The Aggravations of an Unfinished Life

"For we walk by faith, not by sight." 2 Corinthians 5:7

"My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."

2 Corinthians 129

I am the queen of unfinished projects.  I have more ideas and starts than I have finishes.  One of my goals, now that I am "retired", is to limit the number of new projects until I have completed many of the previous works in progress.  It is a worthy goal and yet daunting at times. There always seems to be distractions that get in the way.

It is also a great aggravation, and sometimes a not so gentle reminder to be gracious with others and myself. We are all "works in progress."

As I was musing over this, the thought came to me, Jesus knew His task when He came to earth, and when it was complete.  How satisfying it must have been for Him to utter the words "It is finished." (John 19:30)

I don't know about you, but there are times I feel as though I am trudging through mud as I press forward trying to accomplish the tasks the Lord has given me.  Set backs, and a twisting upward journey can be exhausting. Thank God for the Scriptures that remind me that I am walking a well worn path that many before me have traveled, and the prize at the end of the journey is far greater than any struggle I may encounter along the way. I love the reminders that the Lord is faithful and will never leave or forsake us. I am encouraged again and again to press on with perseverance. This is just a part of the journey, not the whole. I want to be able to say as Paul said, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race. I have kept the faith." (2 Timothy 4:7) This was a man who had experienced many difficulties in his journey with the Lord, and yet he didn't allow them to become distractions to the task he'd been given.

So as I come to the completion of this piece, I want to encourage you as I have been encouraged by the Lord in writing it.  Don't let the temporal distract you from of the eternal. There is a purpose and a plan in everything the Lord does, and we can trust the path He has assigned each one of us. Do your best each day to do what He has called you to do, being certain to stay centered in the palm of His hand and well versed in His word.  We have been given the task of sharing the glorious truth of the love of Jesus Christ.

He went before us and showed us they way home to the Father.

We can follow confidently in His footsteps and trust Him every step of the way.

May He be glorified in all we say and do.

A FUTURE AND A HOPE

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD, and I will bring you to the place from which I caused you to be carried away captive." Jeremiah 29: 11-14

Sometimes, often times, the world is a pretty hostile place to live.  There are wars, and rumors of wars; fires, hurricanes and tornadoes that destroy massive acers of land and structures. There are deaths of those who are young and seem to have so much life ahead of them and other destructive forces that tear at the fabric of the peace of our contentment. Too often these circumstances make the future look bleak and foreboding, and can cause us to question God's existence and power over what we witness.

Faith is sorely tested.

But then the Holy Spirit breathes fresh hope into our souls as He reminds us through Scripture of God's presence.

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1

"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

"I will never leave or forsake you. I will not abandon you." Hebrews 13:5

"Be still and know that I am God, I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge."Psalm 46;10,11

"The LORD is righteous in all His ways, gracious in all His works. The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon hi in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cray and save them. The LORD preserves all who love Him." Psalm 14517-20

And many, many more.

That is why it is so vitally important to study His word and to meditate on His goodness.

When I was a child my parents and grandparents laid the pathway for me to follow to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Although our family was not particularly "religious" in the sense that some people might think, the principles of Christianity were taught regularly. They exampled what it meant to love our neighbors as ourselves and to treat others as we would have them treat us. Church attendance and family dinners were part of the normal activity on Sundays and holidays.

At home my mother, sister and I would often be at the piano playing and singing hymns.

One of my favorite that has continued to ring in my heart is from the Methodist hymnal that my grandparents gave me as a gift. Either Mom, Susan or I would play and we would sing in three part harmony. Susan taking the soprano, Mom singing tenor, and I would sing alto. Sweet and precious times instilling God's wisdom and grace through the music and the words.  I will write them here for you to enjoy.

I Know Not what the Future Hath

Hymn #290 Methodist hymnal copyright 1964 1966

Words by John Greenleaf Whitter 1807-1892  Arrangement by Cooling CM Alonzo J Abbey 1875-1887

vs 1

"I know not what the future hath of marvel or surprise, Assured alone that life and death God mercy underlies.

vs 2

And if my heart flesh are weak to bear and untried pain, the bruised reed He will not break, but strengthen and sustain.

vs 3

And thou, O Lord, by whom are seen Thy creatures as they be, forgive me if too close I lean my human heart on thee.

vs 4

And so beside the silent sea I wait with muffled oar; no harm from him can come to me on ocean or on shore.

vs 5

I know not where his islands lift their fronded palms in air; I only know I cannot drift beyond his love and care. Amen"

The song has sustained us through so many trials as it reminds us that God is in control.

Nothing comes to us that hasn't been filtered through His hand.

When the storms of life rage against you, as they will, lean into God's embrace. Bathe your heart and mind with His word and saturate yourself with hymns and songs of praise and worship.  Don't let the enemy steal your peace.

All this to remind you, to remind myself: "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things: If God is for us, who can be against us?" Romans 8:28-31

May His peace reign in your hearts and may He receive all the glory.

 

Unstopable and unspeakable joy.

                        

Sometimes the vanity of life gets to me. You know, the day to day striving to keep ahead of the dust (we live on a dirt road), the dishes, the laundry, the constant negative from the media, the heat, a computer that acts up, the...you name whatever it is that "bugs" you and gets under your skin. This morning it was no different. There is a constant battle to rise above the negative.  ("Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher, All is vanity." Ecclesiastes 12:8)

We're studying the book of Ecclesiastes in Sunday school, which helps remind me that there is nothing new under the sun, and even the richest king of the day struggled. But the question still arises, how do we fight against the negative?

