Sacred Delight

Every November 15^th (my dad’s birthday) and May 4^th (the anniversary of my dad’s death), I tend to post a small memory of him. The post is meant to keep my dad’s memory alive in the minds of my friends and family. But it is more of a benefit to me in that it prompts a digging in the mine of my mind to find a hidden gem.

Today’s gem is that on the night before my dad died, I came home from a friend’s house, and he was watching Roswell – one of our favorites. So I sat down next to him on the couch, and I clearly remember hugging him in such a way that I could hear his heartbeat. Then we held hands and watched our show together.

Short, sweet memory. But I am always surprised at how many of these treasured moments I have – something new to share 2 times a year for 13 years now. And what I love most is that dad gave me such fun things that remind me of him. Roswell is not an amazing show, but it was entertaining. It was one of the many introductions to sci-fi that would later help me appreciate my sci-fi loving husband. And to me, Roswell is almost sacred. It is a small connection to the relationship I shared with my dad.

This memory inspires me to create fun moments with my children, and to savor them. Savoring is a big theme for me lately. I have been studying Ecclesiastes in my Bible study this month, and we studied it at church last summer. At first I dreaded this book because it seemed depressingly “meaningless." But what I eventually took away from these studies is that God wants me to be happy with what I’ve got – to enjoy life.

I am so grateful that God put people in my life who remind me to lighten up. My dad loved to travel, loved to meet new people. He never met a stranger. He loved to tell stories. He made things fun. I tend to be serious, too serious. But God gave me a fun dad.

And thinking about this has made me realize how much joy I have in my life because my husband is fun… and funny. Most people think that a pastor should be serious, but then they meet Glyn. He is part theological teacher, part comedian. And I love him. He is smart AND compassionate. And he makes learning interesting and applicable. He approaches a discussion with an open mind, listening, not just waiting to present his case. He honors the other person. He reminds me of my dad.

I’ve experienced 2 separate prayers from a person in England and a person here in Tampa in the last 7 months. And both of them (without any prompting or knowledge of each other) expressed a feeling of God’s delight in Glyn’s humor. How fun to think that God enjoys our humor. He made us, so I guess that is natural, but for some reason this was a new thought to me. It helps me to connect to God in a different way. He enjoys laughter. It is not irreverent to laugh; it can be worship. And He knew I’d need it. He gave me 2 wonderful funny, happy men. And because of them I have so many sacred delights. 

Laundry Prayers

Laundry is my least favorite household chore, right next to cleaning bathrooms! I don’t mind sorting the clothes and putting them in the washer/dryer. In fact, I feel very virtuous to hear the swish of the washer while I type away on my computer – accomplishing two things at once! But I dread carrying the baskets of clothes up three flights of stairs, folding each and every sock and uniform and then putting them away!

But I have found a way to redeem this time. And I have done this for years whenever I’m not lost in my thoughts of all the other more important things that need to get done. I pray. I pray for my family, mostly. And it is the easiest method of prayer I have found to cover so many facets of our lives.

When I find a sock, while searching for its mate, I pray for the sock owner’s steps that day. I pray that God will guide him to the right places. The more socks I find, the more I pray about that person’s direction in life and that his feet may bring good news.

Pajamas usually encourage a prayer for good sleep. But if the pj owner is sick, I pray for healing. Tae Kwon Do uniforms, ballet costumes, and workout clothes remind me to pray for health and strength, sometimes even for a long life. Business shirts and trousers remind me to pray for my husband’s work. Church clothes lead me to pray for our church and community. My Awana and VBS shirts remind me to pray for those events and the children and leaders involved. School uniforms prompt prayers for teachers and friendships. My grey jeans remind me to pray for my new photography business (since I usually wear them to shoots). Hand-me-downs encourage prayers of gratitude and blessings for others.

And at the end of this chore, I take each pile to the different rooms, thanking God for the piles of blessings in my life. This mundane activity is transformed into a perspective changing experience, and I am grateful to be putting away the abundance of God’s provision. I am also reminded that I am doing something important – taking part in the bigger picture through prayer, and loving those I hold most dear through a simple act of service.

May God redeem all of our everyday chores!

 

 PS – I let my kids in on this secret prayer today, and they especially loved praying for regularity when folding underwear. :) 

Flooded with Light

I made this image today because I studied Ephesians 1:16-23 for my Wisdom for Mothers Bible study, and the prayer for a heart flooded with God's light was such a beautiful picture in my head. So I played around with my camera and photoshop till the image became real. And I pray this image reminds you of your confident hope in your Savior, Christ Jesus!

Worship is a battleground

Do you ever have a month, a week, or a day that you kept hearing the same message from different sources – almost like God had a theme message just for you? Maybe it was more than just a theme – maybe God was saying something very specific.

