Just For Me

"Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow, nor reap, nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they??  Matthew 5:26 (NIV)

It was Wednesday morning.  I was heading off to work.  I had decided to keep the radio off that morning - I needed peace and quiet.  Time to just be - not really think about anything at all.  As I drove out of my neighborhood, the sky continued to drive me to a new place.  It was odd, that my heart seemed to be moving me forward instead of my brain.  Yet, I continued to look up to the sky (not as much on the road!).

What happened next is what changed that day, and my heart, completely.  I came upon the apple orchard.  I pass this orchard every morning, but this morning, it was the sky, not the trees, that made me smile.  I came upon the picture you see above.  I am a full believer that pictures are never as beautiful as seeing the scene first hand - and that is true of this sky.  There is no way I could have captured the stillness, the beauty and the peace that I was experiencing.  The sky was breathtaking.  I believed, at that moment, God was telling me, "Be Still and See My Presence."   I couldn't help but think that God made that sky just for me that morning and it was time to give Him praise!

In a world where it seems as if:

• The Strongest
• The Smartest
• The Prettiest
• The Wealthiest

wins, we can seem insignificant.  Life around us gets busy, whether at home, at school, or at work.  Maybe we worked hard to clean the house and nobody noticed.  Maybe we helped a classmate with their schoolwork and they didn't say thank you.  Maybe others at work seem to be getting that promotion while you continue to try hard and don't get noticed.  The people around us can seem larger than life and we can seem like a pebble of sand.  

Rest assured, my friend, that there is one person that puts you at the top of the mountain.  There is one that notices each task you perform, each kind word you say, each loving act you do.  That one is Jesus, and He came to Earth just for you!  Jesus values you more than anybody else.  He formed you, he has plans for you, and he watches you with the eagerness and pride of a parent.  With His love, we can revel in the knowledge that he is here for me and for you.  Yes, he has the power to let me know that when needed, he is here just for me!  What joy that brings my heart.  

That beautiful sunrise actually lasted far longer than normal that morning.  As I continued on my commute, the sunrise seemed to be following me.  I watched as others passed by me on the highway.  I wondered if they were seeing that beautiful sunrise that morning.  I smiled, thinking to myself, 'Jesus, this one is just for me'!!  The next time you see a beautiful sunrise, sunset, gorgeous flower, spectacular foliage, or any item that makes you think of our Dear Lord, take time to say, 'Thank you Jesus, for loving me - loving me enough to die for me'.  It will change your heart.

Heavenly Father, it continues to amaze me when the beauty that surrounds me makes me stop and take notice.  It is during those moments of peace, Jesus, that I realize with a strong heart how very much you love me - yes, me!  I ask that you continue to provide me those moments - may I rejoice in them and give praise to you.  In your beautiful name I pray.  Amen!!

Reframe

"Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice."  Ephesians 4:31 (NIV)

October continues to move along.  As the days pass, so do the colors of the trees.  We have moved from the bright green on the trees in spring and summer, to the vibrant colors of autumn. We will be moving into later autumn, where the trees take on a brownish color and the air becomes blustery, giving us the sign that winter will be here soon.  It seems as if God reframes our landscape each year.

The other day, my husband and I needed some "reframing" of our own.  We both had difficult days at work, which led to us looking at everything around us in a negative way.  The more we lamented over our "tales of woe", stronger was the presence of 'bitterness, wrath, and anger'.  It is amazing how quickly the devil can enter our souls and move us into a negative state of mind.  The more we tried to justify our thoughts and words, the worst it seemed to get.  

I know that when the world around me seems to give me lemons, the last thing I want to do is make lemonade!  Many times, I want to wallow in the self-pity.  Goodness, I'm sure I deserve a few days of feeling down.  Yet, to be honest, if I look at this beautiful verse from Ephesians, these types of thoughts need to be put away from me.  Not only does my head, but more importantly my heart, needs to be reframed to see goodness and joy.  There is much to be grateful and thankful for, even during difficult times.

That is just what my husband and I did.  We sat at our kitchen table and discussed ten things each of us was thankful for (no duplicates!).  We shared much during that wonderful conversation.  We spoke of our relationship, our children, our families, yes, even our work.  As we wrapped up the conversation, we turned to our Lord - fully understanding that NONE of what we were thankful for would be possible without Him.  

Isn't that just like God to take our hardened hearts and move them to a place of grace?  Difficult days, trials and tribulations will come across our path.  The world is "not a bed or roses".  What defines us is where we turn during those tough days.  If we turn inward, self pity and anger will arise.  If we turn upward, towards God, grace and mercy will surround us.  I will take grace and mercy any day!!  Life isn't easy, my friend.  Yet, loving God is!  It's as easy as opening our Bibles.  It's as easy as talking to God.  It's as easy as humming a praise tune.  It's as easy as reframing our minds, souls and hearts.  I pray that if life is giving you lemons right now, that instead of making lemonade, you make some time with God!  It will always prove so much sweeter.

Dearest Jesus, how sweet your love is.  There are days when the devil gets into our hearts and turns our thoughts away from your goodness.  When these days come, Jesus, please focus us back towards you and your grace.  Help us to see the abundance of blessings you have given us and let us enjoy those moments.  In your grace we pray, Amen!

