No More Weeds

 

It’s nearing the end of the summer in New England.  For those of us who enjoy fall, we have been waiting many months for the next season to arrive.  Yet, the end of summer means end of summer work.  The garden has faded and it’s time to pull out the plants and ready the soil for the fall and winter.  The annuals that lasted from spring to summer are starting to die off.  Those last pesky weeds seem to be creeping up with the latest heat and it is time to get those weeds out of the soil.

Yesterday was weeding day for me.  I looked at those weeds far too long, it was time to get them out.  As I pulled each one from the ground, I noticed they all had different root structures.  Some were deeply rooted in the soil; others’ roots were closer to the surface.  Either way, when I was done, it was nice to see the beauty of the plants surrounding the weeds shine through.  Getting rid of the weeds let me take my attention off the bad to see the good.

It made me think of my own life.  How often do I focus on the “weeds” of my life and not put enough attention to the “beauty”?   There can be many days when I let the weeds take over the garden of life, bringing my thoughts to a place of negativity and frustration.  These weed thoughts may have different root structures – they could be negative thoughts that are deeply rooted in pain or loss, or they could be negative thoughts that are more superficial.  Either way, the devil can do his work and put me into a “weed” mentality.  Do you find yourself thinking about all that is wrong in life and not focusing on all that is good? 

My friends, Philippians 4:8 is our verse.  This wonderful verse helps us to refocus our thoughts away from the negative and focus our thoughts on all Paul tells us to focus on:  True, Noble, Right, Pure, Lovely, Admirable.  If I kept this verse in mind when my thoughts go to the ‘weeds’, I can easily turn around the negative to the positive.  Thoughts that:

·        Don’t assume

·        Have integrity

·        Mirror God’s thoughts

·        Focus on good

·        Not jealous

When I focus my thoughts on what God wants me to focus on, my burden is lifted and my gaze is to the beauty He has provided.  Join me in getting out of the weeds and shining the beauty that God intends for our lives.  Have simple faith that His goodness will reign in your heart, and thoughts, forever.

Heavenly Father, thank you for providing this important scripture to help me focus my thoughts away from the weeds and into your beauty.  Guide me, my mind, and my heart to focus on all that is good and bring light to those in need.  Amen

 

Own Forgiveness

 Sins – they are certainly troublesome things!  As Christians, we have the wonderful gift that our Savior gave us, the full forgiveness of our sins.  His suffering and death were for each one of us.  Because He died, we get to live, knowing that our sins have been forgiven and that we will one day enter heaven’s gates.  All because Jesus loves us.  One of the greatest gifts we have because of Jesus’ death is to know that each of our sins, great or small, has been wiped away.

Yet, there are days when my sins come back to haunt me.  My sins may be removed in Jesus eyes, and I know in my heart that they are, but there are days when the memories of my sins weigh me down.  It’s the forgiving and forgetting balance.  Think about times when someone has sinned against you.  They ask for your forgiveness and you give it.  Yet, the true forgetting of that sin?  No so easy to do!  We may hold onto it for a while – loathe in a bit of self-pity.  We may stew in silence with the other person not quite understanding what is happening; they were forgiven, right?  We forgive, but we don’t forget.

The same happens for our own sins.  We may know that we are forgiven, and truly believe it, but there are times when we can’t forget.  Those are difficult times as we reflect on our sins.  This is when today’s Bible verse becomes a wonderful reminder of sins forgiven.  Our sins aren’t just forgiven, they are removed!   They are as if they don’t exist.  The devil does his job with us, trying to bring them back.  Our Lord gently reminds us that our sins are no more.  There is nothing to forget for they are removed.

This is the awesome wonder of Jesus’ love.  Our minds can’t comprehend how someone who suffered so much for MY sins wouldn’t want me to live just a little bit of suffering.  Our Jesus?  Not a chance.  He loves us so very much that He doesn’t want us to suffer over our sins as He suffered over our sins.  A love like that doesn’t exist here on earth.  We believe, we have simple faith, and we know that true unconditional love comes from the One who suffered so our sins aren’t just forgiven and forgotten, they are removed.  There is relief and warmth knowing that our Lord loves us that much.  Let’s forgive ourselves, as Jesus forgives us, and replace our sins with love!

Dearest Jesus, it’s hard for us humans to reconcile our sinful nature.  Our sins can come back to haunt us and weigh on us.  Yet, you remind us that you are here, right beside us, to remove our sins and fill us with your love.  Thank you will never be enough.  May you always receive our praise, thanksgiving, and love.  Amen!

 

 

Rest

 

Summer in New England does not last too long. It takes a while for it to get here then once it does, it is short lived before the crisp days of autumn arrive. Therefore, people in the northern states get outdoors as much as they can. From a hike in the mountains to dipping toes into a cold ocean, outdoor time is a focal point. These summer months also afford the opportunity to get away from work a bit and relax.

As there are only a few more weeks to summer, I was reflecting and realized there has not been much relaxing time this summer for me. I seem to have found things to keep me busy and by the end of the weekend I am exhausted, never taking time to rest. My family (especially my husband) gets frustrated with me when it comes to relaxing. For some reason, I feel as if I need to be ‘doing’ something. I assume I am not productive unless something is getting done. I know, I am VERY much like Martha instead of being more like Mary (check out Luke 10:38-42). I am sure there are a few of you out there who can relate.

God made us humans to not only be productive, but also to rest. God himself rested. When he had worked, and saw it was good, he rested on the seventh day. This should be true for us as well. We need to take time to rest. We are certainly no better than God! If God could find the time to rest, we certainly should be able to. What makes us believe that our time and what we need to do is more valuable than God’s time and what he needed to do.

