Beauty to Come

 

It is that time of year – my favorite time of year – autumn.   I patiently (or impatiently) wait for these few weeks of autumn all year long.  The crisp air, the beautiful breeze, the mums, the pumpkins, the apples – I love it all.  Yet, what I wait for in anticipation the most is the leaves.  The leaves are truly an amazement to me.  On this earth that God graciously gave us, we see the beauty of color all around us.  The leaves are just one small gift of beauty.  The blue sky, the white clouds, the green grass, the yellow sunflowers, the orange carrots, the red apples.  The list goes on and on with the beauty of color. 

This year, the gentle colors have started a little early – easing their way into autumn’s beauty.  It’s as if the leaves are giving us a bit of a foretaste of what we can expect.  We know, every year without disappointment, there will be an array of colors to brighten our world.  I thought about the foretaste that Jesus has provided.  Foretaste is inferred a few times in the Bible.  It is always referenced in the goodness that will be coming. 

        “…set his seal of ownership on us and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what   is to come.”        2 Corinthians 1:22

    “Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose id God, who has given us the Spirit as a   deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”  2 Corinthians 5:5

This beautiful world that God gifted us is our foretaste of what is to come.  The beauty that we see is just a small glimpse into the beauty that God has waiting for us in heaven.  Beauty here on earth can be seen in so many different places.  Yes, the leaves share their brilliance, but there is also beauty where we may least expect it.  A smile, a hug, a note of kindness, a caring touch, a prayer.  All of this and so much more is the foretaste of what we will receive in our eternal city of heaven.  How incredible that day will be!  We will see Jesus’ face and all the beauty he has in store for us. 

May the foretaste of the leaves changing remind you of the foretaste of the gates of heaven!  You, my friend, have a place in heaven; a place that has been prepared just for you!  Be the beauty for someone else as Jesus is the beauty for us.

Heavenly Father, thank you for the autumn leaves.  As we know beauty will abound  us through this season;  may we be reminded of the eternal beauty you have waiting for us in heaven.  Help us be reminded of how we can be the beauty in others’ lives here on earth as we await the beauty guaranteed to us in heaven.  Amen!

 

 

Bread of Life

 

Today is family dinner day!  To say I am excited would be an understatement.  We all made a commitment at the beginning of the year to get together at least every other month and break bread together.  Since then, we have had some wonderful dinners together – enjoying good food but more importantly, enjoying the love shared within our family.  Sometimes we celebrate birthdays (like we will be celebrating Nanny’s today😊).  Other times, it is just the fact that we are together for another dinner that makes the day special.  There is something about eating together that brings comfort and joy.  It is not only in today’s times, but also in Biblical times as we see in today’s verse.

I reflected on the many times in the Bible people broke bread together or ate together and how often food was the center point for many of our familiar Bible stories and parables.  The word bread is mentioned 492 times in the Bible.  From manna with the Israelites to fishes and loaves of bread at the feeding of the 5,000, bread is often referenced.  It was a staple at the table in Biblical times.  It can be that way in today’s times as well.  How many times do you go out for dinner and a basket of bread is brought to the table?

As we know, bread and Jesus have many correlations.  The strongest is when Jesus refers to himself as the Bread of Life.

“Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life.  Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”  John 6:35.

When Jesus shares this beautiful declaration, he is sharing that He is all we need in life.  He will “fill us up” with all that we need, body and soul, to live our earthly lives.  By believing in Him, we will never go hungry or thirst, as he will provide.  How many times have you questioned God by saying “Where are you?  Why don’t you help me?  Whether it is struggling to buy groceries or struggling with grief and heartache, there are times when we wonder if God is out there for us.

Never wonder – God will give us exactly what we need when we need it.  Whether it is a piece of bread or peace of mind, when we go to God with our troubles, He will respond.  Remember, God loves you.  You are His child; He will always be there for you.  He is there with you at every meal and every moment of the day.  Be grateful and thank Him for your daily bread! 

Heavenly Father, we thank you for being with us at every meal as we break bread.  We thank you that you are our Bread of Life and that we will have eternity with you.  May we celebrate this at The Lord’s Supper table during communion and lift your name up in praise.  In your ever-giving name we pray.  Amen!

Droplets into Sunshine

 

I looked out the window as I flew into the clouds Thursday morning.  On ground, it was pouring down sheets of rain.  As I traveled higher into the sky, I flew into those rain-filled clouds.  I was fascinated by the rain droplets on the window.  At the top of the window, one droplet would slowly move to the next one.  The droplet would get bigger and heavier.  By halfway down the window, the droplet would be so heavy it would barrel down the window to the bottom.  I watched this happen over and over again – each droplet picking up weight and falling to the bottom.

