Beauty of Pain

 

October is one of those months.  I absolutely adore and look forward to all the beauty this season brings, as referenced in the previous posts.  I look forward to all my senses being awaken through autumn.  I revel in the beauty seen through the leaves, the wind on my face, the smell of wood fires, the taste of crisp apples and the touch of a smooth pumpkin.  For eleven months out of the year, I yearn for all these wonderful aspects to come to life.

Yet, there is one feeling that always creeps around the corner and sneaks up on me when I least expect it in October - the feeling of pain.  It is as if it peeks around the edges of my life, waiting for me to let my guard down and then it hits me so hard it takes my breath away.  In October of 1999 I was diagnosed with breast cancer.  In October, the pain of that day comes running back.  The pain of the months that followed that day flood into my mind.  It is as if every detail of those days is etched in my mind.  When those feelings hit, I begin to relive those days, whether I am in the car, in church, at my desk, and even when I try to lay my head on the pillow.  Those memories come crashing back.

As painful as those memories are, I also remember the beauty of that season in my life.  I remember the generosity and love that poured out to me.  I remember seeing God’s face in the doctors and nurses who tended to me.  I remember cherishing moments and days stronger than I have ever done so before.  Most of all, I felt God’s hope!  Each day my reliance on God became stronger because I could not rely on myself at that time.  In doing so, I felt closer to God than every before.  I learned what it was to let God have the driver’s seat. 

Pain in our lives can drain every bit of energy we have.  Even the most positive folks can refocus their attention to the despair pain brings into our lives.  Whether it is physical, emotional, or spiritual pain, it can release havoc in our lives.  Yet, as God shares in Romans 5, this is when we need to rejoice the loudest.  It is during these times we need to share thanksgiving.  Trials in our lives provides opportunities for us to release to God our pain.  Problems in our lives provides opportunities to let God do his good work.  Romans 5: 1-5 became my mantra when I was ill, and it is my ‘go to’ in the Bible when life throws me lemons.  It is a wonderful reminder of God’s love for us and how the trial in our lives leads to hope in God.    

Sharing verses 3-5.  “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character, and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the holy spirit, who has been given to us.”  Let these words sink in when troubles come your way and let God’s love shine amidst adversity.

“Dearest Jesus, thank you for being our guiding light during troubled times.  May we turn to you, and release to you, all that weighs heavy on our shoulders.  May your love engulf us and show us the great hope in you.  Amen”

Beauty of Stillness

 

Beauty can be seen in a multitude of areas in our lives.  As shared in previous posts, it can be seen in changes experience of anticipation of experiences to come.  Those experiences can lead to a life that could rival a full-length action movie.  Constant work to do, constant chores to get done, constant lists to cross off – our days can begin to run together with no end in sight.  The busyness of this world continues as we try to rest our weary heads at night, with thoughts racing through our minds of things that we did not get done or problems we did not solve.

My life can be like this.  The ability for me to relax can be met with a sense of guilt.  The words racing through my mind are, “I am certain there must be something that I should be doing.”  Those words do not last long before I realize that there is a small chore I forgot or something I wanted to get to, and that moment of rest changes to busyness.  Is there anyone reading who is nodding their head in agreement?

In walks the pandemic.  For approximately one year, the world seemed to stop.  There were fewer places for us to ‘go,’ less dinners with friends and family.  The days of one chore running into another had turned into moments when I walked around the house trying to ‘find’ something to do.  The time slowed down a bit, and so did I.  My husband and I spent more time on our deck, enjoying our backyard and each other’s company.  I realized the importance and gift of stillness!

In the stillness, I saw more of God’s beauty in the simple things in life – the squirrel playing in the tree, the movement of the leaves in the trees as the breeze blew, the smile on my husband’s face.  I came to cherish those times.  The world then ‘opened up’ again, and the days began to look increasingly familiar to ‘pre-pandemic’ times.  Busy days returned.  Places to go crept into our lives.  Stillness was replaced with busyness.

