Protector

As the rain falls from a gloomy sky, it seems as if the world, as we know it, will be forever changed.  We turn on the news and the numbers continue to grow.  We look to our loved ones, but we can't touch their hands or kiss their faces.  We long to congregate in a church and hold the hand of a fellow parishioner, but that faithful squeeze is not there.  Then we wonder, oh how we wonder and worry, will my family be safe?  Will I be safe?  Will this ever stop?

It is times like these that I turn to the faithful stories and legends of the Bible.  One has always been David.  He endured much affliction in his life, some was scorned upon him by others, some was self-infliction.  Yet, there was a constant among all of David's experiences.  His faith and hope in God!  He knew where to turn in his times of trouble; he knew where his protection came from - His God!

I look around and want to put a bubble around all of us.  A bubble so that the virus doesn't penetrate any of us.  A bubble of the time families are spending with each other.  A bubble that doesn't let the pandemic strike our hope and faith.  There is so much I would like to include in the bubble.  I don't have that power.  I don't have that level of protection.  There is only ONE who can provide the protection we are yearning for - Our God!

It is times such as these that our faith and hope are tested.  We let our minds wander and our hearts fill with doubt.  It is understandable and I have certainly been there.  My mind and heart get so twisted with emotion and fear that I can't seem to breathe.  Then I open the greatest gift given to mankind - the Bible.  In there are words of hope, words of love, words of faith.  I am not gently reminded, but profoundly reminded, that God is here with me - with us!

Please let us heed the words that are being provided by God through others.  Let's ensure we are staying home as much as possible.  Let's ensure we are washing hands and visiting virtually.  Let's ensure we are doing the things that God is asking us to do to stay safe.  Many times, when children are afraid, they run to a hiding place where they feel safe.  Today, that place needs to be our homes.  God has provided a hiding place for us - where he will deliver us and protect us.  He provides us songs, through virtual church services, YouTube, Pandora, our phones and computers - the songs of deliverance, hope and faith are around us.  

Brothers and sisters, these are not easy times.  That's an understatement.  Yet, we have each other in prayer, we have a God who is protecting us, loving us, and giving us the hope we need.  Look to HIM for your strength and guidance.  Look to HIM for your love and your salvation.  Look to HIM for the grace, mercy and forgiveness that He died on the cross to give us.  Look to HIM!!

Dearest Lord, these are troubling times.  People are sick and dying.  Our lifestyles have changed dramatically - including how we worship you!  Remind us, Jesus, that you are the great protector - you have your loving arms around us and will guide us through all of this.  May our hearts and minds be calmed by your words and may we heed your direction always.  By your gracious and merciful name we pray, Amen.

  

Healing

"Lord my God, I called to you for help and you healed me."  Psalm 30:2

Week by week, day by day, hour by hour, our world continues to change around us.  As we continue to hear growing numbers of those that are sick, those that are suffering, it can put our minds into chaos.  I thought about what I was going to write this week, as my words don't seem to be enough.  Yet, God's words are enough.  I thought I would share HIS words and pray on those words.  I hope you will join me in these prayers and reflect back to them as needed.

Prayer for Healing:  Dearest Lord, there are so many in this world that are sick and suffering.  Over our entire world, people are suffering and dying from this virus.  We ask, God, that you reach out your healing hand and hold those that are sick close to you.  Give them the reassurance that you are the great healer and that you will guide them through this journey.  Generously pour out your hope and love to those afflicted.  Touch our hearts, Lord, so that we can help those in need.  Amen.

Along with those that are sick, there are those that are worried.  The uncertainty of the way we live our lives with this continues to change dramatically.  Many of us are spending more time in the confines of our homes than ever before.  Some of us could be spending more time with our families than we have in quite some time.  Our familiar routines have been replaced with unfamiliar ones and they are restricted in where we can go and what we can do.  This can completely cause anxiety and worry.  

Prayer for calming of hearts & minds:  Heavenly Father, at every turn we seem to be living a life we never expected.  Unfamiliar has replaced familiar and we continue to charter a new way of living.  Many times, the unknown can cause distress and worry, of our hearts and minds.  Our hearts yearn for our "yesterday" and our minds just want "rest".  You alone, dear Lord, have the power to take all my worries from me and to replace it with your blanket of peace.  Please do that for me and for all those that are anxious.  Although we may not know what our future holds, we do know that you are in it providing us hope.  Calm my mind, fill my heart with reassurance and bring new breath into us.  Amen

We may feel overwhelmed by all of this.  Yes, the rest of the world is dealing with lock downs, shelter in place, lack of food, sickness, worry, job loss, etc.  Yet, the rest of the world is not you and how each of us processes this is different.  Please know you are not alone!! God is there for us, each and every moment of the day.  I love the verse above as I can just picture my hand in God's hand, Him letting me know that He will help me.  Close your eyes for a moment and get that picture into your mind.  Fall back to that memory when you need it - whether it is chaos or loneliness, God is there with you, His hand in yours.