These droplets of water couldn’t help but remind me of our sin.  One on its own may seem like not a big deal, it moves slowly into our hearts and souls.  Yet, we never have ‘just one sin’.  Our sins are like the droplet that falls into another one, picking up speed.  When one sin gains momentum, we begin to fall into sin greater and greater.   Our sins become so heavy that they bring us down ‘to the bottom of our window’.  All light seems to be replaced by the weight of our sin.  It can be a dark place.  I’m certain we have all experienced the darkness of sin.  It can be a place where hope seems to be replaced by despair.

As the plane continued to lift through the clouds, I rose above the rain to the sunshine.  Let me share the good news my friends!  There is light among the darkness.  There is sun after the rain.  This sun (son) is Jesus!  He is the one that took on each and every one of our sins, each sin that drops into another sin, weighing us down into darkness.  Jesus is the one that followed through with His Father’s plan. 

“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  Romans 5:8

Through His love and His death, we are saved from the darkness of sin.  Through His love and His death, we are brought into the sunshine.  The weight has been lifted from us by Jesus.  We will sin.  We will have moments of despair.  We were born into sin.  We are not perfect.  Yet, let us not forget the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection.   His love brings us into the light where we can live every day knowing that our sins have been removed through faith in Jesus.  We can walk with a lighter step knowing how much Jesus loves us.

As we move into the week ahead, may we be reminded of Jesus’ love and his bright light that lifts us from the darkness of sin.  Smile that smile a little brighter and share that hope with someone who needs to know why you are smiling.  Jesus loves me, this I know – for the Bible tells me so!

Dearest Jesus, through your love and your death, the weight of sin is removed from my heart and soul.  When despair blankets over me, may you wrap me in your loving arms and remind me of the most precious gift of your death and resurrection.  Warm me up and bring me into the light of salvation.  In your name I pray.  Amen!

Gift of Labor

 

Days at work, like any day, can be good or bad, happy or frustrating, joyful or sad.  I am certain that if I asked you to share a “good” day at work and a “bad” day at work, you would easily come to the table with many experiences.  Throughout my career, like all of you, I’ve experienced good and bad days at work.  Have you ever asked yourself the question, “Why am I doing this job?  What is the purpose?”  I know I have and depending on when during my career I have asked that question, the answers have been different.

A couple of years ago, that question seemed to be playing in my head repeatedly.   As I tried to analyze the different answers that came to mind, I realized one thing – I seemed to be missing something.  What was the purpose of my work and why was “I” the one tasked to take this path?  Should I be going down a different path – a different career?

It was then that this verse came to mean so much to me.  It wasn’t a coincidence that God had me turn to my Bible just to this chapter and verse.  He knew what I needed and drew me to the answer.  This verse, carefully written on a piece of paper in my day timer, helps to remind me daily of what I am doing and why I am doing it.

Our labor or career path is truly a gift from God.  No moaning or groaning, let me finish.  God brings us many wonderful blessings and gifts; too numerous to count.  Gifts of family, friends, homes, experiences, etc. are precious and close to our hearts.  Yet, the gift of labor is also one that God provides for us.  Many of you may be smiling and saying, “Okay, Susan, I have many gifts, but the gift of work?”  Yes, God provides us even the gift of work.

For some of us, we may have been on the same career path all our lives.  For others, the career path may have changed several times.  God provides us the gift of work to be able to sustain ourselves and our families.  Our work is a blessing from God and could also be a blessing to others.  I think of the doctors and educators that have crossed my path.  They truly have been a blessing – teaching me, healing me.  Their gift from God has blessed me.  We don’t know how our gift of labor may be touching others.

Our labor of purpose may not just sustain our everyday needs, but it may be the gift God gave you to reach others.

We tend to look at our work as a way to make a living and bring sustenance to our lives.  We may lose sight on how our gift of labor is intended to be used by God in a way we may never realize.  When we change our focus and see that our work isn’t just for man, but truly is from and for God, our mindset changes.  I know it dramatically changed my heart when I realized that my work and its purpose wasn’t always going to fill me up – it may fill others up.  Through our work, we can share God’s purpose for our lives with all those we come in touch with.  

The next time we may be dreading going to work, remember who we are working for!  We may be working for someone, but more importantly, we are working for God.  That should bring a pep in all our steps!

Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of labor.  May we realize our work has purpose, God purpose.  Help us to look at work as a gift from you, and may we eagerly do our work with you in mind.  Amen!

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!