Today, though, I stopped.  I longed for the days of stillness. I longed for the feeling of peace.  I went back to my place of stillness, the deck.  I took the time to look upon God’s beauty and realized that He provides stillness as a gift.  In our stillness, not only can we see God’s beauty, but we can feel God’s presence.  When our lives are too busy to be still, we can’t feel when God is with us.  His presence is replaced by people and things.  When we are still, we can feel God warming our hearts and filling our souls.  Talking to God is not all we should do in stillness; we can be still and listen for Him to speak to us.  In stillness, we can experience His love!  I know I can certainly use to experience more of God’s love in my life!

There is much beauty in the world around us, beauty that God gave us.  Yet, ensure you make a little time to be still and appreciate the beauty God is giving YOU!  In that stillness, God is giving you the peace and love that only He can give.  We just need to be still to receive it!

Dearest Lord, help us to take time out of our busy days to be still.  In that stillness, may we appreciate the gifts that you give to us.  May our simple faith be drawn to your love and may you provide us peace for our souls.  In your name we pray.  Amen!

Beauty of Different

 

The beauty of fall in New England spans so many senses.  The pumpkins in the fields.  The apples dangling from the trees.  The crisp air blowing past your face.  The smell of a wood fire from a neighbor’s home.  Yet nothing surpasses the beauty of the leaves.  Whether a year filled with vibrant color or a year glowing with subtle hues, the leaves make it autumn.  I watch for the first leaf to change color in mid-August and follow the journey on our trees during the next three months.  I continue to be amazed at how each leaf gives off a distinct color.  You can have the same tree with reds, oranges, yellows, and greens all sharing same branches.  It is the differences of those leaves that create the most beauty.  One trunk, multiple beauty.

Reflecting on all those different color leaves turned my attention to all of us on this earth.  Each of us has our own different color.  It could be the color of our skin.  It could be the color of our personality.  Maybe it is the color of our actions.  Each of us is not like the other.  Our thoughts, our words, our actions are different than the person standing next to us.  I say to our Lord, “Thank God!”  I do not know about you, but I can certainly only manage one of me (and I am sure my husband is saying the same thing!).  There is such beauty in the colors of all of us and what we bring to this earth.  God created us to be different, not to be the same.  It is those differences that we should be celebrating, not criticizing, about each other.

The leaves of one tree may change into many different colors.  It does not mean that the tree is ‘good’ or ‘bad,’ it means that beautiful differences can come from one place.  So, it is with God’s people.  Our foundation is our Lord and Savior, Jesus.  From Him, the beauty of all of his people shines through.  He is the trunk, we are the leaves, shining our colors for the world to see.  The beauty of our differences rooted in Christ Jesus is truly a miracle.  When we focus on all of us being one with Jesus yet giving off the color of our skin or our personality, it is something that should be marveled and revered. 

As we walk through this earthly life, may we reflect and appreciate the differences in the person next to us.  May we smile and say to ourselves, “There is another miracle”!  God made us, each of us, with a plan of how we can share our ‘colors,’ just like the leaves of New England.  Let us celebrate those differences with a sense of awe and wonder.  Only God can create the Beauty of Different.

Dearest Jesus, although we are one with you, you have created each of us to share our colors!  May we shine our colors to others, and more importantly, may we respect and celebrate the different colors around us.  Thank you for providing us the beauty of being different.  Amen.

Beauty of Friendship

 

Forty years.  That is a long time for about anything, but for a friendship?  I would say that is a long time.  I have been blessed with a friend I have had for forty years.  In forty years, a lot happens.  In our case there were our own weddings, a divorce, multiple children being born, children being married and grandchildren.   There were health issues, relationship issues, and parents’ passing.  This weekend I got to see my friend of nearly forty years.

Much has kept us from seeing each other, especially these past few years.  I am sure many of you can relate as well.  During the pandemic, many of us refrained from seeing friends.  We had our ‘circle’ and we stayed within it, ensuring that our families would stay safe.   It was a ‘drought’ of friends’ time.  I missed it.   I am extremely fortunate that I have a wonderful husband who is truly my deepest friend.  Yet chatting with others warms my soul. 