Hope in the Past for the Future

"Be completely humble and gentle, be patient, bearing with one another in love."  Ephesians 4:2 (NIV)

"Today I feel alone and I need to.  Today I feel scared.  One can read all they can, ask as many questions as they can and listen to doctor's explanations, but no one can get chemo for my cancer expect for me.  No one, including myself, can tell me how it will feel.  No one can say "Don't be scared", because I am and it won't go away."

The above is an excerpt from my journal 19 years ago when I was diagnosed with breast cancer.  I look back at the pages of that journal every year, hoping to find glimpses of me back then.  Each year, when I take the book out, I find a little bit of me - the person that I became after the cancer.  I look back at the descriptions of events as they proceeded, memories of my family and friends and their incredible gestures, thoughts of God and how he provided the strength I needed.  That journal has become a look into my past - and into my future.

When I think of those days long ago, I am overwhelmed by the generosity of most of the people around me.  Yes, cards and meals were wonderful.  Most of all, it was the prayers for strength.  As much as I wanted to get better right away, it took an enormous amount of time.  Staying with me were family members and friends, willing to be patient with me, gentle with me, holding me in the palms of their praying hands in love.  I look back now and fully understand the generosity they provided to me.  My deep prayer is that I have been able in some way to give back to them.

How God teaches us!  Through His Holy Spirit working in others, I was able to see the work He was doing.  Through his grace and mercy I received strength, I received hope, and I received love.  Through his Word I received courage.  Through His will, I received joy.  So many times we aren't sure if we are helping people when they are in need.  The greatest gift we can give to others is the gift of God through the hope in their situation.  It is because of these situations that I live my life, present and future with a grander sense of hope.

Hope comes in many forms - cards with inspirational verses, a warm meal, a cup of tea, a journal, a visit.  The greatest hope comes in prayer.  God just wants us to fold our hands and cry out to him.  If we are the ones in need of hope, give your burden to Him.  If others need hope, pray for them.  Know that God is listening and providing. Hope is the catalyst for change.  Hope is the strength to move forward.  Hope is God.

I was blessed to have cancer.  Yes, you read it right.  Blessed!  Blessed because I received a chance to see look at how I was living my life and was provided the opportunity to live a life closer to Jesus.  After my first chemo treatment I wrote:

    What is really important?  Faith where you can find joy, peace happiness, sadness & still find hope.  A family that loves you unconditionally.  A child's hug, kiss, secrets, smiles and hope that never falters.  Friends who love so much that they keep on giving.  A day, whether rainy or shiny, warm or cold, full or empty, but it's another day in the Lord.

Dearest God, many times we look at our past as a big mess.  The challenges that we might have been through seem dirty and situations that we want to forget.  Help us to learn from the past Jesus, so we can have hope in our future.  Hope to make different decisions, hope to come closer to you, hope in your name!  Amen

Many Colors of One Leaf

"For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,"  Ephesians 2:14 (NIV)

It is here, the time that I wait for all year long, foliage season in New Hampshire.  There is no doubt I am a fan of autumn, but especially this time of year when the trees seem to turn brilliant colors.  Not every year is the same.  One year the colors can be muted, other years they can be on fire.  I happen to think this is a year of color brilliance.  The beautiful tree above is right next door to us, yet trying to share this with all of you in a picture is never the same as seeing it in front of you.

Anyone from my family will tell you that the leaves themselves are what captivates me.  What I find completely amazing is that on one tree, you can find all the colors of autumn - a leaf can be green, yellow, orange, red, etc.  As I was spending time among the trees this year, what I realized even more was that EACH LEAF represented a multitude of colors.  All those colors coming together in one tree of absolute brilliance.

This week, no matter where I turned, all I saw was division - division of people.  Whether it was over an opinion of political nature or what to pair with a lovely dinner, I seemed to see tensions rise and discontent.  Hostility seemed to be center stage and the words of rage were its vehicle of communication.  It saddened my heart and I'm sure I am not alone.  These thoughts brought me back to the leaves.  How so?

God created us, each and every one of us.  He created us with our own thoughts, our own opinions, our own gifts, and our own blessings.  He created us with harmony in mind, not discontent.  Now understand, I am not naive enough to believe everyone will always get along.  Yet, when I see these things it certainly saddens my heart.  This is a tough time in our country - in our world.  There is much division throughout this earth.  So what do we do?  Where do we turn?

We turn to the One who created us in peace.  We turn to the word of God.  It is so very hard to put aside personal differences.  It is very hard to not challenge another who has such a differing opinion than ours.  God doesn't want us always to be silent - He wants us to speak out in His name.  He helps us to do that through His word.  He gives us the tools to break down barriers as He did and have all of us "of many colors", like the leaves, to inhabit the same tree - the tree of His kingdom.  

Disagreement does not equal division.  Disagreement does not equal hatred.  Disagreement does not equal hopelessness.  Disagreement does not equal violence.  Disagreement is a difference of opinion.  It is the many colors of one leaf.  Disagreement can produce the same beauty of the tree above, just by honoring the difference of opinion.  I may feel that my opinion is right and theirs is wrong.  The beauty comes from the fact that we all have one Savior who doesn't judge me "horrible" although my sin is great.  He looks at me and the beauty that He created and says to me, "Come to my kingdom."  For that, I will turn my heart to Him.

Dearest Jesus, disagreements over different opinions seem to be strong these days.  Tensions are rising and times are tough.  I ask that you look over ALL of your people and provide us the ability to see through the tough words into each other's heart.  Help us to see the beauty that YOU created and may we be more like you in our approach of understanding.  In your name we pray.  Amen!