Thursday, June 23, 2011

A Chance Encounter

It was Saturday night and I had gone to a Gathering with Jeff. It became apparent that I had something different I needed to do. I had an overwhelming sense that I needed to be somewhere else. I jumped in my car and went in search of that something else. I thought about having a coffee at Caribou and seeing who was there. I pulled into the parking lot but it didn't seem right so I didn't go in. I went down a side street and pulled over to the curb to call a friend I hadn't spoken to in quite some time. We had a good discussion which lasted for some time. We finished our conversation and I started up my car.

I had noticed some gals sitting on the back steps of the house near me. As I drove off the one gal waved like she knew me. I wondered if they thought I was "stalking" the neighborhood and swung my car around to let them know I had parked to make a call. They laughed and told me they thought I was their neighbor who lived in a nearby house. I drove back to Caribou - still with coffee on my mind. When I got there, there were only men having coffee. While in line, I remembered a time when a friend did a random act of kindness and bought the next person's coffee. It came to mind I should buy some coffee coolers and take the ladies one, to enjoy while they talked. I drove back to my previous spot with three flavors of coffee coolers. I jumped out and headed across the street, only to realize I was missing one as the two gals had been joined by two guys. I told them my little tale of wanting to give them "a random act of kindness" like my daughter had done. They openly received them and told me I had the perfect amount as one gal did not like coffee. As I went to leave they invited me to stay and have a beer, which I declined because I am not "a fan" of beer. I turned to leave, but by the gal who waved at me in the beginning asked quickly, "Do you like wine." I felt this was an "open door". I had time to spend with them, so I accepted the invitation. 

It turned out to be a wonderful evening - lots of talking, laughing and sharing stories. Here with four strangers - we enjoyed an evening of open conversation. When Jeff finally sent me a text to come pick him up, and I got up to go, these four new friends made me promise to come back and see them another day this summer.

I left pondering the Lord's leading, being very glad I followed. There are four new friends in my life and I look forward to seeing them again.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Morning Stop Points – A Reflection of Unfailing Love

“Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you. Psalms 143:8, NLT

This is a verse that I hope will warm your heart as it does mine. It seems with so much going on in the world over the past months that this verse is like a cup of cold water on a hot day. It sure has been to me.

F

irst unfailing love, stands out and it reminds me that even if the circumstances around me or in my life seem difficult, that God’s love for me has not changed. He is totally unchangeable in His love for each of us. It may be that we feel dry or disconnected, but He is faithful to us. What a wonderful reminder to have each day as we wake.

I

nclination to listen is key. We listen when we hear our name. Here the writer requests to hear the Lord reminding him of His unfailing love each morning. His is putting himself in the position to listen. He wanted to hear the Lord speak, so he was focusing his attention to listen. It is important we cultivate hearts ready to listen. You will be amazed at what you hear and how much the Lord knows you and loves you.

R

emember  to look to the Lord and give Him time to guide my day. I don’t want to just bolt out in to the day without His guidance. It may be I am just heading out to work, but I want His guidance in what my focus is to be for the day. I also want myself to be ready to be “detoured” by Him if there is a someone to whom He wants me to reach out to and share His love in some way.

S

urrender myself and my schedule each morning. “Our mindset (for our day) should not be the prevalent one of taking God with us wherever we might go. It must be instead, that we join God in his mission.” (From Right Here, Right Now, by Alan Hirsch & Lance Ford.)  It means I give Him my life each day and I let Him be the one who is in charge. After 9-11 I became convinced of the importance of hearing the voice of the Lord and obeying it. If it is part of our daily practice, we can rest assured the Lord will guide our steps.

T

rust in the Lord can be a real challenge in the midst of difficult circumstances. If we keep guard over our heart and choose to keep trusting no matter what goes on around us, it keeps hope alive in our hearts. Hope is the key to having faith begin to grow. The Bible defines faith as the “certainty of things not seen.”  I have a piece of jewelry I have worn for years which reminds me to “hope.” For me this is a physical reminder of who I set my hope (trust) in each day. I get reminded when I put a shoe or sandal on before I leave the house.

These “morning stop points” are ones that are easy to take with you. If hope that even when the storms come, you will remember to keep the FIRST things first at the beginning of your day!

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Please Hear What I Am Not Saying

From the poem, “Please Hear What I Am Not Saying”


With your power to touch me into feeling
you can breathe life into me.
I want you to know that.
I want you to know how important you are to me,
how you can be a creator--an honest-to-God creator--
of the person that is me
if you choose to.
You alone can break down the wall behind which I tremble,
you alone can remove my mask,
you alone can release me from my shadow-world of panic,
from my lonely prison,
if you choose to.
Please choose to.

Do not pass me by.
It will not be easy for you.
A long conviction of worthlessness builds strong walls.
The nearer you approach to me
the blinder I may strike back.
It's irrational, but despite what the books say about man
often I am irrational.
I fight against the very thing I cry out for.
But I am told that love is stronger than strong walls
and in this lies my hope.
Please try to beat down those walls
with firm hands but with gentle hands
for a child is very sensitive.

Who am I, you may wonder?
I am someone you know very well.
For I am every man you meet
and I am every woman you meet.
Charles C. Finn
September 1966



These words were ones in a poem that my daughter did a paper on for school this morning. This is only a portion of the poem. You can easily find in its entirety on the internet. It rings so loud in my ears with the attempted suicide of two boys that my kids know. It causes me to ponder who each one of us touching is…


Jesus has given us a commission, to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”’ Mark 16:15. I read this poem and have to ask myself if I am missing some of the people right in front of me? Am I overlooking their message?


I read recently that it is not about "taking Jesus with us", but rather about "going with God where He wants to go." It would seem to me then it is also about functioning with God - or submitting to His leading - to touch the lives He wants us to touch with His presence and His love. If we breathe His life in to the people He leads us to won't this fulfill His will.


At the Greenhouse Neil Cole talked about setting your alarm to go off at 10:02... so I did when I came home. It goes off twice a day - both AM and PM. It went off last night and my daughter caught me and said - well, aren't you going to pray. What a timely reminder to pray out of Luke 10:2, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." It takes my daughter to remind me once in awhile... Yet, I desire to have those opportunities - to be one of those laborers. Do you want to join the adventure? I think following Jesus wherever He leads surely is one of the BIGGEST and BEST adventures of my life!