever been; may each of us commit to Your ways, and not to the world’s.  In Jesus’ strong name. Amen.

Until next time~

Blessings, Nancy

Celebration

Last evening my husband and I read about the birth of Jesus Christ.
(Matthew 1:18)

The Magi traveled, upwards to 2 years to finally arrive in Jerusalem, home of King Herod, and to be only about 5 miles from the birth city of Bethlehem. Imagine being so close to your destination and yet still not knowing the truth. The Magi continued their search until they found Him, the Christ Child.

This Christmas morning, I challenge each of you to be like the Magi as you celebrate Christmas today. Rejoice in His birth. And tomorrow morning, when all gifts have been opened and the pies have been eaten, let nothing stop you from your journey towards Christ.

'Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.'  Matthew 6:33

Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas~

Until next time~
Blessings, Nancy

Merry Christmas –The Greatest Love Story

 ‘But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.’ Luke 2:10-11

My family of origin has embraced and celebrated Christmas and the birth of Jesus Christ my entire life.  As a young mom, I was caught up in shopping for just the right gifts; the excitement and anticipation of watching my children open presents on Christmas morning. 

Some of our adult children were home during the recent Thanksgiving and we watched old family movies. We laughed. I cried. Where did those days go to?  But as I sat viewing footage from Christmas, 20 years ago, I was struck by how quickly the gifts were unwrapped in order to get to the next gift, wrapping paper piling higher on the floor around a growing sea of new toys.

 I wanted to stop the movie and shout, ‘No, that’s not what happened. No, we weren’t that family.’ Our children knew the meaning of Christmas. They participated in Christmas pageants and we sang songs like Away in a Manger. But as I watched the home movies, I wondered if I had missed something.

Reflecting back to my own childhood, I recalled a season where everybody celebrated Christmas. It didn’t matter if you said Merry Christmas to your Jewish friends. Nobody got offended. People shopped for Christmas presents. Decorated Christmas trees. Put up Christmas lights. Kids made Christmas lists. And on Christmas Day we acknowledged Jesus.  Yes there was the marathon gift opening but we were not confused about our heritage and we thanked God for the blessings.

Today, I still love the Christmas season.  The hustle and bustle; the lights and singing carols and even though there’s less of it - yes, finding that perfect gift.  And this Christmas I have more unanswered prayers and sadness looming within me than I’ve ever experienced, yet, I understand Christmas more this year than any other. The Christmas story seems more relevant to me. This year Heaven’s good news has taken on a deeper meaning for me. God’s love story is more profound in my life. I can sense God’s love and protection even in my desperate hours.

I use to be afraid of being alone. I remember as a teenager that most of my girlfriends couldn’t wait for their parents to let them stay home alone. Not me. Give me lots of people in the house; the more the better.  

Today, as I choose Christ as my center, I don’t so much mind being alone because I seldom feel lonely with Jesus in my life. He’s my life partner and He can be your life partner too! 

So let me ask. Where are you this Christmas?  Perhaps you are that young mom scrambling for the perfect gifts. Or you are single and have feelings of loneliness without a partner.  Or perhaps you are recently separated or divorced and wondering why God isn’t fixing your pain.

Would you do a favor for me and stop what you are doing and put your hope in Jesus right now? God is able to do more than you can ever imagine, right in your current situation. I am literally watching Him remove more and more dirty ashes within my life and replacing them with the type of internal peace and wholeness that makes me thirsty for more of Him.

 Even if you have to praise Him now and feel it later…don’t allow your circumstances to steal your joy. ‘I sing for joy because of what You have done.’  Psalm 92:4

Come and get refreshed. Let go of what the world tells you and fall in love with the greatest love story ever told. Because when you do, you’ll experience overwhelming peace. The kind of peace that only comes from knowing and walking the path of your life with Jesus Christ.  Merry Christmas!

Let’s pray. Father, I’m not sure who is reading this. Perhaps they haven’t prayed to you since they were a child; perhaps they need a miracle from You.  Lord, whoever it is, show them the things that You’ve shown me. Bless them with the sufficient grace that I’ve found with You in my life. May each person find a new meaning of Christmas this year. May they find Jesus, the way You meant Him to be found. In Your strong name I pray. Amen.