In the last few weeks, I’ve heard the same message in a few different places – a Beth Moore simulcast (from the worship leader there), a sermon on Moody radio, a podcast, and a Bible study called Wisdom for Mothers. All of these messages are unconnected to each other, except that they all are Christian speakers/studies to which I have chosen to listen. And they all either directly or indirectly mentioned Jehoshaphat’s battle with the Moabites and Ammonites. Why does this little story from ancient times keep popping up in my life? It seems that there are treasures in it that I need to keep finding. And I know today that I found one… one that keeps being stated over and over again to me, and I finally absorbed it… worship is a battleground!

I know that praising God is good. But sometimes I don’t really connect to a particular song in church, and I think about other things while I sing. Sometimes I am so focused on the sound of the music, that I forget the message. Or sometimes I mentally critique the odd, sometimes antiquated, language or the mindless repetition of a particular phrase.  Sometimes I think a different song would have emphasized the message of the sermon better. And maybe these thoughts have a level of validity. But worship is so much more.

Worship is weird. It is us singing. If you are not a musician, singing is not a normal part of life. BUT then again, we listen to music all the time. In the car, while running, while cleaning - it soothes, it energizes, it motivates. So why is it so weird to come together and sing in church? Maybe we are embarrassed by the passionate spirituality of others.  Maybe it feels contrived. Maybe it feels forced. Maybe there is no feeling.

But just like music in the car, it can soothe. Or just like while running, it can energize. And just like in cleaning, it can motivate! Worship can do a lot for us. It helps us gain perspective. It helps us focus on God. It prepares us to listen to the message. It teaches us – Colossians 3:16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

But there is more involved than just us! God is praised in worship. And that means something. It is one of those marvelous mysteries, but worship matters to God. And it moves him. It doesn’t have power over him, but somehow it moves him! Just look at 2 Chronicles 20. When Jehoshaphat was faced with a vast army intent on destroying his people – he had no power to defeat them. And he was afraid. But he focused on God, called the people to pray and fast, was told the battle was God’s, not his, and he marched out to meet them. And do you know who he put in the front lines? A choir!

2 Chronicles 20:21-22

After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying:

“Give thanks to the Lord,
for his love endures forever.”

As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.

Jehoshaphat’s men did not even have to fight. It was God’s battle! But God allowed them to take part by singing! Isn’t that amazing?!

I don’t know what battle you are facing. Maybe it is a battle within your family. Maybe it is a battle against your family. Maybe it is an addiction or a financial strain or an illness. Maybe you don’t even have words for it. Whatever it is – it is God’s battle. And the battlefield may be out there, or it could be inside you. But God can win. And you can join in the battle just by singing his praise.

So turn up your favorite worship music, and sing!

savoring

So tonight I had one of those parenting moments where you wish you could freeze time... or bottle it to revisit... but, alas, all I have is a journal, and now a blog, where I can record it. But words do little justice to a feeling. Overwhelming love. Comforting joy in the weight of a sleeping child. As I carried my little girl to bed, I was in the same moment rejoicing over the curly haired gift from heaven and mourning the future loss of this era... this falling-asleep-in-my-arms era. So with a gulp and a prayer, I tried to savor this simple and meaningful act of mothering. And as I sit here remembering the sweet little things of today - the sandcastles, the splashing giggles in the gentle gulf waves, the delighted pink faces at the prospect of hot chocolate AND a hot bath at the same time - I realize how easy it is to miss the little moments that make life.

No separation

While taking a walk on this lovely brisk October day, I was listening to a podcast by Alistair Begg entitled, "No Separation." This message was based on Romans 8:38-39 "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." I love this passage, and I love the message that Alistair gave. It was concise AND poignant.

He quoted a poem by W. H. Auden

http://homepages.wmich.edu/~cooneys/poems/auden.stop.html

After you read it, I'm sure you'll agree (with a lump in your throat) that the death of someone significant in your life seems to make all good things stop. The sky should cry with you. The sun should hide. Time should stop.

Time... as I pondered these things... walking by homes decorated with Halloween paraphernalia: bones strewn about lawns, skulls in windows, morbid signs... I remembered a movie trailer I saw for a movie called "In Time" which seems to be a modern version of Brave New World. I haven't seen the movie, but it seems that the premise is that each person has an alloted time on earth that is tracked and can be traded or spent for goods/services. And one man tries to beat the system. Just the thought of this trailer echoes every poem, book, desperate cry from any literature I've ever read... how can we escape the inevitable?

Well, Romans 8 is the answer. God has beaten the system for us. God's love spans death! It is that simple. And complex.