Blanket of Love

 

I have a half hour commute to work.  I ride down the same highway every day.  I pull onto the highway and then the chase begins – who can drive faster than the next person, who can get the prime spot in just the exact lane they want to be in.  I am a victim to this and typically get that spot I want (many who know my driving skills do not find that unusual).  The other day was different.  Something caught my eye.  It was the beautiful wildflowers, mostly daisies, which had returned for the spring and summer season.  Not just a few that popped up, but blankets of wildflowers everywhere.  They were in full bloom, and they were gorgeous.  They bring such beauty to the concrete of the highway.  Since that day, it has been less on the perfect highway lane and more about reveling in the blanket of beauty. 

I have pondered much on the blanket of beauty.  I knew there was a blog post in that beauty and today it is about God’s blanket of love.  There are so many ways that God lavishes this blanket upon us.  There are times when we need the blanket to envelope us when the world is against us.  I remember when I was going through my divorce, as much support as I might have had, I felt as if I would never be loved again.  Many evenings I cried thinking that love would evade my life moving forward.  Yet, I also remember the feeling I had when I read of God’s love always being with me.  I pictured His blanket of love enveloping me, and I knew that whatever path He would take me, His love would always be enough.  God then blessed me with Juan’s love.

God’s blanket of love is not just for one person, though.  His blanket extends to each and every person on this earth.  Thousands of generations, as our verse for today points out, leads us to know that His love touches each and every person, and together that blanket of love is as beautiful as the blanket of daisies that greets me each day.  His love for us covers all of us in beauty.  It envelopes us in goodness.  It brings us peace.

There is much dividing us lately.  Even as recent as this weekend.  Yet, there is one thing that truly brings us all together, the love our Lord has for us and wants us to have for each other.  We will have differencing of opinions.  We will have our own statements of truth which may not be seen by the next person.  We have plenty to ‘write off’ the person standing next to us.  God does not want that for us.  Our job, our sole job, is to love each person – everyone – the way God loves us.  It is not easy.  I am sure I am not easy for God to love most days.  Still, I know His love is always there for me.  Let us be there for others.  Let us create a blanket of love!!

Heavenly Father, I thank you for the blanket of love that you graciously given me.  I feel that blanket often, especially when the world around me is cold.  Let us be your blanket of love here on Earth.  May we show love, grace, and mercy to all that we meet.  May our love be the blanket that someone needs.  In your loving name I pray.  Amen!

Judging Words

 

I heard two people speaking with each other a few days ago.  The way they were talking, you would believe that they were judge and jury.  The spoke about a friend as if the person could do no right and every word the person spoke and action the person took was so wrong.  It was 35 minutes of this constant back and forth, only to have the ‘friend’ arrive and the entire conversation changed. 

I thought about the conversation I heard and immediately became the ‘judge’ that I had just heard:

·         How could people judge another person the way they did?

·         How could they not recognize there may be other circumstances the person is dealing with?

·         How could the conversation change so radically when the person showed up?

As I walked through the scenario, it was time for me to take a self-reflective look.  Have I ever experience being the person people were judging?  To be honest, there have certainly been times when this was the case.  I remember how awful I felt when I recognized people were judging me.  Yet, and more importantly, were there times when I was the ‘judge’ in a scenario or with a person?  I have to admit that there have been times when I was playing judge.  

I also hear much judgment when I turn on the news.  I think much of America has become self-proclaimed judges and juries.  Hearing people speak about others in a judgmental and painful way does not seem to do anything except continue the divide that we see in America today.  People believe their own thoughts and actions are “right” and the other person’s thoughts and actions are “wrong.”  All of that talking has resulted in barriers being lifted up instead of bridges being built. 

Upon reflection, I realized that nothing positive ever came out of those times when I judged.  I remember feeling guilty about it afterwards, thankfully, to the Holy Spirit.  I realized that when I judge and measure others, I will too be judged and measured.  The only One who has the right to judge is our own Jesus.  Because He died on the cross for me, He has the right to judge me and penalize me, for all my negative actions.  Yet, which is one of my most favorite words of the Bible, He looks past my imperfections.  Jesus looks past judging me to the person that He sees on the inside, one of His chosen. 

When we believe the right thing is to judge others, may we take a step back.  Let us realize that the only One who can judge another is the One with no sin, Jesus.  Let us leave the judging to Him and may we take on the building of bridges!  May we take the time to understand each other instead of judging each other.  May we take steps towards building bridges and not barriers.  May we find peace.

Dearest Jesus, thank you for this important verse to help us understand the important of leaving the judging to YOU.  May we reflect on moments when we judge and realize that our job is not to judge, but to build peace amongst each other.  Equip us with the tools to thrive in that environment.  In your name we pray, Amen.

The Missing Piece

 

Puzzles – I love them and hate them.  I see the picture on the box and determine that it will be a wonderful puzzle to spend time putting together.  I eagerly take each piece out, ensuring that all the pieces are turned face up.  I spend time putting the frame of the puzzle together first and then begin working on the middle of the puzzle.  I get excited when one part of the scene is complete, and I can move onto the next.  Then, it happens.  That dreadful moment when I realize I have lost a piece to the puzzle.  I look on the table, on the floor, neighboring tables – everywhere – to see where the lost piece is.  At that moment, I feel defeated.  A couple of days later, I find the piece tucked behind a chair cushion or under the puzzle box – triumph!!

When I was reflecting on that this past week, I realized that there have been times in my life when I have felt as lost at that puzzle piece.  I have felt lost in helping my husband through a rough path at work.  I have felt lost as a mother when my children had a problem that I could not fix.  I have felt lost as a daughter when I could not take away my mother’s pain.  I have also felt personally lost.  I go through times in my life when I feel like something is missing in my life and that the days run into each other without any purpose.  All of these times in my life have been difficult to navigate. 

Difficult, that is, until I realize what I am missing.  It is during those times that I realize that the missing puzzle piece is Jesus in my life.  When I toil with thoughts of how to make things better, where to find my purpose, how to bring joy to those around me, I realize that my goal is to manage it on my own.  I must know something or somehow to make everything better, to find the path.  It is then that I notice the reason I am lost is because I have not gone to the One who is waiting for me with open arms, the One who is seeking His lost sheep.  When I go to my Jesus in prayer, when I open my Bible to seek answers, He never disappoints.  In Jesus I find the missing piece when I am lost.  In Jesus, I am able to get my answers, fill the gap, and the whole picture becomes clear.  In Jesus I triumph.

Life is hard.  Jesus never promised us a carefree life.  What Jesus has ALWAYS promised is to be there for us, to be the missing piece when we are lost.  Just as the shepherd goes after the one missing sheep, just as we seek the missing puzzle piece, Jesus will seek us out if we are lost.  When we have lost direction, the Holy Spirit will nudge us toward Jesus.  All we need to do is seek His name and in Him, find triumph.  The next time you are feeling lost, as if you are not sure which direction to turn, reach out to the find the missing puzzle piece in your life – reach out to Jesus.  I guarantee you He is waiting for you!

Dearest Jesus, thank you for the Holy Spirit who nudges us to find you when we are lost.  When days become difficult and we feel as if we have lost our way, focus us on prayer and worship.  May we realize the lost piece in our lives is you and may you bring us back for the full and clear picture.  In your name we pray, Amen.