Reset

 

There are two stores that I would prefer never to walk into – a car salesmanship and a cell phone store.  Neither of those places scream “Can’t wait to get something new.”  I know, for most people it can be exciting.  For me, it is as bad as going to the dentist (and for those that know my greatest fear – you get this)!  Yet, there are times when you need to take the plunge.  Yesterday was that day.  In I walk, with my wonderful husband who assists in these trying times, to the cell phone store.  Two hours later, I got a new phone.

Although much of the transfer from one phone to the other was seamless, there were certain apps that needed me to put in my password.  I am hoping there are others who face the same fate as I do when I must remember my passwords.  Really?  Do you want me to remember something I set years ago?  Which leads to the title of my post today – reset.  For many of the apps, I needed to reset my password, and everything was once again at my fingertips.  I forgot the old password and created a new one so I could move forward.

This process gently reminded me of the many times I needed to reset my faith.  It was not that I had forgotten my faith, like my passwords, but there have been times I have needed to reset the old way of how I was living out my faith by moving forward in a new light.  There are times in the Bible where this process is referenced.  In my life, it has come with complacency.  My prayers in the morning become stale and repetitive, not necessarily seeking the condition of my heart.  I can walk through a worship service with the proper responses, not soaking in each response of the liturgy.  I sing praise songs without focusing on the words.  When I find myself in those situations, an immense amount of guilt floods over me, realizing that my Lord and Savior deserves so much more from me.

So, I reset!  Like my password reset, I start looking at my faith and reset it to do new things.  When I do this, my faith moves forward in a fresh spirit.  As Isaiah 43: 17-18 says:

“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.  Behold, I am doing a new thing:  now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?”

These words remind me of the power of new!  It may mean I am uncomfortable for a little while, but while I seek new ways, my heart is filled with new things.  I may move to a new devotional – seeking God’s word with new insights.  Instead of worrying that I get the tune right in the hymn we are singing, I may stay silent and read the words of those precious hymns that have so much to say.  I may select a phone screen saver with Bible verses that I have not explored before – finding newness in what Jesus shares with us.

Resetting our faith can have powerful outcomes.  Our minds will be filled with new wonders and our hearts can be filled with the simple faith that God has always wanted for us.  Try pressing the rest button of your faith.  You may be surprised what new aspects can replace old behaviors.

Heavenly Father, thank you for the reset button.  As I explore different ways to explore the gifts of grace and mercy you have bestowed upon me, help me to spring forward in my faith.  In your gracious name I pray, Amen!

Lighthouse Power

 

I have a fascination with lighthouses.  Whenever I travel, they always seem to be on the ‘must see’ list.  When I look at them, I not only see beauty in the tall cylinder, but I also see power and purpose.  I stand in awe thinking about the people who built them, many times having to face some treacherous terrain to get these beacons of light to stand.  Some are short and stout, others are tall and lean, all are beautiful in my eyes.  The lighthouse in the picture, from York, Maine, is one of my favorites.  My husband and I will many times go there and sit on the rocks, breath in the fresh air, and just ‘be’.  Of course, the wonderful ice cream hut a mile or so down the road is a favorite of ours as well!

Lighthouses are built to emit light near dangerous and rocky coastlines, aiding those on the water to navigate their ships along that part of the coast.  They emit a light, day and night, to assist the captains of the ships to steer clear of difficult, dark waters and find a different way.  Lighthouses are also built to sustain the difficult weather that many times aligns with their locations.  The one in York, Maine, for instance, sees many storms, some hurricanes, and in winter our typical nor’easter that can bring impact weather of wind and snow.   Lighthouses are built for the purpose of saving lives – the lives on the vessels who can see their light shine.

Yes, my friends, the parallels are strong between the lighthouse and having our Lord in our lives. Let’s look at a few:

·       Warning:  The light of the lighthouse provides a navigational warning to ships to navigate out of the dark waters.  Our Lord certainly provides that for us.  His light and His Word provide us the navigational warnings necessary for us in this life.  Through the warning light, He can steer us from the dangerous waters of life to safe ground.

·       Strength:  Lighthouses are built for the purpose of being able to endure the storm, no matter how ominous.  Our dear Lord endured the battle of the cross, showing the world His strength to not give in to the perils of this world.  Jesus has certainly provided strength to me during difficult times, knowing that he would always be there for me no matter how difficult the storm gets.