Provide yourself time during the week to breathe without grasping at the next thing that needs to be accomplished. Sit back, let the sun hit your face, and breathe. Take a walk, watch a movie, spend time with family or friends just “being” – sitting around a campfire or enjoying ice cream together. Even, dare I say it, take a quick nap to re-energize. Rest is important. In today’s fast-paced world, the average person gets 6-7 hours of sleep. To function at our best, the National Institute of Health suggests 7-9 hours of sleep!

Rest! It is a cherished word. Take time, not just during the ‘dog days’ of summer, but make it a habit to take time to rest. By resting, we gain energy and can find ourselves with a better outlook on life. When we are tired, the weight of the world seems to be on our shoulders, and we cannot seem to get out from under it. Find time to re-energize and the weight will be lifted. The simple act of relaxation can bring you joy and peace. I’ll commit to doing it if you do!!

Heavenly Father, you rested on the seventh day from your work. Help us to remember to rest. You created us to work hard, but to also relax. Many days we can forget this. May we simply take time to rest from our daily chores and focus on the simple beauty that you have provided for us. In your name we pray. Amen!

 

Seeing Clearly

 

I sat on an old bench near the back of our property yesterday.  We have the good fortune to have the river in our backyard.  As I gazed on the stillness of the river, I was reminded back to when we first moved here over 25 years ago.  Whether I was in the kitchen looking over the backyard or walking around the property, you could see the river clearly.  Nothing obstructed the view.

Twenty-five years later and as suspected, much has changed.  The trees are larger and more mature.  In all their beautiful glory, they tend to become a barrier to a clear picture of the river.  That is, until you get closer and look between the trees and the bushes to see the beauty of the water.  One of the reasons we moved to this house was to be on the water.  Although we do not see it as clearly as we used to, it is still there with all its beauty.

Sitting on the bench, and seeing with clarity, brought me to Jesus.  There are many times when we see Jesus with such clarity.  We see the “red words”’ of the Bible come to life in our lives.  Perhaps the clarity is seen in answered prayers.  Maybe we clearly see Jesus in the wonder of the world around us.  There are always the miracles around us where we see Jesus here on earth – healing, love, birth, blessings.  Those are times when our eyes are upon the Lord.

There are also times when our view is more obstructed, like the mature trees.  Our days are busy, and we do not have ‘a chance’ to see the red words of the Bible.  We need to run off to work or errands and our prayer time can ‘wait for another day’, never mind being still enough to see prayers answered.  The beauty of the flock of turkeys in the middle of the road becomes an annoyance as it puts us a few minutes behind.  The simplicity of every day blessings gets hindered.  I am guilty of this, are you?

My friends, life does get busy.  Between work, errands, family commitments, and school – the list can go on and on.  We can fill our lives, or we can have our lives filled.  When we clearly see Jesus, our lives are filled.  By having simple faith that Jesus will ensure everything we need to do gets done, we can rest by spending time seeing Him clearly.  By ensuring our view to Jesus is not impeded, we are able to see Him and His love for us clearly. 

Get that clear river view of Jesus.  Do not let the mature trees of life stop us from seeing His blessings and His glory.  Give thanks to the Lord for the clarity you have, and may it deepen your faith, the simple faith, which seeing Jesus face-to- face will one day be our reward.

Dearest Jesus, help us to see you clearly in all the moments of our days.  Help us to put aside the things that obstruct our vision and move us to focus on you.  Provide us the simple faith that you are the brightest light for us to follow.  Amen!

Craving Cardinal

 

If you look very closely (I’m not the best picture taker), you can see a cardinal at the bird feeder.  This is in our backyard.  This “craving cardinal” comes every day.  Sometimes it is in the morning, other times, in the evening.  Yet, he never misses a meal at the bird feeder.  I don’t put anything special in my bird feeder, yet this lovely must crave something special because he shows up faithfully.

I love to watch him when he arrives.  He always is gracious to let the other birds dine with him – he never scoots them away (like the blue jays do).  He’s willing to share and gets his fill as he flies off.  Every day, a smile comes over my face as I watch him.  Many people believe that cardinals represent a loved one who has passed on.  I’m not sure if it is true or not, but I do speak to this pretty bird like I was speaking with my dad.

Watching this bird made me think of my own nourishment.  Every day, like the cardinal, I find my way to my cup of coffee and items to nourish my body.  Ensuring my family had home cooked and nutritious meals while they were all at home was a priority for me.  This has not stopped.  I do my best to ensure those that are at our table are fed well. 

There is another nourishment, though, that is far more important than food – it is the nourishment of my soul.  As the cardinal comes to feed each day, I should be feeding upon the Lord’s word in devotion each day.  As good as I am about ensuring a nutritious meal is on my table, I regretfully share that I may not be as good at getting my nourishment from Jesus.  Typically, I try to dive into devotion in the morning before my day starts – feeding my soul for the day.  Some days, though, I find other priorities entering that space.  “I need to get to work early today”, or “I don’t feel like taking the time,” or worst, “It’s okay if I miss a day”.

I don’t know about you, but one day without nourishing my soul leaves me hungry and thirsty.  As Jesus says, He is the bread of life.  If we get filled up with Him, our earthly needs will be met by him.  My days are better when He is the focus, when He drives my thoughts.  Left to my own accord, it goes wrong.  Let’s be like the cardinal, craving nourishment for our soul every day – no excuses!!  We will be filled up beyond measure.

Dearest Jesus, thank you for being our bread of life.  Help us to crave the nourishment only you can provide.  May we recognize the importance and value of being with you every day.  Let us be filled and share with others the good news. Amen!