In John 10:10 Jesus is quoted saying "The thief does not come except to steal, kill and destroy, but I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."  When the enemy of my soul tried to rob me of my contentment and joy (the abundant life), I had to make a conscious choice to resist the temptation to focus on the negative. Grabbing my mop bucket and mop, I went to work mopping the floors.  With each swipe of the mop with clean water, the "dust on the lens of my eye" seemed to be wiped away and I quickly began the process of thanking God for His abundant blessings.

And just as quickly as I did, my attitude changed from the negative to one of joy

First Thessalonians 5:16-18 says "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." And in Philippians 4;4-8 we are told "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God which surpasses all understand will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-meditate on these things."

In James 1:2-4 we're told "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work that you may be perfect and complete lacking nothing."

Throughout Scripture there are directions on how to live abundantly and joyfully in this world. Jesus told us "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

Hallelujah!

The beauty of counting our blessings is the way it takes our eyes off the distractions the enemy constantly throws in our pathway and helps us to focus on the beauty and the glory God has provided. The most glorious blessing He has given is Jesus. "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." John 3:16-18

Abundant life and joy are a choice, one every person has the freedom to make.

May your choice be one that leads you to life ever lasting and unstoppable and unspeakable joy.

To God be the glory in all things.

An imperishable inheritance

"Grace to you and peace be multiplied. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while if need be, you have been grieved by various trials that the genuineness of your faith , being much more precious than gold that perishes though it I tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, an glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love.  Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith - the salvation of your souls."1 Peter 1:1-9

As I was looking through my journal of the events of the past year, I came to the page where I had written out the verse written above. It has been quite a journey over the past two years, but with all that transpired in 2020 I really needed to write out verses on a regular basis. Writing them in longhand has often proving to be an incredibly helpful tool for me as I really concentrate on the words as I write them out.  It also leaves a written record of God's word for any who may read the journals in the future.  Today it made me sigh with a deep longing for heaven.

It's not that I am wanting to rush God's timing on my life, He has defined the number of my days. But rather it is a heartfelt desire to finish the race well. I am closer today than ever before.  We all are.  Time keeps ticking away. There's nothing like attending funerals to make one look at the quantity and quality of their lives, and we've been to two in the past few weeks and have another to attend.  Those whose funerals we attended have finished their race. In some ways it makes me a bit envious. Oh to hear the words "Well done My good and faithful servant; you were faithful... enter into the joy of your lord."

Now I realize Jesus was talking about the importance of being faithful stewards of the talents (tasks) we've each been given in the account found in Matthew 25.  It's the words "enter into the joy of you lord" that I want to focus on.

The invitation to enter in, and the joy it brings the one making the invitation.

Jesus has been preparing a place for each one of us who faithfully serve Him and He's going to come back to get us to take us there.. (See John 14:2,3)

If you've ever worked to make something special for someone and finally have the opportunity to give it to them, then you have a glimpse of how much joy Jesus must feel each time He gets to reveal that which He's prepared. It makes me smile just thinking about it as I've had the small pleasure of revealing special gifts to those I love.  Oh the joy it brings to see their reaction.  How much greater the joy Jesus must experience, as His life's work was to bring people home to His Father's house.

I don't know about you, but I am excited about the future of eternity. If you're not, you might need to check the reason why, and maybe make some adjustments.

May God guide you in all your decisions and may He receive all the glory.

And it's incorruptible, undefiled and will not fade away, unlike the things we work to make here.

Unspeakable Joy

                                     "The joy of the LORD is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10

I don't remember precisely when I prayed for the Lord to grant me mirth, but I do know when He answered it. You see, I am not one who laughs easily. In part I think it is because as the youngest child in the family, I was often teased, and the butt of others "jokes". My family was also very "punny". Something to this day often that still makes me wince. I have learned to appreciate puns more now as an adult, but growing up I would often groan when someone shared one. Being married to someone who finds humor in almost everything has been challenging over the years as well, so I asked God to help me.

The day I recognized God had answered my prayer was not a particularly joyous day, other than recognizing I had been able to laugh at a situation. We were still in the process of helping my husband recover from his broken neck and the fires that destroyed our daughter's house, and had us evacuated for nearly a month. Power to the area was still very spotty. We had lost power several times in the month, which meant the pump to the well went out. Repairs were being made and we had a generator so not all was a loss. But I was feeling quite stretched. When our landlord stood at our front door and told me the power company would be shutting off the power for an extended period, I could read the expression on his face that he hated being the bearer of bad news.

And then it happened.

I laughed.

I laugh even as I write this.

It was the answer to my prayer for mirth.

Even though it felt as though the gates of hell had been opened up and we were being bombarded by things that could easily steal our joy, I was finally able to laugh in the face of adversity.

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that God was, and is, completely in control.

That knowledge brings me immense joy.

Now it's not to say that I laugh at every situation. I don't. But there is an unspeakable joy within me that has grown much stronger over the past 18 months. Months that have been immensely stretching.

As I look over the events that brought me to this place, I could choose to wallow in the frustration and fear of what we experienced. It will definitely be a moment in time that won't be quickly forgotten. But instead of viewing it through the lens of despair and angst, I choose the bright lens of hope in God's faithful plan that He works all things together for our good and His glory.

I choose joy!