·       Hope:  The lighthouse not only provides navigational direction; it also lets the captain know they are closer to land, closer to a destination.  Jesus provides that hope for us.  When we see and experience Jesus’ light, we know we are closer to Him and closer to the eternal life that will always be ours when we believe in Him. 

·       Salvation:  Saving lives is the purpose of a lighthouse, ensuring ships and those on board are steered away from the rocky coastlines to safety.  Jesus’ sole purpose was to bring the world salvation.  By His death on the cross, those who believe in Him will have eternal salvation.

Perhaps that is why I am so drawn to lighthouses.  When I look at them, I see my Lord and Savior, whose light shines for the world, providing warning, strength, hope and salvation.  I pray our Lord is your beacon of light – a lighthouse in your life.

Dearest Jesus, thank you for lighting our path and steering us away from dark and dangerous waters.  May I look for your light of strength and hope during difficult times as I know you will always be there.  Amen!

Hand in Hand

 

Being independent has always been extremely important to me.  “I can handle this all on my own, I don’t need anyone’s help,” has certainly run through my head more than I care to admit.   Independency is not a terrible thing.  Having the ability to rely on yourself is important as we walk through life.  Yet, taking it too far can yield to disastrous results.  Trust me, I know.  When I have put blinders on to the fact that I need help, my world has spiraled (and not in a good way).  Sleepless nights and overeating resulted.  Of course, the occasional lashing out didn’t help the relationships around me.

I need help!  You need help!  We all need help!  The question we all need to ask ourselves is where do we go for our help?  Finding help through online shopping, medications, alcohol, or overeating are the wrong places to go.  Just as destructive can be complaining about or reliving the situation you are in with anyone who will listen.  The constant sharing of the situation can continue to build hopelessness with each word you speak.  Once our need for independence hits our physical bodies, financial conditions or our mental state, it is time to seek help beyond our own means.

When MY need for independence becomes too much, I turn to God’s word, and this verse falls into my hands, literally.  Isaiah 41:13 has been my go-to when life has gotten to me!  There are times I need to be reminded that we have not been put on this earth to walk it alone.  We have our Heavenly Father with us every minute of every day.  He is there to help, to guide, to trust.  He is there for the moments when we say, “I can’t do this anymore,” as he responds, “I’ve got you.”  The number of times I have fallen to my knees in prayer, asking for his help, are truly too numerous to count.  He has ALWAYS responded.

I have always prayed for that grandiose spectacle – that answer to prayer that was larger than life.  For some, that happens.  For me, God shows up on a smaller, more intimate scale.  I’m beginning to see the beauty in the smaller aspect.  At those moments of despair, my husband will have a dinner made for me when I get home, or my mom will share a special verse that touches my soul, or my coworkers will say, “What can I do to help?”.  Those angel moments make me realize that God’s help comes in so many ways. 

Putting our hands in God’s hands, realizing the magnitude of his grace and love, can be a starting point for our dependence on Him.  He will always be there for us, never leaving us, and never letting us fall to where we can’t get up again.  When you need that hope, put your right hand in God’s.  Take a walk with Him and let Him help you.  Not only does that make God happy – I guarantee your simple faith in Him will bring you peace.

Heavenly Father, thank you for extending your hand when I can’t do it alone anymore.  Help me to see you are ALWAYS there for me, waiting for me to say, “Help”!  Bring me direction and peace.  Amen!

Easter Emptiness

 

Easter has been bittersweet over the past 20 years.  Twenty-two years ago, the day after Easter that year, my dad passed away.   Daddy always loved Easter and it was fitting that it would be this holiday that our Dear Lord decided He needed another angel in heaven.   I believe I can say this with a fair amount of certainty that our family has had a bit of emptiness in their hearts since then.

Daddy didn’t believe in emptiness!  An empty wallet?  Not a chance!  Daddy would hide a $20 in his wallet in a special spot where he didn’t normally check to ensure he always had money on him – and has passed that along to the rest of us.  An empty gas tank?  Not on Daddy’s watch!  The ‘low fuel’ light was never on in Daddy’s car – he was filling up before that quarter tank needle hit the screen.  An empty refrigerator?  Never in my parent’s home!  Daddy had a place in the grocery store on a regular basis to ensure that didn’t happen!