Prayer for Help:  Dearest Jesus, hold my hand in yours.  Walk with me and guide me through this journey.  Let me know you are with me at every step.  Provide me the help I need to navigate through this.  We are all living lives today that we haven't lived before.  I need your help in this walk, Jesus.  Hold my hand, don't let me go!  Help me to be who I need to be with those around me.  May I hold this vision of your hand in mine throughout my days and pull from it when I need it most - knowing I am not alone!!

I pray for all of you.  None of this has been easy.  None of it is comfortable.  Yet, as we know, God can bring beauty out of even the darkest days.  Yesterday, I saw a family walking, hand in hand and my heart reached out to them in love.  We have seen many examples of our true heroes in this world -  the doctors, nurses, emergency responders, health care providers - all working around the clock to help people in need.  Our priorities are changing and we find ourselves focusing on our families, our health, and time together more.  The little things mean more.  Helping our neighbors and extending a smile to those we pass seems to have replaced our "too busy to help" mindset.  Yes, we see visions of people fighting over toilet paper (still trying to figure that one out), but the positive outweighs the negative.  We will get to the other side of all of this - with God's help.  Know that He is there for all of us.  Just go to Him, His hand is waiting to guide you, His shoulders are waiting to take on your worries, and His heart is ready to heal you.  Amen!

Help in Weakness

Fear - it seems to grip us when we least expect it and have a hold on us that won't let go.  

Fear - stops us from moving forward towards action, immobilizing us.

Fear - can foster irrational actions and sadness

These past few days I am sure all of us have heard too much to comprehend, seen too much to comprehend, and feel too much to comprehend.  As I try to write words today, I don't know where to start.  The fear of the coronavirus has overtaken our world.  What was important has moved to the side.  What was critical is no longer a focus.   The fear that a family member or friend may succumb to the virus can bring us to our knees.  Although strong, we now feel weak.

It is times like these that I sit and stare out my window, wondering what to do next?  My first reaction is to gather my family and cook. It seems to work for all of us.  That is what we did today.  We gathered around the table and broke bread together.  It felt right.

Yet, I still feel weak among the magnitude of all that is going on in our world.  I'm not even sure what to pray for, how to pray, where to begin.  In walks the ever-present Holy Spirit!  God knew we were going to have times like these - times in our lives when we just don't know the words to search for.  These are the times we need to be with our Father.  Just be in His presence, the presence of the Holy Spirit.  He is there for us.  

     He knows the fears that we have and will not let go of us.

     He knows that we can't move, and mobilizes us into action.

     He knows our sadness and breathes hope into our souls.

God is there for us in our times of weakness, our times of fear, our times of being lost.  Through the Holy Spirit, the prayers of our hearts, our minds, and our souls are heard by God.  When we lose the words, we need not worry.  God still hears us.  Our hope is great in God!  Our weakness and fear take a backseat to God's love and grace.  Through God, all things are possible.  

We need to do our part.  We need to practice healthy hygiene.  We need to be smart and practice social distancing.  We need to bow our heads.  We need to be with God.  Many of our churches have stopped services.  That's okay!  God is with us and we are with Him.  Let us be comforted that our God hears us ALWAYS and is with us ALWAYS.  I pray for all of you and your families.  May we remember to love our neighbors and treat all people with respect - this is when we can do our best to live our Jesus' love!  

Heavenly Father, these can be scary times.  It is in these times that we can feel weak and powerless, not even knowing what to pray.  Yet, we know that you are with us God.  May the Holy Spirit wrap us in His arms and protect us.  May your love reign down on us.  May our weakness turn to strength.  In your gracious and healing name we pray.  Amen!

Lenten Renewal - Our Minds

Last week I chatted about renewing our bodies - today, we move to our minds.  As much difficulty as I have had over the years to work on my "physique", I would have to say renewing my mind can be a tougher challenge.  Our bodies are tangible - we can see the results (or lack thereof).  Our minds, though, can be more difficult to recognize "what" we need to change and then "how" to change it.  As with any renewal process, small incremental steps may be the answer.