Until next time~

Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas,

Blessings, Nancy

Humbled By How Much God Loves Me

‘For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’  Romans 8:38-39

I remember a time when I could lavishly purchase items for myself, my family or friends. Never worrying about how much the grocery shopping would cost. I was privileged to never worry. 

Then, due to some unwise financial decisions, I lost all my personal and retirement savings. In fact I almost lost my home; and I’m still not solvent.

It’s painful and I can sometimes feel like such a loser – particularly to my children and especially during occasions like birthdays and Christmas. Gifts bought now are minimal and not very creative. 

Throughout our difficulties, my husband kept reminding me, ‘what if nothing changes about our street address and the only worthwhile change occurs inside of us? What if the only thing that changes is that we become more humble?’

 This past summer, my husband and I received a note card with a monetary gift inside. The inscription read: Isaiah 55. 

Other items came…a book by a well known Christian author; notepaper with the handwritten words to ‘Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.’ Again, signed - Isaiah 55

The memory of how we felt opening these gifts, was in itself, an everlasting incredible gift.

Being a hardy Mainer, and Irish, I was born self-sufficient.  My husband and I have an addiction...we fix things, or at least we think we need to fix things and people too.  In fact my adult children call him “The Closer.”

Someone obviously knew about our situation and was being obedient to God in their attempt to help us. Really? Us? But we're nobody special. Being self-sufficient and probably a bit prideful, it became my personal mission to investigate.  Because aspects of the gift prevented me from finding out who sent it to us, I finally sensed God’s peace of acceptance. God was clearly saying - ‘Nancy, I heard your prayers. Rest assured that I will take care of your circumstances.’  So we praised God and asked Him to doubly bless our gift giver.

‘Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.’ James 1:17

Recently, and quite unintended, we came to realize that our gift giver was a related, stranger.  I say stranger because we have never met and related because we are spiritually related through the blood of Christ.

Our gift giver, we were told, had been interceding in prayer on our behalf for several months. The next morning, during our regular prayer time, I heard my husband say, ‘God, it is incredible to me that You think we are this important to You, to send us help through another person.’ 

The tears came quickly and we sat humbly before His Throne Room as His deep love and care washed over us.

There have been other ‘gift givers’ during this time. Money mysteriously tucked inside my pocketbook or a gift card would appear just as I needed to purchase groceries; plane tickets for my birthday; countless gifts of prayer and appreciation at work and from total strangers. 

Humble. Yes, God was definitely pushing His agenda onto us.

‘…And all of you, serve each other in humility, for "God sets himself against the proud, but he shows favor to the humble.’ 1 Peter 5:5   

Are you wondering how the ‘gifts’ and people’s sensitivity to our troubles affected us?  
On the lighter side, I can now accept gifts without being embarrassed! But seriously,
one word- Humility.  Like you, I’m a work in progress.  I know that my flesh is inadequate, yet through the circumstances of these past years, I have a better understanding of who God wants me to be in Christ.

When you constantly find yourself on the losing end of life, do you begin to dig your heels into the world with an attitude of expectancy? God says don’t become that person because He’ll fight your battles.  If God came to bring us love and peace then you and I need to do likewise. I’ve learned to trust the power of God’s Holy Spirit, rather than trust my own personal power.

Do we want to be solvent and have the ability to be ‘gift givers’ again? You bet! Humility is not about being a doormat or about expecting others to support us.

Humility is about being strong….about putting others first…being obedient to God…about being a peacemaker when others around you are losing their tempers…about peacefully dealing with unfair treatment…about not wanting revenge…to be forgiving and to ask forgiveness.

‘Don't be selfish; don't live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself.’   Philippians 2:3

Christmas is almost here.  Because finances have yet to be resolved, this year’s gift giving will be minimal. Yes, it still bothers me, but loved ones seem to understand and they never make me feel like a loser.   We’re in agreement that God’s gift of His Son and His free gift of salvation is plenty for all of us. 