During the ‘friend drought’, I had to remember that the greatest friend I have has been with me for a long time – longer than even 40 years.  This friend is with me every day, supporting me, listening to me, not just warming my soul but filling my soul.  This friend guides me, holds me close, and listens to me day or night.  Who is this friend?  Jesus!  His friendship is deeper and wider than any friendship I could have on earth.  The hymn, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” so wonderfully depicts this friendship.  My favorite verse:

Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness
Take it to the Lord in prayer

Jesus wants us to be his friend; he invites us to this holy friendship.  I feel so honored to be in His friendship ring and that He calls me by name.  He lovingly shares all of God’s secrets with us.  He gives us Scripture that we can peak into those secrets and hold them close to us.  Jesus gives us an opportunity to be with him any time we need him.  What a gift and blessing of true friendship He has given to us.

These past six months many people have, once again, gathered with friends.  Laughter, hugs, memories, are now being shared around a table versus on face time.  The ‘drought’ is starting to wane, and our lives are filling up again.  The next time you have the privilege of sitting next to a friend, let them know how important they are to you.  Warm their souls.  Then when it is quiet, and you have a moment, thank Jesus for His friendship; for always being there no matter the worldly conditions.  His love and friendship last an eternity.

 Dearest Jesus, thank you for blessing us with friends.  As we begin to gather with our friends again, let us be reminded of your friendship with us.  You never leave us.  You sit next to us and share in our earthly situations.  You guide us and love us.  Thank you for letting me always come to you!!  Amen.

Beauty of Change

 

When I share with people that autumn is my favorite time of year, there are usually two responses.  One is “I very much agree with you, mine too.”  The other is, “Autumn is a time when everything dies, how can you like that?”  Of course, I have no problem responding to the first comment.  The second has given me pause.  I have never seen autumn like that, but it is true.  As the three months of autumn passes, what is alive seems to have died.  The green leaves eventually fall off the trees.  The green grass begins to go dormant stopping its growth.  Most plants, including colorful hardy mums, find their way to brown.  Things to begin to die off.

Yet, the process of that change is beautiful, especially the leaves.  The green leaves first turn beautiful colors of red, orange, and yellow.  That process takes a bit of time.  You may walk past the same tree for three weeks and notice an array of beautiful changes in color before the leaves fall.  One cannot help to go through autumn thinking about change.  It always brings me back to significant changes in my life.

At the time, I need to confess, during those significant difficult changes, I found it tough to see the beauty of the change.  Many of those times found me complaining, filled with anxiety and frustration.  Looking back, I realize the importance of that change in my life and the path God was taking me for my greater good.  Yet, it certainly did not feel like that – and beauty was nowhere to be found.

Change in any form can be stressful.  Out of our comfort zone, we may feel lost and alone as change moves through.  Brothers and sisters it is not the case.  Beside us, every step, is God.  He is with us when we are anxious or frustrated.  He is with us when we are scared and feeling alone.  He provides us the strength that we did not think we possessed.  He guides us to be brave.  Most importantly, He can help us see the beauty of the change that is happening. 

It is hard to see that beauty when the change is a failing relationship, a difficult health diagnosis or a loss of job.   Yet, we have a change in history to look back upon to see the beauty and hope during difficult times.  As Jesus took the long walk to Calvary for all of us, His death looked as if hope was no longer.  As we all know, three days later, his resurrection has given us all hope from that day forward.  The beauty and hope of Jesus’ resurrection can bring us the strength and courage to face any change!  As you walk through autumn and see the leaves change, remember the beauty of change, albeit difficult.  Remember the hope of Jesus.  Stand strong and be courageous, because you are walking through change with your heavenly Father, who sees the beauty in everything. 

Heavenly Father, thank you for walking each step of change with us.  Help us to see the beauty in the changes of life.  Be there to lift us up.  Encourage us to be strong and courageous.  Calm our anxieties and bring us to peace.  In your heavenly name we pray, Amen!

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!