Conforming to this world and its thinking can actually be easy.  We have constant reminders, especially in social media, of what we should think, what we should do, and how we should act.  When peers and friends start discussing topics that may differ with our way of thinking, agreeing and nodding can be much more comfortable than disagreeing. 

Here's where the challenge and renewal comes in!!  The Bible has a way to help me reflect.  By reading passages, I not only get a glimpse into the rich history it holds, but also the incredible people that are identified.  By understanding their challenges and how they overcame those challenges, I find hope that I, too, can move forward.  Renewing our minds by focusing on the Word of God, without the noise and distraction of social media, can help us to see the goodness of what we CAN think, the richness of what we CAN do, the blessings of how we CAN act.  God clearly shows us the direction - it's up to us to renew our thinking to His.

I saw this quite evidently this weekend.  Someone I know (fake name - John) was out for dinner.  People had put their names in and were waiting, patiently, for a table.  Another couple was called before John's party.  He got a bit upset and pushed his way past the other people to explain that his party should have received a table first.  Ended up, the hostess had a mix up and didn't realize that they should have been seated first.  All well and good, right?

Not for John.  He thought about it - all through dinner.  His mind was focused on his actions, which were uncharacteristic and didn't involve a lot of patience (maybe teetering rude). By the end of dinner, John's renewed mind changed his actions.  He paid for the couple's dinner, apologized deeply to them, and left the restaurant.  When our mind focuses on the will of God versus the will of man, transformation happens!!

It's time everyone.  During this Lenten season, may we turn our attentions to the Word of our God.  As we read His words, may our minds and focus be turned to His will and His ways.  Let our minds be transformed away from the wills of this world and move towards the will of God.  Now's the time to start!

Dearest Father, help us to focus our minds on your word and may our minds be transformed towards you.  We know that your will and your ways should be the ones we take.  Help us to reflect on the areas that challenge us and may we take the time to understand how we can think differently.  Bless us Father, as only you can.  In your name we pray.  Amen!

Lenten Renewal - Our Bodies

As I sat in church this morning, the banner to my left read, "Lent - A Time of Renewal".  I thought about that and how very true this is.  I thought this Lenten season, we may reflect on our renewal - of body, mind and soul.  Each week, I'll share my thoughts on how we might be able to renew ourselves.

I have suffered and labored over the thought that my body is a living sacrifice for God, a holy temple.  I struggle over this because I don't find myself always treating this body of mine with the upmost respect it deserves - a vessel for God.  I try - goodness knows I try - to ensure that everything I put into my body is good for me.  This becomes easier, believe it or not, as I get older.  I understand with greater importance how I need to eat the right things to keep healthy.  So it is more veggies & protein and less carbs and sugar.  No, not every day is perfect, but strides are being made - a renewing of my body.

Where I struggle with less success is when it comes to exercising.  Each day, I find myself losing time - time to get off to the gym and put in a few minutes on the treadmill.  The busyness of life seems to take over.  I do realize that these are excuses and I have much work that needs to be done in this important area.  Exercise will bring forward healthy bones and a healthy heart - both that are very important as I get older.  It is time to renew my commitment to keeping fit - a renewing of my body.

I also look at what I DO with this body - do I sacrifice my time and what I can do to help others?  Do I find myself helping out a neighbor or family member when I can?  Can I make a meal with my hands to help someone in need?  These are areas where I try to share my talents and sacrifice some of my time - knowing that it will please God.  How I feed my body and exercise is very important.  What I DO with my body is also important - a renewing of my body to help others.

Lent is such a wonderful reflective time.  We reflect on our sin.  We reflect on our Lord and the grace, mercy and sacrifice He gives to us.  We reflect on how we are so unworthy of all He gives to us, yet, we accept it freely.  It truly is a time of renewal.  We can renew the commitment we make to keep our bodies healthy and able to do God's will.  We will fall and stumble as we make these new commitments.  We might be trying to eat better, but that piece of bread or cookie may make its way to our mouths.  Enjoy and move forward - asking God for grace and His unconditional love.  Miss a workout?  Get in a few extra steps at work, and continue to renew the commitment of fitness.  We may miss an opportunity to help someone - so let's keep our eyes open for the next time we can assist!  God will be with us as we renew our bodies in His Name!!

Heavenly Father - as we begin this Lenten season, may we take time to renew our bodies to your work.  Help us to strengthen them by what we put in them, our we keep them fit, and how we use our bodies to help others.  May our renewed commitment to you bring us to the understanding that you are always with us, even when we may fall.  Be there to pick us up Father, and lead us in the right direction.  In your name we pray, Amen!