There were many areas where Daddy wanted to ensure were never empty.  The most important, though, was Daddy’s soul.  He certainly had many reasons to lose hope throughout his life.  From a childhood in a very poor coal-mining town outside of Pittsburgh, to the Korean War and then later in his life as he suffered many years with difficult health issues.  He would spend months in the hospital and had repeated surgeries that would have rivaled any person’s soul.  Daddy always kept God close to Him.  He definitely knew he had a direct line to God and wasn’t about to let that go to waste.  My mom and dad always taught us that talking to God was the best soul-filler.  I hope I have shared that cherished gift of knowledge with my children.

On that Easter morning so long ago, there was an emptiness that was good for all mankind.  The emptiness of the tomb.  Although the boulder was rolled away and Jesus was no longer inside, the emptiness yielded a fullness for all of us to partake!  Jesus didn’t disappear, Jesus rose from the dead!  Our lives were no longer lived in desperation, but hope.  It was at Jesus’ rising that all those who believed would never have to suffer the chains of hell, but would live eternal lives in paradise. 

I woke up this morning and looked out at the beautiful sunshine.  Before my toes touched the floor, in my heart I said, “He is Risen, He is Risen Indeed!”  Those should be my thoughts EVERY morning, not just Easter morning.  My soul can be empty at times.  The pressures of work and the world around me can lead me to thoughts of emptiness.  Shame on me!  There is always hope, even in the darkest of days.  There is always joy, even in the greatest despair.  This life we are living on Earth is filled with hope and joy as our Lord is with us, He’s in us, filling up all the empty spots!  Jesus asks so little from us for all that He gives to us.  All He wants from us is to have simple faith!  Faith that He rose from the dead for our sins; faith that we will see Him again in paradise.  Let us all join our simple faith together this Easter Sunday and share it with the world.  Let’s take the Easter Emptiness of the tomb and fill up the world!  May you all have a blessed Easter.

Dearest Jesus, we shout “He is Risen” this Easter morning!  Thank you for giving the world the empty tomb so we will forever be able to fill our souls with your grace and mercy.  Make we take the wonder of Easter and carry it with us for all to see.  Amen!

Lenten Burden

 

Burdens.  I am very certain that we have all carried our share.  As I reflect writing this message, I think over the burdens of my life, things that have weighed me down not only physically and mentally but have hit my soul as well.  How many times have you said to yourself, "I feel like I'm carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders - and my shoulders feel it!"  

Burdens can be difficult to manage.  Many times our burdens can be a result of others' situations - a loved one who is ill, a situation at work that increases your workload, a major house project that needs attention.  Past the physical aspect of burden there is also the emotional aspect - a difficult relationship or a friend or family member who hasn't found Jesus.  The burdens shared above, both physical and emotional in nature, tend to be outward facing; they are the type of burdens that others may shed upon you.

What about the burdens we manifest on our own?  Guilt and shame are two areas where we can create our own burden!  Living with the guilt and shame of our words, thoughts and actions can have us 'carrying the world' day and night.  We are sinful people.  There is not a day that goes by when we do not sin.   That load can be the heaviest of all.  There are many sins in my life where the guilt and shame were carried for years!  It can seem as if our burdens are too much for us to bear and releasing them is unimaginable.  My friends, there is Good News!  

Our sinful burdens are released and have been carried by another.  Our guilt and shame is replaced by love and joy.  Our empty souls are filled again!  The love of our Jesus gave us the greatest gift of all time - the gift of love that led to the gift of forgiveness.  When Jesus took that cross upon His back and walked to Golgotha, He took each and every one of our sins with Him.  On that cross was our guilt and our shame.  On that cross was every sin we ever committed. His pain and great suffering were each of our sins, bearing upon Him.  That picture should bring us to our knees in repentance.  Yet, also on that cross was where our sins are no more.  "For I will be merciful towards their iniquities, and I will remember their sin no more."  1 John 1:9 ESV  

Our sinful burdens can only be released one way, that is through having faith and love for Jesus along with the repentance of our sins.  When someone receives Jesus as their Savior, they are receiving all of Jesus' forgiveness.  It's not just forgiveness for the little sins - but for ALL of the big and dirty sins as well.  In Jesus, our sins are no more.  Release your burden of guilt and shame.  Give your sins to Jesus, for He has already forgiven you.  When we meet Him in heaven, we will have a clean book, no sins will be registered.  This certainly fills my soul!  May you have a blessed Holy Week.

Dearest Jesus, I thank you for bearing my sinful burdens.  Your walk to Golgotha carried all of my sin and shame.  That should have been my walk, but your love of me is so great that you took on that horrible burden for all the world.  May I never forget your goodness.  Amen.