My prayer this Christmas season is that you will experience His love in a way that will take your breath away.  That you will come to know, like we did, God's deep love and care for you; and just how incredibly important you are to Him.

If you are in the same financial strains as us, remember, gifts are certainly great to give and receive but the gift of salvation is one that will carry you into eternity. Wrap up the gift of time and give it away this Christmas season. Go out and give them Jesus! They’ll forever thank you ~

Let’s pray. Dear heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of your Son, Jesus Christ. Thank you for loving us so much that You sent Your only Son to die on the cross so that we could live with You forever; sparing us from an eternity in hell. Father, thank you for the many gift givers in my life. I pray that You would immensely bless their lives. Thank you for showing me humility and how to surrender to it; thank you for loving us first. Amen.

Until next time,

Blessings, Nancy

Is There Always a Lesson to Learn?

“When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah's head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, "It would be better for me to die than to live." Jonah 4:8

Recently, I had the opportunity to have lunch with one of my brothers. He was traveling on business and would be an hour south of my home so I traveled there to meet up with him.

As I turned into the parking garage, near our lunch destination, my vehicle steering became difficult followed by an unfamiliar noise that I assumed was from driving on the parking garage floor. The noise was too unsettling so I pulled over and got out of my vehicle.  Never did I imagine this sight…I had 2 flat tires! As I surveyed the damage, a text arrived from my brother asking if I was in the neighborhood yet.

What do we do and how do we react to the unexpected events in our lives?  We learn about Saul of Tarsus in Acts 9. Saul was going about his business when God physically blinded him. Days later, when scales fell from his eyes and his physical sight had returned; Saul was different. The Lord had opened up the eyes of his heart.  He was a new creation in Jesus Christ. He now had spiritual eyesight.

You might wonder, ‘what has this to do with a flat tire?’ While I was walking over to the restaurant, pondering my unique situation, I asked God the same question. ‘Lord, what’s this all about?  Lately, You’ve been opening the eyes of my heart to many personal situations, is this why You’re providing me 2 flat tires?'

‘…the LORD God provided a vine and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort…’ then ‘the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the vine so that it withered. When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah's head so that he grew faint.’ (4:6-8)

When we are saved by the blood of Christ Jesus, we are made into a new creation, the old passes away. We no longer think or act the same.  Do we take God’s grace for ourselves and not extend it to others? No, God faithfully supplies our needs even in the midst of unexpected events. 

Have you had some unexpected events in your life? How did you handle it? Would you have done anything differently? Talk to God right now and tell Him. He's ready to listen.

My brother had business calls to make after our lunch and since my van was unavailable to drive, I tagged along.  We enjoyed a time of laughing and reminiscing about our parents; siblings sharing time with one another.  

Did God provide a hunk of metal for me to run over in the entrance to the parking garage for this purpose only? Possibly; possibly not. There’s not always a lesson to learn. Trouble happens while we live our daily lives. It’s how we react to our trouble, that counts.

We all make choices.  That day, I made a choice to enjoy the additional time with my brother and to trust God with the circumstances; to not lean on my own understandings but to acknowledge Him; the One who loves me and always wants to delight me with His love.

Later, my husband came to my rescue. As we emerged, $300 lighter, from a local Tire Shop, and as we were discussing our finances for the trip home, I glanced down at my feet to find $8 staring back up at me. He needed $4 for tolls and I needed $3 to get my car out of the parking garage. ‘We’re rich’ I laughed, ‘with a dollar to spare!’ 

Let’s pray. Father, You give and You take away. How precious are the gifts You give to us. All good and perfect gifts come down from the Father of Heavenly Lights. Even when we don’t know we need Your protection, thank you for always protecting us from harm.  Show us how to keep our eyes on You. Show us how to be thankful in the midst of our trials. In Christ’s strong name we pray, Amen.

Post script: Once back home and 48 hours later, my husband and I caught a movie matinee – we came out of the movie to find yet another flat tire! Our new tire must have had a bad spot. Praise God we purchased the new tire from a franchise that has a location in our home town. Tomorrow it gets fixed. God? Are you trying to tell me something?